Remember to tread carefully around the fire and brimstone

ALBANY (NY)
Times Union

February 27, 2019

By Jo Page

The other day I was talking to a retired pastor who sings in the same chorus I do.

“Remember the weird things you used to get in your office mail?” I asked.

I was thinking back to “The Passion of the Christ” stuff that Mel Gibson and his ilk were hawking when I was still enough of a newbie pastor to be shocked: T-shirts of a thorn-crowned Christ, a cross nail to wear as a necklace — money-making movie merch for Mel’s masses.

Really, you would be surprised what comes over the transom of the pastor’s study. A few weeks ago I got solicitation material — and the pun just may work — for donating to an organization that funds priests accused of sexual abuse. On the remittance slip you are assured that your donation goes to accused priests who are “discouraged, suffering or in crisis.”

The suggested donation was $100.

Hmmm.

“I do,” she said, rolling her eyes. “What now?”

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