What if Robert Were an Apostle??

You know him, you love him. 

If you've spent any time in almost any organization or club, you have no doubt met Robert.  His "Rules of Order" have been stimying and confounding people since 1876, and reviewing the history, I was saddened but not surprised that the rules were originally created for use at a church meeting.

I recently read the minutes from our church's first business meeting, dated October, 1944.  And yes, you guessed it!  Robert was there.

NOTE: for inclusion in our church newsletter, a request was made for a title for these minutes.  My suggestion of "Motion Made and Seconded" was rejected after it failed to get out of committee when I was ruled "out of order" for failing to make the proper motion and securing a valid second.  This is still under review by the newsletter parlamentarian.

Anyway, as my "out of order" mind works, I immediately wondered what would have happened had Robert been one of Christ's apostles.  I can imagine Matthew 16 being amended to look something like this:

Jesus: Who do people say that I am?

Judas: Point of order.  For a proposed agenda to become the official agenda for a meeting, it must be adopted by the assembly at the outset of the meeting. At the time that an agenda is presented for adoption, it is in order for any member to move to amend the proposed agenda by adding any item that the member desires to add, or by proposing any other change.  As the Lord did not request his question to be on today's agenda at the outset, I move we table the question until such time as He can correctly present it for adoption.

Robert: Do we have a second? No?  Jesus, you may proceed.

Jesus: Thank you Robert.  All, who do people say that I am?

Peter: I move that you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Robert: Does Peter's motion have a second?

John: I second.

Jesus: Call to question.

Robert: All in favor of agreeing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, say "aye."

Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaes, Thaddeus, and Simon the Zealot: Aye!

Robert: All opposed say "no."

Judas: No!

Robert: Motion carries.  Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Kinda makes you wonder if Robert was what the Lord had in mind, doesn't it??

I move to close this edition of "The Dagger."  Feel free to second my motion below, make any substantive points of order, or move to adjourn.