Guided On The Path
Stories
Object:
Contents
What's Up This Week
"Guided on the Path" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Finding the Trinity Through Faith" by Larry Winebrenner
What's Up This Week
Everyone knows what the trinity is -- until they try to explain it to someone. Even the bishop had trouble with the concept until a young monk portrayed it with a simple blanket. Still, your safest bet is to claim it is a mystery best accepted through faith.
* * * * * * * * *
Guided on the Path
Peter Andrew Smith
John 16:12-15
His grandmother was waiting for him as soon as the ordination service finished.
"John, you've come so far," she said with tears in her eyes. "I am so proud of you."
"Thanks, Gran." John shook his head. "I can't believe it's real."
"Oh, it is." She straightened his preaching stole. "I always knew that you were going to be a pastor."
"You did?"
"Certainly, I knew since you were a little boy and came to live with us."
"I wish you had said something to me," John said. "It might have made my journey here easier."
"But I did tell you on numerous occasions," she replied.
John tilted his head to one side. "I don't ever remember you saying to me that I would be a pastor."
"After the accident when you came to live with us, the first thing I told you was that God was going to help us get through the terrible loss of your parents."
"I remember that. I didn't know what it meant because I'd never really been to church before I came to live with you and Gramps." John smiled. "It's hard to believe that there was a time when I'd never been to church."
"Especially now," his grandmother said. "When you started preaching this morning it was like you had always been a preacher. That's what I saw that first year when you helped your sister come to grips with what happened."
"I didn't think I helped that much."
"Oh, you did. You were caring and supportive and you loved her as much as you could." His grandmother tapped his chest. "That's when I knew God wanted you as a pastor."
"If you knew why didn't you tell me?"
"When you were a little boy who didn't know anything about being in church?" his grandmother asked. "You wouldn't have understood what I meant."
"So you didn't actually tell me."
"No, I did. I took you to church so you could come to know God and see what a pastor did," she said. "Remember Pastor Stevens?"
"I sure do," John said. "I still remember his voice filling the church. He sure could preach."
"That he could. He was the one who encouraged you to get involved in the youth group, wasn't he?"
"Yes, he did. It was a hard year keeping that group together after he left and before Pastor LeDrew came."
"You wanted to quit more than once. Remember what I told you?"
"That good things take work and God's things take persistence," John replied. "I remembered those words through high school chemistry and when I went to join the church."
"We were so proud when you stood up front and gave your life to Christ."
"I was never so scared," John said, "to see all of those people looking at me and not wanting to disappoint them or you."
His grandmother laughed. "I thought you were going to fling the pages of the Bible loose you were shaking so badly."
"I had never spoken in front of a group before. I was terrified."
"And you got through it okay." His grandmother patted his hand. "The next time you read you weren't quite as nervous."
"I don't remember the second time I read in church."
"Christmas Eve when you couldn't find the reading from Luke and kept flipping through the Bible," she said. "You claimed after that you would never read in church again."
"I did?"
"Uh-huh. That was until Pastor LeDrew took you aside and told you the story about the time he announced a responsive psalm and then read a different one his first Sunday in a new church."
"I remember him telling me that." John laughed. "But I read in church a lot before I went to college."
"You certainly did because I wouldn't let you give up sharing that clear strong voice you have."
John narrowed his eyes. "That's how you told me I was going to be a pastor… by encouraging me to be a leader in the church."
"Telling a boy that was terrified to read in front of people that he was going to be a pastor would have been overwhelming. I pointed you in the direction I knew God was calling you and let you find the way," she said.
"The Holy Spirit was working through you."
"Me?" his grandmother said. "There was nothing holy or special about what I did. I just kept encouraging you. You're the one God is working through. You're the pastor."
"You really believe that God is working through me?" John asked.
"Of course I do and so does the church," she pointed at his robes. "You've been ordained."
"Then why don't you believe me?"
"Believe you?"
"Yes. Why don't you believe me when I say that the Holy Spirit was working in your life when you raised me?"
"But I didn't do anything special," his grandmother said.
"You took me in and helped me to know God. You guided me past my fears so I could answer my calling," John said. "I think that is special."
His grandmother waved her hand. "Lots of folks raise their children and grandchildren right."
"Does that make it any less special? I remember 'There are lots of people who follow Jesus but all of them are important in God's kingdom' being taught to me when I was a boy." John winked.
"John, you know it's not fair to use my own words to argue with me."
"They were good words for me to hear," John said. "Why aren't they good for you to hear?"
His grandmother paused. "Do you really think God used me to help make you a pastor?"
"Yes," John said. "I know it. The same as you knew I would grow up to be a pastor in the church."
His grandmother stood there and stared at him for a moment. John wrapped his arms around her. "God bless you for your faithfulness, Gran. God bless you."
Finding the Trinity Through Faith
Larry Winebrenner
Romans 5:1-5
The level of many people's understanding of the Trinity, including mine, is not far beyond that of a group of children conducting a cat's funeral. After carefully placing the dead cat in a homemade cardboard coffin, four serious little pall bearers took the animal to a hole they had dug. The little 5-year-old "preacher" solemnly listed the cat's admirable qualities of rat catching, lying quietly in their laps, and playing with the string they dangled in front of him. Then he equally as somberly pronounced, "In the name of the Father and of the Son and in the hole he goes."
That may be even beyond my understanding, for the concept, simple as it is, is a mystery. How can the Divine Being exist as one person, yet be three persons? Some say, "No problemo. A man can be a father to children. The same man could also be considered the protector, provider, and unifying spirit for the family. And, of course, he is the son of his parents. One person, three identities."
But theologians who study these things say that is not the character of the Trinity. In fact they have a term, which I've forgotten, for this concept identified as a heresy.
Some years ago there was a religious movie about a somewhat backward monk who wanted to become a priest. In this film he had difficulty because, like me just now, he couldn't remember theological terminology necessary to pass a theological examination. He also had problems remembering scripture passages.
He was well liked in the monastery. He happily worked at any task set before him. He was very devout in his prayer life. He loved the sheep he tended as if they were his own children. Everyone pitied him because he so desperately wanted to be ordained as a priest but simply was not intellectually equipped for that honor.
As the day approached for the test, the monastery heard that the bishop was visiting the monasteries in their parish. The bishop was contacted and asked if he would visit their monastery at the time of the examination and assist unit. He agreed.
Now the bishop had been a shepherd before entering the priesthood and being appointed bishop. While visiting the monastery, he went out to the sheep pens to see the sheep. Our struggling monk was there and they began swapping stories about sheep.
It was revealed that this was the very monk that was to be tested. The bishop tried to be encouraging.
"Some of the Bible I know well," said the monk to the bishop. "But when I get over into Leviticus and all those laws, I get them all mixed up. I love the parts of the Bible about the sheep. Jesus loved the sheep. He told this story about a lost sheep." Then he recited the parable of the lost sheep.
"I understand," said the bishop. "I always had a problem understanding the Trinity."
"Oh, that's no problem," replied the monk, picking up a blanket. "It's three in one. Look."
He folded the blanket into thirds.
"One, two, three," he counted the folds. Then he spread the blanket and held it before the bishop. "But only one whole."
The bishop looked thoughtfully at the blanket. "I never thought of it like that," he murmured.
The next day the examination was held. All the monks in the seminary were seated in the chapel. Two of the leaders sat with the bishop. Questions on duties and prayers were satisfactorily answered. Then he was asked his favorite Old Testament passage. He recited the Twenty-Third Psalm. When one of the Fathers started to ask another Bible question, the bishop who had been more of an observer than examiner, said, "Do you know the parable of the lost sheep?"
The monk breathlessly recited the passage.
"The young man seems to know his Bible," said the bishop, ending that part of the examination.
"And now for the final section on theology," intoned the other father.
"Oh, I quizzed him on that last night," said the bishop. "He has an excellent understanding of theology. Even a better understanding of some concepts than I have."
The two fathers were shocked, but they dare not contradict the bishop. So the young monk was ordained priest.
But, if you asked theologians, they would tell you the monk's explanation was a screenwriter's invention, not a true explanation at all. After all, the Trinity is a mystery that simply must be accepted on faith.
**************
StoryShare, May 30, 2010, issue.
Copyright 2010 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
What's Up This Week
"Guided on the Path" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Finding the Trinity Through Faith" by Larry Winebrenner
What's Up This Week
Everyone knows what the trinity is -- until they try to explain it to someone. Even the bishop had trouble with the concept until a young monk portrayed it with a simple blanket. Still, your safest bet is to claim it is a mystery best accepted through faith.
* * * * * * * * *
Guided on the Path
Peter Andrew Smith
John 16:12-15
His grandmother was waiting for him as soon as the ordination service finished.
"John, you've come so far," she said with tears in her eyes. "I am so proud of you."
"Thanks, Gran." John shook his head. "I can't believe it's real."
"Oh, it is." She straightened his preaching stole. "I always knew that you were going to be a pastor."
"You did?"
"Certainly, I knew since you were a little boy and came to live with us."
"I wish you had said something to me," John said. "It might have made my journey here easier."
"But I did tell you on numerous occasions," she replied.
John tilted his head to one side. "I don't ever remember you saying to me that I would be a pastor."
"After the accident when you came to live with us, the first thing I told you was that God was going to help us get through the terrible loss of your parents."
"I remember that. I didn't know what it meant because I'd never really been to church before I came to live with you and Gramps." John smiled. "It's hard to believe that there was a time when I'd never been to church."
"Especially now," his grandmother said. "When you started preaching this morning it was like you had always been a preacher. That's what I saw that first year when you helped your sister come to grips with what happened."
"I didn't think I helped that much."
"Oh, you did. You were caring and supportive and you loved her as much as you could." His grandmother tapped his chest. "That's when I knew God wanted you as a pastor."
"If you knew why didn't you tell me?"
"When you were a little boy who didn't know anything about being in church?" his grandmother asked. "You wouldn't have understood what I meant."
"So you didn't actually tell me."
"No, I did. I took you to church so you could come to know God and see what a pastor did," she said. "Remember Pastor Stevens?"
"I sure do," John said. "I still remember his voice filling the church. He sure could preach."
"That he could. He was the one who encouraged you to get involved in the youth group, wasn't he?"
"Yes, he did. It was a hard year keeping that group together after he left and before Pastor LeDrew came."
"You wanted to quit more than once. Remember what I told you?"
"That good things take work and God's things take persistence," John replied. "I remembered those words through high school chemistry and when I went to join the church."
"We were so proud when you stood up front and gave your life to Christ."
"I was never so scared," John said, "to see all of those people looking at me and not wanting to disappoint them or you."
His grandmother laughed. "I thought you were going to fling the pages of the Bible loose you were shaking so badly."
"I had never spoken in front of a group before. I was terrified."
"And you got through it okay." His grandmother patted his hand. "The next time you read you weren't quite as nervous."
"I don't remember the second time I read in church."
"Christmas Eve when you couldn't find the reading from Luke and kept flipping through the Bible," she said. "You claimed after that you would never read in church again."
"I did?"
"Uh-huh. That was until Pastor LeDrew took you aside and told you the story about the time he announced a responsive psalm and then read a different one his first Sunday in a new church."
"I remember him telling me that." John laughed. "But I read in church a lot before I went to college."
"You certainly did because I wouldn't let you give up sharing that clear strong voice you have."
John narrowed his eyes. "That's how you told me I was going to be a pastor… by encouraging me to be a leader in the church."
"Telling a boy that was terrified to read in front of people that he was going to be a pastor would have been overwhelming. I pointed you in the direction I knew God was calling you and let you find the way," she said.
"The Holy Spirit was working through you."
"Me?" his grandmother said. "There was nothing holy or special about what I did. I just kept encouraging you. You're the one God is working through. You're the pastor."
"You really believe that God is working through me?" John asked.
"Of course I do and so does the church," she pointed at his robes. "You've been ordained."
"Then why don't you believe me?"
"Believe you?"
"Yes. Why don't you believe me when I say that the Holy Spirit was working in your life when you raised me?"
"But I didn't do anything special," his grandmother said.
"You took me in and helped me to know God. You guided me past my fears so I could answer my calling," John said. "I think that is special."
His grandmother waved her hand. "Lots of folks raise their children and grandchildren right."
"Does that make it any less special? I remember 'There are lots of people who follow Jesus but all of them are important in God's kingdom' being taught to me when I was a boy." John winked.
"John, you know it's not fair to use my own words to argue with me."
"They were good words for me to hear," John said. "Why aren't they good for you to hear?"
His grandmother paused. "Do you really think God used me to help make you a pastor?"
"Yes," John said. "I know it. The same as you knew I would grow up to be a pastor in the church."
His grandmother stood there and stared at him for a moment. John wrapped his arms around her. "God bless you for your faithfulness, Gran. God bless you."
Finding the Trinity Through Faith
Larry Winebrenner
Romans 5:1-5
The level of many people's understanding of the Trinity, including mine, is not far beyond that of a group of children conducting a cat's funeral. After carefully placing the dead cat in a homemade cardboard coffin, four serious little pall bearers took the animal to a hole they had dug. The little 5-year-old "preacher" solemnly listed the cat's admirable qualities of rat catching, lying quietly in their laps, and playing with the string they dangled in front of him. Then he equally as somberly pronounced, "In the name of the Father and of the Son and in the hole he goes."
That may be even beyond my understanding, for the concept, simple as it is, is a mystery. How can the Divine Being exist as one person, yet be three persons? Some say, "No problemo. A man can be a father to children. The same man could also be considered the protector, provider, and unifying spirit for the family. And, of course, he is the son of his parents. One person, three identities."
But theologians who study these things say that is not the character of the Trinity. In fact they have a term, which I've forgotten, for this concept identified as a heresy.
Some years ago there was a religious movie about a somewhat backward monk who wanted to become a priest. In this film he had difficulty because, like me just now, he couldn't remember theological terminology necessary to pass a theological examination. He also had problems remembering scripture passages.
He was well liked in the monastery. He happily worked at any task set before him. He was very devout in his prayer life. He loved the sheep he tended as if they were his own children. Everyone pitied him because he so desperately wanted to be ordained as a priest but simply was not intellectually equipped for that honor.
As the day approached for the test, the monastery heard that the bishop was visiting the monasteries in their parish. The bishop was contacted and asked if he would visit their monastery at the time of the examination and assist unit. He agreed.
Now the bishop had been a shepherd before entering the priesthood and being appointed bishop. While visiting the monastery, he went out to the sheep pens to see the sheep. Our struggling monk was there and they began swapping stories about sheep.
It was revealed that this was the very monk that was to be tested. The bishop tried to be encouraging.
"Some of the Bible I know well," said the monk to the bishop. "But when I get over into Leviticus and all those laws, I get them all mixed up. I love the parts of the Bible about the sheep. Jesus loved the sheep. He told this story about a lost sheep." Then he recited the parable of the lost sheep.
"I understand," said the bishop. "I always had a problem understanding the Trinity."
"Oh, that's no problem," replied the monk, picking up a blanket. "It's three in one. Look."
He folded the blanket into thirds.
"One, two, three," he counted the folds. Then he spread the blanket and held it before the bishop. "But only one whole."
The bishop looked thoughtfully at the blanket. "I never thought of it like that," he murmured.
The next day the examination was held. All the monks in the seminary were seated in the chapel. Two of the leaders sat with the bishop. Questions on duties and prayers were satisfactorily answered. Then he was asked his favorite Old Testament passage. He recited the Twenty-Third Psalm. When one of the Fathers started to ask another Bible question, the bishop who had been more of an observer than examiner, said, "Do you know the parable of the lost sheep?"
The monk breathlessly recited the passage.
"The young man seems to know his Bible," said the bishop, ending that part of the examination.
"And now for the final section on theology," intoned the other father.
"Oh, I quizzed him on that last night," said the bishop. "He has an excellent understanding of theology. Even a better understanding of some concepts than I have."
The two fathers were shocked, but they dare not contradict the bishop. So the young monk was ordained priest.
But, if you asked theologians, they would tell you the monk's explanation was a screenwriter's invention, not a true explanation at all. After all, the Trinity is a mystery that simply must be accepted on faith.
**************
StoryShare, May 30, 2010, issue.
Copyright 2010 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
