INTERVIEW WITH A BAPTOMETHOCATH
Stories
THE FALL OF A SPARROW
AND OTHER EXTENDED ILLUSTRATIONS FOR PROCLAIMERS OF THE WORD
(A reporter is at a convention of "one-way" religionists called Baptomethocaths. He is interviewing one of them.)
Reporter: I see by all the banners you are waving that your group believes that it is the only true denomination. One of your signs even states that only your group will ever get to Heaven. Why do you believe this way?
Baptomethocath:
Don't be silly. We are Baptomethocaths. Everybody should know that we are the only real Christians. Besides, we are the only ones which practice the true baptism.
Reporter: Is that a fact? How do you baptize?
Baptomethocath:
We immerse, of course.
Reporter: But many denominations immerse their converts.
Baptomethocath:
Not the way we do it. While the pastor holds the candidate under water, he names all the books in the Bible - using the Saint James version, of course - then he recites the 999 beliefs of the Baptomethocaths.
Reporter: That would seem to take a very long time. Don't many of your converts drown while all this is taking place?
Baptomethocath:
Yes, but that only proves that they didn't have enough faith to begin with.
Reporter: I see. Are there any other distinctive features of your faith?
Baptomethocath:
Features? Oh, we don't believe in movies, either.
Reporter: No, I didn't mean features of that kind. I mean, do you have any other unusual beliefs?
Baptomethocath:
Well, we believe in total segregation.
Reporter: Oh, you are opposed to blacks and whites worshiping together?
Baptomethocath:
Yes, as well as whites and Indians, whites and Jews, whites and Jaycees, whites and atheists, whites and liberals, whites and bald-headed ...
Reporter: I don't understand. If you don't associate with atheists, where do you get your converts?
Baptomethocath:
Why, from other denominations, of course - but come to think of it, they are atheists, too ...
Reporter: It seems to me that Heaven will be sparsely populated if only Baptomethocaths are there.
Baptomethocath:
Yes, and there won't be many people in Heaven, either.
Reporter: Uh, yes. I meant something like that.
Baptomethocath:
I can tell by the look on your face that you think we're prejudiced. Well, we're not. We might even let a Jew into our fellowship - but just one, mind you. That's really what this convention is all about. We have talked about the possibility of this Jew's membership at every convention for years, but this year we are finally bringing it to a vote.
Reporter: Really? That is Christian of you! Who is the Jew?
Baptomethocath:
Some fellow by the name of Jesus. You know, there's something very familiar about that name ... but you know these Jews. They all look and sound alike. Excuse me, it's almost time to vote. I've got to run. Have a nice day, now.
For Discussion
1. WHAT IS THE REAL MESSAGE THE AUTHOR SEEKS TO CONVEY IN THE ARTICLE?
2. DO YOU THINK THAT INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIANS/DENOMINATIONS SOMETIMES BECOME TOO POMPOUS OR SELF-RIGHTEOUS?
3. DO YOU BELIEVE PEOPLE OF OTHER DENOMINATIONS/FAITHS WILL BE ULTIMATELY SAVED?
4. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DENOMINATIONALISM?
5. DO YOU BELIEVE DENOMINATIONALISM HINDERS OR HELPS THE CAUSE OF CHRISTIANITY?
6. DOES YOUR CHURCH PARTICIPATE IN ECUMENICAL PROGRAMS/SERVICES?
SCRIPTURES FOR CONSIDERATION AND DISCUSSION:
MARK 9:38-41
ROMANS 2:1-11
IT IS FINISHED!
"WHEN JESUS therefore had received the vinegar, he said, 'It is finished' and he bowed his head and gave up the spirit."
It is finished! Words of finality, indicating a conclusion, but - a conclusion of what?
If these words were heard spoken by an architect, the hearer might assume that some magnificent plan had been completed. If they were heard spoken by an artist, the hearer would assume that the artist had completed a work of art. And if the words were heard spoken by someone in a sickbed, the hearer would assume that a human life was nearing the point of termination. The words, however, were not spoken by any one of these, yet by one who is a composite of all - the architect, the artist, and the suffering, physical being.
There is little doubt that Christ, as the Son of God and as participator in God's creative actions, is the Master Architect of all time. When the writer John speaks of him, he says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made."
And as the Master Architect looked from the Cross and beyond the rolling hills of Palestine into the valleys of the world, he saw the handiwork of nature and the creativity of humanity - and he saw the growing clouds of darkness casting shadows over an indifferent world.
From the Cross, Christ also saw the people - the faithful, kneeling at the foot of the Cross; the gamblers, who also knelt to roll their dice; the priests, the politicians, and the public servants who so carelessly sacrificed their souls for power and prestige; and the curious passersby, who glanced only briefly at the Man on the Cross and then continued their aimless wanderings through life and eternity.
From the Cross, the Divine Architect looked down as the plan of creation, revelation, and redemption received the final sacrificial touch with the agony of the Cross. And through his pain, the Architect said, "It is finished."
And as the faithful gazed at the flesh-torn man on the Cross, they remembered him as the Supreme Artist - who had painted a portrait of love, faith, comfort, and hope for all the world to see and enjoy. Their minds pictured the Man on the Mount who spoke of humility and righteousness; who brought God from the unattainable heights of heaven to walk on the common earth of humanity; who blessed the children, listened to the sinful, and comforted the afflicted.
With his life, the Supreme Artist had painted a picture - the most beautiful and enduring portrait of all eternity - the portrait of Life. The portrait had been completed by the Artist and left to the world for exhibition.
And the Artist hangs upon the Cross and says, "It is finished."
The words were also spoken by a mortal man in the throes of severe pain. Jesus was Divine, but also human. From human experience he proved to others that perfection in this life is possible; that evil is not essential; that life is not hopeless, and that eternity is not merely a wishful dream.
In his humanity, in his suffering, and in his death, he has led us to the doorway of ultimate fulfillment and has given us the key to eternal life.
The Master Architect, the Supreme Artist, the Human Sacrifice, has planned, painted, and given of himself in order that the world might have Life through the knowledge of God.
And today, God still looks down through the eyes of grace, awaiting our decision before saying for the last time, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end ... it is finished."
For Discussion
1. ELABORATE ON THE PROTRAYAL OF CHRIST AS:
(A) A MASTER ARCHITECT
(B) THE SUPREME ARTIST
(C) DIVINE - BUT HUMAN
2. IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH, HOW IS THE CHURCH:
(A) AN ARCHITECT IN THE FAITH-BUILDING BUSINESS?
(B) AN ARTIST PAINTING A PROTRAIT OF CHRIST?
(C) DIVINE IN ITS MISSION; HUMAN IN ITS OUTREACH?
SCRIPTURES FOR CONSIDERATION AND DISCUSSION:
MATTHEW 7:24-29
JOHN 1:1-5
JOHN 10:7-10
JOHN 12:44-50
JOHN 22:39-46
So LONG, FRIEND,
BE SEEING You
They told me Heraclitus, they told me you were dead:
They brought me bitter news to hear and bitter tears to shed.
I wept as I remembered, how often you and I
Had tried the sun with talking and sent him down the sky.
(from "Callimachus," by W. J. Cary)
RALPH WALDO EMERSON once wrote: "A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere, before whom I may think aloud. A friend may well be the masterpiece of Nature."
The type of friendship which Emerson described is a rare thing indeed. There are those with whom we are acquainted all our lives, and yet never really know. On the other hand, there are those whom we accept and who accept us, as an important part of the goodness and totality of life.
Ralph was such a person, and even though we had known each other for just a short year, I can say with the friend of Heraclitus that his death was "bitter news to hear" as I remembered how often we "had tried the sun with talking."
Ralph was just twenty-four years of age, and many of those short years were lived in intense suffering and pain. He endured three heart operations and constantly walked in the shadow of death, yet he - and his brave and faithful young wife - were always smiling, hopeful, and vitally concerned with the suffering of others.
The harsh cruelty of death is never fully understood, and when a life so young comes to an end, our faith is particularly tested. Yet, all of life - every hope and dream of the present and of the future is dependent upon faith. And through faith, the unacceptable becomes acceptable, and the unbearable becomes bearable - and suffering and death become the pathway and gate which lead to Life.
Ralph not only proved the validity of faith with his life, but he expressed it in his own words. While hospitalized for one of his heart operations, he wrote a letter to a close relative who was also ill. This is a part of that letter, just as he wrote it.
It has been a long hard road for both of us, but remember the saying 'I had no shoes and complained until I met a man who had no feet.' Only through long suffering can you find God and know what to do with him. Through faith and love for God you can't help but get better if it is his will. I have learned a lot throughout my ordeal and stay in the hospital, and I think it made a better person out of me. You can't feel for others until you have felt pain yourself And only through faith and suffering do you feel it.
The hospital records would indicate that Ralph stopped breathing at about 4:30 p.m. on a Saturday. The newspaper obituaries say that he died, and the marker on his grave bears witness to the burial of his body. But these inscriptions are indicative only of our limitations in discerning between the physical and the spiritual. It is God who makes the final dispensation, and God has made it for Ralph and all others like him, by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ralph believed this before; now he knows it.
So long, friend. Be seeing you.
For Discussion
1. HOW IMPORTANT ARE FRIENDSHIPS? CAN YOU GIVE SOME ILLUSTRATIONS?
2. DO YOU THINK SUFFERING PROMOTES FAITH?
3. WHAT IS THE CHRISTIAN'S RESPONSIBILITY TO THE SUFFERINGS OF OTHERS?
4. Is THE CHURCH YOU SERVE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN ANY PROGRAMS OR EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE SUFFERING?
SCRIPTURES FOR CONSIDERATION AND DISCUSSION:
MARK 3:1-5
MARK 8:1-9
MARK 10:17-22
MARK 10:42-45
Reporter: I see by all the banners you are waving that your group believes that it is the only true denomination. One of your signs even states that only your group will ever get to Heaven. Why do you believe this way?
Baptomethocath:
Don't be silly. We are Baptomethocaths. Everybody should know that we are the only real Christians. Besides, we are the only ones which practice the true baptism.
Reporter: Is that a fact? How do you baptize?
Baptomethocath:
We immerse, of course.
Reporter: But many denominations immerse their converts.
Baptomethocath:
Not the way we do it. While the pastor holds the candidate under water, he names all the books in the Bible - using the Saint James version, of course - then he recites the 999 beliefs of the Baptomethocaths.
Reporter: That would seem to take a very long time. Don't many of your converts drown while all this is taking place?
Baptomethocath:
Yes, but that only proves that they didn't have enough faith to begin with.
Reporter: I see. Are there any other distinctive features of your faith?
Baptomethocath:
Features? Oh, we don't believe in movies, either.
Reporter: No, I didn't mean features of that kind. I mean, do you have any other unusual beliefs?
Baptomethocath:
Well, we believe in total segregation.
Reporter: Oh, you are opposed to blacks and whites worshiping together?
Baptomethocath:
Yes, as well as whites and Indians, whites and Jews, whites and Jaycees, whites and atheists, whites and liberals, whites and bald-headed ...
Reporter: I don't understand. If you don't associate with atheists, where do you get your converts?
Baptomethocath:
Why, from other denominations, of course - but come to think of it, they are atheists, too ...
Reporter: It seems to me that Heaven will be sparsely populated if only Baptomethocaths are there.
Baptomethocath:
Yes, and there won't be many people in Heaven, either.
Reporter: Uh, yes. I meant something like that.
Baptomethocath:
I can tell by the look on your face that you think we're prejudiced. Well, we're not. We might even let a Jew into our fellowship - but just one, mind you. That's really what this convention is all about. We have talked about the possibility of this Jew's membership at every convention for years, but this year we are finally bringing it to a vote.
Reporter: Really? That is Christian of you! Who is the Jew?
Baptomethocath:
Some fellow by the name of Jesus. You know, there's something very familiar about that name ... but you know these Jews. They all look and sound alike. Excuse me, it's almost time to vote. I've got to run. Have a nice day, now.
For Discussion
1. WHAT IS THE REAL MESSAGE THE AUTHOR SEEKS TO CONVEY IN THE ARTICLE?
2. DO YOU THINK THAT INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIANS/DENOMINATIONS SOMETIMES BECOME TOO POMPOUS OR SELF-RIGHTEOUS?
3. DO YOU BELIEVE PEOPLE OF OTHER DENOMINATIONS/FAITHS WILL BE ULTIMATELY SAVED?
4. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DENOMINATIONALISM?
5. DO YOU BELIEVE DENOMINATIONALISM HINDERS OR HELPS THE CAUSE OF CHRISTIANITY?
6. DOES YOUR CHURCH PARTICIPATE IN ECUMENICAL PROGRAMS/SERVICES?
SCRIPTURES FOR CONSIDERATION AND DISCUSSION:
MARK 9:38-41
ROMANS 2:1-11
IT IS FINISHED!
"WHEN JESUS therefore had received the vinegar, he said, 'It is finished' and he bowed his head and gave up the spirit."
It is finished! Words of finality, indicating a conclusion, but - a conclusion of what?
If these words were heard spoken by an architect, the hearer might assume that some magnificent plan had been completed. If they were heard spoken by an artist, the hearer would assume that the artist had completed a work of art. And if the words were heard spoken by someone in a sickbed, the hearer would assume that a human life was nearing the point of termination. The words, however, were not spoken by any one of these, yet by one who is a composite of all - the architect, the artist, and the suffering, physical being.
There is little doubt that Christ, as the Son of God and as participator in God's creative actions, is the Master Architect of all time. When the writer John speaks of him, he says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made."
And as the Master Architect looked from the Cross and beyond the rolling hills of Palestine into the valleys of the world, he saw the handiwork of nature and the creativity of humanity - and he saw the growing clouds of darkness casting shadows over an indifferent world.
From the Cross, Christ also saw the people - the faithful, kneeling at the foot of the Cross; the gamblers, who also knelt to roll their dice; the priests, the politicians, and the public servants who so carelessly sacrificed their souls for power and prestige; and the curious passersby, who glanced only briefly at the Man on the Cross and then continued their aimless wanderings through life and eternity.
From the Cross, the Divine Architect looked down as the plan of creation, revelation, and redemption received the final sacrificial touch with the agony of the Cross. And through his pain, the Architect said, "It is finished."
And as the faithful gazed at the flesh-torn man on the Cross, they remembered him as the Supreme Artist - who had painted a portrait of love, faith, comfort, and hope for all the world to see and enjoy. Their minds pictured the Man on the Mount who spoke of humility and righteousness; who brought God from the unattainable heights of heaven to walk on the common earth of humanity; who blessed the children, listened to the sinful, and comforted the afflicted.
With his life, the Supreme Artist had painted a picture - the most beautiful and enduring portrait of all eternity - the portrait of Life. The portrait had been completed by the Artist and left to the world for exhibition.
And the Artist hangs upon the Cross and says, "It is finished."
The words were also spoken by a mortal man in the throes of severe pain. Jesus was Divine, but also human. From human experience he proved to others that perfection in this life is possible; that evil is not essential; that life is not hopeless, and that eternity is not merely a wishful dream.
In his humanity, in his suffering, and in his death, he has led us to the doorway of ultimate fulfillment and has given us the key to eternal life.
The Master Architect, the Supreme Artist, the Human Sacrifice, has planned, painted, and given of himself in order that the world might have Life through the knowledge of God.
And today, God still looks down through the eyes of grace, awaiting our decision before saying for the last time, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end ... it is finished."
For Discussion
1. ELABORATE ON THE PROTRAYAL OF CHRIST AS:
(A) A MASTER ARCHITECT
(B) THE SUPREME ARTIST
(C) DIVINE - BUT HUMAN
2. IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH, HOW IS THE CHURCH:
(A) AN ARCHITECT IN THE FAITH-BUILDING BUSINESS?
(B) AN ARTIST PAINTING A PROTRAIT OF CHRIST?
(C) DIVINE IN ITS MISSION; HUMAN IN ITS OUTREACH?
SCRIPTURES FOR CONSIDERATION AND DISCUSSION:
MATTHEW 7:24-29
JOHN 1:1-5
JOHN 10:7-10
JOHN 12:44-50
JOHN 22:39-46
So LONG, FRIEND,
BE SEEING You
They told me Heraclitus, they told me you were dead:
They brought me bitter news to hear and bitter tears to shed.
I wept as I remembered, how often you and I
Had tried the sun with talking and sent him down the sky.
(from "Callimachus," by W. J. Cary)
RALPH WALDO EMERSON once wrote: "A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere, before whom I may think aloud. A friend may well be the masterpiece of Nature."
The type of friendship which Emerson described is a rare thing indeed. There are those with whom we are acquainted all our lives, and yet never really know. On the other hand, there are those whom we accept and who accept us, as an important part of the goodness and totality of life.
Ralph was such a person, and even though we had known each other for just a short year, I can say with the friend of Heraclitus that his death was "bitter news to hear" as I remembered how often we "had tried the sun with talking."
Ralph was just twenty-four years of age, and many of those short years were lived in intense suffering and pain. He endured three heart operations and constantly walked in the shadow of death, yet he - and his brave and faithful young wife - were always smiling, hopeful, and vitally concerned with the suffering of others.
The harsh cruelty of death is never fully understood, and when a life so young comes to an end, our faith is particularly tested. Yet, all of life - every hope and dream of the present and of the future is dependent upon faith. And through faith, the unacceptable becomes acceptable, and the unbearable becomes bearable - and suffering and death become the pathway and gate which lead to Life.
Ralph not only proved the validity of faith with his life, but he expressed it in his own words. While hospitalized for one of his heart operations, he wrote a letter to a close relative who was also ill. This is a part of that letter, just as he wrote it.
It has been a long hard road for both of us, but remember the saying 'I had no shoes and complained until I met a man who had no feet.' Only through long suffering can you find God and know what to do with him. Through faith and love for God you can't help but get better if it is his will. I have learned a lot throughout my ordeal and stay in the hospital, and I think it made a better person out of me. You can't feel for others until you have felt pain yourself And only through faith and suffering do you feel it.
The hospital records would indicate that Ralph stopped breathing at about 4:30 p.m. on a Saturday. The newspaper obituaries say that he died, and the marker on his grave bears witness to the burial of his body. But these inscriptions are indicative only of our limitations in discerning between the physical and the spiritual. It is God who makes the final dispensation, and God has made it for Ralph and all others like him, by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ralph believed this before; now he knows it.
So long, friend. Be seeing you.
For Discussion
1. HOW IMPORTANT ARE FRIENDSHIPS? CAN YOU GIVE SOME ILLUSTRATIONS?
2. DO YOU THINK SUFFERING PROMOTES FAITH?
3. WHAT IS THE CHRISTIAN'S RESPONSIBILITY TO THE SUFFERINGS OF OTHERS?
4. Is THE CHURCH YOU SERVE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN ANY PROGRAMS OR EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE SUFFERING?
SCRIPTURES FOR CONSIDERATION AND DISCUSSION:
MARK 3:1-5
MARK 8:1-9
MARK 10:17-22
MARK 10:42-45
