Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)
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I'm heading off
to NE Pennsylvania after the second service on Sunday to see my dad who's been
ailing along with my mom and sister who I haven't seen for too long.
Of course, I'm
taking the pony!
Continuing the
eschatological kinda weather that we've been having in an apocalyptic kinda way
- just snowed big time over there - people have already asked, some with
sick smiles if you know what
I mean and bikers do, "Are you still going to take your
motorcycle?"
Actually, my pony
will take me; but, again, if you don't ride, you have no idea what that
means. It's kinda like trying to figure out why dogs like to stick their
heads out of cage windows; which, uh, bikers do get.
Parenthetically,
lots of non-bikers, especially the ones who'd like to be bikers if they, uh,
uh, never mind, seem to get some kinda thrill when they see bikers riding in
the rain and cold and... There's even a commercial about it with some
wimpy excuse for a dude tsk-tsking a biker in a downpour. Maybe
you've seen it. Psst. What they don't know is authentics would
still rather ride than being caged regardless of the weather; and that's a
metaphor for life in general.
FFFrrreeeeeeedooooooom!
Getting back to
the point (?), authentics know it's going to rain sometime during just about
every ride. You're going to start in it or ride into it and yet always
ride through it sooner or later; or as LS sang in tribute to moms:
"Troubles will come and they will pass" (Simple Man).
Jesus: "Rain
falls on everybody."
When I'm asked
those kinda questions - see the third sentence-paragraph again - I wonder
what's happened to the adventurous spirit of America.
One look at who
and what's going on in D.C. and I think again, "Never mind."
So, yeah, I'm
gonna ride in the rain and through the rain...to see my dad, mom, sister, sign
some books in Plains, and stay free.
I don't expect people
who prefer cages to understand.
Another metaphor.
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Speaking of
cages, it's become fashionable for pastor search committees to be told what
they can and can't ask candidates for their churches.
And that's why so many churches get
into so much trouble!
They fail to ask
stuff that's important to 'em because somebody told 'em that they can't ask
such questions and then they're surprised to find out that...
Geez.
Aside from never
seeing rules about that except for ones auto-suggested by people who
think they..., I recommend pastor search committees recall - they've all got
bad experiences to recall - what happened when they didn't ask stuff that's
important to 'em and were surprised to find out that...
Besides,
"Who's afraid of the big bad...?"
C'mon, if you're
gonna have to live and maybe even minister with 'em, you better ask 'em about
stuff like polity, sexuality, abortion, weed, patriotism, riding motorcycles in
the rain, or whether BBPBHO is really the...
If not, you'll be sooooooory when
you're surprised to find out that...
Bad weather can
be overcome, uh, if you prepare in advance.
You can always
take an alternate route and always take along appropriate...
@#$%
Don't get me
wrong.
Some churches are
just sick.
Yeah, some
pastors are just sick.
I've got a
mirror.
Moretheless, it's the responsibility of
denominational oversight folks to make sure sick folks get healed before
they're allowed to date and certainly before they marry if you know what I mean related to all
of this.
I know at least
two churches in the local expression of my franchise that really,
really, really need some healing before they should ever entertain calling
another...
And I'm gonna do my part to make sure
that...
Sure, mistakes
will always be made and every day ain't a hot fudge sundae for the best of, uh,
marriages of any kind; and if we're related to Jesus authentically, we can/must
work out most of 'em if we're not gonna be posers about loving Jesus by
loving like Him.
Go back to the
last two sentence-paragraphs of the previous section.
@#$%
So, go ahead and
administer your litmus tests before signing on the dotted line.
You'll avoid lots
of bad weather and overcome most of the unavoidable storms, quakes, and...
It's your church
on His behalf; or, rather, His church with you being the stewards of...
Something like
that.
So, as long as
you stay within the real rules of your franchise, ignore those control freaks
with their imposing ideologies on ya and let Him direct you to the right...
@#$%
BTW, there is a
way to cut to the quick and really smoke 'em out.
Just ask her/him
about Jesus!
Ask, "Who is
Jesus to you?"
Don't let 'em
quote Barth or Kung or Moltmann or BBPBHO.
Ask 'em for a
personal confession.
If she/he can't
talk about Him without stuttering, stammering, or asking to be excused for the
restroom, just thank 'em for their time and show 'em the door.
As a sage
once told me about any kinda marriage, it's better not to get married
in many instances if you
know what he/He means.
Simply, if she/he
gets Him right or wrong,
the odds are in your favor on figuring out where she/he stands on the other
stuff.
Admittedly,
if the search committee can't talk about Him, all bets are off.
Don't even
attempt to get on a pony - rain or shine - if you haven't taken some
lessons from Him.
@#$%
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Blessings and Love!
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