Acting Class - Improv

Improv - Acting Class. I sort of dread going now but I would not want to quit, I paid too much for it. Besides how could I show fear and cowardice in front of my wife? She dutifully comes along. I don't even know if she likes it. The class has to challenge the veterans who take this every semester. So it's a bit fast for us the first timers.

The two vivacious young ladies who lead this do not know what to do with me, I don't think. I thought it was me but when I came to think more clearly in preparation for this blog entry I realized it really isn't me it all. It is all of us in the class. They keep their distance from us, the class. Everything is done very professionally. But they do look at me funny.

I was noticing this week when we came in to wait for the class to start. We all sat on the side of the room across the aisle from where the two ladies sit. We have separated ourselves from the teachers. One of the women noticed this. What does it mean? Does it mean anything?

The class ends promptly at nine. It is clear every week that they do not want to interact any more. They go back to their room, the room that we dare not enter. The door might be slightly open but they sit whispering furtively to each other. This is clearly their space.

Sometimes I think they worry that we will rub off them, our lack of talent or something.

Before and after class they sit in their room until we all vacate the building. Last night though as soon as we were out they were too. No talking. They slip to their cars and drive off.

But no it is not me. I think I get it now. Actors have been taught to consider non-actors as potential stalkers. If they ever get famous you cannot have stray pictures or stray stories out their for people to take advantage of. As I am in this class of potential stalker I find this unfair.

But then I remember I do the same thing when I go into the prisons and relate to inmates. I am very reticent to give them personal information. I rarely give out my phone number and then I give my cell phone. Who knows who has access to a cross-ex phone directory? When someone asks where I live I am vague about that. I would never give out my address. So here I am on the other side of it. I imagine many of the inmates think this unfair, an implied accusation. If you think about it long you could get your feelings hurt. They have been understanding.

So I understand how these young ladies feel. This is a class. Better not to get too close to your students. When we do chaplain training for ministry to prison inmates they tell us the same thing. Don't get too close. For persons of the opposite sex, do not get emotionally involved. Do not let yourself fall in love with inmates. You would be surprised. (Then again you might not.)

Pursuit of Happiness

The Preamble of the Declaration of Independence gives us the right to pursue happiness. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
It does not give a guarantee. Happiness is defined so differently by each person. And we are given the right to pursue them as we want. There are limitations of course. We cannot hurt others in our pursuit.
Obama overreaches as he tries to micromanage the rehab of big banks. He has no expertise in banking and neither do his advisors. It’s going to backfire. He has already looked foolish in allowing the officers of AIG to take their bonuses and then take it all back by taxing it. That is so childish. And yet many people seem to approve. Do they not see who is ultimately at fault here?

1 Samuel 16:4

1 Samuel 16:4
We are so used to a rule of law. We do not have personal experience with a rule of men. Maybe with Obama we might get to experience it. But that's another story.

Men can be capricious. It is scary when so much power is invested in one man.Israel has come to regret perhaps demanding a king.

Saul, we are going to see later, can be very capricious. By this time have the people already experienced some of it.

So 1 Samuel 16:4 brings a chuckle to my heart. Why? The elders tremble to meet Samuel. This is sort of a meeting of state with a man no longer in power. Samuel is like a former president or a former prime minister. You still give him respect but it is awkward.

But the people of Bethlehem know Samuel is not in favor with the new king. What has occurred between the confrontation described in chapter 15 and the events of chapter 16? Has Saul forbid Samuel from traveling? Saul, as king, has the power of life or death. It is scary for one man to have such power. So that is why the elders of Bethlehem tremble when they meet Samuel and ask if he comes in peace.

What does it mean to come in peace? Do they suspect that Samuel might foment revolution. In a sense, a real sense, Samuel is not telling the truth here. Samuel has come to commit treason. He is planning to anoint a new king. This is certain to be the same as fomenting revolution. He may come in God's peace but it means the opposite of peace to Saul and his descendants.

1 Samuel 16:2 - Samuel also fears Saul. Something must have gone on between the last visit that we read about in chapter 15 and now. We do not know why Samuel would fear traveling. Samuel hears God and responds with a comment. God does not disagree with Samuel's assessment of the situation. God comes up with a solution. He essentially travels with a cover story. He is like a spy in a modern movie.

back from Camp Peniel

Back from Camp Peniel

These are nice people. I don't feel worthy.

High points for me are that we played a very friendly Scrabble game with a couple with last name of Taft. It was very fast. Everyone played common words and The four of us totally over 500 points. I think that is pretty good. Everywhere scored pretty close except the wife who emptied her board for a 92 point word. Very cool. That put her ahead to stay.

Second high point was that DW and I sang a children's song with the motions for our "talent" in the talent show. We sang "I'm a little stone in the house of Jesus". Some might remember that little ditty. We thought about "The Butterfly Song". Maybe next year. DW would have done it. I was afraid we would fumble on the order of the animals.

(Parenthetically some of the "acts" were unbearable.) But the dog acts were good especially the first one. She knew a lot of great tricks.

There were Christian talks that bore on reaffirming our commitment to Jesus. Talks like that confuse me. Am I totally committed? I think I am and at the same time I know I can do better. I think God has me where he wants me and I have to trust he will roust me up if I need to do more. So I am pretty confused to know how to proceed with such talk. Perhaps it is simply to say, "yes Lord". And to aks God to show me what more he wants me to do. But I think we can easily outrun the Lord. We can do things God is simply not calling us to and think we are great people for doing so. And yet ... And yet ... God help me to know your mind on this.

The third high point was to see the UMHB Passion Play Wednesday night 5:00 PM. Well we got lost getting there so we got there for only half of the play. We got there just as the Passion part was starting. The visit to Herod must have just ended. Looked like from the set that we missed the woman at the well and the Upper Room/ Last Supper. Naomi got there at the same time so she filled us in.

Actually God very much blessed us with a miracle parking spot and then Naomi to give us advice as to where to sit. DD3 was playing one of the sorrowful women who cried when Jesus was suffering and dying. She was on the large outdoor set most of the time. Later we got a nice Mexican meal with her. It was great to do some catching up. We also saw here roommates, which include Naomi.

But she had to rush off for more of the festivities. We had to cut it short. We headed back to Camp Peniel. We got there at 10 PM. Some people were having a jam session like they did the night before. More of us stayed up to sing along.

They also use the Celebration Hymnal and like Sam they choose a lot of songs that are famous in Baptist churches. Many of these people are about the same age as the people in Brighton Home.

I peevishly wanted to ask them to sing an old Redeemer song but I refrained. There are several of them in this hymnal. No doubt none of the guitar players nor any of the singers have ever heard of it and would not appreciate my raining on their trip down memory lane. These songs are "heart songs" for them as they are really not for me. But I can sing them.

Eventually there will be pictures of us on the Camp Peniel website of us on horses. But there are not up yet.

Ministry - in the church and outside the church

For many years the only serving I did for Christ was in the church itself. I've done most everything from sweeping and vacuuming and yard work to preschool childcare for many years. It's hard to believe now I was pretty good at that. Everything I did was inside the church and that's all good.

For the last ten or so years I have been singing in a small choir on Sunday nights. I do that for me. I am very selfish about this. I am never quite sure how much I contribute. But I do try to be a good morale guy. I really do not understand because in most other areas of my life to try to do that brings confusion and failure. But in the church choir I do contribute in that way. It's a specific gift from the Holy Spirit. If there has to be a reason it may be because I am so happy to be a part. But that does not explain it. It is supernatural.

About four years ago I got plugged in with a group starting up Alpha for prisons in Houston. I really recommend this to anyone and everyone. This one is not so selfish on my part. Well yes it is in a different way. There is a very selfish way in which my brain tells me I am fulfilling a specific recommendation given by James in the Bible. True spirituality is visiting those in the jails and in the hospitals. So I am sure this is something God wants us to do. I do not think I am strong enough emotionally to do this on my own. But I can join a group and do it. I hope I never have to try to do this on my own.

If you are at all in need of a ministry that pays you back in many ways you should think about prison ministry. You could get involved with what we do. Or you could contact Prison Fellowship and see how you can plug in with them. They had a whole prison out in Sugar Land so I know they must need people. There is something called Kairos that goes into prisons. I know a couple of people who do that but I know little of how it works except that they go maybe monthly and it involves a lot of cookies.

If you are like me and you have really never been too close to the poor of this world prison ministry can be eyeopening. I tend to judge what is different from me. But these men (and women if you go that way) are people loved by God. Their mindsets are just so different. And yet once you get to know them you can love them as God does. God gives you the ability. This does not mean you do not hate the sin. And you have to understand these people are going to have a hard time staying out once they are released. Habits are hard to break. Often it is very hard to find "good" friends and a living wage job.

But you get to join God in praying and hoping for them. You can help as much as you can. I think you have to understand to keep boundaries though.

I get as much as I get in doing the small bit I do in prisons. It is really better if a lot of people do a little bit rather than a few people trying to shoulder a whole lot. There is lots of frustration. There is temptation to get jaded and negative. So it helps to have others along side.

I suspect it helps the guards to see us come in, fresh faced, optimistic. A bit of our ministry is to the guards, to be friendly to share with them anything we get to share with the prisoners. After a while even I recognize the different guards though I do not know names I know faces. We smile in recognition. At least at the facility I am going to, which is a jail, not a prison, the guards seem very friendly, not surly or belligerent like they are often portrayed. A jail is for short-termers, a prison holds long term prisoners. I understand the atmosphere is quite different. But I haven't been in prisons enough to truly experience it.

There are other ways to help the poor. One can work at Open Door Mission or in a food pantry. A man I know works with a meals-on-wheels group. That is certainly another direct Biblical command, to help the poor. That may be more where your heart lies. If it is go for it. Stick your little toe in and see where it leads. I repeat it would be much better if a lot of people did a little bit than for a few people to do it all, acting more like professionals than amateurs. "Amateur" has as it's root the Greek word for love. Do it for love of the people, for love of God, giving back for what we have been freely given. Make it a part of your ministry.

Luke 15, mostly the last one

Luke 15:11 - 32

The younger son "came to his senses". We would say say he lost his mind. He is going to give up his pride. He is going to grovel before his father. How many of us would continue to resist? We would seek another job before we groveled before our fathers. Or we take the anonymous way and apply for a government handout.

We are quick to think of this as God the Father, the all knowing God. But in this story Jesus never refers to him as God the father. All three of these parables are about the excitement of finding precious things. In this last one it is a precious person. The father knows him as precious. All of us know our children as precious. But many fathers may not be as willing to show it quite as openly or as extravagantly as this father does. I don't think I would. It would be there in my heart I think mixed with other emotions.

But in this story Jesus is using the example of an earthy father. So in this story how much does the father know? How much does he know of his mental state? He does not let him finish his speech. Is he simply very glad to see his son and no more? At least on the surface this is not about salvation. We quickly jump to that. Let us get back to the original story. It is about getting back a son that is lost.

The son went away and has not been heard from. The father has to be afraid he is dead. He has been worrying, perhaps praying. I think about parents who saw their children go off to the New World 200 to 300 years ago. They would be saying goodbye never expecting to see them again. There was no regular mail, communication would be at best slow, taking months. The parents would never know how they got on. How hard that would be!

We think of sibling rivalry to explain the younger son's urge to leave. Did he not really understand how much his father loved him? Did he think he father favored the eldest?

Yes we do see this as Jesus showing us the attitude of God the Father through this small family tragedy. This is about a loving heavenly Father. Perhaps we can never imagine our earthly father doing such things, being so overjoyed to see us, hugging us, giving us a welcome home party. But our heavenly Father is like that. Jesus is telling us so.

Let us keep that in mind and remind one another of it.

Blue Bible version of Luke 15 (NIV)

Try it

Try it

I learned an exercise in seminary that I submit to you. You can do it. And it will produce dividends in your understanding.

Pick an epistle and read it through in one sitting. Pick a small one to start with. While you are reading ask God to show you why Paul wrote it. I submit to you that every epistle was written for one reason. Not one reason for most of it, one reason.

It's like unlocking a treasure chest. Once you see what it is you will then see that everything Paul wrote in the epistle contributes to that main idea. If you think that something does not fit then you have not quite gotten it yet. Look further.

You may have to read it more than once. It often helps to read it in different versions. My professor said to read it in three different versions at minimum before you settle on an answer. If you do this you will be richly rewarded.

What you discover will be something you rarely hear from the pulpit. Usually a preacher will "proof text" these epistles. A sermon will be based on one short passage. Or short passages from various places will be patched together to make a point. Doing it this way distorts the message of the letters as a whole. The Bible bears up well to this sort of thing but it is not the same as figuring out why an epistle was written in the first place.

Secondly what you find will be still a great truth for today as well. You will be increasing your depth of knowledge about how God relates to his church.

I just did it with a short epistle, Second Thessalonians. There are several short epistles that make this an easier exercise. Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians are also good. In class we also did Romans, perhaps the most complex Epistle. But it still works with Romans. Romans is a great one to do. But do a shorter one first. I will not give you the answers (as if I could truly say I have it all together). Doing these and discovering for yourself will be better. I got a good answer for 2 Thessalonians. I sort of remember the answer for Romans.

If anyone tries this, please respond to this message and let us know what you find. I'd love to see how your thoughts compare with what I got. My professor does this class often. He repeatedly goes back and does this work over and over. Each time he reworks his thought God gives him a slightly different perspective. He changes, hopefully improves, his answer. I wonder if any other professor takes this view.

I did 2 Thessalonians before but of course I have forgotten what I concluded last time. So it was like doing it all over again.