This is my version of a story told to me by the man who was Bishop of the Evangelical Methodist Church in Bolivia at the time.

Matthew 6:19-21

A well-dressed woman arrived at the pearly gates and was greeted by St. Peter.

“Good afternoon,” he said. He fumbled through his list for a while, and then finally asked, “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember your name.”

“Magdalene Elizabeth Pemperton.” She lifted her chin and pronounced each syllable with great flair.

“Ah, yes,” St. Peter quickly found her name. “Alphabetization. It was a wonderful idea.”

He pulled out a card with some writing on it and summoned a nearby angel. “Jericho, would you please escort this lady to her new address?”

The angel took the card, studied it for a moment, and then put it in his pocket. He offered his arm to the woman. “Would you please come with me?”

Once inside the gates, they encountered a beautiful city with marvelous mansions. The angel waited patiently as the woman admired each wonderful residence.

“Oh, my,” she gasped. “I would never have dreamed that heaven would have such lovely houses. I can’t wait to see mine!” She contemplated the perfectly trimmed lawns, the tile roofs, the elegant turrets, the stained glass windows, the beautiful brick walls, the gorgeous flower gardens, the welcoming swimming pools, the stately oak trees.

As they continued on their way, the woman noticed that the houses were becoming smaller and less elaborate. She wanted to ask the angel about the card in his pocket. Was he sure about her address? Surely her heavenly home would be one of those first ones.

The angel continued to guide her steadily down the street.

Should she ask him? Was he lost? Would it be appropriate to question an angel?

She shook her head. He seemed to know exactly where he was going, no matter how many turns they took. He appeared very sure of himself.

Finally she could see that they were coming to the end of the street. The grass in the lawns in this neighborhood shared their space with weeds, crabgrass, and open patches of dirt. Several of the houses desperately needed painting. She even noticed a broken window or two.

At the end of the street sat a forlorn little hovel, little more than a shack. The front door hung slightly ajar, one hinge looser than the others. Some of the shingles on the roof were missing. One of the windows had only a screen, no glass. The front of the house was covered with a cheap brick veneer. She spotted a dead elm tree in the back yard next to a large mud puddle.

The woman shuddered and started to move on.

The angel pulled the card out of his pocket to check the number. “Yes,” he told her, “This is the number. This is your house.”

“This dump? This can’t be it!” the woman fumed.

“I’m sorry,” the angel replied. “With what you sent up, this was the best we could build.”

For consideration:

General questions

1) How does this story follow its Scripture?

2) How does this story expand its Scripture for you?

3) What is the message of this story?

4) How does the message apply to us today?

Specific questions

5) Why might Peter not remember the woman’s name when she arrives?

6) What type of people would live in the first houses she saw?

7) Would it be appropriate to question an angel? When Zechariah questioned the angel Gabriel in the temple, what happened to him? Why? Who else questioned an angel?

8) How do we send building material up to heaven?