matt tullos: writer
I just finished reading Joanna and Chip Gaines, The Magnolia Story. By the way, it’s a great read, even for guys like me that end up as accidental HGTV viewers. In the book, the Gaines share amazing stories of how their lives intersected and through courage, faith and perseverance God began to build things in their […]
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
Saviors will ascend Mount Zion to rule over the hill country of Esau, but the kingdom will be the LORD’s. Obadiah verse 21 We live among people longing for saviors. How great would it be if someone would ascend the hill and plant a flag of victory over the world’s conflict and injustice? We cry out, “Give us prosperity. Give us equality. Give us revenge against the poorly measured […]