Putting On The Purpole
Stories
Contents
“Putting On The Purpole” by Frank Ramirez
“Living Faith” by Peter Andrew Smith
Putting On The Purpole
by Frank Ramirez
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all. -- Proverbs 22:2
When the Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence it said, among other things, that the truth that we are all created equal is “self-evident.” That is to say, it doesn’t need to be proved. It’s simply true.
Never mind that at the time that document was signed in July of 1776 the equality of everyone, male and female, rich and poor, slave and free, was anything but self-evident. The important thing, though, was that the ideal was clearly expressed and we have these past two hundred and forty plus years been working towards making that a reality.
A couple centuries earlier, in England, the inequality of all people was considered self-evident. It was generally believed that the differences between those who were rich and those who were poor was more than a matter of money. There was a belief that those they termed the “nobility” were actually better human beings than those who were “commoners.” Especially by those who considered themselves noble.
There were ways to make this come true. Those who were poorer were restricted in the professions they could undertake. They were restricted when it came to social and economic advancement.
And they could only wear a certain style of clothing.
Clothing was one of the key indicators of status. The nobility could wear certain colors, or certain clothes. Tradesmen were restricted to clothing that matched their trade, or lack of it. It was strictly illegal to wear the clothing of a person of another station.
Unless you were an actor. Because actors changed identities every day according to the play they were performing they gave the lie to the idea that there were distinct classes of human beings.
Actors, or players as they were called then, occupied a precarious position in English society during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. If they did not belong to a company sponsored by a member of the nobility they were considered vagabonds and could be arrested.
But if they did belong to such a company they broke the boundaries of society that separated rich and poor in very dangerous ways. The theater of that time was a vigorous operation. Actors rehearsed in the morning and performed a play in the afternoon. And if an actor played a beggar one day dressed in rags, a grocer the next day dressed like an ordinary Londoner, a soldier the day after the that in armor with a sword, and finally, dressed in robes like a King, wearing a crown -- how could you really say there were intrinsic differences between people?
The stage settings were very simple in Shakespeare’s day. The acting companies poured their money into authentic costumes, especially when playing nobility. Sometimes their royal patron would give them used clothing, but other times the actors spent a lot of cash in order for those playing the nobility could look authentic.
What this demonstrated was anyone who was able to imitate an accent and wear the proper clothing could pass for someone of noble blood. Perhaps there was nothing to this idea of nobility. This was not a comfortable thought to those who considered themselves better than most of their fellow humans.
Someone like William Shakespeare, who came from modest beginnings, and whose father had been forced to resign his positions in the governance of the provincial town of Stratford because of debts, became a shareholder in a theater. As such he shared in the profits of the company, and because he chose to live simply (and also thanks to his wife Anne’s industry) he was able to use his earnings to become a major landowner in his home town.
While in his sonnets he bemoaned his lowly state as an actor compared to those who considered themselves his betters, he eventually ammased enough of an estate that he was able to purchase a coat of arms and the title of Gentlemen. Not all approved. The motto on his coat of arms was “Non Sans Droict” which meant “Not Without Merit,” meaning he deserved to be recognized as a gentleman. His fellow actor and playwright Ben Jonson satirized Shakespeare’s coat of arms, claiming its motto was “Not Without Mustard.”
But in time actors began to rise in the esteem of others, becoming celebrities in their own right, and demonstrating, in a gently seditious way, there was nothing to this idea of blue blood. It was more like what the author of Proverbs meant when he wrote “The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all.”
* * *
Living Faith
by Peter Andrew Smith
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17
“Over here John!” Bill called out across the busy coffee shop.
John waved and headed over to his friend. “Hey, Bill how are things?”
“Great, did you get away like you were thinking?”
“Maggie and I had a full week at the cottage without the kids.” John sat down. “It was like a second honeymoon.”
“I’m jealous. Karen and I got a couple of days alone when the boys were at summer camp but other than that the summer was a real family holiday.” Bill smiled. “I am happy that everyone is back to school.”
“Me, too.” John sipped at his coffee. “Do you folks go anywhere interesting?”
“We visited my mother for a week and went to her big city church.”
“How was it?”
“Big. The music was great and the pastor preached well but I kind of missed our little church where I know everyone.” Bill sat his coffee cup down. “While we were there the whole family volunteered to help out at their hot meal program. I think we served about a hundred meals on the hottest day of the year and quite honestly it was amazing.”
“Amazing?”
“Absolutely. There’s nothing like putting your faith to work. You know what James said ‘a faith with works is alive.’”
“I think he said ‘a faith without works is dead.’”
“Is there a difference?” Bill sipped at his coffee. “You know the best thing though?”
“What?”
“The kids haven’t stopped talking about it.”
“Huh.” John rubbed his chin. “What impressed them about it?”
“They keep saying that by feeding hungry people they felt they were really following Christ.” Bill looked his friend in his eye. “They asked me why we don’t do something like that at our church.”
“Your mother’s church is downtown, isn’t it?” John shrugged. “There are lots of people who need food there. Around here though I can’t see much need.”
“I suppose.”
“Although...” John paused. “We really don’t do much beyond worship on Sundays do we?”
“I guess not but like you said what else can we do in a small town like this?” Bill picked up his coffee again. “How’s Carl doing?”
“I try to go over on a regular basis and check in on him but he’s really struggling since Martha died.” John sighed. “I worry that he isn’t eating right and with him on medications...”
“That’s too bad,” Bill said. “Karen was telling me that she sees seniors like him every week at the clinic. She thinks most of the time they call or drop by just to have someone to talk with during the day. She wishes she had more time to spend with them but it’s a busy place and she has work to do.”
“Hmm...” John stared off into space for a moment and then cleared his throat.“How do they staff the meal at your mother’s church?”
“At her church they have teams of volunteers and rotate each week so you get a different meal and different people doing the work. I think she told me it works out to them doing it once a month.”
“How many volunteers do you think it would take to prepare a meal for say twenty people?”
“A half dozen would make it easy although honestly we could probably do it with three or four.” Bill narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
“Do you think that Pastor Jerry would be open to hosting a meal at our church?”
“Like you said I don’t think there would be much need for it. We don’t have street people in our community.”
“That’s true but what we do have is lots of seniors. If we had a meal and a chance for them to get together and visit do you think that would go over?”
Bill thought for a moment and then smiled. “I think we’re going to be surprised at how many hungry people there are in our community.”
“Hungry? I thought we agreed most people around here have enough to eat.”
“Sure but didn’t you also tell me that Carl isn’t really eating?”
John sat back. “You know you might be right.”
“Even if I’m not, the truth is that there’s spiritual and emotional hunger as well. Giving people a chance to gather in a space like the church, surrounded by people who care, is going to send a powerful message to the community about the love of Christ.”
“It will.” John paused. “I also hope this effort will make our faith come alive in a way that it never has before.”
“Amen,” Bill said. “Amen.”
*****************************************
StoryShare, September 9, 2018, issue.
Copyright 2018 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.
“Putting On The Purpole” by Frank Ramirez
“Living Faith” by Peter Andrew Smith
Putting On The Purpole
by Frank Ramirez
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all. -- Proverbs 22:2
When the Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence it said, among other things, that the truth that we are all created equal is “self-evident.” That is to say, it doesn’t need to be proved. It’s simply true.
Never mind that at the time that document was signed in July of 1776 the equality of everyone, male and female, rich and poor, slave and free, was anything but self-evident. The important thing, though, was that the ideal was clearly expressed and we have these past two hundred and forty plus years been working towards making that a reality.
A couple centuries earlier, in England, the inequality of all people was considered self-evident. It was generally believed that the differences between those who were rich and those who were poor was more than a matter of money. There was a belief that those they termed the “nobility” were actually better human beings than those who were “commoners.” Especially by those who considered themselves noble.
There were ways to make this come true. Those who were poorer were restricted in the professions they could undertake. They were restricted when it came to social and economic advancement.
And they could only wear a certain style of clothing.
Clothing was one of the key indicators of status. The nobility could wear certain colors, or certain clothes. Tradesmen were restricted to clothing that matched their trade, or lack of it. It was strictly illegal to wear the clothing of a person of another station.
Unless you were an actor. Because actors changed identities every day according to the play they were performing they gave the lie to the idea that there were distinct classes of human beings.
Actors, or players as they were called then, occupied a precarious position in English society during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. If they did not belong to a company sponsored by a member of the nobility they were considered vagabonds and could be arrested.
But if they did belong to such a company they broke the boundaries of society that separated rich and poor in very dangerous ways. The theater of that time was a vigorous operation. Actors rehearsed in the morning and performed a play in the afternoon. And if an actor played a beggar one day dressed in rags, a grocer the next day dressed like an ordinary Londoner, a soldier the day after the that in armor with a sword, and finally, dressed in robes like a King, wearing a crown -- how could you really say there were intrinsic differences between people?
The stage settings were very simple in Shakespeare’s day. The acting companies poured their money into authentic costumes, especially when playing nobility. Sometimes their royal patron would give them used clothing, but other times the actors spent a lot of cash in order for those playing the nobility could look authentic.
What this demonstrated was anyone who was able to imitate an accent and wear the proper clothing could pass for someone of noble blood. Perhaps there was nothing to this idea of nobility. This was not a comfortable thought to those who considered themselves better than most of their fellow humans.
Someone like William Shakespeare, who came from modest beginnings, and whose father had been forced to resign his positions in the governance of the provincial town of Stratford because of debts, became a shareholder in a theater. As such he shared in the profits of the company, and because he chose to live simply (and also thanks to his wife Anne’s industry) he was able to use his earnings to become a major landowner in his home town.
While in his sonnets he bemoaned his lowly state as an actor compared to those who considered themselves his betters, he eventually ammased enough of an estate that he was able to purchase a coat of arms and the title of Gentlemen. Not all approved. The motto on his coat of arms was “Non Sans Droict” which meant “Not Without Merit,” meaning he deserved to be recognized as a gentleman. His fellow actor and playwright Ben Jonson satirized Shakespeare’s coat of arms, claiming its motto was “Not Without Mustard.”
But in time actors began to rise in the esteem of others, becoming celebrities in their own right, and demonstrating, in a gently seditious way, there was nothing to this idea of blue blood. It was more like what the author of Proverbs meant when he wrote “The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all.”
* * *
Living Faith
by Peter Andrew Smith
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17
“Over here John!” Bill called out across the busy coffee shop.
John waved and headed over to his friend. “Hey, Bill how are things?”
“Great, did you get away like you were thinking?”
“Maggie and I had a full week at the cottage without the kids.” John sat down. “It was like a second honeymoon.”
“I’m jealous. Karen and I got a couple of days alone when the boys were at summer camp but other than that the summer was a real family holiday.” Bill smiled. “I am happy that everyone is back to school.”
“Me, too.” John sipped at his coffee. “Do you folks go anywhere interesting?”
“We visited my mother for a week and went to her big city church.”
“How was it?”
“Big. The music was great and the pastor preached well but I kind of missed our little church where I know everyone.” Bill sat his coffee cup down. “While we were there the whole family volunteered to help out at their hot meal program. I think we served about a hundred meals on the hottest day of the year and quite honestly it was amazing.”
“Amazing?”
“Absolutely. There’s nothing like putting your faith to work. You know what James said ‘a faith with works is alive.’”
“I think he said ‘a faith without works is dead.’”
“Is there a difference?” Bill sipped at his coffee. “You know the best thing though?”
“What?”
“The kids haven’t stopped talking about it.”
“Huh.” John rubbed his chin. “What impressed them about it?”
“They keep saying that by feeding hungry people they felt they were really following Christ.” Bill looked his friend in his eye. “They asked me why we don’t do something like that at our church.”
“Your mother’s church is downtown, isn’t it?” John shrugged. “There are lots of people who need food there. Around here though I can’t see much need.”
“I suppose.”
“Although...” John paused. “We really don’t do much beyond worship on Sundays do we?”
“I guess not but like you said what else can we do in a small town like this?” Bill picked up his coffee again. “How’s Carl doing?”
“I try to go over on a regular basis and check in on him but he’s really struggling since Martha died.” John sighed. “I worry that he isn’t eating right and with him on medications...”
“That’s too bad,” Bill said. “Karen was telling me that she sees seniors like him every week at the clinic. She thinks most of the time they call or drop by just to have someone to talk with during the day. She wishes she had more time to spend with them but it’s a busy place and she has work to do.”
“Hmm...” John stared off into space for a moment and then cleared his throat.“How do they staff the meal at your mother’s church?”
“At her church they have teams of volunteers and rotate each week so you get a different meal and different people doing the work. I think she told me it works out to them doing it once a month.”
“How many volunteers do you think it would take to prepare a meal for say twenty people?”
“A half dozen would make it easy although honestly we could probably do it with three or four.” Bill narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
“Do you think that Pastor Jerry would be open to hosting a meal at our church?”
“Like you said I don’t think there would be much need for it. We don’t have street people in our community.”
“That’s true but what we do have is lots of seniors. If we had a meal and a chance for them to get together and visit do you think that would go over?”
Bill thought for a moment and then smiled. “I think we’re going to be surprised at how many hungry people there are in our community.”
“Hungry? I thought we agreed most people around here have enough to eat.”
“Sure but didn’t you also tell me that Carl isn’t really eating?”
John sat back. “You know you might be right.”
“Even if I’m not, the truth is that there’s spiritual and emotional hunger as well. Giving people a chance to gather in a space like the church, surrounded by people who care, is going to send a powerful message to the community about the love of Christ.”
“It will.” John paused. “I also hope this effort will make our faith come alive in a way that it never has before.”
“Amen,” Bill said. “Amen.”
*****************************************
StoryShare, September 9, 2018, issue.
Copyright 2018 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.
