Every once in a while, I just want a regular hamburger. Nothing fancy, just a burger patty between two buns, with ketchup. Maybe a slice of American cheese. So when I get the look from the waitress like Jack Nicholson did in Five Easy Pieces when he tried to order toast, I know I'm in trouble. Why would you want just a burger when you can have a peanut butter/gourmet cheese/range raised/gluten free bun/with organic ketchup and organic onion and tomato? You have to ask? Veggie burger or some turkey parts thing-that's unconstitutional! Yet, we have become a designer oriented society. Continually coming up with new recipes-I will avoid the improved or so called better tasting here. It seems that we have become bored, and are trying to improve everything from coffee-now it's latte, to burgers. But some of us still like the old stand by-a burger, fries, and a Coke. It don't get much more American than that. Cue to America the Beautiful. "Oh beautiful for hamburgers...."
Now you can order your gourmet burger-you mean the rest of us up to our elbows in Double Double aren't gourmets? Excuse my paper napkin! But in addition you get trendy names, they get to charge more, and more than once I left still just wanting a basic burger. Not the Super Wally, or the even more Yuppie sounding Sonoma burger. Now we have steak burgers-ever hear of Steak and Shake-been doing it for over 70 years? How about a Portuguese Whopper, or a Monterey Burger? Can you even find Monterey on the map? I had a Mercury Monterey once. Isn't Portugal as a country going bust? And please-don't give me anything else named Mc Something. Gag me! While I get Mc Sick. I used my coupon for a free cheeseburger at Wendy's the other day-NO plain hamburgers were listed on the menu? What would Dave Thomas say? Wasn't he the one who told us the most important bites of the HAMBURGER were the first and last? Built a business on that, too.
Even White Castle-"Buy 'em by the bag!" has BBQ now and veggie burgers. Tommies will give you extra chili for no extra charge. "The regular" they advertise. What will the next generation tell their children? "Yes son, we used to have hamburgers, but no one wanted them anymore. They were like the Diet burgers you like, except they had meat. Let me show you a picture of one-hear they even tasted pretty good too." Seems fries have gone the same route, now you can have them with cheese and chili-YUM, Boardwalk fries, crinkle cut, Tater Tots, fresh(the others aren't?) or steak or thin. Want a Coke? Is that New, Diet, Zero, Classic, Cherry, Vanilla, or any diet variation of them? No wonder it takes so long in line. Never has ordering food taken so long, or been so exasperating.
Sadly just as we are losing coffee counters, burger stands, and the real thing-Coke, we are also facing the same dilemma in church. Just read the signs out front. "The friendly church" as he tells me I can't park my bike there. Any various combination of names including Baptist. Maybe they should put the infamous Rodney King saying on their sign, "why can't we all just get along?" And so it goes, from orthodox to fundamental, to liberal, to apostate, to New Age. Every generation tries to improve on what it felt what the previous generations failures were. True, no denomination was ever started thinking that it would do things worse-somehow without God it just ends up that way. Churches got religious. That was one reason they hated Jesus-He wasn't. He spoke the truth. No diet theology here. No give me a #2 without salvation. No supersized promises that no one could keep. You mean the Bible doesn't say that? He spoke the truth. Simply. Called it the gospel-good news. And it still is today where it is not only preached, but practiced. No coupons, free gifts, or two for one promises. Just the simple truth-we sinned and need a savior. His name is Jesus. Do you want to be saved, say yes to Him. No-go to hell. Your choice. Much easier than ordering dinner at a burger joint?
When you accept Jesus you get it all. Love, joy, peace, and patience. No picking from a list, takes too long. And you would screw it up anyway. "Let's see today, I don't have time for patience. Wish I could tell you how humble I am. Do I really have to screw up to get God's mercy?" I feel so glad that none of us go to the first Church of Pinocchio. We would never talk like that.
So just give me Jesus. Straight up. The way He has been for over 2000 years. Don't change the formula, don't add rules. Don't even tell me where to park. Or where to sit. Just give me Jesus. You can keep your rules, I'll keep my morals.
Funny, I don't recall when Jesus fed the 5000 fish and bread where he said "will that be fried or broiled? White or wheat? How many in your party? Or that will be $$ at the drive up."
Original is still the best. From burgers to Jesus, the gospel still means good news. And no matter what you add doesn't improve on it.
Now, does anyone know a scripture about chocolate milk shakes?
love with compassion,
Mike
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