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Stepping into a Holiness
Muddle
“Oh! Oh!
I think I did it again… how do I get out of this one!” was my very first
thought after the words skipped out of my mouth. “Ah nuts!” was my second
thought.
I had
committed a foul in the “ministerial game of rightness”. I had said something
that likely was going to be debated with me right then and there. They knew that I was wrong in their eyes and
their way of thinking. And I knew that I
would be considered wrong in their eyes and thinking. Now how to get out of this one?
The setting..
I was
demonstrating my wood carving at a show recently when the wide eyed kids came
up to see what I had on my table. They
were really cute and from number one to number five they all looked very much the
same. You could see that they were all the
same “peas in the pod”.
If I
would have looked closer at the Dad I would have had a clue. He was dressed
like he was going to a meeting of some sort, maybe church? It was not a Sunday.
Mom’s
clothing might have given me a clue also as she was dressed with a full length
skirt on and her hair was longer.
But I had
looked at the beaming eyes of the kids, they almost twinkled. All five had that ‘Wow’ look about them.
Along
with the kids and their parents were the Grandparents that stood back a little
and smiled as I told the stories of the different carvings and old toys on my
display table.
The kids
asked questions and mom kind of cheered them on as they took part in the action
I provided.
Dad stood
there kind of looking down his nose quietly. He was sizing me up. No kidding.
He was doing a C.A.T. Scan on my person for some reason or other? Maybe it was because I had his kids laughing
and his wife was responding as well. With the Grandparents interacting as well
he was growing even more suspicious of me and had said nothing.
That was
definitely weird. I was moving at a clip
speaking with his kids and they were giggling at my stories.
On my
table I had toys. These ‘toy ideas’ were created back in the last two
centuries. They are made of wood and are
quiet to use and rather mesmerizing in their own special way. Only one is not
quiet to use as it makes a gentle buzzing sound… like a bug in the tree.
I should
mention here that it is a pioneer exhibit which I do a lot of in a number of
places now.
When I
get to the toy part of my story I explain to the children, “Grandpas used to
make these for their Grandkids to use on Sunday afternoon – when everyone was
to be quiet.” I explained that the folk all went to church on Sunday morning and
then they were quiet for the rest of the day. Way back then Sunday was a “day
of rest”.
I usually
ask the kids if they were able to be quiet all day Sunday. They usually say an adamant. “NO WAY!”
I think
it was at that moment that I busted something in this family’s group relationship
with me… oh boy!
Dad
stared at me even more and mom’s smile dropped a little. The kids had mixed
emotions on their faces… and Grandpa had lost a little of his smile too but he
was looking right at me to see what would come next.
You are
asking me at this moment… “What happened? Why the rapid change?!?”
I still
had not figured it out at this point.
I rolled
on with Grandpa Lincoln’s road show and talk. I rattled on how I had found it
hard to be quiet on Sunday morning or Sunday afternoon. I told the group that all of the kids in my
day and age had problems living like that.
The Dad’s
head cocked sideways a little with a new stance of sorts. He appeared to be listening even closer to
what I said now – analyzing every word that I was speaking.
I was genuinely
nervous now. What is going on!?
Instead
of stopping what I was saying… oh boy… I blew it completely.
I changed
the subject from being quiet all day Sunday to telling the kids that I also
carved one more special thing… and I then pulled out the “Elder Wand” that I
had carved specially for the kids.
AT EVERY
OTHER SHOW this is when the kids will press in and ask if they can hold
it. Their eyes usually sparkle and they
want to see more of it. I did a very
good job of carving this piece of wood and it looks just like the Elder Wand –
the most powerful Wand of all Wands in the Harry Potter Movie, especially the
last movie.
I told
them that when I saw the movie with my Grandkids and Harry Potter had broken
the Elder Wand at the end of the movie I decided then to carve one… at that
exact moment.
Usually I
have the small audience right with me as I describe that part.
Five kids
stared at me and had no idea what I was talking about. Mom was puzzled and looked
at her husband for some reaction. He was not only staring holes through me he
was now sputtering something about, “…the children have never seen or know
about Harry Potter.”
Oops!
It then
registered with my tiny brain… these are strict parents that WOULD NEVER ALLOW
THEIR KIDS TO LOOK AT THAT EVIL STUFF like Harry Potter. They couldn’t even say Harry’s name.
Double
oops.
But I didn’t
quit there. You just know that I wouldn’t – right?
I
sputtered on that after those years of trying to be quiet on Sunday afternoon I
had become a Minister in a church for over 35 years. Blah, Blah, Blah.
The Dad
looked intently at me and asked in rather stern voice, “What church would that
be?”
I
hesitated and then sputtered, “Pentecostal…” and stopped. I knew that I was about to hear the rest… oh
boy.
“I am an
ordained Independent Baptist Minister and we are starting an independent church
in the Scarborough, Toronto area” he stated. “It is a missionary work and I am
from Pennsylvania.”
Now I saw
possible recovery coming. “Oh wow that
is great! I was not only a Minister in Canada but also a Missionary in Asia. I
had the wonderful opportunity to live in Hong Kong and travel in China. I also
was able to learn to speak Chinese somewhat… Cantonese and some Mandarin… along
with reading and writing some…”
I was
about to say more when this white guy, newly revealed Independent Baptist
Minister began to babble in Mandarin to me something about, “I speak Mandarin
and am now studying it further…!” Too
funny! I laughed a little and replied in Cantonese… that, “I only speak a little bit of Mandarin and
only really speak Cantonese.”
He couldn’t
understand me and looked a bit nonplus – I had one up on him. Two white guys
speaking Chinese dialects and the old guy did a little better. Note to self – there were no Chinese people
within a 100 miles of where we were standing!
It was
about then that all my previous babbling and explaining about a quiet Sunday
afternoon was the way that they still lived… and the kids didn’t particularly
like it but were doing what they were told. In all likelihood they were home
schooled as well and not in contact with that other worldly bunch that went to
shows and knew about Harry Potter.
It is
highly likely that the Independent brand of Baptist stuff he was part of
preached the need for severe Holiness and Hell was in the theater or whoever
went to places like that.
Pentecostals
used to be like that… but not so much anymore.
But then
there is a severe brand of Baptist that simply know that Pentecostals are demon
possessed because we speak in tongues (and not the Cantonese kind of
tongue!). No kidding I had one of my ‘Baptist
Minister friends’ tell that on of his professors at the theological college he
had attended gave his theological basis for Pentecostalism… demons.
Remember
when I told you that I thought that, I had committed a foul in the “ministerial
game of rightness”. Well there was the
reason… he knew I was different and now he knew why!
Thank God
for the Grandpa. What gem. He told me
that he was once with the Postal Service in the USA, retired from that and then
went to Bible College – now he was an Ordained Baptist Minister… and that he
was delighted to meet me. “I am the same age as you and do similar things. It
is really good to meet you! Praise the Lord!”
I think he must have some Pentecostal Minister Friends.
The Dad
just looked at me… and I am not sure what he was thinking. He told me a little more about his church
efforts and that he was studying Mandarin on his own and had never been to
China.
After
they walked away I began wondering – was it the quiet all day Sunday story… or
maybe the Harry Potter stuff… that was my biggest blunder?
(Note to
self: look closer at the audience before you open your mouth and put your foot
in… and when your one foot goes in – STOP – do not change Feet… it does not
taste too good.)
~
Murray Lincoln ~
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