Drawn Upward: Embracing The Pleasures Of This World Series

Something is Out There:

Rumors of the Invisible World of the Sacred God

3/22 Drawn Upward--Embracing the Pleasures of this world

INTRODUCTION

John and Cathy Skip Church (drama)

subject: Seeking Heaven on Earth

Bruce D. Rzengota

John and Cathy Skip church for a ski trip

John and Cathy on a ski vacation together. Standing in line for the lift chair. Occasionally sliding forward as if moving in the line.

John

Isn’t this Great Cath? A week of skiing in Park City, Utah.

Cathy

Uh Huh! (nervously)

John

I’ve wanted to do this ever since we got married. Just you and I and a week of the best powder in North America.

Cathy

Oh My! This is a lot bigger the Snow Trails in Mansfield.

John

I can’t believe it took us three years to put this trip together. This is going to be so great. They got mountain runs here that are nearly two miles long top to bottom.

Cathy

Two Miles?

John

And up in the alpine regions there are some incredible shutes and bowls we can explore.

Cathy

Shutes?

John

I’m thinking we should skip lunch and just snack on the energy bars I packed. That way we can get in at least 6 hours on the slopes today.

Cathy

Six hours?

John

Here comes the lift honey, just slide in. Okay.

John and Cathy look behind them and sit down onto the chairs as though riding the lift.

Cathy

Oh no I dropped by glove. (looking down and with distress)

John

You what?

Cathy

I dropped my glove. I thought I had it clipped to my jacket, but it must have come loose. . .

John

Great!

Cathy

What!

John

(annoyed) I was just thinking. Thinking about how much time we’re going to waste having to ski back down to the base lift and find your glove and get back in line.

Cathy

I didn’t do it on purpose. (defensive)

John

I didn’t say you did? It just that were going to waste so much time getting your glove. We can pretty much give up the idea of getting in some early fresh tracks.

(pausing)

You know it’s not that cold; could you ski with out it?

Cathy

What? (shocked and becoming angry) You want me to ski without my glove?

John

No no, I’m just thinking out loud. I’m just frustrated we are going to waste time on our vacation. It just seems that whenever we plan a big trip, a big vacation. Whenever we get a chance to cross something off the bucket list, that something happens and. . .

Both Jerking forward as the lift chair abruptly stops.

Cathy

What was that?

John

(with Anger) Great! We’re stuck on a chair lift.

Cathy

John, (concerned) that didn’t feel like a normal stoppage.

John

We’re paying $120 for these life tickets, at that price the least they could do I make sure the lift chairs work.

Cathy

John, something doesn’t feel right

John

I hate this. This always happens. It seems like the more I’m looking forward to a trip the more likely it is to disappoint me! When we get down I’m going got talk with management about a refund, at least a discount.

Cathy

(Sternly and Loudly) John, I scared. Would you please shut up about how disappointed you are that I dropped my glove, that the lift chair stopped, about how everything always goes wrong.

John

Whoa, where did all that come from?

Cathy

I’m sorry John, I guess it’s just I get so stressed when we go on vacations. You always have such high expectations and dreams for the trip and everywhere we go you come home disappointed.

I’ve grown to dread our trips away.

John

You dread going away with me?

Cathy

No I love being with you. I just dread being away with you when you are chasing your dreams of experiencing heaven on Earth. You want it to be so perfect that you are always disappointed.

John

It’s just that I want experience all the good things life has for us. I just want to . . .

Cathy

John, you’re chasing heaven on earth and it won’t be found here. It’s a fallen world and even though there are some incredible things in we get to experience, it’s till a fallen world. It will never measure up to your visions of perfection. So every vacation, every good thing we get to share, gets tarnished by your inability to just appreciate it for what it is.

John

Am I really like that?

Cathy

Yes, to say you’re driven to experience it all is an understatement? And no matter how much we do, how much we see, how busy the schedules, you still come home disappointed. So I get filled with stress, waiting for you to implode and I end up not enjoying the moment.