Road Trip

Yesterday afternoon I departed from home to drive to Quakertown, Pa. to begin a road trip with friend and colleague, Karl. This first leg of the trip was 4 1/2 hours of gray skies, intermittent rain, listening to a cd of Greg Brown singing about love, slow food, and "I want my country back".
After church this morning, Karl and I climbed into my little red Nissan Versa to drive to Nashville where we will participate in a week long conference (more about that later). This afternoons' trip covered 442 miles through the green hills of Pennsylvania, Maryland,West Virginia, and Virginia. Karl and I talked about family, work, retirement, politics, music, and life as we moved along in our conversational nook at 70 mph. My experience is that road trips create the right conditions for honest and lively dialogue. There is something about the hum of the tires, the passing landscape, and a minimum of distractions (this depends on the other drivers) that enhances conversation. We arrived in Wytheville, VA. at 8pm and shared a fine dinner at the local Ruby Tuesday. A good beginning to a new adventure.

The Smothers Brothers

Last Saturday evening, Mary and I, had the pleasure of spending the evening at the beautiful Proctors Theatre in Schenectady with the Smothers Brothers. It felt like we were with old friends who had invited us into their home. Tommy and Dickie demonstrated the same quick wit, humor, and musical ability that made their 70's television program such a hit. This clip from a concert with the Boston Pops will give you a taste of what we experienced. Click here.
They also demonstrated some of the satire and political commentary that got them kicked off television three decades ago. In a long "bit" about lying, Tommy finally admitted that he lied because it is "national policy". It was a fun and entertaining evening.

The Best Laid Plans

90% of Greensburg, Kansas was destroyed in just a few moments last week by a tornado. Like most small cities in the Mid-West, Greensburg was a carefully planned town. As you can see in the above photo, the streets were laid out in a careful grid. The planning was deliberate, organized, structured, and well thought out. The purpose was to help the residents feel comfortable and safe as they traveled to and fro throughout their town. It is these streets alone that are familiar now. Most residents would find it very difficult if not impossible to identify their property now if this grid work hadn't survived.

Chaos breaks into our lives unexpected and unwelcome. the familiar landmarks of our carefully constructed lives are destroyed and we feel adrift, without moorings. Then we become aware that something, something familiar, something trustworthy remains and we begin to find our way once again. That something has many names; hope, love, courage, community, faith. The residents of Greensburg speak of those things now. They talk of gratitude that their lives were spared, they speak of hope as they plan to rebuild.

Click here for some more incredible aerial photos of the devastation. As you look at these photos, think of all the lives that have been affected. Pray that they would have courage and hope and faith and know that those prayers have already been answered. The rebuilding, the planning, and the dreaming has already begun.

It is truly spring!

It has been thirty days since my last post. I have been missing, absent, truant, gone, from the blogosphere. Thank you to those who have noticed and have urged me to get back on the keyboard. It has been a month of adapting to an exciting and flexible retirement schedule filled with activities and challenges. Someone wrote that retirement was the appetizer part of life because you get to pick and choose what you like. My experience so far is that it is more like an all you can eat buffet with a vast variety of dishes. Each dish is filling and nutritious. In these past four weeks I have spent quality time with each grandchild visiting museums and libraries, playing in the park, and listening to their laughter. I am taking three classes through the Academy for Learning in Retirement and have traveled by train to Niagara Falls, Canada with John, my son's adult transition group. We have also attended a Billy Joel Concert and a Wierd Al Yankovich performance and the musical, The Putnam County Spelling Bee. There has also been the smaller but no less sweeter joys of cleaning house, cooking dinner, paying bills, having dinner with friends and planting the garden. All new activities to me in this post-work world I am experiencing. Similar to the all you can eat buffet, I am tempted to over indulge and consume more then is healthy. I am learning to pick and choose activities and opportunities with more care.

The icing on the cake has been the arrival of Spring. The sign we look for in our household is the blooming of our flowering crab apple tree. This morning it greeted us with a magnificent display of pink flowers. My thoughts turned to this prayer by Ted Loder titled; Be With Me in My Unfolding.

It is spring, Lord, and the land is coming up green again,

unfolding outside my well-drawn boundaries and urgent schedules.

And there is the mystery and the smile of it.

The willows are dripping honey color into the rivers,

and the mother birds are busy in manger nests,

and I am learning again that

"for everything there is a season

and a time for every matter under heaven."

O Lord, you have sketched the lines of spring.

Be with me in my unfolding.

Keep Moving!

In a letter to his son, the genius wrote; Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance you have to keep moving.
Life is about movement and growth, adventure and anticipation, faithfully moving forward. Einstein belived in a Deity that created a world guided by rhythyms and patterns. To stand still is to resist that creative force. Einstein's image is a reminder to yes, move; but move at the pace of a bicycle. Look around, breathe, enjoy the sights, feel the breeze on your skin, propel yourself forward using your God given power, strength, and creativity. Look at the picture again and notice how happy this brilliant man looks as he enjoys one of the simple pleasures of life.

Monday Morning!

On a Monday morning in April we hopefully anticipate a spring day. The reality is cold and gray with no warmth or sunshine in the foreseeable forecast. It is a morning made for a black and white video of the Mamas and the Papas singing "Monday. Monday". Click here.

Holy Fools!

Sarah Dylan Breuer begins her Easter weekend blog entry with the following;

There's a Franciscan fourfold blessing that I have long loved, the fourth blessing of which is this:
May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you really can make a difference in this world, so that you are able, with God's grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.

Her words got me thinking about the Holy Fools who first stumbled upon that empty tomb. I am grateful for the fool hardiness of those throughout history since that first century who have courageously proclaimed that Christ's life and death has made a profound difference in their lives. I am grateful for the foolish proclamation of Easter; "He is Risen!" Risen, Alive, Making a Difference, Today, Right Now, Right Here, in the chaos of the world and in the messiness of my life and yours. Happy Easter! May we all be blessed to be foolish enough to make a difference.

Maundy Thursday

I just returned from attending Maundy Thursday service. It was the first time in 24 years that I was not the one officiating, speaking, inviting, distributing, and blessing. It was the first time in 24 years that I did not celebrate this night with others sitting around candlelit tables. It was the first time in over two decades that I did not spend this night surrounded by those I know well. I sat in a pew amongst strangers; the person up front did things differently. Yet, when I took the bread in my hands, when I sipped from the cup, I felt connected. Connected to the Divine, connected to Christ, connected to the strangers in that room, and connected to those whom I have served with in the past. It is a mystery how that happens. I am grateful for that mystery.

The Hurt of Holy Week

On this cold and gray Maundy Thursday, I have been listening to and watching Johnny Cash's music video of "Hurt". His voice echoes with the same loneliness and longing that I hear in Jesus' words at the Garden of Gethsemane. In both cases, the words come from men not afraid to ask themselves and God the hard questions. "Has my life been worthwhile?" "Have I done what was expected of me?" You can watch this powerful video by clicking this link. here.

Put on a Happy Face!

Here's two of the happiest faces I know. Oldest granddaughter, Kaylyn, 14, with youngest grandchild, Jena, 4 months. The photo reminds me of the old saying; "Smile and the whole world will smile with you". The joy reflected in these faces sure make me smile.

Wilkepedia identifies the following two kinds of smiles.
The "Duchenne smile", after the researcher Guillaume Duchenne, is the most studied, and involves the movement of both the zygomaticus major muscle near the mouth and the orbicularis oculi muscle near the eyes. It is believed that the Duchenne smile is only produced as an involuntary response to genuine emotion, and is therefore what one could call the "genuine" smile. Due to the involvement of the muscle near the eyes, it is sometimes said that one can tell whether or not a smile is "real" by whether or not it "reaches the eyes". (Notice Kaylyn and Jenna's eyes.)

The "Pan American smile", on the other hand, is the voluntary smile involving only the zygomaticus major muscle to show politeness; for example, by a flight attendant on the former airline of the same name. Considered "insincere", this type of smile has also been called the "Professional Smile" by David Foster Wallace in his comedic short story A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again".

Judas, Jesus, and Holy Week

The following is a response I wrote to a post on "Westcoast Chuck's Blog" regarding an article by Elaine Pagel in Salon.

I’ve always appreciated Elaine Pagel’s work because she raises important questions that are challenging and thought provoking. Author and Pastor Frederick Buechner has written that “doubts are the ants in the pants of faith, they keep it alive and moving”. I believe the same can be said of questions about Jesus and the Gospels. What I have always found appealing about the Christian faith is that the story of Jesus is not neat, simple, and without contradictions. The four Gospels differ quite significantly in their telling of the events leading up to Jesus’ death and the aftermath. Each gospel was written by a different author, at a different time in history, to a unique audience in unique circumstances. Therefore the focus and approach to the telling of the story varies. What is convincing, for me, is the common theme and conclusions that the writers share. Biblical scholars and creative minds alike have pondered Judas’ motives and relationship with Jesus. The telling of the events leave plenty of room for this kind of supposition. Did Judas do it for the money? Was he a member of the Zealot party, committed to overthrowing the Romans, and was he impatient with Jesus’ methods and message? Was he Jesus' closest friend and simply following Jesus’ instructions? Look at how the relationship between Jesus and Judas is portrayed in “Jesus Christ, Superstar”. Human relationships and events are complicated and messy. Jesus, fully human and fully divine, carried out his mission in the midst of that same messiness. The message of Holy Week and Easter that resonates in the four Gospels is that Jesus represents a God who cares, who is willing to suffer in the same ways that we suffer, who forgives, and who promises something beyond this earthly life. For over 2000 years this message has been studied, critiqued, attacked, and laughed at but continues to bring hope to those of us who choose to believe.

At the end of the Rainbow!

Follow the rainbow to the pot of gold. April Fools, it turns out to be beer.

On Aging!

I turned 62 today. Some observations.

I can begin receiving social security benefits if I so choose.
Waitresses and store clerks frequently greet me as "darl'n" and "honey" and "sweetie".
I now qualify for senior discounts at almost all restaurants and movie theatres.

The hair in my ears, nose, and eyebrows seem to be growing three times as fast as the hair on my head.
I have to tilt my head at an extreme angle in order to read the basketball score on the TV.
"Deal or No Deal" has become "my program" that I watch with regularity.
I can remember when my grandmother had to get home in time to see "her program".

The first task of each day is to take my medications.
Kaylyn, my teenage granddaughter, has taken to calling me "Pops".
My heart leaps for joy whenever any of the five grandchildren look at me.

When I enter a restaurant, entertainment venue, or church for the first time; my first thought is: "Where is the bathroom located?"
I announce in the evening that I am "getting ready to go to bed".
Mary, my spouse of 40 years, and I spend entirely to much time discussing the temperature in the house.

I no longer like "driving at night".
Having a cup of tea in the evening gives me great pleasure.
We are excited about buying a new coffee pot.

The grandchildren helped me blow out the candles on my birthday cake.
Many small things make me truly happy; my wife's smile, spring sunshine, reading the Sunday comics, holding a grandchild, lactose free vanilla ice cream on my birthday cake, sleeping under a quilt made by my spouse, etc.
I get great joy in anticipating future activities; fishing with a friend, a family meal, etc.
I remember the past with gratitude.

Sunshine and Music

Sunshine and music are the themes of this Florida vacation. Check out the above photo taken at Rainbow Springs State Park on a typical early March day.www.floridastateoarks.org/rainbowsprings We also visited Silver Springs this past Saturday where we enjoyed a Beach boys concert. Last week we experienced the music of New Odyssey, a group of 3 guys playing 30 instruments. The drummer was a musical chameleon as he morphed into Elvis, The Blues Brothers, and Tina Turner. What an entertaining and fun show. Almost every evening we have attended a concert or free music and dancing at Spanish Springs or Lake Sumter downtown squares. It is going to be difficult to leave these 80 degree days and head back north this weekend. However, we have missed our family and friends and look forward to seeing everyone again.

Snow and Stock Cars

Our 3 day drive to florida turned into a 5 day adventure due to the great Valentine's day blizzard. We left Monday afternoon and drove to Binghampton in an endeavor to avoid the worst of the storm on I88. We awoke to about a foot of snow on the ground and fairly heavy snow falling. We only made it as far as Wilkes-Barre, Pa. when the conditions deteriotated to the point that I could not see the road. We followed a white truck to a Hilton Garden Inn. All but one restaurant was closed and we were able to obtain the last meal they served before closing. The next morning, after cheking TV, Internet, Hotel Desk, and the Department of Transportation; all of whom assurred me that I81 was moving, we headed south. We were able to travel 2 miles before the traffic cam to a stop. There we sat for the next two hours. That day we traveled about 160 miles in 12 hours. Jack-knifed trucks and rough ice covered road all the way. We departed from Winchester, Virginia on Friday morning and drove to Savannah where we spent the night. On Saturday we were able to conclude our trip, arriving around 4pm. Our Florida Villa is everything we expected. It is very secluded sitting on over 6 wooded acres.
Sunday morning at 3:30 am, John and I got up and headed for the Daytona 500. We were the 35th car in the parking lot on the Superstretch. It was a very windy and cold day but we witnessed a terrific race. While waiting for the race to begin we took the tram to the front side of the track where we went to Daytona USA and experienced the new movie, Dale, about Dale Earnhardt. It was a terrific film and kept us warm for a couple of hours.
On Shrove Tuesday we attended the Mardi Gras celebration at the Villages. It was great fun with music, food, costumed folks, and even clowns. Last night we attended Ash Wednesday services at St. John's Lutheran Church in Sunset Harbor. Tonight we will be attending the Orange Blossom Opry.

Retirement: day 1

I was showered this weekend with well wishes, gifts, affection, and prayers as this new adventure begins. My thoughts keep returning to the quote I shared at the party on friday evening. These words are spoken by the title character, Jayber Crow, in the book by Wendell Berry. Jayber is reflecting on his life as a barber in a small Kentucky town.

I am a man who has hoped, in time, that his life, when poured out at the end would say,

"Good-good-good-good" like a gallon jug of the prime local spirit.

I am a man of losses, regrets, and griefs.

I am an old man full of love,

I am a man of faith.

Mr. Deity

If your religious sensibilities are easily offended, don't check out Mr. Deity. However, if your sense of humor includes your understanding of God and how God works in the world, Mr. Deity is for you. This is a creative and funny mini comedy series that challenges the way we think about God. Check it out by clicking here. Columnist Mark McGuire cautions; "This is comedy, not theology, so don't take it seriously". I would suggest that it is both comedy and theology as theology is any attempt to understand who God is and how the Divine interacts with the world. This is one funny perspective.

Art Buchwald

I am about half way through reading Art Buchwald's latest book, Too Soon to Say Goodbye, when I discover that he indeed did say goodbye, while surrounded by family at his home, on Wednesday. The creative humorist and satirist experienced kidney failure in late 2005. After twelve dialysis treatments he decided to stop the treatments. Doctors told him he had about three weeks to live, so on February 7, 2006 he moved into the Washington Home and Hospice. In March he wrote, "The big question we still have to ask is not where we're going, but what were we doing here in the first place". Death didn't come as scheduled and 5 months later Art moved to his beloved summer home in Martha's Vineyard where he completed the forementioned book and wrote his column. He wrote that the time in the hospice was the best time of his life. In June he filmed his own obituary for the New York Times. You can see this amazing interview on the New York Times by clicking here and typing "The Last Word" in the search space. What an example of what it means to "live in the midst of dying". Art's humor and quick wit has made the world a more tolerable place to live.

A Prayer for the 15th Day of a New year!

Patient God, this day teeters on the edge of waiting

and things seem to slip away from me,

as though everything was only memory and memory is capricious.

Help me not to let my life slip away from me.

O God, I hold my life up to you now,

as much as I can, as high as I can,

in this mysterious reach called prayer.

It is not days or years I seek from you,

not infinity and enormity,

but small things and moments and awareness,

awareness that you are in what I am

and in what I have been indifferent to.

It is not new time, but new eyes, new heart I seek,

and you.

from "I Hold My Life Up to You Now" in

"Guerrillas of Grace" by Ted Loder.

Ice is Not Nice!

As we weather an ice storm in upstate New York these photos of the recent storm in Nebraska are a reminder of how fortunate we are. Click here for some amazing ice storm photos.

Turn, Turn, Turn!

I can't seem to get the classic song, Turn, Turn, Turn, out of my head this first week of 2007. The song was written in the 1950's by Pete Seeger but he didn't record it until 1962. It was also recorded by others including Joan Collins and most famously by The Byrds in October of 1965. Seeger adapted the words from the Biblical book, Ecclesiastes; "for everthing there is a season", and set them to a simple tune. The song helped define the decade of the 60's and the last stanza; "a time for war and a time for peace" became the hope and prayer of a generation. Click here to see a great video of The Byrds singing this classic. There are very personal reasons why the song is my present soundtrack of the mind. Twelve months ago I announced that I would retire in early 2007 from my present position as Senior Pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church following over twenty years of service. For the past year my focus has been on "finishing well" and helping the congregation prepare for the transition. People would ask me how I was feeling, my plans for the future, was I excited or nervous, etc.. The truth was that my energies were in other directions and the reality of retirement rested on the fringes of my conciousness. Well, with the advent of a new year and a February 11th retirement date looming, it has now moved to the front of my conciousness. With this awareness comes feelings of excitement and anxiety, optomism and wariness, longing and relief. But the main feeling is the one expressed in the song and in the scripture; "for everything there is a season, and a time for everything under heaven", and this is the right time. The right time for me, for my family, and for the faith community. I am also confident that God has another "season" planned for me. A season filled with new challenges and new adventures.

The Least of These

New York Times' writer Manny Fernandez tells the story of a homeless man who has been living in a "cave" in New York City for eight years and yet reaches out to the homeless and hungry. Click here to experience this awesome story.

Merry Christmas!

The best telling of the nativity story is the most simple. Click Here!

Winter Fun!

Can you identify with this guy?

So maybe the guy is a bit frustrated and disappointed but think about how the owner of the other car is going to feel. Imagine that you are the other guy/gal. Would you feel as if you had just been given a gift? Would you feel blessed? Lucky? Special? Chosen? Would it make a difference in how you went about your day? In the way you treat others?
In the midst of the busyness and distractions of the season I am reminded that through God's gift of Christmas each of us has been given a gift, we are chosen and blessed, and yes, it should make a difference.

It's A Girl!

I am sure that the story of the birth of our fifth grandchild, Jenna Ellie, will become a family legend. After 12 hours of labor, two ambulance rides, a Medevac Flight, and time in intensive care units, mother and child arrived home 67 hours after Jena's birth. Words cannot express our gratitude to those who prayed and those who cared for Susan and Jena. In this season of miracles, we know firsthand the power of God's love.

Jena with her Dad and Big Brother

The Nativity Story

The new film, The Nativity Story, is what a Sunday School Christmas pagaent would look like if a church had a big budget, adults in the key roles, and attempted to stretch the brief story told in less then 100 verses in the Bible to 101 minutes of film. I have often said that only organized religion could drain the excitement from "the greatest story ever told" but this film proves that Hollywood can do the same thing. It appears as if the film makers used their local Sunday School pagaent as a template for the costumes and dialogue of the one dimensional characters. Just as in any pageant, the three Wise Men appear immediately following Jesus' birth rather then some considerable time later as Matthew reports in his Gospel. Creative lisence is used to develop the three Magi as comic relief. We experience scene after scene of said Magi trekking across the desert and bantering with one another.
Having said all this, is the film worth seeing? Yes, I believe it is. The location filming is beautiful and authentic looking. The scenes of daily life are, I believe, quite accurate. Herod's paranoia and evil are dramatically portrayed. The young actress who plays Mary, Keisha Castle-Hughes, last seen in "Whale Rider, is believable. Unfortunately, most of the other characters are played as Biblical cardboard cutouts reading their lines. I believe the creators of this film missed an opportunity to humanize the characters while at the same time staying true to the Biblical account. "The Nativity Story" doesn't thrill and it should.

Happy birthday Little Richard!

Little Richard is 74 years old today and still going strong. Here he is in 1969 singing one of my favorites, "Tutti Fruiti". Click here.

With Gratitude!

Life has been busy, busy, busy and hectic, hectic, hectic. In the midst of this months' challenges and obstacles comes Thanksgiving. This holiday calls me to step away from the stress and demands of everyday life and focus on the many things to be grateful for. Here is a short list of things; small and large, fleeting and reliable, expected and unexpected that I recognize as gifts from a divine source.

a morning shower, the taste of grapefruit, an encouraging word, the sound of my grandchildren calling me "PopPop", my wife's kiss, a donut and coffee, my daughter's belly round with pregnancy, the acolyte's sparkly gold shoes sticking out from under her robe, a stranger's kindness, making "Mickey Mouse" pancakes, a new cd playing in the car stereo, holding hands, hearing the words; "I love you" and saying them in return, and I am most grateful for the children and grandchildren in the photo below.
What would be on your list? I invite you to take a moment and reflect on those "good things that the Lord has surrounded us with". Happy Thanksgiving!

Hugs

One young man, a desire to cheer people up, a crazy idea, and a sign saying "Free Hugs". The result is what is now referred to as "The Free Hug Movement". It began in Sydney, Australia and has spread from South Wales to Tel Aviv. This video depicts how it all began. Click here.

Rescuing Hug
This is a picture from an article called, "The Rescuing Hug." The article details the first week of life of a set of twins. Apparently, each were in their respective incubators, and one was not expected to live. A hospital nurse fought against the hospital rules and placed the babies in one incubator. When they were placed together, the healthier of the two threw an arm over her sister in an endearing embrace. The smaller baby's heart rate stabilized and her temperature rose to normal.
They both survived, and are thriving! In fact, now that the two girls are home, they still sleep together, and still snuggle. The hospital changed their policy after they saw the effect of putting the two girls together, and now they bed multiples together.
Ensign magazine May '98 pg. 94 Adapted from the Readers Digest article "A Sister's Helping Hand" May 1996 Pp. 155-56

Everybody needs a hug. It changes your metabolism. ~Leo Buscaglia

Flying!

The prognosis was not very encouraging when our son, John, came to live with us 19 years ago. He began life as a 2lb 1oz premie, suffered a hemorrhage in his brain, and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. John was not expected to walk or talk. Today John continues to struggle with a variety of health challenges as he sings beautifully and plays harmonica and piano in addition to other instruments. He is presently in a transition program at the high school that is preparing him for life after graduation which will take place this June. John has been a wonderful gift to our family and a daily example of courage in the face of adversity. Throughout his childhood John has had the opportunity to grow in confidence through activities like Special Olympics, Make a Wish, Unlimited Potential Music Institute, and Double H-Hole in the Woods Camp in Lake Luzerne, N.Y. Double H is one of the camps dedicated to founder Paul Newman's dream to provide a recreational and therapeutic camping experience for children with serious illnesses.This camp has been part of our lives for almost 10 years and it is John's favorite place to be. A couple of weeks ago we experienced why this place of compassion and fun is so important to John. We were invited to participate in a "work day" at the camp on a Saturday. In the afternoon the campers and their families were encouraged to enjoy some of the facilities of the camp. One of those facilities is a high rope course that offers many challenges. The apparatus available that afternoon is called "The Big Swing". After donning a helmet and being secured with a safety harness, John made his way to the top of a 6 foot step ladder. A counselor then clipped him to a cable that would lift him high into the trees. John decided how high he wanted to go and as you can see from the photos, it was very high indeed. After reaching his destination, a counselor on the ground pulled a rope that released John to swing like a pendulum through the trees. That's when his parents hearts caught in their throats as John spread his arms like wings and began to sing, "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly.

"I believe I can fly

I believe I can touch the sky

I think about it every night and day

Spread my wings and fly away

I believe I can soar

I see me running through that open door

I believe I can fly, I believe I can fly, I believe I can fly"

Click here to listen to song and see music video.

Isaac and Friends

"I remain just one thing, and one thing only, and that is a clown. It places me on a far higher plane than any politician." Charlie Chaplin

Reformation Sunday

On this Reformation Sunday, a few of my favorite Martin Luther quotes:

"We old folks have to find our cushions and pillows in our tankards. Strong beer is the milk of the old."

"If I am not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there."

"Pray, and let God worry."

"Some plague the people with too long sermons; for the faculty of listening is a tender thing, and soon becomes weary and satiated."

"There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage."

What is Beautiful?

How do we define beauty? Where do our perceptions of what is beautiful and what is ugly come from? Here is a powerful new commercial from "Dove" that is part of their "Self Esteem Fund" that addresses these questions. Click here to see the video.

Clowning in Church

Isaac enters Church

As mentioned in previous blog, I donned clown make up for the first time after a long hiatus this past Sunday. Here are some photos of the event. The skit was about managing all the resources God has given us.

Isaac requests a piece of cake from Merry HugglesIsaac InvitesIsaac prays

Isaac and friends celebrate Holy Communion

Clowning Around!

I put on clown makeup yesterday. It had been awhile. It had been so long that it reminded me of the first time in 1977. It smelled the same. It felt the same. The same stirring of excitement deep in my spirit. The same sense of adventure. The same awe as I looked in the mirror and watched the transformation. To be serious about clowning is to die to oneself. The makeup is a death mask in that way; one allows those physical clues of identity to disappear. To become a clown character is to experience a rebirth. The birth of a part of me that is not always visible. The part that is more playful more childlike, and more vulnerable then the way I usually present myself to the world. I remember reading once that you shouldn't "paint it on the outside if it doesn't exist on the inside". To become a clown is to give yourself permission to turn the inside out. There is a misconception that a clown hides behind the makeup. In my experience, nothing could be further from the truth.
Maybe that is why people react in such strong ways to my clown character. His vulnerability invokes their vulnerability. I felt like I really connected on a deep level with people yesterday. It felt good. It felt right.

"The Bridge"

I really like this song, "The Bridge", from the CD "The Captain and The Kid", by Elton John. What does the "bridge" symbolize?
Courage? Faith? Risk? Death? The future?
Here are the lyrics to this song that some critics are calling "Elton John's best in years."
What do you think "The Bridge" symbolizes?
You can listen to the song at AOL by clicking here.

I've seen the bridge and the bridge is long
And they built it high and they built it strong
Strong enough to hold the weight of time
Long enough to leave some of us behind

chorus: And every one of us has to face that day
Do you cross the bridge or do you fade away
And every one of us that ever came to play
Has to cross the bridge or fade away

Standing on the bridge looking at the waves
Seen so many jump, never seen one saved
On a distant beach your song can die
On a bitter wind, on a cruel tide [repeat chorus]

And the bridge it shines
Oh cold hard iron
Saying come and risk it all
Or die trying [repeat chorus]

Leaves, Frustration, Anger, and Insight!

"Leaves. Huge, orange maple leaves. My backyard was blanketed in them. And they weren’t mine. They couldn’t have been mine because there weren’t any trees in my backyard. They were my neighbor’s leaves; they had fallen off of his trees and blown over onto my property. And since they were on my property, I now had to clean them up." writes Douglas McCoy in his marvelous story; An Autumn Observation. Click Here to read the rest of this article.

Life!

"This life, therefore, is not godliness but the process of becoming godly, not health but getting well, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not now what we shall be, but we are on the way. The process is not yet finished, but it is actively going on. This is not the goal, but it is the right road. At present, everything does not gleam and sparkle, but everything is being cleansed." Martin Luther

Autumn Prayer

A prayer for autumn from "Guerrillas of Grace" by Ted Loder.

O Extravagant God,

in this ripening, red-tinged autumn,

waken in me a sense of joy

in just being alive,

joy for nothing in general

except everything in particular;

joy in sun and rain

mating with earth to birth a harvest;

joy in soft light

through shyly disrobing trees;

joy in the acolyte moon

setting halos around processing clouds;

joy in the beating of a thousand wings

mysteriously knowing which way is warm;

joy in wagging tails and kids' smiles

and in this spunky old city;

joy in the taste of bread and wine,

the smell of dawn,

a touch,

a song,

a presence;

joy in having what I cannot live without-

other people to hold and cry and laugh with;

joy in love,

in you;

and that all at first and last

is grace.

Birthdays!

With 5 children and 4 grandchildren, it seems as if we are always celebrating birthdays. Cake, ice cream, and gifts. The lights are turned down, the candles lit, and we all sing a slightly off key version of the birthday classic. For the children, the candles represent an achievement. Finally, I'm two or twelve or 14. With each year comes new freedom and new responsibility. For the adults, it's different, isn't it? The candles symbolize the past rather then the future. For Mary and I, past 60 now, we gave up putting an accurate number of candles on the the cake long ago. As we age, birthdays become a reminder of how many years have gone by, how fleeting life is, how precious the time. The best thing about birthdays, no matter what the age, is that it is recognized and celebrated. Birthdays are an excuse to get together, to indulge in sweets, to laugh together. So keep the birthdays coming. I like cake!

The Beat Goes On!

It has been 42 days since my last post. Forty-two Days! How can so much time go by so quickly? What has happened in these waning days of summer? How have I changed? Has anyone been disappointed by my absence? Is anyone still checking this blog? What have the past six weeks been like? Here's a summary. A fantastic week at South Bethany Beach in Mid-August with spouse, 5 children, 2 son-in-laws, 1 daughter-in-law, and 4 grand children. Morning walks with grandson, afternoons with the family on the beach, and evening adventures. Another week of vacation at a friends' camp on the shores of Hunt Lake in the Adirondacks. Just Mary and I. Daughter and family housesitting next door. Solitude. Quiet reading. Paddling a canoe across the mirror like surface of the lake in the early morning. Daily walks. Beautiful sunsets. Helped grandson Jacob catch his first fish.
Quick trip to Vermont to see grandson Noah and his parents.
August 29th. Back to work. E-mails, phone messages, deadlines. Hospital visits. Rally Day! Hosted picnic for 125+ people. A back yard wedding, with accompanying thunderstorm. Three baptisms. Funeral of a beloved parishioner and friend, age 60. Cardiologist warns that my schedule must be kept under control. More medical tests ordered. Sonny and Cher got it right.

The beat goes on, the beat goes on. Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain. La de da de de, la de da de da.