I apologize for not posting for a while … I am on vacation and you know how it goes … you’re hunting for a café that has wireless Internet, or the local public library you’re passing through, or the motel you’re staying in at night. It’s hit and miss.
While I’ve been on the road, so much has been happening in the news not the least of which is the death of Michael Jackson and the subsequent media frenzy and the show-biz chariots of fire send off he got to wherever MJ’s going.
Many people are buzzing about all the buzz, the idol worship. Why do people “worship” a controversial figure like this. Where does this come from?
My sense, however, is that the number of people involved in the sheer “worship” of this pop-icon is a relatively small percentage. Most people I think about simply talking about this over-hyped media death and expressing amazement about it.
I know the idol worshippers are out there. But as a percentage of the population, do you think the numbers are huge? Stepson Spenser is 21, and he hip, he’s cool (words he would not use), and he has no interest in MJ.
I think it’s hopeful that most those talking about MJ and not talking about him because they’re in awe of the guy, but they’re amazed at the media frenzy that surrounds the death of a celebrity—while, as one father of a soldier who died in Afghanistan the same day MJ died, others who die whose death might be worthy of mention, get barely a blip.
Anyway, also I was intrigued by the ceremony last Sunday in Yankee Stadium recalling the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig’s “Luckiest Man” speech. After diagnosed with ALS, he retired, and acknowledged the adulation of his fans by making a few brief remarks, beginning as follows: “Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”
I wondered at the time, what circumstances would have to occur in my life, for me to make a similar statement. Do we consider ourselves the “luckiest”—or in Christian or theological parlance—“blessest” people alive? Why? Why not?
My wife and I both feel like the most blessed as we took homiletics dare and DANCED with the whole church this morning. I cannot tell you how much holy hilarity and spiritual fervor was generated as we invited the congregation to dance at the beginning of "Shall We Dance"!!! We played Carmen's "Now's the time to celebrate" and had a line going around the whole sanctuary as more and mor eof the congregation gathered in reckless abandon as they praised God together. Thanks for the "dare", we are truly blessed of the blessed! Pastors Byrl & Janet SHaver
Posted by: Byrl SHaver | July 12, 2009 at 04:24 PM