Wednesday Wisdom

 To live is to change. To be perfect is to have changed often.

--Cardinal John Henry Newman

Is Democracy Working in the US?

It would seem that most Republicans believe that democracy no longer works in the US. Later this morning, House Republicans will hold a secret ballot No Confidence vote on their #3, Liz Cheney. She will likely be removed from her leadership post.
All because she will not stand down from her vocal opposition to the lie that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen. She virtually stands alone in her opposition to continued support of Donald Trump. 

The saddest thing is that there are so many Americans that (whether they believe the lie or not) are willing to sell off democracy in order to support a guy that has won only one election more than four years ago (and didn't even win the popular vote). Under his leadership, the GOP has lost control of the House of Representatives, lost control of the Senate, and lost the White House. 
For the life of me - I can't understand why the party continues to follow him and support someone that so blatantly opposes the Rule of Law and The Constitution of the United States.

I know there are few Republicans that follow me or read this blog, but I'd be interested in hearing from someone that can give some insight. Should someone weigh-in, no hateful comments or replies allowed.

Are our elections secure?
Does democracy work?
Or will every lost election be considered to be a "stolen" and illegitimate election? 

John

The Never-ending Task

Yardwork!

It's a good thing that I enjoy being outside and find comfort and strength from contact with the Earth.
Our property is five acres of former pasture land. About 1 acre is what I would call our "yard," and the rest is "the field." It all has to be mowed.

Most of the daily work is in the yard. Most of the original lawn (both seed and soil) washed out and is growing nicely at the bottom of the hill where the yard slopes away from the house. That leaves mostly weeds and rocks where our current yard exists. We brought in a few tons of soil for the washed out areas and reseeded last fall, but it will take a few years to get a nice lawn. Plus we have a few flower beds and landscaping plans to tend to that take frequent care.

This year's garden is relatively small, but I have a feeling that it might be growing a little bit as the years pass. It is exciting to see seeds sprouting and plants pushing through the soil. I still have the desire to travel and even live on a tropical beach, but have to admit that I'm starting to feel connected to this little piece of land and this home.
I would like to have a couple of bee hives and hope to add solar panels, but doubt that those things will happen this year.

Today will be more raking up straw from the areas I reseeded last fall and will be applying weed and feed tomorrow. I hit half the yard with weed and feed a week ago and some of the little weed boogers are dying off. After the second half gets its dose, I'll be over seeding again and trying to get some decent grass to grow.

I'm also hoping to add some fruit trees to the field area. I bought some root ball makers and if anyone local has fruit trees and would allow be to have a small branch to replant I would be grateful. It's supposed to take about two weeks to produce the roots before cutting the branch and replanting.

I'm actually kind of excited to try this out. 
We may end up with a mini orchard, too!

As you can see, it truly is a never-ending task.
So far, I still enjoy it. Part of what makes it enjoyable is that I work until I don't feel like working anymore. Some days it's only a couple of hours, others it may be most of the day. Most days are started on the deck with coffee and my computer (like now) and most days end on my deck listening to the night sounds and finding peace in the moment. At some point during the afternoon, I might be relaxing with a good cigar and a cool drink.

Retirement does not suck.

John

Happy Mother's Day

It is a rainy Sunday morning in the Ozarks for  Mother's Day 2021.
This is a special Mother's Day for Chris as it has been a while since she's been able to spend it with both of our kids and their spouses. In a few hours we'll all meet for a Mother's Day brunch and then our Chicago kids will head back to Chicago and our local kids will spend the afternoon at our place.

All the kids have had quite the exciting weekend with both of their homes listed and nice offers coming in. The Chicago condo on the market for just over a week and the local house listed for only a couple of days! Aaron and Jenny will be looking to relocate to Puerto Vallarta in the fall and Hannah and Daniel will be leaving the local area for the mountains around Colorado Springs. If they'll each buy homes with room for us we can sell our house and spend summers in the mountains and winters on a tropical beach!

My own mom has been spending the week in Florida with her oldest grandson's family. I think she'll be homeward bound sometime today. We'll have her here for a short visit early next month as she makes the rounds visiting all of us as we are getting fully vaccinated. It is nice to get back to a more normal world. Like so many others, I haven't seen my mom for a year.

I'm going to enjoy the quiet rain and a cup of coffee on the deck while everyone else sleeps a little longer. Tomorrow I'll plant the two peony plants that are Chris's Mother's Day gifts and will make beautiful additions to our landscaping. It was great that she asked for peonies since they are also among my favorite flowers. I got both red ones and white ones.

Happy Mother's Day!

John   

Preparing for Something New

It's Thursday afternoon and I am relaxing on the deck with some easy listening music and a good cigar. Hopefully, that doesn't surprise anybody that knows me. I spent a few hours working in the yard and getting connected to nature. Now I am mentally preparing myself for Thursday night barchurch.

Tonight is a welcome back kind of evening after we have been doing barchurch via online streaming for most of the past year. It will be different than it has been in the past. Staff changes at The Venues means that the teaching will be different and with new staff will come a new style and a different personality for the weekly downtown gathering.

The reason I need the time to prepare for tonight is that I really want to be able to appreciate the new without making comparisons to the old. Barchurch has been my go to midweek charging place for a few years now. We have had to make changes and adaptations in the past. We've changed the teaching personalities and we've changed the location. Each change brings a different vibe and reaches people in different ways. I'm sure that this will be another shift in how it feels to me and to others that come.

A part of me is concerned that I'm going to miss the old energy and may not make a good connection with the new. I want to be open to a new and different kind of barchurch experience and really need to see it as something new and not make unfair comparisons to what was. Perhaps the well known quote of Theodore Roosevelt is appropriate for me as we move forward in a new direction.

  
John

Changing My Mind

Okay - not really changing my mind, more like changing how I see things and how I think.
Changing my perspective.
Changing my mind would be much easier.

If you know me at all or have been reading my ramblings for any length of time, you already know that my general opinion of people is that people mostly suck. I suppose that believing people suck works for an evangelist as people sucking at life is a good reason to get them to believe in something or someone that doesn't actually suck. Nobody wants to suck at living, especially if that seems to be a sure way to end up in hell after being judged by a loving god that created us to suck at living (sarcasm intended)!

Do you see the problem of American evangelism?
We teach about being created in sin, being totally depraved, being evil from birth and then also say that God doesn't create junk.
What?!

What if people don't suck?
What if people are generally good, but we have been taught that we suck by people that are trying to control us?
What if God really made us in the image of the Divine and we -- every single one of us -- is basically a good person that just needs to recognize our goodness (or our Godness) and work on becoming more like God?

What if that whole idea of a Doctrine of Original Sin is just some fourth century bullshit to get people to need the church? If we need the church, then we'll follow rules, give money, serve willingly, and become a part of the grandest idolatry that man has ever conceived and conned others into following, right?

If we were to believe that God is a part of who we are, and if God guides us to love and care for each other and the world around us, then we don't really need a church organization to separate us from one another and stir up hate, discontent, and disharmony. Mankind has gone so far beyond separating us into good and evil, saved and lost, heaven bound and hell bound -- that we can't even agree on how good people are supposed to worship the God of the Christ followers! 
Current estimates are that around 200 different Christian denominations exist in the US and as many as 45,000 worldwide! If we have disagreements, we just declare others as heretics and start our own religion.

In John's Gospel Jesus says that God is looking for those that worship him is spirit and in truth. I've long taught that if you are looking for God and not having much luck, stop looking for God and start worshiping him -- and God will come find you.
In Romans, Paul teaches that God is found in all of creation.
It's so weird that I find it easier to see God in the finches nesting in our hanging ferns than in the people blocking the aisle at the grocery store. If man is God's greatest creation, why am I finding it so difficult to see God in my fellow humans?

Is this the problem?
We have convinced ourselves (and each other) that we are all vile and in need of saving?
What if we don't need to be saved from God?
What if God sees us just as he created us to be?
Could it be that we really need to be saved from -- each other?
I don't know.

What I do know is that I am really trying to see people as good people. Sure, some may be a bit misguided, but still basically good. I'll be honest -- I'm struggling. But because I truly believe it's the right thing to do, I'm going to stick with it.

You are good!
You and I are the image bearers of God.
We should start acting like it.

John

Finding My Place in the World

Isn't it the answer that we all seek?
What is my place in the world?

For the most part, my place in the world is at

That's my location as I sit on my deck.
I know it isn't where I would always prefer to be (that would be somewhere in Zihautanejo in Guerrero, MX), but for most days it will be my happy place.
If you want to visit me, plug it into your GPS and come on over. I'll probably be out here with a beer and a cigar and chillin' with some classic rock on Pandora -- like I am as I right now.
It's where I have my morning coffee and quiet time. It's where we have many of our meals. It's where I sit as the sun sets and the night sounds begin. It's even where we sleep on many nights. It is my most used spot in our home.

And it's where I read, meditate, and contemplate my more philosophical place in the world.
While I can't say that it helps me connect to people directly, it does help me feel more connected to the world around me and to humanity in a general sort of way. I think I've always been a bit more contemplative than most people, but even more so in the past decade or so, and more purposefully so in the past few years. Such contemplation can help me to find peace in troubled times and is also a source of great frustration as I wish that others could see the benefit of some serious introspection and contemplation.

Where is your happy place?
Is it a physical place?
Is it a mental or spiritual place?
Is it a place that helps you to feel more connected to the world around you?
Or maybe a place that helps you to feel more connected to God?

My place is kind of all of those things.
If you care to venture into rural Highlandville some afternoon, give me a shout and a bit of advance warning. I'll have iced tea or a cold brew and a decent cigar if you like. We can converse about life, baseball, or whatever is on your mind. We can even throw some burgers or brats on the grill and have an afternoon or evening meal. 
Welcome to my happy place.

John

God of the Gaps

Each and every one us experiences times of struggle. Each experience is unique, and yet each struggle shares characteristics with the struggle of others. Perhaps the most shared characteristic of struggle is loneliness. Often times, we even feel that God has abandoned us.

Author Christie Love describes that place between our old normal and how we live with our struggle and wounds as a gap. We all have gaps in our journey through life. Sometimes the gaps hold on to us and keep us from experiencing the joy of life. Some gaps are more difficult to negotiate than others. Even though each struggle is unique and each gap experience is different, Christie shares some truths about finding God in those gaps and working together with other gap travelers to reach the other side.

God of the Gaps will speak to anyone that is struggling in their journey. It gives first-hand observations of both the fears and emotions of being in a gap, as well as practices that coach you in navigating those difficult times.
The two things that really stand out to me are:
1) Permission to feel
    Our emotions are God given and help us to process our experiences. It's okay to feel anger, disappointment, frustration, hurt. Finding the reasons for those emotions and understanding them is a part of the healing process.
2) God is there.
    God is in the gap with us! And God has sent others to walk with us in our difficult times.

God of the Gaps is a teacher. It has helped me to understand that I might be that person that can journey with another through their gap. I hesitate to say "help them through their gap" because that isn't always the role. Each person's gap is different. I think that fellow gap travelers are there for encouragement and maybe to help others realize that God is in our gaps and desperately wants us to feel loved and valued and validated in our dark times.

Today is launch day for God of the Gaps: Finding Faith in the In-between Spaces of our Journey.
If you are in the Springfield MO area, author Christie Love will be at Pagination Bookshop from 5 - 7 this evening. If you are not in the area, the book is available here from Amazon. 

John

Hmmm...Backyard Project?

This video was posted on Mike's blog.
I'm thinking it might be a fun backyard project. It would require leveling a small area and using something like sport court tiles or even a small area of concrete or asphalt, but it would be fun.
Of course, we never have people over, so maybe not.

https://youtu.be/y0IfM9JdfUU

John

When does a "new way" become Tradition?

I didn't go to church yesterday. 
Okay, I kind of did -- in my sweats, on my sofa, with my coffee -- online.
Yeah, I forsook the assembly and skipped the "traditional" gathering at the brick and mortar building. 
If I continue to do what I've been doing for most of the past year, will it ever become a new tradition?
Will online Facebook live and YouTube services be the new way to go to church far beyond the end of the coronavirus pandemic?
I don't think that would be a bad thing -- except for the potential income of many churches.

How important is a weekly gathering of like believers?
Is a weekly Sunday morning pastor's sermon foundational to growing or maintaining our faith?
As a former preacher, I am painfully aware that most of us have forgotten 90% of what was said on Sunday morning by the time we get to work on Monday. We are more likely to remember the pitch count from Sunday's baseball game or the total passing yards from our team's football game than we are at remembering any of the text (much less the subject) of Sunday's message.

Why is that?
Could it be that we don't experience church with the same emotional connection we have with our team's sporting event? Or with a concert? Or with a movie? Or even with a mini gathering of family or friends at the lake or around a meal?

Honestly, I've done more connecting to God sitting alone on my back porch this year than I have in decades of going to church. Just as the pandemic had positive effects on nature, maybe it had some positive effects on our spiritual lives, as well. I know it did for me.
Never fear -- I'm not ready to give up on church just yet. However, I do hope that pastors and church leaders will consider that maybe there is a new and better way to do church. A little evolution and adaptation is a good thing.

If you were going to restructure church in a post pandemic world, what would it look like?
Would you meet weekly?
Would you have more of an online presence?
Would you encourage more personal meditation and study of nature and of God?
Or maybe you see the old ways as good enough for you and good enough for future generations and you would double down (pardon the gambling pun) on the failing traditions of the past.

How would Jesus worship in twenty-first century America (or wherever you might be)?
How would Jesus teach in twenty-first century America?
Would Jesus look at the way we structure worship and teach about God and think it is a good thing?

According to the gospels, Jesus told his disciples that people would know they were his followers by the way they love.
Do people look at the church today and think -- "Those people are followers of Jesus. I can tell by the way they love others!" 

Just some crazy thoughts for a Monday morning.
Nothing to see here. Move along.

John