"You know, I have seen many things in this museum, but I still have not seen EVERYTHING IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD. Where did they put everything else?"
The closing illustration in my chapel talk yesterday was taken from a favorite book I used to read my children. (If you don’t know what chapel I’m talking about, check out the last two Catches.) It’s a Sesame Street book in which Grover, the blue furry creature with the warbled voice leads us on a tour of a very strange museum.
The book opens on a big building with a sign over the entrance that reads: “Everything in the Whole Wide World Museum.” Once inside, Grover lead us through a number of rooms each one featuring a category of things such as the Light Things room or the Heavy Things room.
As you work your way through this picture book, you are of course aware that this building can’t possibly house everything in the world, and you wonder how this little dilemma will resolve itself. Your speculation increases as you reach the second to the last page and you and Grover are staring at double doors with the following sign over them similar to the one on the front of the museum, only this one reads: “Everything Else in the Whole Wide World.” Then as you turn the page the doors swing open and you are looking at a pastoral scene of a hillside sloping down to a sleepy river and the faint outline of a cityscape in the distance. It’s the outside world.
For many of these students, their faith experience was formed in a contained environment like this building. Surrounded by others who believe, their faith was reinforced and rarely contested. The rooms of this building might be the times and places God moved significantly in their lives but this building can’t contain all of Him. Sooner or later they will reach that last room with double doors to the outside world.
“When you open those doors,” I said, “what will you find? Will you open those doors on a secular world with fear in your heart, or will you open those doors on everything ELSE in the Kingdom of God? The answer is entirely up to you. You will find what you seek.”
John Fischer The Catch 
I just listened to the first days and had to point out 2 things I really liked. The first struck me as very funny. I was going to email them, but I’ll just post them here.
I had to giggle, listening to the first segment at Olivet.
When you said Christian radio stations used the slogan “Music you don’t have to worry about your kids listening to”…
That really has a double meaning.
1) you don’t have to worry they are going to hear something bad
2) you don’t have to worry because they won’t be listening to it anyway… (get it—okay, I thought it was funny)!!
And i especially like not using “Christian” as an adjective. Christian is a noun, a person, a real person.
Very funny. I never saw that side./
Heard you on the LIVE video feed! Great could of messages. I was saved through the Jesus People Movement back in 1971 (Carl Parks, Wilson McKinley, etc) I often pray for the next generation of believers. I remember buying one of your albums back in 1975. It was like a giant black CD! 🙂
Jay
Grand Haven, MI
Thanks for your efforts on behalf of our college students, John. If they are listening, they will surely get a blessing. What you have said to them is full of truth and good advice. Keep up the good work.
Hey,
I just wanted to stop by and thank you for giving me as well as the other students at Olivet a Chapel that for once made me think, made me laugh and made me pay attention as it wasn’t the traditional message that we get fed on a weekly basis. I really enjoyed your connection to music, as of last year I took a leap of faith and stopped volunteering at the Christian Radio Station on campus. I had went to college thinking I was going to do radio after loving my high school station, but found another dream. Check me out at http://www.collisionradio.com – Its a music site I created to help musicians succeed in any way possible. Sometimes I work with people of the church but mostly I work with the people who are still seeking. It’s a cool opportunity to really reach out and just be there. I really liked where you were going with the “Christian” was never meant to be an adjective. It’s a noun – It’s soo cool to see artists who have decided to step out of the spotlight of being labeled a certain type of artist and not do it for the cash, but rather to make a difference in the mainstream music scene, we can play to our churches, but if we really want to step out and be a light like we are called, you need to go beyond that. Hit me up, would love to talk/network/share some thoughts. I was the guy who tried to meet up with you on Wednesday but it didn’t work with my class schedule.
Thanks,
Kyle Henning
Sorry I missed you. I like where you are going with your thoughts and efforts. Keep it up!
I seem to remember an article that I saved from a CCM magazine that was a “parody” of the Grover book. I’ll have to dig that out. It was great! Thank you.
What came to me first was how comfortable we can be in our “church bubble”–only associating with other Christians, going to places that have Christian entertainment, frequenting businesses owned by Christians, etc.–when what we need to do is go out into the world and be witnesses.
A number of churches have this sign over the door going out of the sanctuary–“The worship is over; now the service begins.” We need to remember this!
P. S. I haven’t read the last two Catches yet, but that’s next on my “to do” list.