The Hole in the Heart of God

This is the final piece of our story of Saint Ben — the closing scenes following Ben’s death. It contains Jonathan’s great grief, but ends in delight with profound implications for us all.

Following Ben’s death, Jonathan refuses to speak to anyone. The next time he is at church, he retreats to their secret place in the bell tower and lets Grizzly know his intent to stay up there indefinitely, and Grizzly guards him religiously. Since Jonathan isn’t speaking, he and mute Grizzly are on equal terms. In fact, Grizzly’s silence is the perfect receptacle for Jonathan’s grief.

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Saving the Edsel

We left our story yesterday with the boys having lunch in the rain under dripping juniper bushes having just been to the showroom to see the new 1959 Edsels over which Ben is supremely disappointed. And it is at this time that the connection between Ben and the Edsel takes on new significance as Ben is convinced that the inevitable demise of the Edsel is going to spell the early demise of his young life. It’s something that the boys sense but never talk about; instead they throw their energies into somehow saving the Edsel from extinction, thinking that in so doing, they are in fact saving Ben.

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Exposing What’s Wrong

We continue with our seriously abbreviated version of Saint Ben

From a secret hideout in the abandoned bell tower of the old sanctuary, where a small window high above the balcony looks down on the back of the congregation, they carry out their scheme to disrupt the services. With Ben behind the organ pipes and Jonathan signaling with a flashlight from the tower, they shoot rubber arrows, set off smoke bombs, let loose doves, fly streamers, and yet, much to Ben’s disappointment, they are not achieving the desired results. Instead, people start coming to church just for the scripture reading stunts. Ben has unwittingly awakened the people and brought life to his father’s sermons.

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‘Awake Thou That Sleepest’

It’s a bright Sunday in March, 1958, when the new pastor, Jeffery T. Beamering and his family are being introduced to the Colorado Avenue Standard Christian Church in Pasadena, California. And it may have escaped some people’s notice, but the youngest of the three Beamering boys is the only one in the whole church not smiling. That would be Ben, age 10, and the sarcastic smirk on his face broadcasts the fact that he is not going to participate in one bit of superficiality … ever. Jonathan Lieberman, also 10, and the son of Walter Lieberman, the choir director, is one who noticed, and he had to admit a certain admiration for the nerve.

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Before God Ends the World

As we celebrated yesterday, our campaign is over, and thanks to so many of you, we made our goal! But I must admit, I’m not quite ready to leave Ben and  Jonathan and the whole story of Saint Ben. It’s easy to fall in love with these guys and their story, even though they are fictitious.

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The Goal Is Reached. The Route Goes On!

Dear Catch Community,

Somewhere, we imagine two boys on bicycles, newspapers tucked under their arms, grinning from ear to ear.

Johnathon and Ben have done it!

Well, actually, YOU have done it!

Together, the Catch community has reached our $20,000 goal for the 2026 Annual Fall Gotta Get the News Out Campaign! And we couldn’t be more grateful.

Remember how the story began? Two boys. A newspaper route. A message worth delivering.

At first, Ben followed Johnathon. But eventually, Ben realized something important: there was another side of the street. And if the news was going to reach everyone, somebody had to deliver it over there, too. So Ben took the other side.

And suddenly, the route became something bigger than either boy could accomplish alone.

That’s exactly what happened here.

You took the other side of the street.

Some of you gave generously. Some gave sacrificially. Some encouraged others to join in. Some prayed. And together, you demonstrated something we have believed from the beginning: Nobody runs the route alone.

We want to offer a very special and heartfelt thank-you to Noel Paul Stookey, our 2026 Annual Fall Campaign Chairman.

Noel, your friendship, leadership, encouragement, and willingness to lend your voice to this campaign have meant more than we can adequately express. You helped us remind people that the Good News is not something we simply receive and keep to ourselves. It is something we are called to share. Thank you for riding alongside us.

And to every member of our Catch community who participated, whether your gift was large or small, please know this: You made this victory possible.

But here’s the funny thing about a newspaper route. Just when you think you’ve delivered the last paper, tomorrow comes!

And somewhere, someone is waiting.

Someone who hasn’t heard that God’s grace includes them. Someone who doesn’t know there is a place for them at His table. Someone who has yet to discover that there is a God-shaped hole in their heart that only God can fill — and a place in God’s heart that belongs uniquely to them.

That’s why our work doesn’t end with a successful campaign. In fact, it’s why we had the campaign in the first place.

Our purpose is to develop disciples. Our vision is to introduce the Gospel of Welcome—Grace Turned Outward—to everyone, everywhere.

And now, because of you, we’re ready to keep riding.

Johnathon has one side of the street. Ben has the other. And all of us have streets of our own — our families, neighborhoods, workplaces, churches, and communities.

The goal was $20,000. The mission is everyone, everywhere.

So celebrate with us today! Ring the bicycle bells! Toss a few newspapers in the air! (Just remember to pick them up afterward.) And tomorrow?

Well, tomorrow we’ll be back on our bicycles. Because somewhere in this great big world, it’s 3:00. And you know what that means.

WE’VE GOTTA GET THE NEWS OUT!

With overflowing gratitude and love,

John and Marti Fischer
The Catch Ministry

P.S. Ben, you can stop counting the money now. We’ve reached the goal. But don’t put your bicycle away. We’ve still got a lot of streets to cover.

We celebrate those who have graciously participated:

Peter & Jan – Branson, Missouri
Neil – Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Olivia – Waterloo, Ontario CANADA
Mike – Cambria, California
Chilly – Livingston, Louisiana
Wayne – Modesto, California
Richard – Concord, California
Thomas – Bow, New Hampshire
Judith – Nolensville, Texas
Dick – Lantana, Texas
David – Chehalis, Washington
John – Cupertino, California
Todd – Franklin, Tennessee
Jeanne – Vacaville, California
Tom – Washington D.C.
David – Fullerton, California
Gaetane – Powell River, BC CANADA
David – Lakeville Minnesotta
Patrick – Milan, Michigan
Steve – Keswick, Ontario, CANADA
Christina – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Basil – Sparta, New Jersey
Cynthia – Sonora, California
Daniel – Washburn, Wisconsin
Merlyn – Goodyear, Arizona
Elizabeth – Chicago, Illinois
Ray
Gary – Franklin, New Jersey
Richard – Nashville, Tennessee
William – Livingston, Louisiana
Steve – Nashville, Tennessee
Tim – Twin Falls, Idaho
Joe – Houston, Texas
Joyce – Mount Joy, Pennsylvania
Allen – Exton, Pennsylvania
Keith – Portland, Oregon
Tami – Pensacola, Florida
Pat – Normandy Park, Washington
Mike – Sacramento, California
Laura – Medford, Massachusetts
Kristin – Chesterfield, Missouri
Linda – Bainbridge Island, Washington
Lisa – Sunland, California
Joanne – Lynden, Washington
Tom – Orinda, California

THANK YOU!

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Latest Campaign NEWS followed by Friday’s Catch

Dear Catch Family,

We’re almost there! And what a wonderful journey you’ve made possible!

Our 2026 “Gotta Get the News Out” campaign is now within sight of the finish line, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our Catch community. Together, we’ve raised $18,765 toward our $20,000 goal!

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Dear Catch Family,

We have some exciting news! And it comes with a challenge.

Just when we thought our “Gotta Get the News Out” campaign was winding down, our dear friend Dick from Lantana, Texas, stepped forward with a $1,000 gift — and an invitation to the entire Catch community.

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There’s Still Another Side of the Street

Ben had a problem.

Actually, Ben had lots of problems, most of which he had either created himself or had somehow persuaded Jonathan to share. But this particular problem involved newspapers.

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More to life than this: Observations of an E.R. Doctor

My daughter is an E.R. doctor in a hospital in Hawaii. She was here with us this weekend and the following are some things I distilled from our conversations.

“Beep, beep, beep”… I am staring at the monitor in the Emergency Room. It is a recurrent, almost annoying noise.  I look to see what’s wrong. While I’m waiting for the incessant sound to stop, I figure I am one of the ones that needs to save you.

Sometimes I do; sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I do everything right and they die. Sometimes I don’t know what I’m doing and they come back. How can you tell? How can you know? What do I do with the nagging thoughts that I could have done more?

I have to conclude that life and death matters are not up to me. But that’s hard to accept when I am expected to save your life.

I treat every patient’s issue, from a broken fingernail to a brain tumor as if they were someone from my own family. Well, they are. Aren’t we all part of the family of man, and all God’s children — all made in His image — whether we recognize it or not?

You don’t want to know the things I’ve seen. They say an E.R. doctor shouldn’t go beyond 15 years at the job. I get that. I’m on year 12.

The hardest part is conveying bad news to loved ones and relatives. There is no way to sugar coat it. You can’t. False hope is far worse than the truth. The truth will set you free even though it may rip you up inside.

But this one thing I know. There is more than what we experience in this life. There’s more to life than this. There is something else. There is Someone else. The hand of God moving in the shadows.

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