Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)
@#$%
@#$%
Who's/what's a
geezer?
I refer
to 'em almost every Sunday in worship; because most mainline pewsitters
and pulpiteers are geezers because
most non-geezers have gone elsewhere or nowhere for too many
reasons to catalogue right here right now.
O.K., three
reasons: (1) unconverted clergy; (2) unconvinced laity; and (3) reincarnations
of the Pharisees/Sadducees. You can read about that in the
non-best-selling Fifteen
Secrets for Life and Ministry that's available via www.amazon.com for about 99 cents; or just go
to Matthew 15, 23.
Anyway, I heard a
definition of geezers on some rock radio station a few days ago while driving
to nursing homes to visit, uh, geezers.
Not young anymore.
Not dead yet.
Geezers, like
leaven that Jesus noted metaphorically, can be good, bad, ugly, or innocuous
(which, really, fits into one of the first three categories in a Sartreian
kinda way).
They mix in to
make things/countries/communities/churches better or worse or...
@#$%
A geezer like me
was in my study last week and asked if "we're" getting old.
Response:
"When we're riding our ponies less and moving in cages more, we'll be old."
Jesus said we can
be new wineskins that stretch and expand to make room for His new and improved
ways/opportunities/experiences/charismata.
Jesus said we can
be born again and
from above.
Jesus never said,
"Behold, I make all things/people old."
Jesus never
mentioned DOBs.
Jesus talked
about our relationship with Him that determines the spirit/Spirit in us.
Considering Jesus
created us as one with Father and Spirit - una
substantia et tres personae - He should, uh, does know all about our
potential/possibilities.
From everything
that I've read that He said in those red letters in the big and best book about
Him not books about the book that are often just whining/toning/watering down
rationalizations of egocentrism over Theocentrism/Christocentrism, Jesus says
we can be forever young in emotional, intellectual, and spiritual ways even if
we have regular sessions with the chiro.
Cool.
@#$%
Of course, and I
hope I'm wrong and trust you'll tell me, I think too many geezers like being,
uh, old/rigid/frigid.
I think too many
geezers really like being miserable; bantering and moaning about
just about everyone and everything to make them feel better about their
miserable lives.
Calvin concluded that part of total depravity goes back to the garden;
while hell comes to my inferior intellect.
Doesn't matter.
Geezers don't
have to be miserable.
Jesus: "Come
to Me, all of you who...[in essence]...are miserable...and I will give life to
you...[in essence]...here and now and forevermore!"
Cool.
@#$%
What's not cool
is how sooooooo many
geezers just wanna stay...miserable.
Their choice with no apologies
to the hyper-Calvinists.
I love being a
geezer and know many who like being geezers because
we know we can be forever young by getting/staying closer and closer and closer
to our Source, Starter, Sovereign, and Savior.
That's why I'm
good for another decade or two on the corner of Lincoln and Main to the
encouragement of family and friends while dashing the hopes of my foes.
@#$%
I thought about
that last night and early this morning while Kopper took me for a walk.
I spent the
weekend as Billy's caddie in the Illinois Special Olympics State Golf
Championship.
He won.
Yeah, he won by score and, like all
of the Special Olympians, he won
by attitude.
He never bantered
and moaned about the weather, competition, score, or if his deodorant would
keep him dry throughout the weekend.
He was not
"miserable" like...
Well, I'm back in
the saddle right now after a weekend with "abnormally"
emotional/intellectual/spiritual people who are not like their
"normal" counterparts who are sooooooo
miserable about sooooooo much;
and I'm gonna listen/counsel/entertain/enable those miserable
parochial/ecumenical/agnostic people just about everywhere I go/meet until
my next Special Olympics thing...unless
I have enough gutsy agape love left in me to tell 'em to get their
"normal" heads out of their miserable, uh, attitudes, take
Jesus' hand while inviting Him into their hearts, and become, as C.S. Lewis
prescribed, "surprised" by a joy that Special Olympians get and
the "normally" miserable don't.
O.K., here it is.
Take it/Him or
leave it/Him.
If you're
miserable, it's because you have chosen someone/something other than Jesus.
If you're not
miserable, it's because you're closer to Jesus than miserable people and
experiencing less miserableness in your life as you increase intimacy with Him.
If you're
miserable, you have no divine right to do your worst to make other people as
miserable as you are.
If you're not
miserable, point the miserable people in your life to Jesus.
You can't help
'em.
Only Jesus can
help 'em.
And without
Jesus, they'll keep going/staying to/in hell.
@#$%
Really, it/He
shows...or doesn't.
@#$%
Blessings and Love!
3 comments:
Just want to say
Congratulations to Billy And the Caddy.
Old sucks but dying could be worse ..
There are more reasons: (1) triumph of scientism, (2) Western prosperity, (3) secularism's dominance in politics, the academy and popular culture, (4) her-and-now focus and loss of eternal yearning ... I could go on
Ever notice how "Geeze" appears to be the root of "Geezers?" (The hard/soft "g" thing notwithstanding, I believe it may be because in giving expression to their misery Geezers begin many statements with, "Geeze!" As in, "Geeze! There hasn't been a decent hymn written since the first half of the 19th Century." Or, "Geeze! Why can't those parents keep their children quiet?" Or, well, you get the idea.
On a more positive note,
Geeze, excellent KD!
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