- AKA Watson Primary School
his best to divert my attention to the point of the story, that being, the
conversation between Philip and the EE, and the subsequent conver-
sion of the EE to being a follower of Jesus Christ.
The next day, I dutifully and proudly took my homework to Sunday
School. Predictably, Mr Pedrick asked if any had done their HW, and it
seemed, to his surprise, I put my hand up in the foolish belief that I
would not be alone. It became one of those moments that I regretted
being so goodie-two-shoes and putting up my hand so quickly. No one
else had, or were too embarrassed to admit it, and read out their
discovery upon asking the obvious question that I had the night before.
Indeed, the bible is made up of many words that are a complete
mystery, and many gloss over the meanings with happy abandon,
including the word “eunuch” that had by now in my pubescence gained
meaning and relevance.
To my embarrassment, Mr Pedrick joyfully asked me to read out my
homework. Within one sentence of my dissertation, Mr Pedrick’s joy
turned to horror as I read the definition of eunuch, and the SS class
turned into a riot of emotional mix with the boys’ wincing, some crying,
and the girls’ laughing … themselves to tears! The word “eunuch” had
been exposed, and my fellow pubescence SS’ers were asking the
same question as I had the previous night. Mr Pedrick to no avail was
able to convincingly explain to us the reasons for the price of loyalty to
members of royalty, Ethiopian or otherwise.
The reading of the rest of my homework and the little theological expla-
nation as dictated by my father the night before, bore little relevance for
the rest of the SS class. At no stage was I able to glorify myself in the
eyes of Mr Pedrick, and SS homework was abolished from that day on.
It was soon after that occasion, I was banished to “grown-up” church
where I have been ever since. I have been back to Sunday School on
occasions since that fateful day in 1964, and Mr Pedrick’s class, but I
have always avoided the days when the lectionary passage has Acts
chapter 8!
- Gareth Thomas
St Margaret’s News
5
December 2017