His Name Was Al - The Full Story

The flame that I lit
in Al's memory.

This past Sunday, our church held an All Saints Celebration to remember those friends and family that we knew who walked on our life Journey with us and have passed on.  I shared in my sermon about Pastor Al who shared Christ with me. 

Click Here to Visit the MVCC Monday Morning Bible Blog Where You Can Here the Sermon and the Whole Service for All Saint's Celebration.

Here is the full story:

I did not grow up with religion.  My parents had briefly gone to the Jehovah’s Witnesses around the time I was seven or eight years old, but that stopped quickly and I never really went to church after that.  I grew up with a bent towards debate and argument.  This was not the gentle sort of argument but an arrogant and self-assured idea that I was right about everything, and you’d better agree or I would pound you into submission with all the arguments I could muster.

This only got worse as I got out of High School and went into college for the first time.  I thoroughly enjoyed tweaking religious people's noses in arguments.  I pretty much always believed in a Creator, but never knew who he/she/it/they could be.  I did a lot of research, reading the major religious 'bibles' and reading about religions, but never believed any of them - generally because of major inconsistencies in their belief systems and the way I saw the believers act.

During college, I worked part time at a bank and ultimately ended up staying there as a department manager.  One of my employees was a Christian named Judy and was the wife of a pastor.  Judy good-naturedly began talking to me about Christ.  Though I usually got into knock-down/drag-out arguments with people who tried to evangelize me, I liked Judy and so I discussed it with her on several occasions.  Though I am sure that my outlook on religion was frustrating for her, she was honest and open about mistakes of the Church and that impressed me.  During one of our many conversations, I was frustrating Judy again and she suddenly stopped and said, "One day, God is gonna get you and when He does, He is going to use you for some great work.  He might even make you a pastor."  I laughed.  But I never forgot her saying that.

When my fiancé and I were looking to get married, Judy’s husband Al was the only pastor that I knew, so we asked him to perform the ceremony.  At the same time, we began visiting a local church to find out about renting the facility. 

Pastor Al said he would agree to perform the ceremony, only after we had pre-marital counseling.  We agreed to meet with him.  I had my doubts because I figured that he would use this opportunity to ‘cram religion down my throat’ (what a silly concept,  but that’s what I thought).  I was ready for him, I had all my arguments marshaled and was ready to fight.

On the first night of pre-marriage counselling, Pastor Al didn’t talk a lot about religion, but asked us many questions about ourselves and our relationship.  He ended the evening by telling us that he would not perform the ceremony because Becky and I had such disparate belief systems that would eventually tear us apart.  I left angry and my wife-to-be left in tears.  At her urging, called him back the next day to talk about it.  I asked if we could meet again and said I was willing to listen.  He agreed and we all went out to a restaurant for dinner and discussion.  My wife Becky and his wife Judy sat there all night saying almost nothing as Al and I talked it out.

I lead the conversation off by telling him that I didn’t want his religion because the Bible was full of errors and Christians were a bunch of hypocrites.  He smiled and picked up a Bible that he had on the seat and slid it across the table to me.  “Errors, huh?, show me one,” he said, looking right through me with a stern but amused stare.  I knew several off the top of my head, but didn’t know where to find them.  I never needed to in the past; all the other Christians I’d met crumbled when I started listing them. 

We closed down that restaurant that night.  We talked until they made us leave.  He answered every question I had, dealt with every argument logically, and challenged my thinking.  He admitted when he didn’t have all the answers and he too talked about the mistakes that the church has made in the past.  When we left that night, he agreed to meet again and reconsider the wedding.

Al ultimately did perform the ceremony for us, though I wasn’t a Christian.  It was several more years of study and questioning before I became a Christian.  Judy was right, though, once God got a hold on my, He hasn’t let go.  He has used me for many things, some great and some small, and I believe that He has more in store.   Judy was right about one other thing… I am a pastor now. 

Thank you Al and Judy. 

Postscript:  Pastor Al passed away in 2006 and I never got to tell him, “Thank You” in person.  Though it saddens me and fills me with regret, I live with the promise that one day I will see him again and be able to tell him then.

Rodger

The Journey - A Skit for Church

This is a skit co-written by Rodger S. Loar and Erin Paige. It was performed Sunday, January 31, 2010 at Mountain View Christian Church by Nate Allen, Rebecca Loar, and Bedillia Gonzeles. Directed by Erin Paige. Copyright January 2010.

If you like the skit and wish to use it for your church, you have our permission so long as you give written credit in the bulletin or or other service flyer as follows: "The Journey - written by Rodger S. Loar and Erin Paige, Copyright January 2010, www.rodg3r.blogspot.com."

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The Journey

Actor A is walking across the stage very slowly. He is carrying and/or dragging a large very full army bag that is obviously very heavy. It should be stuffed with paper but also have some very heavy items that make noise especially as he sets it down. He is struggling. He tries different positions, sometimes he tries to drag it, sometimes carry it. He slips and falls. Actor A finally gets frustrated and sits down dropping the bag with a loud clunk putting his head in his hands.

(Actor B enters also carrying a bag but it is smaller and lighter.)

Actor B: Why are you just sitting here on your Christian Journey?

Actor A: Because it’s hard. I don’t think I’ll ever be good enough or strong enough for this walk. Being a Christian is not easy. This road is really rough and I’ve got all this baggage. I don’t know if I’m going to make it. (Puts head in hands)

Actor B: Wow. That’s a big bag. Whatcha got in there?

Actor A opens up his bag and begins to take items out to represent his life load.

Actor A: (Pulls out a large chain) This chain is my addiction. (Keeps pulling chain out of bag for a long time, passing it to Actor B)

Actor B: Whoa, that’s a lot of chain! That must be some addiction.

Actor A: I have carried it a very long time. I’ve tried to get help, but I just can’t seem to break it. (he pulls a short length of chain trying to break it)

(He then leaves Actor B holding the chain and then reaches back into his bag and pulls out an absurdly large Victorian type family picture frame with picture of family and barbed wire tacked around the edge) Then there is my family. My wife and I just don’t seem to enjoy each other as much anymore. We’re both so stressed and we end up taking it out on each other. We fight about everything. And the kids, they are struggling with school and getting into trouble. And then there are my inlaws, Oh my inlaws (hand on head and rolls eyes)

Actor B: (Tries to grab the frame) Ouch! Is that barbed wire on there?

Actor A: (conspiratorially) you’d have to know my family

Actor B: (gestures to her own backpack) You should see my family… (pause, while they share a knowing look) What else you got in there?

Actor A: (Pulls out a sledge hammer and a smaller claw hammer handing them to Actor B. Actor B struggles with the weight and finally sets them down) Work is rough. They laid off a lot of people last month and I don’t know how much longer I’ll have a job. And, now I’m working long hours doing all their work too! Plus, most of the guys at work aren’t Christian and they always seem to get me to do things that aren’t very Jesusy.

(He starts rooting around in the bag some more and flippantly pulls out a large wad of cash)

Actor B: Well it sure looks like money is good.

Actor A: Wait. (pulls out 5 big stacks of bills, one after the other, handing each to Actor B) Yeah, but there's more bills than money. We are constantly struggling to pay the bills. We don’t make the best choices with our money, we’re always eating out and seem to buy a bunch of stuff we don’t need. (He reaches back in the bag and pulls out a soccer ball, a drum stick, a pair of large swim flippers, ballet slippers, and a football Actor B keeps trying to hold onto everything as he pulls it out, juggling everything ) Oh yes, there’s the kids. They are so busy with sports and clubs and stuff. They’re each involved in too many activities; we are constantly running them to and from one thing to another. We barely have time to breathe.

Actor B: (somewhat taken aback) My goodness, is there more???

(Actor A reaches in bag and pulls out a very large, very sticky ball of tape [wad up black electrical tape into a big ball, with the sticky side out]) Then, there is my grudge with my dad. I am stuck and I can’t seem to let it go. I just can’t seem to forgive him for everything he did. I am so angry. (Actor A sticks the ball of tape to Actor B – Actor B responds with a grossed out look on her face)

Actor B: You know, you don’t have to walk this road alone. Everyone has their struggles. Heck, I’ve got baggage of my own (Indicates her own backpack) I’ve had people help me through. Maybe I can help. How bout we leave some of this stuff at the cross. Why don’t we start with your kids. They learn how to balance their lives from you. Maybe you could encourage them to each give up one of their activities. They don’t have to do them all and you will help them learn time management. Maybe we can leave some of this here as a start. (she places most of the sports stuff at the cross, but Actor A takes back the ballet shoes and the drum stick)

Actor A: Yeah, then they would have time for homework, or church, or maybe then I could get to see them once in awhile that’s not in the car rushing somewhere.

Actor B: Right. What about work?? Can we leave your worries about work here?

Actor A: I don’t think I’m quite ready to let go of all that yet. (He leaves large hammer on the ground, but takes small hammer and puts it in the pack).)

Actor B: That’s ok. Maybe we can work on that together. I know it’s hard, but we can be praying together. And don’t forget, I can help you carry things too. In fact, give me some of that chain (she takes half and puts it in her bag, the rest is left where it lays on the ground).

Actor A: I would like to be better with my money. Can you help me find ways to do that too?

Actor B: Sure. I have a friend at church who’s really good with money. I’ll introduce you Sunday. He helped me learn how to save and even give money back to God by donating to church and some of my favorite charities. Do you think you can leave your money here and trust God with it?

Actor A: Yeah I’d like to. It is really hard, maybe I could just leave part of it now. (takes about half of the money and leaves it in front of the cross, puts the rest of the money and the bills back in the bag for now).

Actor B: There! Your load is looking lighter already. Let’s keep walking. Maybe we can learn some things together.

(The 2 continue walking. Actor A stumbles but Actor B helps them back up and they keep walking.)

Actor C comes on stage struggling with a large bag of her own. Actor A and Actor B watch for a moment and then Actor B starts to walk over to help. But, Actor A puts a hand out to stop her and says:

Actor A: That’s alright! I’ve got this one! (heads over and puts his hand on Actor C’s shoulder) “You know, you don’t have to walk this road alone.

(lights fade to black. Galatians 6:2 is displayed on the video screen while a voice reads it aloud.)

Galatians 6:2 Carry Each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ