08 December 2007

Worshipers Bracing for the Effect of the Writers Strike Tomorrow Morning

Worshipers Bracing for the Effect of the Writers Strike Tomorrow Morning

by G. Travis Norvell
Birmingham, AL

A look of disdain passed over the face of Ida McKenna as she finished her last cup of coffee before washing the dishes in the Vista Hills, a suburb of Birmingham, raised ranch. "I suppose we'll hear a sermon from last year or who knows what he'll pull out of his (she paused choosing her words carefully) well you know what I mean."

Mrs. McKenna and millions of other Christian worshipers tomorrow morning will either discover what a "real" sermon sounds like or will hear a repeat! How is this? Most Christian preachers subscribe to a sermon service know as Better Ministry, a Los Angeles based company that specializes in writing and distributing what they refer to as "ministry enhancing materials" i.e. pre-written sermons. Better Ministry contracts their sermon writing product to members of Local #13 a member of the Writers Guild of America.

This Sunday, the Second Sunday of Advent, is the first Sunday that millions of pastors, preachers, evangelists and street corner hacks will find their inbox empty. The last of the pre-strike sermons were delivered last Sunday; which has almost driven Rev. Fred Deerpointe pastor of Our Mother of the Slain and Nearly Surviving of Cuyoga Falls, OH almost to drinking. Normally a calm, cool and collected professional parish priest Rev. Deerpointe this Friday was a nervous mess: hair tattered, unshaven and smelling of pickles and mustard. He said he didn't know what he was going to do. He said, "I think may be able to get away with a long and slow reading of Psalm 119, but after that it is any body's call."

From the looks of the Saturday morning church notices it appears lots of people will be hearing Psalm 119 tomorrow.

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