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Kairos
Kairos
An Experimental Weekend Conference
© InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, 1996 All Rights Reserved
by Curtis Chang
50 Sawyer Ave. - Tufts University
Medford, MA 02155
617-625-2257
cchang@emerald.tufts.edu
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Introduction
On the weekend of Oct. 11-13, 1996, over 250 students from Boston InterVarsity
fellowships participated in our area's fall conference, held simultaneously at Camp Bement
and Camp Toah Nipi. The conference, entitled
KAIROS: The Time Is Now, represented
an experiment in drama, Bible study, and several other aspects of our campus ministry. It
was like no other conference we have ever given in the area. This report on the conference
takes the form of two main sections: 1) An explanation of the vision, format, and the
immediate fruit of KAIROS; 2) The actual scripts, monologues, and talks used during the
weekend. I wrote this report to continue the learning process from this experiment, so your
feedback and thoughts are greatly desired.
The Vision of The KAIROS Conference
The fall weekend conference plays a strategic role in the ministry of InterVarsity.
We expect the conference to shape the basic convictions of our groups, to help members
bond with each other, and in general, to open the hearts of seekers and believers to the work
of God that hopefully will continue the rest of the year. Thus, each year, staffworkers devote
much energy and resources towards recruiting students to attend the fall conference. Yet, in
Boston and in many other areas nationwide, the format of the weekend conference has
remained essentially unchanged over the years. We have presented material in the standard
format of four talks (or less commonly, four manuscript study sessions) given by one or a
few teachers.
In the summer of 1996, Rich Lamb, the Boston area director, gave me carte blanche
to experiment with the Boston area fall conference, provided that the content be based on
Mark 1-2:17 (the first four pages of our year long Mark Manuscript Studies). While I
initially took on the assignment as a creative exercise, I came to see the necessity of
reworking this old wineskin. In recent years, the Holy Spirit has breathed significant new
understandings and practices into our ministry on campus. The campground, however, has
been left behind. My main goal in creating
KAIROS: The Time Is Now was to incorporate
the following new understandings and practices into the conference format.
The Power Of Drama
The Willow Creek conference in the fall of 1995 convinced many of us in InterVarsity
of the strategic importance of drama for our ministry. Willow Creek uses drama to make an
"end run" around the intellectual defenses of the unchurched. Their dramatic presentations
seek to connect to the non-believer's emotional life, opening a channel for the ensuing
presentation of the Gospel.
Although the Willow Creek ministry targets the Boomer generation, the need to
make such "end runs" is even greater for the student generation. Our students, especially
those from New England, arrive as the most post-Christian generation ever. The assumption
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that Christianity is relevant no longer governs. The non-Christians that somehow arrive at
our conferences need immediate evidence that Christianity connects practically to their lives.
For them, dramas that recreate relevant experiences, emotions, and issues serve as very
helpful "welcome mats" into a weekend.
Increasingly, however, even our Christian conference goers need more than just four
well given talks. All of our students are shaped by the post-modern sensibilities of the MTV
and World Wide Web culture. Generally, they react poorly to the modernist elements of
many standard talks: linear development of ideas, propositional thinking, and the demand for
a long attention span. As numerous commentators have emphasized, post-modern listeners
instead respond best to story.1 "The next century," someone (who I cannot remember) has
declared, "belongs to those who can tell the best stories." While narrative preaching and
speaker anecdotes can help to make talks more accessible, nothing beats the power of story
actually enacted before the audience. Drama is the best form of story telling.
A related post-modern trait that is especially pronounced in Gen Xer's is the suspicion
of authority and claims to authority.2 The Gen X conference goer would prefer to be shown
truth rather than told truth. Drama (or at least, good drama) obviously relies on the former,
while talks tend to rely on the latter. Moreover, this post-modern suspicion of authority also
means students are less likely to accept the speaker simply because she is the designated
speaker. If they do not know the speaker personally -- as is the case when a speaker is
brought in from outside -- the speaker must earn the right to be heard. One critical form of
currency is the speaker's ability to demonstrate that she can relate to the audience's lives, that
she has gone through similar experiences. For our students, in a sense, a speaker is only as
effective as the stories she can tell from her life. However, truly skilled story tellers are rare
enough, skilled story tellers with the right kind and quantity of life stories to connect with the
campus are rarer still. When the format of our conference involves bringing hundreds of
students from very diverse cultural, economic, gender, and family backgrounds to hear just
one outside speaker, that one speaker faces a tremendous challenge. She must avoid
alienating one or more segments of the audience, much less establish effective points of
connection with the group as a whole.
In contrast, any given drama can provide multiple characters, and hence multiple
points of connection. Furthermore, the drama laced conference does not need to search for a
speaker with just the right type of life experience; rather, it can create those experiences
outright. Instead of wondering if the male speaker can speak with any authority about the
eating disorders found in many of the female students, we can simply create a drama using
female staff or students. Dramas afford tremendous freedom for custom fitting presentations
for different audiences.
Besides drama's strategic usefulness, we are discovering that this medium is simply
most faithful to the our message. The Gospel is not so much a list of propositions as it is a
1
See Stanley Hauerwas,
A Community of Character, (Notre Dame, Ind.: Univ. of Notre Dame Press, 1981) and
Charles Taylor,
Sources of the Self, (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1989)
2
J. Middleton and B. Walsth,
Truth Is Stranger Than It Used to Be, (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1995), pp. 28-45
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dramatic story. Scripture bears witness to a God who over and over reveals himself in an
ongoing narrative beginning with the creation account. The prophets depict visually stunning
scenes like Ezekiel's valley of dry bones, or enact little morality plays like Hosea's marriage
to Gomer. And of course, Jesus himself was the master dramatist. We need drama, if for no
other reason than to remain faithful to the Great Story.
A Different Model Of Scripture Study
Because of the limitations of relying solely on a speaker, many conferences turn to
manuscript studies. The format is additionally attractive because InterVarsity is distinguished
by our emphasis on leading students to a transformative experience with Scripture. And in
recent years, we have felt God leading us to new life in our practice of manuscript study,
especially when dealing with narrative material.
The standard model of manuscript study in InterVarsity for years has been OIA.:
Observation, Interpretation, Application. As the name suggests, the OIA model begins with
the student standing as an external and objective observer to the Scripture story. From that
posture, he collects data which produces an interpretation: some timeless truth or principle.
Only at the end is the student led to connect that truth or principle to his own life.
This model has seemed increasingly obsolete to us. First, it proves ineffective in
practice with the typical Gen X'er. As has already been noted, this generation ruthlessly
subjects all material to the initial question: "Is this relevant?" "Does this material," the
student wants to know at the outset, "connect to an experience, feeling, or question I have?"
The OIA simply takes too long to provide an answer; many students lose interest before the
application stage.3
Secondly, the OIA model violates the fundamental nature of narrative material. The
best stories draw readers into themselves from the outset. The most powerful ones effect
change in the reader by carrying the reader along the changes in the story. The reader comes
to inhabit the story and be transformed by the forces within it. To put it another way, in any
given manuscript study, there are two stories present: the readers' own life stories and the
Gospel story. The most transformative studies are the ones that effectively weave those two
stories together. Yet, the OIA model seems ill suited, even deliberately hostile to that sort of
organic connection. It keeps the two stories as parallel developments with only a rather
abstract connection at the end.
Instead, in our ministry at Tufts and in the region as a whole, we have increasingly
experimented with what I call "a narrative weave" model of manuscript study. For those
interested in this model (and the critique of the OIA model behind it), I have attached a short
postscript at the end of this section. In this new model, the initial and most crucial "move"
we want to lead our students towards is to enter the Biblical story with their imaginations
and feelings. We want them to see, hear, touch, feel the story in a way that relates to how
they have already seen, heard, touched, and felt in their life. While we certainly also want
3
See various training material from Charlie Knerr and Rich Lamb on this point.
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them to engage their intellectual faculties, we believe real transformation must involve the
affective side as well.
This new model requires some deliberate training. While I am convinced the
narrative and affective sensibility is actually far more "natural" to human beings in general --
the modern Western emphasis on objective observation and abstraction is a relative
aberration compared to the story based cultures widespread throughout history -- many of
our students need help to reclaim the narrative sensibility towards the Bible in particular.
Churched students have been trained to quickly (and often facilely) glean the right principle
from passages; unchurched ones assume the Bible is boring. A weekend conference is an
ideal setting for retraining both groups. We have extended time for the process of teaching,
demonstrating, and ultimately giving them opportunities to enter the stories of Scripture.
Hunger For Healing
If a conference succeeds in establishing some initial connection to students'
experiences, the question then arises, "How does it effectively address those experiences?"
For many of our students, their core experiences involve deep brokenness: addictions, family
dysfunctions, abuse, and sexual sin at levels that seem unheard of just a generation ago. A
conference may effectively recreate and evoke these issues, but what will it do about them?
One thing is certain: it must do more than teach about them. These issues are deeply
emotional, core aspects of our students' lives and their remedy requires more than hearing
principles or truths. In my ministry experience, "head knowledge," while certainly necessary
for our students' growth, simply fails to heal the brokenness of the heart. Moreover,
teaching about such emotional issues without providing some felt experience of healing tends
to create a dissonance in our students. "I keep hearing all about a Jesus that heals," she
wonders, "so why am I still suffering from this crippling eating disorder?" The more
conference talks she hears, the more that dissonance can widen -- to the point of her very
faith in Jesus breaking.
The only true remedy we can provide is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. As one
staffworker in our area has written:
"Forgiveness of sin, healing of pain, adoption into a family -- according to the New
Testament, these are among the core functions of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is
the gracious presence who fills the absences of our lives. And it is not much of an
exaggeration to say that wherever effective ministry is happening among my
generation, the Holy Spirit is coming in power. We are not all becoming
charismatics... It is simply that we need God too much, day to day, to live without his
real presence, a presence that addresses and transforms our hearts, minds, and wills."
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4
Andy Crouch, "A Generation of Debtors" in Christianity Today, Nov. 11, 1996, pg. 33
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While no conference can manufacture the presence of the Holy Spirit, there are better or
worse wineskins. We need to develop formats which can draw students out of being merely
passive audiences towards actively participating in the work of God in their lives.
Conferences need structures where students do not just listen to talk about Jesus, but meet
his touch by the power of the Spirit.
Empowering A Broader Range of Gifts
According to Scripture, the Holy Spirit also empowers our ministry by giving God's
people a wide variety of gifts for building up the body of Christ. The Willow Creek Church
impressed many of us with its emphasis on identifying and publicly displaying that full variety
during its conference. Yet, the usual four-talk InterVarsity conference tends to utilize a very
restricted set of gifts. Up front teaching occupies most of the attention, shared perhaps only
by the worship leading. Staff who are not strong in those particular gifts are relegated to an
auxiliary status with little opportunity to exercise their gifts.
While no conference can make public room for all of the ministry gifts, there certainly
should be space for more than just the one or two we currently highlight. The visual arts,
dramatic acting and writing, musical composition and performance, production, and prayer
leadership are all gifts that could potentially be called forth in a weekend conference. Staff
need opportunities to display such gifts not just for their own development, but also for the
sake of students. Students need to see that they have potential for public ministry even if
they don't teach or lead worship. Moreover, since student leadership is so prized in
InterVarsity, our conferences ideally should provide opportunities for them to develop the
variety of gifts in themselves.
The KAIROS Conference Format
The basic flow of the weekend followed the first two chapters of Mark. On Friday
night, we sought to dramatically recreate the emotions of the first Kairos moment: what it
was like for Jesus to suddenly enter into the lives of First century Jews. Moreover, using a
presentation that involved lighting changes and surprise, we wanted to jolt them into a sense
of "nowness." The same scene also was designed to begin evoking the experience of
"darkness" in their own lives.
Friday night also introduced the central dramatic device of the conference. We
enacted a dorm Bible study beginning to look at the book of Mark. As the student
characters interacted with Mark on stage, different aspects of the scenes they were discussing
would also come to life on stage. This device was crucial for several reasons. It allowed us
to model throughout the week how students could engage with the text in a way that brought
the story to life. In fact, I encouraged the audience to follow the staged Bible study with
their own Bibles, in effect to begin the process of themselves "enacting" their own Bible
study. As the characters acted out different approaches to Scripture -- ranging from
boredom to curiosity to connection -- the real life students could move along with the
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characters in a parallel process. Finally, the Bible study setting was one that most students
could immediately relate to, and a convenient place to represent their concerns and attitudes.
While drama provided the bulk of the conference's content, the format also included
regular talks. For instance, Friday night concluded with a short talk explaining more clearly
the meaning of Kairos and an explicit invitation to students to experience their own Kairos
this weekend. We felt that not all the students would "get it" just from the various dramatic
scenes, and many would be expecting teaching in the traditional format. Also, the
conference broke up throughout the week into small groups to give people opportunities to
process the content.
The Saturday morning session resumed the enacted Bible study as they dealt with
repentance and obedience. The Bible study scene cut to a humorous "Satan Corporation"
scene to illustrate sin, while another cut to a dramatic monologue by "Simon" portrayed the
process of repentance. The different monologues in the conference provided excellent
examples of the flexibility afforded by the dramatic medium. Each of the staff presenting a
monologue tailored the character to meld with his or her own character, producing a range of
possible connection points for the audience. "Simon" was an overachiever, the paralytic
struggled with hopelessness, and the leper revealed her hidden anger. Interestingly, the
monologues also differed somewhat between the two conference locations. For instance, at
the camp site with predominantly Asian American fellowships, Simon sounded distinctly
Asian American with concerns about disappointing parents, family honor, etc. .
While the staff played many of the key roles, all of the scenes included characters
played by students from our fellowships. In the week before the conference, I distributed
different parts of the overall script to staff at different fellowships. They recruited students
and did preliminary rehearsal. Then, the "director" of the weekend conducted the final
rehearsals immediately before the conference (and several last minute ones in the middle of
the weekend!).
Saturday evening represented the fulcrum of the conference. Much of what we had
done up to that point was designed to lead students to a real experience of meeting Jesus
themselves that night; how the evening went would dictate the conference's ultimate effect on
most students. We began the evening in small group Bible study, looking at the passages on
Jesus healing the leper and the paralytic. We were explicitly leading students towards
replicating the type of Bible study they had witnessed on stage the last two days. Students
were asked to concentrate on imagining the scene and the emotions involved. Then we
gathered as the whole group and shared insights on how the leper and the paralytic felt
approaching and finally receiving Jesus' touch. In the middle of this large scale Bible study,
two different staff stood up and delivered dramatic monologues as those two characters.
This was followed by a couple of student testimonies which recounted experiences of
meeting Jesus in healing prayer. Again, we were hoping to invite students to see the biblical
stories of healing as stories they could enter themselves.
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That invitation was made more explicit as the program transitioned into a time of
prayer for healing. The role of the Holy Spirit, the importance of confession and
forgiveness, and the benefit of receiving prayer from friends were briefly explained. Students
then prepared themselves by listening to a couple of evocative songs about pain and Christ's
healing, written and performed by a recent graduate of InterVarsity. The rest of the
evening was a combination of prayer and worship. Students either prayed silently, with a
friend, with staffworkers who were available, or just participated in worshipping Jesus.
Sunday morning basically centered on the closing talk, "Where Do We Go From
Here." This talk presented the core values of our ministry: calling students to a path of
ongoing discipleship and the call to leadership as part of that discipleship. We also used the
morning to present a student testimony about the year long Mark study on campus and
generally advertise regular Bible study with our fellowships back on campus. The camp
ended with small groups talking about specific goals for the future and a camp wide sharing
and worship time.
The Fruit So Far
The Response To Drama
The positive effect of the dramatic format was felt immediately. For the vast
majority of the audience, Friday caught their attention and created a sense of anticipation for
the weekend. One student said afterwards, "It was such a different camp experience: I
actually stayed awake for the whole session!" Another reported, "Usually on the Friday
night of a conference, you sort of are not "really there" yet. You know you have the whole
weekend so you plan on easing into it. But this time, when the lights suddenly went out and
stuff started happening around the room, it was, like, whoa, 'I guess we're starting now!'"
Throughout the week, students expressed deep appreciation for the dramas; in
conversations and small group sharing, they referred to specific scenes or characters as
touchstones for their sharing. One staff reported that the weekend produced a major
breakthrough in vulnerablility for a group of men in his fellowship. It seemed that the
portrayal of real emotions and experiences on stage opened up people to do the same in their
relationships.
The impact on the non-Christians attending the conference was the most heartening.
After watching the Friday night "Life In The Darkness" scene, one woman told her
staffworker, "That's me! That woman who just kept turning on lights until she got tired and
went to sleep -- that's exactly what I do all the time." Several of the seekers reported similar
experiences of connection, albeit each with different characters. In the few weeks after the
conference, five of the non-Christians who came to the conference eventually decided to start
following Jesus. Most of them cited the conference as one of the their own "Kairos"
moments that contributed to that decision.
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Interestingly enough, the few negative responses to the drama came from students
with the strongest church backgrounds. One said, "It was good drama to watch, but I just
didn't get anything out of it." The strongest of such comments came from Asian Americans
(especially Korean Americans) who clearly were expecting more traditional expository
preaching. They tended to ask, "Where was the Word? Where was the Biblical teaching?"
For several of them, the dramatic format was simply too much of a departure from what
Christian conferences were "supposed to be." This dynamic seems to point to Willow
Creek's conviction that it is difficult to meet both the needs of seekers and believers in the
same format.
We also experienced tension from the dramas actually accomplishing their purpose.
As the scenes surfaced emptiness, boredom, or pain in some students' lives, several of them
who had tended to suppress such feelings began to experience frustration at their own
condition. Some tried to redirect that frustration towards the conference itself. While as staff
we tended to view this as ultimately a positive development, it made the weekend less
manageable and smooth than most conferences. In our Saturday afternoon staff meeting, I
had the sensation that we had opened the lid on some emotional realities that we could not
address by our own power. The experience reminded me of two important caveats when it
comes to the use of drama in ministry. First, well done drama can be an exceptionally strong
tool, and thus must be wielded with great pastoral care. Secondly and most importantly,
drama can whet appetites but it cannot ultimately feed. In that staff meeting, we felt
convicted that the most we could do was pray for those frustrated students to truly meet
Jesus in that evening's time of prayer. Without a satisfying encounter with Jesus by the
power of the Holy Spirit, drama itself can simply produce frustration and disappointment.
Drama raises the stakes involved in a conference.
Love For Scripture
Many students reported that the weekend helped them see Scripture in a fresh new
light. One explained her desire to rejoin a Mark study by writing, "Putting Jesus' stories to
life had a big impact on people... [the dramas] reminded me that Jesus was a person -- I really
missed seeing him in that way and receiving from His word (hence my 'return visits' to Mark
Study). I guess that shows how effective the dramas were -- they made me miss Jesus, but
Jesus as a character never appeared in any of them!" The effectivenss of the dramas was
also evident in the mass Bible study of Saturday night. Students clearly "got" the narrative
approach they had seen performed on stage, resulting in one of the most lively and engaging
large Bible studies I've ever led. At the end of the weekend, one student declared, "I'm really
excited to go and read the Bible more on my own; I never realized that there were so many
interesting things in so few lines." We witnessed an increased interest overall in Mark
studies back on campus.
Empowering Gifts
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the weekend for me was seeing dramatic talent
emerge in several staff. Almost none had any previous theatrical training; yet, in my opinion
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and that of most students, the quality of the performances was very high. I believe this
illustrates the truth that drama in general is far more intrinsic to our created natures than we
tend to believe. Having staff develop some of their own monologues was also an excellent
training exercise in narrative preaching. The staff who developed "Simon's" talk said
afterwards, "I felt like I became this guy... and I think this will help me give other talks that
have some dramatic elements." Finally, besides the quality of the presentations, the number
of staff who simply received a chance to be up front was higher than any of our previous
conferences.
The variety of gifts employed was also wider. One staff used her background in
visual arts to produce the "slide show" in the "Satan Corporation" scene. Another displayed
great ingenuity in acquiring all the lighting props for Saturday night. One staffworker who
tends not to see teaching or acting as his primary gifting got the opportunity to exercise his
very strong gifts in encouragement and production as he directed many of the key scenes at
one camp. A couple of InterVarsity alums who performed musically on Saturday night
greatly appreciated the opportunity to develop that ministry. One of them had just left her
job because she believed God was calling her to pursue a music ministry. At the end of the
conference, she said, "It was so encouraging to be in a setting where everyone was so clearly
offering what they were supposed to offer. And it really confirmed that this is what I have to
offer."
This empowering effect was also witnessed in the students. The ones who acted in
the scenes unanimously described the experience as very positive. They felt increased
ownership of the conference, as did their fellow students who were watching "their own" on
stage. Several of the ones who excelled were ones who did not fit well into any of the
traditional leadership roles in their fellowships. One woman told her staffworker, "For the
first time, I felt like I was doing something that was 'truly me' in ministry. I feel like this sort
of thing is what God made me to do." Since the retreat, she has been a leader in her
fellowship's attempt to stage drama based seeker meetings. The same staffworker believes
that the weekend inspired his group and gave them a model for those meetings.
While the range of people and gifts involved was wider than ever, the conference
highlighted the critical need for the specific gift of dramatic writing. I am convinced that a
production like
KAIROS requires one person (or a very small number of people who have a
LOT of time to work together) to conceive the vision of the weekned and do the bulk of the
writing. While different group settings were helpful in stimulating my creativity and some of
the monologues were farmed out to different people, there is a very strong limit to creative
writing by committee.
KAIROS succeded (to the extent that it did) because each scene was
woven into each other, and together the scenes were trying to take the audience along a
particular path. I would caution against any attempt to stage something like this by simply
assigning different people to come up with scenes for each session.
This means that we will need to identify those with the gift of writing and free up
their time and energy for writing. I do not know how rare this gift is intrinscially, but I
suspect that it is scarce currently. I suspect that for us as an area and for InterVarsity
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nationally, this scarcity (and how we deal with it) will determine our growth in the areas I
have discussed.
Nevertheless, I think there is great potential for the sort of experimentation
characterized by
KAIROS. It is my hope that God will continue to pour out His Spirit into
such new wineskins. The time is now.
POSTSCRIPT:
Bible Study and Generation X: A model for narrative
study
Much of our Bible studies in InterVarsity involve leading students to look at narrative
passages. Most of our "canon within the Canon" focuses in particular on stories of Jesus
interacting with other people. The standard model for approaching Scripture in InterVarsity
is the OIA model (Observation, Interpretation, Application). Yet, in our ministry, we have
found that our central model is quite ineffective for our central material. In this paper, I want
to highlight some of the shortcomings in the OIA model -- especially as applied to narrative
passages -- and propose a different approach.
The essential nature of a Bible study is that there are two stories going on: the story
unfolding in the scripture and the story unfolding in the lives of students in the Bible study.
Think of a Bible study of a narrative passage as being composed of the four quadrants
outlined in the diagram below. Up until now, we in InterVarsity have viewed a typical study
in the Gospel, for instance, as having almost parallel processes. In the standard OIA model,
we first notice who the characters are, where the story takes place, how do they come to
Jesus, and what do they believe, want, or do. Then we seek to lead them next to see how
Jesus responds to the characters on all those levels. This Observation stage represents the
horizontal move through the story of Scripture (the upper half of the diagram). At the end of
this move, we then hope to produce some sort of principle or truth to abstract from all this
gathered data. This represents the Interpretation. Only until after the horizontal line has
produced the Interpretation -- OIA adherents stress this progression strongly -- are we to
connect the principle to the lives of those in the study. This represents the Application, the
vertical downward move.
Often, however, we find the study ends before it gets to the application, or the
application is a hurried and unsatisfying discussion. Or, we find that our students simply fail
to connect their lives very powerfully with the Bible story. We have spent a lot of time
coming up with great insights about the passage, but it is unclear whether lives are being
transformed by an encounter with Jesus.
This is understandable, because in the OIA model, we are asking them to make one of
two very disjunctive moves. The downward vertical move assumes that the students
have
already identified with the character meeting Jesus. This generally only happens with
students with a strong Christian background who are used to reading Scripture with already
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the sense that this is their story also. But, this is rare enough with our evangelical students,
much less with our typical Gen Xer. The only Gen Xer's who can follow our moves are
those have a strong "poetic" talent in approaching text -- also an increasing rarity for various
reasons.
In many ways, the OIA method is thoroughly "modern" in assumptions: if we only
pore over the data enough, we will be able to extract a universal principle from the story and
apply it into their own situation. But the post-modern perspective resists this assumption.
Indeed, the post-modern critique essentially argues one cannot truly hold a conviction
without having first lived within the story or tradition which produced that conviction.
This is why some students get baffled when we suddenly end our study with questions like
"Where is Jesus touching you?" "What do you mean 'Where is Jesus touching me?', they
question inside, "Jesus isn't touching me, all we've been talking about is how he is touching
the leper." We are assuming what we actually need to be cultivating: the realization that
their stories are inextricably wound up with the story attested to on the pages. And our OIA
method actually ends up reinforcing their pre-existing suspicion that the story of Scripture is
at best simply a roughly parallel story, at worst an irrelevant one. They fail to see that
Scripture is their story, the convictions of its narrative their convictions.
The character's
Jesus responds and transforms
1
preconditions: Who are
3
the characters.
they? Where are they?
How are they approaching
Jesus? What do they feel,
Irrelevance
believe and act?
Story of the scripture
Manipulation
2
The readers' or the study's
How Jesus responds and
4
preconditions.
transforms the readers and the
study.
Story of the Sm. Group
Bible Study Flow in the traditional OIA Method
Another move we can make is to ask them to spend much of the study moving on the
top level (the Gospel story) and then suddenly ask them at the end in the application stage,
"So, how are you like the leper?" This is also a very difficult shift for several reasons. We
are asking them to shift the story level (from up to down) but also the stage of the story
(right to left). Shifting the stage of the story is especially disjunctive because we are asking
them, in essence, to go backwards in the narrative flow. Who wants to participate in a story
that is essentially over already? To spend most of the study establishing the different levels
that Jesus heals the leper and then to ask "how are you like the leper?" makes the student feel
manipulated.
Students resent this question which moves in this downward diagonal move because
the question takes the nominal form of open-endedness, but comes right on the heel of the
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closing of the story. In other words, they don't want to say how they really feel the
identification because we've just finished talking in essence, about how one should feel,
believe, act. Such a move really only works with people very comfortable being vulnerable,
able to acknowledge at the outset there is this emotional, intellectual, or ethical disparity in
their lives. Thus, in trying for "application," we are subjecting this generation of students to
feelings of manipulation and lack of participation, or asking for vulnerability about their
brokenness fairly early in a relationship -- a sure recipe for failure with Generation X. Little
wonder that we have great difficulty moving people to the lower right quadrant: leaving the
Bible study with their own life story transformed by an encounter with Jesus.
What I am proposing is that we need to pursue a strategy that weaves the two stories
more organically and dialectically. We seek first to establish an identification between reader
and a character. The identification can be of any dramatic element: who person is, where
scene takes place, how does he/she approach Jesus, what does he/she feel, believe, act. But,
this identification is not simply free form association. This is because the main axis of the
stories is not simply along the left side of the quadrants, where any vertical line is acceptable
so long as a connection is made. Rather, we seek to shape the association by a sense of how
the story will unfold; we need to respect the dynamic of the narrative. In other words, we
don't want students saying, "I'm like the leper because I'm a rebel, an outsider seeking
non-conformity with the bland rest of society." Such an identification, while technically valid
The character's
Jesus responds and transforms
preconditions: Who are
3
1
the characters.
they? Where are they?
How are they approaching
Jesus? What do they feel,
believe and act?
Story of the scripture
2
The readers' or the study's
4 How Jesus responds and
preconditions.
transforms the readers and the
study.
Story of the Sm. Group
Bible Study in a Narrative Weave
if
we only look at
the left side of the quadrant, is ridiculous in context of the whole story (i.e. he is hungry for
healing and eager to return to the rest of the society). But, since we don't want to take
students all the way through the story before they participate in it, we must exercise
leadership. We guide the identification so that it moves towards the reader's own
pre-condition, but is also influenced by the gravitational pull of how the story will unfold --
both in terms of the characters' encounter with Jesus and how we hope the reader will as well
(hence, the curve).
In asking the associative questions, it is important to avoid consistently asking
"Gotcha" questions, questions that will inevitably provoke an answer which will be quickly
Page 13
proved "wrong" as we move into the next stage, the upper right quadrant. Again, the move
back to the story is a curve, since we don't immediately jump to how Jesus changes, but go
back partially into the characters' precondition as a way of easing into the story. The
difference between a curving, looping movement versus straight, sharp movements may
seem trivial, but it captures an important point. Each narrative move must be shaped by
gravitational pull of where they are going and where they have been. It also captures the
freer spirit of the movement: it is not a rigidly defined path, but rather an overall flow that
we are after.
Perhaps the most powerful influence over the various curves is the central dramatic
action of the story. The Gospel stories are all predicated on change, on the conviction that
an encounter with Jesus transforms our condition. That change is what divides the left and
right quadrants. Thus, it is crucial to first identify that central dramatic action to shape the
various moves we make. Every leader should have this crystal clear in her mind, able to sum
up the passage in some key predicate clauses. So, for instance, we ask the opening question,
"When have you felt alone and alienated?" because the central action will be Jesus reaching
out and restoring the leper to community. In some ways, the most crucial move is from the
lower left quadrant to the upper right. Here, we are hoping they have come on board the
story enough such that they will be carried into an encounter with Jesus. Again, we curve
back into the Biblical story gracefully, touching again the Biblical characters to reinforce the
connection (i.e. after asking the association question, we spend more time observing the
character more fully before getting into the action). This is where our traditional emphasis
on "confusion-aha" would occur as we see Jesus suprising us in how he deals with our
various preconditions.
If these previous moves have been successful, then the final move to the lower right
quadrant (the readers' own encounter with Jesus) will be much easier. Over time, as
students get used to the nature of how these two stories are interwoven, this will become
more natural. In the beginning, however, we will need to guide, prod, and push most during
this move. I feel like we need to think through more about strategies for this move. On the
other hand, I do wonder whether matters are most out of our hands at this stage. Even
people who identify with the leper may not necessarily want to be transformed the way the
leper was; we cannot ultimately make people want to desire Jesus. Much of the success of
this move is also dependent on what the reader has experienced in the fellowship/Bible study:
has Jesus been ministered to them in real tangible ways that made a responding to Jesus (the
way characters responded to Jesus) a real option? The real "prep" of our small group leaders
is to make Jesus real to their study even outside the Bible study such that this move has
plausibility.
I would like to point out several further points which are important to this model. I
like to emphasize the curving, looping nature of our moves because it tends to see as the
central gravitational point of the study as the center point. This is the "quadruple point"
where all four quadrants coexist: when the two levels of story are blending, when people in
both "stories" are encountering Jesus. At this point in the study, people are talking about
how it feels to be "unclean" and yet touched by Jesus -- and it is not all too clear whether
Page 14
they are speaking imaginatively about the leper or personally about themselves. When this
conmingling of the two stories has occured, we have arrived at a decisive point of change
and we want to keep moving back there, passing through there. In fact, the path of the
narrative weave is not done once and for all in a given study, but most likely involves several
passes through all four quadrants and the center point. That point especially is the place
where, I believe, the Holy Spirit will be most active. I cannot describe that point precisely or
statically, I certainly don't have a sure-fire method to get there; it is a little like happiness: we
who have spent time there in Bible studies know its power, wonder, and goodness.
The second point is to emphasize that both stories are essentially corporate ones.
Indeed, stories are only stories to the extent they are shared in communities. Thus, at every
point, we especially want to look for ways for the group to fashion its own story: to identify
ways that build community, to look even for ways to leave the fourth quadrant together (i.e.
group application). The leader is providing the group with a road map and needs to signal
that she will be leading them. The weakness of the OIA model is that it claims not to have a
preconceived direction (which is why we begin with just an essentially undirected observation
stage focusing on "objective" traits like repeated words which do not signify a narrative
flow), but in reality and practice the method secretly -- and usually not so secretly -- relies
heavily on a leader's direction. Again, we are playing right into the post modern suspicions
of the Gen X student. Instead, we need to tell students, "Yes, I've entered this exciting story
and met an amazing man; come, join me on a return adventure. I'm not sure of the exact path
and each time is not exactly like the others. I have a rough plan but the specifics depends on
all of you. You will all have to help us get there... and the first step is to step into the story!"
Page 15
KAIROS:
The Time Is Now
Scripts, monologues, and talks
by Curtis Chang and the Boston Area InterVarsity Team
Page 16
Friday Night Session: Living in The Darkness
by Curtis Chang
This session begins after an introductory small group time but before any time of worship.
Introduction: The host (Curtis) gives general welcome. At this point, the host should point
people's attention to the conference's title, Kairos, without explaining its meaning. The
host introduces the conference as a weekend of looking at the beginning of the story of
Jesus. He invites them to follow along in their own bibles this weekend as we go from the
beginning of Mark to the middle of chapter two. Moreover, as they look at this passage the
next two days, they are also invited to join another group of students also looking at the
very same passage.
Stage opens with Bible study leader sitting
alone on stage glancing at watch. There are
three empty seats, no table. Amy enters. She
is dressed in a Christian T-shirt, carries a big
Bible, and in general seems like a student from
a strong church background.
Amy:
Sorry, I'm late. Oh, and Katie can't make it tonight. She's got a big Chem
exam tomorrow and she needs the time to study.
The leader responds with sympathy. Brendan
enters. He is dressed more sloppily and bears
much more of the marks of mainstream culture.
Brendan:
Oh, were you guys waiting for me? My watch stopped and I've been running
late all day. And, hey, is it OK if I leave a little early? I've got a problem set I
haven't gotten started on yet. Looks like another all nighter.
Leader:
Not another one? Well, thanks for coming. We should get started. We'll be
looking at the beginning of the gospel of Mark. It tells how the whole story
of Jesus opened. Here are your manuscripts (she might want to give a brief
introduction to the manuscript method). Amy, why don't you read it aloud up
to verse 12.
Amy reads, without any particular dramatic
emphasis up to "...am well pleased."
Leader:
So, what struck you about this scene? How did this scene feel to you?
There is a long silence. Amy and Brendan
exchange awkward glances. Finally, Amy lets
Page 17
out a breath and speaks up in a very matter of
fact tone.
Amy:
I've read this passage before. It's pretty straightforward: it's talking about
Jesus. He's come to die for people's sins and whoever believes in him will be
you know, saved, and stuff. [pause] And John the Baptist is preparing
people for the Son of God.
Leader:
OK, that may be all be true, but don't look at this passage like a list of
principles. It's a story, a real story with real people like yourself. So treat it
like you're hearing the story for the first time. Wasn't there anything about the
beginning of this story that intrigued you? That made you wonder, "What
would it have been like to be in this story?"
Brendan:
Yeah, I wondered about something. It says here all these people came out to
hear this guy, John the Baptist. You asked, "What would it have been like for
me." I don't think I would've gone out to see this guy. He seems like some
crazy guy that was, what does it say, "camel's hair and a leather belt, eating
locusts and wild honey." He sounds like one of the nut cases you run into on
the T sometimes.
Amy:
Well, but they knew God sent this guy right? Didn't they know?
Leader:
They probably wouldn't know for sure... In that time, the people of Israel
didn't know much about God was up to. Hundreds of years have passed since
they've heard from a prophet who was clearly sent by God. There have been
no major miracles. In fact, some of the people of the time weren't sure that
God was paying much attention at all. It seemed to some like they were on
their own.
Amy:
But they still believed in God, right?
Leader:
I suppose it depends on what you mean. Have you ever believed in God, that
probably He does exist -- yet still feel like he's also not very present. Like if
he does exist, he must be off pretty distant from your daily life.
Brendan exclaims:
Sure, who doesn't feel that way? (Catches himself and looks at Amy).
I mean, at least I do. I ain't ever seen a true prophet either. I haven't ever
seen a miracle. Sometimes, I wish God would just appear in the middle of the
night by my bed, just to show me that He's really there.
Amy:
But sometimes he seems real. I went to this Christian camp once during high
school. It was the last day and we were all sitting around the campfire
singing songs and holding hands. We all were huddled so close to the fire
that you could see the light glow in each other's eyes. And we did feel so
Page 18
close to each other and to God that there was this incredible feeling of, I don't
know, that there was something special going on. But, that's the usual camp
"high," I suppose...
Leader:
And now? In the middle of your normal school schedule with exams and all
nighters and all that? What about now when there's no campfire? How does
that feel?
Amy:
Well, yes, it feels lonelier. And I guess the thought crosses my mind whether
God is really with me.
Brendan:
It feels like you're just by yourself in the dark.
Leader:
That's a good way to describe the setting for this story. That's how those
people felt, like they were alone [cut lights to total darkness in room]... in the
dark.
Lights Out and Silence for 20-30 seconds,
enough for the audience to start feeling
uncomfortable.
Achiever stands up in the audience with a
flashlight and makes way up to front.
Achiever:
Enough of this! You can't just sit around on your butts in the dark. What do
you think -- someone's going to just turn on the light for you? That's not how
life works. You got to do something, set some goals. [Moves by the Bible
study group frozen in the darkness, and picks up a manuscript and throws it
down]. It's nice to read long ago stories and vague words about the future,
but God helps those who help themselves, right? Isn't that what the Bible
says?
So, you take what you can get [waves his little flashlight] and you do what
you can.
Achiever continues commentary while putting
one chair after another in a circle.
Achiever:
Nobody is going to hand you anything out of the dark. I don't want a lot, and
I'm not asking for any charity. I just want a little place of my own, nothing
big or fancy or anything, but a home to call mine. You gotta work for it. [He
puts a final chair in the middle of the circle and sits down emphatically in it}.
That's all I want, enough to be happy and have something safe around me.
You have to build up something for yourself, or you're going get run over by
other people bumbling around... people who forgot their flashlight!
Page 19
Achiever turns off flashlight. Lonely, a woman,
stands up in the back of the audience and lights
a candle.
Lonely:
I only wish someone would bump into me. Standing here by myself, I feel so
alone I want to scream. Don't you ever just want to scream out? Just so you
could hear something, someone. But you know that the scream would just
disappear in the night without so much as an echo. There's one nice thing
about the dark, though: no one can see you crying yourself to sleep.
There is a man flicking a lighter on and off on
the opposite side of the room.
Lonely:
Hey, you! Wait, don't go away. Stay there, I'll come to you. You don't even
have to move... just don't go away. [She stumbles over] I'm sorry, I can't see
the way very well, it's too dark in here. But give me a moment. [They face
each other, he's still flicking his lighter on and off] You're alone also, aren't
you. We're both alone. But not if we stay together, right? Right? It's so
easy to lose your way, maybe it would be better if we held each other. Will
you? Will you hold me?
Man puts lighter to illumine Lonely's face. He
shrugs his shoulders and replies nonchalantly.
Man:
Sure. Sure, why not? I'll hold you [he snuffs out the candle].
After a short pause, he silently slips away in the
dark.
Lonely yells out:
Where did you go? Come back! Why did you leave me like that?
Did I do something wrong? Is something wrong with me?
Distracted appears with a sparkler.
Distracted:
Oooh, girl, please don't bum me out like this. Hey, you gotta stay happy.
There's always something else you can do. There's lots to do!
Distracted lights one form of light after another,
moving to electric forms of light, hanging
Christmas lights around himself. Meanwhile, he
talks aimlessly about how cool this and that
form of light is, clearly to distract and amuse
himself. He ends up with a strobe light that
flashes into the audience's eyes.
Page 20
Distracted:
...and yes, sometimes it gets too much. But when all the lights tire your eyes
out, tires you out, hey, no problem Just turn it off and go to sleep. [he
switches everything off]. It's always dark enough.
Pause in darkness for a few seconds. Spotlight
on John the Baptist figure on stage.
John:
Prepare the way of the Lord now! Make his paths straight now! He is just
about here. The time is almost upon us all. Prepare the way of the Lord.
Make his paths straight.
Cut back to the Bible study.
Leader:
So, who do you think would have been intrigued enough to go out to listen to
John the Baptist?
Brendan:
Probably people who were hoping. Hoping and tired, I guess. Tired of what
they were doing to get by.
Amy:
Did they know Jesus was coming, that he was the Messiah and going to die
for their sins and all that.
Leader:
I don't think any of them knew what was going to happen. They only
thought, and maybe just hoped, that something special was going to happen.
Brendan:
And that's probably what this crazy John the Baptist guy sparked in them.
Hope that just maybe something special was going to happen.
Leader:
Have you ever gotten that feeling? That for a moment, you suddenly feel you
are on the verge of something truly extraordinary? Do you know what I
mean?
(Possible staging: Brendan stands up and takes
center stage in a monologue posture towards
the audience)
Brendan:
I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but I get this strange sensation
sometimes. I'll just have woken up and I stumble to the sink. I splash some
cold water on my face and I look up into the mirror. And then I remember I
have just had this most amazing dream. But for the life of me, I can't
remember exactly what the dream was. But I feel like if I can just recall that
dream, I'll figure something out -- not just something, everything. Like
everything in my life will become clear if I can get a hold of this dream. I get
so excited that I stand still and don't even dry my face out. I just stand there
Page 21
dripping so I don't miss... miss... miss whatever I've been waiting for all along.
Brendan sits and slumps back down in his chair.
Brendan
... But you know, I always miss it. The answer always seems to just slip right
out of my reach. And I slip back to normal. It feels like I was just about to
break through -- or something was about to break through to me -- but it
barely brushed off of me. It's frustrating.... well, I guess that sounds pretty
stupid, huh? It's just some psychological thing, I'll bet.
Amy:
No, no, I think I know what you mean. One morning when I was at camp, I
was walking all alone by the lake. It must have been 7am; I don't know what
possessed me to get up that early. The air was so fresh and clean, it must
have gone straight to my head because I just dived into the lake and started
swimming. And I don't usually do that sort of thing. I swam and swam and
swam, keeping my eyes closed so the water wouldn't get in. Until, finally, I
just stopped and treaded water so I could look around. And when I lifted my
head out and blinked away the water from my eyes, I saw I was in the middle
of the lake all alone. Just a flock of geese flying overhead and the soft lapping
of the waves. And suddenly I felt like giggling or shouting because, because,
I guess because I was alive. Really alive, you know, not just like when you're
walking around. And I started flopping about in the water, more aware that I
was feeling the coldness of the water below, the sun's warmth above, and my
body moving. I felt so alive that it seemed like everything before was well,
dead. And I wished I could stay there forever, because I knew I would lose
this feeling when I returned to shore. It must be just another of those Camp
"highs."
Leader:
No, no. It's not just some camp phenomenon, Amy! And Brendan, it's not
some some stupid psychological thing. It's Kairos!
Both students: Kairos? Huh, what's that?
Leader:
Kairos. It's a Biblica term for a special time, a time that is not just the
ordinary passing of time. It is a time when something extraordinary breaks
into the usual routine we go through most of our life. And what breaks
through is what we secretly have been wanting all along -- even if it has been
a secret to our very selves. When Kairos happens, it is like, "Yes, this is what
I've really wanted!" Because what breaks through is God himself -- the most
alive life there is.
Brendan:
Hmmm. So, how do you get this, this Kairos thing?
Page 22
Leader:
You can't just get it. It's God himself we're talking about. You can't just dial
Kairos up by some ritual. You can no more make Kairso happen than you
can control God. Remember those times that you received a brief, passing
encounter with Kairos -- waking up by the sink or sticking your head out of
the lake? It happened to you sort of like a spontaneous gift, not by your
exertion, right?
Amy:
So..... we just sit around on our butts waiting for it?
Leader:
No, we don't do that either. Look at the story again. What is John the
Baptist saying?
Brendan:
Well, he's saying, "The time is here." I guess he's saying Kairos is about to
happen.
Leader:
And what does he say people should do to prepare for Kairos? Look at the
story.
Amy:
Well, he's saying, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." So,
OK, how do you make God's path straight?
Leader:
Look at the story.
Brendan:
It seems that this "baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin" in verse
four is the preparation. It says: "And people from the whole Judean
countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their
sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River." So, was that normal?
Was it like how people get baptized at church now?
Leader:
You've go to remember that there was no church at this point. These were all
Jews. Like the passage says, the people were all from Judea and Jerusalem.
How do you think it would have felt for a Jew to get baptized?
Amy:
How would it have felt? I don't know. Do Jews normally get baptized? I've
never heard of a Jew getting baptized.
Leader:
And neither would have the Jews coming to John the Baptism. Baptism was
only for non Jews, Gentiles. It was part of the process of how Gentiles
converted to becoming Jewish, and hence, entering the true family of God.
Amy:
So, what did all those Jews think about being told they had to get baptized?
Leader:
Well, try to imagine it. Imagine being an average, even religious Jew going
out to the wilderness...
Page 23
Cut to Simon and Andrew, wearing fishermen's
outfits.
Simon:
I can't believe you dragged me out here, Andrew. Look a this crowd! No
order, everybody milling around listening to people airing their dirty laundry.
Andrew:
They're confessing, Simon. That's part of the baptism.
Simon:
And look, there's even tax collectors here! What in heaven's name are those
swine doing here? Since when were they interested in anything else but
gouging more money from us? And they call themselves Jews! Swine! What
are we doing with these people? I think we've seen enough. Let's head back,
Andrew. Each day out here is another day's catch we're missing.
Andrew (looking off):
I think I'm going to do it.
Simon:
Do what? Andrew, what are you talking about?
No response from Andrew.
Simon:
You're not.... you're not thinking of joining that crowd down there? What do
you want to get baptized for? (grabs Andrew and turns him to himself).
What are you saying? That you're not Jewish? Do you want to send mother
to the grave? I'm your brother -- what are you saying about me, about our
family? Have you gone crazy listening to that crazy looking guy?
Andrew:
Have you even bothered to hear him speak, Simon? Have you heard the
Baptizer talk about what's about to happen? He almost makes me believe
something IS going to happen. Something important that I want to be a part
of.
Simon:
Andrew, have you been sniffing fish oil? The only thing that's going to
happen if we stay is Zebedee and his crew are going to take our best fishing
spots. What do think -- that this guy is the Messiah or something?
Andrew;
No, that's the strange thing. He's not like all the other crackpots who claim
they are the One. He says over and over that "Another one is coming...
Another who is far greater than I," he says, "one who I can't even tie sandals
for." No, the Baptizer keeps insisting he's just trying to prepare us for the
moment when the One comes.
Simon:
Look, even if what he's saying is true, how is wading out there in the middle
of the river and getting dunked like some common Gentile supposed to
prepare you for the Messiah.
Page 24
Andrew (hesitantly): Well... maybe he's saying we Jews need a fresh start, become like new
Jews who are ready for something new. Oh, I don't know, but when I see one
of them come out of the water, they look so... reborn. When they come....
Simon:
Andrew, you've always been a dreamer, I love that about you, but frankly,
you've got an overdeveloped sense of ....
Andrew:
...when they come out of the water and you hear them say out loud their sins,
so clear and open, it is like suddenly they see how meaningless, how wrong
their old ways were.
Simon (getting really irritated):
And what, may I ask, would you confess? What is this
horrible crime that you have committed? I know you better than anybody
else, who is around you all the time like me? We keep the Torah, we keep the
Sabbath. We recite the commandments. We work hard for our living and
we're honest men. What, Andrew, did you kill someone when I wasn't
looking?
Andrew:
Well, we did lie to Levi when he came to collect the tax. And we've done so
every year, reporting our catch only half as much as was true.
Simon:
Oh, that's not sin! That bastard collects more than twice what he's supposed
to. If we told him what we really brought in, we'd starve. I'd have to sell the
boat, sell the nets. And then where would we be? You're just being
ridiculous now.
Andrew:
It's bothered me, all the same. I feel like I'm hiding it from God. Like we're
hiding from God.
Simon:
Hiding from God! Why do we go to synagogue every Sabbath? Why do we
go to the temple every year to give our offering? Why do we celebrate
Passover every year, never missing it once? Why do we recite the
commandments every night, even though we come home from the boats dead
tired?
Andrew:
Why do we, Simon? Why? Does the feeling ever creep on you that there's
something more? Do you every suddenly get the vague sense that there is
more to life than just our routines? Don't you ever even for just a moment
want more than just going through the motions? I think that's what the
Baptizer is talking about.
Simon:
What he's talking about is nonsense and I've got a mind to tell him before he
fills you with more of it. As a matter of fact, I'm going to do that just now!
Simon storms off, shaking off Andrew
Page 25
Andrew yells off:
Simon, no, you just can't barge in the middle of a baptism like that!
Simon!
Off stage, Simon is bellowing, "Coming
through, excuse me, etc." Then, after a pause,
there is a loud rumble off stage. After another
pause, Simon comes back, walking slowly and a
little stunned back to waiting Andrew.
Andrew:
Simon, Simon, are you all right? What happened down there? You look like
you saw a ghost!
Simon:
No, it wasn't a ghost I saw, at least I don't think it was. It was... it was... I
don't know. I'm wading out there into the river where John the Baptist is
doing his thing. And there's a line of people waiting to be baptized. It's
going like it has been all day: a guy steps up to John, and gets lowered
underwater for a few second, then up he comes. Then he says out his sin, and
the next one steps up. And he goes down, comes up, and airs his dirty
laundry. Pretty standard stuff: grudges, lying, even some sexual stuff. I'm
just about to break in on the whole proceedings and tell John what I think of
him when he puts this one guy under. Normal looking guy, kind of skinny.
This guy comes up and I'm waiting for him to say his piece before I grab the
Baptizer. I didn't want to be rude or anything.
Andrew:
Oh, no of course not. You, rude?
Simon:
Yeah, well this guy comes out of the water and he doesn't say a word. I'm
waiting but he just comes up and shakes off the water. Then he stretches out
his arms and looks up into the sky. Like he's waiting for something. John the
Baptist is also standing there looking up. So, of course, I look up also. And
this is where, well maybe I was just dizzy or something...
Andrew:
What? What happened?
Simon:
It was like the sky itself was parting -- not just the clouds -- but the sky itself
seemed to pull apart... like curtains opening. Yeah, that's what it felt like,
like a curtain was opening on a window -- only it was a window to up there --
and you could see straight out.
Andrew:
And what did you see when you looked?
Simon:
Well, nothing because I guess, um, I really didn't want to look. See, it was
actually uncomfortable, scary even. Because you could see more clearly than
ever, but you had the sense that actually you were being seen more clearly
Page 26
than ever. You know that dream when you're on stage all alone and the
curtain pulls aside and you look out and suddenly see all those people who've
been waiting for you on the other side, and they can see you? Frankly, I felt
like diving under the water, or doing something to cover myself.
Andrew:
So, what was John and the guy doing? Didn't they say anything?
Simon:
No, the guy just stood there with his hands stretched out like this, and he was
waiting. And then, now this is when it starts getting really weird, I saw
something that floated down out of the opening in the sky. And it was
circling lower and lower down to where we stood. It was like a dove, but it
wasn't. It certainly wasn't an animal but it had that gentle floating quality. It
rested on this guy's head and then it -- I swear this is what it looked like -- it
went into him and disappeared.
Andrew:
I can't believe you got to see all this. I'm the one that was actually thinking
about getting baptized and you get to see all this. I always miss all the
important stuff.
Simon:
Wait, that's not all. Then this thunder booms out of the sky.
Andrew:
Yeah, I heard that. That was bizarre. It was unlike any thunder I've ever
heard in all my days of fishing.
Simon:
No kidding. The thunder sounded almost like a voice, like the sky -- or
whatever was behind the sky -- was speaking. It had the same inflection like
someone shouting. And I couldn't make out any words but it sounded like it
had meaning. You know, like when we are yelling to each other across the
water on our boats that it's time to go home and we know that's what the
other is yelling even though we can't make out the actual words. Anyway,
this thunder just booms out and froze everyone -- I thought we were all going
to get struck by lightening and killed right there. I think everyone was
terrified, everyone except that guy, of course. I saw him close his eyes, all
peaceful like, tilt his head and nod. Like he was listening to someone
whispering a message in his ear. I think he even smiled. And then, when the
thunder died away, he just walked away without saying a word.
Andrew:
Did you ask John the Baptist? Did he hear what the thunder said? Didn't he
say anything about that guy?
Simon:
I did ask him. But he just kept staring after that guy's back and muttering the
same thing over and over, "I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit." I was shaking him, "What in the world does that
mean?" but he just kept muttering, "I baptize you with water, but he will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Page 27
Andrew:
"I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." What
does that mean?
Simon:
I wish I knew.
Host (Curtis) gets on stage and gives the evening's final talk.
Page 28
Friday Night Talk: An Introduction to Kairos
by Curtis Chang
"... But he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." It is the first overt statement
someone makes about Jesus in the book of Mark. But what does that mean?
We hear it when Jesus comes to John the Baptist to be baptized. One after another,
the others go down into the water, come up, and then confess their sins. Only when it is
Jesus' turn, he goes down into the water, comes up and doesn't say a word. Instead, as Mark
tells us, "just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the
Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven."
Jesus arrives and heaven itself speaks. What does this mean? It means Kairos. It
means the time is now. The time is now for a light that breaks the dark. A break in the
routine. A break in just groping and stumbling, trying to get by each day the best you know
how. It is even an interruption in the religious routines that seem so routine we can go
through the motions. It is Kairos and that means we are not alone in the dark any more.
And Kairos begins with the skies parting like a curtain and heaven speaking because a
far greater reality is about to break through. No longer do we simply brush up against the
curtain, feeling fragmentary outlines and shapes of that greater reality. No longer is it vague
dreams that seem just out of our grasp. No longer is there fleeting "highs" in the middle of a
lake. Because the curtain parts and Jesus steps out. And we discover that the angular shape
we bumped into in the dark is actually the elbow of a Jewish carpenter. That other thin
shape -- the legs of one who really walked the shores of the Jordan two thousand years ago.
And we discover that the fleeting, ticklish sensation was the beard of a man named Jesus.
The light flashes on and we see a person's body, a body more solid and real than any we've
ever encountered, than any that has ever appeared on this earth.
And what does it mean that this very real person arrives to baptize us with the Holy
Spirit? It means first of all, that Jesus does come with light, light so we can see more clearly.
The first sign of Kairos is that we are helped to see how we have hid in the darkness. We see
how we have avoided God: whether it is in the endless pursuit of financial security, the
desperate grasping for companionship, or the numbing distraction after distraction. Jesus
arrives and we see how up until now, we have lived in darkness.
But Kairos is also so much more. It also comes to bring what we've been waiting for.
Because when Jesus arrives on the stage and the light comes on, and the curtain of heaven
peels back, it truly is the moment that all of us have secretly been waiting for. And if those
of us sitting in the dark will only stop whispering nonsense to each other, we have a chance
to listen and join in.
What would we hear as we listen? What reality are we invited to join? When the
Holy Spirit baptized Jesus, heaven itself spoke, "You are my Son, the Beloved. With you I
am well pleased." As Jesus was baptized by the Holy Spirit, he experienced the real, tangible
Page 29
love of God. It is Kairos for Jesus, because at that moment, he knows he is the beloved of
his Father. Imagine that! To hear the one who spoke all of reality into being declare that
your reality is that you are pleasing to God. This is the moment that defines Jesus and his
life. Whichever road he has to travel, whoever he will meet, whatever cross he will bear, he
knows he is completely loved by God the Father. He is more real and solid than anyone else,
because he knows who loves him. He knows because he has received the baptism of the
Holy Spirit.
This is the Kairos Jesus wants to bring us into, wants us to join. As John the Baptizer
said, "... but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Jesus wants us to share in the same
experience of the Father's love. Jesus wants us to hear that we are indeed pleasing and
acceptable to God. He wants us to become more real and solid people because we know
who loves us. And the offer is now. Now is the time. Not to live off a distant memory of
some religious experience, not to delay facing God until you feel more up to it. The
invitation is for tonight, this weekend.
And this is what we all have been waiting for, even if we didn't know it. We work
furiously for a sense of security that is a pale shadow of the strong arms of our Father. We
seek desperately for somebody to hold us, when the Lover of Lovers offers his embrace. We
distract ourselves from our emptiness when God himself wants to descend from heaven to fill
us with his spirit. The time is now because this is what we all have been waiting for.
Only Jesus, however, was already prepared for this Kairos to come. Only he, when
he entered his baptism, confessed no sin. Only he lived in the light all his life and thus could
hear without preparation God's words to him. Everyone else had to prepare themselves.
They prepared by confessing their life in the darkness. The declared the ways they have hid
from God, acted as if He was not present, as if they were truly alone. This weekend we will
have several opportunities to similarly prepare for God's presence by confessing our sins. In
times of prayer by yourself, in your small group, as you walk with a friend, even during
meetings like this, we will all have the opportunity to come out of the dark and into the light.
One of the first steps of confession is worship. In worship, we turn to Jesus and
declare him to be the true reality.
INTRODUCE WORSHIP TIME. The worship time should include a time of confession.
Worship for the rest of Friday Night.
Page 30
Saturday Morning Session: Repent and Believe
by Curtis Chang
Scene is the same Bible Study from last night
Leader:
So, from what we have read so far, how do you feel about Jesus?
Amy:
What do you mean, "How do we feel about Jesus?" You either believe in him
or you don't. You either believe what happened in the Bible or you don't.
Why are you always asking questions like, "How do you FEEL about this or
that in the Bible."
Leader:
Well, let me think of an example to show why I think it's an important
question. You have a boy friend back home, right? Andy was his name,
right? And if I remember correctly, you haven't seen him since you left for
college?
Amy:
Yeah, so?
Leader:
Suppose one day you go back to your room and there is a note on your door
from your roommate telling you that Andy has just flown in from back home
and stopped by to see you. It's a total surprise but he flew in just to see you.
And your roommate's note tells you that from their conversation, it is clear to
her that Andy is still totally in love with you.
Amy:
What are you getting at?
Leader:
Well, is it just a matter of whether you believe in the existence of Andy or
not? Is it just a matter whether you believe your roommate's note is true or
not? Aren't you going to have some feelings about the news?
Brendan:
She sure is going to have some feelings, especially since she's been spending
so much time with Jason lately!
Amy:
Hey, you shut up! We're just friends! Jason and I spend so much time only
because we are in a lot of the same classes together. We just study together
mostly. And besides, it was a little unclear between Andy and me whether we
were free to see other people. It's not like I'm cheating on him!
Leader:
OK, OK, sorry I didn't know I was cutting a little close with that example.
My point is that when it comes to Kairos -- when Jesus suddenly arrives --
there's bound to be some feelings, some reaction involved.
Brendan:
You mean like how people responded at Jesus' baptism?
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Leader:
Yes, and Kairos happens even now! Jesus is still breaking into human life,
our lives. When we meet Jesus in worship, in prayer, and yes, in studying the
Bible! That's why I invited you to this Bible study, so we could experience
Kairos, meet Jesus in these pages (holds up manuscript) and ultimately in
here! (Points to own heart. She is clearly passionate about this) Sorry, I get
worked up about this. But don't you see, if you're open to Kairos, then Jesus
comes, and it will be like a long lost love showing up at your doorstep. You'll
be surprised or curious or defensive or guilty or something!
Brendan:
OK, OK, I have a reaction to what we've been seeing about Jesus. We've
talked about how Jesus wants us to live in God's love. That he wants to
baptize us in the Holy Spirit and receive God's love the way he was baptized
and received God's love. That's fine and all, but I'm just being honest here,
sometimes God's love doesn't seem that real to me. Or at least it doesn't seem
as real as other things in my life.
Amy:
Yeah, it's not easy to think you should turn to God's love rather than pursuing
all sorts of other stuff in our life. I mean, Jesus was God's son, you know, he
didn't have to struggle the way we did.
Leader:
Well, let's keep following Jesus' story. We're still in chapter one in the book
of Mark. Can one of you read out loud the rest of the passage?
Amy reads Mark 2:9-13
Brendan:
So, what is this about Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by Satan?
Amy:
Yeah, what was that like? How did Satan tempt him?
Leader:
Well, part of meeting Jesus is using our imagination. The Bible doesn't tell us
every little detail because we are supposed to fill out the picture in our own
minds as well. What do you imagine the temptation was like?
Amy:
There you go again! How are we supposed to imagine it? We don't know
what Satan was thinking.
Leader:
Well, pretend. Pretend you are Satan and you have just heard about Jesus'
arrival and baptism. What would you do?
CUT TO SATAN CORPORATION SCENE.
Page 32
Satan Corporation
by Curtis Chang
Characters: Boss, Smithers, Johnson, Kinkaid
Scene is a corporate boardroom table with four chairs. Above the table is a corporate
looking sign, "Satan Corporation: World Wide Leader In Temptation Technology" Smithers
(dressed in business suit) is sitting with business notepad. Johnson, similarly dressed and
with briefcase, enters the room and barely acknowledges Smithers. Finally, Smithers timidly
clears his throat. He seems to be the shy, timid type while Johnson seems to be the bullying
aggressive type.
Smithers:
So, why do you think the Boss called this meeting?
Johnson:
What, you don't know?
Smithers:
No, I wasn't given the agenda beforehand.
Johnson:
Well, of course you're weren't given it beforehand! No one just gives you
anything around here -- what do you think, we're running a namby pamby
charity here like the Competition. You're new to the marketing department,
aren't you?
Smithers:
Well, actually, yes I am new. Just arrived last week, as a matter of fact. But
I've worked in marketing for years when I was still... uh, before I... you
know, when I was still (pointing upwards)...
Johnson:
We call it our internship years.
Smithers:
Yes, hm, I do suppose it was my internship. It was shorter than I thought it
would be.
Johnson:
Yeah, that's what everyone says. So which firm did you intern at?
Smithers:
Phillip Morris.
Johnson (slightly impressed): Well, they have given us some of our best new recruits. But,
listen, rookie, this is the big leagues, so don't think you can just waltz in here
and climb to the top.
Smithers:
Oh, no. I guess I'm still trying to figure out everything. I feel so unprepared.
Johnson:
Yeah, well, the best thing you could do is shut up and don't do anything.
(Stands up and maintains an intimidating presence behind the seated
Smithers). It'll minimize your appearance of stupidity. Just watch, kid,
because today you're about to see the master here carve up someone who
Page 33
thinks he's a hot shot. You're about to see some moves you never saw while
climbing that piddly Phillip Morris ladder.
Smithers:
I'm sorry. I don't understand what you mean.
Johnson:
For Beelzebub's sake, you really are ignorant, aren't you? (eyes him for a
moment). OK, the reason the Boss called the marketing department together
is the Competition apparently has launched a new product in the Middle East
Market, and he's asked---
Smithers:
Why does the Boss care about such a tiny market?
Johnson:
I don't know -- maybe the Boss knows something we don't know -- he never
tells us the whole story. (Puts hand on Smithers' shoulder and leans close to
his ear) Like I said, Rule No. 1 around here: Figure things out for yourself .
(Puts both hands on Smithers' shoulder and moves them frightenly close
around his neck. He leans close over to his other ear) And Rule No. 2:
Don't ever interrupt me again.
Smithers:
Uh, yes, of course.
Johnson:
As I was saying, the Competition has launched a supposedly hot new product.
It's got a brand name something like "Love of God" or something cheezy like
that. Anyway the Boss is all worked up over it. So, he's called us to come
up with a counter offensive. Now, I'm senior guy in this department, but my
sources tell me that Kinkaid -- who is no. 2 here -- is going to use this
meeting to try to upstage me. Kinkaid's been jockeying for my position
forever and he thinks this is going to be his day to shine in front of the Boss.
But, the little bastard is going to be in for a surprise.
Smithers:
What are you planning to do?
Johnson eyes him suspiciously and looks around
warily. Finally he decides to relax and do a little
boasting.
Johnson:
Kiddo, I'm only going to tell you this because you are so incredibly naive I
predict you are going to last about one day in management around here.
See, the key in these situations is to pretend the other guy has center stage.
Let him make his pitch first, but then BAM, shoot it down in front of the
Boss. And then, you just happen to have your own proposal ready.
Smithers:
Wow, that's really clever.
Page 34
Johnson:
Kid, you don't know what clever is. You should've seen me back when...
[Kinkaid walks in]... never mind, it's beyond you. [whispers]: Just shut up
and try not to get in the way.
Kinkaid [coolly]:
Hello, Johnson.
Johnson: [just as coolly]:
Hello, Kinkaid. Ready for the meeting?
Kinkaid:
I was born ready.
Johnson:
Yes, we'll see.
Kinkaid:
You must be Smithers, the fresh meat they brought in.
Smithers:
Uh, yes.
Kinkaid:
Well, you've arrive just in time for, shall we say, [eyeing Johnson], a key time
of transition here in Marketing.
Johnson grunts.
The Boss walks in. Everyone stiffens in
attention. The Boss glares malevolently at
everyone. He is clearly an intimidating figure.
Johnson and Kinkaid compete to adjust his seat,
get him a glass of water, etc.
Boss:
Oh, stop it already, you bunch of sycophants. If you would spend more time
doing your jobs instead of getting your lipstick all over my butt, maybe we
would have already wiped out the Competition already. Maybe I wouldn't
have to call emergency meetings like this!
Kinkaid:
I'm sorry, sir, but don't you worry, I've...
Boss (enraged):
Who said I was worried? Are you saying I'm nervous about the
Competition? That old Fool never scared me! Everyone else at the company
scurried around cowering before Him, but not me! That's why he pushed me
out... the old Fool couldn't stand a strong presence like me. That's why the
Competition just has a bunch of wimps working for it now. It wasn't fair, I
tell you, He knew I was more chairman of the board material than He was.
Johnson (who has been smirking at Kinkaid's discomfort):
Yes, sir, it was so unfair. But
we'll nail Him this time, won't we, sir?
Page 35
Boss:
Yes, you bet we'll nail Him, especially now that the Fool has made a major
blunder. He has unveiled a major new product at a recent gathering by the
Jordan River. Hah -- a supposedly revolutionary new development and He
unveils it in the middle of nowhere. Typical of His incompetence! Anyway
the product is called "The Love of God." I know, I know, it is not only
cheezy but it's actually not even really new. The Competition has repackaged
their tired old line in a supposedly far more accessible form. The new
gimmick that is supposed to make it "far more accessible than ever" is, get
this, the Fool has sent his own son to represent him in the sales drive. Can
you believe it, the Fool's Son is actually on Earth!
The three junior executives gasp, clearly frightened.
Johnson:
Oh, my devil! The Son is on the move?
Kinkaid:
Boss, you never said anything about going up against the Son!
Smithers:
Are all our subsidiaries in danger then?
Boss:
Idiots! Dolts! Must I do all the thinking around here? We're not the ones in
danger, He is! This is the moment of our greatest opportunity! By sending
His own Son, the Fool has left himself vulnerable. His Son is more accessible
than ever to the mass market, yes, but He is also more accessible than ever to
us! Don't you see? Not only can any pathetic man or woman get close to
Him, but so can we! And if we can get close to Him, we can also buy Him
out! We can make him an offer to leave the Competition and join us! And if
we can get the Fool's Son to sell out to us, then...
Johnson:
Then, we knock out the whole "Love of God" product line! This could lead
to our monopoly on the whole market!
Boss:
That's right, Johnson. (Stands up behind Johnson and seemingly smiles.
Johnson is beaming.) Remember, Rule No. 1: Always go after the
Competition's representatives first. And Rule No. 2: Don't you ever interrupt
me again. (The Boss repeats the same physical moves as Johnson did to
Smithers.)
You see my brilliant plan: we buy out the Son and there's no one left to
represent the Competition, the Love of God is driven from the market, and
everyone will have to come to us. But, also, hah, hah, hah, this is what is best
about my plan, the Fool is going to be so broken up over His Son, He's going
to be wiped out. I know the old Fool, he loves His Son too much. I've
always known that's His Achilles heel -- He loves too much. And now I'm
going to grab that heel and break him!
Page 36
Smithers:
So, sir, excuse me, I hope I'm not interrupting, but if I understand correctly,
what you want from the Marketing Dept. is to package an offer that will
entice the Son to sell out to us.
Boss:
Yes, yes, that's what you're here for. It's about time you nitwits earned your
keep. Now, what I want specifically is an offer that will make him desert His
own product line. You see, the Son is not just trying to gain market
acceptance of this "Love of God," but He relies on it Himself. The guy is the
biggest user of the product Himself -- that's what makes him such an effective
representative. So, if we can offer him a package that makes the Love of God
seem inferior, then, gentleman, He's in our pocket.
Kinkaid stands up:
Sir, your plan is positively brilliant, just brilliant. And I think I have
just what you're looking for.
(Johnson is smirking at Smithers, and signals with
his hands in the manner, "Don't worry, I've got
it")
Kinkaid continues:
I've been working all night for a contingency such as this and I think
you'll like what I've prepared.
Boss:
Go on, Kinkaid.
Kinkaid:
Yes, well, all right, then. (He is nervous, adjusting his tie. glancing at
Johnson, etc. But he gains confidence as the presentation goes on.). Let's
take a look at the profile of our target here. He's away from home for the
first time, so he's feeling lonely. He wants to feel some comfort. Well, what
is the biggest problem with relying on the Love of God for someone in that
situation? It's too intangible! The guy wants to feel comfort, feel
companionship, but you can't taste, touch, see, smell the Love of God. But
our products? Well, huh, huh, huh, boy can you touch, see and smell them!
(Flicks on the slide showing images of food, sex, etc.). Sensuality, gentleman!
We are good at it! (Flicks to next slide of scantily clad man or woman). Boy,
are ever we good at it. That's the competitive advantage that has always
marked Satan Corporation! It's what we excel at, and it's how we can win the
Son over to us.
Boss:
That's true, we have scored some of our biggest coups using the sensuality
angle: David with Bathsheba, hah, hah, hah... that was one of our best
quarters.
Kinkaid:
So, we put together a package that makes him question, "Hmmm, maybe the
love of God is not enough. Maybe I need something more tangible, that I can
feel bodily." We get him to start testing what he has relied on for so long, to
Page 37
start demanding physical evidence of love. Before long, he's got to turn to us
for a quick hit of something physical and tangible. And after a few times, the
love of God seems nothing but an abstract concept.
Boss:
I like it. I like it. It's simple, yet plays to our strength and attacks the
Competition's weakness.
Johnson clears his throat very loudly
Kinkaid:
Do you have a problem, Johnson?
Johnson:
The Good Kid Phenomenon.
Kinkaid:
What are you talking about?
Johnson:
The Good Kid Phenomenon. Your proposal isn't going to work.
Kinkaid:
Sir, my colleague here is talking gibberish. Please ignore him. As I was
saying...
Boss:
No, wait, what's your point, Johnson?
Johnson motions to Smithers in the manner of
"Watch this." He smugly straightens his tie.
Johnson:
The Good Kid Phenomenon. Kinkaid here says (Johnson imitates him
mockingly): "Let's take a look at the profile of our target." Yes, let's do, shall
we? The Son clearly comes from a religious background, right? He belongs
to a respectable family, right? He's smart, done well in school, right? Sir, I
know this profile, I've run some campaigns against religious weekend retreats
of such kids, and 9 out of 10 of them grew up as the Good Kids. While the
Bad Kids were out drinking or having sex, the Good Kids were at home
studying. Sure, they're just as lustful and hormonal as the Bad Kids, but
they're too repressed, too guilt ridden to actually act on them. (Looks at
audience) It's actually rather pathetic, but it's true. (Back to Boss) And in my
opinion, this Son has got to be one of those Good Kids. He's not going to
bite on just a crass offer of sex or drink or even food.
Boss:
I see what you're driving at. Kinkaid's package may lack, how shall we say,
the proper sophistication. Well, do you have any ideas of your own?
Kinkaid:
Oh, I'm sure he does.
Johnson:
Well, actually, I have been working on one. What we want is a package that
will reveal the shortcomings of simply relying on the Love of God, right?
Page 38
OK, let's attack this from the angle of this, this, this Love thing. Think back
to our internship years, when we were still so unenlightened so as to get
trapped by Love, at least of the human variety. Smithers, you are our most
recent arrival from internship, what was your experience of Love?
Smithers:
Well, it seems so long ago, I've forgotten most of it. But let's see, hmmmm. I
remember writing a lot of poetry about a woman. And yes, waiting by the
phone. I remember that: waiting by the phone for her to call.
Kinkaid:
Oh, please, this is making me sick.
Johnson (ignores him):
And Smithers, how did it make you feel?
Smithers:
How did it make me feel? Well, it does feel so distant but actually Kinkaid is
right, it did make me feel a little sick, sort of queasy and mushy inside. Every
time I was going to see her, I would feel a little limp and, and, I remember
going to a party and always watching how she responded to me, anxiously
figuring out if she was sending me signals or not.
Kinkaid:
Johnson, why are you reminding us all of stuff we would rather forget? If you
don't have a real proposal, then....
Boss:
Silence, Kinkaid! I see where Johnson is heading... and I like it.
Johnson:
Thank you, Boss. Let me make myself more clear for the more dull witted
folks here. (Pats Kinkaid on the head). Before we arrived here, how did Love
make Smithers and the rest of us feel? It made us feel WEAK! WEAK and
DEPENDENT, gentlemen! When you experience love, it means you are
dangling on the every whim of your lover. Your lover has POWER OVER
YOU, power to make you feel vulnerable and needy, power to make you a
weepy, waiting, poetry writing weakling!
Boss: (leaps up and pounds the table):
And I said no!!!! I said no to that kind of weak
and dependent existence!!! I said no to the Fool who would have me
constantly look to Him, like some sniveling mortal gazing on a woman at a
party! I said no to the Fool who would have me wait for Him, like some
wimp sitting by the phone! I said no to Love!!!!!
Johnson:
And that, gentleman, is why he is our Boss, and what makes Satan
Corporation the greatest corporation in the universe. Because like our Boss,
we say no to Love. Instead, like our Boss, we say you can only rely on
yourself. Only your own will can give you security. Only your own plans can
give you independence. Only your own power can free you from weakness
and dependence. If I may use the slogan of one of our most financially
successful subsidiaries, "You Are Your Own Rock!"
Page 39
Kinkaid:
So, Johnson, get down to specifics, because if you don't have one, then...
Johnson:
Specifics? You want specifics? I'll give you specifics. (Flicks on slides
showing images of power and control and security). I'm saying we offer him
everything. Everything that will make him completely independent and self
sufficient. All the combined power of all our subsidiaries. All our resources
for Him to make his own plan and carry it out. Everything that the Love of
God is simply unable to offer. We give him all, everything. He just has to
say, "Yes, I want that" and boom - he's already deserted the Love of God and
come over to us.
Boss: (walks over and pats Johnson on shoulder):
Johnson, you, you are just so, so...
wicked!
Johnson:
Aw, gee, thanks Boss. You don't have to say that.
Smithers clears his throat and half raises his hand
Smithers:
Ah, um, excuse me Boss. By your reports, is the Son walking around the
Jordan with a savings account?
Boss:
What?
Smithers:
Does the Son have a savings account? Does he have health insurance? Or do
you know if he is a pre-med or pre-law? Does he show any anxiety about his
G.P.A.?
Johnson:
Smithers, what are you doing?
Smithers:
I'm asking if the Son has shown any of the classic signs of pursuing security.
I'm asking if He is trying to make sure he has enough power to acquire a safe
future.
Boss:
Well, no, all the reports show he's walking around with no money, no real
home of his own, no real career track.
Smithers:
I would expect as much. (Smithers begins to gradually shed his timid
appearance here.) We all have heard about the Son, haven't we? We've heard
he is like a lion, wild and passionate. They say he's reckless, willing to ignore
what seems like the conventional odds. They say he seems to almost
welcome danger and risk. That's why we're all scared of him, isn't it -- I mean
except you, Boss, of course. What I'm saying is, this guy is not safe. And
he's not out for safe plans and secure finances.
Page 40
Johnson:
(Clearly trying to suppress his rage) Smithers, can I have a word with you
outside...
Boss:
Wait, so are you saying he wouldn't be interested in Johnson's offer? That it
would seem too sterile, too predictable?
Smithers:
That's exactly what I'm saying. Wherever this guy goes, excitement follows.
Whatever this guy does, adventure is in the air. I know his type. He's a thrill
seeker, he wants to live on the edge. He wants to go all out. To feel passion.
Boss:
But, but, but all those things sound distastefully like a life of Love.
Smithers:
Yes, but Love costs too much. Love requires deep commitment to
experience true passion. Love requires steely discipline to follow through on
a true adventure. And that is the product's main weakness! Why has our
corporation succeeded in achieving divorce rates of over 50%? Because
people don't want to put up the commitment and discipline! They like the
feeling of falling in love, but they don't want to do what it takes to experience
true love. They fear such a life will be boring! And that, by no great
coincidence, is also why most people fear a life with God. They fear God's
love will be boring!
Boss:
There's more to you than meets the eye, Smithers.
Johnson:
Tell me about it.
Smithers:
So, I propose we offer him excitement and adventure -- but all with a coupon,
"Free From Commitment and Discipline." (Produces the oversized coupon.)
(Glances over at Johnson with a sly grin). I just happened to have it with me.
And let me show you what I'm talking about. (Puts on slide projector of
various thrill seeking scenes, stopping on the one of a skydiver or cliff diver)
We offer him thrills galore but with a complete discount on discipline. He can
dive free from all restriction. He can jump free of any other worries. If my
thinking proves correct, he's going to then start looking at the Love of God as
restricting, as no fun. Pretty soon, the Love of God will seem like just a set of
rules that constrain him. And then, boy, we've got him!
Johnson and Kinkaid begin to shout out loud to
the Boss, advocating for their own proposals,
with Smithers joining in.
Boss:
Silence! Give me all of your proposals. One of them is bound to work.
Kinkaid, call my secretary to book me a flight for the Jordan wilderness.
Gentlemen, the time is now! We are going to nail this guy.
Page 41
Cut back to Bible study scene.
Page 42
Scene is the same Bible study.
Amy:
This may sound wrong, but it feels good to think about Jesus being tempted.
It makes me trust him more.
Brendan:
What do you mean?
Amy:
I mean Jesus knows what I go through. If he faced Satan's temptations alone
in the wilderness for forty days, he's got to have some sympathy for when I
feel like God's love is not enough.
Brendan:
Yeah, but Jesus also seems pretty hard core. Did you read what happens after
he comes out of the wilderness?
Leader:
Why don't you read that part out loud.
Brendan:
(Reads Mark 1:14-20). That's pretty demanding, don't you think? Jesus
walks along and asks these guys to leave their jobs and their family, just like
that!
Amy:
I wonder why they followed him? Jesus must have had just an overpowering
effect. Like hypnotic power for people to drop everything and just follow
him. (makes like a zombie).
Leader:
Maybe that's what it was like. But first remember that Jesus has been around
for a while, both at the baptism and going around preaching. Simon and
Andrew and the others probably have encountered Jesus before this time.
Second, remember what I said about Kairos, that Jesus breaks into our life
today in similar ways that he broke into the lives of people back then. Have
you ever felt like Jesus overpowered you or hypnotized you into some action?
Amy:
Well no, of course not. Usually when I feel like he's calling me to do
something, part of me doesn't want to do.
Leader:
Like what would be an example?
Amy:
Well, I guess coming to this Bible study today (smiles a little embarrassed).
Honestly, I wasn't going to come. I have a ton of work and I'm so behind. I
keep hearing this voice, "You're falling behind, you're going to fail." But
another voice, something inside me -- well, I guess it was Jesus -- kept
telling me I should come, that this would be good for me.
Brendan:
That's funny because I had the same experience. And it didn't feel like I was
hypnotized, it also felt like there was this battle of voices within me. Like in
those Tom and Jerry cartoons, where Tom has to decide if he's really going to
Page 43
do something horrible to Jerry. And there's like the angelic Tom on his one
shoulder telling him one thing, and then the devilish Tom on the other telling
him another. Hey, do you guys remember that one episode where the owner
gets a new dog and he always barks and...
Leader:
OK, well let's get back to the story here. What do you think that battle was
like for Simon when Jesus broke into his life? What did Simon feel that day
by the lake?
Amy:
Well, I imagine it was sort of like this...
CuT TO SIMON'S TALK
Page 44
Leaving My Nets: Simon's Repentance
by Karl Wirth
Costume: Fishing hat, poncho, nets.....
This morning began as an ordinary day, another day of fishing. I woke up late, the
sun was already rising and the day was already getting hot. I was lying there in bed thinking,
shoot Andrew is going to kill me, I just yelled at him yesterday for making me wait at the
boat and now here I am late.
My back and neck were really aching, Yesterday we had ripped the nets on a big
rock or something, I had told Andrew not to throw them out there. Anyway, he did and
they ripped and so we spent the whole afternoon mending them. My back and neck were
aching from bending over the nets sewing them up. So much of my time is spent
maintaining my nets. It's a pain but without his nets where would a fisherman be. My nets
are so important to me. They are quite expensive but more importantly they are the key to
my livelihood. Each day I throw them out a hundred times. Lowering them down into the
cool water and hoping for them to come up bursting full of fish. We dump the fish in the
boat, all flopping around, and throw out the nets again. Each time they come up full I think-
yes, money in the bank, food on the table. And if they come up extra full- an extra nice new
dress for my wife. These nets are my security. They provide for me and even more
importantly for my family. I mean, I know God provides for me through the sea and the
nets are just a means of his providing but without nets there could be no fishing and without
fishing... well I couldn't even imagine.
Often as I bend over them cleaning them and mending them I pass the time and my
boredom by thinking about the future, about what these nets will bring me. You see I have
some plans. I have some ambition. I want to build a fishing fleet. I want to expand, get a
few boats and have some men working for me. That way if I get old or injured I can keep
providing for my family and if I stay healthy I can live a little richer. It's not just some dream,
I have it worked out. I've always been a planner. I'm what feel like double the hours of any
other crew on the Sea and I am stashing away the extra I am making to buy my next boat. I
have some plans for the future.
Well, this morning I got dressed in a hurry and as I was running out of the house I
waved at my mother who was already out in the garden. She was so proud of me and
Andrew. Although today it made me sad to see her, it made me miss Dad. You see, my boat
is my father's boat. He died a few years before real close to my 25th birthday. He was a
fisherman like his father before him, working the Galilean Sea. Ever since I was a little boy
I wanted to be one too. When I was real little he made me these little nets that I would throw
into the stream and try to catch twigs. As soon as I was old enough, I'd go with dad
everytime he'd go out fishing. Dad taught me the whole trade- where the best spots were at
each time of the day, how to mend the nets. He died young and I think what gave him the
most comfort was that his sons were taking over the family business. He'd look at me with
joy in his eyes when I'd come home late all smelly and bloody from another day's catch. He
Page 45
was proud of me and on a bad day he'd encourage me by saying, "Simon you are a good
fisherman. You have a lot of potential. Honor the Lord by using that potential to its fullest.
The Lord will prosper you." I still miss him.
As I ran out the door, I heard Mom reminding me like she did everyday- "Simon,
remember to bind the words of the Lord to yourself and meditate on them through out the
day." That got me thinking. As I walked toward the boat where Andrew was impatiently
waiting- He has this habit of biting on his knuckles when he is frustrated- As I walked to the
boat I did start thinking about God. For as long as I can remember I have been religious. I
go to synagogue, I go with my family to the temple for Passover, I read the Torah and recite
the Mishnah- dutifully. And yet other than that I live my life. I fish. That's who I am---- a
fisherman right!
Andrew, he is my younger brother, has always been the passionate one. He talks on
and on about how he wants something more, about how he wants the Messiah to come and
bring back the reign of David. Last week in synagogue we heard about the prophets, and he
got all excited and wanted to be able to be as close to God as they were. I laughed at him
and said, Come on Andrew that was 400 years ago. Stuff like that doesn't happen anymore.
We live our lives, we fish, and we do our duty before God. We do what's right. Plus who
would want to have a life as messed up as the prophets- half of them were killed.
Anyhow, Andrew's questions have been getting to me, maybe there is something
more to life, to being a child of Abraham. Maybe I am hiding from God. Everyone was
talking about John the Baptist and So last month we took a weekend to go down and see
him. To my surprise it was an exciting weekend. It was like a spiritual high. Lots of stuff
happened, there was that thunder, that weird dove like thing, the window to the heavens,
and that man. I kept thinking about that man. I found out his name is Jesus and he comes
from Nazareth. When I was standing there watching him get baptized I felt really close to
God. Jesus had this peace when every one else was terrified. There was something different
about him. He looked like an ordinary man but he seemed to know something, to be
something. The Baptizer sure thought highly of him. All in all I am glad that Andrew
dragged me on that weekend retreat to the Jordan. It was pretty exciting. But I am glad to
be back and to go on with my life as it had been. I have been feeling a little closer to God
ever since but fortunately it hasn't interfered with my life or my plans.
Well, with all these thoughts in my mind, I got to Andrew and the boat. We loaded
the nets in, headed out, but stayed fishing pretty close to shore. We were just casting out
our nets the second time when someone yelled from the shore, "Simon, Andrew." I couldn't
see far enough to make out who it was. So he yells again, "Simon, Andrew" I was a little
frustrated, this had better be important- we are trying to fish. But we pulled up our nets,
dumped them all back in the boat and headed to shore to see what this guy wanted.
It was Jesus. He waited till we came aground and then walked over to the boat and
simply said. "Follow me." I thought Wow this is pretty cool, this guy is pretty exciting and
he wants me and Andrew to follow him around today and be apart of the excitement. On
Page 46
the other hand, I was thinking that I really needed to fish, we didn't get much fishing done
the day before and if we didn't push ourselves a bit , how are we going to ever get enough
money to get a second boat and expand the fleet. I assumed Andrew was up for any
adventure and was just about to say, OK I'll skip fishing for today " to see what Jesus had in
mind.
But then he looked at my nets, looked at my boats, and then looked right into my
eyes and said, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people."
And so now I understand. I have a decision to make. Jesus is standing there asking
me to follow him not just for a day of excitement or for a weekend of being close to God,
but for a lifetime. I don't understand it fully but I know he is asking me to walk away from
my nets, from my boat, from my family, from my town. He is asking me to walk away
from my plans for my life.......AND do what, Commit to him I guess. All he said was follow
him and something about some kind of new career that had to do with fishing for people-
whatever that means!
Part of me is thinking, who do you think you are? I barely know you and you want
me to leave everything and follow you. How can I trust you? I like concrete plans. I like
ambitious concrete plans that I am in control of. But he didn't mention any plans and he
didn't say anything about me being in control. I like the future to be clear. But the only
clear thing about the future he is offering is that it has to do with him. For some reason I
feel right now that that's what I want more than anything else- my future to be with him.
Wait a minute. Think about this rationally. If I do this it would be crazy. What about
my mother and my wife. How would I provide for them. How would I make sure my
family is secure and taken care of? The answer has always been these nets, this boat, my
fishing career. That's what we've all been banking on to get us through this life. These
things have been our solid rock. How would I provide for myself?
What would everyone think? Everyone would think I am crazy. My wife and my
mom would be so disap
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