Failed the Bulletin Test

I’ve been to grandson David’s church a number of times, and I still haven’t learned how to use the bulletin of the day. It is always better when daughter Kate is with me, because she is better at understanding what is going on. Reminder – I wear hearing aids and reading glasses. On Sunday I saw some numbers on the hymn board, but there was no indication when music fit in the scheme of things. I did see the scripture readings for the day and could follow as they were read aloud. Beyond that, I was totally lost. I thought people in the pew ahead had music in their bulletins, but I couldn’t be certain of that. Mine had no music.

After the service, I told David how much I floundered. He looked at the bulletin I was still holding, as I said I had checked the date. He agreed the date was correct, but he pointed out that it was for the early service, not the late service I had bumbled through. Aarrgghh!

I know what happened. I rode with David, and therefore was quite early, since he had to get robed to sing in the choir. Because of repairs being made outside, I had to enter through a side door rather than the front door. I picked up a bulletin from a stack on the table. No one had removed the freshly redundant ones. When ushers saw me sitting in a pew, several checked to see if I needed a bulletin. I said I already had one, not knowing I needed the kind they were holding.

There are still things to conquer, though. Next time I’ll make sure I have a guide for the proper service. I will also attempt to understand numbers with S or T before them. I think the S stands for Supplement, a booklet found at the ends of pews. I always sit in the middle of a pew, leaving the aisle seats for late-comers. I do hope to someday feel comfortable with that service.