Designing Women (1986–1993): Season 2, Episode 20 - How Great Thou Art - full transcript

♪♪ [theme]

[Anthony] Now this is the last
of the Schaffer and Chartwell

unless you want some of
the old ones out the storeroom.

No, no, Anthony. That's okay.

I'm sure that Bernice
is gonna find something

in here because
after 2 1/2 hours

she must be just exhausted.

What about this,
Bernice, for your sofa?

You don't like the
color of my sofa?

Bernice, I thought
that's why you came by.

No. This is the first
I've heard about it.



I... I... Ms. Clifton!
Don't you remember?

I came and got you
and brought you here

because you wanted to
get you sofa reupholstered.

Right. What about it?

Nothing. Just a reminder.

You know, sometimes I have
this little arterial flow problem

above the neck.

That's what Suzanne
and Julia's mother Perky

always used to call it.

I wish Perky would
come home from Japan.

I've been so
lonesome without her.

Well, Bernice, we didn't
know you've been lonesome.

We've just been
so busy at the store.

But you know what? We're
gonna do better by you.



I'm gonna call Claudia and
see if she'll stay with Quinton.

We're gonna take you
out to dinner tonight.

We'll get some Thai food.
You just love Thai food.

Don't you, Bernice?

As long as I don't have
to wear a native costume.

Oh, by the way,

where are Julia and
Suzanne and Charlene?

Well, Julia and
Charlene are attending

that big religious
conference here in Atlanta.

You know, where all the
different denominations

get together.

Oh, isn't that nice?

- They're such good girls.
- Yes, they are, aren't they?

And Suzanne's car's in the shop.

She'll be in later.

I just can't get
over it, you know?

I mean, he's been my
minister for over nine years.

You think you know somebody,

then they go and do
something like that.

Well, uh, how was
the conference today?

[sighs] It was a disaster.

They voted on this
referendum about whether or not

they should allow
women to be ministers.

And my own minister,
Reverend Nunn,

voted against it.

You're kidding.

Isn't this the guy that
you were so crazy about?

Well, I am. I'm just
so upset now though.

I mean, you know, it
was just a straw vote

to see how the
different churches feel.

But Reverend Nunn, he got
up and actually led the fight.

I just could not
believe my ears.

- Hi, Bernice.
- Hi, Charlene.

I thought that the
Southern Baptist

voted against admitting women
as ministers a long time ago.

Well, they did, but a lot of
Baptists were opposed to it.

And Reverend Nunn
didn't attend that convention

so I just assumed...

Well, it just never came up.

Well, Julia, how did
your minister vote?

- What?
- I said, "How did"...

Oh, Julia wasn't
at that meeting.

She was at choir practice.

Oh, but I checked your guy out.

He voted for women ministers.

Well, good. You have to
put a little something extra

in the collection
plate this Sunday.

Julia, are you all right?

You're looking a little pale.

Oh, she's still in shock.
Tell 'em your big news.

- What?
- Tell 'em your big news!

Oh. Ohh.

I was picked to sing
"How Great Thou Art"

at the closing
ceremony Saturday.

- Oh!
- Isn't that incredible?

I'm so proud of her. With the
entire Atlanta Philharmonic,

and the best singers
from over 30 churches.

Oh, Julia, aren't you excited?

I'll never be able to
hit all those high notes.

Julia, what are
you talking about?

You have the most
beautiful voice in the world,

and everybody knows it.

That's why they picked you.

Thank you, but
it doesn't matter.

I cannot sing alone.

See, I want it to be perfect.

I clutch, my throat closes up.

It'll be like that recital
Mother had for me

at the library that time.

I sounded like Pee-wee Herman.

I can't believe that.

What? That that's true?

No, that you know who
Pee-wee Herman is.

Oh, Julia, that was years ago.

It's not gonna happen again.

Yeah, and Esther
Kutsinger's wedding.

I was so bad, even
the child organist

cussed me out afterwards.

So you've had a few bad
show business breaks.

That doesn't mean you
don't have a great voice.

And come on, Julia,
the Atlanta Philharmonic!

I mean, what an honor.

How can you turn that down?

Easy. I'll say I'm sick.

I am sick just
thinking about it.

Now, when will this be, dear?

I want to be sure and attend.

It's Saturday, Bernice.

It's the closing ceremony

for the Interfaith
Community Council.

You know, I bet it will
even be on the news.

Now I know I'm gonna be sick.

But if she's going to
be sick on the news,

why don't I just stay
home and watch it?

Julia, I can't believe
you're acting this way.

I've never known you to
be intimidated by anything.

Well, I appreciate
y'all trying to help out,

but I just don't know
if I can pull it off.

See, this arrangement
of "How Great Thou Art"

is really high.

And even if I get all
the way through it,

I just know I can't
hit that last note.

That note feels like the
highest note in hymndom.

Julia, we know you can.

So you just go upstairs
and you start practicing.

[sighs] Okay.

Oh, Julia, don't forget.
Dinner at my apartment tonight.

Oh, no. We...

We were gonna ask you
two to go out to dinner.

Oh, you can come, too.

I've invited Reverend
Nunn for supper.

Julia and I are
gonna work on him

on that thing about women not
being allowed to be ministers.

We could use some more help.

I'll call Suzanne.
I'll invite her, too.

Well, I'd love to come.
Thank you. I accept.

Listen, if this Reverend Nunn

is your minister,
I'll be nice to him.

But confidentially,
I think it's just silly

to think that women
can't be singers.

I mean, doesn't this
guy have a radio?

Bernice still drying the dishes?

- We're almost finished.
- [loud shattering]

Great. Now she's
gonna come out here

and say things that
don't make sense.

Can't you find something
else for her to do?

Charlene, she's a
guest in your house.

What do you want me to
do, have her wax the floor?

You're right.

Well, maybe she'll fall asleep.

Why not? She slept
all through dinner.

Excuse me, Reverend, but
this scripture you keep using...

The one about the deacon has
to be the husband of one wife?

Yes?

Well, I'm sorry, but
I don't understand

how that rules out
women being ministers.

Well, what I think it
means, in lay terms,

is that as soon as you can
find a woman who's a man,

she'll be eligible.

Excuse me, but I don't think
I caught your name at dinner.

- I'm Reverend Jim Nunn.
- How do you do?

Bernice Clifton.

Now, you're the one who thinks
women shouldn't be singers.

No, no, Bernice.

Reverend Nunn thinks
women shouldn't be ministers.

Oh, I see.

And that's why you were saying

the deacon has to be
the husband of one wife.

- Yes.
- I know that passage.

My father was a preacher.

If I'm not mistaken,

it also says the deacon
should manage his family well.

So I guess that means
he has to have children.

Do you have children?

Yes, I do.

Lucky for you.

There seem to be an
awful lot of priests around

who don't.

I guess they don't know

they're in violation
of the scriptures.

Well, I don't think that verse

is referring to priests.

Anyway, I can give you
more Biblical references

if you'd like.

- Shoot.
- I Corinthians.

"Let your women keep
silent in the churches

"for they are not
permitted to speak,

"but they are to be submissive,

as the law also says."

Galatians 3:28.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek,

"there is neither
slave nor free man,

"there is neither
male nor female,

for you are all one
in Christ Jesus."

"And if they want
to learn something,

"let them ask their
husbands at home

for it is shameful for
women to speak in church."

"And it shall come to
pass in the last days,

"says God,

"that I will pour
out of My Spirit

"on all flesh.

Your sons and your
daughters shall prophecy."

Do you feel all right, Bernice?

Yes, I do.

I feel like all my
circuits are cooking.

How do I sound?

You sound wonderful.

Well, it just seems to me,

that people are always
interpreting the Bible

in a way that will support
their own personal prejudices.

Oh, you mean,
like certain feminists

who would have us believe
that God is a woman?

Well, I don't know many
feminists who say that.

I believe God is a spirit.

Well, I certainly don't
believe God's a woman.

Why not?

Because if He were,

then men would be
the ones walking around

wearing high
heels, taking Midol,

and having their
upper lip waxed!

I just don't buy this thing

about women remaining
silent in church.

But, Mrs. Sugarbaker,

then you don't buy the Bible.

You have to look at
the historical context

of these teachings.

In this passage
you're talking about,

Paul was simply referring
to a few big-mouthed women

who had converted over
from their pagan religion

and were causing a lot
of trouble in the church.

Now that's an
interesting interpretation.

I learned it at my Daddy's knee.

Anyway, you're always quoting

the King James
version of the Bible.

And everybody knows he...

Like most of the
men of his time...

Was just a big male chauvinist.

No, I hadn't heard that.

Oh, sure. And by the way,

I certainly hope that isn't

intended to be a look of
bemused condescension.

Well, no, ma'am,
I didn't intend that.

I didn't think so.

I am cooking, aren't I?

Go on, Bernice,
what you were saying

about King James
being a chauvinist.

Well, you know, like in Romans,

where it says this
Phoebe was a deacon.

King James translates
the Greek word for "deacon"

as "servant."

That gives you a
pretty good idea

of what he thought about women.

And where it says, "She
has administered well,"

King James says, "She
has succored many."

I guess the thing that gets
me the most, Reverend Nunn,

is how many ministers...

But especially
Baptist ministers...

Can be against
women being preachers,

when all our missionary
models are women.

What about Annie
Armstrong and Lottie Moon?

For crying out loud,

Lottie Moon starved
to death in China.

But she's not good
enough to be ordained?

Well, Charlene, no one is trying
to discredit their contribution.

I tell you something
even more peculiar.

If you're so against women,

how come your name
is Reverend Nunn?

Did you ever stop
to think about that?

Suzanne,

why don't you just go
outside and warm up the car.

Well, I must say I've
enjoyed this little forum.

You ladies certainly
keep a fellow on his toes.

And as for you, Mrs. Clifton,

we'd love to have you
at our church sometime.

Genesis, chapter 1.

"So God created
man in his own image.

"In the image of
God, created He him.

Male and female,
created He them."

Bernice, it's over.

- Reverend Nunn is leaving.
- Oh.

Well, then, I'll leave you
with these parting words.

Just remember,

after Christ was
crucified on the cross,

and all His men had gone home,

it was women who
stayed until the bitter end.

And it was women
who first heralded

the news of His resurrection.

So just put that in
your pulpit and smoke it.

Next time I'll
bring the cavalry.

Well, Charlene,

thank you for a
delightful evening.

Let's keep the lines of
communication open, okay?

You're not gonna change
your mind, are you?

No. I'm sorry.

But you must never let this
undermine your faith in God.

It's not my faith in
God I'm worried about.

It's my faith in you.

[Mary Jo] I wish
Julia'd stop practicing.

I think it's just making
her more nervous.

Well, I don't understand
why she gets so nervous.

- ♪♪ [Julia vocalizing]
- I never get nervous.

When I was backstage
at the beauty pageants,

I'd just sit there in front
of that lighted mirror,

and I'd look around at
the other contestants,

and I'd say to myself,

"Suzanne, compared to
you, these girls are dogs.

"You don't have a
thing to worry about.

It's in the bag."

And then when
we'd go out on stage

to be individually introduced,

I'd just call each one
a dog under my breath.

I'd keep that up for
the whole evening

'cause it gave me
confidence, you know.

And then, if sometime
somebody else actually won,

well, I'd just call her
a dog right to her face.

You'd actually call the
woman a dog right to her face?

Well, maybe not
actually right to her face.

But I said it to her
outside the car window

as she was driving off.

Well, I think we
better be going.

We still got to pick
up Bernice, you know.

And I want to get a good seat.

Charlene, are you ready?

Oh, you guys go on.

I'll meet you there. I
have an errand to run.

An errand tonight?

Yeah, it's just something
I can't put off any longer.

- ♪♪ [Julia vocalizing]
- I'll see you in a little bit.

All right.

You sure?

I've never been more sure.

[knocking]

- Reverend Nunn?
- Oh, Charlene, come in.

I was just about to
leave for the service.

Oh, I know. I'll just take
a minute of your time.

Actually, I'm glad
you dropped by.

I've been concerned about
you since the other evening.

- You have?
- Yes.

You know, Charlene, ministering
to anyone is a big responsibility,

but ministering to you is an
especially big responsibility.

Oh? Why's that?

Because you're one
of those rare members

who actually listens
to every word I say

and takes it to heart.

At least, you did.

And that's why I'm very careful

to be sure of my own convictions

before I speak to you.

See, I want to be
worthy of your trust.

And I hope that you won't
let our difference of opinion

- on this one issue...
- Excuse me, Reverend.

But see, to me it's
more than just one issue.

It's a whole way of thinking

about half the
world's population.

Now, I understand and I
appreciate your convictions

'cause mine are just as strong.

I know that and I respect them.

Well, that would be fine
if we were just friends.

But we're not.

You're my minister.

I look to you for guidance.

For the past nine
years I've come to you

with whatever
problems, grief, or worries

I've had in my life.

And I really appreciate the
way you've looked after me.

But I just don't think I
can do that anymore.

Charlene, you don't mean that.

I can hardly believe
it myself, but I do.

I've been up all night

and I just can't figure out

how I can belong to a church

that doesn't think I am fit

to preach God's Word.

I'm sorry, you want
to be a minister?

Well, I've never told
anyone this before,

but as a matter of fact, I did.

When I was about 6 or 7,

I got my first Bible.

Had my name embossed
in gold across the front.

My parents gave it to me
the night I was baptized.

I'll never forget,

it came with this beautiful
cardboard bookmark

that had Jesus

with a pink halo painted on it.

I don't know.

There was something about the
way the light shone in that picture.

I couldn't take my eyes off it.

I thought, "Boy, that's for me."

I was gonna travel the
world, preaching and teaching.

And maybe even become a saint.

What happened?

Well, I don't know.

I guess I figured I
couldn't make saint.

Anyway, my point
is, I had that dream

because no one
told me I couldn't.

But what about all those
other little girls out there?

Hundreds of them, just
waiting to become ministers

and spend their lives
preaching God's Word.

Except for the fact that you
and a bunch of other people

got together and decided
that God doesn't want that.

That just doesn't make
any sense, Reverend Nunn.

I mean, for what possible reason

would God not want that?

That's not for us
to say, Charlene.

I don't think we should
question His wisdom.

I'm not.

I'm questioning yours.

Anyway, I just
wanted to thank you

for everything
you've done for me.

I'll never forget you.

Charlene, I wish you'd
give this some more thought.

Let me put you in touch
with another minister.

Maybe he can counsel you.

No, no. Thanks anyway.

I'll be talking to
someone all right,

but I think I'll keep this one
just between me and God.

Don't look so surprised.

After all, we have
his number, too.

Julia?

Oh, hi, Charlene.

- What are you doing here?
- Well, I left my purse.

Aren't you supposed
to be at the church?

I'm not going.

What?

I'm not going.

I can't.

Why?

I just can't do it. That's all.

I know you're
disappointed in me.

I'm disappointed in myself.

Well, why don't you
think you can do it?

Are you still afraid you
can't hit that high note?

Yes, among other things.

What other things?

Oh... Oh, I don't know.

Laryngitis,
forgetting the words,

getting my choir robe
tucked in my pantyhose.

You name it, I've thought of it.

[sighs]

I just resigned from my church.

Oh, Charlene. I'm so sorry.

Yeah. Me, too.

Is there anything I can do?

Yes.

As a matter of fact, there is.

My minister, Reverend Nunn,

is going to be at the
closing ceremony.

Now, for some reason,

I need to be proud
of women tonight.

I want to hear you
hit that high note.

No, Charlene. No, I can't.

Yes, you can!

Julia, I know you can.

Now what I just did
took more courage

than I ever thought I had,
and it would be impossible

for me to have more
courage than you.

What makes you so sure?

Well, 'cause...
'cause you're my hero.

Heroine.

Even better.

Charlene, that's a nice idea

but just because
you have faith in me,

doesn't mean I'd
be able to do it.

Oh, who's saying anything
about having faith in you?

I'm just asking you
to have the guts

to step up to that microphone
and open your mouth.

I think I can get Him
to supply the notes.

Exactly how sure are you?

Just a feeling.

Oh, please, Julia. Do it for me.

Do it for all of us girls.

You mean, you and
Mary Jo and Suzanne?

No.

I mean all us girls everywhere.

♪ How great Thou art ♪

♪ How great Thou art ♪

♪ O Lord, my God ♪

♪ How great Thou art ♪

♪ O Lord my God ♪

[clears throat]

♪ When I in awesome wonder ♪

♪ Consider all the worlds ♪

♪ Thy hands have made ♪

♪ I see the stars ♪

♪ I hear the rolling thunder ♪

♪ Thy power throughout ♪

♪ The universe displayed ♪

♪ Then sings my soul ♪

♪ My Savior God, to Thee ♪

♪ How great Thou art ♪

♪ How great Thou art ♪

♪ Then sings my soul ♪

♪ My Savior God, to Thee ♪
♪ My Savior God, to Thee ♪

♪ How great Thou art ♪

♪ How great Thou art ♪

♪ Then sings my soul ♪
♪ My soul ♪

♪ My Savior God, to Thee ♪
♪ My Savior God, to Thee ♪

♪ How great Thou art ♪
♪ How great Thou art ♪

♪ How great Thou art ♪
♪ How great Thou art ♪

♪ Then sings my soul ♪

♪ My Savior God, to Thee ♪

♪ How great Thou art ♪
♪ How great Thou art ♪

♪ How great Thou art ♪
♪ How great Thou art ♪

♪ How great Thou art ♪

♪ How great ♪

♪ Thou ♪

♪ Art ♪

♪ How great ♪

♪ Thou ♪

♪ Art ♪

Closed-Captioned By J.R.
Media Services, Inc. Burbank, CA

♪♪ ["How Great Thou Art"]