No thank you. No thank you very much.

It's been a while since I've posted. I've got some things running around in my head, and I've tried to work them out on paper a little, but nothing finished so far.

A possible opportunity to pastor a church has arisen, and I'm waiting for further word. I ask for your prayers.

That said, I now move to the subject of my post: my first crack at social commentary. Kind of.

- - - -

Let me begin by making the following background statements:

I was not alive when Elvis was. At least, I don't think so. If I look up the actual date of his death, it would probably be on the same page as other historical/background data that could alter my current point of view on the subject.

So, anyway, I am not familiar with Elvis Presley, the living person. Being a red-blooded American who made it out from under my rock, I am familiar with various aspects of Elvis, the performer: Elvis, the owner of outfits where the sequins outnumbered the thread count 30 to 1: Elvis, the legend and figurehead/center of worship/root cause for a sector of our GDP equal in size to that of several third-world countries.

Since I have grown up listening to Southern Gospel music, I am also vaguely familiar with the fact that the Stamps Quartet used to sing and record with Elvis sometimes. (Which just strikes me as...weird. I mean, if Bono stopped in the middle of a U2 concert and had Steve Green come on stage to do "Sing Praise To God Who Reigns Above," as The Edge stood still with his head bowed and contemplated, wouldn't that be just a little... weird? In my mind, same kind of thing.)

So, it was with this grasp of context that I spotted an ad for a concert that's happening in my town in a couple of weeks.

"He Touched Me", a tribute to Elvis. The Stamps, who traveled and recorded with Elvis from 1971-77 will perform Saturday August 20th in the Dome. Dave Stovall will appear as Elvis.

The pictures accompanying the ad included a small picture of the current version of the quartet, and a picture of the Elvis impersonator that stretched the entire height of the ad. At least three times as big as the picture of the entire quartet.

And not the 50's Elvis, either. No, sir. This is an impersonation - a central Illinois impersonation, no less (not exactly "Straight from the Mandalay Bay") - of the early 70's, big-sleeves, huge-sideburns, goofy-sunglasses Elvis. The incarnation of Elvis that pegs out my Cheeseometer.

And that's not even the best part:

For the low, low price of just $25, you, too, can be part of this...event.

Now, I've paid more than that for tickets, so don't get me wrong. But the average ticket price for a Southern Gospel group in this area is $10 or so. If there are several groups, maybe $15.

For $25, they should be advertising Elvis making an apperance from the hereafter. Himself.

All of this leads me to some questions:

- Can you spell "Stamps Quartet" without "s-e-l-l-o-u-t"?

- Do concert promoters expect any paying customers under the age of 72?

- No, seriously, do they?

- Could people who sing - and listen to - music that is supposed to articulate the journey of life in Christ stop hitching their bandwagon (perhaps "gravy train" is more appropriate here) to the first popular secular figure who shows any interest? What does it say about the sufficiency of our relationship to Christ when we do that?

Elvis has, indeed, left the building. In dragging him back in, perhaps the reflection of the glory of God is what's been forced to leave.