Miserable Geezers

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!