Newsweek: Jesus and Jack Daniels

[Rose Siding]

Jan. 24 issue - In terms of social life, Bush's Washington is an oxymoron. The 43rd president has never embraced, nor particularly liked, official Washington—the lawyers and lobbyists and journalists who make up Washington's more or less permanent establishment. Bush, who prefers to go to bed at 9:30 p.m., has entertained at only a few state dinners; his socializing tends to be rare and low-key, mostly with old Yale and Texas buddies. And most of the Texans who came to Washington say they want to return home when their time is done. The one cabinet officer who made the social circuit with some regularity, Secretary of State Colin Powell, was not asked to stay on for the second term.

In subtle but interesting ways, however, the mostly Red State Bush crowd has infiltrated the social fabric of the mostly Blue State capital. During nonworking hours, their presence can be felt in a pair of local institutions with very different purposes but a certain cultural affinity: the hottest bar in Georgetown, Smith Point, and one of the region's most popular houses of worship, the evangelical Falls Church, a 271-year-old Episcopal parish in the northern Virginia suburbs. The president's daughters, along with a cadre of young and hungry staffers, are regulars at the bar, and a notable group of administration officials, including the president's chief speechwriter and his top lawyer, worship at the church. Together, the bar and the church provide a haven and networking opportunities for what may become a future Washington establishment. Bush, who knows something about sin and redemption, would feel right at home in either place....
...
THE CHURCH. The old Washington establishment was fairly secular....
...
It can be a little hard to separate church from state at Sunday services. In a sermon, Yates once analogized the relationship between Christ and the apostles to that between Bush and Press Secretary Scott McClellan. Even so, the rector tries not to appear too partisan....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6831183/site/newsweek/

[k8conant]

1. Falls Church was mentioned as a "Dominionist" place...

where the Fellowship gathers, says Madsen.

http://www.conspiracyplanet.com/channel.cfm?channelid=31&contentid=1753&page=2

[finecraft]

2. Makes me think of the song "The First Baptist Bar and Grill"

By Tim Wilson. One of the funniest parody songs I ever heard:


Well, the church burned down and no one knew
what Penecost Baptist was gonna do
the Sunday brimstom got so dadgum hot
in burned up a church bus in the parkin' lot

In a panick the reverend Dr. White
called up an ex-member than hadn't lived right
he owned Joe's beer joint right across the fence
it's the same Joe's he'd preached against

he said I don't really want to be a hipocrit
I got a Sunday school class that's about to shit
we're all excited about revival week
and moved by the spirit so to speak

with all the souls we saved and the money we spent
we thought God told us to sell that tent
I got a famous evangilist supposed to come
and done run out of chairs, will you loan us some?

Joe says hell you can just use the whole dang place
A9 on the jukebox "Amazing Grace"
I ain't supposed to open because of them blue laws
but we'll open tonight if it's allright with y'all

Preacher said well I reckon that'd be OK
the good Lord works in mysterious ways
I was gonna talk about Joshua, Judges and Ruth
and I reckon I can do it from the DJ booth

At the First Baptist Bar and Grill
it's the only church in the bible belt that smells like a whisky still
when the sinners finish one more round
we'll have dinner on the ground
and go inside and hell, pray we don't get killed

The evangilist came with a well-dressed choir
they showed up around happy hour
looked around the joint and didn't take it real well
said the White ministry has gone to hell

Ms. Mills that taught youth Sunday school
and two deacons in the back room shootin' pool
were sharin' the Lord with a Jim Beam rep
who was teachin' Ms. Mills some line dance steps

Reverend White was readin' from the book of Luke
to a tall, drunk trucker about to puke
he had John 3:16 memorized
tryin' to dried him out to get him baptised

the evangilist yelled about the lights and the beer
said White you can't save any souls in here
this place ain't nothin' but a den of sin
ain't the kind of place Baptists ought to be in

Preacher said well we don't really need y'all here
You didn't do a very good job last year
Only saved one sinner, that's Todd McGuire
and he's the little son of a bitch that set my church on fire

Joe's beer joint has done been revived
Only been here an hour and I done saved five.
Sure it's got mirrors and a big dance floor
but I finally found the flock God called me for.

At the First Baptist Bar and Grill
it's the only church in the bible belt that smells like a whisky still
not a stained glass window anywhere in site,
just a blood-stained floor and neon lights,

and the communion wine in here is always chilled.

We're here every Sunday; We're livin' large;
We're the only church with a cover charge.
And if you don't like our doctrine and think we ain't devout,
we'll have our bouncer throw your butt out ...

[Elidor]

3. That was great!