Church! by Michael Judson O'Hara

Church will have you simultaneously laughing and crying as it guides you through the antics and heartbreaks of the Patterson/Clay/Ross/Morgan families. Although it is a work of fiction, the book is based upon the real life experiences of author Michael J. O’Hara, who was raised in the Baptist church during the early 1950s. There he observed close-hand the inner working of Pastors and their parishioners. For Isidore Patterson Sr., choosing to forgive rather than seeking vengeance is the struggle of her life. As she is forced to come to grips with her religious beliefs, she also learns to lean on the arms of Jesus. Taboo behavior and an illness that befalls someone who becomes a friend to Isidore Sr. in the most difficult circumstances force her to dig deeper into her faith than ever before. Church! also delves into the custom of shouting in the Baptist church, revealing that the reasons behind the shouting stem as much from the endurance of the parishioners to persevere in the face of life’s obstacles as anything else.