Dirt Bags offers men a weekly time of prayer, Bible study

Friday was my first time attending the Dirt Bags meeting, and it was a good one.

Dirt Bags is a men’s prayer meeting and Bible study held every Friday at Pick’s Bowling Center in Bigfork.

John Creamer founded the group in 1993. Others help in the endeavour, including former Gov. Stan Stephens, 83, who made the public prayer last week.

Friday was somewhat monumental in other ways. It was Creamer’s 62nd birthday and the 19 visitors in attendance marked an all-time high. (The official count was 18, but I added myself to the tally because I came in a little late and wasn’t counted.)

Individual prayer requests are taken at the meetings — which are held at 6:45 and 8 a.m. Friday’s 8 a.m. session was packed.

After prayer time, Creamer schmoozes a little with the fellows and then gives a Bible study. Last week’s was about David and King Saul’s son Jonathan. It was Lesson No. 62 in a leadership series, Creamer said.

He discussed the phrase, “Blood is thicker than water.” Jewish historians have pointed out that the phrase is actually a corruption of the original, “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” Creamer said the blood covenant exists in both the New and Old Testaments: animal sacrifices in the Old and the lamb sacrifice of Jesus Christ in the New.

Creamer tied the phrase to the lesson of the day concerning David and Jonathan, whose bond with David was seemingly stronger than the bond he had with his father, Saul.

“Great leaders need great friends,” Creamer said.

He quoted Proverbs 27:10, “Don't forsake your friend and your father's friend. Don't go to your brother's house in the day of your disaster. Better is a neighbor who is near than a distant brother.” (World English Bible)

He summed up the study by quoting John 15:14-16, “Jesus said, ‘You are my friends if you do what I command!’”

Creamer said Christ told His followers to bear good fruit. That was what the Dirt Bags were doing when they invited someone to the meeting, and that was what they were doing by praying for someone, he said. The group — which asks for $3 from attendees except for the first visit, which is free — sends postcards to those who have been prayed for during the meeting. Creamer would say this is also good fruit.

Lakeside resident Rich Williams started attending the meetings when he moved to the area in 2004.

“He’s entertaining,” Williams said of Creamer. “He tells good, clean jokes.”

Coffee is free at the meeting and doughnuts go for 50 cents each.