Tuesday, December 2, 2008

The Rough and Ready Gang

I believe "Rough and Ready" was a moniker that was born by the colorful Teddy Roosevelt - maybe I am thinking of his "Rough-Riders" ... anyway the title hearkens the image of that icon.
In the early Pentecostal (and later Charismatic) movement in the South during the early part of the last century, there was a preacher by the name of Buckalew that folks called "Rough and Ready" because of his unrefined character. He was once jailed when a little community in Alabama didn't like what he was preaching from his tent. They burned his tent and put him in jail. Soon after, people began to gather around the window of his cell, so he preached to them right through the bars.

We began the Advent season this week, and I have been thinking of the gang of "Rough and Ready" characters that made up the Prophets that gave the world a preview of the Messiah. The first candle in the Advent Wreath is the Prophet's Candle, we use it to remind us of the role God's Prophets played in foretelling the birth of Christ.

I must confess that "Advent" has been a mystery to me for a great deal of my life. We celebrated the Christmas season for its true meaning in our home growing up, but we never celebrated Advent.
A number of years ago, I became interested in this practice and when R. and I were blessed with children, we began trying to observe Advent with the lighting of Advent candles.

We visited a church last Sunday that observes Advent and I was thrilled by the fact that this congregation sets aside an entire month to focus on the first coming of Christ, the fact that He is still with us today, and the hope that He will come again.
I read an article that indicated that the practice of lighting candles in an Advent Wreath came into practice in many homes following World War I.
Sunday night we lit the first candle in our Advent Wreath.
Now this year we have a wreath; I should point out that, that is quite a jump from some of our previous years. Some years we used an assortment of scented candles of various shapes and sizes. At least on one occasion we set the candles up on a paper plate instead of a wreath.

But it is -for the most part - a sweet time. Although I do remember a time last year or the year before in which I got so aggravated with the kids that I either sent one to his room (AA) or I cut the ceremony short; mercifully, the memory is fading on that one.
Last Sunday, I asked the kids to present a little report on one of the prophets since were were lighting the "Prophet" candle. They both chose Isaiah but they brought interesting and diverse facts.

It stood out with me that Ab told us that because he spoke the truth, he didn't have many friends; AA pointed out that he gave details about Christ's birth that actually came about 700 years later.

The prophets are proof that God is in control, He has a big plan, and He's got all the time He needs.
So I have been thinking about these folks.
Some were very "rough"- Amos, for instance was a shepherd. Some were quite aristocratic - Isaiah for example, seemed to be at ease with the monarchy. Jeremiah was said to have come from a priestly family.

God used people then from all walks of life - the same way He does today.

Many of them lived miserable lives. . . consider the prophet Hosea whom God told to marry a woman from harlotry. And when she ran away and back to the gutter; he went down into slums and ghettos searching until he found her. He paid the price to those that had her bound and he took her away and spoke kindly to her. All this so that God could display His endless love for us.

In one instance Jeremiah sent a letter to the king, it contained important messages from God. The king took out his Barlow pocket knife (okay the Bible says it was a "pen-knife") and cut the letter to ribbons casting it in the fire.

Sometimes these special people suffered because they felt the heart of God and knew His sadness.

In a children's Christmas book by Gloria Gaither called, "Ordinary Baby: Extraordinary Gift", she refers to these prophets as "special listeners" who heard God speaking to the people. The story goes that they told the people that God wanted to get back the friendship He had enjoyed with people back in the garden. And some day God would send Someone to set things right and restore what had been lost.

I just wonder if these guys knew the gravity of the words they were saying? I feel sure that they knew God was urging them to say them... but did Isaiah know what he was talking about when he uttered, "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given..."?

Micah just sort of adds a parenthetical statement to his prophecy as he turns to Bethlehem - "though you be little among the families of Judah, yet out of you shall come He that will rule over Israel..."

No, I am of the opinion that these guys (and gals for that matter, as in-Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, Anna...) were just ordinary folks who obeyed God. Folks like us.
What about you (I'm asking myself these questions too):
What did you say today? Anything weighty? Anything people will talk about after you're gone? Was God leading what you said?

Did you stand for the truth - or proclaim it... maybe in a quiet way with one of your kids?

And what about your "place" ... do you feel as if others are just better equipped, or more strategically placed to do God's work in the earth?

Lord, can I learn from your "Special Listeners"?
Will You help me to be always ready;
In spite of being rough around the edges?
Will You help me to listen to You
and then speak the truth that I have heard?
And like that band of rough neck prophets.... will You help be always to be pointing people to the Messiah, Jesus Christ?

1 comment:

Robin said...

D-Awesome...
love ya, R