He walked in through the doors from the narthex of the church, where I had just started working as Music Director, and he looked grumpier than usual.

“Oh, good.” I thought, sarcastically.

I looked up from the piano where I was arranging my pages of music before the service that day.  I had not been with this congregation very long and was just beginning to put names with faces, and dispositions.  This man’s disposition, face and name was a combination I learned quickly.  He was never happy about anything.  From the building’s roof to sugar cream pie, he had a opinion, and it wasn’t a good one.

My bad habit of labeling a person (and in some cases then writing them off as someone not worthy of my time…forgive me, Father) had quickly labeled this guy as someone to avoid, someone whose opinion I guessed with every decision I made, whether he was present or not.  And so, he crippled me.  For every fifty or so people who thought I was wonderful, there would always be him.  It was his review, imagined or otherwise, that judged me.

And here he walked, down the aisle, quite possibly to let me know of another disappointment he had in me.

In a moment of weakness, and displaying a rare attribute of “agape” (love actions, despite how one feels), I said: “Hey, how’s it going?”

“The day could’ve started better.” Was his succinct, grim, reply.

OK, here we go.

“I have two identical-looking tubes in the medicine cabinet,” he continued, as my thoughts tried to imagine where he was going with this, “one of them is hemorrhoid cream, the other is Polygrip…I’ll leave the story right there.”

At this point I had an epiphany: this guy was funny (which meant he was intelligent), and suddenly I saw him in a different light.  It happened in a millisecond, but it happened.

He passed me, on his way to take care of something (it turned out to be a leaky baptistery) and as he passed he said one more thing.

“You’re doin’ good…don’t let the b*&%+ds get you down.” (as it says in the Scripture…somewhere, I’m sure)

That was one of three compliments (assuming THAT was a compliment) he ever directed toward me, always in private.  I have remembered it all these years.  He and I also shared some memorably irreverent moments during board meetings, when we sat in the back, side-by-side.

He taught me that I cannot judge the moment or my choices based on one-out-of-one-hundred people.  I cannot base my choices on the reaction it will have on someone who wouldn’t like ANYTHING I do.  He also taught me that irritating people aren’t what they seem…

…they are often “lonely porcupines”, afraid to get close and determined to keep you away.

Every moment has its time.
Every person has their place.
Do not brush away either.
In doing so, you may brush away God’s wish for you
To either enjoy, or be the miracle.

THIS is PATIENCE.

First, I really didn’t want to be there: in line at JC PENNYS exchanging and purchasing during the Christmas holidays…ugh (throws head back and rolls eyes).  Even in the best of times I need to “gear myself up” to be in a place with lots of people – I truly am an introvert at heart.  But there I was, along with millions who had thronged there to purchase last-minute gifts, etc.  The cashiers were shockingly patient and gracious, the line was long, and the store was packed (The Chipmunks singing over the speakers only added to my intense desire to be back in my car.)

 And then she started talking.  The woman in front of me.  Did I know her?  I didn’t think so.  I looked up, she was looking at me.  Now, there are many people who know or think they know me – and I haven’t the foggiest sometimes as to whom they might be, but I act as though I know them.  It dawned on me I wasn’t listening to her, and so I smiled and paid attention.

“…I don’t know if Linda would like that or not.” Pointing to the hair-removal thing hanging on the “impulse purchase” stand next to us in line.  “I know she said she wanted one, can you hand me that, please?” 

I did.

“No, she wants the one for facial hair.” 

I am creating a picture of Linda, whom I’ve never met, at this very moment and thinking of the circus.

“Is there one there for faces?  Oh yes, there’s just the one, can you put this back and grab it for me?”

 I did.

“You know since she took the boys and moved, I don’t see her OR them often enough to know what they really like, so I have to hang on every word they DO say to have any hint as to what to get them.”

 I smiled and said something affirming.  She went on.

“Christmas is hard, especially when the family doesn’t talk to each other like they used to.  I certainly hope I can get a gift card up there, do you know if they sell those at the register?”

 I assured her they did, as I saw Hanukkah, Holiday, and Christmas themed gift cards from where I was standing.  We moved forward 8 inches.

“I don’t know what I’ll do for Christmas dinner…last year I went to Cracker Barrel, it was nice and I didn’t really have to do anything but eat.  I miss cooking for them all, but what are you going to do?”

 At this rhetorical question the Spirit stepped in, tapped me on the shoulder, and told me to pay attention.

“No one really prepares you to go from a large family to being alone you know.  Oooo…look at that! Godiva Chocolates…do you really think those are Godiva?  I can’t really afford those, but…”

 “Can I get some for you? I heard my mouth say. 

“What? Oh no, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” she sputtered, embarrassed now.

 “I am going to get some for myself anyway.” I lied, “Let me get you some.” 

I picked up the package and held it with my stuff as she continued to talk about “Linda and the boys” until the next register was available.

Then mine was up, next to hers, I paid for the chocolate and all and handed her a package of dark chocolate and carmel.  She reached over, and then she patted (actually patted) my hand and smiled at me…and left.

I stood at the register, paid, and went out of the store.

“What was that about?” I said to myself and the Spirit.

“It was a Christmas miracle.” I heard back.

As I was thinking/arguing that it was hardly a “miracle” for her that SHE found a stranger to talk to in line, about people I didn’t know or really care about…or that I bought her some chocolate.  Even though, as I listened to her go on about life changes, and family dynamics, I realized how bittersweet the season is for some.  As much as I wanted out of that store and away from that crowd, I was thankful for a moment to see a “person” in the “crowd”.  She connected with me, with one person, and for that thirty minutes she wasn’t just a face.

In any case, I said again to the Spirit and myself, “I doubt very much she even remembers our conversation at this moment.  I doubt that I was much of a miracle for her.”
To which I heard, in reply…

“Who said anything about YOU being HER Christmas miracle?”

Once again our little winter getaway included some Disney magic.  As we travelled to the somewhat warmer climes of Florida, after Christmas, we took a day and grappled with DISNEYWORD.

I’ll say it again: every time I’m there I am so impressed with their passion for ensuring vacationers have the best vacation they’ve ever had.  Everything, from the height and color of the buildings to the detail in the streetlamps is designed to attract visitors (and snag some of their cash). 

Walt Disney didn’t live to see WALT DISNEYWORLD “in the flesh”, but he saw it before it was built, in his fertile mind. I recently finished a Disney biography, and visiting the park(s) after reading so much about the man (the good and the not-so-good) and his methods, made the trip even more fascinating.   Every spot, every shop, street, ride, window, light, character, etc. is designed to specifications that are attractive to the people who visit – of ALL ages.   In fact, the way DISNEY goes out of its way to make sure that ADULTS (parents and grandparents) have as much of a good time as the kids is also very impressive.

Mr. Disney had a knack of “getting into the skin” of the people he wanted to serve.  He often responded to criticism that he only created a “false escape” from the world by saying that he was not creating an escape, but an ideal world.  Much of it was HIS ideal, HIS memory (MAIN STREET USA – Magic Kingdom) is a recreation of his childhood hometown.  But why do the rest of us also feel so nostalgic on MAIN STREET in THE MAGIC KINGDOM, or comfortable on HOLLYWOOD BLVD in DISNEY MOVIE STUDIOS park?  Part of it is reminiscent design and part of it is design science. For example, many of the buildings are constructed just enough under scale/“smaller than life-size” to make one feel “cozy” and “warm” (that is just exactly what happens on MAIN STREET and HOLLYWOOD BLVD).  And things such as CINDERELLA’S CASTLE in the Magic Kingdom are built with “forced perspective” (the scale gets smaller as it grows higher – to make it seem even MORE tall than it is, without the observer feeling overwhelmed).

It is said that Walt oversaw every detail of THE MAGIC KINGDOM in California.  One of his methods was to get down on his knees in the middle of the park and look around to see if any thing stood out of place – from a child’s perspective.

This year we saw the new STAR WARS attraction, and although half of the world’s population was there, we saw enough to be impressed once more, by Disney design, concept, and their general knowledge of the “people business”.

Also new this year was a transportation system of “air gondolas” suspended high above the parks, called the SKYLINER.  This is a new way to travel from some of the parks to others AND to many of the in-park resorts.  What made this ride fascinating is everything you could see from the air that you can’t see from the ground; the perspective of seeing the park through the eyes of the creators, rather than the visitor.

 Although the entire WDW park system teaches me about God every time I’m there (because I believe, and teach often, EVERY SPIRITUAL TRUTH HAS A PHYSICAL METAPHOR) what struck me this time was seeing ALL the machinery, buildings, and people working round-the-clock whom we never see in the park while visiting.

 Not only does WDW attract every eye and imagination because of the way the creators designed and constructed it, but there are almost as many people “behind the scenes” working to make things happen as there are people visiting the park.  If you work at WDW, in any capacity, you are called a CAST MEMBER.  Once you walk into a part of the park that is occupied by visitors you are “on stage” and when you walk off that part, you are “off stage”.  What is happening backstage is almost more fascinating than the “show” onstage…as is often the case in life itself.

High above the park we saw new construction happening in several places, unseen by the eyes on the ground.  We saw parking lot after parking lot filled, not with visitors, but with CAST MEMBERS.  We saw roads, walkways, mechanisms, etc.  all there to provide for those in the parks who would never see them.

Again, this reminded me of the earth, and life, in general: a place created for us by God.  This place was created to be a perfect place for us, with our perspective(s) and needs in mind.  I can picture God on his knees looking out at the park he was creating (Eden) to see if there was anything out of place or wrong for us.  He even “descended” to us, crawled into our skin, saw through our eyes, heard through our ears, to ensure that we understood/understand everything here is created FOR US.  Everything here is for our use, tailored for our pleasure and fulfillment…and to especially show us that HE is accessible to us, as well.

Behind the scenes/backstage He continues to work, to redesign, to remodel, to build – and beside Him, the multitudes of unseen Messengers – doing work we will never see, fighting battles we will never know about, but we DO experience the results – all for His “park” and the children He created to live there.

Of course The DISNEY Corp. is a business, and they aim to make money.  But they make money by aiming to understand, to know, and to cater to the client who brings in the money.  It is just a small type, or picture, of the single-minded mission of God: to create everything around us to show His love, and to attract us to Him so we will choose to love Him, and walk beside Him – forever.

“Every spiritual truth has a physical metaphor.”

It’s no secret one of my favorite places to hang out after a rehearsal, performance, church or to write and work (while eating and drinking) is SCAMPY’S.  For those of you not from around Anderson, Indiana, SCAMPY’S is a local, family-owned “pizza/pub” with a rich and generous history.  It’s a local “watering hole” and a great place to eat, drink, meet people and have a great time…owned and operated by some pretty cool people.

I’m there quite a bit; an average of twice a week during the theatre season, and sometimes more.  When my schedule is fuller and I need to combine work and dinner – and it’s late in the afternoon or late at night – I’ll retreat there by myself.  I love the staff, they’re like family now, and I always see some other patron I know.  Then they leave me to my work (the amount of sermons written there in 13 years is astounding). 

In the back of the room is a JUKEBOX.  Now, I say JUKEBOX, and that is “technically” what it is, but JUKEBOXES have changed even since I was a kid.  This one doesn’t require you to stand in front of it and push buttons, unless you want to.  It doesn’t even require change – you can use APPLE PAY or your credit card (handy).  But the awesome thing is the JUKEBOX APP for my iPHONE which connects to the JUKEBOX.  I put money in the APP, select the music (from a vast catalogue of virtually every style) and the JUKEBOX plays.

So, imagine this scenario: there I am, either alone, or with an unsuspecting group, and I start to choose some music which then mysteriously plays throughout the room, and no one knows (usually) who has chosen the songs.

The night I got the APP on my phone, and started to use it for the first time, I forgot there was SCAMPY’S (the bar on the other side) and SCAMPY’S ANNEX (where I was enjoying pizza while trying to figure out the JUKEBOX APP – two different places).  I chose my first, inaugural, song to be played on the new-fangled JUKEBOX – “STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN” which I thought was appropriate, both as a patron and minister.

It didn’t play.

Since it was just a few cents for each play, I chose it again.  It didn’t play.

I looked at the APP, the APP said it was playing…I bought yet another “play” of it before I figured out what you already have – I chose the wrong JUKEBOX.  And while I was sitting in the silence of the ANNEX, the bar patrons next door were enjoying three rounds of back-to-back “STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN”! 

Now, I’m sure that was more than irritating for them, though I didn’t go over and check.  To this day I’m not sure anyone understands what happened.

That experience, however, started me on a journey to “alter the mood of my fellow patrons in the ANNEX” with music.  I’ve walked in where various families, groups or couples are quietly talking over their meals when all of the sudden an energetic song that I’ve stealthily placed in the JUKEBOX queue fills the room.  It’s amazing to see the power of music to change the mood and sound of a room.  People become filled with energy: the sounds are not just louder (probably trying to be heard over the music) but also filled with laughter and a little more energy.

 I’m not making this up, the power of music to alter the essence of a place and person is like seeing the change when a light it turned on in darkness, or a smile appears on a face, or someone you love walks into the room.

While I’ve had fun choosing music at SCAMPY’S, the Spirit takes advantage of that time, once again, to teach.  Though music is a more powerful example, I have seen how a small thing makes big changes.  How a kind word shifts an entire day for someone, how a smile to a stranger changes the way they walk as they pass, and how a “thank you” to a server is the “icing on the cake” for someone who may feel transparent to the many customers they have served that day.

Jesus is right.  The connecting to Him is our connection to each other, and visa versa.  When we “do unto others” we “do unto Him”.  The person who makes others laugh, who lifts others up with their words, who smiles, who thanks…who gives, is a person who connects us with each other, and connects us with God.

Our spiritual ancestors understood that God’s commands (mitzvot) were centered around creating connections with each other and forming or maintaining community, with the understanding that God is loved when we love each other.

During these next two “weeks of thanks” take the time to “turn on the music” in someone’s life.  It doesn’t take a special skill, you don’t need the JUKEBOX APP on your phone.  All you need to do is remember what it was like when Jesus Himself, or through someone else, turned the music on for you – and do that: smile, thank, embrace, give, and love.

 “Money spent on a JUKEBOX is never a wasted investment.”
Famous Quotes by RICK VALE

 HAPPY THANKSGIVING – turn on the JUKEBOX.

I’m a history buff…I really enjoy “historic trivia”, as you know: interesting but useless information.  Of course, I can’t seem to remember Birthdays, Anniversaries, my license plate number or important stuff like that…but let me read about Queen Victoria’s cousin’s dog and I’ll remember that till the day I die!

Guess what happened today in 1860?  Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States. We at Central are kind of connected to this event.  There is a newspaper, in our collection of historic items stored upstairs, on which the front page not only lists our “charter” but also has a schedule of the LINCOLN/DOUGLAS DEBATES in neighboring Illinois, in case anyone wanted to travel by train to get there.

For all the greatness the patina of time has put on Lincoln, I have some southern ancestors who considered Lincoln the “anti-christ”, vilifying him for using scripture to condone aggression…as if that hadn’t been done before.  I’m not sure I agree with that side of my family, however,

God’s name gets used to justify acts that are Godly or not.

Poor God.  I think He can take care of Himself, but truly…He gets blamed for some really stupidly human things.

The scripture was used to argue that all planets revolved around the earth (including the sun) and anyone who taught differently was a heretic.

The scripture was used to argue that the earth was flat, that Jews were evil, that anyone of dark skin didn’t have a soul, that slavery was ordained by God, that women were not allowed to lead or speak in church or anywhere else…and we all know what the scripture is used to argue against these days.

Poor God.

In all of the effort to justify our own prejudices and keep the world around us from growing, from expanding, from changing…we use God as our excuse, and translate the Bible into our own “language”…we use His name in vain as we stamp it on all of our agendas with their conditions and clauses that keep people we don’t like at arms’ length.  It’s been happening for centuries and we still do it…even in church.

Part of the problem is that most of us have a picture of God that is too small.  We have a box that we put Him in, and He won’t be kept in a box.  When He behaves beyond the definition that we have kept in our hearts, we question whether that is really Him.  Is His grace really that large?  Is His Kingdom really that expansive?  Is His love really that unconditional?  Is His reality and His universe really that infinite?

Praise God.

The answer, of course, is to give God back His good name.  That’s what PRAISE is, it is “telling Him who He is”, not because HE needs to know, but because WE need to be reminded.  PRAISE gives Him back His good name.  PRAISE is to be done in front of other people.  PRAISE Him, in front of the people, for the fact that He is NOT the one who says:

“Grace is only afforded to those who go to church.”

“Love is only given to those who follow the rules.”

“Your heart might be in the right place, but if you make the wrong decision or make one too many mistakes I won’t love you anymore.”

No, He’s the one who says, “My grace is sufficient.”  “God so loved THE WORLD…” and “man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart.” He is the God who does not “label” us, but “loves” us.

The scripture is just one witness to God.  There are many others: the congregation, the Spirit, nature…for example.  And all of those witnesses, combined, still don’t encompass the entirety of God’s being.  So who are WE to label HIM?  Who are WE to decide who He loves, or what He blesses?

Hopefully we, at Central, have gotten beyond the place where we use the scripture to do anything but find a foundation, a beginning of a wonderful friendship with the One who created and preserves us, who fills us with His own breath and shows us (when we are able to see) His Kingdom on earth, as we follow Him.  Let us never misuse His words to argue our own agenda because we have chosen to be the judge of our fellow travelers on earth.  Let us never assume that God fits into our little box of godliness.  Let us always seek for the wonderful, the surprising, and the untamed God that truly allows us to learn for ourselves that the earth is NOT flat, that it is part of a wonderful universal dance that HE put in place, and that there is more to this life than we will ever know until we sit down to dinner in the age to come.

Let us celebrate the God who doesn’t own a “label-maker”, but loves us because of who HE is, not who WE are.