It is time for me to be in trouble again.

Phil.

Is It Holy Or Just A Book?


By Phil Scovell



     I was raised in a strict Baptist home.  Actually, I think it
did me more good than harm but most today would disagree.  I find
it humorous that so many Pentecostals and Charismatics today were
raised by, what appears to be, the same parents.  We just went to
different churches was all.  anyhow, I digress.

     Before focusing on what I really want to say, and before I
explain what happened to me recently, I want you to know exactly
the type of life I lived growing up in Iowa with a Baptist
preacher for a father.  We did not go out to eat on Sundays.
Shoot, we hardly ever went out to eat in the first place but never
on Sunday.  I did not ride my bike on Sundays and my bike was my
life.  We went to church Sunday morning, and Sunday evening, so
most of the time my folks made my little sister and I take a
Sunday afternoon nap.  What's up with that?  Anyhow, I figured it
out.  We took a nap because mom and dad had to take a nap or they
would fall asleep in church.  My dad was the head deacon out of
about 25 men on the board so we couldn't have that happen.

     I loved flying kites in the field next to our home but I
never flew kites on Sunday as a kid.  Dad didn't work on the car,
unless it had broken down, we didn't watch television, if my
sister and I were allowed to go outside, we had to stay in our own
yard, and we were not allowed to play with other kids in the
neighborhood on Sundays.  I could probably write a book about this
topic alone, but by now, you get the picture.

     I said all of this to talk about symbolism.  Is it important?
Well, if you know anything at all about the Bible, you know
symbolism is very important but how important is it in every-day
life?  Let me explain.

     I was taught that you never placed the Bible on the floor.
You never, absolutely never, hit another kid on the head with your
Bible.  I saw many who did such things but I was afraid to try it.
Furthermore, you never laid the Bible lower than other books.
Additionally, you never, never, never, placed anything on top of
the Bible because, at the very least, it should be on top of any
stack of magazines, papers, or other books.  I'm sure you
understand why I was taught this.  Was it necessary?  I'll refer
to the answer after my next story.

     We were in a Pentecostal church one night.  We were members
of this church.  We had a wonderful time of worship and the
preaching was great.  The pastor was the best organist I have ever
heard and he knew how to play by the leading of the Holy Spirit,
too.  He was fantastic.  He sang very well and his preaching, in
my opinion, was very good.

     So, as I started to say, after this great service one night,
the whole church ends up down at the front.  For you
nonpentecostals and anticharismatics, it isn't all that common to
have an all church altar call, meaning, everybody ends up down
front praying or being prayed for.  Yes, I know.  We are often
worried we've sinned and backslid and lost our salvation but
that's for a doctrines class.  Besides, I don't believe that
anyway.  "Once a Baptist; always a Baptist?"

     So, we are down front, as I said, and the pastor, and God
only knows where he came up with this hair brained idea, takes his
Bible and lays it on the carpeted floor.  No fooling.  He lays his
Bible, God as my witness, right down on the freaking floor.  Then
he gives a little speech about how important it is to stand, the
key word here is "stand," upon the Word of God in our daily life.
So far; so good.  Then, God forbid, he invites individuals to step
forward who wish to stand on his Bible as he prays and dedicates
their lives to living a Biblical life.  I almost blew a gasket.  I
thought my heart would stop beating or lightning would fall and
burn the church down.  I never even believed anybody would attempt
such a thing but he did.  Person after person stepped on to the
Bible laying on the floor and as they "stood" on the Word of god,"
the pastor prayed for them.  When he began running short on people
who wanted to "stand" on the Bible, he began calling people by
name.  By this time, I was so mad, I was spitting nails.  I prayed
he'd ask me by name to come forward and step on the Bible.  I
would have punched his teeth right down his throat.  Oh, I was
ready.  Please, God.  Let him call my name.  I am not a combative
person but that day, I would have been arrested for assaulting an
idiot pastor that had lost his marbles.

     The little service continued and we were down to young
children stepping on the Bible.  I decided in my heart, if that
man called just one of my kids, or if one of my kids volunteered,
I would have spoken and condemn this hideous and unholy practice
for the evil it was, and walk out of the place with my family.
Thank God, the pastor never called on my kids nor did my kids
volunteer because they knew better.  Do you?

     Now, let me focus clearly on the subject.  You surely know
that the thing we call "The Bible" is just a bunch of paper and
ink and leather, or simulated leather, and it is just a book.
Right?  Yes, I know it says Holy Bible on the cover and so it
should, but it ain't the cover that's holy, if you get my drift.
It isn't the paper and it is not the ink on the paper.  I know; I
know.  It says "Holy Bible" on the cover but it isn't the material
thing that is holy, it is the words of God inside.  Correct me if
I'm wrong.  No, forget what I just said.  I don't need any
correction; I know what I said is true.  However, the symbolism
that material book represents transcends all human understanding.
If you don't believe that, you best find another book to read.
Regardless, I am simply trying to point out how important
symbolism is and that symbolism carries with it, tremendous
meaning.  In the case of the Bible, it carries meaning that can
literally change a life.

     So where do we go from here?  That's up to you and the Lord.
I know where I stand.  The Word of God is in my heart and mind and
I stand upon its authority.  To physically stand upon it is dumb.
No, forget that.  It isn't dumb, it is ungodly and I hope god
strikes you dead if you ever do it.

     Now, think about spiritual symbolism.  No, not everything in
the Bible is symbolic.  I know that and you know that.  Yet, some
things are symbolic.  I'm not hear to clear up all your screwed up
theology in order to make you believe like me.  I do want you to
think about the importance of symbolism.

Now, I was recently feeling around on top of our entertainment
center, that's what they call an overgrown bookshelf which stores
your TV and other electronics, for a place to put something down.
I think it was the cordless phone but I don't recall for sure.
Anyhow, as I said, I was feeling around on top of this thing for a
place to sit something down.  Feeling?  Yes, when you are blind,
it works better that way.  What am I doing as a blind person with
a TV in my living room?  Watching it, of course.  Do you know how
much junk ends up on top of your entertainment center?  We have
church in our home every Sunday so often Bibles are forgotten when
church is over, I wonder what they read during the week when their
Bible is in my house, and they somehow end up on the entertainment
center, or on one of the end tables, but eventually, somebody puts
it on the entertainment center.  So, here I am, trying to find a
place to sit the phone down, or maybe it was the remote, and my
hand finds a Bible.  For one split second, I almost sat what I had
in my hand down on top of the Bible.  then I stopped and said,
"Nope.  I won't even do it now," and I didn't.  Nor should you.
Why?  It is called symbolism.  It is the same when the American
flag passes by during the parade and off comes the hat or up goes
the hand over your heart.  "Oh," you say, "it is just cloth," or,
"the Bible is just paper and real simulated leather covers."  You
can go climb a long rope, too, for even thinking that.  Didn't you
learn anything from going to Sunday school as a kid?  Come on!  I
suppose you have the same nonchalant attitude about the symbol of
a cross, too?  It figures.  No, silly.  We aren't worshiping the
Bible or the flag or the cross; we are worshiping Jesus.  Well, at
least I am.  Did you forget Jesus said He was the Word?  Yeah, you
did forget that one, didn't you?  There is something to be said,
however, about respect and what is to be said about respect is
symbolism.  Stop and think about it or get off the bus.  Church is
over.  It is time to live what you've learned.  If you don't know
Jesus by now, you've been listening to the wrong screwed up TV
evangelist.  Speaking of which, I hope the government outlaws
Christian radio and television pretty soon.  Then maybe you'll go
back to church and stop horsing around on Sundays.  You know what
I mean, Vern?

Has He Ever Crossed Your Mind?
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