Baptists and People Watching

Oh, I love me some Jesus! Kent invited me to Logan Street Baptist today, and I ended up enjoying myself a lot more than I expected. I am nondenominational, but I felt very at home there. I think I may try it out a few more times and maybe decide to stay for awhile. However, I tend to be extremely picky when choosing a home church. I want to be spiritually moved while attending. I don't opt to go to just hang out or to find a place that I'm merely content.

Waiting around before church:


I came home to this bulletin posted by a fellow Sociology classmate (I'll highlight it so that you can choose to skip over it if you so desire to):


There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr.Christianson, astudious man who taught at a small college in the western UnitedStates.Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity atthis particular institution. Every student was required to take thiscourse his or her freshman year, regardless of his or her major.Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence ofthe gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked uponthe course as nothing but required drudgery. Despitehis best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.his year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve.Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intentof going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was wellliked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now thestarting center on the school football team, and was the best student intheprofessor's class.One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stayafter class so he could talk with him. "How many push-ups can you do?"Steve said, "I do about 200 every night.""200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr Christiansonsaid. "Do you think you could do 300?"Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done300 at a time.""Do you think you could?" again asked Dr.Christianson."Well, I can try," said Steve."Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and Ineed you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Canyou do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it."Dr. Christianson said, "Good. I need you to do this on Friday. Letmeexplain what I have in mind."Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of theroom. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box ofdonuts.No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extrafancyBIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls.Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of theday,and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with apartyinDr. Christianson's class.Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked,"Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?"Cynthia said, "Yes."Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you doten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?""Sure." Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steveagain sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia'sdeskDr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked,"Joe, do you want a donut?"Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you doten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down thefirstaisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got theirdonut.Walking down the second aisle, Dr Christianson came to Scott. Scottwason the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He wasverypopular andnever lacking for female companionship.When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own pushups?"Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked,"Steve,would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten pushups.Scott said, "Hey, I said I didn't want one" Dr. Christianson said,"Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are mydonuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put adonut on Scott's desk.Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He juststayedon the floor between sets because it took too much effort to begettingup and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming outaround his browDr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students werebeginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny,"Jenny,do you want a donut?"Sternly, Jenny said, "No."Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten morepush-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve didten....Jenny got a donut.By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The studentswerebeginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten donuts on thedesks. Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort togetthese pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool ofsweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginningto get red because of the physical effort involved.Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever intheclass, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the fulltenpushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve'sworkfor all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Stevewasso Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class,however,some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on thesteps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. Whentheprofessor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now therewere 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would beableto make it.Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and thenext.Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. Hewastaking a lot more time to complete each set.Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch oneachone?"Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your pushups.Youare in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr.Christianson went on.A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to theroomand was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice,"NO, don't come in! Stay out!"Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head andsaid,"No, let him come."Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in youwill have to do ten pushups for him?"Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut."Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out oftheway right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," hesaid,"give me a donut.""Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?"Stevedid ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered,was handed a donut and sat down.Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on thosevisitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking witheachpush-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity.Bythis time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was nosound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in theroom.The very last two students in the room were two young women, bothcheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, thesecond to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?"Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do tenpush-upsso that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?" Grunting from theeffort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do youwant a donut?"Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr.Christianson, why can't I help him?"Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to doitalone, I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing thateveryone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not.When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at mygrade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade.Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered meinferiorwork. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messesuphe must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to myparty unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I madeadeal for your sakes.""Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?"As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understandingthat he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done350pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said. "And so it was, thatourSavior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'into thyhandsI commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had doneeverythingthat was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some ofthosein this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physicallyexhausted, but wearing a thin smile."Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding,"Not all sermons are preached in words"Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you mightunderstand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercythathave been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him upforus all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not wechooseto accept His gift to us, the price has been paid.""Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on thedesk?"Share this with someone. It's bound to touch their heart anddemonstrate salvation in a very special way.

I really liked it. Hopefully, you did as well.

Do you ever just people watch? "There in her eyes? That's where hope lies," scribbled across Kent's paper. Matt in mid text while the preacher is exclaiming that Jesus would have forgiven Judas. The little kids across the aisle making faces at eachother. I often times find myself racking my brain on what is going on inside others' heads. Or maybe they're just spaced out like I find myself at times. That's too simple though. I like excitement. I make up stories for each of them. It helps to pass the time. Another creative release.