“Special Effects on the Mountain”
by Bruce J. Johnson
February 10, 2002
Last week, the Super Bowl; this week, the Olympics and finally, Valentines Day! These are busy days with themes flying about!
I read a wonderful Valentine story the other day. Want to hear it?
The super market stock
boy was busily working when a new voice
came over the speaker,
asking for a carryout at the register #4. Kurtis
was almost finished with
what he was doing among the shelves and wanted to get some fresh air, so he
answered the call. As he approached the checkout, a distinctive smile caught
his eye. The new checkout girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26,
and he was only 22). He fell in love.
Later that day, after his
shift was over, Kurtis waited by the time clock to find out her name. She came
into the break room, smiled at him, punched her time card and then left. He
looked at the card. Brenda. Then he hurried out, only to see her walking up the
road.
The next day, Kurtis waited
outside as Brenda left the store and offered her a ride home. He looked
harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe
he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn’t possible.
He pressed and she explained that she had two children and couldn’t afford a
baby sitter. Kurtis offered to pay for the sitter and reluctantly, she accepted
his offer for a date for the following Saturday.
That Saturday night he
arrived at Brenda’s door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go.
The baby sitter had called and cancelled…to which Kurtis simply said: “Well,
let’s take the kids with us.” She tried to explain that taking the children was
not an option but again, not taking no for an answer, he pressed.
Finally Brenda brought him
inside to meet her children. Kurtis thought her oldest child, a girl, was so
cute! And then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He had been born a
paraplegic
with Down’s Syndrome. All
Kurtis said was: “I still don’t understand why the kids can’t come with us.”
Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids,
especially if one had disabilities…. Exactly what her former husband and the
children’s father had done.
That evening Kurtis and
Brenda loaded up the kids and went to dinner and then a movie. When Zachary
needed anything, Kurtis would take care of him. When the boy needed to use the
restroom, Kurtis picked him up out of the chair, took him and brought him back.
The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda knew that this was the
man she would spend the rest of her life with. A year later they were married.
Kurtis adopted both children, and since then the couple has had two more.
SO, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE
STOCK BOY AND THE CHECKOUT GIRL? WELL, MR. AND MRS. KURT WARNER NOW LIVE IN ST.
LOUIS WHERE HE IS EMPLOYED AS A QUARTERBACK BY THE ST. LOUIS RAMS.
(Provided by ‘The Signpost,’ Bolton Congregational Church)
(Jefferson City ‘News Tribune’ October 17, 1999)
I suppose the disciples were saying pretty much the same thing that day
on the mountain when the ‘special effects’ of the transfiguration had Jesus all
aglow!
ISN’T GOD
AWESOME!
Yet, as impressive as that might have been, the real ‘special effects’
of what took place that day was not on Jesus but with the disciples. It is an
awesome thing to be created with the capacity for love. The scriptures tell us
that it had them on their knees, and in awe. Their lives and hearts were yet
again meant to burn with a passion for the gospel and their mission in the
world.
Friday night’s impressive and
inspirational opening to the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City had the theme of “Light the Fire
Within.”
That’s not far from what I’m sure that Jesus was trying do with the disciples….
To light that fire within so that they could go forth into the world aglow with their sense of belovedness and empowered by God’s love.
And certainly, that’s what we affirm for Rebecca, Miranda and Andrew,
on this the day of their baptism…. That God is awesome and wants to light the
fire within so that they can live with passion for what is right and good,
loving and just…. But the key is to know whom to trust and from whom to learn
and indeed, maybe even, who to follow.
“And
a voice from the cloud said:
“This is my beloved son,
with whom I am well pleased.
LISTEN TO HIM!
The other day some friends gave me this book, simply titled GOD SPEAKS.
More than a few entries bring a smile, such as
“I heard your prayer; I just don’t care who wins the game.”
- God
or, “What do I have to do, tattoo the Ten Commandments on your heart?”
- God
or, “Those who preach hate are not speaking for me.”
- God
Another: “Remember how we’d talk every night at bedtime? I miss that.”
- God
(God Speaks, edited by Charles Robb)
Indeed, God does miss that--- when we don’t talk and we don’t listen…. those times when God wants to remind us how loved we are and to suggest ways of embracing life and dealing with issues and problems. Its an every day thing--- you know---this talking and listening!
There was an article in a recent issue of The Christian Century that was called Mundane Excellence. The title is based on a report about Olympic competitors, which concluded that the major difference between those who win Olympic medals and those who do not is not talent, “but the care and the consistency with which Olympians engage in the mundane activities that prepare them for competition.” We say that it must be talent because we forget the “years of practice and the cultivation of habits and techniques that come together to constitute excellence.”
The author then goes on to apply this idea to the life of faith. He suggests that our ability to receive and then share God’s grace is shaped by our commitment to the mundane, to the every day tasks that make up our days when we are living faithful lives--- sometimes its worship, prayer and song and other times, it is in marriage and family and community--- in the way we treat one another with respect, affection and a fundamental and uncompromised commitment to each other’s welfare and well being.
(I’m indebted to Rev. Julia Williamson for this reference.)
Last week it was the Super Bowl, this week the Olympics but today we celebrate the sacrament of Baptism and we all remember our own baptisms and the covenant of love that God has with us in Christ. A voice again speaks telling us to “Listen to Him” as we strive for “mundane excellence”--- the only excellence that really matters--- the stock boy and checkout clerk kind--- loving each other and their kids and living life in such a way that others too will know that God truly is awesome!
Amen