Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

I’m Jemima L. Yeggs, a.k.a. Stinker.  Pink Lady Apple Yeggs, my landlady and my auntie, wants to read about how younger people, especially couples respond to what the Bible says.  And she wants to know how God is at work at Lily the Pink.

B.B. said that my hair was fine, so we skipped the “green room’.  The ‘green room’ is Aunt Pink and Aunt Gwen’s restroom outside the den where the Sunday school class was now held.  That’s the second week in a row.  I wonder if she is setting me up for something.

We had a couple of new people in the class, as if we were not a full house already.  Fred, the Turtle B Team driver, and his girlfriend, Wilma, the Turtle B Team video director and navigator.  Fred was staying with us and Wilma was staying with the Johnsons, Kevin and Joseline, or Skinny and Amazon if you prefer.

I addressed the class, “Before we get started, we have two new members of our class.  Fred is staying with us until his apartment is ready.  And Wilma is staying with Jos and Kev.”

Then Arabella laughed, “If these are the Flintstones, where are the Rubbles?”

I huffed, “They aren’t the Flintstones.  Flintstone is just Fred’s codename on the Turtle Team.  And there are not any Rubbles.  And I am impressed that they are already in our choir.”

Joseph shook his head, but then he led us in prayer.

The lead was sung by Sally Mae, Wilma, Arabella, Menzie and Carla.  At alto, there was Brooke, Mercedes, and Mags Lothrop.  At tenor, Michael, Mike Lothrop, Samuel, and Emmett.  Dr. Ben, Fred, and Darrell sang baritone.  And then Dr. Kildare and Goober sang bass.  The song was The Perfect Wisdom of our God.

Emmett added, “Do you have to ask, Aunt Jemima?”

I asked, “No.  That was lovely.  But did you have to buy the sheet music?”

Emmett shrugged, “I started there.  I bought a piano accompaniment that also showed the guitar chords.  Then I arranged a cello accompaniment.  As for Spike over here, he wasn’t satisfied with playing a guitar like a bongo.  He has added differing lengths of pipe, a well-tuned glass of water, and an old cow bell for his chimes.  Who knows what he’ll find in the next dumpster that he dives into.”

I was confused, “Emmett, his name is Michael Lothrop Kildare.  We call him Mike to not make it confusing when he is sitting next to Michael Rowe Casey.  Where does Spike come from?”

Emmett shrugged, “I saw some old videos of Spike Jones and I showed them to Mike.  And then, it seemed like he has been dumpster diving ever since.  He can turn anything into a piece of music.”

I asked, “What about the perfectly tuned glass of water?”

Emmett smiled, “Spike has near perfect pitch.  He knew what note we needed for our chime in the song, and the tone that a glass makes when you tap it with a knife or spoon depends on the water level.  He would add water or sip water until the tone was perfect.  I guess that is part of what you are going to talk about.  While God is perfect, we are far from perfect.  But the perfect master keeps working with us until we die so that we will be perfect when we stand before Him in Heaven.”

Samuel said, “Aunt Jemima, what Attribute of God are we studying today?”

I laughed, “Samuel, we are studying God’s Perfection.  As if you did not already know.  Arabella, can you even spell perfectly?”

Arabella shook her head.  “No, I barely squeaked by in spelling.  That’s what those red lines are for when you type something.”

I asked, “Michael Rowe Casey, can you spell perfectly?”

Michael said, “We live in a fallen world, Aunt Jemima.  I doubt if we can do anything perfectly.”

I asked, “Mike Lothrop Kildare, can you spell perfectly?”

Mike shrugged, “I’m pretty good with spelling, but the spelling of weird is weird.”

I groaned, “Enough of this new generation.  My best friend, other than my husband, B.B., help me out.  Can you spell perfectly?”

B.B. winked, “Sure, P-E-R-F-E-C-T-L-Y.  I do not know what is wrong with the school system these days.”

Arabella protested, “I thought you meant in general!”

B.B. said, “Two words.  In I-N. General G-E-N-E-R-A-L.  What is the next word you are having trouble with?“

Arabella huffed, “I did not mean it that way!  We are talking about how God’s perfection is what we cannot attain on this earth, so I took Aunt Jemima’s question to relate to today’s topic.  Now, don’t spell it, B.B., but I am getting upset!”

Emmett turned to the choir, and they all spelled, “U-P-S-E-T.”

Arabella sighed, “I thought the choir would back me up.”

Samuel said, “Aunt Jemima, this has been a fun way to introduce this topic, but it is bordering on Freshman hazing.  I say that due to my father being a district judge.”

I doubled over laughing, “Thank you, Arabella, Michael, and Mike for the illustration.  Besides, with all the pranks Arabella pulls on me, I had to get her back at least a little.”

Elroy (Psalm 50:2) “From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.”

Elroy said, “Since God is perfect in every way, I suppose God is perfect in beauty.  God shines forth, and if you have ever seen light through a lens that has an imperfection in it, it casts a shadow or the light is uneven, or some imperfections can refract the light.  It is what makes the stick that you put in a liquid look like it bends or the light can form a rainbow effect.”

Easy asked, “What kind of stick in what kind of liquid?”

Elroy shrugged, “I have seen the science person on television put a pencil into a glass of water.  What do you think I meant?”

Easy shrugged, “I was just curious what hobbits drink.”

Irusya said, “If we drink anything harder than a soft drink, it would be the cider that they make here.  Elroy and I have to keep our wits about us.”

I shook my head, “Somehow, I feel that the crazies have come out in class today.  But thank you, Elroy.  I had never thought of a rainbow as being created by an imperfection, but a prism, used in making a rainbow effect, does refract the light in that fashion.”

Easy (Psalm 18:30) “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”

Easy said, “The way God does things is perfect.  When God speaks, what He says is perfect.  By His very nature, God cannot lie.  So, the Bible can be relied upon.  And if we hear from God directly, that message cannot violate what is in the Bible.  Because both are perfect, flawless.  And since God protects His own, the best place to be is to take refuge in Him.”

I smiled, “And everyone thinks Easy’s silent treatment is just an act, but I live with him and that is more than what he said all of last week.”

Dr. Ellie (Deuteronomy 32:4) “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”

Dr. Ellie smiled, “I think that the whole thing about God being our rock relates to something that is solid.  God is our foundation, and if we build our lives upon that foundation, what we build will stand up to the tumult in our lives.  His works are perfect.  His judgments are just.”

Professor Angus (Matthew 5:48) “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Angus said, “This verse always bothers me.  We cannot be perfect, but God can.  Then Jesus said we must be perfect.”

Joseph said, “We cannot be perfect, but God can make us perfect.  We might make strides toward perfection in this world, but we will not get there.  Yet, God will make us perfect when we enter the next world.  And we must desire God in our lives.  If that perfection is not what we desire, do we really desire God?”

Jochebed (Psalm 19:7, Louis Segond) “La loi de l’Éternel est parfaite, elle restaure l’âme; Le témoignage de l’Éternel est véritable, il rend sage l’ignorant.”

I smiled, “And now in English?”

Jochebed (Psalm 19:7) “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.”

Jochebed smiled, “We have God’s beauty being perfect.  His ways are perfect.  His works are perfect.  And His Word is perfect.  Now we see that His law is perfect.  It refreshes our soul.  Because God is perfect, we can trust Him.  And His laws are such that they seem so simple.  But sometimes, they seem out of reach.  I am amazed at how we can take something that is so easy to do and make it complicated.  And it is all our fault.  God is in control.  God is perfect.  Then, we try to add something to that perfection, but anything that a puny human can do in this world is imperfect at best.  So, why do we try to do it on our own?  God’s way is always better.”

Georges (1 John 4:18) “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

Georges said, “And to add to Jochebed’s summary, God’s love is perfect.  And that love stretches out a hand to take us back whenever we stumble.  Sometimes stumbling lets us know that we are not done yet.  We still have a way to go, but God’s love will never leave us.”

I said, “I have no more Scriptures, but is Grannie Fannie here?”

Grannie Fannie snickered, “You know I am right behind you, Jemima”

I asked, “Grannie Fannie, can you lead us in our new benediction?”

Grannie Fannie (Romans 15:13) “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Lauren ran up to Menzie and Samuel, “Mommie!  Daddy!  The buses!  The bus driver is here.”  Then she ran to Grannie Fannie and hugged her.

Brooke came over and picked up Stormie’s carrier and went with me to the bus.

Wilma approached me, “I was not called on.  Did we do something wrong?”

I snickered, “Remember what we said a day or two ago?  We let you see what is going on before we call on you to read.  And remember, an answer of ‘I don’t know’ is a valid answer.  You saw how Joseph explained a verse to Professor Angus.  We do not know everything.  We may get things wrong at times.  But we do what we do in love.  And I can hardly wait for the girl talk tomorrow.”

Credits

I had skipped this chapter in Rev. Tozer’s book, but he only had the first verse above in The Attributes of God, A Journey into the Father’s Heart.  I used a search engine for the rest.

Here are Keith and Kristyn Getty singing The Perfect Wisdom of Our God.  It is a lyric video if you want to sing along.

And here is Spike Jones and the City Slickers in his music depreciation review when television was a great thing to watch.  If you have ten minutes, watch the whole thing.  If you have twenty minutes, watch it twice.  If you have thirty minutes, come to my house.  I have dishes that need to be washed.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.