There are two views of life and two kinds of
people. Some see life as a possession to be carefully guarded. They are SETTLERS.
Others see life as a fantastic, wild, explosive gift. They are PIONEERS.
The visible church is an outfit with an abundance of settlers and
a few pioneers. The invisible church is the fellowship of pioneers.
To no one's surprise there are two kinds of theology; Settler
Theology and Pioneer Theology. Settler Theology is an attempt to answer all the questions,
define and housebreak some sort of "Supreme Being", establish the status quo on
Golden Tablets in cinemascope. Pioneer Theology is an attempt to talk about what it means
to receive the strange gift of life and live! The pioneer sees theology as a wild
adventure, complete with Indians, saloon girls, and the haunting call of what is yet to
be.
The Wild West offers a stage for picturing these two types of
theology. Settlers and Pioneers use the same words but that is where it stops.
The Church
In SETTLER Theology the church is the courthouse. It is the
center of town life. The old stone structure dominates the town square. Its windows are
small. This makes the thing easy to defend, but quite dark inside. Its doors are solid
oak. No one lives there except pigeons and they, of course, are most unwelcome.
Within the thick, courthouse walls, records are kept, taxes
collected, trials held for bad guys. The courthouse runs the town. It is the settler's
symbol of law, order, stability, and most important -- security.
The mayor's office is on the top floor. His eagle eye scopes out
the smallest details of town life.
In Pioneer Theology the church is the covered wagon. It is a
house on wheels - - always on the move. No place is its home. The covered wagon is where
the pioneers eat, sleep, fight, love and die. It bears the marks of life and movement --
it creaks, is scarred with arrows, bandaged with bailing wire. The covered wagon is always
where the action is. It moves in on the future and doesn't bother to glorify its own ruts.
The old wagon isn't comfortable, but the pioneers could care less. There is a new world to
explore.
In Settler Theology God is the mayor, The Honorable Alpha O. Mega, chief executive of Settler City. He is a sight to behold -- dressed like a dude from back East, lounging in an over-stuffed chair in his courthouse office. He keeps the blinds drawn. No one sees or knows him directly, but since there is order in the town who can deny he is there? The mayor is predictable and always on schedule. He smokes 10 cent cigars.
The Settlers fear the mayor but look to him to clear the payroll and keep things going. The mayor controls the courthouse which in turn runs the town. To maintain peace and quiet the mayor sends the sheriff to check on pioneers who ride into town.
In Pioneer Theology God is the trail boss. He is rough and
rugged - full of life. He chews tobacco, drinks whiskey straight, and can outcuss any
sailor alive. The trail boss lives, eats, sleeps, fights with his men. Their well being is
his concern. Without him the wagon wouldn't move -- the pioneers would become fat and
lazy. Living as a free man would be impossible. The trail boss often gets down in the mud
with the pioneers to help push the wagon which frequently gets stuck.
In Settler Theology Jesus is the sheriff. He is the guy who is
sent by the mayor to enforce the rules. He wears a white hat -- drinks milk -- outdraws
the bad guys. He saves the settlers by offering security. The sheriff decides who is
thrown in jail. There is a saying in town that goes like this -- those who believe the
mayor sent the sheriff and follow the rules won't stay in Boot Hill when it comes their
time.
In Pioneer Theology Jesus is the scout. He rides out ahead to
find out which way the pioneers should go. He lives all the dangers of the trail. The
scout suffers every hardship, is attacked by the Indians, feared by the settlers. Through
his actions and words he shows the true spirit, intent, and concern of the trail boss. By
looking at the scout, those on the trail learn what it really means to be a pioneer.
In Settler Theology the Holy Spirit is a saloon girl. Her job is to comfort the settlers. They come to her when they feel lonely or when life gets dull or dangerous. She tickles them under the chin and makes everything O.K. again. The saloon girl squeals to the sheriff when someone starts disturbing the peace. (Note to settlers: the whisky served in Settler City Saloon is the non-spiritous kind.)
In Pioneer Theology the Holy Spirit is the buffalo hunter. He
rides along with the wagon train and furnishes fresh, raw meat for the pioneers. The
buffalo hunter is a strange character -- sort of a wild man. The pioneers never can tell
what he will do next. He scares the hell out of the settlers. Every Sunday morning, when
the settlers have their little ice cream party in the courthouse, the buffalo hunter
sneaks up to one of the courthouse windows with his big black gun and fires a tremendous
blast. Men jump, women scream, dogs bark. Chuckling to himself, the buffalo hunter rides
back to the wagon train.
The Christian
In Settler Theology the Christian is the settler. He fears the
open, unknown frontier. He stays in good with the mayor and keeps out of the sheriff's
way. He tends a small garden. "Safety First" is his motto. To him the courthouse
is a symbol of security, peace, order, and happiness. He keeps his money in the bank. The
banker is his best friend. He plays checkers in the restful shade of the oak trees lining
the courthouse lawn. He never misses an ice cream party.
In Pioneer Theology the Christian is the pioneer. He is a man of
risk and daring -- hungry for adventure, new life, the challenge of being on the trail. He
is tough, rides hard, knows how to use a gun when necessary. The pioneer feels sorry for
the town folks and tries to tell them about the joy and fulfillment of a life following
the trail. He dies with his boots on.
In Settler Theology the clergyman is the bank teller. Within his vaults are locked the values of the town. He is suspicious of strangers. And why not? Look what he has to protect! The bank teller is a highly respected man in town. He has a gun but keeps it hidden behind his desk. He feels he and the sheriff have a lot in common. After all, they both protect the bank.
In Pioneer Theology the clergyman is the cook. He doesn't
furnish the meat -- he just dishes up what the buffalo hunter provides. This is how he
supports the movement of the wagon. He never confuses his job with that of the trail boss,
scout or buffalo hunter. He sees himself as just another pioneer who has learned to cook.
The cook's job is to help the pioneers pioneer.
The Bishop
In Settler Theology the bishop is the bank President. He rules
the bank with an iron hand. He makes all the decisions, tells the tellers what to do, and
upholds the image of the bank. The settlers must constantly be reassured of the safety of
their values. The bank president watches the books like a hawk. Each day he examines all
deposits and withdrawals. The bank president is responsible for receiving all new
accounts. This is called "the laying on of hands".
In Pioneer Theology the bishop is the dishwasher. He
does the chores so the cook can do his job. He supports the cook in every way possible.
Together the cook and the dishwasher plan the meals and cook the food provided by the
buffalo hunter. They work as an interdependent team in all manners related to cooking.
Humming while he works, the dishwasher keeps the coffeepot going for the pioneers. Though
the dishwasher has an humble task he is not resentful. All pioneers realize that each
man's job is equally important. In fact, in the strange ways of the pioneer community, he
is greatest who serves most.
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