Word: thompson
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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GIVEN that, the Rev. Martin Thompson was not the man to be put in charge of a political event. Not that he was the man to lead a Sunday service either, but he certainly had no idea of the nuances of a modern political happening. He wasn't neat, photogenic, or thin himself, and he had no awareness of the need for those qualities for others. But he was the minister of the largest church in town. So he got to introduce Jesse, right after "Shall We Gather By the River...
...shrill notes died up in the rafters, Thompson rose slowly. He waddled to the pulpit, and all those lined against the church wall who felt safe talking during the choir number now settled into quiet...
...white wall above the heads of these people were as bare as a baby's newborn behind. No nativity scenes. No crosses hung outward from the wall at an angle. And no clocks. Thompson was notorious for his disregard for time, which may or may not have something to do with his declining congregation in recent years. He had the queer belief that the Lord's word was too large to be contained between a regular amount of time each week, and Thompson was once moved enough to speak on Mark 1: 6-7 for an hour-and-three-quarters...
...THOMPSON'S introduction of Jackson was unmemorable. After five minutes of glory, God And America-as-pulpit, and a claim that he and Jesse were brothers, Thompson called his fellow servant to the Lord forward. Jesse strode to Thompson's side with no idea what was to come...
...Thompson put his hand on Jesse's pinstriped arm and continued, to the bewilderment of much of the audience. "Most of you do not come to our humble house of prayer on most Sundays." He paused to let the guilt sink in and the momentary snickers to die down in the back of the hall. "So most of you do not know of our tradition here...