The Whole Gospel according to the Universal Theater of God's Kingdom

Any Handy Metaphor Will Do

Huber, McCallum

• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Year: 2011
• eBook ISBN: 9781498276443
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

When our Father of Faith is tempted to sacrifice his sense of humor on the Altar of God's Demands, God intervenes in a surprising way that really makes Abe laugh. This is the same God whose hungry servant, Elijah, is fed by ravens way out on the ragged edge and towards whom Moses manages a sidewise glance while on the lookout for greener pastures.Then along comes another tough act to follow--the Wild Man of Judea appearing in the Galilee Theater and baptizing Jesus of Nazareth in the Jordan River of God's Transforming Power and Hope. Then, in the very next scene, Jesus ben Dios, the Number One Draft Choice in all of Baseball, hops a trial-ways bus to intensive-training camp where he comes face to face with the temptations and adversities of the real world. Fortunately, Jesus has his Spring Training Manual handy for quick reference.Jesus then launches his teaching and healing career in many forms: as a dance instructor, farmer, chef--and even as a flamboyant pyromaniac-arsonist who comes "not to bring peace to the world" but to set it on fire. For who can forget Marshal Jesus out along the Border of Sin and Forgiveness encountering the Ten Men-yon? Or the homefolks' chant, "Dr. Jesus, he's our man! If we can't use him, nobody can!"? Because when Anglo-Catholic Father Jesus meets an average parishioner at the Holy Water Basin and asks her to bless him with it, their engaging conversation prompts students of the bible and pillars of the church to take a second look in order to watch ordinary altar candles suddenly take on more beauty and meaning than they have ever imagined before.So, for those who have eyes to see: Look!

I

A Handful of Previous Productions

A Man for Whom Faith was a Terrible Trial

Devotion to God above all else was a terrible trial and a mighty struggle for the Father of Our Faith, but God called him the Father of Our Faith, and he responded from the depths of his heart, “that means me.”

And then he heard his God say, “Take your beloved sense of humor, that innocent child of your innermost being, and go out into a dry and a humorless place, and make it a mighty sacrifice on the altar of my demands.”

So the Father of Our Faith gathered up all his resources, as well as his beloved sense of humor, that precious child of his innermost being, and he went out into that dry and humorless place where he prepared to make it a mighty sacrifice on the altar of God’s demands.

And then his beloved sense of humor, that much-loved child of his innermost being, cried out to him, “So what in the world are you planning to sacrifice on the altar of God’s demands today?”

And the Father of our Faith lied through his teeth about his own plans when he said, “Oh, not to worry. Just a little something that God Almighty will supply himself, that’s all.” And then the Father of Our Faith actually started to intentionally murder his own beloved child, that funny sense of humor from his innermost being named “He Really Makes Me Laugh!”

But suddenly there appeared to be a brightly-energetic presence glimmering all around him and speaking directly into the depths of his innermost being, “Hey you, Father of Faith!” And he thought, “Uh oh, that means me!”

“Do not harm a hair on the head of that child of your innermost being who really makes me laugh, your most beloved sense of humor! For it is already much more than obvious that you are deeply devoted to the Lord your God and that you would even break your own heart if you thought that was what God wanted you to do to prove it!”

At which point the Father of Our Faith looked up from that experience with a brand-new and a brightly-energetic perspective! And, lo and behold, there it was! See? Now that’s a real ram in the bush indeed!

So the Father of Our Faith took that absolutely free gift of God’s great goodness and grace and shimmering insight and placed it on the altar; but not on some false altar of God’s Demands, but on the true altar of God’s Great Love instead.

And he called that place, “God Gives Really Delightful Gifts!” And that is exactly how it is still known even until this very day.

Theophany in the Bush

Now Moses was way out on the fringes of human habitation (out in the sticks, in the bushes, in the wilderness, in the wild, in the wildness) where he was tending to some ordinary, everyday, family business for his father-in-law, owner and operator of Jethro, Inc.

While in the course of tending to this ordinary business of looking for greener pastures, Moses unexpectedly stepped beyond the outmost reaches of ordinary, civilized, human experience and cultural influence, right on to the mountain dwelling-place of the Most Wholly Other High and Holy One, also known as the unpronounceable MWOHHO.

And behold! An extraordinarily bright flame heralded him from the midst of the bush giving Moses the bright idea to boldly announce to anyone who might be listening, “Wow! That’s really weird! I think I’ll stop and take a sidewise glance at that burning bush to see if I can discover why it hasn’t been burnt to a crisp, which is surely what’s normal and to be expected!”

Now when the MWOHHO saw that Moses had actually stopped and turned his full attention to where he was, the voice of the MWOHHO blazed out from the midst of the burning bush: “Moses! Moses!”

“Yikes! I’m here, Sir! Ma’am! Your Scary, Burning Brightness! At your disposal!” Moses flickered in response, stepping even closer.

“Keep your distance, Man! Have a little respect, for God’s sake! And take off your shoes! For this wholly uncivilized, completely wild, and unfamiliar religious t...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Preface
• Abbreviations
• Chapter 1: A Handful of Previous Productions
• Chapter 2: Nativity
• Chapter 3: A Voice in the Wilderness
• Chapter 4: In the Galilee Theater
• Chapter 5: The Lukan Theater Wing
• Chapter 6: In the Judean Theater
• Chapter 7: The Johannine Theater Wing
• Chapter 8: The Passion
• Chapter 9: Ongoing Appearances
• Chapter 10: Beginning Again
• Notes
• Appendix