weeklyred

texturized worship

every saturday at 1:30 p.m.

club fathom

412 market street

chattanooga, tn

07.19.03.red

Get Even?

Two teams compete for the prize by
outsmarting the opposing team.

The goal is to get the most points during
five rounds of play.

Shorter by a 1 foot or less--100 points
Longer by any measurement--50 points
Shorter by more than a foot--0 points
Getting even--end of contest

Round 4 -- the rope can't get much shorter!

Well, I guess we need to get out the microscope to measure!

How we try to get even
with people in real life?

with members in our family?
with friends at school?
with the competition?

A story of two neighbors

One day a flower grew up in the lawn
and they were both delighted!

And then became possessive . . .

and the friendship and trust deteriorated

What was on Jesus' heart those last few hours
that he was with his disciples?

John 17

Jesus prays for himself.

"Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son,
that your Son may glorify you.

Jesus prays for his disciples

"Protect them by the power of your name--the name you gave me--so that they may be one as we are one."

Jesus prays for you.

"That all of them may be one, Father,
just as you are in me and I am in you."

Krista reads this touching story from the depression years in a small southeastern Idaho community.

I used to stop by Mr. Miller's roadside stand for farm-fresh produce as the season made it available. Food and money were still extremely scarce and bartering was used, extensively.

One particular day, Mr. Miller was bagging some early potatoes for me. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller and the ragged boy next to me.

"Hello Barry, how are you today?"

"H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas ... sure look good."

"They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"

"Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."

"Good. Anything I can help you with?"

"No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."

"Would you like to take some home?"

"No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."

"Well, what have you to trade me for some
of those peas?"

"All I got's my prize marble here."

"Is that right? Let me see it."

"Here 'tis. She's a dandy."

"I can see that. Hmmmm, only thing is, this one is blue and I sort of go for red.

Do you have a red one like this at home?"

"Not 'zackley .....but, almost."

"Tell you what.

Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble."

"Sure will. Thanks, Mr. Miller."

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said: "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, perhaps."

I left the stand, smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado, but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys and their bartering. Several years went by each more rapid than the previous one.

Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community, and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his viewing that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them.

Upon our arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could. Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts-very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing smiling and composed, by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary, awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and mentioned the story she had told me about the marbles. Eyes glistening she took my hand and led me to the casket.

"Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim "traded" them. Now, at last, when Jim couldn't change his mind about color or size, they came to pay their debt. "We've never had a great deal of the wealth in this world," she confided, "but, right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho." With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband.

Resting underneath were three, magnificently shiny, red marbles.

Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.