---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We went to a church that had missionaries…"
description: "\"We went to a church that had missionaries who'd come back once a year from Fiji & give talks. I remember one of them saying it was very hard work telli..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bb/brian-andreas-2615_beach_we-went-to-a-church-that-had-missionarie_640334.png"
---

#  We went to a church that had missionaries who'd come back…

![“We went to a church that had missionaries who'd come back once a year from Fiji &amp; give talks. I remember one of them saying it was very hard work telling people they were going to lose their everlasting souls if they didn't shape up. I pictured people sitting on the beach listening to this sweaty…” quote by Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bb/brian-andreas-2615_beach_we-went-to-a-church-that-had-missionarie_640334.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bb/brian-andreas-2615_beach_we-went-to-a-church-that-had-missionarie_640334.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bb/brian-andreas-2615_beach_we-went-to-a-church-that-had-missionarie_640334.png)

> “We went to a church that had missionaries who'd come back once a year from Fiji &amp; give talks. I remember one of them saying it was very hard work telling people they were going to lose their everlasting souls if they didn't shape up. I pictured people sitting on the beach listening to this sweaty man all dressed in black telling them they were going to burn in hell &amp; them thinking this was good fun, these scary stories this guy was telling them &amp; afterwards, they'd all go home &amp; eat mango &amp; fish &amp; they'd play Monopoly &amp; laugh &amp; laugh &amp; they'd go to bed &amp; wake up the next day &amp; do it all again.”

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A missionary warns of eternal punishment, but listeners treat it as casual entertainment, highlighting the disconnect between serious preaching and everyday life.

**In simple terms:** Preachers warn of hell, but people treat it lightly.

Key Takeaway

Recognize when serious messages are being ignored.

Themes

religion culture humor disconnection

Mood

irry reflective

Type

narrative observational

When to use this quote

- beach gatherings
- religious talks
- daily routines
- social games

Key Concepts

mortality belief social ritual

Questions to Reflect On

- How does context affect the reception of moral warnings?
- What role does humor play in coping with fear?

A Different Perspective

The warning may lose impact if delivered without relevance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Beach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beach/) [Burn in hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burn-in-hell/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Missionaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missionaries/) [Monopoly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monopoly/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Scary stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scary-stories/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Sitting on the beach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sitting-on-the-beach/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wake up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wake-up/)

## Related quotes

> [“Is willing to accept that she creates her own reality except for some of the parts where she can't help but wonder what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/is-willing-to-accept-that-she-creates-her-own-reality-except-for-some/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [I've had some styles that make me wonder what the hell I was thinking. How did I let someone do that to me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-bibb/i-ve-had-some-styles-that-make-me-wonder-what-the-hell-i-was-thinking/)

[Leslie Bibb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-bibb/)

> [Don't let them fool ya, or even try to school ya! Oh, no! We've got a mind of our own, so go to hell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-marley/don-t-let-them-fool-ya-or-even-try-to-school-ya-oh-no-we-ve-got-a/)

[Bob Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-marley/)

> [“You might well ask just what the hell he was thinking. The answer is, probably nothing at all.He'd probably say he was exercising his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/you-might-well-ask-just-what-the-hell-he-was-thinking-the-answer-is/)

[Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/)

> [“Todd, what the hell are you thinking?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-thorn/todd-what-the-hell-are-you-thinking/)

[J. Thorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-thorn/)

> [Sex and murder are the same. Well, you say the same after both don't you? 'Damn I got to get the hell out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-attell/sex-and-murder-are-the-same-well-you-say-the-same-after-both-don-t/)

[Dave Attell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-attell/)

> [“Some days are a total "What the hell was I thinking?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-gruenenfelder/some-days-are-a-total-what-the-hell-was-i-thinking/)

[Kim Gruenenfelder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-gruenenfelder/)

> [I m Sitting on the beach of happiness, watching waves of sorrow. Waiting for my mermaid to take me in her fantasy world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-simon/i-m-sitting-on-the-beach-of-happiness-watching-waves-of-sorrow/)

Van Simon

> [My earliest memories are sitting on the beach at Blackpool, and I know that if I went back, it would be horrible. I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-smith/my-earliest-memories-are-sitting-on-the-beach-at-blackpool-and-i-know/)

[Robert Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-smith/)

> [I have a very beautiful life with great friends and I look forward to waking up every day. Every day is a vacation but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-have-a-very-beautiful-life-with-great-friends-and-i-look-forward-to/)

[John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/)

> [“I pulled a black party dress and fake pearls out of a wooden trunk- very 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'- and went into the wardrobe to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-genevieve-tucholke/i-pulled-a-black-party-dress-and-fake-pearls-out-of-a-wooden-trunk/)

[April Genevieve Tucholke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-genevieve-tucholke/)

> [I love discomfort. I mean, my whole life is discomfort. One reason I can never retire is that the idea of just sitting on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-love-discomfort-i-mean-my-whole-life-is-discomfort-one-reason-i-can/)

[Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/)

> [I'm not a person for sitting on beaches. What would I do?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/i-m-not-a-person-for-sitting-on-beaches-what-would-i-do/)

[Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/)

> [“I follow his stare at the speckles of stars. Suddenly I wonder, "Aren't you guys supposed to, like, sparkle or something?" And immediately wish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoraida-c-rdova/i-follow-his-stare-at-the-speckles-of-stars-suddenly-i-wonder-aren-t/)

[Zoraida Córdova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoraida-c-rdova/)

> [I prefer to be sitting on the beach, but I can't. I want to be a billionaire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-packer/i-prefer-to-be-sitting-on-the-beach-but-i-can-t-i-want-to-be-a/)

[James Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-packer/)

## More by Brian Andreas

> [There is nothing more I ask of this life than this moment, exactly so. And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“She said she usually cried at least once each day not because she was sad, but because the world was so beautiful &amp; life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/she-said-she-usually-cried-at-least-once-each-day-not-because-she-was/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“When I die, she said, I am coming back as a tree with deep roots and I'll wave my leaves to the children every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/when-i-die-she-said-i-am-coming-back-as-a-tree-with-deep-roots-and-i/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“She left pieces of her life behind her everywhere she went. It's easier to feel the sunlight without them, she said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/she-left-pieces-of-her-life-behind-her-everywhere-she-went-it-s/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“Brian Andreas Promise #1: Promises to Myself #1: I will tell the truth unless I get confused &amp; I think I could get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/brian-andreas-promise-1-promises-to-myself-1-i-will-tell-the-truth/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“One time I was standing on a corner in Chicago &amp; a man stopped his car &amp; asked for directions to a place I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/one-time-i-was-standing-on-a-corner-in-chicago-a-man-stopped-his-car/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“One Child: I hope it will be said we taught them to stand tall &amp; proud, even in the face of history &amp; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/one-child-i-hope-it-will-be-said-we-taught-them-to-stand-tall-proud/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“Smaller World: I know he's not really gone, she said, but the world still feels smaller to me today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/smaller-world-i-know-he-s-not-really-gone-she-said-but-the-world/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“Quiet Prayer: As long as the sun shall rise goes the old lovers vow. But we are children of a scientific age &amp; have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/quiet-prayer-as-long-as-the-sun-shall-rise-goes-the-old-lovers-vow/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“I don't really like coffee, she said, but I don't really like it when my head hits my desk when I fall asleep either. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-don-t-really-like-coffee-she-said-but-i-don-t-really-like-it-when/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [I like geography best, he said, because your mountains &amp; rivers know the secret. Pay no attention to boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-like-geography-best-he-said-because-your-mountains-rivers-know-the/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“She waved at all the people on the train &amp; later, when she saw they didn't wave back, she started singing songs to herself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/she-waved-at-all-the-people-on-the-train-later-when-she-saw-they-didn/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [“I have too much to lose, she said, if I cross that line. Like what? I said. She could not think of anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-have-too-much-to-lose-she-said-if-i-cross-that-line-like-what-i/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [Opening a door to the mysteries, hoping to shed a little dark on all the stuff we think we know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/opening-a-door-to-the-mysteries-hoping-to-shed-a-little-dark-on-all/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

> [I don't blame you for everything, she told me. Just the stuff my friends &amp; I can agree on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/i-don-t-blame-you-for-everything-she-told-me-just-the-stuff-my/)

[Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

[Explore all 157 Brian Andreas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/)

## More Beach quotes

> [I love being in Malibu. It's so cool there, and the water is just, it's nice and, and I love the beach. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-evancho/i-love-being-in-malibu-it-s-so-cool-there-and-the-water-is-just-it-s/)

[Jackie Evancho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-evancho/)

> [I love the sea, but I avoid any sort of seaside resort that has skyscrapers or seaside entertainments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-blake/i-love-the-sea-but-i-avoid-any-sort-of-seaside-resort-that-has/)

[Quentin Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-blake/)

> [“I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-elisabeth/i-ve-always-seen-this-in-you-ever-since-you-were-a-little-girl-this/)

[Jennifer Elisabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-elisabeth/)

> [I've said many times before that Pebble Beach is a wonderful thinking-man's golf course. That is why it is such a great U.S. Open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/i-ve-said-many-times-before-that-pebble-beach-is-a-wonderful-thinking/)

[Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/)

> [Here about the beach I wandered, nourishing a youth sublime With the fairy tales of science, and the long result of Time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/here-about-the-beach-i-wandered-nourishing-a-youth-sublime-with-the/)

[Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/)

> [I love going to the beach and just sitting and watching the sunset by myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tayshia-adams/i-love-going-to-the-beach-and-just-sitting-and-watching-the-sunset-by/)

[Tayshia Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tayshia-adams/)

> [Carolina beach music," Dupree said, coming up on the porch. "The holiest sound on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/carolina-beach-music-dupree-said-coming-up-on-the-porch-the-holiest/)

[Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/)

> [I like trekking and staying in tents, meeting new people and eating good food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tripti-dimri/i-like-trekking-and-staying-in-tents-meeting-new-people-and-eating/)

[Tripti Dimri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tripti-dimri/)

> [The biggest part of painting perhaps is faith, and waiting receptively, content to go any way, not planning or forcing. The fear, though, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-carr/the-biggest-part-of-painting-perhaps-is-faith-and-waiting-receptively/)

[Emily Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-carr/)

> [If I'm on holiday, I'm active on the beach, I play tennis, I run, I swim a lot. It's just about making the workouts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candice-swanepoel/if-i-m-on-holiday-i-m-active-on-the-beach-i-play-tennis-i-run-i-swim/)

[Candice Swanepoel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candice-swanepoel/)

> [The holy grail is right here in this gem of a book. Tosha Silver’s wisdom goes down as easy as a mint milkshake and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lissa-rankin/the-holy-grail-is-right-here-in-this-gem-of-a-book-tosha-silver-s/)

[Lissa Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lissa-rankin/)

> [Couples without kids have each other, their friends, families, and Siri to talk to. It's not like they're quarantining themselves in an underground bunker,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/couples-without-kids-have-each-other-their-friends-families-and-siri/)

[Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/)

> [They had me doing Beach Boys remakes and all that. I was basically a marionette.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leif-garrett/they-had-me-doing-beach-boys-remakes-and-all-that-i-was-basically-a/)

[Leif Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leif-garrett/)

> [When did an old white guy yelling at me, telling me what to think become news? What gives him the right to tell me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-ling/when-did-an-old-white-guy-yelling-at-me-telling-me-what-to-think/)

[Lisa Ling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-ling/)

> [Yes, there was one thing that I missed not being able to do - walk on a beach. I've always had this romantic image…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carr/yes-there-was-one-thing-that-i-missed-not-being-able-to-do-walk-on-a/)

[Liz Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carr/)

[Browse all 2,185 Beach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beach/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We went to a church that had missionaries who'd come back once a year from Fiji & give talks. I remember one of them saying it was very hard work telling people they were going to lose their everlasting souls if they didn't shape up. I pictured people sitting on the beach listening to this sweaty man all dressed in black telling them they were going to burn in hell & them thinking this was good fun, these scary stories this guy was telling them & afterwards, they'd all go home & eat mango & fish & they'd play Monopoly & laugh & laugh & they'd go to bed & wake up the next day & do it all again.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Brian Andreas"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/we-went-to-a-church-that-had-missionaries-who-d-come-back-once-a-year/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Beach"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/we-went-to-a-church-that-had-missionaries-who-d-come-back-once-a-year/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bb/brian-andreas-2615_beach_we-went-to-a-church-that-had-missionarie_640334.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bb/brian-andreas-2615_beach_we-went-to-a-church-that-had-missionarie_640334.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6bb/brian-andreas-2615_beach_we-went-to-a-church-that-had-missionarie_640334.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We went to a church that had missionaries who'd come back once a year from Fiji & give talks. I remember one…” — Brian Andreas",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Brian Andreas",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We went to a church that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/we-went-to-a-church-that-had-missionaries-who-d-come-back-once-a-year/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/we-went-to-a-church-that-had-missionaries-who-d-come-back-once-a-year/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
