A family sat down at the dinner table following church one Sunday.
“The sermon was boring today,” said the teenage son.
“Yeah, could you believe how the pastor stumbled over the reading of the Scripture?” his sister chimed in.
“I’ve got to admit it was an uninspiring day,” said Mother. “The choir was terrible.”
Finally, father, showing his leadership, said, “Hush, you guys. Quit complaining. What did you expect for a quarter?”
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Another version from the Fredericksburg collection:
A father, who attended church with his little boy, found fault with everything in the service. As he walked home, he criticized the minister, the sermon, the choir, and everything in general. The boy, who had noticed what his father put in the offering plate, said, “Well, Dad, what can you expect for a quarter?”
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Another version from the Fredericksburg collection:
A family had just returned from church, and they were sitting down to lunch, when Dad started complaining. “No wonder the churches are half empty,” he said. “The choir this morning was painful. And that woman who read the scriptures, I couldn’t hear half of what she was saying. But worst of all was that bloody sermon. It was really terrible.”
Suddenly he noticed his young son smiling at him broadly.
“And what are YOU grinning at?” he demanded.
“Well, Dad,” said the boy, “I don’t think you got too bad a show for ten cents!”