Proper 27 (A) — Job One: Repent!
Proper 27 (A) — Job One: Repent! November 7, 1999 By the Rev. Ernest F. Campbell The parable of the five wise and the five foolish bridesmaids in today’s Gospel takes place within the context of a wedding celebration. We’ve all been to weddings. After forty-five years as a priest, I’ve attended quite a few. I don’t have an exact count, but it would be in the neighborhood of about 350. One of the things that I have observed is that the photographer is the keeper of customs. He will ask, “Do you want a shot of the groom removing the bride’s garter? How about a picture of the bride tossing her bouquet?” One shot that is a wedding must-have is of the bride and groom cutting and eating a piece of the wedding cake, followed by a weird arm-lock and a sip of champagne. As important as these photo-ops appear (they will be studied by friends and grandchildren for years to come), does anyone know how and why the customs started? About six weeks before Margaret and I were scheduled to be ma...