Like many in America, middle aged and middle located, we watch Wheel of
Fortune after dinner. It’s fun to guess, to play, and to criticize the players
when they don’t get what is obvious to all America. How often have you been
told, or told a friend, “you should go on the show,” only to make excuses like I
do. But one afternoon, I did go up for the taping, after registering online,
and riding up to lovely Culver City, and assuming the position. I had
presupposed what it would be like, after all Pat and Vanna are America’s
sweethearts, and you are on the SONY lot, the old MGM lot, maybe the most famous
studio in its day. But what I found was a very personable, but well oiled
machine. I guess after 30+ years you get it right.
You actually meet in a parking garage, then are escorted as a group, about
50 of us, to the sound stage. Stopping to use the bathroom, I wondered, how
many famous stars stood where I did and relieved themselves? But then into the
studio, with only a large Wheel of Fortune sign, and into a waiting area, where
a museum is set up, a very small museum, with cases along the hallway. And then
marched into the studio and seated in the bleachers. Now I was trying to be
cool, but a certain charisma is there as you enter, and you see the wheel for
the first time, the board and Vanna’s runway, which was even cleaned using a
lint roller, and we were seated. I was near the front, and sat up in the upper
left hand area, next to a small office where Jim, the announcer worked out of.
He was very friendly as he changed into his tux, and between takes we visited,
small talk, his voice much different than his announcer voice. Everyone was
very friendly, but very businesslike, and we were cautioned to not talk during
the show, and to applaud a lot. Not only did signs remind us to, but various
people were scattered among us clapping and encouraging us. It has been
recorded that Vanna claps over 700 times per show, do the math, in a 15 minute
show, the rest are commercials, you are busy, a clap a second, or more. Then
the red light goes on, and action!
The stage is very small, and what you cannot see is next to the board, it
is a smaller board telling you the letters used, so no excuse for calling one
again. Between each puzzle the place is cleaned, the wheel changed, make up
applied to the guests, and Vanna came over once, for questions. Dressed in a
strapless gown, she was fidgeting to keep it up, and when asked about he
clothes, stated “she didn’t choose them or get to keep them, and hated strapless
gowns, they kept falling of her.” All very low key, no celebrity status, and
Pat was seen talking and joking with crew members between takes. You felt at
home, relaxed, saving all your energy for the clapping. It lasted about an
hour and a half, I left after the first taping, you could stay for two, a mother
and son winning over $61,000. But two things left an impression on me, the
clapping, if you think it is easy, try keeping up with it while watching the
show, and how they were the same on camera as off. At the end, both Pat and
Vanna coming over and cutting up for us. No sign of “I’m famous and you’re
not,” they even fussed over an 89 year old Grandma whose family had brought her
in her wheelchair, her dream was to see the show. They fussed over her, a
special touch, one I’m sure was not an isolated event. And then back into
Culver City traffic, down the 405 lane splitting. From a controlled situation
to an uncontrolled situation. With two hands on the bars and no means of
clapping.
It is a popular theme in many churches today to record the service, for
play back, or to stream it live. Confined to a time frame, some go 60, some 90
minutes, with time to beg for money or to sell their merchandise. I have sat in
services that should have ended in 20 minutes, but went on to fill a time slot,
and on two occurrences, one where the paramedics showed up to assist a woman who
fainted, the pastor never stopped, nor acknowledged it. The show must go on,
and both times I left empty. I was part of a scripted, choreographed church
event, the only difference was no commercial breaks. Sure the ushers were
friendly, with a break to receive the offerings, think infomercial, and the last
church I attended,you could tell when the late arrivals would arrive, how many
songs were sung, then we mixed, then the offering, then an hour of preaching,
one final song and a rush to the door. With clapping, sometimes limited, in
between. For the music of course. Or with it. I came to feel many times as I
was part of the studio audience, shuffled out before the next service, and that
church had become very impersonal. So I asked one day, “why can Billy Graham
speak for 15 minutes, and people rush for the altar, yet our pastor speaks for
an hour and people rush for the door?” Let’s just say you don’t ask questions
like that in church. But isn’t a gathering of saints supposed to be
spontaneous, spirit led, and exciting, encouraging, and alive? I felt more
welcomed at Wheel than I do at church many times, is your walk with Christ as
choreographed? Should it be? Do you want it to be?
Does your pastor greet you or address you when leaving? Or is he just a
hired gun on Sunday? Tough questions that demand tough answers, and honesty
again is the best policy. There is a shift again to smaller home fellowship
groups, not based on the church, but based on Jesus. Where there is
interaction, stimulation, and the presence of the spirit. Each one different,
not a rehearsed rehashing of “the pastor said,” but an honest time with Jesus.
The only place it is caught on tape is heaven, a sign of how the early church
met and grew. Reading the scriptures, the introduction states who the letter is
from, no surprises or guessing needed. No teacher or authority other than Jesus
quoted. You get the truth, not a truth laced with opinion. Personal, to the
point, and intimate. And although written to a church in particular, it seems
as if it is only written to me. How important these letters were, I can see the
church at Philippi excited to get a letter form Paul, “read it again, and again,
that part about...” and no further explanation was needed. The spirit was
alive, and so was the church. Note we are the church, so the members were
alive, not just filing a pew. When Jesus is the focus of church, and of our
lives, we live in freedom, life begins with Jesus no matter what church we
attend, does yours? Do you leave hungry, rushing to the door, or want more? Is
it a social event, or a time to fellowship? How hungry are you for the word,
to hear from Jesus rather than hear about him? Or are you just clapping on cue,
if at all?
Billy Graham will be laid to rest this weekend, after being only the fourth
non-president to be honored in the Capitol rotunda. He touched many lives with
just a simple message, “God loves you.” You see, the gospel is simple so we can
get it, free so we can afford it. Not wrapped up in ceremony, but personal.
Pastors and preachers are just messengers, it is the spirit that delivers to the
heart. After thousands of tapings, I’m sure Pat and Vanna know the routine. I
hope church never becomes a routine for us, that gathering is special, and we
look forward to it, because Jesus is there. And goes home with us after the
service. Church services should be an addition to your walk with Christ, not
the only time you encounter him. He is more than a recorded service, and you
have to ask yourself, “if someone was sick when he taught, would he stop and
assist?” Maybe the real question is “would you?”
And you can clap anytime you want...ya spins the wheel and ya takes yer
chances. Just not at church.
By the way, the show I was at was taped on September 12, and shown on
December 9. And of course I missed it.....
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com