'Oral remains'

I was looking on my computer for some information about a former colleague when I encountered an unusual title of a book, Select Remains of the Reverend John Mason (1646-1694) I paused my search and learned that John Mason was a revered 17th century English cleric. He was called by Dr. Isaac Watts “an English treasure.” He was a pastor, poet, and hymnist. His grandson collected all his “written remains” after his grandfather died and published them. He wrote everything that he still remembered of his grandfather’s sermons including, “We remember many things we should forget, but we forget what we should daily remember — God’s love for us and our eternal souls.”

Among my remains will be the moving stories of the many amazing people that I have been blessed to journey with such as the late Chan Hatcher and his widow Camille. They retired to Bella Vista after his successful career in advertising. Chan had received many national and international awards for his creative work. You may not recall his name, but you may remember his creative remains, his work, the 1995 Super Bowl commercial, the Budweiser Beer “Frogs.” Chan told me that he didn’t know if the “frog ads” sold a single bottle of beer, but people told him that the ad made them smile, and that was enough. Feeling a little down? Try Googling “Budweiser Frogs.” I believe “Bud,” Weis,” and “Er” will pick you up.

Camille and Chan were active Christians. When Chan was diagnosed in 1997 with prostate cancer, they met the new challenges head-on. They didn’t isolate themselves. They had a story to tell, and they went about telling it. They also made it easier to be screened by convincing doctors to come to Bella Vista and conduct annual testing clinics. There were men shocked to discover they had tested positive and needed a cancer treatment protocol.

There were and still are men in Northwest Arkansas that remember Chan’s “oral remains,” his persistent advice to go and be screened for prostate cancer.

Holocaust survivor and well-known author, Eli Wiesel, wrote that unlike many of his classmates’ mothers that asked them when they came home from school, “How was school today?” or “How did you do on the test?” — His mother always said, “Eli, did you ask a good question today?” Her “oral remains” of this particular question motivated me to find a way to use her interesting teaching tool as a discipline. We are challenged to uncover new knowledge and insight as we seek to serve God and our neighbor. In January I have been journaling my own question of the day. It is a very rewarding exercise that will add to my written remains. Maybe you could join me and try it as a Lenten Discipline.

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