St. Martin’s was a small but well-loved church that been a pillar in the community for decades that served the faithful and occasionally, the skeptical. In the heart of a modest town, its one towering spire had seen multiple generations of prayer, repentance, and countless conversions.
The long-standing pastor, Reverend Sanders, a kind-hearted soul, found his peace in these very prayers, constantly offering his strength to any woman in need. His distraction-free routine though was gradually turning him into something that was going to make him repent, one eventful Sunday morning. A wave of new members sat on the first row draped in latest fashion immediately catching the Reverend Sanders the Deacons and even the Deaconess eyes.
Miss Gladys, the always on alert usher, was a cornerstone of the church. Having served countless services over the years, she knew every usher on duty position, every aisle, every church accountant and more importantly, every regular congregation member. Observing this newfound attention-seeking, she set a firm yet affectionate rule for the women on the first row distracting our good Reverend in their inappropriate dresses is unacceptable at St. Martin's.
That Sunday, she set out to the choir dressing room and returned it began with her handing out small face towels to the women with low cut dresses on the first row, allowing them to cover up the lust for the sanctity of the service and maintain the respect of the house of God. She would smile at their confusion, hand them the towel, and explain, this is for you to put over your legs and please try to keep the focus on what’s at hand the message, ladies. Amen.
As the weeks passed, the women doubled on the first row and the lengths of the dresses shortened to skirts, revealing more flesh, all challenging the respectful ambiance of the service. Reverend Daniels had once said to her privately, Gladys, I’m focus but I go in a trance and lose thought for a second. That’s terrible my handsome Reverend just leave it to your baby Gladys gets the job done every time. Now sit down and let all this… flesh distracts from whatever troubling you.
Taking this into account, Gladys made another small addition to her usher duties. Now, the women, especially on the first row, received long bath towels to cover their legs and their ankles during the service. She handled this new task with grace and politeness.
Oh, dear, she’d tell a surprised lady, This would simply keep the good Pastor Daniels from getting his mind strayed off from the holy scripture, you see. Amen.
Reverend Daniels could not appreciate Miss Gladys more for maintaining the dignity of their holy place, a cornerstone protecting the cornerstone of the community. As for the ladies, their dresses slowly turned into modest apparels again, putting an end to the towel distribution. Gladys’s silent stand to uphold respect in the house of God went on to become an often-recalled story at St. Martin's, serving as a gentle reminder to preserve the sanctity of worship.