Hi Friends —
Three people have convinced me that puppets can change our life in unknown ways—Mr. Rogers (with Daniel Tiger) on Public Television, Frank Ballard, who founded the puppeteer community at the University of Connecticut, where I want to college in the early 1970s, and a woman I will introduce in moment.
Everyone knows Mr. Rogers. Let me tell you about Mr. Ballard and his wife Ada Ruth. The Ballards were friends of mine at Storrs Congregatonal Church. I was the janitor at the church for 2 years and Mrs. Ballard, Ada Ruth, served as the church secretary for many years. Spring Burrington, one of Mr. Ballard's students and a great song leader, blessed our small student group Friday afternoons when we concluded our week with prayer and Sunday evenings when we reassembled for Spaghetti and sharing. It was, for me, Sesame Street.
Have you been blessed by a puppeteer? Is it possible that their gift of imagination is as powerful as love and wisdom? Is it possible that we need to raise up and emulate the work they do and recognize how puppets can bless others in unknown ways? Is it possible that a humble puppet can be our own spiritual guide?
I believe so. Puppeteers transform lives. They know our answers lie within us. And their puppets draw out those answers. They transport us to a world where our perceived limitations no longer exist.
The 3rd person who transforms lives with puppets is is Rose Mayer. Larry and MaryEllen Swartz, longtime ministers in Tucson, remember Rose as an upbeat and positive mother of a boy who attended their Unity school in Tucson.
Rose is also known as The Tucson Puppet Lady. She provides patterns for people to create and construct their own puppet. Go here to learn more. And if you don't yet see the ministry in Rose's work, read on.
You can follow Rose on her blog. Last month Rose highlighted professional puppet creator Irene of Nenas Puppet Pals Shop on Etsy. Irene made two puppets for a man who had brain cancer, one puppet of himself and another of the doctor. The man with brain cancer wanted them to ease the fear of children who also had brain cancer. Rose writes, "Puppets have a way of being less intimidating and making scary things less scary. Sometimes that’s all a kid needs during an unsure and frightening time."Mr. Rogers and Mr. Ballard were much alike: humble, open-hearted, and deeply insightful. They had success in television and academia, places where the humble are too often overlooked. Most of you are attending or leading a ministry. And you want to see people blessed. It may just be that what we need today is the same humble, open-hearted, and deeply insightful message of the Fillmores in the form of a puppet. I believe we all need a puppet.
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
