There are no small things...

There is a harmony in nature -- the birds, the animals, the flora -- all seem to live with and for one another. Even the pesky insects are a great part of the overall picture of life.
It seems strange that we humans sit at the top of the natural food chain and yet often fail to see our connection to nature and our role in the grand picture. We seem much more intent on ruling over everything than in being a part of it all. 

I'm not much of an environmentalist and I'm a pretty poor philosopher. This morning I'm just an observer and wondering about the ways of the small slice of nature that I see. I hear the highway noise in the background and marvel at the advances of humans and the price we have paid for those advances and wonder what would happen if some things changed.

Think about this -- 
I am sipping coffee that was grown in Ethiopia. It was likely harvested by hand, processed in a simple mill and dried on a concrete slab. Somehow, by sea or by air, it made its way halfway around the world to a roaster in the US. From there it was roasted, bagged and shipped (by truck) to a grocery store where I purchased it. The impact to the world economy and to the environment was quite significant when you consider that it literally costs me cents per cup of this life giving nectar. 
How is that possible?
And what happens if we (in the US) decide to stop drinking coffee?
How is the environment impacted with no shipping or moving of the freight? 
What happens to the farmers that lose their US market?
What happens to the commodity dealers that trade and profit from the sale of coffee?
And how do millions of Americans start their day since coffee only grows in tropical regions?

It is weird where my mind goes when I examine the impact of simple actions. We're going to add to our carbon footprint today as we hop across the state to visit family. Mobility has separated families by greater distances and staying connected has greater costs and effects than it once had. I've become more aware of the impact that seemingly small things have on the world around me.

It seems that there are no small things.

Hmmm...

John

Writing

I ran into an old friend yesterday. Well, she is not really an old friend, she's a young friend that I just hadn't seen in some time. While we were catching up, she told me she is writing a book, a novel. I think that is great. 
Although there have been different people along my journey that have suggested that I write a book, I see a couple of problems with that:
To write a novel you have to be creative -- and I'm not.
To write non-fiction you have to be willing to do a little research and mental organization -- and I'm not.
To do either takes some discipline of writing daily and sticking to a writing schedule -- and well, ...I don't know about that, either.

But I think writing a book would be cool. 
So, I was thinking -- what about a daily meditation/devotional kind of book? 
Although I could work ahead, what if I just journaled my morning meditations into a collection of thoughts, and then after a year I'd have a book of 365 inspirational quotes, verses from the bible or other texts, and the accompanying thoughts that I had for that particular day?
I could design each day to take no more than fifteen minutes or so and even throw in a few tips for meditation, focus, or grounding. 

I'm going to give myself some time to consider this. In fact, I'm going to give myself one month. Call it a birthday challenge. On June 13th, I complete my 63rd trip around the sun and begin number 64. Maybe I can use it as a 365 day journey that would make any day a perfect starting point. I won't be dated to begin on January 1st, but could begin on your birthday making it an acceptable anytime gift and a perfect birthday gift.
I suppose that has its drawbacks. Following the calendar allows for seasonal meditations that a non-calendar schedule won't. I don't know. Something to consider. 
I'll probably just do them daily and then figure out numbering/ordering them later.

Hmmm...
Thoughts?

John

It's not just my place

I know I talk about the deck like it is my place -- and it is, but it's not just my place.
Last night I arrived home to a dark house. There were no lights on outside, nor inside the house. When I raised the garage door I expected Chris's car to be gone, suspecting that she must be out. Nope - the car was there.
Chris and Groucho the cat were sitting on the deck - Groucho laying on the floor and Chris scrolling on her phone while sitting on the futon. The night sounds were playing in the background and evening light had faded into night without anyone getting up to turn on the lights..

Groucho loves being out here as much as either of us and especially likes days when the temperature is cool enough that we don't use the A/C so that the door is open and she can go in and out at her leisure. When it gets hotter, we will put a bowl of water out here for her and she will still spend hours each day on the deck, by herself or with me. Chris is less likely to be out here when the temperature is either hot or cold. Groucho and I are much more likely to be found out here throughout the warm days of summer.

During the cooler weather Groucho usually gets up when I do but then goes back to bed with Chris after eating her daily portion of canned food. Now she comes out here and goes back to sleep on a chair or on the floor after watching the hummingbirds and other birds for a little while.

She woke up enough to raise her head a bit when she sensed me stirring to take her pic, but is back to dozing again. 

     * * * * *

My morning contemplation:

Thoughtfulness is the beginning of great sanctity -- Mother Teresa

What does this mean to you?
Thoughtfulness about one another?
                       ...about nature?
                       ...about God?
Maybe they are all connected or the same.

John

It feels like Friday

I know it's only Thursday but for some reason, it feels like it should be Friday.
Maybe it has something to do with actually going out and people-ing every night this week
...and I'll be out people-ing today and again this evening!
All of that interaction makes this morning deck time feel like a holy place and time.

My morning coffee and quiet time generally feels like that anyway. I'm a little more aware of it and more appreciative of it during weeks like this, but I rarely take it for granted. I probably need to find a better way of sharing my time on the deck. So often when I am asked what I've been doing lately or if I've been doing anything for fun I respond by saying that I haven't been doing anything at all. And while sitting on the deck and appreciating the nature around me feels like I'm not doing anything, I do know that it brings peace to my spirit and connects my soul to the world around me.

Maybe a simple, "I have been enjoying my retirement," would be a better answer.
Or, "I'm working on being a better John than I was yesterday." Nah...that might be true, but it sounds pretty corny.
"Watching the hummingbirds at the feeder," or "Watching my flowers grow," sounds a little better than not doing anything, but not much.

I do realize that there are people that might be envious of a guy that can sit and watch hummingbirds feed or appreciating the growth of flowers, but I feel like I should have something more to share. It's probably more about how we have been conditioned to be productive in Western society. Being contemplative and philosophic is much more accepted and revered in more Eastern cultures. Although I have been using quiet time/meditation/contemplation in some form or fashion for a long time, I do wish I would have been more purposeful or taught about its benefits as a young man rather that struggling through life without the calming and peaceful effects of a regular practice of meditation -- not to mention the healthful effects of such a practice.

Today -- I am grateful.
I am excited about the flowers and vegetables that have sprouted and am seriously watching them grow.
I enjoy my time watching the humming birds at the feeder and am particularly drawn to one that keeps hovering at the screen and looking into the deck. I talk to him like a crazy old guy every time he does. 

Do you have a regular practice of quiet time or meditation?
Do you have an irregular quiet time that you wish was more regular?
Maybe I'll start sharing some simple practices that can help you get started. 
Or maybe not. I realize that mindfulness is still considered to be a pagan practice by many of my old evangelical acquaintances and most of the people where I live. (shakes head and sighs)
What do you think? Yes or no to sharing some meditative techniques?

John

Monday Morning Meditation

No news or thoughts about what is in the news tis morning. I am enjoying a quiet (except for the birds and a little background highway noise) morning on the deck with a cup of coffee. I've spent the last two nights sleeping on the deck and it has been quite wonderful. I hope to do this often this month since I expect nights to be a little too warm and uncomfortable when I return home in July.

This morning's meditation is from the Tao Te Ching.

Heaven is long-enduring and earth continues long.
    The reason why heaven and earth are able to endure and continue thus long is because they do not live of, or for, themselves.
    This is how they are able to continue and endure.

    Therefore the sage puts his own person last, and yet it is found in the foremost place; he treats his person as if it were foreign to him, and yet that person is preserved.
    Is it not because he has no personal and private ends, that therefore such ends are realised?

Hmmm...
I'm going to ponder that.
Do we flourish best when we exist for others?

John
    

Tell me about your god.

Yeah, I know. The little "g" god was intentional. It's not meant to be disrespectful of the big "G" God; it's meant to recognize that the object of our worship is very often something or someone different from the big "G" God. Maybe I'm more interested in knowing what or who you worship than I am in hearing about your god, but either way I think I'll get a pretty good idea of what or who you worship and idolize.

I don't want this to be a post that is strictly about guns or Christian Nationalism, but it is about both -- sort of. It's more about the Christ I try to follow and how I think his image has been replaced with something evil, sinister, and very much the antithesis of the Jesus of the Bible.
I live in what is often referred to as the buckle of the Bible belt. Southern Missouri is home to the world headquarters of two conservative Christian denominations -- General Baptists in Southeast MO, and Assemblies of God here in Southwest MO. There are a number of conservative colleges and universities as well as churches, both very large and very small throughout the area. You can't cast a stone without striking someone that has been judged and condemned by our conservative, evangelical brothers and sisters. 

There is also a weird sense of patriotism that boasts a God and Country theme while simultaneously flying the colors of the Confederacy and defending insurrectionists. It is a weird mentality that can be so strongly supportive of two very contrasting ideals.

The strong faith in God (I think it's a big "G" God, but I'm really not sure) and the worship of a country founded on, based on, and maintained by military force (violence) confuses me more than I can reconcile and so I am looking for help. 
The military force that guards us is something that I can understand to a point.
The worship of private ownership and need to carry weapons of war (and even hand guns) in public is beyond what I can grasp in this little pea-sized brain of mine -- especially for someone that claims to follow the Christ that I believe in.

Stand your ground and turn the other cheek seem to be opposing directions, one a construct of man and the other the words of Jesus. I have a very difficult time picturing Jesus packing a sidearm on a trip to the grocery store or Starbucks or even to church, and yet that's what you can expect here in the Ozarks.

Would Jesus advocate for more guns or fewer guns?
Would Jesus arm teachers and security guards or tell us to put away our swords (guns/weapons)?
Would Jesus say that our right to unfettered access to guns is more important than the lives of school kids or citizens at public events?

I know a lot of conservative, flag waving, gun toting Christians that don't care much for the way this liberal, loving follower of Jesus thinks, but I am having a difficult time understanding how we (Christians) can often be at odds when it comes to living and loving according to the instructions of Jesus. 
As citizens of The Kingdom of Heaven, do we honor the borders of our earthly country more than the command to love and care for our neighbors? Do we reject different people in our midst or do we reconcile differences and love and advocate for those that others in society oppress?
Does God approve of our violence -- even if it is a response to violence?

Tell me what matters most to you and I will tell you about your god. 
Better yet, show me your beliefs and I will know your god (or God). 

John

Sunday Morning Challenge

The challenge or at least the question I ask myself every Sunday morning--
Get ready and go to church?
Stay home and listen to the online stream?
Skip it for now and listen to it later?

Hmmm...

I have to admit that the deck is pretty comfy this morning. Somebody is mowing already, but it is far away enough that sound is just background noise. The dominant sound is the morning sound of the birds chirping as they eat and feed their babies in the bird houses and nests around the house. The hummingbirds are always entertaining at the feeders we have around the house - one in front and one in back. I have Pandora's Classical music for studying channel playing softly and I'm thinking that moving from this spot isn't going to be easy.
Getting ready, riding into Springfield, riding home and changing clothes again adds a couple of hours to the one hour service and the 20-30 minutes of exchanging greetings with people I know. I really like living out here in this rural environment, but it does make simple things like going to church less simple - unless I just don't go.
I think the pandemic changed life for a lot of people that now take full advantage of technology and travel less to do the things they used to have to do in person. I fully embrace things like online church or pajama church as some have called it.

Checking the clock now looks like I'm too late to easily make it to church on time so I guess I'm looking at either option 2 or 3 now. Maybe I'll be joining my neighbor in mowing and catch the service later. In any case, it is another Sunday morning at home church.
To be honest, this is the place where I feel closest and most connected to Creator, Nature, God, Universe, or whatever you choose to call that Higher Power. Going to a place to have church has really become more about seeing other people than about worshiping God. 
I do have to say that at The Venues, seeing God in other people has been very good for me. Maybe that's the kind of connection that is necessary for many people that are compelled to actually go to church. 

My hope is that you find a connection to God today - through a gathering of people, a quiet time in nature, some meditative practice, or a simple act of kindness. 

John

Spring Cleaning

It's a foggy morning in the Ozarks. I imagine it will be pretty humid when the sun finally breaks through to bring about one of the first hot (88f, 31c), humid days of the season. Yay! I'm ready.

I did some spring cleaning and rearranging of the deck yesterday. There is much more spring cleaning that needs to be done. We have a basement full of crap that we need to get rid of. I suppose I could become a FB Marketplace or Craig's list dealer and just start listing stuff to see what happens. Or we could become weekly or monthly garage sale people. I could use a little cash for trash exchange. There is quite a bit of stuff.

I think the lack of a real plan is the biggest obstacle for a thorough spring clean. Maybe that's what I really need to do. Knowing what needs to go and having a plan for getting rid of it are different things. I should make a plan.
Any marketplace/Craig's list sellers here?
Good experiences?
Nightmare experiences?
Do I need to price to negotiate or will a firm, fair price work just as well?

In my head I think that listing and selling items would be easier because you can do just one or several items at a time. Garage sales are a pain in the ass - in preparation, sale days, and getting rid of what's left!
Maybe I'll try a few things and see how it goes.

The fog is starting to lift a little. I can now see the treeline that is about 1/4 mile (<.5 km) away. I was going to ride the motorcycle to run a couple of errands this morning, but I'll need the visibility to increase before hopping on the bike. I have plenty to do while I wait.

Have a great weekend!

John

A Two-fer Tuesday Question

It's almost 10pm in SWMO and I have a little Classic Rock radio playing on Pandora, a little bit of bourbon, and am contemplating and assessing tonight's Reading the Bible as a Storybook group gettogether/small group/class. 
It was good -- at least from my perspective.

I am really pleased at how the group is participating in the discussion and feeling free to share their tough questions and perspectives on how we reflect or share love to the world around us. I kind of liked tonight's format -- tell the story, give a little background, let them tell me what it means to them.
The old evangelist in me sometimes still feels compelled to somehow draw a line from every Old Testament story to Jesus, even when it doesn't really make sense to do so. Tonight's line of questions and comments did come around to Jesus and was very organic and natural. It was kinda cool.

So let me ask you what I asked them:
What do you think happened to the other thief on the cross?
I'm just curious about your theology on that. No criticism or correction coming from me since I don't really know for certain, but I'm wondering what others think and why.
Anybody care to share?

John

Two Gods?

To the southeast of Springfield MO, in the community of Ozark, sits a megachurch that has been in the news frequently. Several years ago they hosted an annual Fourth of July celebration that eclipsed the City of Springfield's party to the point of shutting it down. Maybe we should have recognized the Christian Nationalism for what it was, but back then it was just the normal patriotic kind of stuff blown up in a way that only a megachurch could do it. 
"God bless America" didn't always mean God bless America -- only.
This past weekend they hosted a grand men's conference -- complete with a military tank cruching cars, patriotic pyrotechnics, and loads of other toxic masculinity inducing garbage. 

Meanwhile, on the northeast side of Springfield a small community church is transitioning from using their church buildings as a place of weekly worship to a place that shows the love of God by surrendering their buildings to serve people in need. They are converting all of their buildings into transitional housing to create a pathway from homelessness to housed and productive members of society. 

After spending the night at the current shelter, I had the opportunity to talk with the current residents over coffee this morning. They were excited about the work that was before them for the day. They shared their stories of addiction, jail/prison, losing jobs, housing, even children, and the hopelessness of living on the street.
And they shared their hope.
They shared what it means to have a place - a bed - to come "home" to every night.
...to have a purpose for going out each day.
...to have a path to making permanent housing a reality.

Thousands of people weren't there to hear their simple stories.
There were no fireworks, no bands playing music, no big show to draw attention and scream "Look at what we are doing in the name of God!" 
There was no flag waving.
And nobody preached that they had to follow Jesus or burn in hell.
They were given a safe place to sleep, a sense of self-worth and value, a purpose for each day, and they are given an abundance of love.

There is so much contrast between the gods of these two Christian churches that I have a difficult time reconciling them as the same god. One god seems to be about elevating us and the other is about helping others. One seems to divide us into those that follow and those that don't and the other seems to say we are all the same and of equal value and worth. One place looks like a carnival or theme park and the other looks like a simple, but safe shelter from the elements. 

I really don't know what God looks like anymore. The images that I grew up with and the images that I shared as a preacher don't work for me today. In fact, I've pretty much decided that I can't imagine God as a being. I don't know if that's because God is beyond my imagination or because I've begun to sense God as a presence rather than as a person. 
When I sense God, I feel peace - never violence.
...I feel love - never hatred.
...I feel profound joy - never anything else.

Is God a being or presence of our own creation?
I know many that would say - yes.
I still believe that we are beings of God's creation, and that we are connected to God and to each other.

John