Seeds of Success by John Brubaker

Author:John Brubaker
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781630475727
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Published: 2016-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

13

FAITH

After meetings with two people who seemed larger than life, I had the feeling my Wednesday visit would bring a different experience. Today I was visiting Pastor Rich, who had asked me to meet him at his lake house for coffee.

When I got there, he was friendliness itself. “Morning, Jack. Door’s always open, come on in. I’ve got a cup of coffee here for you.”

But we didn’t stay inside long. As soon as I got my coffee, he said, “It’s a nice day. Why don’t we go for a walk? It’s part of my daily ritual with my dog, Beau, to take a walk of gratitude around the lake. I’m grateful for visiting with you today, and you’ll see rather quickly that my wacky ol’ retriever is grateful for, well, darn near every tree on the property.”

Laughing aloud, I knew I was in for an enjoyable visit.

“When Coach told me he wanted us to meet, I did a little thinking and decided that I’ve got four pieces of wisdom to share with you that I learned over the years from my mentor, Reverend Scott Peters.

“Before we head out, let me ask you this. I’ve got two magazines on the coffee table in front of you; look at the covers and tell me which one you’d rather read.”

I glanced down at the two publications on the mahogany table, Time magazine and Sports Illustrated. The cover of Time was adorned with a picture of a slightly overweight, balding, middle-aged man wearing a suit and Coke-bottle glasses. The headline read, “How Alan Greenspan views the economy.” The Sports Illustrated happened to be its swimsuit edition. On the cover was a photo of supermodel Tyra Banks in a skimpy, red polka-dot two-piece with a headline that read “NOTHiNG BUT BiKiNiS.”

I knew my choice right away but was feeling a little uncomfortable telling the pastor that I would opt for the swimsuit edition. Fortunately my worries were cast aside when Rich interjected, “I’m no gambler, but I’d bet the mortgage on the parsonage that you’d choose Sports Illustrated. Tell the truth, Jack. Am I right or what?”

I bashfully replied, “I have to admit, yes, you figured me out.”

“It’s okay, Coach. I don’t have any problem with that. I know why you chose that, and the reason is quite simple. Sports Illustrated is more entertaining than Time magazine, especially the swimsuit edition, and people would rather be entertained than informed,” Rich said with a sly grin.

As he refilled both our coffee cups with fresh java, he continued, “Once you understand this concept of human nature, you can best alter your message and its delivery to meet the needs of your audience. I deal with the same issue with my congregation. People could sooner tell you the lyrics to the new Bon Jovi song than recite Philippians 4:8.

“They don’t want to hear another boring sermon; they want me to be entertaining, funny, witty, and energetic. As a matter of fact, they expect that and demand that of me.

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