Tag Archives: IBBERR

Odds and Ends

Commandments Concerning Technology

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When the bounds of thy habitation shall widen and the size of thy television shall likewise become ginormous then shalt thou listen to words of these commands that thy use of technology be not very naughty in our sight.

And the adoption of a new technology shall be on thuswise: firstly thou shalt fear it above all things and shall shew unto the faces of the congregation how that this new tech shall be used for laziness, and for lust, and for the rise of the one-world government. And thou shalt verily condemn those early adopters as the spawn of Satan and the purveyors the prurient. So shall thy wisdom be established and all the congregation shall fear mightily in that day.

Then when a day, and a week, and a year and time and half a time shall pass thou shalt verily make allowance that this new thing might be useful for missions. And then shalt thou make haste to use it for thy bus ministry, and thy youth group, and thy missionaries and thou shalt verily find the son a church member of suchlike as will work for no pay and shall verily press him to service to make it all work for this newfangled technology is complicated and the Lord loveth free labor.

And when this technology shall be embraced by thou and all thy house and thy deacons and thy deaconesses (Note: apparently not actually a thing Ed.) and such shifty persons as hang around the back of the church playing with the sound equipment then shalt thou forget in that day that these things were once ill spoken of and shall flush it all down the memory hole. So shalt thou put the Old Paths onto the Information Superhighway and so shalt thou profit.

Independent Baptist Book of Everlasting Rules and Requirements, 640(k)

posted from my iPhone 7

Odds and Ends

Commandments Concerning Patriotic Services

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And concerning the celebrations of the times and occasions wherein we cover our crosses in flags and drape bunting on the communion table we give these commands that thou forget not the Christian nation that thou hast been given to dwell in.

For in that day thou shalt rest from the labor of decrying the wickedness of thy land and shall instead sing its praises and render it all due benevolence speaking the words long written: “I still wouldn’t want to be livin’ anywhere else because them other folks don’t even speak English!”

Then shalt thou honor the founders of the nation and call them good Christian men and shall speak not a word of their beer drinking and whoring and slave owning. For they brought forth on this continent a new nation wherein the sodas are large and the people are larger and for this and all their many other blessings we give them reverence.

And thou shalt sing the songs of war and the songs of national pride and the songs of remembrance of times past. Then thou shalt preach a sermon sparing not to give honor to whom honor is due. For there are three who bear witness to Washington the Tea Party, the Capitol Connection and David Barton. And these three are our one last best hope.

For we all know that if Jesus had been born today he would have been born in Bethlehem, PA, in the country with the language and culture that God loves most.

Independent Baptist Book of Everlasting Rules and Requirements p 74.

Church Services

Commandments Concerning Mid-Week Services

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For we know that in old time (6000ish B.C.) the Lord didst command the Sabbath day to be Sunday upon which no work should be done except by the staff down at the Golden Corral and sports announcers on TV. And upon that best of days it was ordained that there should be held two church services — just in case somebody needed to get to an altar but alas the conviction didn’t really start to set in until mid afternoon. And thus there were only two church services for many years.

But now in these last of days when the heart of man waxeth old like a garment and the whole earth groaneth and travailaeth and decayeth and corrupteth, we give also this new commandment: that thou shalt leave thy unimportant secular job in a hurry and tell the kids to ignore their homework and go to a midweek service such as is meet for thee. For in the day that thou shalt not attend that third service thou shalt in no wise thrive: nor thy wife, nor thy children, nor thine ass. For the hours in a week number one hundred and sixty and eight and if thou shalt not return to the Lord a tithe of seventeen hours (for verily, the Lord doth always round up) then he shall execute great vengeance upon thee with furious rebukes. And also your house might burn down.

And the order of the midweek service shall be on thus wise: a song, a round of self-congratulation for coming out on such a busy weeknight, another song, a whole passel of prayer requests for various weak livers and worldly livers, a prayer, another song, and a sermon. These shalt thou do at a bare minimum but thou mayest also take an offering if it doth delight thy soul (and we know that it doth).

Then thou shalt pronounce a blessing upon the people contingent on seeing them back again next week. For we all know that people come to church on Sunday morning if they love the church, and Sunday night if they love the pastor but verily they do come to mid-week service to show that they love Jesus. Amen.

Independent Baptist Book of Everlasting Rules and Requirements p 168.

Odds and Ends

Commandments Concerning The Honoring of Copyrights

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nocopyright

And when it shall come to pass that thy church shall be blessed with a photocopy machine such as is meet to replace the old mimeograph that is held together with duct tape then shall thy heart greatly rejoice and be glad. For in that day thou shalt not cease to make as many copies as is pleasing to thee of whatever happens to be lying around. Spare not to copy sheet music and Sunday school materials and Christian school curriculum and whatsoever thy hand findest to do. For thou art a ministry and this is not thievery but merely good stewardship.

Of thy software also feel free to make many copies, one for every computer in thy office and in thy home and in thy missionary’s travel trailer parked out back of the church lo these six weeks. For in the day that thou shalt actually pay money to Microsoft for its office then verily thou might start paying for everything else. For thus saith the scriptures: “Be fruitful and multiply” and we’re sure that applies somehow or other if you think about it long enough.

But of the enforcement of copyright we do have this sure word: it is really useful for taking down websites that share two minutes and thirty seconds of publicly available video of what your pastor was up to in chapel this week. So shalt thou smite thy enemies on the hip and thigh and show them that you are a force to be reckoned with.

Women

Commandments Concerning Women

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housewife

When it shall come to pass that there shall be born into thy household a girl child then thou shall with all diligence teach her the commandments which I give unto thee this day that she be not a blot upon thee or thy church or the university in thy basement.

For women are a deep ditch and a narrow pit, tempting men perpetually to eat of the forbidden fruit. For so fell Eden and likewise fell Brother Tim’s Sunday School class when that little hussy had her way with him. Be always therefore watching and praying. And depending on which woman you’re watching you may need to pray even the more. Amen.

And upon thy wives and upon thy daughters and upon thy daughter’s daughters thou shalt with all diligence exercise “headship” (which we are pretty sure involves never doing the dishes). For in the day that they shall cause some young preacher boy to stumble and ruin his ministry then shall the congregation look at the women of thy house with derision and recall that one time when you let them wear pants to play in the snow and thy shame shall be great.

But if thou thyself should fall into the trap of a woman’s wiles be not downcast no greatly discouraged. It’s her fault and everybody knows it. For women were created in the beginning for the purpose that they should be a stumbling block to men (and sometimes also useful for housework.)

But concerning men we have no real commandment. Men are awesome except that they’re suckers for women.

Independent Baptist Book of Everlasting Rules and Requirements p 69.