Sunday, January 08, 2006

St. Matthew's Church Prayer Rug

One of the most fun things about being away from home for an extended period of time is all the mail that awaits you when you return. I got some really funny cards, a couple bills, and a few credit card offers, but the best piece of mail was a paper prayer rug from St. Matthew's Church. Now, this rug and its instructions came addressed to "resident," but Nate loves me so much that he saved it for me. What a guy.
When done right, prayer can be a really good thing. However, this wasn't a helpful, loving hand towards prayer so much as a solicitation from a creepy religious organization that is in no way affiliated with the nice, normal Catholic St. Matthew's churches you see across the country. No, this was a religious junk mail chain letter. It's a 12" x 18" PAPER RUG WITH JESUS' FACE ON IT. I'm supposed to spend some time alone with the "rug," and eventually, Jesus' closed eyes will open (but not if you can't do those optical illusion things); then I'm supposed to pray, sleep with the rug tucked into a certain (although vaguely referenced - is it Phillipians 1 or 2?) Bible chapter, and then send the rug back to St. Matthew's Churches the next day... and then I'll get money! All I have to do is send the rug back with my completed checkboxes, and a little money to "help the ministry." I'm helping that ministry buy fancy shoes and fancy cars, I bet.
If you want more information, you can go to randblair or callalillie - both of these folks got the rug, too.

St. Matthew's Church Prayer Rug - B-, because it's awful, but in a fun way

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW...I got really close to the screen, stared at the face of Jesus, and his eyes opened. The look in his eyes seemed to be saying, "Are you going to fall for this BS?" It appears like everyone and their brother has a cure for whatever aliments we have. I have to imagine that there is a special place in Hell for those who prey on belivers grasping for hope.

equippedtofascinate said...

His eyes already look like they're open to me. I'm horrible with illusions though.

Anonymous said...

I got this in the mail too, and it totally creeped me out! I'm a Christian, but this is WEIRD-O! And the whole thing about checking what you want and all that is just not really the point of Christianity. *shudder* I still get the creeps just thinking about it! (Imagine Chandler Bing wigging out here, that's how I feel looking at the prayer rug) that is made out of paper by the way . .. .

Anonymous said...

I stared at that rug for hours when I got it but all I could see was Waldo with his striped shirt and funny hat.

Anonymous said...

You're right about the shiny shoes...plus a mansion for this church: http://www.maxmccoy.com/Shroud%20of%20Tulsa.htm