Pluralism, Many FAITHS, ONE God?

Do all roads lead to the same end?

Have you ever walked into a room full of people in the middle of an intense discussion and upon your entering the room they all stop, turn, and stare at you with that very unwelcoming, raised eyebrow look, which says, “Who are you, and what do you want?” The message is clear: “you are in the wrong place; you are interrupting us; go away.” We might calmly respond by saying, “Oh, my mistake, sorry for the interruption.” But we feel anything but calm. That, “Uh oh, wrong place, not welcome, I don’t belong, got to get out of here as fast as I can,” feeling. Rejection! Contrast that with a reception of smiling faces and open arms that say, “We’re so glad you’re here, we don’t know what we would have done without you! You belong. You are one of us: all for one and one for all.” Acceptance!

We all need to belong. That’s why in-groups and out-groups are so strongly defended. Every “group” has its unifying factor, that one thing that unites people of variant backgrounds, experiences, and values—bikers over here, hunters over there, writers in that corner, musicians in this, Republicans down here, Democrats there.

It is ironic then that the ONE, Universal Being—namely GOD—is also the source of humanity’s fiercest divisions: Muslims, Jews, and Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and Atheists (also “faith based” though unadmittedly so), two major types of Muslims, three major categories for Judaism, and umpteen denominations of Christians. No rational, reasonable thinking person can ignore the fact that these FAITHS contradict one another. Logically speaking, it is possible that they are all wrong. But it is NOT logically possible for all FAITHS to be equally TRUE all at once, for they each make mutually exclusive, alienating, and contradictory Universal Truth claims.

A pure Universal Truth is true for all peoples, at all times, in all places. The law of gravity is a Universal Truth in physics—true for all humanity, in all ages, at all times. If you don’t believe this, try defying this truth by jumping off a ten story building, while repeating the words, “I don’t believe in the law of gravity. I will not fall.” As to religious Truth Claims, however, we obviously have divisive beliefs, separate faith systems, and competing definitions for the ONE all-inclusive BEING called GOD—contradictory Universal Truth Claims! We simply cannot accept all FAITHS as equally TRUE.

So, is it possible to assert the tenants of one’s own Faith without insulting, judging, or denigrating the FAITHS of others? To claim that “Jesus is Messiah, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, is the way of salvation for all humanity,” is claiming a Universal Truth, impossible to be true only for some people, in some places, at some times. Logically, if it is not true for all humanity in all places and at all times, it is not true at all. Thus, Christianity is either in error or—because they reject this claim—Islam, Judaism, and other Religions are in error. In short, somebody’s wrong! The Athiest loudly proclaims that ALL FAITHS are wrong; simply begging the question by not admitting that it takes just as much faith to believe in NO God as it does to believe IN God. Serious followers of any FAITH will practice their Faith without apology. Religious Universal Truth claims mean little, if they are not fleshed out—lived, practiced, and incorporated into one’s daily life. Can we respect different FAITHS without undermining, weakening, or even deserting our own Faith?

Yes, if we apply the following principles:

1. The Christian must know in whom he/she believes, not just what he/she believes. That is, he/she believes IN JESUS, not in a church, denomination, a theology, a preacher, an ethic or dogma, but in the Living, Resurrected LORD—the Person. To know Christ means to grasp, understand, and experience Him, not only intellectually but with heart, soul, and spirit; knowing means having a personal, committed, substantive experience in Him.
2. To assert one’s Faith by living it, expressing and sharing it, is not to judge, denigrate, or insult those having no faith, a differing faith, or a countering faith. We do not apologize for faith in Jesus. Insulting one’s own faith by disclaiming Christ—in the face of other FAITHS—has no integrity. But to disagree with people of other FAITHS is neither to judge nor to condemn them; the judgment and/or condemnation of humanity are in God’s hands, certainly not ours.
3. Thus, respecting all FAITHS does not mean accepting all FAITHS as equally valid. So doing is intellectually and spiritually dishonest. In that sense, there are boundaries and limitations to interfaith dialogue, though it’s a very good thing to pursue.
4. No one human can prove the rightness of his/her FAITH. God Himself must demonstrate to humanity who He is, not us. We can only bear witness to the reality of our own committed faith-experience.
5. To have true respect for the FAITH of others is perhaps to assure that we all have religious freedom of conscience, a freedom of choice, and the freedom of FAITH expression, including the freedom to dialogue and to bear witness—with a potential for the conversion of others—respecting appropriate social boundaries.
6. Religious FAITH of any kind must never be forced, controlled or manipulated. In a pluralistic society such as ours, any FAITH tradition, be it Humanistic-Atheism, Muslim, Christian, or otherwise, attempting to domoninate and control all peoples in all areas of their lives, especially with respect to religious conviction and its expression, is suspect and is dangerous to the welfare of a free and democratic society.
7. One might say, all religions agree in the Big things: Love, Truth, Purity, Righteousness, Peace, Justice, and Goodness. Yes, BUT! The devil is in the details; it’s how we particularly apply them that cause the trouble: does justice mean the death penalty, does truth mean science without God, does peace mean pacifism, does love mean accepting gay marriage? Does purity mean covering all women from head to toe? You see the problem.

The Nicene Creed (a 451 AD modification of the Creed of Nicaea of AD 324):

We believe in one God the Father All-sovereign, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten son of God, Begotten of the Father before all the ages, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father, through whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from the heavens, and was made flesh of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man, and was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures, and ascended into the heavens, and sits on the right hand of the Father, and comes again with glory to judge living and dead, of whose kingdom there shall be no end:

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and the Life-giver, that proceeds from the Father, who with Father and Son is worshipped together and glorified together, who spoke through the prophets:

In one holy catholic [universal] and apostolic church:

We acknowledge one baptism unto remission of sins. We look for a resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come.

KILLING GOD?

"Well, where is God,” said Mrs. Coulter, “if he’s alive? And why doesn’t he speak anymore? At the beginning of the world, God walked in the Garden and spoke with Adam and Eve. Then he began to withdraw, and he forbade Moses to look at his face. Later, in the time of Daniel, he was aged—he was the Ancient of Days. Where is he now? Is he still alive, at some inconceivable age, decrepit and demented, unable to think or act or speak and unable to die, a rotten hulk? And if that is his condition, wouldn’t it be the most merciful thing, the truest proof of our love for God, to seek him out and give him the gift of death?"

The above is a direct quote from THE AMBER SPYGLASS, the third book in the trilogy, His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman. It anticipates the death of God, which happens like this: Between them they helped the ancient of days out of his crystal cell; it wasn’t hard, for he was as light as paper, and he would have followed them anywhere, having no will of his own, and responding to simple kindness like a flower to the sun. But in the open air there was nothing to stop the wind from damaging him, and to their dismay his form began to loosen and dissolve. Only a few moments later he had vanished completely, and their last impression was of those eyes, blinking in wonder, and a sigh of the most profound and exhausted relief.

This is the death of god. Pullman’s “god” is nothing more than a mere literary effigy, a caricature, an imagined cartoon figure of the true Biblical Judeo-Christian God—quite laughable, to say the least. It is only natural for such a god to die, for he was no real GOD to begin with. To take this “god” seriously is to give credit where no credit is due.

Another Character of interest is Mary. She is the tempter in the story; but her role as “tempter” is positive. As the story unfolds, we grow to like Mary and want her to succeed in her efforts. She does, and it is fitting that she does; and we are pleased. Yet, she was once a nun and, having lost her faith in the “Christian” God, she calmly explains her loss of faith by saying: The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake, that’s all. Obviously Pullman uses this character to drive home his own opinion about Christianity, doing so through a supporting character.

Then there is Metatron. Though the story makes no overt connection between Metatron and Jesus Christ, most Christian readers will see a link. But, here again we are presented with just another caricature—a false likeness to Christ—an effigy we are actually glad to see defeated.

In real life, the average reader would normally have some degree of respect for the following: God, Christ, the church and its religious teachers and leaders. In Pullman’s saga, the reader is led to dislike or have little respect for these same characters, as portrayed in the story.

Subtle as this may seem, Pullman no doubt has his real world supporters. There are many in today’s world that have been so disappointed, hurt, dismayed, and/or abused by religion, the church, and its leaders, that they have lost most if not all respect for religious types of any kind, especially clergy, the church, and its teachings. Thus, in Pullman’s tale, major religious characters are inverted, turned upside down. We want them defeated and taken out. And so, Metatron, the character most likely to be identified with Jesus, is a ruthless lord and certainly no savior—definitely not someone before whom we’d willingly bow down and worship. And the reader can only pity god for what he really is—in the tale. Anything but true, good, righteous, just, and all-powerful, he’s old, weak, and frail, and a sad victim of his own creaturely attempt to be GOD. In short, he is actually no worse, nor better, than any human we know of in the real world. Such is the death of god.

So if you are confident in your faith and know Jesus, true God of true God, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and if you understand the true nature of God, the Father, Creator of heaven and earth, let your children read these books and then have a great, enlightening theological discussion with them. Compare the Biblical God with that of human imagination, fantasy, and mythology. Show how the Biblical God defines Himself, what He says about “who He is” and His role in the story of the human race and what He actually expects from humanity.

Discuss Jesus and the church. Tell them what you know about church history and the sins of its past. You may want to refer to the book of Revelation, chapters two and three. Talk about how and why people have been hurt by the church (everything from the crusades to clergy misconduct). Yet, point out that it was Jesus who established the church. Why did He? Show how the true church is supposed to be “the Bride of Christ” and how Jesus is the Head of the Church.

Then talk about our need to make a choice. Who and what are we going to believe? Why is faith important and necessary? What are our faith choices? How can we be sure that we are making good, wise, and true choices? Also point out the difference between being religious and being in a genuine relationship with God, through Christ, by means of the Holy Spirit? Show how and why. And above all, do all of this with the least bit of anxiety, worry, and fear. Demonstrate the strength of your own faith. Speak with conviction that Jesus is Lord and Savior, that God the Father is Creator, and that His Spirit is the revealer of the Word of Truth.

Humanity’s true story, our very own human saga, is an epic tale found in the Biblical narrative from Genesis’ “Adam & Eve” to Apocalypse’s Judgment Day.

Remember: the greatest story ever told is the truest one ever heard.

Below are more direct Quotes from Book Three, THE AMBER SPYGLASS, of the trilogy, His Dark Materials:

He meant the Kingdom was over, the Kingdom of Heaven, it was all finished. We shouldn’t live as if it mattered more than this life in this world, because where we are is always the most important place.

*

She said that all the history of human life has been a struggle between wisdom and stupidity. She and the rebel angels, the followers of wisdom, have always tried to open minds; the Authority and his churches have always tried to keep them closed.

*

The Authority, God, the Creator, the Lord, Yahweh, El, Adonai, the King, the Father, the Almighty—those were all names he gave himself. He was never the creator. He was an angel like ourselves—the first angel, true, the most powerful, but he was formed of Dust as we are, and Dust is only a name for what happens when matter begins to understand itself.

*

Mrs. Coulter says: How can it be? The Authority created the worlds, didn’t he? He existed before everything, how can he have come into being? King Ogunwe says: This is angelic knowledge. It shocked some of us, too, to learn that the Authority is not the creator. There may have been a creator, or there may not: we don’t know. All we know is that at some point the Authority took charge, and since then, angels have rebelled, and human beings have struggled against him, too.

If anyone is wondering, yes, I do plan to see the movie when it comes out. Meanwhile, blessings to all--grace, love, and peace.

Fantasy, Reality, Theology

The Golden Compass, Book One from the trilogy called His Dark Materials, is a children’s fantasy by Philip Pullman. A movie version is to be released on December 7th. Christians are in an uproar, calling for its boycott because of its apparent anti-church message. I’ve been given an assignment: read the books, give a pastoral response.

First, I’d say, FEAR NOT! Understand your faith. KNOW CHRIST and act accordingly. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. 2 Tim. 1:7

We play right into the enemy’s hands by angrily crying foul play, weakly threatening a boycott, and haughtily denouncing the movie as a THREAT to Faith, the Church, Christianity, and/or religion.

Angry offendedness only confirms the preconceived notion already held by many non-believers that we Christians are nothing more than defensive, closed minded, authoritarian, and controlling fearful little people that are threatened by the least bit of criticism, unflattering portrayal, disagreeable depiction, and/or negative evaluation, of our faith.

Yes, it’s true! This fantastical tale IS hard on the church. Reading it makes one feel as if no good, honest, intelligent, person in his/her right mind would ever subscribe to the Christian faith let alone belong to the institutional church.

The church does have a stained past—we have all heard of The Inquisition! It has promulgated the crusades; the church has wielded great socio-political control and, without compunction, has freely abused its power around the world. The historical record is there. Any writer who references or alludes to such facts about the church in fiction or nonfiction stands on solid empirical, historical grounds for so doing. We AVOID NOT the truth about Christendom, Church history, and Western Civilization.

This tale confronts us with the dark side—the misdeeds—of the historical church, ever so subtly and indirectly. However, in no way do the sins of the church diminish the Person of Christ and His message. On the contrary, this fantasy may very well provide us an opportunity: to discuss with our children topics otherwise ignored: why are we here, why is there evil, who is God, is He trustworthy and Good, is there life after death, if so, what is it like, how do we know, why must we have faith, how can we tell between True Faith and Falsehood, why do we need a Savior, is there a resurrection of the dead? Etc.

I would not lightly recommend this fantasy/trilogy. But I most certainly would NOT ban, burn, or banish it either. Remember: seek and you shall find; knock and the door shall be opened…? Depends on what one is looking for, one’s spiritual hunger, search for God, depth, wisdom.

The twelve year old heroin displays typical childish human character flaws; she’s obstinate, stubborn, disobedient, and haughty. She lies; smokes with her friends, experiments with alcohol—and gets drunk. But she’s also empathetic, brave, loving, courageous, honorable, and compassionate. Wise beyond her years, she has a heart of gold with feet of clay.

There are witches, daemons, angels, and ghosts—good and bad. Evil characters, beautiful on the outside, foul and fetid inside; and virtuous characters murderously mean and vicious on the outside with clean and true hearts inside. Everything is not as it seems. The story has the currency of all good myths, addressing universal questions of LIFE: good versus evil, love and hatred, war and peace, truth and falsehood, death and dying; subjects for which we all should be seeking answers.

Pullman has no faith in Christ. He’s antagonistic toward the Church and Christianity. Still, his fable is a doorway to questions about God. No fantasy writer escapes the great universals: Pain and Suffering, Death, Evil, Faith, Hope, Love, Truth, Fidelity, Bravery, Honor, and Courage. But his epic tale begs the question about God. He displaces the Biblical God, with an undefined animistic god—a spiritual force separate from matter—inanimate DUST having consciousness and personality. His tale embraces a form of old fashioned animism. There is nothing new under the sun!

I might ask: in whom or what do we really place our faith—is it in ourselves? We all “know” that there is a power above and beyond us, external to us. The answer is NOT IN us! That is, we are not Life’s Cause. We do not create, make, sustain, or define life. Call it Providence, the Fates, Destiny, or what not; the question’s the same: what, who is the author and sustainer of life? What is, WHO is God? Jesus Christ offers concrete answers to these questions. Christians understand this. Therefore we need not be threatened when alternative answers are given. For example, there is the age old Theodicy question: if God is good why is there evil? We are not to be threatened by such inquiries. On the contrary, we must be ready to answer them [1 Pet. 3:15]. If you are confident and understand who Christ is (note C.S. Lewis), then let your children read it; but be ready to discuss it with them. Draw out the author’s assumptions about good and evil, First Causes, sin, judgment, life, death, and God.

If we don’t want our kids to read these books—because we ourselves feel self-conscious about the fact that we have no answers to the questions they raise, or do not really believe in the answers Christ gives—they will know we are dodging, not wanting to deal with, afraid of, or uninterested in, the really big questions of LIFE. But when they ask—and they will—they’ll wonder why we’re afraid of the question(s) and why they’re not supposed to be thinking of, or asking about, such things—and we will have lost a great opportunity for us and them.

As to your child’s faith in Christ, well, if he or she is not really free to say no, when faced with the choice between yes or no to Christ, then his/her YES means very little. Think about it.

What's your Game Plan?

Keep your head in the game! That’s a title song from Disney’s popular High School Musical. Give it your all—and then some—110%! Stay focused. Don’t get distracted. Stay in the game!

Spectators watch and enjoy. Spectators are passive; they can afford distractions. Some even miss scoring moves by key players because of distractions. Yet distracted onlookers do not affect the game. But imagine a player missing a key move for lack of focus, His head’s not in the game! The outcome might be disastrous—game loss and more!—the difference between a local trophy and a World Cup Championship!

Following Jesus is all about getting IN the game. There are no spectators for Jesus; you are following—actively engaged, doing His will—or you are not.

Jesus is Spirit driven, God focused, and Kingdom minded, and so must we be. Spirit driven & God focused: Jesus did nothing willy-nilly, was not egotistical, not concerned for His own self-image, personal desires, or selfish interests. “…, then you will realize that I am He, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to Him.” John 8:28-29.

Kingdom Minded: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:32-34.

What really is most important to you and why? Where does the Kingdom of God fit into your value system & priorities; what is it worth to you? How are you cashing in its worth in terms of time, money, talents, gifts, relationships, pursuits, interests, and goals?

Jesus said, Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Matt. 6:34. What is God’s Kingdom? Are you a Kingdom Citizen? That is, are YOU in the game? Or are you merely observing, watching from the sidelines? How does one become a Kingdom citizen? What’s expected of a Kingdom citizen, a game player, a team member? What is your life’s game plan, pursuit, focus?

Restoring Justice ...

Lock him up and throw away the key! Do the crime; do the time. Prison ministry, why bother? “Guilty as hell,” hardened criminals, they deserve prison; Right!

Yes, but we also believe in redemption, salvation, changed lives. We believe that if a man confesses and repents of his sins he can be cleansed, renewed, become a new man?

Wellspring has an historical connection with Graterford SCI (State Correctional Institute). Much of the land that the prison now sits on was at one time farmland owned by Mennonite farmers who were members of this very church (then called Upper Skippack Mennonite Church).

Also, our land is contiguous with the prison. There is this vast prison land, then us, and our cemetery. It’s as if we were destined to have an ongoing “relationship” with Graterford. It seems God appointed that we should have an active, vibrant, and viable prison ministry.

And our particular prison ministry is Restorative Justice. This is all the more fitting for us—for our church is all about God’s work, which is all about reconciliation, renewal, healing, restoration, and wholeness. In Christ, brokenness and broken relationships is/are restored.

We choose not to build this church by marketing schemes, attracting middle class families by re-enforcing unquestioned middle class values, leaving all in their comfort zone in pursuing the American dream: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” that amounts to abandoned materialistic self-indulgence at the expense of economic justice, world peace, and other local & global social inequities.

Rather we choose God’s higher calling, a demand for social justice, peace, transformation, and the renewal of the soul and spirit, leading to a lifestyle and value system that embraces the poor, the oppressed, the lost, hurt, enslaved, social outcast and the imprisoned (be it literal or spiritual imprisonment).

The marketer says, give people what they want and you will grow. God’s agenda is quite different. Jesus says, If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. How does one attract people by inviting them to carry an instrument of their own torture, suffering, and death? Yet, that's exactly what Jesus did!

Church Involvement: Restorative Justice Signposts (Mennonite Central Committee -- Betsy Lee & Lorraine Stutzman) ...

By God’s grace we know we are working toward restorative justice in the life of the church when we …
1. Show equal concern and commitment to all who have been harmed by empowering them and responding to their needs.
2. Focus on the brokenness within the community rather than make theological judgments.
3. Hold people accountable by encouraging them to understand, accept and carry out their obligations to those who have been harmed.
4. Recognize that obligations are not intended as punishment, but as part of grace and the ongoing journey of healing.
5. Provide opportunities for dialogue, direct and indirect, between all involved.
6. Involve and empower the affected community in any related discussions or processes.
7. Encourage collaboration and reintegration rather than coercion and isolation.
8. Give attention to unintended consequences of our actions and programs.
9. Recognize and hold the church accountable for policies, procedures and structures that perpetuate injustice and harms.
10. Provide space for truth and mercy to meet.

LIFE: The Short and Long END of it ...

Life is too short! Do it while you can! Seize the Day! You only live once!
When we say this, what do we mean? Live now. Don’t waste time. Enjoy life while you can. ‘Cause before long, poof! We’re out of here.

It’s like taking a timed exam. Okay class, you may begin. The content of the exam is not difficult; the answers seem clear cut. But it’s that timing thing! “Quick, the answer to the first question is …. I can’t think clearly under time pressure! Oh, look at the clock; I’m wasting time. Good! I got that done; now onto the next question. Can I answer them all before …?” Bing! Okay class, time is up, set your pencils down and pass your exams to the front of the class.

Yes, it would seem that our lives hang at the edge of time; any second, any minute, or hour, or day, the alarm will go off, and boom! The bell rings and Life is no more. Talk about time pressure …!

But wait. Why do we live as if this life is the life, the only LIFE we have? Jesus makes it very clear that this earthly life is a mere preface, an introduction to a life to be lived in—Eternity! Jesus speaks of Life in the face of death. We are to live, and we are to live on … Forever!

Finish this sentence: We have all the time in the …! Did you say, “World”? How about Eternity or the Heavens! In that sense time is on our side. Eternity is in our favor. Time is NOT the enemy.

What about now? Considering that the end of the road here is eternity there, Peter says, “… while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by Him at peace, without spot or blemish …” (2 Peter 3:14)

Apparently we should be getting prepared for the big trip. Why then do we remain so focused on building a future only for THIS life? Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, says Paul (Col. 3:2).

He is so heavenly minded that he is of no earthly good, says the critic. Ouch! But NO, real heavenly mindedness—God Focused—actually grounds us toward real, practical, earthly needs: truth, justice, peace, patience, mercy, kindness, gentleness, goodness, self-control, generosity, love. Because we have a future beyond earth, we can live by doing the right thing on earth—even if it costs our earthly lives.

What Church has to Offer ...

Wellspring Church of Skippack! That's our church's name ...

What would it look like to live up to our name? Let me think. We would probably be …
Reviving—quenching dry, thirsty souls.
Healing—soothing people’s wounds.
Refreshing—cooling hot tempers & sorry attitudes.
Invigorating—restoring drained & sapped spirits.
Delighting—rejuvenating a spirit of joyful playfulness.

But, you know what? Thank God WE do NOT have to live up to such a name! No, really we don’t!

But God does! He is the one that must accomplish these things among us, if we but let Him. (I suppose that’s a big if, letting Him, that is.)

That’s why we’re here, isn’t it? To let Him do HIS work IN us? And boy, don’t we need the work!

And so, we, the people of Wellspring, have nothing to offer, for we are not dong the offering. God is. That certainly takes a load off our shoulders. Doesn’t it?

Okay, on the other hand, we are offering God. Yes, that’s it! That’s what we have to offer. It’s HIM. His love for us, His grace, peace, truth, care, Spirit upon us, mercy, forgiveness, salvation, HIM!

He is doing something to us, in us, among us, and through us. Isn’t that something? What a wonderful God!

We offer nothing and should never pretend to offer anything but God in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Really, God is doing all the offering. We are only here to receive it and invite others to join us in the receiving of it.

But that means we must be open ourselves to what God is offering. Yes, we want it ourselves, certainly not just for ourselves, but we ourselves do want and need it ourselves. We cannot share what we ourselves do not have to share.

What then are we sharing—giving, providing, promoting here? HIM, that’s all. His love, our gratefulness, His grace, our gratitude, His mercy, our appreciation, His call, our heedfulness, His will, our obedience, His purpose, our submission, His Glory, our gain!

Wandering Thoughts ...
Three boys were bragging about their dads.

“My dad writes a few lines, calls it a poem and gets fifty bucks for it,” said the first.

“My dad puts some dots, lines, and squiggles on paper, calls it a song and gets seventy-five for it,” said the second.

“That’s nothing,” said the third boy, “Saturday nights my dad writes a few words on a sheet of paper, gets up Sunday morning, reads it in church, and it takes four ushers to bring in the money.”
[Taken from one of those email list of jokes that go round and round the cyber world.]