Frontier Theology
FRONTIER THEOLOGY
BY WES SEELIGER
There are two views of life and two kinds of people. Some see life as a
possession to be carefully guarded. They are SETTLERS. Others see life as a
fantastic, wild, explosive gift. They are PIONEERS. The visible church is an
outfit with an abundance of settlers and a few pioneers. The invisible
church is the fellowship of pioneers. To no one's surprise there are two
kinds of theology. Settler theology and pioneer theology. Settler theology
is an attempt to answer all the questions, define and housebreak some sort
of "Supreme Being," establish the status quo on Golden Tablets in
cinemascope. Pioneer Theology is an attempt to talk about what it means to
receive the strange gift of life and live! The pioneer sees theology as a
wild adventure, complete with indians, saloon girls, and the haunting call
of what is yet to be.
The Wild West offers a stage for picturing these two types of theology.
Settlers and Pioneers use the same words but that is where it stops. To
see what I mean--read on.
THE CHURCH
IN SETTLER THEOLOGY--the church is the courthouse. It is the center of town
life. The old stone structure dominates the town square. Its windows are
small. This makes the thing easy to defend, but quite dark inside. Its doors
are solid oak. No one lives there except pigeons and they, of course, are
most unwelcome.
Within the thick, courthouse walls, records are kept, taxes collected,
trials held for bad guys. The courthouse runs the town. It is the settler's
symbol of law, order, stability, and most important--security,
The mayor's office is on the top floor. His eagle eye scopes out the
smallest details of town life.
IN PIONEER THEOLOGY--the church is the covered wagon. It is a house on
wheels--always on the move. No place is its home. The covered wagon is where
the pioneers eat, sleep, fight, love, and die. It bears the marks of life
and movement--it creaks, is scarred with arrows, bandaged with bailing wire.
The covered wagon is always where the action is. It moves in on the future
and doesn't bother to glorify its own ruts. The old wagon isn't comfortable,
but the pioneers could care less. There is a new world to explore.
GOD
IN SETTLER THEOLOGY--God is the mayor. The honorable Alpha O. Mega, chief
executive of Settler City. He is a sight to behold--dressed like a dude from
back East, lounging in an over-stuffed chair in his courthouse office. He
keeps the blinds drawn. No one sees or knows him directly, but since there
is order in the town who can deny he is there? The mayor is predictable and
always on schedule.
The settlers fear the mayor but look to him to clear the payroll and keep
things going. The mayor controls the courthouse which in turn runs the town.
To maintain peace and quiet the mayor sends the sheriff to check on pioneers
who ride into town.
IN PIONEER THEOLOGY--God is the trail boss. He is rough and rugged-full of
life. The trail boss lives, eats, sleeps, fights with his men. Their well
being is his concern. Without him the wagon wouldn't move--the pioneers
would become fat and lazy. Living as a free man would be impossible. The
trail boss often gets down in the mud with the pioneers to help push the
wagon which frequently gets stuck. He slugs the pioneers when they get soft
and want to turn back. His fist is an expression of his concern.
JESUS
IN SETTLER THEOLOGY--Jesus is the sheriff. He is the guy who is sent by the
mayor to enforce the rules. He wears a white hat--drinks milk--outdraws the
bad guys. He saves the settlers by offering security. The sheriff decides
who is thrown in jail. There is a saying in town that goes like this--those
who believe the mayor sent the sheriff and follow the rules won't stay in
Boot Hill when it comes their time.
IN PIONEER THEOLOGY--Jesus is the scout. He rides out ahead to find out
which way the pioneers should go. He lives all the dangers of the trail. The
scout suffers every hardship, is attacked by the Indians, feared by the
settlers. Through his actions and words he shows the true spirit, intent,
and concern of the trail boss. By looking at the scout, those on the trail
learn what it really means to be a pioneer.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
IN SETTLER THEOLOGY--the Holy Spirit is a saloon girl. Her job is to comfort
the settlers. They come to her when they feel lonely or when life gets dull
or dangerous. She tickles them under the chin and makes everything O.K.
again. The saloon girl squeals to the sheriff when someone starts disturbing
the peace. (Note to settlers: the whiskey served in Settler City Saloon is
the non-spiritous kind.)
IN PIONEER THEOLOGY--the Holy Spirit is the buffalo hunter. He rides along
with the wagon train and furnishes fresh, raw meat for the pioneers. The
buffalo hunter is a strange character--sort of a wild man. The pioneers
never can tell what he will do next. He scares the hell out of the settlers.
Every Sunday morning, when the settlers have their little ice cream party in
the courthouse, the buffalo hunter sneaks up to one of the courthouse
windows with his big black gun and fires a tremendous blast. Men jump, women
scream, dogs bark. Chuckling to himself, the buffalo hunter rides back to
the wagon train.
THE CHRISTIAN
IN SETTLER THEOLOGY--the Christian is the settler. He fears the open,
unknown frontier. He stays in good with the mayor and keeps out of the
sheriff's way. He tends a small garden. "Safety First" is his motto. To him
the courthouse is a symbol of security, peace, order, and happiness. He
keeps his money in the bank. The banker is his best friend. He plays
checkers in the restful shade of the oak trees lining the courthouse lawn.
He never misses an ice cream party.
IN PIONEER THEOLOGY--the Christian is the pioneer. He is a man of risk and
daring--hungry for adventure, new life, the challenge of being on the trail.
He is tough, rides hard, knows how to use a gun when necessary. The pioneer
feels sorry for the town folks and tries to tell them about the joy and
fulfillment of a life following the trail. He dies with his boots on.
THE CLERGYMAN
IN SETTLER THEOLOGY--the clergyman is the bank teller. Within his vaults are
locked the values of the town. He is suspicious of strangers. And why not?
Look what he has to protect! The bank teller is a highly respected man in
town. He has a gun but keeps it hidden behind his desk. He feels he and the
sheriff have a lot in common. After all, they both protect the bank.
IN PIONEER THEOLOGY--the clergyman is the cook. He doesn't furnish the
meat--he just dishes up what the buffalo hunter provides. This is how he
supports the movement of the wagon. He never confuses his job with that of
the trail boss, scout or buffalo hunter. He sees himself as just another
pioneer who has learned to cook. The cook's job is to help the pioneers pioneer.
THE BISHOP
IN SETTLER THEOLOGY--the bishop is the bank president. He rules the bank
with an iron hand. He makes all the decisions, tells the tellers what to do,
and upholds the image of the bank. The settlers must constantly be reassured
of the safety of their values. The bank president watches the books like a
hawk. Each day he examines all deposits and withdrawals. The bank president
is responsible for receiving all new accounts. This is called "the laying on
of hands."
IN PIONEER THEOLOGY--the bishop is the dishwasher. He does the chores so the
cook can do his job. He supports the cook in every way possible. Together
the cook and dishwasher plan the meals and cook the food provided by the
buffalo hunter. They work as an interdependent team in all matters related
to cooking. Humming while he works, the dishwasher keeps the coffeepot going
for the pioneers. Though the dishwasher has an humble task he is not
resentful. All pioneers realize that each man's job is equally important. In
fact, in the strange ways of the pioneer community, he is greatest who
serves most. (A bishop is the servant of the servants of God. If the
servants of God are cooks, what else would a bishop be?)
The complete book from which this was condensed is available from the author
for $6.95. Wes Seeliger, 4027 Lanark, Houston, TX 77025
Back to Parables index
Return to Servant Quarters Home Page