Phil,
Very important, and very true.
Vinny
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 8:21 AM
Subject: The Book


> 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?
> www.SafePlaceFellowship.com
>