Old Dog V
Back to: Sometimes Lessons Are Meant To Be Hard
The Children Of God 4
Bob Neumann, 11/2007
So far I have related seeing two rooms of children. Neither needed supervision, structure, or control beyond ABBA’S WILL. Then I ran into what THE HARLOT CHURCH has done to children yearning to serve. The real issue is who is sending them “OUT” and “WHY”.
Y’SHUA spares no words in Mat 10:16…”Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves:…” These are men. Men used to hard living in a hard land. They would spend 3 years walking with THE MASTER…and HE DEMANDED that they stay in JERUSALEM till THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT filled and empowered them.
So what does THE HARLOT CHURCH really do?
It is a real wonderful feeling when THE LAMB tells you that you “mucked up”. For those of you who have not encountered “muck”, “muck” is just another term for fresh fertilizer, recently deposited by farm animals. It is a dirty and smelly job that has to get done. So when one “MUCKS UP”…one spreads manure around where it should not be.
So I was not terribly surprised after my CONFRONTATION with LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD I found myself once again standing among some very old trees wearing my well used brown robe. Now a few days had passed with me heavily pondering what I could have done differently. Scripture says clearly in JUDE… Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
“Contend” is translated from the GREEK TERM “epagônizomai”. To me it means to do battle, now others can figure it out for themselves. Was I too confrontational with a “child” who could not discern? So I told myself to be a little more “dove like”. So I walked over to an old tree and sat down on a root wondering where all this was going. At this point it was me and the trees. No songs, no poems, no clues what so ever. So I waited.
Eventually I heard a strange “clomping sound” and turned towards the direction the noise was coming from. After a few moments I could hear several voices and reminded myself “meek as a dove…”.
Walking in single file were five men. I immediately recognized the leader and stood to greet them.
“Hail Arthur, king of the Britons”, I stated in a clear “manly” voice. Before me were part of the cast of SPAMALOT. The musical version of MONTY PYTHON and THE HOLY GRAIL. What I found interesting was that the fifth and final member of the quintet was Eric Idle who wrote the play. But he was dressed as the others in knightly garb.
“Greetings, stranger”, announced Arthur, “and well met”. As I shook hands all around, I wondered what or where things were going. So I asked how were they doing so far in their search for the GRAIL. “The CUP that GOD THE ALMIGHTY and ALL-KNOWING misplaced?”, stated one of the knights. Now that sounded like one of the lines from the play and I stated. “Is there another?”.
“Of course not,”, replied King Arthur, “but you must understand that THE GRAIL is merely a metaphor for man’s need to find something greater in himself.” “But we are now looking for what is greater”, stated one of the knights and the others joined the conversation. “You must have a PURPOSE. Goals beyond your sight and beyond your reach.” For some reason this felt familiar, but it was not what I was expecting, silly me.
“Are you still on a GREAT QUEST?”…. I asked Arthur. “Yes we have a GREAT QUEST that we are tirelessly pursuing.” And it was here all five knights stood quietly looking upwards. Looked impressive. And then they started to sing….
To dream the impossible dream To fight the unbeatable foe To bear with unbearable sorrow To run where the brave dare not go To right the unrightable wrong To love pure and chaste from afar To try when your arms are too weary To reach the unreachable star
I had to join in “THIS IS MY QUEST TO FOLLOW THAT STAR NO MATTER HOW HOPELESS, NO MATTER HOW FAR”. But Arthur and his knights had stopped singing and were staring at me.
“Forgive me stranger,”, announced Arthur with a broad smile on his face. He looked at his companions. “We have a brother knight on the same QUEST!”.
“NO KING ARTHUR, please forgive me.”, I began trying the more dovish mode. “I know the great LORD OF LA MANCHA whose own quest we sang of. I am but a poor servant of THE KING OF JERUSALEM, THE SON OF DAVID”.
At that Arthur seemed impressed. “Poor servant indeed. There is more to you than what meets our eye. I wonder what you are doing here?”
Now that was a good question. And a thought came to me. So I posed a question.
“By chance, good Arthur, have you seen a fair maid in your recent travels?”
“Several times now,” Arthur replied in a stage whisper, “we have heard her song but have yet to see her. Which we hope to do soon”.
“Then I must attempt to persuade you not to”, I began, “For the Maid is the betrothed of my MASTER, Y’SHUA BEN DAVID. She is bought and paid for, good knights. She awaits for my MASTER. She is THE LILY OF THE VALLEY, THE ROSE OF SHARON”.
Now Arthur and his friends seemed confused….so I sang…
To love … pure and chaste from afar … To try … when your arms are too weary … To reach … the unreachable star … This is my quest, to follow that star … No matter how hopeless, no matter how far … To fight for the right, without question or pause … To be willing to march into Hell, for a Heavenly cause …
“Oh, my…” muttered one of the knights.
“Oh, yes…” I stated and clasped the man’s shoulder.
“But what of our QUEST”, asked Arthur?
“Forgive me Good Arthur, but did not the LORD OF LA MANCHA speak of an UNREACHABLE STAR, an UNBEATABLE FOE, the UNRIGHTABLE WRONG….an IMPOSSIBLE DREAM”.
I saw King and Knights nodding along with my logic. “What more can valiant knights want?”, I asked.
But Arthur had a look on his face I could not fathom. I sure was not sure where he was going to go next.
“Sir Knight”, he asked, “you seem to know much of this LORD OF LA MANCHA.”
“I should, good king, because DON QUIXOTE DE LA MANCHA is but one of the titles my KING wears with great distinction. LORD OF LORDS, KING OF KINGS, PRINCE OF PEACE, EL GABOR….”. So I sang….
Hear me now Oh thou bleak and unbearable world, Thou art base and debauched as can be; And a knight with his banners all bravely unfurled Now hurls down his gauntlet to thee! I am I, Don Quixote, The Lord of La Mancha, My destiny calls and I go, And the wild winds of fortune Will carry me onward, Oh whithersoever they blow. Whithersoever they blow, Onward to glory I go!
I’m Sancho! Yes, I’m Sancho! I’ll follow my master till the end. I’ll tell all the world proudly I’m his squire! I’m his friend!
Hear me, heathens and wizards And serpents of sin! All your dastardly doings are past, For a holy endeavor is now to begin And virtue shall triumph at last!
King Arthur was beaming…”What a wonderful song your KING has! So then you are SIR PANCHO….” With that the knights were pumping my hand and slapping my back. And I felt things were looking good for once.
And it came to me….another song…
“Good King Arthur, and noble knights. Let me speed you off on your great quest with a song MY KING, THE SOON COMING BRIDEGROOM gave for HIS BELOVED.”
I have dreamed thee too long, Never seen thee or touched thee. But known thee with all of my heart. Half a prayer, half a song, Thou hast always been with me, Though we have been always apart.
Dulcinea… Dulcinea… I see heaven when I see thee, Dulcinea, And thy name is like a prayer An angel whispers… Dulcinea… Dulcinea! If I reach out to thee, Do not tremble and shrink From the touch of my hand on thy hair. Let my fingers but see Thou art warm and alive, And no phantom to fade in the air. Dulcinea… Dulcinea… I have sought thee, sung thee, Dreamed thee, Dulcinea! Now I’ve found thee, And the world shall know thy glory, Dulcinea… Dulcinea!
Arthur and his gang beamed…. “Such a truly glorious song, Sir Pancho….” Proclaimed Arthur, KING OF THE BRITONS. “I hope to meet your SOVEREIGN on my QUEST”. With that he and the knights walked away into the woods.
So I sat back on my root and watched them march off singing…”SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM….”.
Crazy old men on a QUEST. PURPOSE DRIVEN for goal unattainable.
I end here….because I was watching them march off when I heard a familiar voice…
that will be part 5…
selah
Bob Neumann
Marion, NC