Remembering 9/11 not reliving it

16 years ago this morning I was driving north on I-25 in Denver  when I heard a radio report of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center.  I remember thinking that it must be a smaller craft that had lost control.  I arrived at work in time to see the flight 175 crash into the South Tower.  It was as if the world stopped for a moment.  The images of the collisions in NYC, DC and the crash site in Pennsylvania are seared on my memory along with random images of the aftermath.  
I remember going through the motions of work that day and the next wondering why the world couldn't just stop for a while.  We waited anxiously for word of loved ones living and working in NYC and at the Pentagon.  I listened as the contractors I supervised gave vent to their fear, frustration and helplessness.  Frequently, I heard outbursts of anger and threats to get "those people" whomever the speaker thought were responsible.  Mostly this was "the Muslims".   I understand the feelings.  I was more appalled by a coworker saying, "I wish I was an undertaker in New York City. I'd be rolling in it."  As I look back I think the increase in divisive rhetoric and scapegoating "those people" that we see today is rooted in the aftermath of 9/11.  
Today, I live off highway 65 in Buffalo, MO.  This morning, the tragedy I hear about on the news is Harvey and Irma and the havoc they've wreaked in Texas, Louisiana, Florida and South Carolina.  I wish there was more I could do to help.  Even more, I am aware of the tragedies in the community I live in where 25% of families have an income of less than $25,000 annually and over 34% of children live in poverty.  The county I live in has seen reports of domestic violence double in the last 5 years.  (Derived from County 911 call numbers for 2012-2016).  

 If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people. Don’t try to get revenge for yourselves, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. It is written, Revenge belongs to me; I will pay it back, says the Lord. Instead, If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. By doing this, you will pile burning coals of fire upon his head. Don’t be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good.  Romans 12:18-21 

These words from Paul come in the midst of teaching on what it means to live together under the Holy Spirit's direction.  They reflect a vision of the kingdom of God made real and tangible in the lives of God's people.  In that light, I believe the best I can do to honor 9/11 is to combat hatred and violence  with love and peace in my own life and the lives of those around me. Rather than point a finger at those people, I choose to work with and among these people to make our city, our county, our state, our nation and our world a better place.  How about you?

Fix the problem

We left the in-laws house to drive home and the car was shuddering badly as we drove down the interstate. Lynn insisted (rightly) that we stop and get it checked out. Two tires later we were back on the road. New, balanced tires made for a much smoother ride. End of story? No. The symptom had been addressed, but the problem remained.  Turns our the rear struts on my car were bad causing the tires to wear unevenly which led to the shuddering. How often in life do we treat the symptoms and ignore the problem?  

I could just keep replacing the tires every time the shuddering gets too bad.  My car would eventually look like a lowrider with bad hydraulics, but I could handle it this way. Instead, I chose to replace the struts and having more time than money, I tackled the project myself. The first strut took me 3 hours and a 30 inch breaker bar to get off because of a bolt that had seized up. I figured the second would be much easier until the same bolt on that side broke off. Long story short, the original bolts are flawed and must be replaced.  I’ll have to drill out the holes and install better bolts to hold the new struts in place.  Then I can put the car back together and get back on the road.  It’s been a lot more work and frustration and taken a lot longer than I thought it would. I think a lot of times we choose to treat the symptoms rather than address the heart of the issue because addressing the problem would require change and change is hard.  

Jesus taught a similar lesson when he said,  

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”  Matthew 5:27-30  

Notice that he tells us to deal with the cause of the problem. The sinful action is the symptom and the real problem is the lust or greed or pride or … in our heart.  The problem is so serious that it merits drastic action to address it.  

My car needed new struts and new bolts to hold them in place.  It’s taken some serious work to fix the problem.  We need new desires and a new heart to hold them.  Just as my car couldn’t fix itself, we can’t fix our hearts.  We need Jesus to come in a cut away the old defective parts and replace them with new, better ones. The next time you fall short of what God desires for you, don’t just address the symptoms. Praying harder and trying to be better won’t work. Drowning your guilt with busy-ness, food, escapism, alcohol or drugs won’t fix it. Instead, realize that the real problem is the desires in your heart.  Ask God to do some surgery; to cut out the sinful desires and give you a new heart. It won’t be easy. It may take longer than you like. You will have to change. It will be worth it.   

Surprised By Oxford

Carolyn Weber's spiritual memoir Surprised By Oxord tells the story of her conversion as it unfolded during her time as a graduate student at Oxford University. The story is interesting, set against the backdrop of life on the campus of Oxford. Weber does a wonderful job of drawing you into her experience of Oxford, her studies, the community and the people she met.
At times it seemed that Weber was trying too hard to be colorful and creative, so much so that it distracted from the story. Nonetheless, this is an interesting and thought-provoking story of God pursuing an intelligent young woman and her critical examination of the gospel before allowing it to speak to her heart.

I received this gratis from BookSneeze in exchange for a review without a guarantee of a positive review.

Good Friday State of Mind

Feeling betrayed, but knowing I’m the betrayer.
Being played, thinking I’m the player.
Why do we do the things we do?
Why did this happen to you?
You never did nothing to me,
Except you tried to set me free.
But I seem to like my chains,
I hate the resulting pains,
But I do what I know ain’t right
Can’t get myself out of this plight
Something within me leads me wrong
I want to do right but it’s too strong
Don’t wanna do what I know to be bad
Look at me, ain’t it sad.
Some call it sin, these chains that clatter;
What it’s called really don’t matter.
I hear its call down deep inside.
Sometimes it makes me wish I’d died.
Truth be told I’m already dead
But all that’s already been said
What I need to know on this dark day;
Is can you show me the way?
The way of life, where I can be free;
Who, my God, can show this to me?
I wait and wait, my heart in the dark;
I wait and life seems too distant, too far.
Wrapped in death and misery,
I wonder who it is that can rescue me.
Don’t know how long it’s been;
Don’t know beginning from end.
But wait, is that a light I see,
A tear in the curtain of my eternity?
I see a man, but who could come here,
Where dark souls wait in fear;
Living a death that steals life away,
Longing to see the light of day.
I see a hand, nailscarred and worn.
I see a head crowned with thorn.
I see a man with body stripped
A man with body beaten and whipped,
On a cross I see him hang,
My heart feels the bitterest pain.
And yet I hear an answer to my plea,
“Who will deliver me?”
The answer is the Living Word,
Jesus Christ, my saving Lord.
He shows that I must truly die,
If my heart would freely fly.
So on the cross, with him I hang;
Let sin now feel death’s stilling sting.
Gladly now with him I die;
Now more to wonder why.

Being shaped

I spent several hours yesterday working on the dining room table I'm building for my wife and me. I started out looking at a slab of hard maple measuring about 9' x 3.5' and it was beautiful. It was beautiful because I had made it-- because it was made up of eight pieces of lumber that were beautiful to begin with and that I had cut and shaped, laid out, and glued together so that their beauty would stand out even more and so that they could serve a purpose. I hope my wife and me and our children will eat lifetimes of meals around this table with friends, enemies, strangers, and assorted others. I hope that problems will be solved, jokes will be told, and dreams will be born and grow around this table. I hope this table will become a place of grace and love, of wisdom and justice, of generosity and healing.

I had put a great deal of work into that slab of wood and I was proud. There was a lot more work to do, however. It started with two hours of scraping excess glue off the surface. Then, with the help of some fellow woodworkers we set up a drum sander and ran the top through it a few times to begin smoothing it. That didn’t work so well so I went to work with a hand plane, scraping paper thin shavings of wood away. The planing was tedious and hard, working muscles I don’t use too often. Individual strokes didn’t seem to make much difference other than generating a lot of wood on the floor which I would have to sweep up and place in a bag for recycling.

I spent 4 hours doing that yesterday, and that slab looked worse when I stopped than when I started. As I worked I wonder if God’s shaping of us works the same way. As we lay our lives out before God, does God look at us the same way I looked at the pile of lumber I started with, marveling at the beauty, yet seeing so much more? I believe God does. I believe God looks at each of us with love, and, as we allow, God begins to shape the pieces of our lives, even the messed up and wounded ones like the board which had been discarded by the bullet I found in it. God cuts and trims and smoothes and glues us up, all the while thinking how our life will be places of grace and love, of wisdom and justice, of generosity and healing. God scrapes and sands; whittling away at the rough spots, the high points of pride, the twist of sin, the warp of bitterness and shame born of unconfessed wrongs and unhealed wounds.

I have a lot more work to do on our new table top before it is finished. I will spend hours planing and sanding, cutting and shaping, applying finish and polishing before the first place is set, the first candle is lit, the first meal is served. Even after all this work is done, the finish will need to be renewed; scratches may need to be sanded out; and maybe some leaves will be added. I think our lives are the same. God the Holy Spirit, just keeps working on us through prayer, scripture, Christian fellowship, and, well, life. For me God has been scraping and shaping me through my seminary courses, pastoral ministry, marriage, friendships, illness, strangers, walks, and many other things. Jesus said we’re branches, and branches need pruning to remain fruitful (John 15:1-11). I’m pretty sure the process of God shaping us is slow and hard and sometimes seems to make more of a mess than a difference. In the end, I trust it will all be worth it and it will be beautiful.

Musings on life and scripture

It's a sign of how busy I've been that I haven't bogged in several months. Not that I've been that regular in posting anyway, but in the last six months I've completed 60+ pages of writing and a half day of intense interviews for the ordination process in the Missouri conference of the United Methodist Church, taken 6 classes, written 37 papers, prepared and delivered 11 presentations; all while writing and preaching sermons for all but 3 of those 26 weeks, conducting 3 funerals, baptizing a family of 6, being elected student council president, losing almost 40 pounds, and turning 40. Whew!!! It's been a whirlwind, but it's been good, my mind and heart have been expanded by interacting with a host of people, learning a great deal, being pushed to think in ways I hadn't been, and just being with people in the ordinary and challenging stages of life. Thank you, Creator.

Lately, I've begun reading through the Bible again and just 9 chapters into Genesis I find myself full of questions and wonder. Here are my musings for what they're worth.

• It doesn't matter if the first 2 chapters of Genesis are literal or not; it's amazing to contemplate the beginning of life in this world and to know that God was intimately involved in it.
• What does it mean that day began with evening, with rest, in God's created order?
• Why didn't somebody just step up and take responsibility? It seems like this might be the real root of ongoing sin and brokenness in the world--that we blame others rather than taking responsibility for our actions thus preventing ourselves from learning and growing.
• What does it mean that God shortened humanity’s lifespan from hundreds of years to just over a hundred? Is this why we’re always in a hurry, or is it an attempt to explain that?
• What did these people do over hundreds of years, if they lived that long?
• Enoch is unique in having his life described by the phrase “walked with God 300 years”? Is this meant to be a reflection back on the early days in the Garden when Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the day?
• I can’t think of a better epitaph than “... walked with God.” Maybe with Micah 6:8 under it.
• Where were the women? Where did the wives come from? It’s an indictment on those who recorded scripture and all of us who have not asked these questions that women have been left our of scripture and Christian faith all too often?
• Why is Ham seemingly confused with his son Canaan after the flood? Is this a way of justifying the dispossession of the Canaanite’s from their land? (see Genesis 9)
• Are the dinosaurs extinct because Noah and his family ran out of things to eat while waiting over a year for the earth to completely dry out?
• How many people will realize the preceding question was a joke?

Faith is a journey of wonder and unanswered questions. I hope I never have more answers than questions, and I wish the same for all those around me. Questions keep us seeking, learning, and growing. Above all when we think we have all the answers, we are no longer aware of our need for and dependence on God.

Lord, teach me to bring my questions to you, not always looking for answers, but sharing the journey and trusting that you will share with me what I need to know. Amen

Christmas 2009

What a great holiday vacation! It started with a sweet deal on a new-to-us washer and dryer on the 23rd. Not only did we get $1500 worth of laundromat for $350--thank you Craigslist! We also found Dennis on Craigslist, who picked them up for us within the hour and delivered them, even carrying them down to our basement.

On the 24th, imagine that, we had a wonderful Christmas eve service with communion and everyone bringing gifts to the manger. After the service, we left racing the leading edge of a massive winter storm. Praise God we were headed east. We drove all night in the rain, reaching the beautiful Cumberland Gap in eastern Kentucky on Christmas morning. The skies cleared up and it was glorious. "The heavens are telling the glory of God and the firmaments display God's handiwork," as the psalmist says. Cumberland was the long way around, but I wanted to see the mountains first thing in the morning and it was worth it.

Ross traveled incredibly well for his first road trip. The ruffrider seatbelt we got him worked really well. He would occasionally stick his head up between the seats to see what was going on, but mostly he curled up on his dog bed. We did learn that busy gas stations are not the place to stop for Ross breaks. He's really skittish of cars and lots of noise.

We arrived at the Taylor farm around 9AM and were greeted by the whole clan--Lynn's parents, her sister Julie and her husband Mark, and youngest sister Katie. Ross loved the farm, except for the horses, that is. He would growl and place himself between us and the horses when they came up to us. Ross required daily trips to the farm since he simply will not go to the bathroom in a yard. It's crazy! This dog will only do his thing in the woods or on this island up the block that we call the poop deck because all the neighborhood dogs go there. Ross won the family over quickly as well. Mom said she wouldn't have the dog in the house, but as soon as she met him, she fell in love with him and invited him in and gave him the run of the house. Grammy succumbed to his canine charms as well, feeding him bits of ham all week.

Christmas day was a whirlwind for us all as we had breakfast at the farm and then headed over to Grammy's for dinner, where we joined by Uncle Robert and Aunt Tammy, Aaron and Haley. Dinner was wonderful--turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, gravy, cranberry relish, and 3 kinds of pie for dessert. After dinner, it was time for paper to fly as we opened presents and stockings. Ross even had a stocking stuffed with doggie treats.

Later, we headed back to the farm to open presents with the immediate family. Ross had a long day and as the excitement grew, Ross decided he needed to crawl up in my lap to escape the chaos. The poor guy was trembling so we had to take him outside for a break. He doesn't like having his picture taken either and it may have been the flashes that got him excited. Lynn and I crashed that night at Grammy's with Ross on his dog bed on the floor next to me. He is such a cute and lovable dog, and smart too. We decided to get him a new harness the next day since he was able to get out of his other one. Houdini slipped the new one in about 3 minutes. Oh well, he doesn't run off and he doesn't try to get out all the time, so we've given up trying to find one he can't escape. FYI-if he's left in the car alone very long, he gets out of his seatbelt and crawls into the front seat to wait for us.

Lynn and I started in on our commissioning paperwork on the 26th as well. Lynn has most of hers done since she has to go back to work on Monday and will be starting classes at Northwest Missouri State in mid-January. I haven't pushed as hard, thougth I've done better than a fourth of the writing. Lynn also spent a lot of time lesson planning with her mom, who teaches pre-k. I think it was fun for them to work together. We also wandered over to Dandridge, the second oldest town in Tennessee on Friday to check out the old buildings and do a little shopping. On Saturday, we wandered into Morristown and found a taqueria.

Sunday, the family had Turkey hash, a kind of soup made from leftovers, which is a Taylor tradition. We gathered at the farm to talk and, when it was jsut us kids, we learned a little more about Katie's boyfriend. That evening we were back over at Grammy's for her famous Taco soup. Monday morning Grammy took us all to Cracker Barrel, another family tradition. Over lunch at the farm we said goodbye to Julie and Mark before they left to fly back to the bay area. That afternoon, Lynn and I were back at it on the commissioning paperwork and she planned worship for Sunday, January 3rd.

Tuesday morning, Lynn and I headed out to Statesville, NC via Virginia. We stopped in Meadowview, VA at the Meadowview Farmer's guild to do a little last minute shopping for Lynn'a friends who we were meeting later in the day. In Statesville, we met Lynn's friend, Erica, and her two children, Abigail and Samuel. It was a bummer that Erica's husband At wasn't able to join us, but we had a good time anyway. Samuel was excited to see Ross make yellow snow--hilarious! On our way out of Statesville we stopped by the Thorlo outlet to get several pairs of the best socks ever and then it was off to Marion, VA, near where we got married, to see Lynn's friend Jessica and her dad, Denton. Denton and I hit it off and talked while the ladies took Ross for a walk. Denton's great--he's served in ministry at the same church for 29 years, doing everything from cleaning toilets to ministry with youth. He even offered to resign when a new pastor admitted being threatened by Denton's long relationship with the congregation. Awesome!

On our way back to Tennessee we detoured through Emory, VA to visit the campus of Lynn's alma mater, Emory and Henry college. it was late by the time we got back to Grammy's and we crashed. Wednesday morning Lynn went to lesson plan with her mom some more while I stayed at Grammy's and talked. When Lynn got back we went over the worship plan and Lynn worked on commissioning while I did some research for projects I'm doing around the house. We left Grammy's about 3 that afternoon to head for Nashville where we were staying the night with Lynn's friend, Julie. At Julie's that evening, Ross made a new friend in Julie's dog, Boulder. It was fun to watch them lay with each other.

The next morning we hit the road about 8 to head back to KC. We stopped off in St. Louis to shop at Trader Joe's and to have a bite to eat. We got home around 9pm, dragged a few things in and hit the sack. New Year's Day we got up and sort of back into a routine. Lynn worked on lesson planning to get ahead for the start of school. Her students will be learning about the antarctic over the next couple of weeks. I wish she had been my teacher because she comes up with the most creative lessons for her students. They are blessed to have her.

I worked on the house, wiring an outlet for the dryer and performing routine maintenance on the new washer. The couple that sold them to us was only selling them because they were getting a designer red set for Christmas. The washer had been showing an error which indicated that the filter needed to be cleaned. I had thought we might have to call an electrician to add a new circuit for the dryer, or maybe even replace our breaker panel with a new and larger one, which we plan to do anyway. However, there was a mystery cable exiting the breaker panel which I had been meaning to investigate. It was marked A/C, but ran into the wall of our dining room. It turned out to be an old stove outlet which we didn't need. 20 feet of 10/3NM wire and a new outlet later and, voila, working dryer. We finished the day by picking up Lynn's car from the mechanic, making homemade pizza, and then watching "Julie and Julia" before we went to bed.

This morning, I loaded the last of the laundry into the washer. What would have been 8 loads and taken days in our apartment sized machines, has taken just 3 loads. Hallelujah! Well, it's definitely back to work for the Jaekleys. I'm headed out to the church to get ready for Sunday worship, and Lynn will be plugging away at her lesson planning. And there's housework to do as well. I leave with this quote from Bishop Reuben Job: "Discernment at its best is the conequence of a daily and lifetime walk with God. A lifetime of such companionship produces profound results that range from guidance in decision making to transformation of one's life. Living a life of discernment, then, is the simple process of staying attentive to and open to God in all of the active and contemplative times of our lives." (A Guide to Spiritual Discernment, 52) I thank God for such guidance in our lives, from selecting Ross, to finding a great mechanic, to finding a high quality washer/dryer set that we could afford, to driving through Cumberland Gap. Life is good, not because it is easy, but because God has made it so. Amen

Christmas greetings

Friends and family:
Merry Christmas!
2009 has been a big year for Lynn and I. Lynn changed jobs and is now working as a special education teacher, teaching art and science, at Rainbow Center, a private school in Blue Springs, MO. She will be starting classes for a Masters in Special Education in January. I continue to pastor at Fairmount United Methodist in Independence, MO where, praise God, we are taking steps toward becoming a congregation that is more engaged with our community so that we can share God's love with the people around us. I am continuing my work toward a Master of Divinity degree at Saint Paul School of Theology and am happy to say that this is my last full time year. I will graduate in May of 2011. Both Lynn and I are working hard on taking the next step toward ordination, writing papers and recording services to turn in on January 22.
We've not been in our house for over a year and we love it. We have wonderful neighbors who have welcomed us in wonderful ways. Lynn planted a bountiful garden around the house this year, growing sweet potatoes, sorrel, tomatoes, squash, beans, onions, carrots, radishes, lettuce and spinch. While she was growing food for us and the neighborhood, I did some landscaping and started remodeling our basement to add a third bedroom, and eventually, a second bathroom. Our neighbor, Scott Wilson and I have been helping each other with home improvement projects. On the other side, our neighbor Dave Remley, a professional photographer, has recorded numerous services for Lynn and I and has also given me a ride home from the doctor when I fell and hurt my arm recently. Across the road, Jeff and Olga allowed us to help with the Ecuador booth at the Kansas City ethnic enrichment festival and fed us delicious Ecuadorian food. Next door to them, we've become friends with Tim and Carmela, despite the fact that Lynn thought they were in a militia after seeing signs for their WNR (Wednesday night run) club in their yard a few times. Carmela has opened a Montessori school in their home and Lynn has found her to be an invaluable resource for classroom ideas.
We've also added another member to our household. Ross is our 6 year old adopted Lab/Australian Shepherd mix. He is wonderfully affectionate and playful. We've taken to calling him Houdini because he has escaped his collar and 2 harnesses multiple times. Ross loves to meet new people and explore new places so we are excited about taking him to Tennessee for Christmas.
We pray that you all have had a wonderful year and that the new year will be full of blessings and joy.

Glad I don't play the piano

I'm glad I don't play the piano. I took a basic class in college and I've always wanted to learn, but right now I'm glad I don't play the piano. Let me explain. I'll start by listing the hats I wear, so to speak, at the congregation I serve. File clerk. Bulletin printer. Maintenance and repair. Copier tech. Media and sound tech. Sunday school teacher. Liturgist. Song leader. Preacher. Greeter. Community representative. Caller and card sender. College counselor. That's why, right now, I'm glad I don't play the piano or the congregation I serve would probably expect me to do that as well.
This thought came to me as I left the church this past Sunday morning. I had differing reactions to this train of thinking. First, I thought how many people might tell me that this is just the way it is. My other reaction, almost simultaneous to the other was guilt--"How can you be so selfish, so unChristlike as to resent serving others."
I struggle with both of these reactions. The first because I know that this is the reality for many pastors. I've heard the 80/20 rule man times. It might be the way it is, but I think, "Well, I don't like how it is, it's wrong." However, we're talking about 80/1 here. I don't look forward to spending the next 40-50 years of my life this way.
I struggle with the second line of thought because it isn't true. It is not selfish to have boundaries and I know it is not healthy for a church when the members are looking to the pastor or a tiny group to do most everything. I truly don't resent serving or wearing multiple hats. Actually, variety is one of the things I love best about being a pastor. However, I think lack of appreciation and lack of engagement is deadly for a congregation. I call it the "country club" mentality where a church begins to think, "Don't we pay the pastor(s) for that about everything and denies themselves the privilege of serving in Christ's body. This fee for service mentality is a wasting disease that sucks the life out of the church.
When we do not follow Paul's admonition to "work out our faith" through serving according to our gifts and abilities, our God-given gifts and abilities, our faith atrophies. Let me be clear. I do not intend to deny that faith is a gift of God, but the nature of our faith is that it requires action on our part. Think of it like a gift that if it is not opened and used, is not having its full effect in our lives.
Not only does a lack of service on our part hurt us, it hurts the body, the family into which God has adopted and placed us. Paul writes that the growth of the body requires "every part"doing its work. (Eph. 4:15-17) As a pastor, the growth of the body is a central concern for me.
As I mentioned above, it is healthy to have boundaries as well and this is where I need to grow. I need to do a better job of saying "no" even when it might mean eliminating something entirely. Do we really need bulletins? They are a recent development that the church did without for a few hundred years after the printing press was invented. Is their value as a communication piece essential? The same reasoning goes for visual media. In my plus column is the fact that teaching Sunday school is a short term commitment that ends after this Sunday.
So, who am I robbing of the opportunity to serve by taking on so much. Who needs to step up? Who can run the media, print bulletins, open the building, lead singing, read scripture, or represent us in the community? How can I better share these opportunities for service.
These have been my thoughts (edited somewhat for clarity) as I have prayed and mused about my frustration this past Sunday. Lord, help me to "prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:12-13

Whn you're offended...

Someone spoke to me today about how some slights they experienced at the hands of others--some being the result of a failure to communicate, others of thoughtlessness-- had led them to choose to stop attending their church. I listened, telling them that unfortunately people are very human and they make mistakes and are sometimes thoughtless or ungracious; that sometimes, someone's personality may cause them to appear less friendly and welcoming. I pointed out that they had said they found most of the people friendly and that perhaps they should focus on the friendliness of the majority rather than the lack of friendliness and/or courtesy on the part of others. Finally, I suggested that in leaving a church, or any other community for that matter, they should not leave differences unresolved, and then urged them to seek out a faith community to be part of whether, it was the one they'd left, or another.
After some reflection, I realized that I would have liked to urge them to pray for those they felt had offended them in some way. I've often found that praying for those who've offended me, whether it proved to be real or perceived, helped me to gain perspective and to respond in a less reactive way. The challenge is taking the step to pray before too much time has elapsed.

Vacation, Day 7

This morning we broke camp which always takes longer than I think it will. We went back to War Eagle mill for a late breakfast. I had the biscuits and gravy, made with their own flour of course, and Lynn had a buckwheat waffle, and then we decided to try the cobbler. It was awesome! The biscuits and waffle were excellent and the cobbler warm and tasty with real vanilla ice cream to boot. After leaving War Eagle we headed toward Rogers and realizing we were too late for worship at a local church we had our own impromptu worship service in a park in downtown Rogers. We both read scripture, sang a hymn and then prayed together. It was wonderful! We left Rogers and made our way to Bentonville to the Crystal bridges museum which is now located on the square in the Massey building. (www.massey.crystalbridges.org). We arrived an hour early so we found a shady place to park and take a short nap, then explored the square. The square was a typical small town square surrounding a park. Lynn was quite amazed that everything was closed. I told her this was typical of most small towns in the region. We decided to check back after touring the museum to see if anything would be open, particularly the diner, since I had a hankering for some good home cooked food.
The museum was very nice. They had a traveling exhibit of fiber art on display as well as a model of the permanent facility being constructed nearby. The docent was very helpful, even giving us an explanation of the new facility using the model. She was surprised that a man actually wanted to come to the museum. I guess in the south, museums are not considered a manly pursuit. What can I say, I’m a renaissance man. Anyway, the exhibit was incredible. I would never have dreamed you could make such a variety of art, from quilts to sculptures, with a needle and thread. Lynn was particularly excited as she is learning to knit, crochet, and quilt with hopes of combining them to create artwork.
The new museum facility will be incredibly beautiful when completed. It will be situated in a wooded ravine and the museum building itself will dam a small spring fed stream to create two pools, which the museum will surround. There will be several galleries as well as outdoor areas and event space on the grounds. It probably won’t be finished for a couple of years, but when it is, Lynn and I plan to go back see it. We asked the docent about the diner and she told us it had good hamburgers and recommended a different restaurant for us to try.
We walked back over to the diner, only to discover that it was still closed. However, the Sam Walton/WalMart museum was open so we stepped inside. The museum is located in the five and dime store Walton bought in 1950, out of which the WalMart empire was born I suppose. The local history on display was interesting, as was the display of strange returns, including a thermos returned to a WalMart store that was manufactured well before WalMart opened its doors. I’m pretty sure their return policy is no longer so liberal. Lynn labeled the rest of the museum propaganda and I’m pretty sure she was right. As we walked back to the car we had a good discussion about the pros—lots of jobs, inexpensive prices—and cons—labor issues, wage discrimination, and effects on local businesses—of WalMart.
Upon reaching the car we set out to find the restaurant the docent had told us about. We arrived a little after 2 to discover that the restaurant closed at 2:30 and charged $15 a head, so we decided to look elsewhere for a meal. We headed north out of Bentonville with Lynn determined to find me a local diner where I could get a burger and fries. We got off the highway in Neosho, MO thinking it was a likely spot, but didn’t find anything. We headed north again, this time on the back roads and found ourselves in Seneca, MO where we got a little turned around and took a brief detour into Oklahoma. After finding nothing open in that area we continued north until we reached Joplin where we drove all the way through town before finding Babe’s, a local diner advertising burgers, shakes, and suzy q fries. By this time we had actually reached Airport Drive, MO which boasted a population in the 300’s. Babe’s was all I could have wished for, a great cheeseburger—not the Bubba Cheese which was their signature sandwich— a mountain of suzy q’s and a hand mixed chocolate shake. Lynn even enjoyed her burger, which is saying something, and a pineapple shake.
Having satisfied our hunger, we headed north and made our way back to 71 highway to head home. The rest of the trip was uneventful, except for a couple of swerves as Lynn go tired, so we pulled off in Irwin, MO and parked by the Irwin Community Church, so she could take a nap. After 20 minutes or so, we headed north again, arriving home about 6:30, unloaded the car and relaxed for the rest of the evening. Now all that remains is to unpack and develop the pictures, and hope some of them turn out ok. If they do, who knows, maybe I’ll post some here and on facebook.

Vacation, Day 6

Today, after breakfast we headed to War Eagle Mill which is a grist mill that was originally built in 1848. It has been rebuilt 4 times, each of them true to the original design. The waterwheel for this mill is an undershot wheel, the only one in the US, which means that the water flows under the wheel to turn it rather than over the top. The mill has another distinction in that it’s wheel is made of cypress harvested right here in Arkansas. War Eagle Mill also contains a souvenir shop on the second level, and a restaurant, the Bean Palace, on the third. Lynn bought a bunch of flour, with a little input from me, some grits(yum!), and some muscadine jelly, muscadine being a type of grape. We checked out the numerous artifacts decorating the walls of the mill and read about its history before checking out the old wood and steel trestle bridge next to the mill. It was interesting that the bridge, though probably wide enough for two cars, only allowed one lane of traffic on treads down the center of its deck. I took some pictures and we decided to check out the Hobbs Conservation center. It was incredible, easily the best nature center I’ve ever visited. It feaured several interactive exhibits, including a walk through cave model and a beautiful setting. After looking over the abundance of maps and guide books available at the center, we decided to go to Fayetteville to see the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks.
An employee at the nature center gave us directions to Fayetteville and it was a beautiful drive on the back roads. The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks was gorgeous. It’s truly amazing what they’ve done in just two years since opening. The garden covers 8 acres of what will eventually be 90 and is set up around a central greenspace which was set up for a wedding in the evening. Themed gardens were set up around the greenspace in such a way that they seemed continuous at a distance, but were easily distinguished as you drew closer. The gardens were full of incredible sculptures that blended very well into the garden. My favorite was a giant grasshopper of wood and metal. Lynn enjoyed a bas relief of a dragon fly set into the walkway of the children’s garden. The children’s garden was our favorite garden with it’s hollow tree trunk, bridge and sculptures. The staff person on duty told us that there will eventually be a reading area reached by a tunnel in this garden. There was also a bat tower designed to provide a roosting place for an endangered species native to the region. Other gardens included a perennial & rose garden, a native garden, and a four seasons garden. There were places to sit and enjoy each garden, which were thoughtfully placed to provide shade as well as wonderful views. This garden is well worth a visit if you’re in the Fayetteville area.
After leaving the Botanical garden we drove through downtown Springdale and discovered the Pontiac, a coffee/sandwich/gift shop and event center with the Pontiac church worshipping there on Wednesday evenings. The Pontiac is a restored 1950’s Pontiac dealership complete with a ’54 Pontiac convertible sitting in the middle of the floor. We had some ice cream, took pictures in the ’54 convertible and then started back. Since we were both hungry by this time we decided to stop at Durango Mercado, a Salvadoran market and restaurant Lynn had spotted between the Botanical garden and Springdale. It was incredible! They were out of Pupusas, so we took the owner’s son’s suggestion and tried the gorditas. These were not what you order at Taco Bell which are closer to what is often called an Indian taco. Instead, these were made by taking fresh-think just pressed—tortillas. The filling was placed on the first tortilla and toped with the second. The edges were pressed together and then it was toasted on a griddle. The tortillas were only about 6” in diameter so it would take 3-4 to make a meal. The first one was so good we decided to try two more.
Our stomachs filled we headed back towards Turpentine Creek, taking the back roads once more. We stopped a couple of times so I could take pictures of a log cabin and of a beautiful valley. When we arrived we discovered that we had another neighbor in an RV. It was hot and muggy and this seemed to move the cats to chorus again. Tomorrow, we plan to go back to the mill for breakfast, find a church to worship at if we can, and then visit the Crystal Bridges museum in Fayetteville. Lord, it’s been a good vacation. Thank you!

Vacation, Day 5

Vacations are awesome! Today, I got up early and took some more pictures of the cats. Loretta, the white tiger, was very cooperative, so I snapped several shots of her. Along the way, I met Tony, who lives in Gladstone, just north of the river from us in KC, MO. He and his family were staying in the blue room where Lynn and I stayed 3 nights ago. I thought it was great that they were here because he thought his daughter would enjoy it. We snapped some pictures together and shared our hopes for the upcoming Chiefs season before going our separate ways.
After a delicious breakfast we headed to Quigley’s castle. Quigley’s castle is the brainchild of one Elise Quigley, a focused woman who went so far as to tear down the house they were living in to force her husband to begin construction on the house he promised her. The most amazing feature of the house is that on three walls there is 4 feet of dirt around the inside of the house with plants growing up through the second floor. It’s really amazing! Secondly, Elise collected rocks, and when I say collected I mean it. She collected rocks from around the world through the mail as well as picking them up everywhere she went. These rocks are now on the outside of her amazing house, as well as throughout her garden in benches and numerous sculptures. The gardens were very beautiful. The house is now owned by Elise’s granddaughter. She and her husband live in the house which I found amazing as well. I wonder how it feels to have strangers traipsing through your house every day, to essentially live in a museum? Anyway I appreciate the opportunity to see this amazing home and would recommend seeing it if you’re in the area.
After Quigley’s we drove into Eureka Springs where we rode the trolley up to the top of the shopping district before making our way back down one side of the street, checking out the shops along the way before riding back up to do the other side of the street. Momma didn’t raise no fool, I wasn’t going to hike up that hill in 99 degree heat!
Along the way we found ourselves in some really interesting shops including Bone, which sells a hodgepodge of outdoor gear including a lightweight hammock intended for hikers and backpackers. We managed to escape without buying anything too touristy. As we boarded the trolley to go back up the hill, Lynn made a new friend—no surprise there—in a woman from New Mexico who is a spinner, she spins wool into thread and yarn. She was wearing a shirt that said, “From sheep to shawl” and that’s how the conversation started. Sheep to shawl is an event at which multiple spinners take wool freshly shorn from a sheep and spin it into thread for a weaver who weaves a shawl. The shawl is done in just over 3 hours from when they start spinning. Amazing! She’s been doing this event at the New Mexico state fair for years and was just as excited to tell Lynn about spinning as Lynn was to learn.
On our way back down we visited “Hats, Hides, and Heirlooms” where Lynn decided I needed a hat. None of them fit so Lynn told the clerk that I have a big head. I told the clerk it had 2 meanings which caused her to crack up. (If you don’t get it, sit with it for a minute and it’ll come to you.) The clerk asked the store owner who said the only way they could get a hat to fit me was to special order it because they don’t get that many people with big heads coming through. LOL! Maybe you had to be there. After the hat failure we visited Gazebo, a bookstore with a wonderful selection of books on green living and and social respoonibility. Lynn picked up a book on urban gardening and one on growing strawberries while I made a Library/Amazon list before we moved on. There was nothing else particularly exciting before we boarded the trolley to head back to our car.
As it was about time for supper we headed back to Berryville for more of Lily’s awesome Papusas and tacos at La Luna. During dinner we listened as a local woman described how she had been up until late the night before cutting down a fence her neighbor had erected on her property and how she was going after him with a shotgun if he put it back up. I offered her some sympathy and a sincere prayer that it wouldn’t come to violence. After dinner we received an impromptu lesson in tortilla making before heading to 302 on the Square. 302 is a restaurant run by the same folks who sold the cinnamon ice cream. (See day 3). This couple is undertaking the awesome project of restoring a beautiful old hotel building in which their restaurant and ice cream shop occupy the ground floor.
At 302 on the Square we had a lite 2nd dinner. Well, Lynn had ice cream while I had a sandwich—and enjoyed the hootenanny which occurs there every Friday night. What’s a hootenanny? I’m glad you asked. A hootenanny is, in simple terms, a bluegrass and folk music jam session. Since Lynn and I both grew up listening to this kind of music, we loved it. There were about 15 musicians there playing banjos, acoustic guitar, steel guitar, bass, hammered dulcimer, and fiddle, as well as a young boy banging away on a drum. It was great! Not only was the music good, it was beautiful to watch how the musicians worked together. Any musician was welcome so long as they played acoustically. They took turns choosing the song and singing. Someone would start off and the others joined in, sometimes switching instruments to suit the song. They even gave the little guy his turn, playing along with him and turning his efforts into beautiful music. Wish I could see that kind of cooperation and communal teaching on a daily basis. We stayed long enough for a fellow Appalachian to play a Ralph Stanley song for Lynn and then headed back to Turpentine Creek where we have a new neighbor in their RV. Well, I’m off to bed. Hope you all are having as much fun as I am.

Vacation, Day 4

Today was great! No visits during the night from the resident wild animals and I discovered that they do have bears here at Turpentine Creek. So, lions and tigers and bears, oh my! I just couldn’t resist. Anyway, this morning Lynn headed out to the Eureka Springs farmer’s market while I caught an extra hour or so of sleep. It’s a great arrangement, one we faithfully follow most Saturday mornings at home. Lynn brought back dome great fresh produce, including green beans, fresh baked bread and some tasty mushrooms. Of course, Lynn made some new friends while she was there. We’ll never starve no matter where we are because Lynn will know or be able to find people who grow food. It’s amazing, and it is really awesome to know the people that grow a lot of your food. Breakfast today was a tasty mix of breakfast sausage from our friends at Hickory County Sausage in Lathrop, Missouri with potatoes, onions, and oyster mushrooms. This was followed up by a slice of bread with homemade butter and strawberry-banana jelly made by my wife. To wash it all down, a glass of chocolate milk. Hmm-mm good!
After breakfast, I washed dishes and then discovered that the Wildlife Refuge has wifi. I love this place more and more. After updating my facebook status and blog, I finally went on the official tour of the refuge. It was great and answered some questions I had such as whether all the animals were kept in the same type of pen that I’d seen. I’d been thinking that these pens were a little on the small side and they are completely floored with concrete, all in all, not the best environment for wild animals. Anyway, I learned on the tour that most of the animals on the refuge are kept in much larger pens behind the compound. The newest animals are kept in the compound where they are most visible to the public. The animals that are anti-social or have been here the longest get moved to the larger pens as pens become available. I took a lot of pics and I hope they come out. The funnest might be the one of a tiger poking its head above the edge of its water tank where it was playing with a ball. Another would be of a mountain lion playing with the raw egg it had just been given.
After my tour we had a quick lunch of PB&J’s and headed for Eureka Springs. We modified our plans a little and visited some shops and art galleries this afternoon. First up was the Amish Furniture store. I love the craftsmanship of wood furniture and always find it beautiful. Then we went by the Cherokee Mountain Gallery, still closed, and then went to the artists colony, an artists coop a little off the beaten path in Eureka Springs. We saw some interesting art and met some even more interesting people there. Our next stop was Eurekan Arts, a wonderful shop with some gorgeous pottery, wood turnings, and photographs. Lynn just loved some photos of peppers and other produce and I was enticed by some wood boxes, but we decided to move on without buying.
Our next stop was Mountain Eclectic Arts which was great for several reasons. First was the interesting collection of antiques, home décor and art in the shop. Second was the spring located inside the building. Third, was meeting Jack Bratt, one of the owners, and a former resident of our own Historic Northeast community in KC, MO. We had one of those do you know so and so…yeah, doesn’t she live … conversations and then got some advice on good places to visit. We bought a gift for Lynn’s mom and a tea light lantern for our place before heading out to a couple of the places Jack recommended. On the way, we tried to check out Thorncross Chapel, an internationally known building due ot its unique architecture. Then we found our way to Paradise Pottery, which is the cooperative venture of husband and wife artists, Lara and Jim. We fell in love with the unique handpainted glazes done by Lara, something she said reminds her of landscapes, particularly the White River, which was across the road from their workshop/gallery. The colors were incredibly vivid and almost seemed to be intertwined in places. We bought a small bowl to add to our collection and left talking of pieces we’d love to have down the road. Lynn had the idea that a commissioned fountain/font for a church would be awesome. I wholeheartedly agree!
After leaving paradise, we followed Lara’s advice and drove further down Blue Spring rode to where the White River curves around from one side of the road to the other. I took quite a few pictures of the river, and even talked Lynn into driving to a bridge where I got out to take some more. However, I had a camera malfunction and didn’t want to walk out on the bridge (no sidewalks) to try again once Lynn helped me get the camera working again. So we drove on to Beaver Dam and I took some pictures of the sunlight on the water that should be really nice. After that we returned to Turpentine Creek and had a late dinner of andouille sausage—also from our friends at Hickory County Sausage, fresh pepper, tomatoes, onions, corn and mushrooms from the farmer’s market seasoned with a beautiful sunset that left the sky painted in bands of color. After cleaning up, we settled in for the night to a symphony of frogs, crickets, and the wind through the trees. The cats have been pretty quiet tonight, a couple of coughs from one of the lions and nothing else. Thank you God, for the beauty of your creation, for my lovely wife, for new friends and old. Good night!

Vacation, Day 3

What a day! Got a great nights sleep despite the Turpentine Creek Cat Chorus. We lazed around a bit this morning, then I went out ant took pictures of the cats while Lynn enjoyed a good soak in the oversized tub. As I approached the pen across from our room, I was reminded that these are wild animals as a tiger sprang up and charged at me. Believe me, you’re not really comforted by mere fences when a 450 pound cat with 3 inch canines and claws bigger than a pocket knife is charging at you. Awesome! It reminded me of my favorite depiction of God as a Lion in C.S. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia”. One of the Pevensie children asks if Aslan, the God figure, is a tame lion. The answer she receives is, “My heavens, no. He’s not a tame lion, but he’s good.” I think sometimes that we treat God like some of these animals were treated, as if we could make a housepet of God, and eventually we discover otherwise. She’s not tame, but she’s good. The feminine gender is just a little reminder that God isn’t contained by our human categories of male and female either.
As I continued around the compound, I watched as a young black leopard, stalked a little girl of 2-3 years. He circled around until his den—a concrete box—was between him and the girl, then he would raise up to peek at her over the top, then leap onto the den and lunge at her through the fence. He repeated this 4-5 times before being distracted by a ball floating in a tank of water in his pen. It was amusing to watch him play with the ball even to the point of dunking himself in the water, which he didn’t seem to mind at all, despite the fact that one of the staff said leopards usually don’t like water. I hope the pictures turn out.
Check out was at 11, so we packed up the car and ate an early lunch. On a whim, Lynn asked if we could camp at the refuge. We were told we could, for $25 a night. This might seem high, but the total amount of our lodging goes to caring for the cats, so we didn’t mind. However, we’d made reservations at Withrow Springs state park, so we headed south about 14 miles to set up camp. Imagine our surprise when we found that our campsite was right off the side of state highway 23. Seriously, I’ve seen interstate rest stops where you could get farther from the road. Call us picky, but when we think of camping, we generally imagine being surrounded by trees and, if necessary, fellow campers, without a highway, or even a main road in sight. After learning that the park didn’t have any sites further removed we called some campgrounds and finally decided to return to Turpentine creek, where we set up our dining fly to hold our spot—we had our choice of five of the seven sites—before heading out for the day. We stopped to ask if there was a camera shop around—the clerk didn’t know of one—and Lynn had the bright idea to call local photographers to ask where they bought their supplies. The only lead we got was a Radio Shack in Berryville—It seems that Eureka Springs consists largely of hotels, RV parks, and restaurants, aside from the historic business district and the Passion Play which are the main tourist attractions—so we were off to Berryville again. We found the Radio Shack, which was also an auto parts store and machine shop, and were excited to find the correct battery for our good camera, a Nikon 6006 which my wife purchased in college—she was an art major. After leaving Radio Shack, where we also learned the merits of Hex Bugs, we decided to check out the Berryville town squarewhich Lynn had read about in a tourist magazine. Wow, were we glad we did! On the square in Berryville we discovered two wonderful used book stores, one of which had an eccentric owner and Spanky, a terrier with a Mohawk, as it’s mascot. Best of all, we discovered Las Lunas, a hole in the wall restaurant with incredible food. We had authentic Guatemalan drinks, the best papusa we’d ever tasted, 2 tacos, beans and tortilla chips, all for less than $8. We’ve had more than a few Papusas, we promise! We also found an ice cream store with cinnamon ice cream that tasted like home made apple pie. Hmm-mm!
After leaving Berryville, we stopped to see the sites on the way back to Eureka which included Cherokee Mountain Gallery—closed, (bummer!), Onyx Cave—a lttle off the beaten path, but well worth it, and Sleepy’s Log Cabin Décor. On our way back through Eureka Springs, we stopped at the Natural Foods Market for some snacks, and decided to drive around a bit again. It was about 5:30 and the town was pretty much closed up, which was nice because we didn’t have to fight traffic. Our wanderings took us off the main shopping street to a nice little area at the top of the mountain, over the mountain past the magnificent Crescent hotel and numerous beautiful houses, to the Grotto Spring where we had an impromptu picnic dinner. On our way back through Eureka we stopped at a gallery… Well, to tell the truth, we stopped beyond the gallery and I backed up the street blocking traffic and creating a general snafu. Lynn—remember, she’s the art expert—declared this a wonderful gallery and the only one she’s seen that successfully mixed a wide range of styles. She also found an artist she really liked, a very rare occurrence; and, even more rare, I agreed with her. Sean Mitchell is a photographer with a unique way of seeing the world that comes through very clearly and engagingly in his work. Unfortunately, the price was well beyond our means, even with a 15% discount that the gallery owner mentioned repeatedly, somehow managing to do so without it being obnoxious. It helped that she obviously knew what she was talking about given her conversation with Lynn. Our daylight reconnaissance accomplished, we headed back to Turpentine Creek, set up our tent and retired for the night since it was about 10pm. My last thought of the day, with the concerto of cats in the background, was that there’s nothing like the idea of an escaped tiger visiting your tent at night to remind you of your mortality.

Vacation Day 2

We had a beautiful drive down today, particularly in the rolling hills and mountains of northern Arkansas. We passed through Eureka springs laughing at the names of a couple of establishments. It’s always fun to mess with Lynn by telling her I’d like to visit an establishment with a name like “The Rowdy Beaver”. We arrived at Turpentine Creek Wildlife refuge around five which isn’t bad for leaving around 12:30 and taking our time, courtesy of highway construction every few miles in Missouri. The refuge is beautiful. It’s invisible from the road and easy to miss, as I proved myself. The staff was very friendly and the accommodations were clean and neat if not luxurious. We stayed in the Blue room, one of two “quasi suites” flanked by tiger pens and just across from the main compound, as the staff referred to it. (More about that in a moment.) Our neighbors in the green room were Elroy and Louise, a couple who had visited the sanctuary before and decided to return to stay the night. Our neighbor on the other side, just outside our windows was Loretta, a beautiful white Siberian Tiger. Loretta didn’t emerge from her den until later in the evening, but it was worth the wait. I don’t have the words to describe the beauty, majesty and wildness of this creature. It was awe inspiring to look at her.
Included in the cost of our stay was the freedom to roam the compound, a group of pens holding lions, tigers, and … (no bears) a black panther, several bobcats, three leopards, a rhesus macaque and two macaws. I say we were free to roam, but we were safely separated from the animals by high fence which was set 8 feet or more from the pens which are full enclosed to a height of 10-12 feet. Directly across from our room was a pen holding two lions and two tigers who seemed to coexist amiably. I even watched a brief wrestling match between a lion and a tiger. It was really interesting and a little frustrating to read the stories of these animals, several of which had been kept as housepets by foolish people who eventually realized that they couldn’t keep them and asked the refuge to take them. The sad and frustrating stories were those in which the animals had been mistreated. All the animals appeared happy and well cared for here at Turpentine creek.
After a walk around the compound, we decided to make a late evening run into Eureka Springs for gas and camera batteries. Imagine our surprise when we discovered that Eureka Springs, despite its proximity to Bentonville, doesn’t have a WalMart. A friendly clerk at the gas station directed us to Berryville, about 10 miles East. Alas, Berryville did not have the correct battery, so we purchased disposable cameras and, after a reconnaissance of Eureka Springs—eerily beautiful by night, returned to Turpentine Creek and settled in for the night. What a night! We learned that the cats make three distinctly different sounds—coughing, caroling, and roaring—and they were in full chorus, joined by some delightful solos from the coyote, a Tiger singing tenor, and the occasional aria from the burros in an adjacent field. It was beautiful, and loud. I’d never actually heard a lion roar before and it is amazing. They open their mouths wider than you’d think possible and out would come this bass explosion that rattle your eardrums, and, I’m sure could be heard over a mile away.

Questions

I'm excited about a new initiative taking shape in the United Methodist church, my extended spiritual family. This initiative is called 6 Questions for the United Methodist Church and it involves exactly that, asking questions for the betterment of our denomination and, more importantly, the congregations that are in ministry in communities throughout the world. Check it out at: www.umcyoungclergy.com/6qumc.

Moving out or Staying Put

I read Exodus 40 today which talks about the consecration of the tabernacle as a holy space. The bible reading guide I'm using--Transformation Journal--used this text as a background for 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 in which Paul tells us that our bodies are a temple(read dwelling place) for the Holy Spirit.
What struck me though, was the fact that God was visibly present for the Israelites. they could see God's presence. And because they were able to see God, they knew when to move out and when to stay put. I wish it were that simple today. Maybe it could be if I looked hard enough. Jeremiah 6:16 says that we are to ask and seek the good way(God's way) and walk in it.
Lord, help me to see you more clearly so that I can know when you would have me stay put or move out and which direction you would have me to go. Amen

Exodus Musings

I've been reading in Exodus lately. Most of the time, when I think about Exodus, I think about the Israelites escaping Egypt and heading to the promised land. Turns out that there's a lot more to this book. The last few days I've been reading in the middle of the book where several chapters tell about the design and making of the tabernacle--the portable temple that the Israelites worshipped in until Solomon built the Temple. Must have met in that thing for 100 years or so, and we9those of us who've been part of a church plant that is) complain about setting up chairs in a school for a few years.
Anyway, reading all this stuff about how many cubits long and wide and tall the altar and the table and the tent were, I actually had a few thoughts that were helpful. First of all, it's amazing to me that most of these chapters (19-35) are made up of God talking to Moses and Moses talking to God. Wow! Exodus 33:11 tells us that God spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with a friend, and Exodus 34:29-35 that Moses was glowing after he talked with God. Awesome! In the midst of this I found a prayer--"Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people."(Ex. 33:13) I want that to be my prayer; that the sign of God's favor in my life would be that I would grow in my relationship with God.
The last phrase is interesting also--"Consider too that this nation is your people too." I wonder if this has to do with the early part of chapter 32. Moses is up on the mountain and the people decide that he's been gone so long that maybe he's not coming back, so they talk Aaron into making them a golden calf to worship. (I think this must have been the thing to do culturally back then.) Needless to say, God is not to happy about this and look at what God says to Moses in Exodus 32:7 "Go down at once! Your people whom I brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely..." Kind of reminds you when a parent gets upset with the kids and suddenly they're YOUR kids. I just thought that was kind of funny myself. Personally, I have a prayer for these kinds of moments: "It's a good thing God loves you, because I'm having a hard time. Lord help me!"
These chapters also impressed me with the holiness of God. The tabernacle, which Israel thought of as God's home on earth was unique, it was extravagant, it was set apart from the everyday. The idea of "set apartness" or separateness is part of what holiness means. God's holiness is what sets God apart from creation. These chapters, honestly, are strange. They remind me that God is different from me, from us; that God's ways are not our ways, as Isaiah 55:9 says. And yet creation shares some of God's holiness, especially humanity. We are created in the image of God and one of the central themes of scripture, of the activity of God among us throughout history, has been to call us back to holiness, back to the one in whose image we were created.
Lord, speak to me as you spoke to Moses. Teach me your ways, so I can know you more and love you more deeply. So be it.

Reflections on Tiller

For 2 days now I haven't been able to stop thinking about the murder of Dr. George Tiller. First of all I think that I can't believe murder is an acceptable solution to any problem. And unfortunately the action of Mr. Roeder will reinforce the views many have of Christians as intolerant. I want to shout to the world that this man does not represent the vast majority of Christian people, and he certainly does not represent the Christ we know and follow. I am pro-life and because I am pro-life, I could not take someone's life, no matter if I thought of them as a murderer. I am deeply disturbed that this action was taken and is being condoned by people who call themselves pro-life. I'm no angel. I can't say that I've never had a violent thought in reaction to a heinous injustice. I can say that Jesus has changed me so that I reject these thoughts and instead try to pray for those whose actions I find abhorrent.
Secondly, I have been thinking about the whole abortion issue. One of my colleagues asked our bible study group why we thought the abortion issue wasn't talked about in the church. The answer for most in the group seemed to be that it was too contentious an issue, that people could not talk about it in a civil manner. How sad! And yet, I wonder if discussing it is the issue. I can't say that every abortion, generally speaking, is right or wrong, rather, I think it is a difficult decision made by real people who are often in very difficult circumstances. i do have serious reservations about the late-term abortions performed by Dr. Tiller. At the same time, I think there are circumstances when abortion might be the best choice for someone if the life of the mother is jeopardized by carrying a baby to term and the baby would not survive outside the womb or when a woman has been raped. Really, who am I to say? It's so easy to say whether something is right or wrong or when it's right and wrong and in the midst of doing so to forget that we're passing judgment on real people.
I feel strongly that abortion should be the last option when nothing else will do. It should not be a convenience or a way to avoid responsibility; indeed it cannot be because it carries a heavy price for those who make the decision to have an abortion. In the final instance I think the following story states my position more eloquently than mere words could. A woman from Mozambique said she couldn't understand why the church in America talked about abortion so much, trying to find just the right words to make everybody happy. She told how a young woman in her village became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. This woman did everything she could to persuade this young woman to carry her baby to term. When the young woman made her decision, she went with her to the clinic, took her home, and nursed her back to health. I'd like to think I would do the same.