INTERVIEW WITH A RUMINATOR

 Welcome to an interview with The Ruminator.  This is a rare opportunity to see what is going on in the head of an individual who is one strange and quirky bird. This humble interviewer will attempt to peel away the layers and see what makes him tick.

Interviewer:  Thank you for letting me interview you today. Many people have submitted questions for this interview.

Ruminator:  It is my pleasure.  Maybe I can found out what makes me tick also.

Interviewer:  When and where were you born?

Ruminator:  I was born at a very early age.  Chronologically I was a gleam in my mother and father's eyes around December of 1950.  On the space time continuum...I appeared on August 15th 1951. One minute I was in my mother's womb and then BOOM...a Baby BOOMER was born. I was born in Allen Clinic in Murfreesboro TN.  The people present at the birth were two nurses, the Doctor, me...and oh yes...my mother was there.

Interviewer:  How old are you now?

Ruminator:  I am currently approaching the ripe old age of 62.  I don't feel like I am 62...and when I look in the mirror I don't see a 62 year old man looking back at me...so...I guess I am doing pretty good.

Interviewer:  How was your childhood?

Ruminator:  I would consider it to be pretty normal.  I went to school, had friends, played sports, watched T.V., played outside, listened to music. 

Interviewer:  Your intelligence is astrodynamic.  What kind of student were you in your formative years?

Ruminator:  I was not a very good student.  I was an awkward and backwards child.  I remember at an early age to be able to utilize humor to mask my fears and inadequacies in school.  I would do anything for a laugh.  Once the teacher left me in charge of the class as she went to the office. What was she thinking?  I took the opportunity to entertain the class...and began swinging from the door.  The teacher was not amused as she caught me in mid swing. In high school...I would sneak into some of the teacher's grade books and change my F's to B's.

Grades 1 through 3 went O.K...but when I hit the fourth grade...things started going downhill.

Interviewer:  What do you think caused that decline?

Ruminator:  I had some family issues.  My parents were increasing in their arguments  I would wake up at night and hear my mom calling various bars looking for my Dad...and when she did find him... she would begin screaming at him to come home.  Once Mom was so anxious and depressed...she tried to get me to go to the gas station...buy some gasoline so she could burn down the house with us in it.  As evidenced by the fact that we are dong an interview...I did not obey my mother.  Alcohol was the cause for ingniting the flames of family troubles.  My parents also had a conflict with my 4th grade teacher.  Probably because of how I was affected by my home life.

Interviewer:  How did that effect you? 

Ruminator:  I remember at some point that I was taken to a child psychologist...and looking at some ink blots.  I remember thinking...somebody was pretty sloppy with the ink bottle...spilling all of that ink.  I really don't remember much about that experience.  I ended up failing the sixth grade...which was probably...the best thing that ever happened to me.  I had 13 D's and 4 F's. My social graces balanced out with my emotional levels. The next year I had straight A's.  Either I got smarter...OR...I just remembered the material from the previous year.   Mrs. Adkerson my sixth grade teacher...opened the world of reading to me when she told me..."Rodney...you can go anywhere in the world that you want to go...by opening up a book and placing yourself in the book with your imagination.  I became a reading machine. 

Interviewer:  What kind of church upbringing did you have as a youth?

Ruminator:  I started in the Cradle Roll at North Boulevard Church of Christ and continued on into my teen years at Kingwood Drive Church of Christ..  I would not miss church.  Early on my parents would take me...and then when they stopped I continue to go on my own.   I would spend weekends at my Grandmothers...and walked down the street to the church.  Eventually I dropped out...just stopped going...but the roots were still there.

Interviewer:  How were your teenage years?

Rumiantor:  Well...I was pretty awkward.  I was shy around the girls...and really spent a lot of time in my room...reading,...listening to music...watching T.V. 

Interviewer:  It is well known that you have a passion for music.  How did this passion develop?

Ruminator:  My Dad and Mom use to dance on Saturday nights to old Glenn Miller albums. (There were actually good times in the midst of the bad family times).  When I was 6 years old...they let me buy the 45...Jailhouse Rock by Elvis.  The flip side was Treat Me Nice.  All of my friends were singing..."Mary had a little lamb"...and I was singing..."The warden had a party in the county jail".  The other 45 that grabbed me an early age was Brook Benton and Dinah Washington's A Rocking Good Way...and Baby, You Got What It Takes.  Combine that with Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, The River Boat Five...and you have a pretty eclectic influence...that carries over even to today. 

Elvis remains a strong influence.  I remember my mother using Elvis to train me to do right.  I learn to comb my hair by emulating Elvis...and my mother once told me...that Elvis didn't smoke cigarettes... so I should not (as she was puffing on a cigarette).  Hmmmm....we see how that worked out for Elvis.

Interviewer:  What got you out of your room and into the mainstream of life?

Ruminator:  A couple of guys name Bruce Fortner and Dan Bogle.  Dan approached me about starting a band with his friend Bruce.  We got together and played a few things and it just began to unfold.  Dan told me.."Boyd...we got to get that grease out of your hair and get you out of this room.  By this time...I had taken down all the Elvis pictures...and my Dad painted my room black.  Kudo's to Dad for catering to my weirdness. 

Interviewer:  I hear that Bruce Fortner also played a pivotal part in your life that continues to this very day.  What did he do?

Ruminator:  Bruce was dating a girl named Debbie...and Debbie came to one of our band practices with her best friend...Brenda Williams.  WOW...or as I would now say...HallelWOWjah!!!!  She was a vision, a dream, my destiny.  The only problem is...she did not like me...but liked the lead guitar player...and I played rhythm.  But I persisted...some would call it stalking...but in the end...I wore her down and in the words of Earnest T. Bass..."I wooed her with my charms." 

Interviewer:  I hear also that Brenda played a major influence in your life...that shaped who you are today.  Could you tell us about how she did that?

Ruminator:  Well...every time I called her for a date...she was at church.  Dan Bogle once said, "Boyd... what are you doing...trying to date a missionary?  I figured...if I went to church with her... I could get a little more of Brenda time.  Remember, she was a Christian...I had a religious background but had never took the plunge to be a follower of Jesus.  After a while...we were considering getting married...and we were at Shoney's eating supper.  I told her that when we got married, that we could raise the children in any religion that she wanted...because...I was a heathen...and I could adjust to any religion.  I then said back...pretty proud of myself...and was just about to crunch into those world famous Shoney's onion rings...and Benda said, "That's nice...but when me and the children die we will go to heaven and when you die...you will go to hell...and we will be separated."

Interviewer: Wow...how did you respond?

Rumiantor:  I knew she was right.  I had been sitting in church with her...trying to act like a cool rock star (never would close my eyes when they prayed...and made sure someone saw me with my eyes already opened...when they opened their eyes)...but the Gospel about the Death, Burial, Resurrection of Jesus was being preached and I heard it and faith came.  I took her home...and asked her..."What do I have to do to be saved?"  She led me down the Romans Road to Salvation (Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:12, Romans 10:8-17)  She then led me in a salvation prayer...I accepted Jesus and BAM I was saved.  Thank God for a good little Baptist girl...who did not let me drag her into my world.

Interviewer:  What happened next?

Rumiantor: Well...a thumbnail sketch is...I went away to Tennessee Temple Bible School...I dropped out of Tennessee Temple Bible School...I received the Baptism in/of/with the Holy Ghost....and then I backslide and smoked more dope, drank more booze, did more stupid things than before I was a Christian.  Then I came back to the Lord and am still standing   This all took place when I was around 19...and I am now 62.

Interviewer:  Someone (Tammy Dozier) wants to know, what is rolling around in your head?

Ruminator:  Glad you asked.  I once had an MRI...and the technicians told me, "Well...there is nothing up there."  I believe he was talking about some kind of malady or tumor...but I could be wrong.

Interviewer:  How did the Ruminator Sunday School start...and how did it get it's name?

Ruminator:  Brenda and I had just left a church called New Life Chapel.  We had been there 15 years and it imploded.  At that time I was in leadership there and I taught a Sunday School class.  We checked out various churches with no success...and ended up at Smyrna Assembly of God. (now named Springhouse Worship and Arts Center).  We have been there now for 24+ years.

I had declared that I would NEVER teach another Sunday School class or step into another pulpit.  We wanted just to blend in and lick our wounds and become anonymous.  We would be involved with the activities...but not do anything.   At that time there were little groups for Sunday School that would gather back in the kitchen and we would discuss the upcoming sermon.  The groups would name  themselves. Me, Brenda, Mark and Theresa Robertson and a couple of others were in the group and we decided to call our group THE WILD KINGDOM.  Mark Robertson...kept hounding me to start teaching again...and I continue to say no and resist.  That part of my life was over...but the Holy Spirit was NOT over me.  Eventually after talking to Wade Hutchinson (an elder) who I had been involved with at MTSU in a group called Follower's Fellowship...about possibly teaching a class called THE TOPICAL MEMORY SYSTEM by the Navigators.  He told me..."I think you ought to go for it."  So in essence you can blame Mark Robertson and Wade Hutchinson for me teaching today.

Interviewer:  Well how did the name come about...and why are cows the symbol of class and not a more Biblical symbol of sheep?

Rumiantor:  Well...The Topical Memory System was a system of 60 verses that we memorized in a systematic fashion.  One verse...in The Word section was Joshua 1:8 which stated..."This book of the Law (the Word) shall not depart from your MOUTH...but you shall MEDITATE on it (the Word) day and night, so that you may be careful to DO all that is written in it (the Word) for then (cause and effect) you will make your way PROSPEROUS and then you will have GOOD SUCCESS."

Well...that just rang a bell with me...and I began to think about this meditating thing.

MEDITATE:  hâgâh (haw-gaw')=A primitive root (compare H1901); to murmur (in pleasure or anger); by implication to ponder: - imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter, roar, X sore, speak, study, talk, utter.

The Latin word for MEDITATE meant to RUMINATE...where certain animals...would eat food... swallow food through a series of four stomachs or chambers and regurgitate that back up into the mouth as a cud and chew.  Goats, sheep, cows, and others are ruminants.

I began to think about cows in a field...chewing on that cud...and I thought of the phrase...Mooing and Chewing on the Cud of the Word of God.  That phrase stuck...and we began to call our self...the Ruminators.  I would also send out some writings via email to those interested and called them...RUMINATOR RAMBLINGS.  At some point I collected some of these writings into a book and Richard Jacobson designed a picture of a cow sitting at a computer and we called the book...MOO GOT MAIL.  A few years later...Richard suggested that I do this new thing called BLOGGING...and now there is a Ruminator Rambling blog site that can be found at www.ruminatorramblings-rodney.blogspot.com

Interviewer:  How many people have been in an out of the Ruminator Sunday School Class?

Ruminator:  I have no idea.  There have been certain ones who have been in there long term who have been called along side to help...and others have been in there for a season and left...and others have left an now are back in the class.  The phrase that we use is...
"Once a Ruminator...always a Ruminator."  I do know this...that the leadership of the church have been gracious in allowing us to do what we do going on 24 years.

Interviewer:  Exactly what do you do?

Ruminator:  Well...Food, Fun, and Fellowship begins at 9:00 (that's when the herd starts gathering)...and then we begin teaching at 9:30. 

Interviewer:  Do you think that you will ever break out of the walls and go elsewhere to spread the Word?

Ruminator:  I have often wondered about that.  I have had many opportunities to go teach at various places outside of the country from Peru to Africa to Guatemala, but...IF I never go anywhere I else...I do know that I am to be here to encourage people to open their Bibles and study the Word of God for themselves...and then simply obey what the Spirit and the Word speaks into their lives.  I feel called as a teacher and an encourager to the body of Christ.

Interviewer:  Why have you and Brenda stayed at your current home church?  I believe that you have been there for 25+ years.

Ruminator:  Well...to be honest...we have had some conflicts over the years...and have entertained the idea of going somewhere else...BUT...if we went to somewhere else and not work through problems that we encountered...we would be on constant a constant move.  We feel that if we enter into a relationship with the people...why should we withhold our love.  If we went somewhere else (aka church hopping...or...a steeple chase) we would only wind up with the same problem...us. 

Interviewer:  Are there any earthly inspiration to you to do what you do?

Ruminator:  Well, of course Brenda...my Pro-Verbs 31 woman...is constant encouragement to me...in all aspects of life.  As Jack Nicholson said in one of his movies..."You make me want to be a better man."  My son Phillip inspires me to be a better father.  Bruce and Jill Coble inspires me to be a servant and go out into the world and teach.  The Ruminator Sunday School Class...filled with Ruminators are a major source of encouragement.

Interviewer:  Who are a few of your favorite music people?

Ruminator:  Weeellll....well, well, well....I guess Elvis is at the top of the stack...but I like all kinds of artist and music types.  Brian Mason get the fires burning with The Brian Mason show...consisting of music, interviews, laughs every Sunday morning.  Phil Keaggy is a hero.  Love me some Bruce Cockburn.  I love the Monkees and Michael Nesmith of the Monkees is a fav.   There is a CD that really is rough and raw...but it is close to my heart called RUMINATOR UNPLUGGED.

 

Interviewer:  Some would say that you are a little bit crazy.  What would you say to those who speak about your skewed outlook on life?

Ruminator:  I would have to quote a man named Vance Akin III.  "I would rather be crazy the way I am...than sane the way you are."  Vance was instrumental in introducing me to the power of the Holy Spirit.

Interviewer:  Why do you dress in various costumes and pose as various characters?  From Captain Love to The Blues Brothers to Cousin Vinnie to Blind Lemon Pledge to Karate Man...to The Turkey Frying Fire Man...that is a pretty eclectic group of personalities.  People want to know WHY?

Ruminator:  I don't know what you are talking about.  You must be mistaking me with some other nut job.

Interviewer:  How did your love for Martial Arts start and are you still doing it?

Ruminator:  I first became interested watching Peter Lorre playing Mr. Moto in the movie series.  He was a small framed, white suit wearing, John Lennon glasses (before John Lennon was born) wearing, international man of mystery...who new ju jitsu and threw around the bad guys instead of using a gun.  Around 1972...I got beat up on the side of the road (of my own fault)...and started taking karate at Bushido School of Karate under Sensei Newton Harris.  I dropped out at around 23 years old...and then started again when I turned 50 years old.  I am now 62...and I am teaching at Bill Taylor's School of Karate...the same school that I started at back in 1972-73. 

Interviewer:  Very interesting.  How do you justify the Oriental Arts from a country that does not believe in God or Christianity. 

Ruminator:  I don't justify it...I redeem it...I make it mine and not it me.  In all my years at Bushido School of Karate...I have never been subject to any demonic or religious or cultural boogie men.  I address this in my soon to be released book...NEVER RUN A DEAD KATA (Lessons I Learned In The Dojo)

Interviewer:  You teach the Bible...and many wonder what qualifies you to teach the Bible?  What is your Bible training?  Do you have any Theological degrees?

Ruminator:  When I first received Jesus...I sensed a strong calling to preach...so I enrolled at Tennessee Temple Bible School...with the intentions of getting a degree in Bible...and become an Evangelist.  Nobody told me there would be courses like English.  I was there to learn everything I could about the Bible.  Through a series of events...I ended up leaving school...before I got kicked out.  I did get a minor in Bible at MTSU.  They use to have a religious studies department headed by Dr. John McCray. It was a great minor.  One of the elders at church...Wade Hutchinson took classes from Dr. McCray.  I tried to go to Oral Roberts University but for some reason they did not accept me (or I never heard back from them).  I wrote them and told them that I had a 1.5 average but I was "expecting a miracle" (the phrase used at O.R.U.)...and looked forward to them accepting me.  I ended up getting a Masters degree in Speech Pathology.  Some have asked why I did not get my Doctorate?  I tell them...I would rather be called Master than Doctor.

Interviewer:  How do you study the Bible?

Ruminator:  I approach my Bible study from many different directions.  Just reading the Word is a good place to start.  Realizing that the Holy Spirit within you is your teacher and He will lead you into all truth.  I like to do character studies of the various characters (and believe me there are some characters in the Bible)...and see how they deal with life.  I love to do Word studies.  Seeing the Hebrew and Greek meanings behind the words fascinates me.  I am NOT  Greek or Hebrew Scholar... but I can use a concordance and Greek/Hebrew Lexicon with the best of them.  I also like to use the INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY METHOD...where I ask the who, what, why, where, how questions and study the surrounding context of the Word.  Then I like to ask the Lord to show me how to practically apply what I am reading for NOW.  I like to read other peoples insights into the Word and glean from what God is speaking to the body of Christ around the World.

Interviewer:  What version of the Bible do you use?

Ruminator:  I like the New American Standard Bible.  Also I like to plug in the Amplified Bible and turn it up to 10.  I use a lot of other translations and paraphrases...and I like my E-SWORD on my computer...to bring out Greek and Hebrew word meanings.


Interviewer: Is there anything that you would like to say?

Ruminator:  Yes I would.  My calling is to be a teacher for the body of Christ.  My heartbeat is to encourage people to read the Word of God, hear from God, let faith come, and obey the Word.  I desire to be someone that encourages, edifies, lifts up, challenges, provoke and stimulate to love and good deeds.  I hope to be able to teach the Word of God in such a way that it is not THEOLOGICALLY out of reach for the everyday man and woman.  I hope that when I teach that someone walks away saying..."I understand that...and I believe I can read the Word now."

Interviewer:  Thank you so much for allowing me to interview you and to open the door of your mind so people will get to know you a little better.

Ruminator:  It is my pleasure...and by the way...I must say that you are not only a wonderful interviewer...you are a very handsome, muscular, witty, and dare I say...one of the most funny people I have ever met.   Have you heard the one about ARNO ROAD?

Interviewer:  Well...thank you.  It IS like looking into a mirror.  No I have not...please share.

Ruminator:  Well...I was traveling down 840 on the way to Florida and we passed by a sign for an exit that said ARNO ROAD.  I told my son Phillip...son...don't ever go down that road.  He said, "Why not Dad."  I responded..."Because there ARE NO ROAD."  To this day...my son and my wife tell me..."You're not funny."

Interviewer: Thanx and A Tip O Da Hat once again for opening up your mind to the world.