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BTW, my Catholic neighbor mentioned to me on the phone that she got more rain than me a few nights ago by going out and shaking her rosary beads at the storm clouds. I retorted that this was unfair to us humble Baptists and we might retaliate by buying ourselves some groovy "love beads" so we wouldn't be defenseless when Rome's followers try to hog the rain.

What's she doing "shaking" them at the storm clouds? Sounds like a crock to me. A good Catholic would use them for prayer, not as an object to be shaken at the clouds to bring about rain. If she's your neighbor, how did she get more rain than you?

Save your money on those groovy love beads. As long as you got that Catholic neighbor shaking her rosary beads at the clouds, you should be covered. After all, it seems impossible that a neighbor would get more rain than you.

What's she doing "shaking" them at the storm clouds?

Figure of speech. She was just teasing me. I'm on pretty good terms with some of my Catholic neighbors. Good-natured ribbing but no one trying for ecumenical dialog. I think I softened them up when I went to their church to play hymns for Advent (recorded on Clavinova for worship). I did stress that I couldn't play the masses or Eucharist praises or any song with a title like "The Pope Says The Baptists Are All Going To Hell". And I still have a full set of Roman Catholic missals, something few Baptists have by their piano.

An outright ecumenical scandal. Much giggling ensued.

Did me some good as I had to repent a few tiny bits of harshness toward Rome and particularly not to be dismissive of the faith and devotion of many Catholics to Jesus, despite the opinions held by their hierarchy. BTW, I did consult the local Baptist clergy and deacons and they offered no objections. After all, we sing all the same Christmas songs. There's more to the story and it's rather humorous but too long to tell. I did play a non-Christmas song too. I think it's called Memoriam C, a song requested by the priest because he liked it for worship. I had no doctrinal objection to it.