1972, Harold Edward Fey, The Christian Century Reader:
A rhapsodic inquiry greets us from the TV screen and the radio: "Have you talked to the Man Upstairs?" God is a friendly neighbor who dwells in the apartment just above. Call on him any time, especially if you are feeling a little blue.
"Oh, you know, the Man upstairs has been good to this person." I kept on pressing for an explanation. Finally I was told, "Oh, you know, the Man upstairs—He's the One who answers prayer."
2007, Ellen Santilli Vaughn, Time Peace: Living Here and Now with a Timeless God:
God can't be found in unsanctified imaginations or in the caricatures of pop culture. He is not The Man Upstairs. He does not "help those who help themselves."