Hey it has been a while. I have been watching all of this stuff on the Pope and I just felt a little like writing. In the reformed church that I belong to we do not get a Pope. It is not that we do not deserve one. Someone along the way I think we decided we do not need one. Not sure all the reasons why but I suspect that Popes are kind of expensive. Plus, we have not found anyone yet who looks like a Pope. I kind of noticed that the Cardinals were standing in line to cast their vote for the new Pope. I could not help feeling that you might pick any one of these guys and get about the same results. Somehow they all look like someone stole all their toys when they were young. Actually, I think these guys must be pretty smart guys. I think they all know a bunch of languages. No matter how you slice it we in the CRC and the Reformed tradition have to depend on all hope and no Pope. At least I can think a little of what our signals might be if we ever did get to elect one. I think the black smoke, white smoke, thing is a neat idea. I sense that if we would have to have a ceremony it would be something more bland. Like if the the choir sang "It is well with my Soul" we did not yet have a new leader but if it sang "Standing on the Promises" we would all be out buying our pastor a pair of red shoes. Something like that.
I did hear kind of a good Pope Joke the other day.
The Pope flies in to New York for a conference and he gets picked up at the airport in the American version of the Pope mobile. On the way out of the airport the Pope taps the driver on the shoulder and says to the guy "you know since I have become Pope I have never driven a car and is there any chance that you and I could switch and you let me drive"? The chauffeur says that he could get fired if he allowed this but the Pope argued that he was the Pope and the he would assure the guy that he would not get in trouble. Anyway, the Pope gets out on the freeway and just floors this sucker and in a moment is going 85 and a cop pulls him over. The cop get out of his car and looks over the situation. He radios the station and tells his boss that he thinks he has something really special. The boss reminds the cop that they just had a meeting on this and everyone who gets stopped get a ticket. The cop argues that he senses this is above anything that has been talked about. "Who do you have there says the boss?, "Is it the mayor". No the cop says, go a little higher. "Is it a senator" No still not high enough says the cop. "The President?" ask the chief. Still higher says the cop. "OK than I give up, who might you have there" The cop reports "I think it might be God because whoever this is has the Pope driving him around New York."
I have been watching on the History channel the series "The Bible". It is kind of interesting. You know I kind of like watching the thing but have sort of noticed that the people of this era had some problems with basic grooming. How did they do this area of basic grooming? I do not think that razors had been invented yet but some how the Egyptians all look pretty good and clean shaven and the Hebrews are pretty rough. Not sure what to make of this all but I have been looking around church lately for anybody wearing red shoes that can help me figure it out. Will let you know when I close in on the answer. I kind of hope they do a thing on Jonah. Fish stories are always pretty good.
Always a little humor in the storm. Is that not right?
Stan the Man
