time that I went to The Belmont Church in
Chicago. Michael and Clint used to go
there every Friday or Saturday night and
they told me about it. So I went along for
a few weeks. That's it. I can't remember
what happened that we quit going.
The Belmont Church was down to just a
couple people at the time we went. There
is an old couple who owned the building and
their dream was to get on satellite TV.
They still had the dream, even though it
was more improbable as time passed. The
building was in a state of disrepair, and
that area of Belmont is mostly diners,
clubs and shops with a younger more unusual
crowd.
After service we would hang around and just
talk about things. You know, the usual
chit-chat. Well, they would start talking
of their days of former glory, when the
'Kinison boys' would preach there. At that
time, the Belmont area was a pretty rough
and tumble part of town. It was at the
peak of the 'white flight' to the suburbs.
The building was almost given to them. And
they began with the vision of getting into
a large scale ministry. They kept the
vision right down to the end.
From the stories that they would tell, when
Sam Kinison was preaching there, the place
would draw a crowd. It was a rough crowd,
but it was a crown, nevertheless. If you
can imagine it, you can see that an
ambitious young man like Sam would not be
inclined to hang around a struggling church
'mission', which is what it was. But one
story that stands out is the time when Sam
took up the offering and when the plates
came back up to the front with very little
in them. I wasn't there so I don't know
for sure, but with this kind of crowd, it
was possible that people would be taking
money out as the plate passed, instead of
putting money in. When Sam saw that the
collection was poor even for this place, he
pulled a gun out of his pocket and shot a
couple rounds in the air, just to get
people's attention. Then he said, We're
gonna' try that one more time. Pure Sam
Kinison. The boy was always a little
different. Never met the man. Just a
second hand tale.
So, as I was looking at some Sam Kinison
stuff on the WWW, and thinking about what I
know of him, it occured to me that it might
have been that it was a bad marriage that
finally soured him on preaching and shifted
his sights to stand-up comedy. Some would
say that there's not alot of difference,
and in some cases I'd have to agree.
If you take a look at the prophets of G-d
in scripture, what you will find is that,
almost without exception, I can't think of
one off the top of my head, they had times
of trouble during their ministry. They
faced some tough challenges. It's a test.
Somewhere along the way, Sam failed the
test, I think. I'm not saying that he is
not a Christian. I can't know that for
sure. I'm saying he failed the test to be
a preacher.
Just the fact that after looking at some of
his old video clips, I am left with a sense
that he still had the desire. He would
mention Jesus in his routines, along with a
large serving of profanity. But I found a
message there, still. Here's an entry I
found related to his death.
'April 11, 1992: the 38-year old comedian
Sam Kinison was killed in a head-on car
crash in Needles, California. His newlywed
wife was also critically injured.'
That would have been, at the least, his
third wife. It's apparent, one thing
that Sam couldn't learn was that it's not
about him. I know this because I'm still
married, to my first and only wife. I know
that the struggle is one that will test you
to the limits of your capacity, and then a
little more. But there's a catch.
Christian marriage is a covenant, designed
by G-d. Read that carefully. The word
'covenant', means permanent. In other
words, I was forced to the conclusion that
marriage is not about me. Marriage, like
all institutes of the christian faith, is
about something larger than me. You have
to see yourself as someone who can step
aside in the face of another something
that's bigger than you. Sam was able to
let me see that there are things in life
more important than self. Allowing
G-d to make the rules and recognizing his
authority is the single most important
point in the life of the christian. It's
not about self. It's something much larger
than that. That's what the prophets were
able to see clearly (eventually). Even
that one most reluctant prophet, Jonah.
Jonah 1:1 Now the word of Yhwh came to
Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city,
and preach against it, for their wickedness
has come up before me."
3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish
from the presence of Yhwh. He went down to
Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish;
so he paid its fare, and went down into it,
to go with them to Tarshish from the
presence of Yhwh.
Tarshish was about as far away from Ninevah
as one could get passage in those days.
Jonah didn't want to go to Ninevah. Can't
say that I blame him. But he still had to
learn that there are some things bigger
than self. You know how the story of Jonah
goes.
The plan and the purpose of G-d has to be
viewed in the proper context. G-d's plan
and purpose, is more important than
anything else we might be working on. In
context, our stature does not compare with
G-d's. It's his place to make the rules.
It's our place to follow them. Granted,
for some it's easier than for others,
either by temperment or by training. But
the ten commandments are written in stone.
That brings me to the subject of preachers.
What does scripture have to tell us about
the qualifications for a preacher. There
are qualifications. I find two mentions.
One in Timothy and one in Titus.
I Tim 3:1 This is a faithful saying: if a
man seeks the office of an overseer, he
desires a good work.
2 The overseer therefore must be without
reproach, the husband of one wife,
temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable,
good at teaching;
3 not a drinker, not violent, not greedy
for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not
covetous;
4 one who rules his own house well, having
children in subjection with all reverence;
5 (but if a man doesn`t know how to rule
his own house, how will he take care of the
assembly of G-d?)
This passage is specifically about an
'overseer' or bishop. But, he is 'the
HUSBAND of one WIFE', added emphasis. It's
a specific criteria. Some things are
bigger than self.
Tit 1:6 if anyone is blameless, the husband
of one wife, having children who believe,
who are not accused of loose or unruly
behavior.
7 For the overseer must be blameless, as G
-d`s steward; not self-pleasing, not easily
angered, not given to wine, not violent,
not greedy for dishonest gain;
8 but given to hospitality, as a lover of
good, sober-minded, fair, holy, self-
controlled;
9 holding to the faithful word which is
according to the teaching, that he may be
able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and
to convict those who contradict him.
Again, in Titus, is the requirement of the
'husband of one wife'. It is likely
addressing the issue of polygamy. But may
also include divorce. Oh no!
Just in case you forget from yesterday.
Mt 7:12 Therefore whatever you desire for
men to do to you, you shall also do to
them; for this is the law and the prophets.
13 Enter in by the narrow gate; for
wide is the gate, and broad is the way,
that leads to destruction, and many are
those who enter in by it.
14 How narrow is the gate, and
restricted is the way that leads to life!
Few are those who find it.
And in addition, this passage from Luke.
Lu 13:22 He went on his way through cities
and villages, teaching, and traveling on to
Jerusalem.
23 One said to him, "Lord, are they few who
are saved?" He said to them,
24 "Strive to enter in by the narrow door,
for many, I tell you, will seek to enter
in, and will not be able.
25 When once the master of the house has
risen up, and has shut the door, and you
begin to stand outside, and to knock at the
door, saying, `Lord, Lord, open to us!`
then he will answer and tell you, `I don`t
know you or where you come from.`
26 Then you will begin to say, `We ate and
drink in your presence, and you taught in
our streets.`
27 He will say, `I tell you, I don`t know
where you come from. Depart from me, all
you workers of iniquity.`
28 There will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
and all the prophets, in the kingdom of G-
d, and yourselves being thrown outside.
29 They will come from the east, west,
north, and south, and will sit down in the
kingdom of G-d.
In the hope that I do not come across as
being 'critical', I think that Sam Kinison
is an example in his own way. He set out
originally, to be a preacher. He was not
able to pass that test. It's a tough test.
Mt 22:14 For many are called, but few
chosen."
I'm not in a position to say whether or not
he was a believer. But I can say this, Sam
it's not about us. Here's Paul's message
to the young preacher Timothy.
I Tim 1:18 This charge I commit to you, my
child Timothy, according to the prophecies
which led the way to you, that by them you
may wage the good warfare;
19 holding faith and a good conscience;
which some having thrust away made a
shipwreck concerning the faith;
20 of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom
I delivered to Satan, that they might be
taught not to blaspheme.
As time allows, on the Jesus Bus, we will
take another look at the conflicts
between faith, culture and self. It's
refered to as the struggle with the world,
the flesh and the devil. It's always been
that way. It is a narrow way.
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