The Theology of Looney Tunes (part 2)

When we left off last time, I set the stage for the series with a little historical perspective. I hit the Depression Era hard to really emphasize the need for the entertainment of cartoons, alongside vaudeville, radio comedy routines, and movies with similar overtones. The need for distraction was great. Substantial, even. You may think now that the idea of cartoons existing for no other reason than to give us something to laugh at is pretty insignificant, but let me challenge you to think back to those days. Just for a minute. Try to imagine what it was like.

We are human beings. Whether fabulously successful or grime gutter-poor, that is our essence. And being only human, we need to laugh. To find the bright side of things, the silver lining of that cloud in our skyline, the honest hope that no matter how tough life is, we can still smile. Well, stone-cold reality offered us precious few things to smile about in the early 1930s. So is it any wonder why the pure unadulterated fun of cartoons was so readily accepted? No one wants to believe that life is misery. People either get that notion forced into them by means of circumstance, or they see it as the only possible option. Jesus didn't want to endure the pain and suffering of the cross. Who would? Nevertheless, he knew it was his Father's will, the only possible way to rescue us from sin. It's all part of the core essence of humanity, and yet it also plays into the complete and utter paradox Jesus was!

So, getting back to the subject...

We have Warner Bros., minus the talents of Harmon, Ising, and their title character Bosko. With Looney Tunes and (to a lesser extent) Merrie Melodies, they had proven that cartoons were capable of reaching out to a wide spectrum of people, and that their capacity to entertain and help stimulate happy feelings showed how valuable and downright theraputic they could be. Yet they knew (or like most Americans they hoped) that the Depression wouldn't last forever. Eventually the economy would recover. The job market would spring back to life. New venues would open up, grabbing the attention of the populace. It's all part of the mentality of this "what's-new-and-what-have-you-done-lately" world. Yet another "looney" parallel that we can relate to.

Cartoons still had something else to prove. They needed to demonstrate longevity. To show that they were not one-era wonders. That they could survive beyond the Depression, beyond the essential need for some form of entertainment, some reminder that things weren't as crappy as they seemed. But without Bosko, they lacked an anchor character. A symbol. Someone to carry the WB logo (admittedly not as iconic as it would be later on).

Now you know where this is going, I'm sure. But this is where I know I'm about to catch a few of you off guard. But it's very important to know this. It's an oh-so-typical misconception that I now intend to rectify. Here goes:

Daffy Duck came BEFORE Bugs Bunny!!

There, I said it. Feel free to clutch the sides of your face in true Kevin McCallister fashion (just kidding; I would feel bad if I traumatized you that much).

But did Daffy Duck start out exactly like the loveable, hardluck loser that he is today? Oh no. Quite a few things went into his makeup in his formative years, back when he was little more than a twinkle in the eye of Tex Avery.

First, let's consider the character of "Buddy." Who, you ask? Good question. Buddy presently resides in his own private corner of cartoon oblivion. A "forgotten" creation of 1934 when budding (heh) cartoonists Friz Freleng, Bob Clampett, and the aforementioned Tex Avery experimented with some newer cartoon characters to replace Bosko. One problem. Everybody, from the toon critics to Freleng himself, hated Buddy. Couldn't stand him. I suspect that a big factor in the failure of the character to hit it off with his audience was that he was too derivative of Bosko. An example of trying to capture lightning-in-a-bottle twice (well, let's keep perspective: Bosko was a revolutionary, but it's a pretty safe bet that we still would've had cartoons without him). And that simply was not the goal. Looney Tunes needed to get out from under Bosko's shadow, to prove that the medium could manage itself without him. To do this (and do it successfully), they had to try something different. Come up with a totally new set of ideas and rules while still holding firm to the nature of the cartoon media industry: to entertain people.

So Tex Avery rolled up his sleeves, put his pen to work, and brought life to another major yet often understated Looney Tunes character: Porky Pig.

One website describes the 1936 Porky as "a shy, stuttering school kid with a passion for patriotic poems and a lack of pants." Well, the stuttering part hasn't changed, at least (and to the consternation of critics everywhere - Porky generally remains pantsless. Why does this bother people? It's not like Daffy and Bugs made a habit of wearing human clothing, unless it was meant to trick hunters like Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam. But I digress). In his early incarnation, Porky wasn't a runaway success, but he brought Looney Tunes at least a modicum of popularity. He also spoke well of the tenuous, battleground climate that existed at the time between the world powers. We were less than five years off from that catastrophic day in December of 1941 when those terrible bombs fell on Pearl Harbor. And the world would never be the same. But that's beyond the scope of this series.

Tex was ambitious, though. Not satisfied with giving voice to the feelings of his time. He was a man who liked to test the boundaries, try new stunts, and explore wild, different directions that weren't always conventional for the entertainment industry. Whether he knew it or not, that was exactly the kind of outlook that cartoons needed to stay in the public eye; otherwise, they may well have joined Buddy in obscurity, replaced by the newest fashion.

At some point, Tex, Friz, and Bob must have realized that Porky wasn't the best fit for their ambitions. At least not the way he had been established. It was time to return to the drawing board. Give them to a new character.

In 1937, it all came together. In the form of the infamous cartoon "Porky's Duck Hunt," that officially introduced Daffy Duck (though he wouldn't be called that until years later). And it's no exaggeration that Daffy was the extra pop, sizzle, and spice that enabled Looney Tunes to emerge from the shadows and find its own identity. Daffy was the living embodiment of unpredictability. You never knew what he might do next. He's everywhere at once, bouncing off the walls, razzing Porky with gags, tricks and rip-roaring laughter. Just watch this cartoon sometime. Listen to the maniacally goofball laughter ("whoop-whoo-hoo-hoo-whoop!") that only Daffy Duck can pull off.

Folks, this was history in the making. If Bosko the Talk-Ink Kid was a pioneer, Daffy was a Renaissance Man... er, Duck. With Daffy, Tex and friends took what made Bosko work and improved it. He had a basic yet easily recognizable design (little black duck, big bright eyes, white ring around the neck) that people latched onto. He broke the fourth wall repeatedly. He defied laws of physics and behavior patterns for both humans and animals. (Animals tend to run and hide from hunters. Daffy fearlessly stood up to Porky and others who hunted him, and laughed in their faces) He drove us nuts because he wouldn't shut up (and yet somehow we never wanted him to shut up. It was too funny). He turned Porky from WB icon into the role of straight-man, a foil for his wild antics (the role that, I'm sorry to say for you Porky fans, he was clearly meant for. Just my opinion). He took chances. He showed no fear. He acknowledged the impossible. He broke down norms. Often with a big mallet or anvil.

Let me sum it up this way: Daffy Duck introduced the element of disorder to the world of Looney Tunes, and by extension the greater entertainment media. And it scored big-time. Because remember: we identify with disorder.

But as the years passed...Daffy changed.

And I'll talk about that change in part 3!

The Theology of Looney Tunes (part 1)

This blog series is dedicated to my good friends Will Swinson, Lauren Harris, and Andrew Floyd. Will for giving me the inspiration, Lauren for her unfailing support and encouragement, and Andrew for sticking with my long-winded ramble on the topic when he could have been concentrating on desk duty at the Furman Chapel. You all have my thanks.

Let me also warn you not to take this series very seriously. Yes, there's a theological point I will try to make. It has some history, and it has pictures to dress it up. But plenty of it is sheer conjecture and opinion on my behalf. So don't base any conclusions off of that, and try to read it with a healthy sense of humor. Thank you. And away we go!

We live in a crazy world. I think that's a common sentiment nowadays. Things are nutty. Kooky.

Maybe a little looney.

You're welcome to take that introduction any way you prefer. But I think it works. Mostly, I said it that way to freak you out but there's a grain of truth in this crazy, mixed-up mess. There's sense to be seen in the looney bin.

We can sympathize with the disorder. We know the imperfect. We are a part of it.

The year was 1930. America was still firmly in the grip of the Great Depression. A period that, for all the bedlam and damage it did to the economy, left its most lasting scars on the face of nationalism. The world recognized the United States as a superpower country, renowed for our military strength, stability, and solvency. The latter took a severe blow with the stock market crash, and the effect was immediate. People had investments, life savings in the stocks, and in one fell swoop, they all came tumbling down. The curtain dropped on margin buying as well as the security of the bank system. People lost faith in the Federal Reserve. Morale was the pits. Disorder reigned.

And in the midst of the chaos, a media symbol was born.

Cartoons.



The very first Looney Tunes cartoon debuted in April 1930 in the form of an eight-minute musical titled "Sinkin' in the Bathtub." A modest beginning (as you can see by the picture) for the financial juggernaut it would become later on, but hey, everyone's gotta start somewhere.

Before I go on, I'm well aware that "Gertie the Dinosaur," Windsor McCay's 1914 creation, is widely considered to be the first true animated featurette in the United States. I prefer to stick to one of animation's many mediums, in this case, Looney Tunes & Merry Melodies, for the purposes of this argument. But I'll give props where props are due.

Anyway, two characters featured in this landmark shortie: Bosko and Honey. Bosko the Talk-Ink Kid (get it?) was among the first cartoon characters to employ synchronized speech; up to this point, animation didn't match soundtracks with the action of a serial or short film. Until Bosko and his girlfriend Honey arrived. Animator Leon Schlesinger liked the character and petitioned the fledgling Warner Brothers company to produce more Bosko shorties. They even gave them a title - "Looney Tunes." Little did they know that they were pioneering a legacy.

Looney Tunes ran for about a year before a second branch was created - "Merrie Melodies." But for whatever reason, this spin-off of sorts didn't go over as well. Some blame it on the Walt Disney rip-off characters (Foxy and Roxy being the worst offenders). Others point to the uninspired context of the new shorts (being more of a song showcase than a long-running serial - hence the name) or the lack of direction. Continuity, the all-important measuring stick for successful drama, and substance simply weren't there. Music was the only connecting thread.

Even still, cartoons' purpose was never more pronounced than during the Depression Era. Having lost faith in all that was once solvent in their lives, people forgot how to be happy. Success was history. Suddenly, you were a lucky chap to find a decent job. Black Thursday hit Americans in more than stocks - it rocked their foundations. They had to look elsewhere to find happiness and fullfillment if only for a short time, and what better venue than the entertainment industry? Bosko, Honey, Foxy, Roxy, Piggy, Fluffy, and Goopy Gear (other forgotten Merrie Melodies characters) made people laugh again. They put smiles back on faces - even if those smiles evaporated once the entertainment was over and reality beckoned. Cartoons joined the likes of Jack Benny, George Burns, radio comedy shows, The Wizard of Oz, and Gone With the Wind in providing an outlet for self-satisfaction.

Ask yourself - how familiar does that sound? When you have problems in your life (money, relationships, exams, etc.), does the thought of putting those problems aside to watch a fictional character's plight not sound relieving? As a young boy, I took heart in the fact that the demons of long division or an empty social life could be shelved for one hour of Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and the gang chasing each other, falling off cliffs, and blowing themselves to smithereens. Sure, it was mindless entertainment. It's also soul therapy. Somewhere deep down, a part of you realizes that you're not alone. Disorder is an all-encompassing tapestry. It's not something lurking on your TV set that comes to life and then ceases at the touch of a button. It's a part of the world we inhabit. Cartoons gave it a medium. A vent for our seeming inability to live with it. To react to it. Even to reach out and improve it somehow.

Getting back to the history lesson...as the Depression years waned, cartoons began to undergo a hefty gear shift. Hugh Harmon and Rudolf Ising, creators of Bosko and co., broke ties with Leon Schlesinger, took the rights to their characters, and made a beeline for MGM, seeking to bring their work to a newer, brighter stage. However, the era of the Looney Tunes was not to die with them. The remaining staff at Warner Bros. faced some difficult years ahead, though. They had no direction. They had no title character to carry the company. Or the cartoons.

... that is, until a certain wise-cracking, off-the-wall, little black duck came along.

But that's a story for next time! :)

Longing

As I write this, Anna Kate is no doubt getting ready to go to the beach. Her third beach trip in as many months. I asked her the other day if I could "borrow" one of her vacations sometime. Because my downtime is nonexistent to the point of not allowing any get-away of that sort. And it looks to remain that way for the foreseeable future.

But I'm not writing this to complain, mind you (so don't feel guilty about going away, Anna. Go have a marvelous time). When your time is spent on the things of God, you feel enriched. And you know that you are making some positive investments for the Kingdom.

This week gave me plenty of opportunities to make such investments. Even with VBS being over and work going back to a more controlled chaos (or something like that), the need is still great. I spent Tuesday afternoon helping Trista Tilley prepare a local missions project called NXT2. It's for kids and their parents. Basically we have them come to the church for devotions and a debriefing, and then send them out into the community for various service projects. One day we will head to the city park with a trash list and have a "Trash Treasure Hunt" rounding up all the trash items we can find. Another day we'll be making goodie bags for kids in the hospital. Yet another day is visitation day, when we will head to several of our homebound members and take some time to visit with them.

Wednesday was definitely interesting. I was scheduled to do the CDC (Child Development Center) devotionals for three-to-five year old children. That was certainly a new experience for me, but it worked out nicely, with a lot of prayer and preparation. I gave them a ten-minute lesson on the Creation and put in motions for the kids to do as I read aloud. They were so cute. And they enjoyed describing the animals that God made and how to take care of them. I'm glad I remembered to include plenty of visual aides. Because of CDC, however, I didn't get to observe the SupeReaders Club in the children's library, but I heard it went good. Two new girls joined, bringing our total to four, and they read six books in an hour's time. I'm eagerly awaiting next week when I read to them.

On Thursday, I mailed out about 26 letters to kids and their parents, thanking them for being a part of Vacation Bible School, and to please join us in a couple weeks for Adventure Camp and the Children's Retreat. I should mention that AC and CR are struggling right now. At last check, only nine kids have signed up for AC, and two for CR. Bleak numbers, yeah. Can't very well justify renting a Charter bus if the chaperones outnumber the kids. But we're not panicking. Just praying that God will work it out in His time. I helped supervise Lori Patterson and her "Music & Me" session with pre-school children and their Moms. Definitely a flashback to a time when I used to enjoy banging sticks, cymbals, tamberines, and sand blocks to the stereo music blaring in the background.

I should also mention that Annie Ruth is, in many ways, still a kid herself. Especially at times like these. And that's a great way to be.

Anna Kate and I got to enjoy a nice evening together yesterday as well. We watched the last half of my brother's soccer camp (with Izzy in the car!) and had Little Caesar's pizza for dinner. Then we had a little movie marathon, running the gamut from Batman to Lady and the Tramp to Napoleon Dynamite. Yes, we both finally watched the movie that has since developed a cult following. I think the tagline "Wayne's World: The Next Generation" fits this one pretty well. But then, Wayne's World was funny because it tried to have a purpose. Napoleon is funny because it's almost devoid of purpose. Especially at the beginning. A plot eventually surfaces, but nevertheless...

Oh, and word to classic Disney fans. Lady and the Tramp is still a delightfully charming film. "Bella Note" never gets old (Sony Burke, I salute you). The lush WD-animation. Bright, vivid Victorian-esque landscapes. The dog eyed view in the directorial layout (everything that happens in this movie is seen from the eyes of Lady or Tramp, right down to the names "Jim, Dear" and "Darling"). The opening music and quotation. The original story. Themes handled in a classy, mature sense. Folks, this is golden-age Disney film-making in every way. And it's beautiful.












God bless!

The Real Work

And so we come to the end of VBS week. The saddest day of the week for me. It's hard enough having to clean up the Chapel and to disassemble my beloved Echo Bay, but the most difficult part is saying goodbye to the kids I've grown so attached to in only a week's time. It doesn't hit you until it happens that it's your last half hour to be with them (each rotation), and it feels like you have to say good-bye almost as soon as you've said hello. But still, that is when you remember this amazing truth: the real work begins after VBS ends. As exciting and fun-filled as Vacation Bible School week is, it's after that week is over that you begin to establish permanent contacts and to see children come to Christ and be baptized in the Sundays ahead. VBS itself is a seed that's planted in their lives for Christ to do His work and spur families to unite with our church or lead them to dedicate themselves to Him.

I received a few "treats" today. A kid named Jonathan gave me a courage bracelet just as he was leaving with his group. What a nice gift, and it's orange as well! I saw him break into a huge grin as I slipped it onto my wrist and held it up for him to see. He's a real conscientious kid for his age; even wanted to work with me "after hours" for extra practice on the Arctic Edge motions. You don't get to see that very often!

Abigail and Tiffani swarmed me with hugs at the end of their rotation, along with Victoria and Mary Katherine. It never gets old watching them do the motions with me each morning. One girl named Jewel has a very expressive voice that you have to hear to know what I mean. She asked me to sit next to her during our "wrap up" Worship Rally today, and she positioned my arm around her just the way she wanted it. She's so cute and fun to listen to. I think I only had to get on her once when I caught her trying to eat a LifeSavers candy with the plastic still on it.

Well, I issued the challenge this morning with my third rotation; bar none, the loudest and most consistent group I have had this entire week. I told them about Anna Kate being on vacation in Edisto, and how I had promised I'd call her at some point during the week in one of my music classes and let her know what she was missing out on by not being here. The kids all lit up with smiles and got really excited. So I cranked up Arctic Edge and I dialed Anna Kate's number on my cell phone. She must have picked up at some point because I never said a word into the mouthpiece. I held the phone out to the kids and let their LOUD voices ring through! After a minute or so, I hung up and went back to leading, and I found out later that she did pick up and got the message loud and clear! That'll teach you not to go to the beach during VBS week! Haha! Just kidding, hon. :)

Pastor Randy did a wonderful job leading the Worship Rally yesterday morning. It was decision day, so that's of course the most important day of the week. I think at least 20+ kids made that decision to become followers of Jesus Christ that morning. PRAISE GOD!! INCREDIBLE!! It really feels as if you're being witness to a harvest of souls all around you as these kids, at so young an age, are already making the most important decision of their entire lives. Of course they only have a childlike understanding of what that decision means right now, and they'll certainly face tougher challenges in the years to come, but it's still a time to celebrate because their salvation has been assured, their names are written in the Book of the Lamb, and they have now become children of the King.

And of course, we did another rendition of "Little White Box!" Ask me sometime; I'll tell you what that means.

What an incredible week! I'm dead on my feet right now, but I'm happy and content both inside and out. I guess I'll sign off for now. Until next time, be strong, be courageous, and follow Jesus! (the kids can scream that louder than I can)! :)

Goodnight and God bless!

Courage to Get Up (part 2)

Now onto the details of VBS week so far...

The kids, as always, are the highlight. The joy that fills my heart as I see them walk (or run) into the old Chapel is too great for words to describe. I'm grateful to God for giving me such a passion for them. I've taught four songs already (Arctic Edge, I Know That I Know, Trustin' God, and ABC Peak). I'd say right now, the kids enjoy the Day 2 song (Trustin' God) best, mostly because it has a really neat guitar motion at the start. I let them totally cut loose on that section and they love it! Of course, they always enjoy the theme song and this year is no exception. I keep calling out as we sing, "I can't hear you!" or "You're not loud enough!" And they about knock me over on the next line with their voices. Hey, I asked for it, right?

I've had to repair Echo Bay every afternoon, as the kids tear the cotton rug and mess up the river in the aisle as they enter. I'm just grateful most of that is merely field repairs. No major props getting stolen or falling down.

Victoria is one of my favorites. Every time she comes in with her group, she runs up to hug me, and she gives me another one right before they leave. There's another group of girls that wraps me in a huge group hug after every class. They are so precious. Levi is a kid in the third rotation group who always asks interesting questions. He's also had great responses. I was pleased to see Will Shaw again, in the second rotation. As I hoped, we've got some leaders among the kids, mostly those who were involved with Creative Arts Camp when I gave a sneak preview of Arctic Edge. They've done such a great job that I may let them lead the song on Thursday or Friday.

Vanessa Rhodes teaches the 3rd - 5th graders in the Sanctuary, so she gets the bigger, cooler place to work. Ha ha, but seriously, she's an incredible lady who did the lion's share of work for CAC. So no one was happier than I was to hear that she signed on to help lead VBS music this year. She certainly had to learn a lot in the span of a week, but she looks like she's been doing it for weeks on end (wow, imagine that!). I was assigned a co-partner in Janis Lewis back on Friday, which was kind of tough on her because she had no music or lyrics to go by and was kind of in the dark about everything. So she's had to pick up the songs along with the kids, but it's not a big deal. She's an excellent musician from what I hear, and she's been a nice help with crowd control and everything.

I solved my initial issues with a projector screen by bringing my laptop computer on Wednesday and hooking it up to their outlet device. Of course, that meant dragging along my already-frayed power cord and exposing it to even more wear and tear. I've got to get my butt in gear and buy a new one while I still have the funds to do so.

They introduced a new element to the Worship Rally this year. Prizes! Terri, Laura, and Annie Ruth walk up and down the aisles, tossing candy, shirts, bottles, and other stuff into the crowds, and the kids go absolutely ballistic! You'd think they were at a football or baseball game or something. It's a nifty idea, but I wonder if it's worth the trouble of settling them back down again for prayer/dismissal. I'm more than a little bummed that they decided to skip showing the Worship Rally dramas and Missions videos in the mornings. I understand the need to conserve time and all that, but I still hate to see a VBS drama that put forth amazing effort this year go unviewed. Oh well.

More Arctic Edge goodness still to come!

Courage to Get Up (part 1)

I'm writing this on the tail end of my lunch break. So I apologize ahead of time of any of it is rushed or jumbled; I'll try to make it as coherent as I can. But I wanted to post a quick update on VBS week thus far.

EDIT: I'm going to make this a two-part post. This one will be more on the retrospective, philosophical side (or something of that nature), and the one after that will delve into the actual details of the week.

Anyway, the theme for Arctic Edge is courage. Courage to follow Jesus. Courage to trust Him no matter what, no matter where, no matter when (an actual lyric in one of the songs). But it gets me thinking.

Where does the courage come from?

Humanity is a strange beast sometimes. You know when you feel like you've got things all together, plans have been formulated, and you are ready for anything that could happen? And then boom. The next day knocks you flat on your back. You and I are strange that way.

I've felt ready for Vacation Bible School since late February. That is insane; anyone will tell you that, and I will gladly plead guilty to it. Yet even while I put together my music station, memorized the songs, the lyrics, and the movements, and studied over each day, I had this nagging feeling. I didn't know what it was, even if it was bad or good. And then Monday comes. Suddenly the feeling becomes clear as a bell. The not-so-ready jitters. The overwhelming sense of "Oh-no-what-if-I-fail" syndrome. It lurked last week and then came full blown Monday.

It's funny. I'm no longer surprised when I experience feelings like this. Truth be told, they serve a good purpose. They remind me who's really in charge. I can map out every minute of every day in my music class, have songs timed to the second, and not flub one motion all week. But none of that is enough to unseat God. His throne sits supremely higher; it's kind of like comparing a fisherman's shed to the Sears Tower. I feel blessed to stand in His shadow. God is always running things even - no, I take that back - especially when we don't realize it. He never stops, takes a breather, or says "Okay David, you take the wheel for a while." Believe me when I say we would have crashed a hundred times over by now. Listen to Carrie Underwood sometime. She's onto something.

Nobody likes to get jitters. I certainly don't. Especially not the kind that almost make you sick to your stomach (which is not what you want to be feeling with songs that involve jumping up and down). But with retrospect, it's good medicine. It reminds us of our humanity, our humanness. Suddenly, we're not so on top of things, or as invincible as we thought. All we can do is cry out to God to help us. All we can do is exit the fisherman's shed, no longer the castle we believe it to be sometimes, and kneel before the tower of the Almighty. And like a radiant dove from on high, His hand descends. Not to hurt or chastise but to heal. To comfort. To grant wings of eagles.

That is where true courage comes from.

Watch The Wizard of Oz sometime. There's a great deal of inspiration to be gained from the Cowardly Lion. As is the case with the Scarecrow and the Tin Man, he spends the movie searching for what he had in him the whole time: courage. Yet each time he put up a bold front (i.e., when he first appears and tries to eat Toto - SMACK!) or showed bravado and bluster ("If I were king of the FOREEEEEEEEEST!"), he crashed hard. Courage is not, and should not ever be an act. Each time we try to pull it off we get hosed and exposed. It just doesn't work like that. Humanity is a strange beast, remember? We try to roar like lions, only to cower in fear when we get tested. And if that's true, then I'm the biggest coward on the face of the planet.

But that's when we find the true source of courage. We know about God, we trust that He has a purpose and a plan for our lives, we believe in His Son, choose to follow, and to speak up to all the world about the source of our courage. I wish we didn't have to get desperate so many times to remember our place in the grand scheme of things. But if that's what it takes to bring me out of the shed, whether it's trouble or butterflies in my gut, so be it.

Unexpected Visit

Since Sarah wants to see a post about her visit, like, now, I'll recap it here...

This past Monday night and Tuesday, I got an unexpected treat. A friend of mine named Sarah Miller was able to come to Simpsonville and visit! Sarah and I have been online friends for at least six or seven years, and we've shared lots of fun memories. She and I are fans of role-playing games, and we used to be active in this big online community called the Marvel Sim Chat. My character was Spider-man, and hers was Guyver, from the popular Guyver anime series. But we've had some of the craziest adventures together and put our characters through the most unbelievable scenarios you can imagine. It's a wonder they don't hate us by now. But beyond that, we've had a great friendship that has grown stronger over the years. That's something that will outlast all of our RPGs.

But anyway, Sarah's from Illinois, but she's been living in Atlanta, GA for the past couple of years. She had plans to move back up to Illinois to be with her family, and we worked it out for her to stop here in the upstate to visit. We finally got to meet up late that evening, and we headed out to the movie theater to see Superman Returns (a great movie, by the way). We caught a pretty late matinee, and I didn't expect the movie to last so long. I think it started at 11:15 and didn't end until around 1:45 in the morning. But neither of us were all that tired. We headed back to the Comfort Inn where she was staying the night, and talked until around 3:30 AM. You shoulf see our chat logs sometime. We both like to ramble. A lot.

Sarah had to leave around noon the following day (coincicentally the 4th of July. Ouch), so we got together one last time to go for a walk in the park. We discussed everything from our RPing history to the current state of the comic book industry (it's a pretty bleak one, I'll tell you that much). We capped off her visit with a quick lunch at Subway. Sarah was so funny; she was about to go on the road for an 11-12 hour trip, but she refused to get her food until I ordered for myself. I wasn't really hungry, but I wasn't about to let her drive all the way to Illinois on an empty stomach, so I grabbed a deli sandwich. Thankfully, she had a good trip back and arrived home safely.

We had been planning to meet for some time now, and so I was grateful to finally have the opportunity. Oh, and also. Please pray for Sarah. She's dealing with a lot of things that I'm not going to detail here for the sake of her privacy, but still, please pray for God's blessings and peace on her.

Pushed to the Edge

My goodness. I've been so busy lately that I can hardly believe it's summer and not fall.

Today's title has a double meaning. It pertains to my current status, and of course, the VBS Arctic Edge is next week! I doubt anyone is as excited as I am (but of course, I'm biased, so don't put too much stock in that). I've been anticipating and preparing for this year since the winter months, back when I first heard the preview clips of Jeff Slaughter's latest batch of music. The fact that Joshua 1:9 is our main verse is just cream cheese on the pizza (I'm not a fan of cake. Sue me) but the list goes on and on. I grew more and more excited as the summer months commenced. I plunged into the Bible lessons and just kept thinking, "Wow! The kids are going to learn so much from this!" The worship rally dramas actually look and sound authentic this year (Don't misread me; I enjoy them every year, but even our kids have told me they can get a little sacharrine sometimes. Even Annie Ruth admitted as much, and she is the last person you'd expect to be critical about anything. I admire that about her). The folks at Lifeway, Bill Cox (not Chris and Taylor's Dad), Lynne Norris, and Cupik Warrior Prod. should take a bow.

Well, this week kicked the excitement up another few notches, if that's possible. Ever since I started work, I've been engaged in preliminary decorations for my music station, Echo Bay. Nothing huge, really; just some clipart of snowflakes and the Courage Badges for starts, along with some wilderness shots. The only major decoration I'd done prior to this week was my make-shift caribou, which I created from the body of a camel, burlap sacks, cardboard flaps, paper towel rolls, and lots and lots of aluminum foil. On Monday, my station got the kickstart it needed to really transform itself from the old Chapel into Echo Bay when two wonderful servant adults at Laurel Baptist Church in Mauldin loaned me their fireplace and mantle, plus a window made out of plywood. It gave me the boost to jumpstart the creative process and really go to town on decorating. What a God-send they were!

Actually, God has been all over the place in my work getting ready for next week. Wednesday morning, I head over to the "white house" (not the President's abode, natch; just a regular white house owned by the church) to help Barbara Winnsett paint cardboard boxes white with blue highlights. We're going to use them to create our own igloo in the Sanctuary (but we have to wait until after the Sunday worship service). Anyway, we've got the paint and boxes out on the porch, but all we have to work with are paint brushes. And we have to do 50 boxes. Minimum. Needless the say, the prospects of camping out there the next three to four days looked pretty good. But God came to the rescue. Barbara's son Ben looked deeper into the house and unearthed God's chosen tool for salvation: rollers. Sweet, glorious rollers. And we were off and running. No one tell me God doesn't provide!

Meanwhile, I've been putting together the Echo Bay on the side. The mantlepiece, window (now sporting a royal blue curtain) and caribou (I finally found some antlers for him; took me the longest time) are all in place. Camping chairs and sleeping bag have been added, plus the station sign, a tree with snow made from cotton balls, as well as cotton batting for a snow-covered backdrop. Even found room on the left side to prop a sled against a door. Again, I'll have to wait until Sunday afternoon to finish it off, but at least I can step back, look at it now, and be satisfied to some extent. As long as the kids don't mind the heavy oak pews too much, I think we're in business.

All this leaves me thinking, "Where does the strength come from? Where does the courage come from? How can I keep this breakneck pace up without collapsing?" By this point, that should be obvious. But sometimes you just have to kind of stop for a minute, take stock of everything that's happened, and realize that you stopped living off your strength long ago, and God's been doing the work since. And you just have to praise Him. I take back that 'sometimes.' Do it ALL the time. Like one of our VBS songs states, "I will be trustin' God with all my heart, no matter what, no matter where, no matter when / I will depend on Him, I will not lean on my own understanding / In everything I do, I gotta have the courage to trust in God." Sounds simple, right? But it's so much more difficult to apply to real life, isn't it? I pray that we can drive that message home to the kids. Give us the strength, Lord.

So anyway, this is likely my last post before the main event. Next week - Vacation Bible School. "Arctic Edge: Where Adventure Meets Courage." I'm ready for it.

Pie in the Sky

I tried. Really hard.

The Rapture, the third prequel in the Left Behind series, was released in bookstores back on June 6 (and no, I paid absolutely no attention to the whole 6.6.06 Mark of the Beast/Day of the Apocalypse hoopla. It was used as nothing but a marketing ploy, same thing with The Omen remake, with no bearing or weight placed upon the Biblical meaning of 666. And as Christians, I feel we have more important things to concern ourselves with).

Anyway, I tried to wait until the book was released in paperback. Not to save myself a few dollars, but just for consistency's sake. Every book in my Left Behind collection (excluding The Regime) is in paperback. But as I was driving away from Chick-Fil-A on Woodruff Road, having just picked up dinner, I saw the Family Christian Bookstore in my rearview mirror. And I just couldn't wait any longer. So I drove over there and picked it up.

I'm often told that I'm a speedy reader. I guess that's true, because I finished the 351-page book in less than 24 hours. Or maybe the series is simply that engaging (would that I could plow through a William Faulkner book in that amount of time).

So everything comes to a head in this book. Now that we've covered the past lives of our lead characters and seen the events and circumstances that shaped them into the people that they are, we come full circle and return to the point where it all began: the Rapture. We have several scenes taken straight from the original Left Behind novel, but make no mistake, this is not purely a re-hash of what's gone before. The main thrust is what Irene and Raymie Steele, wife and son of Rayford, experience as they are taken from the Earth along with billions of other believers, and meet Jesus in the air. We get scenes in Heaven interspersed with what's happening back on Earth. And it feels every bit as haunting and claustrophobic as it did when I read it the first time. But now it is balanced out with the glory and triumph of those who placed their faith in Christ, and received their rewards at the throne.

As always, I enjoyed the book immensely. I'll probably go back and reread it different sections at a time over the next several days. It's hard to read this and not hurt for Rayford. He had so many chances to come to Christ and join Irene and Raymie, but he wasn't willing to listen. For Cameron "Buck" Williams, who would not take the last step beyond acknowledging the existence of God to believing in Jesus. As a reporter, he was consumed with the truth, yet he missed the biggest one of them all. For Chloe Steele, who wouldn't accept anything that couldn't be proven at face value. For Abdullah Smith, who didn't take seriously his wife Yasmine's newfound faith until it was too late to meet them. For Bruce Barnes, the assistant pastor at New Hope Village Church. His life was a lie, his ministry produced no fruit, and he found himself wracked with shame and guilt when every member of the church disappeared, including the pastor. It's a pretty sobering read. I'm only glad to know what happens to them next.

There are some pretty heavy theological issues in this book. The whole pre/post-tribulation debate is brought up in a sermon given by Pastor Vernon Billings. I'm sure experts and others are going to rip LaHaye and Jenkins a new one for the lengths they go to put this out there. I'm no theologian and hardly an expert. So I'm not qualified to join that camp by any standard. I will say that, in my personal opinion (and it ultimately means nothing), there is a lot of truth in this book, and the series. The fact that countless people have cited the series as the springboard that inspired them to come to faith is proof enough of that. There is also a lot of junk to be found. Areas in which artistic and creative license is used. And that's true for any "inspirational" book or Christian-fiction. These authors are only human. Their books should not be considered well-springs of truth. Only the Word of God fits that bill.

I feel that the job of these books should be to get people interested, make them ask questions, and broaden their perspectives. If they are non-believers, I sincerely hope it pushes them to get into the Bible, bring their questions to a family member, a close friend, or a local church pastor. Someone who can help guide them to the truth and a salvation experience in Jesus Christ. Because they won't find it solely in Left Behind, Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins, or any fictional or media device in existence. And they shouldn't be lauded as such. Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." That hasn't changed today. And so I think if the series directs people to Jesus, it's doing the job. If it's focused solely on success and fortune, it's a colossal failure. Fortunately, I have confidence that the authors have the big picture in mind as they churn out these books.

One point I was particularly glad LaHaye & Jenkins brought up was the whole idea of giving up on the world at large. By that, I mean the view of Christians sitting around anxiously, doing nothing but awaiting Jesus's return to Earth, obsessed with end times, dates, being taken away from this sinful world, etc. In other words, not focused on living, but on dying. I'll quote directly from the character of Billings, who sums it up better than I ever could:

"Just because you may be rescued someday before the Tribulation hits doesn't mean it's time to sell all your own and sit on a mountaintop waiting for a chariot to haul you away. If you truly believe Jesus is coming and that He could be coming soon, you ought to be about His work. And that's more about widows and orphans than it is about setting dates, figuring out who the Antichrist might be, waiting for pie in the sky, by and by."

When we become sold out to Jesus, we are called to share the truth. Time spent on figuring out dates for Christ's return, postulating why Saddam Hussein or George W. Bush could be the Antichrist, is time being wasted. Jesus Himself said all of that would happen in its own time and its own way. God's timetable is not ours to know or to fully understand, so we shouldn't concern ourselves about it. Our big concern is obeying the Great Commission. To go out and confront the world on God's terms. To conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel. To be bold as conquerors in the faith, wise as serpents in separating truth from falsehood, yet gentle as doves in loving and winning people to the Kingdom. That's why I see books like these as springboards, not well-springs. The real work happens after they are read. What you do with it. Do you jump into the Bible? Do you take that next step on the fence with God, ready to fall into the arms of the Lamb? Do you take action, renew your own personal committment to reach that neighbor, co-worker, or church prospect with the truth? Or do you replace the book on a shelf? Dismiss it as a compelling read, but not willing to go further? To have questions answered?

If nothing else, that's what I hope the Left Behind series accomplishes. We shouldn't focus on our pie in the sky. There's plenty of fruit to be produced here. And it's our job to find it and harvest it. While we still have the time.