[Faith-talk] FW: [masterslist] The Church of the Holy Radiator

[Eric Calhoun]

Some humor for today:


Original Message: 
From: "Dean Masters" <dwmasters15 at gmail.com>
To: "masters list" <masterslist at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [masterslist] The Church of the Holy Radiator
Date: 
Sat, 14 Apr 2012 09:24:51 -0400

THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY RADIATOR

What traditions have you accepted with alacrity, never considering their 
truth, or lack of it?

Copyright 2008

Leslie A Turvey

A servant of the only true and living God

A young priest assumed his first parish, filling the shoes of an older 
priest who had served for thirty years. He knocked himself out trying to 
meet the
needs of his congregation, but there was obvious discontent. He spoke to
the 
church custodian and asked what he was doing wrong? The man told the
young
priest it was the way he served communion.

He was flabbergasted. He was doing it just as he had been taught. He
pressed 
for more information and the custodian said the problem was that he was
not
touching the radiator.

The young priest made a frantic call to the priest he had replaced, and
said 
he was almost in the midst of a mutiny. He asked the old priest if he 
touched
the radiator before he passed the cup. "Why yes," he said. "I always did
so 
I could discharge the static electricity in my hands and not cause a
spark
when the cup was passed."

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A WOMAN CUTS THE END OFF HER ROAST

A woman always cut the end off her roast before putting it into the
roasting 
pan. One day her little daughter asked why? "Well," said the woman,
"Grandma
always did it, so let's ask her."

They went to Grandma's house and asked their question. "Well," said
Grandma, 
"my mother always did it, so let's ask her." So they asked the little
girl's
great grandmother.

"Oh," replied Great Grandmother. "The butcher's roasts were so big they 
wouldn't fit my little roasting pan. So I cut the end off, and saved it
for 
another
time."

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What do these stories have in common? They serve to show that people can 
become caught up in traditions without considering where they came from.
In 
the
first story, touching the radiator was not part of the communion ritual,
but 
was a tradition that had become sacred in the minds of the people being 
served.


In the second story, what began as a culinary necessity took on the life
of 
a family tradition.

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ANOTHER TRADITION

Pastor John Stuart, of Knoxville Tennessee, points to an old hymn called 
Gentle Jesus, Meek And Mild which "a lot of people have bought into 
theologically."


He adds, "It depicts Christ as being a peaceful, loving guy who wouldn't 
dream of disturbing anyone's life or meddling with their lifestyle
choices." 
Oh?


Jesus was a radical preacher. Pastor Stuart reminds us, "He didn't mangle

the truth or mess about with God's Word. When he said something, he meant

it,
and when he sprang into action to confront the religious authorities, he 
seriously challenged their comfortable ways."

The gospeller, Mark, wrote, "On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the
temple 
area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He 
overturned
the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves 
(Mark 11:15 NIV)." Gentle Jesus, Meek And Mild ? This incident, possibly 
more than
any other, led to his execution a few days later.

Pastor Stuart points out something we tend to overlook in our reading:
Jesus 
was making a direct challenge, not only against the Jewish authorities,
but
against the Roman as well. They were on shaky ground, believing they
could 
carry on their business in the confines of God's temple.

Considering the rather shaky tradition that Jesus was gentle, meek, and 
mild, Pastor Stuart challenges us to ask ourselves: "What lifestyle
choices 
have
I made that Jesus would radically overturn to save me from the cosiness
of 
sin?"

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Leslie A Turvey, an independent Christian,

publishes several on-line

bible-based booklets including

The Trinity: Fact or Fiction?

For your free copy write to

LifeLines at cogeco.ca

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Dean Masters, owner of the Masters List

I personally know someone who is literally older than dirt.
If you would like to meet him ask me to introduce you.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/masterslist