Speaker: Sometimes in life, it is good to feel uncomfortable, but I don't want to start out asking you to do what makes you feel uncomfortable ...so raise your hand if you feel uncomfortable about raising your hand. Okay, that didn't come out right ...so, if you feel uncomfortable about raising your hand, you can stand instead.
(Imagine soft laughter, whether you think this is funny, or not.)
Speaker: Okay, for the rest of you still sitting ...raise your hand if you feel uncomfortable closing your eyes. Better yet, you can stand too, but open your eyes first. And at this moment, all those who are standing who have a medical condition, can sit down. We want this to be mental exercise, not physical. At times, it's good to be motivated by challenges ...and my wife says it appears I am sometimes a bit mentally challenged, and I'm just trying to pass that on to you.
(This is not really funny, so out of politeness ...there is restrained laughter, and not much laughter at all. The speaker recognizes this, and tries to quickly move on.)
Speaker: Let me make this clear ...this is a seminar, not seminary. Nor is this intended to be similar to any of those churches that have you stand up and sit down. And about you closing your eyes, any of you who want to close your eyes and sleep ...go ahead and feel free to do that. You've already paid your money. But, for those of you who are still awake ...I have to confess that it makes me feel uncomfortable closing my eyes, and I would never expect any of you to experience any trauma from it, and blame me. I'm not usually one for compromise, but it's probably best to just close one eye.
(Very little laughter ...with mostly closed mouths.)
Speaker: I worked in a prison once where a therapist was doing an exercise in trust. She asked one of the prisoners to close their eyes and allow another prisoner to lead them across the room. Then she asked me if I wanted to be next to close my eyes. My job was to keep my eyes open, and I declined the invitation. Anyway, I don't think any of you need to worry about that here ...so close your eyes, and imagine you are there at the manger, on the very day Jesus is born. Look about you, in your imagination, and raise your hand if you think you see wise men.
(I imagine several of you will raise your hand.)
Speaker: Now, open your eyes, and this is just for the women ...tell me, how many wise men do you see in this room??
(A bit of chatter is heard among the women.)
Speaker: Before I go on, everybody sit down ...in a while I'm going to ask you to stand for something else. Now, back to the original observation ...according to your understanding, how many wise men visited the manger, whether they brought gifts to Jesus, or not?? We'll discuss the gifts later, but for now, we are just figuring how many were there. Raise your hand, and I'll call on you ...how many wise men were in the manger scene??
(The majority of hands go up, and the speaker calls on the lady in the pink dress up front.)
Lady: Three wise men.
Speaker: Okay, everybody put your hands down. Now, if you disagree with that answer, raise your hand.
(Several dozen people raise their hands. The speaker calls upon the elderly gentleman in the front with the unique tie.)
Elderly Gentleman: It doesn't say.
Speaker: What doesn't say?
Elderly Gentleman: The Bible doesn't say.
Speaker: Sure it does ...there were at least two at the beginning, and then more came. Joseph and Jesus were the first two there. There is none wiser than Jesus ...and Joseph was wise to follow what God would have him to do. Then we are told that there were many shepherds who came to see ...and though they were considered simple and lowly in their society, they simply believed. I consider that wise ...don't you??
(The group is attentively quiet.)
Speaker: The Bible says that other wise men came later, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh ...but just because it was three variations of gifts, it does not mean it was three people. It could have been two or four or slightly more. Now, we could also ask how many of you believe the fruit that Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat was an apple ...but that is not my point. Raise your hand if you think you know what my point is going to be.
(Several people raise their hands.)
Speaker: Looks like we have several more wise people here.
(The people laugh.)
Speaker: Remember when I said I was going to ask you to stand for something ...well, it's not just anything, I'm challenging all of you to stand for what the Bible says. But, in this case you can sit while standing. Just ask yourself whether you believe in the Ten Commandments, as written in the Bible?
(This is not really funny, so out of politeness ...there is restrained laughter, and not much laughter at all. The speaker recognizes this, and tries to quickly move on.)
Speaker: Let me make this clear ...this is a seminar, not seminary. Nor is this intended to be similar to any of those churches that have you stand up and sit down. And about you closing your eyes, any of you who want to close your eyes and sleep ...go ahead and feel free to do that. You've already paid your money. But, for those of you who are still awake ...I have to confess that it makes me feel uncomfortable closing my eyes, and I would never expect any of you to experience any trauma from it, and blame me. I'm not usually one for compromise, but it's probably best to just close one eye.
(Very little laughter ...with mostly closed mouths.)
Speaker: I worked in a prison once where a therapist was doing an exercise in trust. She asked one of the prisoners to close their eyes and allow another prisoner to lead them across the room. Then she asked me if I wanted to be next to close my eyes. My job was to keep my eyes open, and I declined the invitation. Anyway, I don't think any of you need to worry about that here ...so close your eyes, and imagine you are there at the manger, on the very day Jesus is born. Look about you, in your imagination, and raise your hand if you think you see wise men.
(I imagine several of you will raise your hand.)
Speaker: Now, open your eyes, and this is just for the women ...tell me, how many wise men do you see in this room??
(A bit of chatter is heard among the women.)
Speaker: Before I go on, everybody sit down ...in a while I'm going to ask you to stand for something else. Now, back to the original observation ...according to your understanding, how many wise men visited the manger, whether they brought gifts to Jesus, or not?? We'll discuss the gifts later, but for now, we are just figuring how many were there. Raise your hand, and I'll call on you ...how many wise men were in the manger scene??
(The majority of hands go up, and the speaker calls on the lady in the pink dress up front.)
Lady: Three wise men.
Speaker: Okay, everybody put your hands down. Now, if you disagree with that answer, raise your hand.
(Several dozen people raise their hands. The speaker calls upon the elderly gentleman in the front with the unique tie.)
Elderly Gentleman: It doesn't say.
Speaker: What doesn't say?
Elderly Gentleman: The Bible doesn't say.
Speaker: Sure it does ...there were at least two at the beginning, and then more came. Joseph and Jesus were the first two there. There is none wiser than Jesus ...and Joseph was wise to follow what God would have him to do. Then we are told that there were many shepherds who came to see ...and though they were considered simple and lowly in their society, they simply believed. I consider that wise ...don't you??
(The group is attentively quiet.)
Speaker: The Bible says that other wise men came later, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh ...but just because it was three variations of gifts, it does not mean it was three people. It could have been two or four or slightly more. Now, we could also ask how many of you believe the fruit that Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat was an apple ...but that is not my point. Raise your hand if you think you know what my point is going to be.
(Several people raise their hands.)
Speaker: Looks like we have several more wise people here.
(The people laugh.)
Speaker: Remember when I said I was going to ask you to stand for something ...well, it's not just anything, I'm challenging all of you to stand for what the Bible says. But, in this case you can sit while standing. Just ask yourself whether you believe in the Ten Commandments, as written in the Bible?
