Acts 17.16-34-May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know that these things mean.
Judges 7-8-Arise, for the LORD has given the camp of Midian into your hands.
Job 37-God thunders with His voice wondrously, doing great things which we cannot comprehend.
Acts 11.19-26-And for an entire year they met with the church and taught...
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Look to the center of Life in Me and you will see the Love I wish you to have, one for another.
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Last evening I got news of a dear friend of mine who died suddenly. At least it was sudden news to me. A friend that I had drawn close to over years of teaching Sunday School with. We were together for maybe twenty years or so. It's funny how memory fades, clears, maybe even gets enhanced and becomes untrue at times. But most of the facts really don't matter all that much. It's all in the story of Love God gives us in life anyway. This friend of mine was Arlene Klafter. We began teaching together when the partner I had been with, teaching High School Sunday School, moved away. So I was teamed with Arlene, teaching 7th and 8th grade students. Then after maybe a year or two, we moved to the High School group. This teaching assignment with Arlene lasted maybe twenty years or so, I'm not sure.
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In those twenty years or so of friendship, we grew close. We grew close to one another and even closer to God. We grew close to the many students to whom we taught the Love of God. Sunday after Sunday we would pour out our love and faith to so many children and to each other and to God in praise and worship and prayer. Deep relationships build strong over years together. Then Arlene's husband, my Pastor, died. We shared emotions, dreams and mourned together the death of her husband and my Pastor. And after a few years, Arlene saw the need to change life and move to Arizona in retirement. This picture is a picture of Arlene at a ceremony celebrating her life at our congregation and church at Zion. I am presenting Arlene a gift of candy sprinkles. Sprinkles of sweet life we shared together while teaching.
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In those years teaching High School Sunday School together, Arlene and I were led to develop several strangely odd, yet awesome understandings of the Love of God. We taught "turd theories" and "donut theology." Yea, we sure brought some strange things to the ears of the youth at Zion. Jumbling words around for fun. Ceremonies of the table which was the floor being covered by a blue table cloth. Each Sunday a student would spread the blue table cloth on the floor as if it was some official church tradition. I guess it became one of sorts anyway. Really the blue table cloth was our answer to some complaints from members of the congregation that the kids were getting donut crumbs on the carpet. So each Sunday the blue table cloth was spread at the beginning of the class and at the end of the class gathered up and shaken outside to free it of the dropped donut crumbs.
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Donuts...such a highlight for a high school youth for some reason. A treat for all. And we would welcome visitors who would stop by for a donut. Especially the Pastor. He would stop in for a donut. He always seemed to take the donut that the kids would least likely pick themselves. Even some odd traditions of hiding that least liked donut under the couch from the Pastor. My memory has faded on that one some but I'm sure we applied a message from God to the meaning of that action.
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You see with the donuts came a couple of teaching stories Arlene and I would use year after year. One was the "Turd Theory" which would really get Arlene excited and loud, hooting and hollering about it's outlandishness. The other was "Donut Theology." I, think that one was Arlene's favorite. But the two worked beautifully hand-in-hand.
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The "Turd Theory" revolves around the image that we are all like turds in the backyard of the universe. We can smell the stink of our sin. We know we don't amount to much. And being a turd, a tiny turd, God appears in this universe as way out there. Way beyond imagination. Really, really huge! And here we are that small stinky turd laying in the backyard of life.
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Then going hand in hand we have that awesome reversal. That awesome Love. That incomprehensible God of all. We have "Donut Theology." Picture the donut with candy sprinkles. The donut with a whole in the center. A whole which is multi-dimensional. A whole beyond space and time. A vortex with the presence of God at the center of the donut. You see the world doesn't exist like we think it does. We are not the turd at the center with God looking down from way way, far far above. God is with us and is the center. We aren't turds after all to God. God's Love for us is so outlandish that in His eyes we are sweet sweet candy sprinkles of Love He has purposely spread all over this creation of His. We aren't at the center...God is at the center with us and changes us from nasty, smelly, turds, to sweet, loving, candy sprinkles of Life in His created world of the donut! God has gifted us with His presence of Love through His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ and changed us from turds to sweet Spirit filled Sprinkles of Love and Life. "Donut Theology" at it's best. Awesome limitless Love of God centered beyond space and time in our lives of faith and love, one for another.
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A message that still brings chills to me. I can't understand the Love of God. But I sure know of such evidence that it exists! So back to Arlene.
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I remember telling Arlene of a dream I had when Pastor Klafter died. I dreamt that many of us were all together. Each of us in the dark, holding our baptismal candles. Walking around in the dark, bumping into one another. Then all of the sudden there was a great light off to the side somewhere. Pastor exclaimed that he was going towards that Light. He went with his candle to the greater Light. Then he disappeared. This dream brought some comfort to me at this time of mourning.
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Last night as I shed a tear and mourned in the silence of my bed, for myself really. I thought of Arlene, I thought of the blessings of our time together, and I thought of this dream. Then I came to the certain realization that somewhere, someplace, in some time I can't explain; Arlene and I are together clearly seeing the glory of that Light. Teaching once again some "Turd Theory" and "Donut Theology" to some young and growing Christians on the brink of that sweet sprinkle filled Life God was developing in them. Looking at the center of that donut, clearly seeing the Love of God expressed through Jesus Christ.
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Arlene was without a doubt a great, sweet, sprinkle of Life that God graciously granted to me. Thanks Arlene, and thanks be to God!
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Lord, I give You thanks for Life. I give you thanks for changing us. I give You thanks for sweet sprinkles. I give You thanks for coming to the center of my life. I give You thanks and praise for Arlene. ---Amen
