Written by a friend of mine Cliff Gardener
Trying to make religious Christianity work is like starting an old Model “T” Ford. Everything had to be set right for the engine to start and run.
Religious Christians are always trying to “get started” by doing something for God, and then they are kept busy trying to make it run, if they ever do get it started. Turning the Crank on the Model “T” was a dangerous proposition. If the spark advance lever and the throttle lever were not set right, the engine could backfire and break the arm of the person turning the crank. The backfiring of religious Christianity has injured many a person trying to crank it up. The latest attempt to fill the pews or to increase the Sunday school attendance didn’t fly, now comes the inquisition by the board, council or committee as to “who done it” and why it didn’t work.
Maybe it is a case where the people aren’t responding to the pastor’s latest vision to make his program run to his liking and he is getting more upset as time goes on.
It could be that a feud has started because the wrong color carpet was laid in the sanctuary, or that some sour notes are being heard from the choir, or possibly someone brought a salad with the wrong topping to the pot-luck dinner and this has caused a resounding backfire. Perhaps it was a new name for an old church board position—i.e. from “deacon” to “elder”— that is the cause for the broken arm. The list could be endless.
Another problem with the Model “T” was encountered when the transmission grease (which could be cut by a knife in cool weather) was thick. If the engine would start, the “cranker” could be run over by the vehicle even though the transmission was in neutral.
This happens frequently in religious Christianity when some programs are launched. Sometimes the very leader who was going to lead the way to revival is run down by the very method he used to get it started.
Trying to make religious Christianity work is like starting an old Model “T” Ford. Everything had to be set right for the engine to start and run.
Religious Christians are always trying to “get started” by doing something for God, and then they are kept busy trying to make it run, if they ever do get it started. Turning the Crank on the Model “T” was a dangerous proposition. If the spark advance lever and the throttle lever were not set right, the engine could backfire and break the arm of the person turning the crank. The backfiring of religious Christianity has injured many a person trying to crank it up. The latest attempt to fill the pews or to increase the Sunday school attendance didn’t fly, now comes the inquisition by the board, council or committee as to “who done it” and why it didn’t work.
Maybe it is a case where the people aren’t responding to the pastor’s latest vision to make his program run to his liking and he is getting more upset as time goes on.
It could be that a feud has started because the wrong color carpet was laid in the sanctuary, or that some sour notes are being heard from the choir, or possibly someone brought a salad with the wrong topping to the pot-luck dinner and this has caused a resounding backfire. Perhaps it was a new name for an old church board position—i.e. from “deacon” to “elder”— that is the cause for the broken arm. The list could be endless.
Another problem with the Model “T” was encountered when the transmission grease (which could be cut by a knife in cool weather) was thick. If the engine would start, the “cranker” could be run over by the vehicle even though the transmission was in neutral.
This happens frequently in religious Christianity when some programs are launched. Sometimes the very leader who was going to lead the way to revival is run down by the very method he used to get it started.
