Christian Bachelor Party
by Gordon Dalbey
April 1, 2002
The invitation was unlike any I'd seen: "Christian Bachelor Party—tasteful gifts only."
I'd been to enough non-Christian bachelor parties to know of tasteless gifts and raunchy celebrations. But what does a "Christian" bachelor party look like?
I arrive to find men wandering aimlessly around some tasteless, Christian punch. I notice the groom sitting by himself, uncertain and pale.
He reminds me of the grooms I've seen in my office anxiously awaiting the ceremony, young men in stiff-collared tuxedos, sweating. The groomsmen would gather about, like nervous allies, trying to mask their fear while the groom gazes out the window. Not really knowing what to say, but wanting to help their beleaguered comrade, they're at a loss before the overpowering mystery of marriage.
As the fateful bells begin to chime, the best man slaps the trembling groom on the back. "You scared?" Usually the awkward question receives no answer.
"I hope you are scared," the seasoned pastor and married man in me says. "If you're not, there's something wrong."
Something for men
A sip of Hawaiian Punch laced with ginger ale sputters me back to the present. This party needs help.
"What gave you the idea to throw this party?" I ask the host.
"His fiancee, Jane, is with the women of the church having a bridal shower. I thought the men should do something for Joe. Not a 'shower' or anything, but, you know, something for men."
This makes me think. Brides receive the blessing and grace of other women who have walked the path ahead of them, but men often venture into this frightening territory alone. So I make a suggestion: "This party is a great idea. In fact, it's such a pioneering thing that none of us knows how to do it. What if we gather around our brother here and ...
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