MillersMom
06-09-2003, 05:51 PM
AFTER A FEW OF THE USUAL SUNDAY EVENING HYMNS, THE CHURCH'S PASTOR
SLOWLY STOOD UP, WALKED OVER TO THE PULPIT AND BEFORE HE GAVE HIS
SERMON FOR THE EVENING, BRIEFLY INTRODUCED A GUEST MINISTER WHO WAS
IN THE SERVICE THAT EVENING.
IN THE INTRODUCTION, THE PASTOR TOLD THE CONGREGATION THAT THE
GUEST MINISTER WAS ONE OF HIS DEAREST CHILDHOOD FRIENDS AND THAT HE
WANTED HIM TO HAVE A FEW MOMENTS TO GREET THE CHURCH AND SHARE
WHATEVER HE FELT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE SERVICE.
WITH THAT, AN ELDERLY MAN STEPPED UP TO THE PULPIT AND BEGAN TO
SPEAK.
"A FATHER, HIS SON, AND A FRIEND OF HIS SON WERE SAILING OFF THE
PACIFIC COAST," HE BEGAN, "WHEN A FAST APPROACHING STORM BLOCKED
ANY ATTEMPT TO GET BACK TO THE SHORE. THE WAVES WERE SO HIGH, THAT
EVEN THOUGH THE FATHER WAS AN EXPERIENCED SAILOR, HE COULD NOT KEEP
THE BOAT UPRIGHT AND THE THREE WERE SWEPT INTO THE OCEAN AS THE
BOAT CAPSIZED."
THE OLD MAN HESITATED FOR A MOMENT, MAKING EYE CONTACT WITH TWO
TEENAGERS WHO WERE, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE SERVICE BEGAN,
LOOKING SOMEWHAT INTERESTED IN HIS STORY. THE AGED MINISTER CONTINUED WITH HIS STORY, "GRABBING A RESCUE LINE, THE FATHER HAD TO MAKE THE MOST EXCRUCIATING DECISION OF HIS LIFE: TO WHICH BOY HE WOULD THROW THE OTHER END OF THE LIFE LINE. HE ONLY HAD SECONDS TO MAKE THE DECISION. THE FATHER KNEW THAT HIS SON WAS A CHRISTIAN AND HE ALSO KNEW THAT HIS SON'S FRIEND WAS NOT. THE AGONY OF HIS DECISION COULD NOT BE MATCHED BY THE TORRENT OF WAVES."
"AS THE FATHER YELLED OUT, 'I LOVE YOU, SON!' HE THREW OUT THE
LIFE LINE TO HIS SON'S FRIEND. BY THE TIME THE FATHER HAD PULLED
THE FRIEND BACK TO THE CAPSIZED BOAT, HIS SON HAD DISAPPEARED BENEATH THE RAGING SWELLS INTO THE BLACK OF NIGHT. HIS BODY WAS
NEVER RECOVERED."
BY THIS TIME, THE TWO TEENAGERS WERE SITTING UP STRAIGHT IN THE
PEW, ANXIOUSLY WAITING FOR THE NEXT WORDS TO COME OUT OF THE OLD
MINISTER'S MOUTH.
"THE FATHER," HE CONTINUED, "KNEW HIS SON WOULD STEP INTO
ETERNITY WITH JESUS AND HE COULD NOT BEAR THE THOUGHT OF HIS
SON'S FRIEND STEPPING INTO AN ETERNITY WITHOUT JESUS... THEREFORE,
HE SACRIFICED HIS SON TO SAVE THE SON'S FRIEND. HOW GREAT IS THE
LOVE OF GOD THAT HE SHOULD DO THE SAME FOR US.
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER SACRIFICED HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WE
COULD BE SAVED. I URGE YOU TO ACCEPT HIS OFFER TO RESCUE YOU AND
TAKE A HOLD OF THE LIFE LINE HE IS THROWING OUT TO YOU IN THIS
SERVICE."
WITH THAT, THE OLD MAN TURNED AND SAT BACK DOWN IN HIS CHAIR AS
SILENCE FILLED THE ROOM. THE PASTOR AGAIN WALKED SLOWLY TO THE
PULPIT AND DELIVERED A BRIEF SERMON WITH AN INVITATION AT THE END.
HOWEVER, NO ONE RESPONDED TO THE APPEAL. WITHIN MINUTES AFTER THE
SERVICE ENDED, THE TWO TEENAGERS WERE AT THE OLD MAN'S SIDE.
"THAT WAS A NICE STORY," POLITELY STATED ONE OF THE BOYS, "BUT I
DON'T THINK IT WAS VERY REALISTIC FOR A FATHER TO GIVE UP HIS ONLY
SON'S LIFE IN HOPES THAT THE OTHER BOY WOULD BECOME A CHRISTIAN."
"WELL, YOU'VE GOT A POINT THERE," THE OLD MAN REPLIED, GLANCING
DOWN AT HIS WORN BIBLE. A BIG SMILE BROADENED HIS NARROW FACE, HE ONCE AGAIN LOOKED UP AT THE BOYS AND SAID, "IT SURE ISN'T VERY
REALISTIC, IS IT? BUT I'M STANDING HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU THAT
STORY GIVES ME A GLIMPSE OF WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE FOR GOD TO
GIVE UP HIS SON FOR ME.
YOU SEE --- I WAS THAT FATHER AND YOUR PASTOR IS MY SON'S FRIEND."
SLOWLY STOOD UP, WALKED OVER TO THE PULPIT AND BEFORE HE GAVE HIS
SERMON FOR THE EVENING, BRIEFLY INTRODUCED A GUEST MINISTER WHO WAS
IN THE SERVICE THAT EVENING.
IN THE INTRODUCTION, THE PASTOR TOLD THE CONGREGATION THAT THE
GUEST MINISTER WAS ONE OF HIS DEAREST CHILDHOOD FRIENDS AND THAT HE
WANTED HIM TO HAVE A FEW MOMENTS TO GREET THE CHURCH AND SHARE
WHATEVER HE FELT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE SERVICE.
WITH THAT, AN ELDERLY MAN STEPPED UP TO THE PULPIT AND BEGAN TO
SPEAK.
"A FATHER, HIS SON, AND A FRIEND OF HIS SON WERE SAILING OFF THE
PACIFIC COAST," HE BEGAN, "WHEN A FAST APPROACHING STORM BLOCKED
ANY ATTEMPT TO GET BACK TO THE SHORE. THE WAVES WERE SO HIGH, THAT
EVEN THOUGH THE FATHER WAS AN EXPERIENCED SAILOR, HE COULD NOT KEEP
THE BOAT UPRIGHT AND THE THREE WERE SWEPT INTO THE OCEAN AS THE
BOAT CAPSIZED."
THE OLD MAN HESITATED FOR A MOMENT, MAKING EYE CONTACT WITH TWO
TEENAGERS WHO WERE, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE SERVICE BEGAN,
LOOKING SOMEWHAT INTERESTED IN HIS STORY. THE AGED MINISTER CONTINUED WITH HIS STORY, "GRABBING A RESCUE LINE, THE FATHER HAD TO MAKE THE MOST EXCRUCIATING DECISION OF HIS LIFE: TO WHICH BOY HE WOULD THROW THE OTHER END OF THE LIFE LINE. HE ONLY HAD SECONDS TO MAKE THE DECISION. THE FATHER KNEW THAT HIS SON WAS A CHRISTIAN AND HE ALSO KNEW THAT HIS SON'S FRIEND WAS NOT. THE AGONY OF HIS DECISION COULD NOT BE MATCHED BY THE TORRENT OF WAVES."
"AS THE FATHER YELLED OUT, 'I LOVE YOU, SON!' HE THREW OUT THE
LIFE LINE TO HIS SON'S FRIEND. BY THE TIME THE FATHER HAD PULLED
THE FRIEND BACK TO THE CAPSIZED BOAT, HIS SON HAD DISAPPEARED BENEATH THE RAGING SWELLS INTO THE BLACK OF NIGHT. HIS BODY WAS
NEVER RECOVERED."
BY THIS TIME, THE TWO TEENAGERS WERE SITTING UP STRAIGHT IN THE
PEW, ANXIOUSLY WAITING FOR THE NEXT WORDS TO COME OUT OF THE OLD
MINISTER'S MOUTH.
"THE FATHER," HE CONTINUED, "KNEW HIS SON WOULD STEP INTO
ETERNITY WITH JESUS AND HE COULD NOT BEAR THE THOUGHT OF HIS
SON'S FRIEND STEPPING INTO AN ETERNITY WITHOUT JESUS... THEREFORE,
HE SACRIFICED HIS SON TO SAVE THE SON'S FRIEND. HOW GREAT IS THE
LOVE OF GOD THAT HE SHOULD DO THE SAME FOR US.
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER SACRIFICED HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WE
COULD BE SAVED. I URGE YOU TO ACCEPT HIS OFFER TO RESCUE YOU AND
TAKE A HOLD OF THE LIFE LINE HE IS THROWING OUT TO YOU IN THIS
SERVICE."
WITH THAT, THE OLD MAN TURNED AND SAT BACK DOWN IN HIS CHAIR AS
SILENCE FILLED THE ROOM. THE PASTOR AGAIN WALKED SLOWLY TO THE
PULPIT AND DELIVERED A BRIEF SERMON WITH AN INVITATION AT THE END.
HOWEVER, NO ONE RESPONDED TO THE APPEAL. WITHIN MINUTES AFTER THE
SERVICE ENDED, THE TWO TEENAGERS WERE AT THE OLD MAN'S SIDE.
"THAT WAS A NICE STORY," POLITELY STATED ONE OF THE BOYS, "BUT I
DON'T THINK IT WAS VERY REALISTIC FOR A FATHER TO GIVE UP HIS ONLY
SON'S LIFE IN HOPES THAT THE OTHER BOY WOULD BECOME A CHRISTIAN."
"WELL, YOU'VE GOT A POINT THERE," THE OLD MAN REPLIED, GLANCING
DOWN AT HIS WORN BIBLE. A BIG SMILE BROADENED HIS NARROW FACE, HE ONCE AGAIN LOOKED UP AT THE BOYS AND SAID, "IT SURE ISN'T VERY
REALISTIC, IS IT? BUT I'M STANDING HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU THAT
STORY GIVES ME A GLIMPSE OF WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE FOR GOD TO
GIVE UP HIS SON FOR ME.
YOU SEE --- I WAS THAT FATHER AND YOUR PASTOR IS MY SON'S FRIEND."