I. The “Anointing” Saul Gave Samuel

There once was an anointing which turned out disappointing,

For disappointment was the ointment poured out by the king.

The moment it hit Samuel’s head, he surely felt the dread.

I’m sure tears soaked his happily-ever-after bed.

Because Saul, bound by strict law –

“Must start on time, without a flaw” –

Failed to appreciate the grace

Of the Lamb who took his place

To cover sin within the camp,

That God’s light might shine like a lamp

Onto his army to give them peace.

Sure victory God would release.

But Saul, who felt the time a-ticking,

Feared his men might take a licking

If he didn’t do the motions

Which accounted for devotions.

He did what he knew to be good

But didn’t trust God as he should,

And when God’s own prophet ran late

This king decided not to wait.

He did not do as planned

But took matters into his own hand

Because he didn’t understand.

His faith was built on sinking sand.

Up one moment, down the next.

This poor man found himself quite vexed

With fear and doubt and hesitation,

No assurance of salvation.

Though by the Spirit He did great works,

It seems this man enjoyed few perks.

For when God moved, he prophesied,

But in the truth did not abide.

II. The Ointment of Disappointment

Oh, can you feel the ointment

Of soul-wrenching disappointment

Poured out in such a shocking way

Upon Samuel’s head that day?

The Holy Spirit couldn’t stay

Because King Saul did not obey

But served the Lord in His own might

(Oh, what a frightful sight!)

You see, when flesh does the anointing,

it’s always disappointing.

That’s because flesh and blood cannot reveal Jesus to you,

And you can’t find Him sleeping in a pew.

All man-made anointing

Shows itself as disappointing,

Like every meaningless tradition

Cloaked in religious superstition.

Oh, how we wish they would anoint

Our each and every joint

With love and peace and joy!

Instead, they choose to annoy

Like some bratty girl or boy.

Perhaps the answer is, don’t put God in a box.

Appreciate His love for you, much stronger than an ox.

It will not fail to heal your fear and dread,

If you’ll grasp the fact that Christ died in your stead.

Though people leave you when you need them most,

Trust in His power and of His mercy boast.

(Based on the story in I Samuel chapter 13)

Human Intellect Versus Real Power

Welcome to Speed of Sight, a Superhero Adventure by C.R. Flamingbush. This upcoming release by Dove Christian Publishers pokes fun at the idol of human intellect.

The novel revolves around a special comic book with magical powers that transports an awkward twelve-year-old boy to a different world. Once inside that world, he glimpses past events he never knew of and goes for a ride almost too real to put in words. Then, when he gets back, his best friend treats him like a space alien.

“Oh no. Pete, what have you done?”

What was Pete’s crime? Daring to actually read the book he was supposed to hide. “But why would that be wrong?” you might ask.

Well, to quote an excerpt from Speed of Sight (the bottom of pages 31 to the top of 32),

Jack put his hands up to block the view (of the comic book). “Don’t shove those pictures in my face. You must be very careful.” He looked nervously about. “This book has been banned for a good reason. Here, let me show you something.” He grabbed the book and turned to the last page.

“What is it?” Pete asked. The handwriting was hard to read and very strange to him.

“It’s a one thousand, five hundred, fifty-five-letter commentary that explains why you’re not supposed to use the comics for adventures,” Jack replied.

Sounds pretty crazy, doesn’t it? “Don’t use the comics for adventures?” I mean, isn’t that what comic books are for? Don’t they in effect take us on adventures, with heroes who have supernatural super powers?

Spiritual Gifts Free Us From Faithless Religiosity

In the case of believing Christians, those powers – better known as “spiritual gifts” – come from God. Some Christians, however, either don’t receive those gifts (powers) or else they totally reject them. Like the Sadducees in Jesus’ time who didn’t believe in a resurrection, they interpret Bible verses in ways that promote unbelief. Theirs is a powerless religion – or should we say “religiosity,” in which religion becomes all about form but lacks true substance.

Speed of Sight pokes fun at such mindsets. To quote an excerpt taken from page 32,

“Because that’s the sort of thing I was warning you about when I told you not to read the book,” Jack said. “You must have read the pictures and seen the speech balloons. The commentary writer, who is a good friend of our family, says it’s very dangerous to do that. He should know. He dissects comic books for a living.”

“You mean he picks them apart into tiny pieces?”

The genius boy looked proudly down at Pete. “No, silly. He puts the pages under a microscope and analyzes them molecule by molecule. He wrote a huge book describing what they’re made of.”

“Sounds heavy,” Pete said.

“Of course, it is. It weighs more than I do. He weighs a ton too. That’s because he’s an expert. . .”

Powerless Religion: a Heavy Burden – Who Can Bear it?

Unlike the noble Bereans of Acts 17:11 who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things (of which Paul spoke) were so, Jack’s commentator takes a hyper-critical approach to the biblically inspired comics. Instead of welcoming them as vehicles of faith to launch a younger generation into their destiny, he takes a stance similar to that of the scribes and Pharisees – the ones Jesus described in Matthew 23:1-7.

“They say and do not. . . For they bind heavy burdens grievous to be borne and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” (verses 3 & 4).

How well might they fit in with the “miracles aren’t for today” crowd, clinging to man-made traditions that deny God’s power! (See II Timothy 3:5). After all, they taught a powerless religion that weighed their hearers down rather than lifting them up toward God’s throne of grace.

Hebrews 12:1 exhorts believers to throw off such dead weights and the sin that so easily hinders their race, while keeping their eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith.

That’s what Speed of Sight’s Pete Plain does. By following the beloved comic book author and reading His books with childlike faith, he pokes fun at powerless religion while at the same time encouraging believers to take their faith to a higher level.

Tag: religious tradition

Human Versus Holy Spirit Anointing