So I just recently shared with you the link to Kaitlyn’s story about the cell phone in church. Now I have my own example of absurdity.
I was in church last Tuesday night for a choir program. The choir was wringing tender emotion from an exquisite line of music when Chester Dude’s cell phone starts going off. Now Chester Dude was was clear up front, in the second bench I believe. Mere feet from select choir members!
He turns to his neighbor and grins hugely like it’s one big joke. Then he leans waaaaay forward and puts his head practically under the bench. I was seated only two rows directly behind him, unfortunately I could not escape.
I tried to resume focus on another emotionally musical phrase, only to hear a voice, slightly muffled but speaking at almost normal volume.
Chester Dude had answered his phone!
He had his head tucked under the bench to talk on his phone in front of the whole church while the choir was delivering their program! Unbelievable.
When he was finished, he sat back up, looked at his neighbor again and grinned like there was no tomorrow.
Somebody’s Mommy needs to take their toy away!
8 Responses
June 16th, 2006 at 2:10 am
Oh man. That happened to me when I went to see Michael Card a couple of years ago, down in Cottage Grove. The phone was on vibrate, but the woman answered it during a song. I almost offered to help her be quiet, but I figured I better not make a scene. Maybe I should’ve grabbed it and thrown it into the open grand piano, where all those little hammers could do their breaking and smashing and pounding. “Hammers break and smash and pound / cell phone s down into the strings…” Uh, never mind.
June 16th, 2006 at 8:56 am
That is very disturbing!! I agree that “Mommy needs to take the toy away”!! That is absolutley unnecessary!! Wow!! Kids these days!! :-)
June 16th, 2006 at 1:21 pm
No Way! Who was it? If it was someone from our congregation I think I might be able to guess. A youth member perhaps? Unbelievable!
June 16th, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Let me assuage your fears, it happened at a neighboring church, and I think he was a native. He was in the youth though, but I don’t know who he was.
But I could pick him out of a lineup!
June 17th, 2006 at 2:38 am
I do not know how we ever survived, but as one who must carry cell phone at times (even in church) maybe I can give another perspective. People may have sick relatives, be on call for work (I put it on silent mode, then return the call outside of the sanctuary, obviously), or just poorly trained. :) Our previous church went so far as to put a little line in the bulletin about silencing phones. Hopefully, churches are attracting more than the “well-trained church folks” and have some who really don’t know any “church ettiquette”. You’d probably recognize them by their phone ring…:) Our pastor once commented (when someones phone rang) and I think it embarassed them enough to be sure it never happens again….something about “Unless that’s God…”
June 17th, 2006 at 4:21 pm
Ha ha! That’s a good line.
You have a good point, and you also have the courtesy to put the phone on vibrate and go out to answer it.
I referred to Kaitlyn’s post, and in it she described the people we’re talking about. I took it for granted to be understood as talking about those same people.
Conservative Mennonites! And youth, to boot. They’re not emergency workers, they’re not on call, they’re just cell phone obsessed.
June 17th, 2006 at 7:02 pm
Good grief…..
June 19th, 2006 at 8:17 am
I smell a case of severe stupidity followed up with a pinch of mild retardation. “Grab the gun Martha, the herd needs thinnin’.”