Have you heard about the DART Test?

[MariaRegina]

Dart Test...

A young lady named Sally, relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says that Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.

One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day.

On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smithtold the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture.

Sally's friend drew a picture of who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved.

The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target. Dr. Smithbegan removing the target from the wall.

Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced.

Dr. Smithsaid only these words... "In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me."
Matthew 25:40.

No other words were necessary; the tears filled eyes of the students focused only on the picture of Christ.

This is an easy test; you score100 or zero. It's your choice.

If you aren't ashamed to do this, please follow the directions.

Jesus said, "If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you, before My Father."

Not ashamed ... pass this on.

Ashamed ... delet e it.

Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.

Isn't it funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Isn't it funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says. Or is it scary?

Isn't it funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also "believes" in God ).

Isn't it funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail and! they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.

Isn't it funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of Jesus is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Isn't it funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week.

Are you laughing?

Isn't it funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them.

Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me.

Will YOU pass this on? ... I did

 

[Annoula]

Aria,

the Dart test was perfect. i only wished i could be a theology teacher and practice that with my students.

thanx for sharing.

 

[Romanos]

Awesome story. I heard this from someone before, I believe.

Thanks for posting it!

 

[repentant]

Seems kind of sac-religious. I mean destroying a picyure of Jesus. I don't know, just my opinion.

 

[MariaRegina]

Seems kind of sac-religious. I mean destroying a picyure of Jesus. I don't know, just my opinion.

To be effective, one really doesn't have to toss darts at the Icon of Christ,
which would be sacriligeous.

I remember a Greek Orthodox Priest giving a retreat to the youth
when he mentioned this in a different way.

He asked us to gaze upon the Icon of Christ
which was present in the auditorium/dining room hall.
Then he said that we are supposed to be the Icon of Christ to all we meet.

He said that each time we sin, we are distorting that image of Christ,
so that people cannot see Christ in us.

The Icon of Christ had a glass cover.
So he asked each one of us to place a post-it note on the glass.
On the post-it note was written in tiny print all of our sins.
Soon the glass covering the Sacred Image was covered with post-it notes.

We are to be Christ to all we meet.
So that if another person says that they never knew Christ,
the responsibility would be ours.
At the Last Judgment, we will be astounded at how many people we have turned away from Christ
by our unbecoming conduct -- our unChristian attitudes.

Every time we sin, we deface that image of Christ.
We are to preach Christ in the way we live our lives,
so that those around us can begin to know Christ.

Each time we go to Holy Confession or receive Holy Communion with a repentant heart,
our sins are forgiven us and the image of Christ is restored within us.

This retreat had a very sobering effect on the youth present.

 

[CFoxDWH]

My girlfriend used this on her Sunday school class once. I understand it was very effective.

 

[e=mv^2]

1 - good story

Not ashamed ... pass this on.

Ashamed ... delet e it.

2 - HORRIBLE, SHAMEFULL!! method of conning someone into passing on spam email. If you do not forward this email you are going to hell? Shameful.

 

[Tsarina]

Wonderful story, Aria!
No i wasnt laughing. I almost cried.

 

[MariaRegina]

1 - good story

2 - HORRIBLE, SHAMEFULL!! method of conning someone into passing on spam email. If you do not forward this email you are going to hell? Shameful.

Sorry if this email message offended you.

I received it from a Bishop and forwarded it exactly as received.

 

[MariaRegina]

Wonderful story, Aria!
No i wasnt laughing. I almost cried.

It had the same effect on me.
And this wasn't the only time I have received this identical email.
I think it has been circulating around in cyberspace for at least three years.

But this time, I wanted to see your reaction.

 

[ClementofRome]

Urban legends make good canon fodder...

However, it would be a perfectly "protestant" thing to do in certain/many seminaries. I can say that as a seminary trained "protestant."

 

[Stephanida]

I personally liked it. Thanks for sharing Aria.

 

[MariaRegina]

Urban legends make good canon fodder...

However, it would be a perfectly "protestant" thing to do in certain/many seminaries. I can say that as a seminary trained "protestant."

Are you saying that Protestants wouldn't have any misgivings about allowing a picture of Christ to be destroyed by darts?

 

[ClementofRome]

Are you saying that Protestants wouldn't have any misgivings about allowing a picture of Christ to be destroyed by darts?

No, I was suggesting that it is a silly and emotionally driven exercise (something for which many Protestants are famous) and that many would not give destryoing a picture of Jesus a second thought.....to make a point.

I feel certain that the legend was Protestantly generated as I am also certain that this exercise would not have occurred in an Orthodox seminary where the sacredness and value of an icon is appreciated.

I did not mean to highjack the tread, but I lurk over here quite often and just felt led to comment.

 

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

No, I was suggesting that it is a silly and emotionally driven exercise (something for which many Protestants are famous) and that many would not give destryoing a picture of Jesus a second thought.....to make a point.

I feel certain that the legend was Protestantly generated as I am also certain that this exercise would not have occurred in an Orthodox seminary where the sacredness and value of an icon is appreciated.

I did not mean to highjack the tread, but I lurk over here quite often and just felt led to comment.

I agree 100%. I wish I could rep you for this.

 

[MariaRegina]

No, I was suggesting that it is a silly and emotionally driven exercise (something for which many Protestants are famous) and that many would not give destryoing a picture of Jesus a second thought.....to make a point.

I feel certain that the legend was Protestantly generated as I am also certain that this exercise would not have occurred in an Orthodox seminary where the sacredness and value of an icon is appreciated.

I did not mean to highjack the tread, but I lurk over here quite often and just felt led to comment.

I agree that you would probably never find this sort of exercise in an Orthodox Seminary.
They are known to be more sober.

(never say never)

However, notice how I made mention of how an Orthodox Priest did modify this exercise
for use with students by using post-it notes over the glass covering the Sacred Icon of Christ.
On the post-it notes were written (not someone you hated) but YOUR OWN PERSONAL SINS.
And the priest carefully went through an examination of conscience based on the Ten Commandments
(Thou shalt not kill - or even think thoughts of strangling someone.)
and the Beatitudes (Blessed are the pure in heart -
Have you failed to guard your eyes and ears and your heart at all times?)

And it was very effective and sobering.

Note too, how the Orthodox version did not conjure up hateful emotions.
Instead, the priest used the exercise as a powerful examination of conscience
in preparation for Holy Confession.

Therefore, you can see how different Orthodox practices are.

When I first attended Orthodox Retreats, I noticed the absence of jokes,
to which I had becomed accustomed in non-Orthodox retreats and sermons.
We rarely laugh in church as it is not proper decorum. We are to be sober,
be watchful, for the devil roams about like a lion seeking whom he may devour.



Elizabeth

 

[Llauralin]

I have to agree with e=mc - wonderful and moving story, horrible, horrible second half. One word: manipulation. Not only that, but exactly the same words as every other Christian chain letter out there - I mean the entire tirade of "funny how," which is not true of a single Christian I know well. Not cool.