Do not be afraid.
Do not be satisfied with mediocrity.
Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
John Paul II
(Steve Martin appearing on David Lettermen singing Atheists ain’t got no song / 2011)
When I scanned my emails and saw that I had a notice of a new posting
from a blog I follow, I opted to investigate a bit further—
I realized there was actually a videoclip in the posting that was sitting at
roughly 42 minutes…
I wasn’t really certain I wanted to be contained for almost three quarters of an hour watching a videoclip in the middle of the day.
There were things to do.
How could I justify sitting at the kitchen table watching a video clip for nearly 45 minutes….what about the cleaning, the wash, the filing, the bills, the shrimp…
the shrimp that needed deveining for this evening’s supper….???
I am a person who isn’t one to sit around.
I am a doer and constantly moving about…as something always needs tending to.
Sitting in the middle of the day, listening and watching a videoclip is a little
hard for me to justify
45 minutes, really??!!
Yet I was curious.
And I also do quote this man all the time.
I am constantly offering this man’s teachings, his preachings, his defenses,
his proclamations…to you…and so do I not owe it to you to really
know a bit more about him????
Of course I do.
If one wants to be truly credible, one must invest time and understanding
before sharing.
Yet I’m not Scottish…well that is… not me exactly but in heritage, yes.
I’m certainly not a Presbyterian nor am I an Evangelical…
I’m still an Episcopalian by name…but just one who happens to no longer
agree with the direction of the Episcopal Church.
What I am is a conservative Christian who believes in the importance of
spreading the word about God, Jesus, sin, death, life and salvation….
So perhaps I needed to invest the time.
Something was nagging at me to give it a look.
I clicked on the video and after about 2 minutes in, I stopped it.
I knew I needed a pen and paper as there was much to be writing down.
David Robertson, the Reformed Presbyterian Minister who heads St. Peter’s Church
in Dundee, Scotland had posted his latest blog post in which he was offering
a videoclip from address given in 2010 for the Christian organization that he
is apart of, SOLAS.
And despite the videoclip being nearly 8 years old,
David had stated that if one really wanted to understand what he was about,
this was probably the best explanation.
The Christian group there in Dundee named SOLAS—was something I really had no idea
about or what it was, I just knew it was something he had his hand in…
but now know—
Solas is a Gaelic word meaning Light—and that Light is the Light of Jesus Christ….
If you visit my world here often, you hear much reference to David.
I found him via this little blog world of ours.
And when I read the things he was writing on his Wee Flea blog, I found myself
most often in total agreement, not all the time mind you, but most of the time as
I’d find myself nodding and offering a silent “Amen”
And as I don’t always agree with everything…
I’ve yet to meet a Christian who is usually 100% with another Christian—
heck most folks find something to disagree over with their own priests, pastors or minister. I don’t know any Christians who totally agree with
each and everyone’s doctrines or denominational background…but at the end of the day
if the bottom line is Jesus Christ for each of us then that is truly our common ground.
Doesn’t matter if you’re Catholic or Baptist, Pentecostal or Greek Orthodox…
if Jesus Christ…His birth, his life, his ministry, his death, his resurrection
is the chief cornerstone in your life—then we are all on the same page.
I had not read any of David’s books.
I hadn’t even heard of him before…but it seems he was pretty famous for
having debated and besting the avowed Atheist Richard Dawkins.
He even went on to write a book that acted as a Christian follow-up to
Dawkins’ book, The God Delusion.
So today’s videoclip, which I’ve attached below was indeed enlightening.
It made me think of Wally’s little meme and comment yesterday which was
“If somebody took a poll of 10 of your acquaintances and asked them the most
notable thing about you, how many of them would say:
“Oh they really love Jesus!?”
(https://truthinpalmyra.wordpress.com)
This really made me think.
I told Wally I’d probably get “good wife, good mom, good cook,
good teacher’…..but would anyone start with the fact that I do love Jesus,
proclaim Him as my Salvation…have I simply done that more inwardly and
just for self….??
I wasn’t sure I could answer that “thought” and even told Wally I
had been given much to ponder.
I will spend some time over the next couple of days focusing in on some of the key
thoughts I took away from watching David’s video.
He did offer something rather hilarious and that was a mention of Steve Martin singing
the song Atheists ain’t got no songs.
He said if you’d not heard it or seen it, google
it, it was worth the look….and it was!
It was a clip from a David Lettermen show and in true Steve Martin form,
it is hysterical while ringing of so much truth…
I don’t know about Steve Martin’s religious beliefs but I think he leans
toward agnosticism….but no matter, as I thoroughly enjoyed the song…
I think you will too
Plus—do yourself a favor, carve out the roughly 42 minutes to listen to David’s
address.
It matters not that his focus is the Church there in Scotland.
Scotland has a rich Christian history—and was once the loudest Evangelistic voices
in most of the world…but then something happened…just as it is happening here
in the US.
It matters not that you may be Lutheran, Anglican, Southern Baptist, Methodist,
etc…the message is the same.
And I said it yesterday and I’ll say it again…it was a quote from the
former Anglican Bishop Gavin Ashenden,
“It is the secular culture that is attracting many believers”—as more and more
people leave the Church, preferring the worship at the altar of the worldly….
There was a time when my mom, God rest her soul…my quiet, shy and very Episcopalian
mom would have warned me not to be talking about such…I wouldn’t want folks to think
I was some sort of nut, religious fanatic or “Jesus freak” or God forbid,
part of a cult…
but I would have to now say to mother, what better time then now Mom?
What better time than now….?
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Ahhh—we see who’s up bright and early working hard from his hospital bed—I hope the pain level is becoming more tolerable and that they don’t wear you out today getting you up and moving….
😄 pain is tolerable, don’t have the ok yet to start walking, nausea and lightheadedness are ruling the morning. But I am in good spirits. Still only ok’d for chew on ice chips 😕
Mmmm- ice chips— I tend to be a nauseated one when in a hospital so I certainly understand that!! Yes slow and steady goes the winner to the race
speaking of nausea, I was given the ok to have the world’s worst beef broth 😣 also ok’d to start walking around 😍
Oh be careful-they gave Gregory that same beef broth- it made him so sick his kidneys nearly shut down as he risked ripping all sutures and staples from throwing up constantly—it extended his little stay—- little sips GW—and why not chicken?? Why is it always beef??
Thanks SC, I’m guessing beef broth because of the iron in it and to get the hemoglobin up
ahhh, method to the madness—good to know–up with that hemoglobin!!!!
I too will have to carve out the time to check out the Robertson clip, but the Steve Martin was a stitch. Ain’t it the truth? The atheists don’t have songs. How sad is that. No wonder they all seem so crabby all the time.
It explains so very much! 😙
Yes it does.
I found myself stopping, scrolling back, and taking notes. Of course, the phone rang about halfway through. Is 45 minutes of silence possible? Thank you so much. I have the Wee Flea on my Reader list, but I miss his posts much too often.
They are often so rich and meaty Mark I find devoting the necessary time to do justice to really digesting them sometimes impossible much to my chagrin— time loves to steal itself 🙃
I agree. I have nothing written for tomorrow, but I have just written a letter to the pastor regarding an aside comment to me a week or so ago. The Wee Flea’s video has gotten me fired up to write a letter to the church’s evangelism team (the team that I had started until I got burned out). Time does seem to steel itself. If you see more typos than usual tomorrow, you will know why.
Love it!!— typos- as I am the queen—issued in the flurry of urgency – excellent!
Thanks for the video Julie, I will have to find some time later today to view it. Steve Martin has always been one of my favorites. Just seems like an all around decent guy. And oh so funny!
You’ll love the song-a hoot!
Near my first year of teaching, there were two third/fourth grade classes. Something was said in our class about one of the boys in the other class (the classes shared the same recess time). A response was “Eugene’s family know God, they reeeally know God.” I must have had Eugene the following year in fourth; anyway something happened and there was disagreement about what had happened on the playground. Someone said, “Ask Eugene; he allllwways tells the truth.” Something worth thinking about. And thank you for the “like’ on “Don’t Give Sugar in January.” 😀
Yeah well I’ll eat brittle or brickle whenever offered — 🤤
You’re an active mobile. I’m sedentary. 😀
Well-I like doing but I can sit with the best of them— like today- it’s just so cold I’ve been a clump
If you are in a clump, your brain must be spinning. But you can’t shut that down. How many blogs have you dreamed up with your arms in a blanket wrapped like a straight jacket?
😚
What a time indeed!
Atheists ain’t got no songs? I haven’t even watched it yet and am already laughing.
It was spot on that’s for sure!
I saw Steve Martin perform that song on Letterman at the time. Loved it then; love it now! I will have to make time to watch David’s video… when I haven’t got a family clamoring for their supper 😉 I’m looking so forward to viewing the video! Love and hugs!
I had to watch it during the day when I’m here by myself—otherwise my attentions, as you, must be elsewhere 🙂
As Wally would say, “Yep.” 😉 Love ya!
I got to shake Steve Martin’s hand and get his autograph at a USO tour in Saudi Arabia. The man is a genius. Thanks for the shout out my dear sister.
how cool is that—he does seem to be one of the few “decent” fellows in that industry….
Does David Robertson have audio sermons anywhere? I can listen easier than watch
He does provide podcasts—,I’ll have to investigate- he did offer an audio yesterday from a talk he gave on a radio station there in Scotland in regards to his resolution article
Please Do! I listen a lot while I drive
I immediately giggled when I saw the title for this post! As I have a currently have a draft post scheduled to go out with this very same Steve Martin video-clip! (Giggles.) I loved how your wove this clip into your wonderful post – I promise my pending-post is not nearly as insightful. God is not currently providing me with the time to write (as I’d like,) but He is a gracious God and I trust He will indeed provide. I am grateful He’s good enough to give me just enough to feed my creative angst. I look forward to watching David later this evening. Hugs n’ blessings for the opportunity to read your delightful posts!