Friday, March 18, 2011

Paying the Ultimate Price

There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to spe...ak....



"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.



I stopped the lad and asked, "What do you have there, son?"



"Just some old birds," came the reply.

"What are you going to do with them?" I asked.



"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their

feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time."



"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?"



"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."



The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"



"Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister.



They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!"



"How much?" the pastor asked again.



The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"



The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand.

In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of

the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free. Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story:



One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"



"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.



Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other.. I'm really gonna have fun!"



"And what will you do when you are done with them?"



Jesus asked. "Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly.



"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.



"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!"



"How much? He asked again.



Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your life."



Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

anyone lived in a pretty how town

used to have this poem memorized...one of my favorites.



anyone lived in a pretty how town by E. E. Cummings


anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did

Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her

someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then)they
said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain