Normal Lives

<p class=ql-align-center><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)><em>You have made our lives normal lives. You have given us stability in a position that is inherently sometimes unstable.</em></strong></p><p class=ql-align-center><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)><em>A president of our country can be an isolated person. You have taken us in and we are indebted to you.</em></strong></p><p class=ql-align-center><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>President Jimmy Carter to the Couples Class of First Baptist D.C.</strong></p><p class=ql-align-center><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>October 14 1977</strong></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>During his tumultuous term as president Jimmy Carter found a literal sanctuary from his day job in the oldest Baptist congregation in the nation's capital.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Beginning three days after his inauguration in January 1977 Carter traveled a mile north of the White House on at least 75 Sundays to worship at the First Baptist Church of the City of Washington D.C. founded in 1802.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Carter and his family worshipped from a reserved pew surrounded by the church's 900 members and a few extras including reporters plain-clothes Secret Service agents savvy protesters and unsuspecting visitors who were flabbergasted to find themselves in church with their president. </span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Remarkably the chief executive also led Bible study for the church's Couples Class on at least 17 Sundays showing up each time with a good grasp of Scripture and a wicked sense of humor.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>In first-person accounts from church members reporters a church publicist and the previously unknown diary of a church usher this is the story of a church a president and the normal lives they shared in Washington D.C. </span></p><p></p><p><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Normal Lives </em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>is the companion to Christi Harlan's previous book </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Mr. President The Class Is Yours </em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>which features transcriptions of 14 of President Carter's Sunday School lessons at First Baptist D.C. </span></p><p></p><p class=ql-align-center><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)><em>President and Mrs. Carter came to class today. [The] President greeted me at the church door and Mrs. Carter greeted me with a smile and a cheery Good Morning.</em></strong></p><p class=ql-align-center><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)><em>The friendly White House man who always carries the satchel said to contain instructions as to how to proceed in the event of a nuclear threat greeted me warmly as the Presidential party filed in the front door.</em></strong></p><p class=ql-align-center><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>From the diary of usher Doug Porter</strong></p><p class=ql-align-center><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>April 20 1980</strong></p><p class=ql-align-right></p><p></p>