Do You Celebrate the Season or the Reason?

Sometimes it is important to pause and examine how we spend out time, talents, and treasure. While very "into" Christmas, I have to suggest that we spend a lot more time celebrating the season of Christmas than we do celebrating the reason for Christmas. Which consumes you- the season or the reason? Which one should? It is worth thinking about. . .

Christmas Stocking Talks

Thanks to Clinton Detweiler, ventriloquist figure maker extraordinaire (see his blog at www.newsyvents.blogspot.com), I have added a talking Christmas Stocking to my assortment of characters.
Leotardo (related to the Spanish word for stocking), has captured the imagination of the children in our church. While speaking with a bit of a Spanish accent, he talks about the origin of hanging stockings by the fireplace, and answers all kinds of questions about the North Pole.
Thanks Clinton for the constant creation of new and novel creations to entertain and inspire.

Ventriloquism is Back!

It has been a good year for ventriloquism. David Letterman's "ventriloquist week" was a hit, not once but twice. Jay Johnson won a Tony award for his one man ventriloquist show on Broadway. Then last night, Terry Fader, a singing ventriloquist, won the $1 million dollar top prize in NBC's America's Got Talent competition.

It is great to see that even in today's high tech world, that this old fashioned, low tech art can still captivate and touch hearts.

Louie Wolf--another picture

Louie has turned out to be a giant hit with our preschool children. They pass by my office door at church, wave, and shout "Hi Louie!"

You can have lots of fun with a puppet and just a little imagination.

New Puppet-- Brother of the Big Bad Wolf

Here he is, just in from Pavlov's Puppets in Czechoslovakia, Louie Wolf, brother of the infamous but deceased Big Bad Wolf. Louie claims that his brother was framed by a band of disgruntled pigs. As a member of the Wolf Anti-Defamation League, Louie wants to set the record straight about all of those nursery rhymes and fairy tales that picture wolves as villains. "The huffing and puffing," says Louie, "was caused by my brother's asthma. He raced to their house to warn them of the on-coming tornado. In return for his kindness, he was boiled alive in the pot of those canibal pigs." When asked about the Little Red Riding Hood story, Louie replied, "Fiction, pure fiction, made up by the Grim Brothers who were bankrolled by the Pig lobby. It is high time someone speak up for the wolves."

Ventriloquist week at FCM-- Workshop Schedule

Here is the tentative schedule for Vent Week at the Fellowship of Christian Magicians annual international convention this summer, July 16-20, 2007 in Marion, Indiana.

Monday
1:30pm Del Wilson, "Basic Ventriloquism"
2:45pm Tim Cowles, topic to be announced

Tuesday
8:30am Tim Cowles, topic to be announced
11am Liz VonSeggen, "Lip Control for Vents and Dummies"
1:30pm Steve Taylor, "Fooling Your Dummy"
2:45pm Liz VonSeggen, "Show and Tell for Vents"

Wednesday
1:30pm GloriaJean Hendrickson, "Developing Your Character"
2:45pm Steve Parker, "Vent Voice Aerobics"

Thursday
8:30am GloriaJean Hendrickson, "Basic Ventriloquism II"
11am Dave Mitchell, "My Favorite Bible Stories"
1:30pm Ken Lock, "Learning from the Masters"
2:45pm Del Wilson, "Novelty Ventriloquism"

Friday
8:30am Bob Shimer, "Walk around Vent"
9:45am Ken Lock, "Music, Monologues & Special Additions"

For registration information, visit http://fcm.org/convention_information.php

Ventriloquist week at FCM

The Fellowship of Christian Magicians (FCM) will meet for their annual convention in Marion, Indiana (1 hour North of Indianapolis) from July 16-20th this summer. If you are involved in Christian entertainment or ministry there is something here for your whole family. You can learn magic, ventriloquism, puppets, storytelling, balloon twisting, face-painting, juggling, chalk art, clowning, drama, and so much more.

Our family has enjoyed going for several years now. The variety is wonderful and there is a spirit of joy and helpfulness at this convention. People are happy to help you, show you the tricks of the trade, and encourage you. There are no extra fees for a little personal attention or encouragment to help you master a skill, technique, or trick. There are no acts that contain "blue" or questionable material. It is family friendly fare all across the board.

This year, the ventriloquism section is quite strong. Beginners and seasoned veterans alike will learn a lot from folks like Liz VonSeggen, Steve Taylor, Tim Cowles, Dave Mitchell, Steve Parker, Del Wilson, GloriaJean Hendrickson, Bob Shimer, and Ken Lock. The classes are small, enabling you to have no trouble seeing and hearing, asking questions, and getting just the help you might need to advance your skill level. There is even a late night time of discussion, sharing, and coaching for those who just can't get enough ventriloquism!

I look forward to seeing many ventriloquists at FCM this year. Read more about the convention at www.fcm.org/convention_information.php. You will find that it may be the most economical week of vent workshops you could attend.

Ventriloquism is Fun

With something as simple as a hand puppet, you can create great joy. Here, Cletus the Possum, is whispering sweet nothings in to the ear of a senior adult in a nursing home. When was the last time you let a possum nibble on your ear?

Talking Cane or Walking Stick

How about this great talking cane or walking stick custom made for me by Pat Harris of Baltimore (www.hometown.aol.com/peebie3). Beyond his striking good looks (ha!) is his moving mouth so that I can use him as a voice of conscience. The kids seem to enjoy him and so do I. Yet another way to talk for two!

Revival of Ventriloquism?

Several ventriloquists are reporting a renewed interest in their art following David Letterman's ventriloquist week earlier this fall. Bookings are up and many are re-discovering this unique creative art.

David Letterman-- ventriloquist week!

You got to love it-- David Letterman is featuring ventriloquists all week long Sept. 18th - 23rd. It will be great to see Dunham's Walter and others. Get your TIVOs and VCRs ready.

Sunday School Teacher Fired Because of Gender

Just a few weeks ago, a woman who had been teaching Sunday School in the First Baptist Church of Watertown, NY state was fired because she was a woman. (see http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/21/menonly.sundayschool.ap/index.html) The church's new pastor, Rev. Tim LeBouf, cited a passage in I Timothy saying that women should be quiet in church and should not be teaching men. As a result, the dear woman who was teaching Sunday School longer than the pastor was alive, was fired from this volunteer position.

It is always amazing to see how rigid and wooden we can become at interpreting the Bible. In the verse before the one quoted, it forbids the braiding of hair and wearing of gold or silver jewelry by women. If you want to be literal than be consistent. In the verse following the one cited by the pastor, it says that women are saved by bearing children. Again, if you want to be literal, than be consistent in your approach. Don't pick and choose.

It seems to me that the best approach to interpreting Scripture is to compare it with other Scripture. If so, you will discover that there are only two places in the New Testament suggesting that women should be quiet in the church. Both instances are riddled with textual problems. In the Timothy passage, the writer seems to be saying "I don't let women..." which may indicate his personal preference rather than a lasting doctrine. Beyond this, many suggest that this writing reflects a non-Pauline, non-first century vocabulary. The other place that quiet women are mentioned is in Corinthians. This passage also has problems as it is clearly an insertion. The discussion before and after the verses in question relate to speaking in tongues. And moreover, the same writer just a few chapters earlier specifically says that when women speak/prophesy/preach in church, they should do so with their heads covered. Clearly the same writer wouldn't give instructions on how women are to preach in church if he strictly forbade it.

The long and short of it is, before you disenfranchise half of humanity from doing the work of God, you better have firm Scriptural footing. Keeping women from teaching Sunday School that may include men is as silly as keeping women from proclaiming the good news.

talking cane or talking walking stick

Here is a unique, hand-carved, item that ventriloquists can have a lot of fun with. It is a talking cane or talking walking stick. It was hand made by Gene Wolden of California and features a farmer figure on top with the lyrics to old McDonald written in a spiral fasion down the cane. The lever to move his mouth is counterbalanced to operate easily. It is as much a piece of art as it is a novelty ventriloquist figure.

Kinder, Gentler SBC?

The Southern Baptists elected a new President who promises to move the 16 million member denomination to be a kinder, gentler body. He is the first President in years to be elected without the support of the "power-brokers." While we would not suspect that the SBC would move an inch toward the middle of the theological spectrum, it is of some comfort that the new President is mission-minded and has an interest in making appointments who share a kind and gentle spirit. Who knows, perhaps there is some hope for the SBC after all?

Tribute to Barnaby

I read that Linn Sheldon died on Sunday, April 23rd at age 86. Sheldon was one of the most creative fellows around. He is remembered far an wide by people in northeast Ohio for his creation of the loveable children's character named Barnaby.

Sheldon was on TV in Ohio for 42 years. His loveable elf character lived in an enchanted forest and had an invisible parrot side kick named Longjohn. He depended upon his ventriloquist skills and the power of a child's imagination to create a wonderful experience for the boys and girls.

Barnaby was loved by all because he was gentle, wholesome, and children could feel his warmth and love. Even today, some 35-40 years later, I can remember the way he would welcome children, "Hi neighbor!" and the way he would sign off at the end of his show, saying something encouraging and endearing and then saying "If anyone asks, tell them Barnaby said hello."

While his real life was a bit more troubled, the enchanted forrest was a place of wonder and joy for the children of Northeastern Ohio. Children need more folks like Barnaby and Mr. Rogers. May they rest in peace and hear the words of their creator, "well done my good and faithful servant."

There's More to Easter than Dyeing!

It is funny what you hear on the radio. Scanning across the radio stations to find something worth listening to the other day I stumbled across some talk show host ranting and raving because a mall wanted refer to it's seasonal character, a long eared rodent, as the Spring Bunny, instead of the Easter Bunny. The talk show host went on a tear about how this name change was all about political correctness and how we should not allow "them," whoever "them" was, to take away Easter.
People were calling in all worked up and agreeing with this notion saying, "It is an Easter bunny not a spring bunny. Don't let them take away Easter!"
I just shook my head and mumbled, "idiots," and kept on channel surfing. I couldn't believe that people would equate "the Easter bunny" with "Easter." Reducing Easter to little more than a mythological, long-eared, hopping rodent who delivers sugar and cholesterol to children is as bizzare as it is offensive to people of faith.
People get so caught up in the eggs and the candy and the baskets and the ham and the dinner and the jelly beans and the chocolate bunnies, and the plastic grass, and the peeps, and dyeing the eggs that they lose sight of Easter. So on our church marquee sign I wrote, "there is more to Easter than dyeing."
As Paul wrote to the Corinthians ( I Corinthians 15:3-8), Jesus died and was burried. He rose from the grave and made appearances to many. No eggs, no jelly beans, no rodent-- just Christ, crucified, dead, burried, and resurrected. He lives. He conquered the grave and so can we who believe in him and follow his way.

McLeod's Daughters

We have really come to enjoy a wonderful television program from Australia called McLeod's Daughters. Some have described it as television the way it used to be in the US-- good story lines, clean, and inspiring. It has been showing on the WE Network until today, April 1st, which will be the last show.

In the U.S. we are at the end of the 3rd season of this fine show, but the Australians are ahead of us, watching season 6. With the program going off of the WE network, fans of the show are writing everyone and their brother to get another network to pick up seasons 4-6 so we can continue with our program and see what happens to the women of Drover's Run.

One solution for the really dedicated has been to order DVDs of the next season from Australia. Since Australian DVDs are set up to be played on Australian DVD players, they will not work with US DVD players unless you find out how to "hack" your dvd player so it will play DVDs from all regions. Fortunately, this information is readily available on the Internet and for most DVD players, it is a fairly easy process that involves little more than pressing a few different buttons on a remote control.

For some of us, today is not only the day when the WE network drops McLeod's Daughters but will also be the day when we drop WE network from our viewing and satellite menus. I for one cannot believe they would drop a show like this which is at the top of the Nielsen ratings in Australia and keep shows like Bridezilla, Daddy's Spoiled Little Girl, and other mindless drivel. Go figure!

If you hear when McLeod's Daughters gets picked up by another network, please drop me an email! Bowties@cox.net

Homiletics or Harm-a-letics?

Today, one of my New Testament students was talking about how the Bible is interpreted. He kept mispronouncing homiletics (the study of the interpretation of the text) as "harm-a-letics." After a few mispronunciations I couldn't take it any more and said, "harm-a-letics" happens a lot, it is when people do violence to the text. What you mean is homiletics, which is the process of interpreting the text."

Which do you do-- homiletics or harm-a-letics?

The Power of Love

This past Sunday was Youth Sunday at Colonial Ave. Baptist Church. It is always an inspiring service when our talented and creative youth take the lead. This service was particularly moving because of the actions of a boy who has a touch of autism. One of youth was giving the message and was struggling to get through a point related to her parent's divorce a few years ago. She was choked up and was trying as hard as she could to keep back the tears. Then all of a sudden, the grade school child stood up, stepped into the aisle, and walked right up to the pulpit where the young lady was speaking and looked lovingly into her eyes. He knew she was struggling and wanted to let her know that he loved her, even if the only way he knew how was to stand beside her in a difficult time. There wasn't a dry eye in the house as we understood the message.
How often have we seen others hurting and didn't know what to do, when all of the while, what they needed was someone to stand with them and let them know by our presence that we love them. It was a profound message from such a young child. But as they say, "a little child shall lead them."

Making Legs for a Puppet

Does anyone have recommendations on the best way to create legs for a puppet. The puppet currently is a half-bodied rod arm puppet and I would like to make a pair of simple legs that will allow this puppet to be used as a ventriloquism figure.

The legs should allow the puppet to sit naturally and the legs should bend properly. It is trouble when the knee bends the wrong way or the feet are all twisted around. Any secrets to make the legs look right?

Thanks!