Once and Future Methodist

The Fisherman: The Sit-com

Peter: Those first days and months after HE called us are a bit of a blur. After my MIL was healed half of the town showed up at our front door. I don’t know how he had the patience. Every one had their own story to tell, each one with some ache, pain, or infirmity. But HE took time with each one. HE listened to their story then blessed and prayed with each one, down to the least and the last. Each went away whole. Of course, that only brought more, like flies to honey.

Mark: I’m surprised that the following didn’t grow much quicker, people could see what was happening with their own eyes, couldn’t they?

Peter: Heard, more likely. Heard from every wagging tongue in the village told to everybody who would listen, and plenty of those who wouldn’t listen either. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” were His words, many times. There were plenty who heard, but did not hear. They just didn’t get it. Of course, we apostles were in that state as often as not at first, too….

Scribe: Wow, that was a great sermon, Jesus! I’ve heard plenty of teachers teach, but nobody like you! I’ll say it right now, I’ll follow you anywhere!

Jesus: (with a knowing look way beyond his years or apparent experience) “Even the fox has a den or a wild bird her nest. I have no home, no place to return to night after night. Are you sure that you can handle that?”

Another breathless want-to-be approaches Jesus: “Lord, Lord I’m ready to go with you anywhere. One problem, I need to look after my dad. He’ll die soon, then can I hook back up with you?

Jesus: (again with the knowing look) “ The Dead can bury themselves! Follow me now, the rest will take care of itself. This chance isn’t going to come again, not like it is now.”

Peter: And so it went. Plenty were drawn, but few had what it took to stay. Not to say that some didn’t become followers later on, but most didn’t have the stomach for the work at hand. Now, we were on the way down to my boat at the shore, with a plan to go over to the other side where the crowds wouldn’t be as bad. We could have easily taken James’ boat, but mine was nearer and a bit larger, so we pushed out and headed across…

Peter: (to James) I don’t like the looks of those clouds.

James: You’re right, they are moving much too quickly. We’re not going to be able to avoid this storm. (gives a tug to a couple of the ropes, assessing the seaworthiness of the boat somewhat skeptically)

Peter: You’d better roust out the youngsters and have them ready to furl the sail as soon as the gusts get here.

James: Aye, Aye, Capt’n (said half in jest, half seriously) and James steps over several of the seated apostles to reach Andrew and John, who were lost in some earnest conversation of youth OK you two, look alive and get to your stations by the sail. In case you haven’t noticed, a blow is coming and we’ll need to be taking it in, soon. The two younger men looked up, looked at each other, then stood up and looked over the side, seeing for the first time the gathering clouds, feeling the freshening winds, and seeing the waves starting to chop. They went to their stations on either side of the sail and took ropes in hand, waiting for Peter’s commands:

Peter: James, I’m not sure how much longer the ropes are going to hold in this wind.

James: Don’t say that too loudly, though the wind will keep them, (nodding towards the rest of the disciples huddled in the center of the boat, and John and Andrew busily bailing the bilges), from hearing it. Look at Him, though, sleeping like a baby.

Peter: Yeah, I’ve got one of those babies. Would fuss and fuss, then put him up on the donkey and walk him around and bam, out like a light.

James: Peter, should we wake him?

Peter: I don’t know, he’s been run pretty raged lately.

James: How long do you think you can tread water? Not to mention the motley crew of landlubbers we have with us?

Peter: Just what do you expect Him to do? Damit, Jim, He’s a carpenter, not a sailor. I doubt he can keep this boat from coming apart in these seas with a hammer and a few nails.

James: Wake Him up, he’ll do something.

Peter: Why do I get the job?

James: Your boat, your job. You said, let’s take my boat, it’s bigger. You volunteered.

Peter: mumbles Fine, just fine, me and my big mouth, I’ll do it. (trailed by James and John, Andrew took the helm, Peter works his way over to the sleeping Jesus) Um, Lord….uh LORD (shaking Jesus gently., Jesus slowly awakens, noting the worried looks on those around him) Jesus, you probably haven’t noticed, we’re in a pretty big storm here and…

James: The boat is coming apart at the seams. We’re all going to drown! Of course, everyone heard that one, and the disciples became even more forlorn than they already were.

Jesus: Sitting up and looking out over the waters for the first time: “Don’t you guys have any faith, any faith at all? Why are you afraid when I am with you? turning towards the sea: Quit it, Now! The rain and wind stopped that instant. The clouds parted and the towering waves began to settle, leaving a calm sea in a few minutes time. The disciples were all looking at each other, unable to digest what they had just witnessed. Jesus laid back down on the bench and was soon back to sleep

Peter and John Mark, in Rome: Peter: Two thoughts went thru my mind: He who commands the winds and the seas, this is the Son of God, no doubt. And (rolling his eyes and sounding rueful) I was the one who had just woken him up from his nap, scared out of my mind.

Fade out scene 1

Check this out.  I believe in the 2nd ammendment, but I'm not sure this far:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_GUNS_IN_CHURCH?SITE=FLDAY&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

A couple of years ago I wrote about my need for assistance, having locked myself out of a running car about 2 miles from home (Wed. March 7, 2007, In Need of a Neighbor).  In it I related it to the parable of the Good Samaritan, how I needed and received help from a total stranger.  Today it came full circle.

I started off the morning as usual: letting the dog out, watching CNN for a few minutes, checking e-mail, then I went out for my morning walk.  On a lot of these work days I just walk around my small town rather than driving intoKingsport to make use of the Greenbelt.  As I was getting to my usual turning point I heard the sound of a helicopter approaching from the South.  Being a pilot for the last 10 years and an Air Force brat and aviation nut for the 40 years before that I recognized the sound of a Bell Jet-Ranger type, 4 blade chopper.  I also knew from the sound that he wasn’t dawdling, either.  In fact, as he passed overhead I could see that it was one of the medical evacuation ‘copters which serve the two trauma centers in this area, and he was running flat out on a course which would take him to Lee County in Virginia or on into SE Kentucky.   I didn’t give it much more thought.

I finished my walk and headed home for some time on the exercise bike and weight machine.  While doing that I reviewed some video material for a class I might be teaching at ETSU next year.  All in all, a productive morning.  I showered up and got ready for another 12hrs at the hospital with one last set of errands to run:  a couple of  quick store stops and picking up Miss Angie, the lady who helps (J) with the cleaning.   So, I did the shopping and picked up Miss Angie and headed back to the house.  Angie doesn’t drive at this time and asked me to stop at the mini-mart on the way back to the house.  We did, and just as I pulled in so did a nice, new black pickup with Kentucky plates.  Angie went in to run her errand and the young (mid-20’s) man went in, too.  Angie came out a few minutes later and, just as we were getting ready to start up the young man came out and knocked on our window.

He (and his wife) were lost.  The were from Whitesburg KY.  They were trying to get to the regional trauma/referral medical center.  One baby was back in the hospital in KY.  The other had been airlifted down to the hospital in Kingsport.  They had been given general directions (head down Hwy 23 and look for signs) and sent on their way.  I started to explain how to get there, but quickly realized that he wasn’t processing.   I’ve been there, too tired and too upset to understand even simple instructions.  I looked at Angie, then back to this young man (whose anxious looking wife was watching our conversation from the cab of the truck).  There was only one thing to do.  I told him to follow me, I would lead him the 12 miles to the hospital.  At first I was going to swing by the house and drop Angie off, but thinking about how anxious and frazzled they looked, I needed to just go straight to the hospital.  Angie understood, her youngest son had to be airlifted to Vanderbilt for major heart surgery just a day after he was born.  She’s been there.  So, at a stop light I ran back and told them of the change in plans, this was a direct trip.

We got there in good order, and I got them up to the front door and ran back to show him where the parking garage was.  Time for a quick prayer, then time to leave.  I could have kicked myself after leaving.  I didn’t ask their names, or the names of the children who were fighting for their lives.   So say a prayer for this young couple and their two babies, whose name God knows.  I got Angie to our house and headed off to work a bit late.  I ended up blowing thru Burger King instead of having my usual soup and salad at the hospital.  Still, it was a good morning, and I find myself humming Mr Roger’s old song, you know the one, “Be my Neighbor”.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/jun/01/family-friends-church-build-house-paralyzed-teen/

As seen on my morning walk.  (And the bird could belt out a song, too!)

This week we moved on from Proverbs to Job.  Job is a difficult book on many levels.  I was hoping that somewhere on the net would be a performance of Job as a play.  I find reading this book difficult in the same way that I find reading plays difficult, be it A Midsummer Night's Dream or Waiting for Godot. 

I find it hard, when reading such works, to hear the individual voices of each one who is speaking.  In my mind, they all blend together.  Even the "Read Aloud" part of the program didn't help that much.  I found some audio programs with the full casting, for a price.  I also found some somewhat humerous Youtube presentations on the subject.  But, I want to see this done as a full production, in costume, the whole works.  I think that it would help me greatly to see it presented that way.

Now, the content of the story is still another layer of difficulty.  Never mind the debate of whether the Satan we encounter here is any form or manifistation of the Devil we have come to know and hate.  What it comes down to is this:  God may do, or allow to happen, things which to us appear unjust and unfair.  But how could a Just God allow this?  Because we do not, and can not, see the whole picture.  In Gods knowledge, which covers all time and space, how one thing will bring about a greater good is obvious...when to us lesser beings it is not clear at all.  That is what faith is all about.  Accepting that it is, even if we can't possible see how it could be.

As an aside, one other thing I noticed in this study.  I've mentioned in this blog before that my favorite movie of all time is "It's a Wonderful Life".  It struck me that the first chapter of Job is, in effect, the same story.  Especially the part about wishing that he'd never been born.

But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. Proverbs 6:32

My bible study has been working its way thru the “Wisdom” literature of the Old Testament, with Proverbs as the central focus.  Of course, the authorship of Proverbs is attributed to Solomon, the wisest of Kings, as is appropriate to the subject.

In doing the coursework it has bee duly noted that many scholars hold that most of these sayings had been circulating in the Near East for a millennium before Solomon assembled them in a coherent package.  Of course, a good editor can be thought of as an author in his own right by his ability to pull together the scattered parts and assemble them into a coherent whole.  And then there is the matter of Devine Inspiration:  the editor had an editor to help separate the wheat from the chaff.

In the study we have noted again and again the use of repetition in Hebrew poetry for emphasis.  Throughout Proverbs Solomon hammers the same subjects over and over again:  Justice, Integrity, Honesty, Work Ethic, and so on.  And then, there is Adultery.

At first it seemed to me that he was simply warning his sons and the audience in general about the snares which abound in the world, especially those with money, power, and time on their hands.  Then I had another thought:  Solomon knew first hand about the costs of adultery from his mom and dad.  David and Bathsheba had gone down this pathway and had paid a heavy price for their actions.  And, though Solomon wasn’t the first child born of the adulterous affair he most certainly grew up in a court hearing the whispers and rumors and snide remarks which would have been circulating.  And then there would be the pain his parents would have felt:  a good man killed for convenience, a first son’s death a price to pay, guilt lingering like a musty odor over the whole relationship.

⁴But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵"Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? John 12:4-5

This article got a big response when it appeared on-line at the Knoxville News-Sentinal's web site:

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/may/05/united-methodists-launch-20-million-ad-campaign/

At first I was in agreement with those who thought that this was a total waste of money.  I've always believed in "leading by example" and my thoughts would be to take this money, pick a community in need, and bring all of the church's resources to focus on lifting that community out of dispair.  That would be advertising at its best.

With a bit more reflection I am a bit more charitable.  I don't know the content of the ads, but the amount, in today's media market, isn't particularly out of line.  With Superbowl commercials going for well over 1 million/ 30 sec. spot it really isn't an outrageous amount.  Also, looking to Acts...somebody had to pay for Paul and Silas's travels, their preaching in the marketplaces and town squares couldn't be done for free.  Yes, Paul in particular would work to support himself during longer stays, but the point is still valid. 

Now, I might take a different tack than buying 30 sec. spots.  I've been reading that the bottom feeders of the advertising world, the info-mercials, have expanded greatly in the last few months as the cost of air-time has fallen.  So...how about a series of 30 min Metho-mercials?  Rather than catchy slogans let's introduce some of our more vibrant pastors and Bishops (shurely we have a couple who could not put people to sleep) and SHOW what we are doing around the world and in our own communities.  The idea isn't bad, but I think that the approach may take some work.

Bro. Greg had a query posted about social networking preferences the other day, then I saw this.  Just had to share.