Tinker Toys

"Meaningless! Meaningless!"

says the Teacher.

Utterly meaningless!

Everything is meaningless."
- Ecclesiastes 1:2

I have been thinking about the name of this toy. The word “tinker” makes it sound so unimportant and inconsequential. It is ironic to think that some of the things that we consider just “tinkering” can, in fact, spur on imagination, ingenuity and maybe even genius. On the other hand I wonder if we will one day look back on so many of the things that we considered important, the things into which we invested so much time, energy and resources, and realize that they were really just meaningless. The writer of Ecclesiastes explored such ideas, and concluded that, in reality, everything about our existence and pursuits is meaningless – that is, outside of a relationship with our Creator. Wisdom, pleasure, toil, advancement, riches or politics apart from God are purposeless. It is only through a relationship with the Creator of the universe that we might come to recognize our proper place in the world, and the plans and purposes that God has for us. Only then can we enjoy life as a gift from God, and find purpose as we discern God’s will (accepting that our perspective will always be limited) for our life.

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the whole duty of man.
- Ecclesiastes 12:13

Mr. Potato Head II

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Mark 16:15

In 1952, Mr. Potato Head was the first toy to be sold through national television advertising. I am challenged that we, who have a message as important as the gospel, must also be looking for new and innovative ways to communicate that message. There are certainly temptations to be avoided. I am not talking about selling our Christian books, music and products. Nor am I suggesting that we change or tamper with the gospel message itself. We are not to add to it or to take away from it to appeal to a particular culture. The gospel is far too precious, powerful and important to be turned into a pop culture fad; after all it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. And lastly, we must avoid the temptation to be manipulative and to “sell” our message. We are not called to commercialize the gospel, but we are however, called to communicate it worldwide.
Although we do not change the message, the call to communicate it to the world is a huge challenge. Taking the gospel to the ends of the earth means different geographies, different ethnicities, different languages, different cultures and different generations all of which will require us to be creative, and innovative.
How can we maintain the integrity of the message, but be creative with the method and means by which we carry it?

Mr. Potato Head

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ…
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:12, 27

The Body of Christ is a key analogy that the apostle Paul used to describe the community of believers – the church. It is a great analogy. It reminds us that we are not so much an organization but an organism – active, living and dynamic. It reminds us that we are one, that there is an important sense of unity that all who are followers of Jesus should share as we work together to live out God’s mission in the world. It also reminds us that though we are one, there is also great diversity and that each of us has a special and important role to play within the body. Without the contributions from each of us the body will not function as it should.
Another key point that the body analogy reminds us of is the head. The head is what leads, directs and controls everything else. Christ is the head of the church. He provides the means to be a part of the body, is what holds us together and is the one who must lead and direct all that we do. It is here that I think Mr. Potato Head provides a brilliant image. There is no doubt when you look at a Mr. Potato Head, that the head (the potato) is central to everything else. It is where all the other pieces are stored, and when you play with it, it is where all the pieces attach. The head is where it is at! It is a great reminder to the church that without the head we are just a random bunch of appendages which, when you think about it, is gross not to mention useless.

Yo-Yo

Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived… But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers…
Judges 2:18-19

I just finished the book of Judges, and I must say that I think a Yo-Yo makes a great analogy here. In every chapter or two the nation of Israel turns from God and plummets until God raises up a judge or leader to save them. But soon after that leader dies they turn from God and plunge again into suffering and devastation; it is a pattern that just keeps repeating.
I must admit, however, that if I take a close look at my walk with God, at times there has been a similar pattern. Add human weakness, fatigue and especially emotions in the mix and the pattern, although less dramatic, is sometimes there. Although the up and down of the yo-yo is not a trend that we want to emulate when it comes to our faith walk, there is another aspect of “yo-yoing” (is that a word?) that I would like to aim for.
Have you ever seen a yo-yo “sleep”? I don’t know why they call it sleeping because it is dependent upon the yo-yo continuing to spin. It is just that the yo-yo’s axle spins so smoothly within the loop of the string that it doesn’t come back up again until it is jerked. This consistent motion is what I would like to aim for. A few keys that I am learning as I aim for consistency are contentment and worship. If we, as the apostle Paul learned, can learn “the secret of being content in every and any situation” (Philippians 4:12), we will be less prone to wander, to always seek the elusive greener grass, and grumble. Similarly, I am less likely to grumble when I am worshipping, celebrating all that God has done and continues to do. We are called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) as a response of worship. If I aim to make all that I am and all that I do an act of worship it will be harder to drift from what God wants from my life, and I will be more consistent in my walk.
Interestingly, when it comes to the yo-yo, a lot of other fancy moves and tricks all begin with getting the yo-yo to sleep. As I long to be more and more useful to God in this life, maybe consistency will help in that endeavour.

Bowling Ball

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”
Matthew 28:19

When I look at the three holes in a ten pin bowling ball (ah 10 pin, love it or hate it, it is here to stay!) I can’t help but think about the doctrine of the Holy Trinity – that God exists as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God and, there is one God. Although the bowling ball reminds me of the Trinity, it is in actual fact a pretty weak analogy. Perhaps the following, is a better analogy. As I was walking yesterday, I passed a partially frozen pond whose surface I could just barely see through the thick fog of a spring melt. There was H2O in a liquid state (the water), a solid state (the ice) and a gas (the vapour that although is not usually visible was beginning to condense because of the cool air and thus forming fog.) All H2O and yet all three distinct states. But then again, it doesn’t take very long for this analogy to fall apart either. And maybe this is the most amazing thing about this doctrine. There is no analogy because there is nothing in our experience or in the universe quite like it. It truly is a divine mystery. I often get stuck on things like this, things that I can’t observe, confirm and adequately explain. It bugs me. But as I reflect further, what kind of God would I be worshipping if I, a finite being with such a limited perspective of the universe, could easily explain every aspect of His being. It fills me with wonder and a proper sense of humility to think of God’s otherness and grandeur. It should amaze us to think that God the Father, creator of the universe would see fit to create us, that God the Son would enter into the world He created to suffer and redeem the people He so loved, and God the Holy Spirit would lead, equip and empower His church (that is His people) to accomplish His mission here on earth.