Joseph's Trouble

I've been thinking a lot lately about my short view of suffering. I get so frustrated about any sort of suffering that lasts longer than a few weeks. I try to figure out why it is happening, and what I need to change to make it stop, and on and on and on. But while Jesus promises trials to believers, He never says that they will ever be resolved in this life. As an example, we have Paul, who prays for the "thorn in the flesh" to be removed and comes to accept that his continuing suffering is somehow part of God's plan, even though it seems to be hindering his effectiveness in ministry. God certainly doesn't give us a schedule of His plan. How arrogant to expect one!

I have been especially pondering this issue in light of the believers of the Old Testament. I just finished reading about the life of Joseph. Here is a man of God in prison for a crime he did not commit. He has been serving his best even in prison, and suddenly there is a ray of hope--a man whose dream he has explained will be released, and has promised to plead his case before the Pharoah himself! And then...nothing happens. For two years.

For two years, Joseph sits in prison. Was he examining and re-examining his life for secret sins to explain why he is there in the first place? Was he hoping for release, and giving up, and hoping, and giving up, over and over? We know that it all turns out for the good, and eventually Joseph will know that, too. Meanwhile, he sits in prison, waiting for a deliverance he is uncertain will ever come.

"Better Than I"
(Joseph's song in prison,
from Joseph: King of Dreams)

~~~~~
I thought I did what's right

I thought I had the answers

I thought I chose the surest road

But that road brought me here

So I put up a fight

And told You how to help me

Now just when I had given up

The truth is coming clear
~~~

For You know better than I

You know the way

I let go the need to know why

For You know better than I
~~~

If this has been a test

I cannot see the reason

But maybe knowing "I don't know"

Is part of getting through

I try to do what's best

And faith has made it easy

To see the best thing I can do

Is put my faith in You
~~~

For You know better than I
You know the way
I let go the need to know why
For You know better than I
~~~

I saw one cloud and thought it was the sky

I saw a bird and thought that I could follow

But it was You who taught that bird to fly

If I let you reach me, will You teach me

~~~
For You know better than I

You know the way

I let go the need to know why

I'll take what answer You supply

'Cause You know better than I

"Just improv it!"

My church is dominated by the athletically inclined. These people do not understand artistic people. They also don't understand that pulling off a quality play/skit/other dramatic endeavor involves more than it takes to throw together a volleyball game. ("That was always your problem, Jason, you were never serious about the craft!"--Alexander, Galaxy Quest) I guess in a way it is flattering that people who don't understand what you do think you can do anything and everything. But I mainly find it frustrating.

The following illustrates both the attitudes of the athletic types and (if we're being honest) my relative incompetence when it comes to dealing with them.

October: I suggest an ethnography as entertainment for the Valentine's Day banquet, which is the big youth group fundraiser. I try to explain what an ethnography is. "That sounds interesting!" say the senior leaders. They promptly forget what "ethnography" means.

November: I try to explain that I want the interviews recorded. They don't see any need for this. They say they will take good notes, since I can't be there for the interviews. Despite repeated inquiries on my part and promises on their part, I never see any of these notes.

December: I ask about the next round of interviews and am told they "don't have anything scheduled," but that they figure they can do them in January.

January: I say that we really don't have time to put together proper skits (by this time the show has morphed from an ethnography focusing on the parallels between marriage and one's relationship with Christ to a series of skits focusing on funny couple stories). The senior leaders say we can share the load, and each work on two or three groups. One of the senior leaders says, "Besides, I don't think we really even need to write anything. We can just improv it!" This leads me to wonder if he has been paying any attention to the general skill sets and memory spans of these particular teenagers. The phrase "just improv," to me, also suggests that he has no idea what good improv actually is.

February: I get out of town for that weekend, because I do not want to see everyone pull off a halfway decent job to rave reviews from the audience when I was hoping for ample preparation time, enthusiastic participation, and a quality performance. (Seemingly I have yet to internalize the athletic dominance point.)


With fond memories of Calvin theatrical collaborations,
Me

What do they teach them in these schools?

This week I received a fundraising letter from a girl at my church who wants to go on a missions trip. One of her prayer requests was for "confidence for me as I teach these children Englesh."

Bless her, her heart is in the right place...but I hope she lets other people do the teaching....

Academic Inquiry

Tonight somebody from my church was talking about the annual Valentine's Day banquet, and saying that she was against the ballroom dancing idea partly because it would make the single people feel awkward. "The whole event," I said, "will do that." To which her husband promptly responded, not "Interesting--maybe we should rethink the concept of the church promoting a holiday that fosters unrealistic and misdirected expectations and makes single Christians feel like lesser members of the body of Christ," but "Don't worry; there's someone out there for you."

Why is it that when you say anything resembling "I don't like Valentine's Day" people invariably come out with a comment like, "Don't worry; there's someone out there for you"?

And why is it that if you posed this question, large numbers of people would jump down your throat over it and accuse you of being a bitter and/or cynical person?

Me neither.

Have you ever been driving down the road, seen a sign outside of a grocery store advertising sale prices for "Pork Butt," and thought, "Oooo! I gotta get me some of that!"