Archive: Why It Rained on the Day of the Sunday School Picnic

Another chapter in the history of the Hackelburg Sunday School[1]

by Riley Case, Pastor, Hobart Trinity United Methodist Church, Hobart, Indiana

Herbert, the irreverent angel, feels an explanation is necessary for the rain on the day of the Hackelburg United Methodist Sunday School Picnic. Herbert is the developer of Heaven’s prayer computer, which sorts out divers manners of prayers, and makes recommendations to the Heavenly Father. After receiving four spoken prayers for nice weather for the picnic, plus 46 silent prayers, 105 secret wishes of the heart, and 97 hidden desires, some in the weather department wanted to recommend “fair skies with temperatures in the 70s” for the picnic. Herbert, however, on the basis of James 5:16 (“The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”), and his computer, felt the situation was too close to call. The Heavenly Father made the decision. Since some were disappointed, Herbert explains:

Pastor Harding, a truly righteous man, made two audible requests for a “nice day” for the picnic, but, Herbert points out, the pastor’s fervency level was somewhere around 17%. While the pastor favors a successful picnic, he also remembers the pop fly that bounced off his head during last year’s softball game, and the resulting snickers. His prayers—one at the men’s prayer breakfast, and one during the prayer of his pastoral visit to Minnie Skiver when he ran out of other things to pray for—were mostly in the line of professional duty.

Freddy Nolan, the Sunday school superintendent, prayed frequently with a fervency level of 92%, but there was a question about how “effectual”—that is, toward an end of good effects—his prayers were. It is common knowledge that Freddy had wagered a banana split with Ed Holman, Sunday school superintendent of the Baptist Church, over which church would have the biggest crowd at their picnic. The Baptists had 149 three weeks before. Freddy’s goal was 150.

Aunt Nellie Wilcox also fed in several requests for “blue skies.” Herbert allowed that while his computer did not completely disregard the requests, it noted that Aunt Nellie, resident saint notwithstanding, had prayed every single day for the past 25 years for blue skies during her morning devotions, and if the prayers had all been answered it would not have rained for a quarter of a century and all of Hackelburg Township would be a desert.

Janie Teegarden, high school junior, had a number of secret wishes and several hidden desires for a “warm day” so the softball game could be played. Janie was the very first person chosen at last year’s softball game and got on base every time she came to bat. Her blue halter top and short shorts were washed and laid out.

Jim Foster, Nicky Slater, Emilio Gomez, Teddy Wright, and Buster Hugheseven managed to pray for the weather, the picnic, and the softball game. Or at least they thought quite a bit about it and the angels considered their thoughts as prayers and ran them through the computer. Last year, the boys remembered, Janie Teegarden wore her green halter top and short shorts for the softball game. Herbert pointed out that the boys’ fervency level was not bad, but their standing as “righteous men” was in question.

There were other prayers. Mahilda Brown, whose favorite contribution to church pot-lucks, homemade bread, gets soggy in wet weather, prayed. As did Maryjo Andrews, for whom wet weather always means straggly hair. Even Joe Fields, a Baptist, prayed for hot weather and a big crowd. Joe runs the ice cream parlor from which the United Methodists had ordered their ice cream.

Against this outpouring of prayer, there was only one dissenter. Bobby Bales, age 10, had asked his friend Joey Davis to the picnic. Joey, who had no Sunday school, said he could except his parents were going away that day except they probably wouldn’t go if it rained. Bobby prayed for rain, and mentioned to the Heavenly Father that maybe if Joey came to the picnic he might be interested in Sunday school.

The day of the picnic brought rain with the temperature in the low 60s. Only 67 people made it to the pavilion at the park. Mahilda Brown’s bread was soggy and Maryjo Andrews’ hair was straggly. Ed Holman called Freddy Nolan about his banana split. Janie Teegarden wore jeans and none of the high school boys showed up. Half the ice cream was sent back to the ice cream parlor.

Those who came huddled around the fireplace in the pavilion where they made cracks like why didn’t the Lord give the Baptists all this rain on the day of their picnic since Baptists like water so well. Then they laughed and told more stories about Baptists and Methodists and Catholics and what it must be like in Heaven. Little children couldn’t play on the swings so they talked to grandmas and grandpas about pets and school and making their beds in the morning. Pastor Harding started some choruses and everyone sang a long time.

That night the weatherman on television explained that an unforeseen cold front had moved in bringing unexpected rain and even weathermen can’t be right all the time. Joey Davis told his mother all about the picnic, and the soggy bread, and the fire in the fireplace, and the stories about Baptists, and the singing. Then he said he would like to learn about Jesus and asked if he could go to Sunday school with his friend Bobby next Sunday.

[1] See chapter one, “A History of the Sunday School of the Hackelburg Church,” page 38, March/April, 1980 Good News