While Shepherds Washed Their Socks
Hi guys, Fred here again.
Walking along the Harbour Shore recently, Rosemarie and Fred were having a bit of a laugh about the fact that we can often hear the words of a song, sing them for years, and then discover that the words we sang for years were wrong. It’s a little like that old joke about kids being asked if they knew any names for God. Little bloke puts up his hand. Harold! Harold? How do you get Harold? Our Father who art in heaven, Harold be your name…
For years in Canberra I used to sing a song I was sure I knew well…”I don’t believe in ‘if’ anymore”. That lyric went round and round in my head. Until I was put right, finally, by a couple of feisty Finnish girls who told me in no uncertain terms that the right words were “ I don’t believe in ‘it’ anymore“. They knew because it was dad’s favourite song. The lovable wretches even sang it when I was farewelled from Canberra.
For years I sang “Say a Prayer, say a prayer, say a prayer” from an Enya song when the right words were “Sail away, sail away, sail away”. You tend to feel like a dill.
Once as a kid probably, 11 years old or so. I read a book called “The men came out of the mist”. I can’t remember what it’s about. I recall that it was a bit heavy and a bit scary, although the hero came through in the end. After I finished I went looking in the family bookshelves for another book. The first one I spied on the shelf was a hard cover book by the title “The earthman’s hentage”. That title sounded a bit too ominous for me. Told myself I’d get back to it sometime. Settled instead for another Biggles or Famous Five.
Finally opened the book when I was about 16 or 17 and discovered that it was a bloody geography book! Its real title: “The earth; mans heritage”. Yes, you’re right. Once again I felt like a dill. As Homer would say ‘Doh!’
Why am I telling you this? Simply because I’ve been a Pastor for 28 years and every day I discover more and more that most people have misheard, misunderstood, not heard or not understood, what our God is on about, what he’s like, and how he operates. We think we know. In fact we are sure we know! But as Paul says of the Jewish nation, his first faith family – “They are full of devotion for God, but it is not a devotion based on true knowledge”. (Romans 10: 2).
We misread and mishear what our Heavenly Father is saying! Often it’s because the childhood-self protective messages are so strong, the family messages so ingrained, that we conclude that is how it must be with God. Especially the idea that I’ve got to get it right, and do it well, to be accepted. And he’s not like that at all.
Sometimes the very people whose job it is to be getting simple basic knowledge of God to us are not doing it because they’ve lost the plot. (Why did they build the Great Wall of China dad? Because emperor Nasi Goreng wanted to keep the rabbits out!). If your clergy person is a legalist or a syncretist, what hope have you got? (As long as it’s spiritual it’s right..all roads lead to God…)
There is hope. And hope is based on clean knowledge. Clean truth. “…In these last days God has spoken to us in his Son”. The Word (who is from God, and is God) has become flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth. Simple you know. Want to know truth? Investigate Jesus Christ and see what he’s telling us, (also and especially on Good Friday), about his Father’s heart for us.
Go on. Be a detective for that truth.
Travel well – travel holy.
- Pastor Fred
Walking along the Harbour Shore recently, Rosemarie and Fred were having a bit of a laugh about the fact that we can often hear the words of a song, sing them for years, and then discover that the words we sang for years were wrong. It’s a little like that old joke about kids being asked if they knew any names for God. Little bloke puts up his hand. Harold! Harold? How do you get Harold? Our Father who art in heaven, Harold be your name…
For years in Canberra I used to sing a song I was sure I knew well…”I don’t believe in ‘if’ anymore”. That lyric went round and round in my head. Until I was put right, finally, by a couple of feisty Finnish girls who told me in no uncertain terms that the right words were “ I don’t believe in ‘it’ anymore“. They knew because it was dad’s favourite song. The lovable wretches even sang it when I was farewelled from Canberra.
For years I sang “Say a Prayer, say a prayer, say a prayer” from an Enya song when the right words were “Sail away, sail away, sail away”. You tend to feel like a dill.
Once as a kid probably, 11 years old or so. I read a book called “The men came out of the mist”. I can’t remember what it’s about. I recall that it was a bit heavy and a bit scary, although the hero came through in the end. After I finished I went looking in the family bookshelves for another book. The first one I spied on the shelf was a hard cover book by the title “The earthman’s hentage”. That title sounded a bit too ominous for me. Told myself I’d get back to it sometime. Settled instead for another Biggles or Famous Five.
Finally opened the book when I was about 16 or 17 and discovered that it was a bloody geography book! Its real title: “The earth; mans heritage”. Yes, you’re right. Once again I felt like a dill. As Homer would say ‘Doh!’
Why am I telling you this? Simply because I’ve been a Pastor for 28 years and every day I discover more and more that most people have misheard, misunderstood, not heard or not understood, what our God is on about, what he’s like, and how he operates. We think we know. In fact we are sure we know! But as Paul says of the Jewish nation, his first faith family – “They are full of devotion for God, but it is not a devotion based on true knowledge”. (Romans 10: 2).
We misread and mishear what our Heavenly Father is saying! Often it’s because the childhood-self protective messages are so strong, the family messages so ingrained, that we conclude that is how it must be with God. Especially the idea that I’ve got to get it right, and do it well, to be accepted. And he’s not like that at all.
Sometimes the very people whose job it is to be getting simple basic knowledge of God to us are not doing it because they’ve lost the plot. (Why did they build the Great Wall of China dad? Because emperor Nasi Goreng wanted to keep the rabbits out!). If your clergy person is a legalist or a syncretist, what hope have you got? (As long as it’s spiritual it’s right..all roads lead to God…)
There is hope. And hope is based on clean knowledge. Clean truth. “…In these last days God has spoken to us in his Son”. The Word (who is from God, and is God) has become flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth. Simple you know. Want to know truth? Investigate Jesus Christ and see what he’s telling us, (also and especially on Good Friday), about his Father’s heart for us.
Go on. Be a detective for that truth.
Travel well – travel holy.
- Pastor Fred
posted by Boomerexy at 7:50 PM
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