Rich And Poor Alike?
Stories
Scenes of Glory
Subplots of God's Long Story
Lalia nagged Corin for weeks, "Come to church with me Sunday night. It's wonderful." Corin wasn't against religion. She'd just been busy for her first three years of college. She'd get around to it. But this week, Lalia found the crack to slip the wedge in, "I know you don't have much going this Monday. My Volkswagen's fixed. So how about if we go to church Sunday night?"
"Okay," Corin said, without thinking about what she was agreeing to.
Lalia smiled broadly. Corin gave a half smile. "You'll love it," Lalia said. "I know you will."
Corin had the ability to think place by place and subject by subject without blurring the edges. When she studied biology, nothing else entered her mind. When she scrubbed tables at the student union, she never thought of schoolwork. Consequently, although she agreed to worship and hadn't forgotten it, on Sunday evening she was surprised when Lalia lifted her attention from her chemistry book saying, "Time for worship."
As they approached in Lalia's car, the church surprised her more. She heard it was large, but she simply multiplied her parents' church times four. However, Pastor Harvey's Worship Center was as big as a warehouse with a campus that seemed as large as her college.
On the shuttle bus from the distant parking lot Lalia perceived Corin's apprehension. She said, "You'll love Pastor Harvey."
After they navigated through the entry with its coffee kiosk, bookstore, and T-shirt shop, they stepped into the sanctuary. Corin gasped so loudly that a teenage boy near turned to her and chuckled. The auditorium could have held a basketball stadium. Opposite her she saw four students from her college wearing their colors of black and orange. They were so far away that, as they shuffled through the plush, green seats, they looked like a caterpillar on a leaf.
An orchestra played. Projected images illumined three colossal screens. Ushers circulated, offering brochures about Pastor Harvey's DVDs and advertising the congregation's seminars. In the middle of the stage, a man with carefully groomed blond hair stepped up to lead the singing group of a dozen young and handsome men and women who glided down from the choir. Corin calculated that the choir was as large as her parents' congregation.
The lights slowly dimmed on the congregation. The worship minister welcomed all and began to lead them in songs that seemed to Corin like those at their college pep rallies. Only this was better. The sound seemed to enter Corin from every direction. Thirteen thousand, maybe 14,000 people singing praise to God. It continued for 45 minutes. She was swept away by it, feeling herself moved, uplifted, shaken. In the pause after the last song she tried to compare it with anything she'd before experienced. She couldn't. No category she could name would fit this worship. It was the greatest thing she ever experienced -- until Pastor Harvey preached.
After worship, as Corin walked out through the happy crowd, Lalia looked at her with an upturned twist of her head that meant: Well, what do you think now? Corin said, "We don't have to take the shuttle to the car. I'll just float there." Lalia hugged her and their giggling in the shuttle didn't bother anyone. Everyone was happy.
All the next day, no matter what Corin concentrated on -- chemistry lab, anatomy, or even during psychology class -- Sunday night's worship seeped into her consciousness. She heard Pastor Harvey's repeating, "You're a child of God. God wants the best for you. Pray for the best." When she remembered his long prayer, she thought of the debts she was accruing in college. She never considered that because she was God's child she should pray for a high paying job with good benefits -- as well as a nice house and new car.
During the week, she and Lalia talked often about the worship center. There was no question whether they'd attend next Sunday -- until Thursday evening. Their phone rang. Lalia got it and mostly listened for two minutes, answering, "Yes ... Sure I will ... I can be there tomorrow night by eleven." It was her brother, asking her to watch his two children for the weekend as his wife recovered from surgery.
Corin was now without transportation to worship. For the first time in her life, she was eager to get to worship. She asked a few people who had cars, but found no one going to worship, at least not to the worship center.
In chemistry class on Friday afternoon, she asked her lab partner, Kenny. He said, "I've got a car, but why don't you come to my church on Sunday." This was her last chance and it would be impolite to insist on his worshiping where she wanted. She said, "Okay."
Sunday morning, 11 a.m. The songs were older, slower hymns. Worship wasn't necessarily joyful. Quiet, reverent, yes, but not moving. The pastor was a middle-aged woman, prematurely gray: Lena Jurry. The text for the sixth Sunday of Epiphany was Jesus' teaching in Luke 6:17-26.
The pastor encouraged worshipers to bring staples for the food bank every Sunday. She urged them to join in building a Habitat for Humanity house. She directed them to sign a petition to the state legislature to raise the minimum wage. Especially, Pastor Jurry emphasized Jesus' saying, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God," and "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation."
Corin was courteous to Kenny after worship but declined his offer of lunch. She needed to think and she needed to think hard; because in her mind the two churches weren't coming together. She couldn't find enough similarities to fit them into one group. Were they even the same religion?
Discussion Questions
1. What immediate responses do you have to the story?
2. Do you identify with a character in the story? If yes, how and why do you identify with the person? If no, why don't you identify with anyone in the story?
3. Would you like to have a conversation with a character in the story? What would you say, ask, or suggest to the person? Why?
4. How does the story bring the biblical text into a clearer focus for you?
5. How would you improve or modify the story? Why?
6. Of the two kinds of worship Corin experienced, which is closer to the worship you are used to or that you are drawn to?
7. How would you prepare someone to come to worship for the first time in your home church?
8. If you were to design the perfect worship service, what would it be? Why? How would it honor the full biblical revelation and not just a narrow selection from Jesus' ministry?
9. What further depths of meaning, symbols, connections with, or applications of the biblical faith do you find in the story?
10. Since Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and is alive among us through his Holy Spirit, what of this story would you like Christ to activate in your life?
"Okay," Corin said, without thinking about what she was agreeing to.
Lalia smiled broadly. Corin gave a half smile. "You'll love it," Lalia said. "I know you will."
Corin had the ability to think place by place and subject by subject without blurring the edges. When she studied biology, nothing else entered her mind. When she scrubbed tables at the student union, she never thought of schoolwork. Consequently, although she agreed to worship and hadn't forgotten it, on Sunday evening she was surprised when Lalia lifted her attention from her chemistry book saying, "Time for worship."
As they approached in Lalia's car, the church surprised her more. She heard it was large, but she simply multiplied her parents' church times four. However, Pastor Harvey's Worship Center was as big as a warehouse with a campus that seemed as large as her college.
On the shuttle bus from the distant parking lot Lalia perceived Corin's apprehension. She said, "You'll love Pastor Harvey."
After they navigated through the entry with its coffee kiosk, bookstore, and T-shirt shop, they stepped into the sanctuary. Corin gasped so loudly that a teenage boy near turned to her and chuckled. The auditorium could have held a basketball stadium. Opposite her she saw four students from her college wearing their colors of black and orange. They were so far away that, as they shuffled through the plush, green seats, they looked like a caterpillar on a leaf.
An orchestra played. Projected images illumined three colossal screens. Ushers circulated, offering brochures about Pastor Harvey's DVDs and advertising the congregation's seminars. In the middle of the stage, a man with carefully groomed blond hair stepped up to lead the singing group of a dozen young and handsome men and women who glided down from the choir. Corin calculated that the choir was as large as her parents' congregation.
The lights slowly dimmed on the congregation. The worship minister welcomed all and began to lead them in songs that seemed to Corin like those at their college pep rallies. Only this was better. The sound seemed to enter Corin from every direction. Thirteen thousand, maybe 14,000 people singing praise to God. It continued for 45 minutes. She was swept away by it, feeling herself moved, uplifted, shaken. In the pause after the last song she tried to compare it with anything she'd before experienced. She couldn't. No category she could name would fit this worship. It was the greatest thing she ever experienced -- until Pastor Harvey preached.
After worship, as Corin walked out through the happy crowd, Lalia looked at her with an upturned twist of her head that meant: Well, what do you think now? Corin said, "We don't have to take the shuttle to the car. I'll just float there." Lalia hugged her and their giggling in the shuttle didn't bother anyone. Everyone was happy.
All the next day, no matter what Corin concentrated on -- chemistry lab, anatomy, or even during psychology class -- Sunday night's worship seeped into her consciousness. She heard Pastor Harvey's repeating, "You're a child of God. God wants the best for you. Pray for the best." When she remembered his long prayer, she thought of the debts she was accruing in college. She never considered that because she was God's child she should pray for a high paying job with good benefits -- as well as a nice house and new car.
During the week, she and Lalia talked often about the worship center. There was no question whether they'd attend next Sunday -- until Thursday evening. Their phone rang. Lalia got it and mostly listened for two minutes, answering, "Yes ... Sure I will ... I can be there tomorrow night by eleven." It was her brother, asking her to watch his two children for the weekend as his wife recovered from surgery.
Corin was now without transportation to worship. For the first time in her life, she was eager to get to worship. She asked a few people who had cars, but found no one going to worship, at least not to the worship center.
In chemistry class on Friday afternoon, she asked her lab partner, Kenny. He said, "I've got a car, but why don't you come to my church on Sunday." This was her last chance and it would be impolite to insist on his worshiping where she wanted. She said, "Okay."
Sunday morning, 11 a.m. The songs were older, slower hymns. Worship wasn't necessarily joyful. Quiet, reverent, yes, but not moving. The pastor was a middle-aged woman, prematurely gray: Lena Jurry. The text for the sixth Sunday of Epiphany was Jesus' teaching in Luke 6:17-26.
The pastor encouraged worshipers to bring staples for the food bank every Sunday. She urged them to join in building a Habitat for Humanity house. She directed them to sign a petition to the state legislature to raise the minimum wage. Especially, Pastor Jurry emphasized Jesus' saying, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God," and "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation."
Corin was courteous to Kenny after worship but declined his offer of lunch. She needed to think and she needed to think hard; because in her mind the two churches weren't coming together. She couldn't find enough similarities to fit them into one group. Were they even the same religion?
Discussion Questions
1. What immediate responses do you have to the story?
2. Do you identify with a character in the story? If yes, how and why do you identify with the person? If no, why don't you identify with anyone in the story?
3. Would you like to have a conversation with a character in the story? What would you say, ask, or suggest to the person? Why?
4. How does the story bring the biblical text into a clearer focus for you?
5. How would you improve or modify the story? Why?
6. Of the two kinds of worship Corin experienced, which is closer to the worship you are used to or that you are drawn to?
7. How would you prepare someone to come to worship for the first time in your home church?
8. If you were to design the perfect worship service, what would it be? Why? How would it honor the full biblical revelation and not just a narrow selection from Jesus' ministry?
9. What further depths of meaning, symbols, connections with, or applications of the biblical faith do you find in the story?
10. Since Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and is alive among us through his Holy Spirit, what of this story would you like Christ to activate in your life?
