Saturday, May 14, 2011

PRODDED AND POKED


I got "POKED" on Facebook the other day.

Not really sure how I feel about that.  

Not even sure what it MEANS, to tell you the truth.

I don't know whether to be offended or flattered.  Do I call a cop? My lawyer?  Do I "poke" back? 

I just hope I'm not engaged to some web freak now.  That'd be hard to explain to Gidget.

Back in my day, getting "poked" wasn't somethin' you went around BRAGGIN' about on the internet (or "Pong" as it was called back then). Poke the wrong person back then and you could end up in the hospital.  Or possibly the Witness Protection Program.

Now everybody's pokin' everybody left and right without a thought of the potential consequences.  Kids poke parents. Parents poke Preachers.  I've even heard of some big churches in Tulsa poking tiny churches at Fellowship Sing-a-thons.  

How tragic.  

What is happening to this world?!  Have we forgotten, "Poke not that ye be not poked"?  And "Poke unto others as you would have them not poke you"?

We're in trouble, folks.  Big bad trouble.  BBT  I wish I had some band uniforms I could sell ya.  That'd straighten this town out - in about an hour and a half.

It is in dangerous, tumultuous times like this that I naturally turn to the Bible for answers.  And sure enough in Ezra 2:57 we find that answer.  

Here we learn that POKEreth-Hazzabaim was a temple servant.

Couple this with the time Jesus said, "If thine eye offend thee POKE it out."

And there you have it: a half blind temple servant.

Sometimes the Bible just isn't as helpful as you'd like.  THIS is one of those times.  So...

Let us turn to the world of CARTOONS for an answer.

Here we find that loveable, orange-flavored, rubber donkey named POKEY, the hilarious side kick to that rubber, green guy - Grumby. 

Again...not that helpful.  

So let us go to the world of camp songs for an answer.  

Here we find: The Hokey POKEy!

NOW put it ALL together and we have a hilarious, orange, half blind, dancin' rubber donkey, who works in a temple!

What a wonderful lesson for us all.

Preaching is SO easy. 

Coffeetime!

As together we stand and sing.

BP