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As
I was watching the David Jeremiah “Turning Point” broadcast today, the good
minister presented the most poignant illustration.
It
seems a very large, rather formal church hoped to put together a ministry
designed to reach the students of a nearby university. However, not having ever
undertaken such a project, the pastor and board were a bit perplexed about how
to approach the task.
On
one particular Sunday, a student of that university attended the morning
worship service. It so happened that David was, like so many other young adults
who attended this school, a bit eccentric, or at least wanted to ‘fit in,’ and
was dressed in a pair of cut-off jeans, old t-shirt, and sandals. His hair was
cut into a mohawk, and was tie-dyed in several colors.
However,
David arrived a few minutes late, and as he entered the sanctuary, he realized
that every pew was full to capacity. As a result, the teenaged student walked
the entire length of the center carpet, and plopped himself down in the aisle.
You could have heard a pin drop. Though the pastor had stepped up to the pulpit
to deliver his morning message, he seemed unable to proceed.
Suddenly,
from the back of the sanctuary an aged, white-haired deacon appeared, and began
to make his way down the aisle towards the hapless university student. His
relatively short journey was hampered by his lack of mobility, and his cane
‘clicked,’ ‘clicked’ with each step her took.
A
holy hush permeated the building as the board member made his way closer,
closer to his quest. All eyes were directed towards the deacon, then the
student, then the deacon.
Finally,
having arrived next to the boy, and pausing for a moment, the old gent dropped
his cane, and struggled to… lower himself to the floor beside David. And there
they sat. One very young, and unconventional student. One very old, and
conventional deacon. Side by side, and ready for a Gospel message.
And
at this juncture, the pastor regained a bit of his composure, and exclaimed,
“What
I am about to preach you will never remember. What you have just witnessed take
place before you, you will never forget.”
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