Smiley, West, and Pfleger

It might make my mother-in-law happy, although she's never mentioned it, if I told her that I might just become a Catholic if Gary allows us to move back to Chicago and be part of St. Sabina's church. It's not a multicultural church. On their website, they claim they are an African American church. As long as they let me come to a mass once every few weeks--that's all I ask!

I listened to Smiley and West (my fave podcast) this week, and they had Father Michael Pfleger on. Boy, he got me all fired up. He reminded me of all the goodness and grace in Christianity that I had forgotten--what it means to stand up for what you believe. No matter whom you offend. He talked about how he was being trained on the west side at a church where the Black Panthers were meeting. He asked to be placed at a small African American parish and in 1981, when I was one, he was placed at St. Sabina's. He got rid of bingo and casino night, which caused his congregation to dwindle even further. Now, 30 years later, multiple attempts by the archdiocese to move him, he is still there with thousands of followers. His message is this: Be part of a dangerous religion! What happened to churches? They are not on the front line of helping people anymore. They are not dying OR living for people anymore. This causes stagnation. St. Sabina's is inTENSE. I wish I could be part of it.

He gives his opinion on a countless number of things. Visit Smiley and West if you want to hear more.