I see God

In an apple tree I see him as the Creator and sustainer of life and flavor.
In a flower, I see him reveling in color and transformation
In a rock I see Him as timeless and unexplainable
In a meadowlark, I see him as a lover of sight and sound. 
In wind I see His refreshing presence.
In a thoroughbred, I see power and purpose, speed and grace.
In a storm I see the breadth and height of wonder
In the sleeping breath of an infant I see trust and provision
In sand and waves I see the constancy and movement of His work.
In stars I see His fingers’ fearsome and infinite reach
In moon, it’s perfect circular presence, I see His love of quite nights– The kind of nights that inspire romance and cherished words spoken beneath it’s ambient beauty. 
He is in all things, through all things, and beyond all things.
These sights speak words that poets cannot exceed.
A love song to the lost 
They are revelation to the doubting
But most of all, in each oft ignored marvel of the divine, He whispers, “I did this for you.”

Jonah and the Worm

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He:(Your church name) church presents Jonah and the worm.

She: Jonah and the worm? You mean whale.

He: No Worm.

She: Worm? Why not whale?

He: We’ve got to think outside the box here. Plus if you want to understand the culture, you’ve got to dig deep and you’re bound to run into a worm or two.

She: Cute.

He: Seriously-anybody can do the story of Jonah and the Whale. It takes real chutzpah to dramatize the story of Jonah and the Worm. Plus I think you’d probably prefer me being a worm than you being a whale.

She: You’ve got a point there.

He: We all remember the story of Jonah

She/Voice of God: Jonah, I need you to take a trip.

“He” as Jonah: A trip! I love trips! Hopping on a camel into the wild, blue yonder! Sleeping under the stars! Climbing mountains! Cruising on sail boats! I’m on my way, Lord.

She/Voice of God: I need you to go to Nineveh!

He as Jonah: Anywhere but Ninevah!

She: Jonah whined, and went in the opposite direction.

He: Then you have the little side-note about the storm sent by God, being thrown over the side of the boat, the storm calming and being swallowed by a great fish, praying in the fish for three days and nights. Just your basic exposition needed for the real miracle of Jonah. Thus Jonah and the worm.

She: You’re serious.

He: Just my take on the whole story….

She: After that Jonah cried

He: Repent!!!

She: And the whole town of Ninevah repented. Jonah the whining prophet proclaimed:

He: (Said in a very melodramatic whiney voice) “LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

She: God asked, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

He: So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city.

She: There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city.

He: And the LORD God grew a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant.

She: But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm.

He: God prepared a worm

She: God prepared a worm

He: To chew up the plant.

She: A Huge shade-giving plant.

He: Large enough to shade a man.

She: And God prepared a worm.

He: Not 500 worms

She: Not 10 worms

He: Not 2 worms.

She: God prepared a singular

He: Solitary worm.

She: One worm.

He: Big plant.

She: One

He: Small

She: Insignificant

He: Ordinary

Both: Worm

He: Big plant.

She: Can you hear God speak to the worm.

He: (looking into his palm, whispering as if to a tiny pet) Go get it. Eat that plant up.

She: The worm looks up.

He: Waaaay up.

He: And the worm begins to chew.

Both: And the big plant fell.

He: The big plant fell and the worm achieved a God-Sized task.

She: It was worm food super-sized.

He: I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!

She: You ate it, Worm.

He: (break character) Watch it, partner (or name of “She”).

She: Ity-bity worm

He: Big shade plant.

She: Beloved disciple,

He: What is the plant that stands before you today?

She: A rebel child?

He: A dying church?

She: A transitional community?

He: A helpless victim?

She: An aetheist neighbor.

He: A discouraged leader?

She: A fear?

He: A need?

She: A pain?

He: God prepared a worm.

She: And God will prepare us as we go.

He: Ity-bity Us

She: Huge World.

Both: Not in here. Out There!

He: This is GOD’s Message,

She: the God who made earth,

He: made it livable and lasting,

She: known everywhere as GOD

He: “Call to me and I will answer you.

She: I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things

He: that you could never figure out on your own.’

She: Therefore

He: Ity-Bity as we are

Both: Go! Out there!

©  Matt Tullos