Paws & Tales

Insight for Living: Last time on Paws & Tales.

Marion: I can’t come into your church because I’m not pure enough.

St. Marian: I am St. Marian. This is St. Emmanuel and St. Bernard. They don’t seem to like you very much.

St. Emmanuel: ’Tis our aim and privilege to pursue purity of every sort.

Villager: Everybody thinks this church is nutty.

Guard: You offend me, sir. The bell tolls and I’ve set my course anew. I am not going back to the big white church ever.

Papa Chuck: Welcome to the world of Paws & Tales. Wild Mountain can be a pretty dangerous place. If you stay on the trails and stick with me, there’s adventure to be had there too.

CJ: Come on, CJ, jump!

Papa Chuck: It’s too far!

CJ: It wasn’t too far for me!

Insight for Living: Insight for Living is proud to present Paws & Tales.

CJ: What do you mean you’re not going back? You have to, don’t you?

Marion: I do not. I came out today with this in mind. I have my possessions and my money in my bag. If I go back, they won’t let me out for perhaps years. I was created to tell others of the Lord, and I cannot do that inside the walls of my church.

CJ: But you don’t know anything about the village. Who’s going to take care of you?

Marion: The Lord will.

CJ: I think first you need to know more about the village.

Marion: Good day, CJ. Today I begin my ministry to the villagers.

CJ: You really shouldn’t do this alone.

Papa Chuck: Who you talking to?

CJ: I just met a Churchy, St. Marion.

Papa Chuck: I just met one too. I could hardly get away until I told them I was a Christian.

CJ: Then they went after a better target.

Papa Chuck: That’s exactly what they said. This place is something else.

Insight for Living: Well, CJ and Papa Chuck sat and ate lunch and talked about how a church could go so wrong. After about an hour had passed, they headed back to the front gate of the big white church.

It’s like a hospital that won’t let in anyone who is sick. No one even knows what they’re talking about.

Papa Chuck: Okay, let’s try this again. I just want to get this over with and get out of Pleasant Valley as soon as I can.

CJ: I’m for that.

Guard: Announce thy...

Papa Chuck: It’s me.

Guard: So it is. I have received permission to open the gate.

Papa Chuck: That’s great. I’ll just drive it in.

Guard: No. We will assist in its unloading. Then the brothers will carry it in.

Papa Chuck: Fine. Let’s get this done.

Guard: All right. Open the gate! We need to open the gate! What sound is that? It’s falling! It’s breaking off the hinges! Look out!

Papa Chuck: Whoa. Is everyone all right?

Guard: My leg! Oh, my leg!

Papa Chuck: He’s pinned! Quick, brothers, help me with the gate! CJ, come here, let’s lift the gate!

Guard: Nay, all of you, stay outside!

Papa Chuck: You’ve got to be kidding.

Guard: Do not cross the arch! Get back! We’ll take care of this! Get back, all of you! Hurry! All right, together. One, two, three!

CJ: What happened? The whole gate?

Guard: I’m free! Brothers, block the entrance!

Papa Chuck: His leg is probably broken.

Guard: Quick, bring something to block the entrance!

Papa Chuck: You have got to be kidding.

Guard: Remain what thou art, all of you! We need some help up here, the villagers are coming! You, stop looking! Why don’t you just relax?

Villager (Male): Look inside there! They’ve painted pictures of folks on the inside of the wall! They really have! I’ve never seen inside before! None of us have! Hey, look at this! They’ve got pictures of happy villagers coming to church! They won’t let us go in, but they paint pictures of us going in! Those guys are nuts.

Guard: That’s far enough, all of you! You’re not brothers! You’re not allowed! We need some help here!

Papa Chuck: Look, I’m unloading the desk right where it is. You come out and get it when you’re ready. Do you have my payment?

Guard: Oh, here is your payment. Bring that over to block the entrance! Yes, that’s it. Bring something to barricade the opening.

Villager (Male): Look at them, like an ant hill that’s just been kicked.

CJ: What are they doing with the Welcome sign?

Guard: Good! You hold that side and I’ll nail this end up! Hey, go get the boys from the shop, they have to see this! They’re never going to believe it!

Papa Chuck: Do you know what you’ve just done?

Guard: Stand back! We’re protecting the purity of our church!

Papa Chuck: You just nailed the "Welcome Visitors" sign across the entrance to keep us out.

Guard: Quick, bring more! Oh, good. Yes, that’s just the thing. Bring more of these and stack them up at the entrance!

Villager (Male): This is rich! Church pews! They’re stacking church pews for a barricade!

Papa Chuck: Could you fellows help me slide the desk off the truck?

Guest (Male): Sure, no problem.

Papa Chuck: One, two, three! Thanks.

Villager (Male): Look at the Churchy. Look at me, I’m going in!

Guard: Halt! Proceedeth not!

Villager (Male): Too bad I don’t know what he’s saying.

Papa Chuck: Do you want any help getting the gate back up?

Guard: Nay, verily. You have your money. Be gone, all of you!

Papa Chuck: Let’s go, CJ.

CJ: Absolutely.

Insight for Living: Papa Chuck and CJ could hardly wait to get out of Pleasant Valley. They only made one stop, and that was just to get the truck filled with gas.

CJ: So how long until we get to the campground?

Papa Chuck: Couple of hours.

CJ: Marion! I’ll be right back. How’s it going?

Marion: Splendidly. It has begun! My ministry is underway.

CJ: Really?

Marion: There is a crowd gathering as we speak.

CJ: A crowd?

Marion: I found a kindred spirit, and he is gathering the crowd for me.

CJ: I don’t mean to be unkind here, but where in this village would you find a kindred spirit?

Marion: Purity is to the lost as is a light on a hilltop.

CJ: They’re gathering because you are pure?

Marion: Thou art a scoffer.

CJ: Wait, where is this meeting going to happen? Maybe we could come.

Marion: At this address. I believe it is a meeting hall of sorts.

CJ: Marion, this address is on Dodgy Street. That’s where the criminals go. This guy who is setting this up, he could be trying to...

Marion: It is the criminals who need to hear the truth! I am done with you. Good day.

CJ: Marion, this isn’t a good idea! You don’t know anything about reality! Oh, no. This is going to be bad. Papa Chuck!

Papa Chuck: Over here.

CJ: You’ve got to come! Marion, she’s going into that Dodgy Street to bear witness, and I think she’s in big trouble.

Papa Chuck: Isn’t that the place where the criminals...?

CJ: That’s exactly where. Let’s go.

Insight for Living: Well, they ran off to try and help St. Marion, despite the fact that she didn’t want any help. When folks are positive that they don’t need any help, that’s usually when they need it the most. CJ remembered the address, but the streets were curved and confusing.

Papa Chuck: Another fork in the road. Left or right?

CJ: I don’t know. Left. Stay close. Isn’t this the worst place you’ve ever been in?

Papa Chuck: Actually, not the worst, but it is just the kind of place that trouble looks for. That's her! Come on, stay close.

Insight for Living: CJ and Papa Chuck ran around the corner just in time to see St. Marion surrounded by the meanest pack of wolves you ever saw. Papa Chuck was just about to rush in.

Papa Chuck: CJ, you stay here. Who is that?

CJ: That’s the wolf that helped her before.

Insight for Living: Just when things looked their worst, Barnabas showed up again.

Barnabas: Get back, vermin. Leave her alone or I’ll break your heads with my staff.

Marion: Help me! Get back!

Guest (Male): Barnabas, this one’s ours!

Barnabas: Get back, or you’ll never...

CJ: Did you see that?

Papa Chuck: Yeah, I think this guy can handle himself.

Barnabas: Let go of the Churchy and step away.

Guest (Male): Barnabas, you’re going to be sorry when I...

Marion: Get me out of here!

Barnabas: I will. Calm down.

CJ: Marion!

Barnabas: Barnabas. I’m Papa Chuck. How do we get out of here? Are you all right?

Marion: Yes.

Barnabas: They’ll be coming back soon. Listen to me. I’m going to lead you through alleys and tunnels and back rooms. If you don’t stay close, you may not get out of this. Can you all do that?

Papa Chuck: Yes. We’re right behind you.

Barnabas: Then follow me.

Insight for Living: Barnabas took them through a confused maze of doors and back alleys until Marion got stuck.

Marion: Help, I can’t!

Barnabas: What’s the matter?

Marion: My robe is caught on the fence!

Papa Chuck: Well, get it loose! They’re getting closer! We don’t have time for this!

Marion: No, no, don’t rip it! My robe!

Barnabas: Forget the robe! They’re right behind us!

Insight for Living: They ran upstairs and through a tunnel that was too low for the adults to stand up right in.

CJ: Where are we?

Barnabas: Almost there. Here we are.

Insight for Living: They emerged into a large room filled with various animals quietly praying.

Marion: What is this place?

Barnabas: This is our sanctuary. We call our church the Lighthouse.

Marion: This is a church?

Barnabas: Pardon me. We came through the back alley. Most folks just stroll through the front door.

CJ: Wow. What smells so good?

Barnabas: Have a seat. We have a cooking school. Someone’s always cooking something around here. I’d say soup. Have a seat and catch your breath. Papa Chuck, I’ve heard of you.

Papa Chuck: Really? How?

Barnabas: Don’t you know a Flint? Pastor Flint?

Papa Chuck: Yes, I do. This is the church he was talking about!

Barnabas: He told me all about you.

Marion: I hate to break up such a nice party, but what is going on here? I was almost killed and you, you come out of nowhere only to take me to a sanctuary that looks like a gardening shed!

Papa Chuck: Marion! It's okay.

Marion: If this is a sanctuary, why are all of these animals in here that smell of sweat? And why is someone learning how to make soup in a church? There is nothing pure in here at all! I want to go home.

Papa Chuck: He just saved your life.

Barnabas: Those animals have been building a house all day. This is their meal and prayer time.

CJ: Marion, you should be grateful.

Barnabas: It’s okay. They often react like this.

Marion: They often react like this? Who is they?

Barnabas: The Churchies.

CJ: Yep, Churchies who leave the big white church.

Marion: So other Churchies have come out like this?

Barnabas: Every so often.

Papa Chuck: And you watch for them.

Barnabas: We do. There are a few of us. We’re called Overcomers. It’s our ministry to go out and search for the lost. In this case, Churchies.

They come out with a lot of confidence, but they don’t know anything about life, real life in the village. They usually get into trouble pretty quickly.

Marion: I’m here! Sitting here while you are talking about me like I’m not here!

CJ: Do you help them all?

Barnabas: Some we don’t find.

CJ: What would have happened if you hadn’t found Marion?

Marion: I’m sitting right here!

Barnabas: Some get robbed, some get beaten, some we never know what happens. And now, Marion...

Marion: Is someone talking to me?

Barnabas: You can choose.

Marion: Choose what?

Barnabas: You are invited to stay.

Marion: Why would anyone want to stay in this shack?

CJ: How long do they act like this?

Barnabas: One never knows.

Marion: Stop talking about me!

Barnabas: This is our church. It’s not as nice as your church, but then it’s different in about every way. At your church, they stay inside. They keep away from the village, trying to stay pure. They only come into contact with unbelievers when they’re ready to witness to them.

Marion: But that’s only because we...

Barnabas: We train believers here to go out and live in the village with the unbelievers. Some of us train to cook, others to build houses, and still others to tend to the sick and wounded. Come in here.

Marion: That’s not what a church is supposed to do. What about purity? If you have no purity, how will they see Jesus in you?

Barnabas: Purity is very important to us. We live in the village but with purity. The villagers trust us. They like us.

This is where we train to care for the sick and wounded. When a villager is sick, they come to one of us because we’re the best at caring for the sick. We try to be the best builders and the best cooks.

Come on. Folks are most likely to listen to you if they trust you and know you care for them. That’s the way Jesus did it. It’s what we try to do here.

Marion: Unbelievable. Unbelievable! I think I have seen enough. You cannot serve the Lord looking like you do. You cannot serve the Lord smelling like you do! When was the last time any of you took a bath? I want to go home now! I want to...

Look at my robe! I can’t go back like this! My robe has become nothing but a huge filthy rag!

CJ: Wow. Overalls on a Churchy. Never seen that before.

Marion: Nothing makes sense anymore! I wanted to tell the villagers about God. I wanted to save them, that’s all. I can’t stay here in this place! I can’t go back to the church or they’ll never let me out again! Look what you’ve done to me!

Barnabas: You think you’ve lost everything. Can’t you see what you have in front of you?

Marion: I have nothing! I want out of here!

CJ: Where are you going to go?

Marion: I don’t know, but I need to get out of here!

CJ: Marion!

Barnabas: Let her go. She needs to work this out for herself.

Marion: Why would God let all of this happen? All I want to do is serve Him, and the first chance I get, everything falls apart.

Insight for Living: A very upset and angry St. Marion turned a corner only to find five of the roughest looking wolves and bears she’d ever seen coming right at her.

Marion: Get away from me! Help!

Insight for Living: St. Marion froze with fear. She had come to the end of herself, and she couldn’t think of anything to say or anything to do that would help her now. She was so scared she couldn’t even whisper a prayer. But she cried to God.

In her helplessness, standing there with her back against a brick wall and her hands over her face, her crying was possibly the most important and effective prayer she had ever prayed. And it was heard. Her cry was heard right there in the throne room of heaven. It was heard and it was answered.

Barnabas: Marion, what’s the matter with her?

Marion: Barnabas, don’t let them hurt me!

Barnabas: They won’t hurt you.

Vinnie: Barnabas!

Barnabas: It’s all right. Marion, they’ll not hurt you.

Vinnie: Us? We’re not going to hurt anyone.

Tiny: No, miss, we’d never hurt no one.

Barnabas: These fellows are part of a construction crew coming to the Lighthouse for lunch. Surrounded by this raggedy bunch, you’re safer than you’ve ever been.

Tiny: That’s right, miss. Sorry to give you such a start. Hey, who’s raggedy?

Vinnie: Oh, I think by any measure you’d have to call us raggedy.

Tiny: That’s true. Let’s get inside. Come on, Marion.

CJ: I can’t go on like this.

Barnabas: You’ve had a pretty rough day. CJ, you two have a seat. I’ll get us something to eat.

Tiny: Soup! Do I smell soup? I love soup.

Vinnie: He says that every day. Doesn’t matter what they’re cooking. Hi, Marion. I’m Anthony. They call me Tiny.

Marion: They call you Tiny?

Tiny: It's a little bit of a joke.

Vinnie: I should say so. When you’re as big as he is, what else could we call him?

Marion: I’m sorry for my outbreak.

Tiny: Tiny is one of the construction mentors.

Vinnie: That’s right. I help the younger ones along, teaching them the trade and the walk.

Marion: The walk?

Vinnie: Oh, yeah. You see Vinnie over there?

Marion: That huge and frightful wolf?

Vinnie: Oh, yeah. But he’s the nicest fellow you’d ever meet, and he can sing like an angel.

Marion: Bad guy?

Vinnie: Believe it or not, but he cannot accept the fact that God could love him. He’s had a kind of a rough past, you know, feels a lot of guilt. We’re working on him, but he’s a tough nut.

Marion: You talk about God while you’re building?

Vinnie: Oh, yeah. That’s my ministry. Barnabas is an Overcomer, I’m a construction mentor.

Marion: Vinnie?

Vinnie: Yes, ma’am.

Marion: Do you know about the story of Moses?

Vinnie: A little.

Marion: He killed an Egyptian. Moses was a murderer.

Vinnie: No, that can’t be true.

Barnabas: That’s true.

Marion: Do you know about Abraham?

Vinnie: They told me about him in church before.

Marion: At times he was a coward and a liar.

Vinnie: Is that true?

Barnabas: It’s true all right.

Marion: And Peter, the disciple. Just before Jesus was crucified, Peter was afraid he’d be arrested too, so he denied that he even knew Jesus three times.

Vinnie: Wow.

Marion: God used these men greatly after their sins. He forgave them and used them mightily.

Vinnie: You guys never told me that stuff.

Tiny: Well, I’d never thought of it like that before.

Marion: If you ask God to forgive you, He will. Then He can use you mightily. Vinnie, let God use you mightily too.

Vinnie: That’s what I want, more than anything. You think He can really use me?

Marion: Oh, with a tender heart like yours, I know He can.

Tiny: Here’s some more bread, everybody! And the boys here need more soup, too! Bring out some more soup!

CJ: Amazing. Unbelievable.

Barnabas: What?

CJ: That guy, Vinnie, could pick up a building, and you just made him cry. Marion, you just did what we’ve been trying to do for months.

Marion: What?

Barnabas: You broke through to his heart.

Marion: Did I just bear witness?

Barnabas: You told him about God in a way that he understood.

Marion: I did, didn’t I? I’ve never done that before. I’ve tried, but it never...

Barnabas: You just told a big old smelly construction worker about God while you were eating lunch and wearing overalls. You may not look pure on the outside, but you are on the inside. And that’s much more important. God just used you in a mighty way.

Marion: I never thought it could happen like this.

Insight for Living: Changes took place that day, a bunch of them. Marion decided to stay at the Lighthouse. She learned how to care for the wounded and sick. She even learned a little about construction. She became an amazing servant of God and was known and loved by most everyone in the village.

Sometime later, Vinnie asked God to forgive him for his past and then he asked Jesus into his heart. He was changed forever. The folks inside the big white church, well, they did not change that day. They got that gate put back up as quickly as they could.

Guard: On three now. One, two, three! The gate’s in place, sir.

Guest (Male): Now, bolt the hinges and lock this thing up tight.

Guard: Yes, sir.

Insight for Living: CJ and Papa Chuck, oh, they never forgot that day in Pleasant Valley. But CJ was particularly affected by his visit there, so much so that years later, CJ would come back to the Lighthouse and train to become an Overcomer himself.

You see, one day in the future, just like his friend Barnabas did in the village, CJ would go out looking for lost souls in need of the Lord. When his time came, CJ went out as an Overcomer in the most dangerous and wild parts of Wild Mountain.

Singers: It’s not what I wear

It’s not what I look like

It’s not the money in my pocket

But the change in my life

Yes it is what’s on the inside that counts.

It’s not what I can do

It’s not the words I say

But the power of my Father

In my life every day

Yes it is what’s on the inside that counts.

Having peace, joy, and love

Sing it, Penny!

And kindness on behalf of my Father up above.

It’s not who I know

It’s not if I’m smart

No, it’s not the shampoo in my hair

But the condition of my heart

Yes it is what’s on the inside that counts.

Tiny: (Scottish scatting)

Singers: Being true, gentle, and good

And lending a hand to my neighbor

And telling him about my Savior.

It’s not what I can do

(It’s not what you can do)

It’s not the words I say

(Aye, that’s right!)

But the power of my Father

In my life every day

Yes it is what’s on the inside

That’s how you know you’re qualified

It’s what’s on the inside that counts.

Tiny: Oh yeah, that’s right, you better believe it.

Insight for Living: To order a copy of today’s program, "The Problem with Purity, Part 2", just log on to pawsandtales.org. "The Problem with Purity, Part 2" was written and directed by David Carl. The song "What’s on the Inside" was written by Sandy Howell and Shelly Spady. Music was by Tim Hosman, and our sound designer was Jerry Squabber. Paws & Tales is an Insight for Living production and a proud supporter of Keys for Kids Radio.

On the next Paws & Tales:

Guest (Male): I’m looking for Alma Zavala.

Guest (Female): Hola, niño. I think I like you.

Guest (Male): Ned, this is it!

Guest (Male): Oh yeah, it says fun to me.

Guest (Male): The possibilities are huge and enormous. Get in here, all of you!

Guest (Male): Who are you?

Guest (Male): Newton, Sergeant Newton.

Insight for Living: Be sure to join us for another episode of Insight for Living’s Paws & Tales.