I’m a bit of a golf nut, so I’m excited about having some time to sit and watch the final round of the US Open today! Go Phil! Or, Padraig! Or, Monty! Or, Furyk! Should be lots of fun.
Reading an article on the open the other day, however, I saw a humorous story about a previous golf tournament that was in danger of being cancelled or curtailed because of unrelenting rains. One of the TV announcers spotted a priest in his clerical collar and called to him, “Can’t you do anything about this?”
“You’ll have to take that up with management. I’m in sales,” he responded with a smile.
It made me smile, too. I love the idea that God’s in management and we’re not him. I even see Jesus living in that freedom. He wasn’t trying to get his Father to do what he thought best; he was living in the things he saw his Father doing. On a number of occasions when questioned about the timing of future events, he would respond, that he didn’t know for those things were in the Father’s hands. I guess when you know the Father you don’t have to sweat the future.
As I thought about this more, however, I was troubled with the priest’s view that he was in sales. Believe me, if I had heard this story 15 years ago, I would never have thought twice about that. Religion is something you have to ‘sell’ to people and I wouldn’t have caught that. Today, however, the idea of being in sales as an ambassador of this kingdom turns my gut.
Perhaps it would be better said, “You’ll have to take that up with management. I’m in service.”
That, I like! Imagine the freedom of living that way. Even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve. He wasn’t selling anything either…
So very true, Wayne! Good thing too, ’cause I’m a lousy salesperson! How about that golf today?? I too was glued to my TV this afternoon. What a weird and wacky finish to say the least!! Was pulling for Phil and Monty (seeing as the only Canadian, Mike Weir faded) and was sorry one of them didn’t win. But good on the guy from Down Under!
So very true, Wayne! Good thing too, ’cause I’m a lousy salesperson! How about that golf today?? I too was glued to my TV this afternoon. What a weird and wacky finish to say the least!! Was pulling for Phil and Monty (seeing as the only Canadian, Mike Weir faded) and was sorry one of them didn’t win. But good on the guy from Down Under!
What really tee’s me off is this whole ‘sales’ idea about Christianity, I mean the actual sales. Talking books, cd’s, records, videos, movies, bibles, etc…since when did we have to sell knowledge we learned about God? I always remind myself, I think I remind myself, about the time Jesus threw those moneychangers and people ‘selling’ out of the temple…I thought ‘right on’. Can someone please go on one of the TBN shows and do that, preferably Van Impe…wonder what the walking bible dude would say when someone throw his stupid videos out the window and proclaims what he’s doing as ‘sacreligious’.
What really tee’s me off is this whole ‘sales’ idea about Christianity, I mean the actual sales. Talking books, cd’s, records, videos, movies, bibles, etc…since when did we have to sell knowledge we learned about God? I always remind myself, I think I remind myself, about the time Jesus threw those moneychangers and people ‘selling’ out of the temple…I thought ‘right on’. Can someone please go on one of the TBN shows and do that, preferably Van Impe…wonder what the walking bible dude would say when someone throw his stupid videos out the window and proclaims what he’s doing as ‘sacreligious’.