Monday, August 31, 2009
"The Flaming Word"
This is the 3rd in our series of posts on our trip to Pat Pugh's church in Cincinnati. As I said earlier, my part of the VBS was portraying the Apostle (hence my new nick-name at Central with our Teens - "AP") Paul in prison. Each night the kids came up the stairs into our un-airconditioned dungeon, they found me, "Paul," chained by the wrist to my personal Roman Guard, "Flavius Maximus." The other guard who is now down at PBA did not have a name in the skit so I hung the moniker, "Gluteus Maximus" upon him.
Each night the kids came up to my dungeon, the lights were turned out, the windows covered by black construction paper, and our only light were some tea-lights on an old rickety table that Maximus and I used to hide our scripts. Also on this table was a rolled up piece of parchment paper that I would unrolled each night to show the kids a new part of "Romans" that I had written the previous day. As the kids would walk in with their "Family Leader," I would stand up still chained to Maximus, and welcome them to my dungeon.
One night I was a bit too gregarious in my greeting because as I stood, I unknowingly bumped our rickety table which caused the rolled up parchment paper to roll into one of the tea candles. As the "Bible" began to go up in flames, yours truly was oblivious to this "holy fire" as I continued with my welcoming the kids to my dungeon. It wasn't until one of our teens who was one of the family leaders yelled, "The Bible is on fire," that I took noticed of the situation.
Now if I had been on my game I might have said in my best Shakespearean / Paul voice, "The Word is like living flame" but the only thing that could come to my brain was, "Crap, just a minute my friends." As luck would have it there was a sink within "throwing distance" (not to mention within reached of my chained up hand) so I grabbed the burning word and threw it into the sink. Before I could turn the water faucet on the smoke alarm went off but was quickly turned off by one of the teens who grabbed a chair and stood on it.
Oh, the kids while we were in panic mode just sat there, quiet, and unmoving. I guess when you live in the "hood" a little fire just doesn't register on the radar screen. I will never forget that week of being chained to David, hanging out with "Gluteus Maximus," and almost literally bringing the house down as the Apostle Paul.
Each night the kids came up to my dungeon, the lights were turned out, the windows covered by black construction paper, and our only light were some tea-lights on an old rickety table that Maximus and I used to hide our scripts. Also on this table was a rolled up piece of parchment paper that I would unrolled each night to show the kids a new part of "Romans" that I had written the previous day. As the kids would walk in with their "Family Leader," I would stand up still chained to Maximus, and welcome them to my dungeon.
One night I was a bit too gregarious in my greeting because as I stood, I unknowingly bumped our rickety table which caused the rolled up parchment paper to roll into one of the tea candles. As the "Bible" began to go up in flames, yours truly was oblivious to this "holy fire" as I continued with my welcoming the kids to my dungeon. It wasn't until one of our teens who was one of the family leaders yelled, "The Bible is on fire," that I took noticed of the situation.
Now if I had been on my game I might have said in my best Shakespearean / Paul voice, "The Word is like living flame" but the only thing that could come to my brain was, "Crap, just a minute my friends." As luck would have it there was a sink within "throwing distance" (not to mention within reached of my chained up hand) so I grabbed the burning word and threw it into the sink. Before I could turn the water faucet on the smoke alarm went off but was quickly turned off by one of the teens who grabbed a chair and stood on it.
Oh, the kids while we were in panic mode just sat there, quiet, and unmoving. I guess when you live in the "hood" a little fire just doesn't register on the radar screen. I will never forget that week of being chained to David, hanging out with "Gluteus Maximus," and almost literally bringing the house down as the Apostle Paul.
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If you go back next year, they are going to make you get a permit just to have VBS! To be a tad more Biblical, you can insert the Greek word, "skubalon" for the English word "crap" and you will be using Pauline terminology.
that girl - Me too as long as they don't burn down the church. :)
Greg - "Skubalon?" I think I had a student by that name. :)
Judy - I know, well, at least it wasn't midnight and nobody died, I think. :)
Donna - Now that would have been good!! :)
Greg - "Skubalon?" I think I had a student by that name. :)
Judy - I know, well, at least it wasn't midnight and nobody died, I think. :)
Donna - Now that would have been good!! :)
Check Philippians 3:8 in KJV for Greg's reference. In the NIV, they translate the Hebrew word in OT as offal. I can say that telling someone you are going to slap the offal out of them would not be that effective though. I know all of this information excites you beyond imagination!
Your trip stories are gut too!
Peace.
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Your trip stories are gut too!
Peace.
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