Wednesday Wisdom

 

John

Deconstruction, Reconstruction, or Burning the House Down

Religious deconstruction has become a pretty popular term that refers to the way many Christians are reassessing their faith and trying to reconcile between what they've been taught and what they now believe to be true about God, church life, church politics, and general religious bullshit. While many of the deconstructionists have moved on to reconstruction -- trying to rebuild their faith and remain connected to God in some form or fashion, many others have all but given up on the idea of organized religion of any kind and have pretty much quit church all together. 

Even after some serious reconstruction of my own religious life and after having found a church organization that has beliefs similar to my own, I could easily fall into the category of those that have left organized religion all together. It seems to me that today's church (probably always been this way) is more of a social club for like minded people than a gathering of people committed to worshiping, serving, and inviting others to do the same.

That probably sounds pretty harsh coming from a former Southern Baptist evangelist, but the truth is I'm pretty sure that I can get along with God just fine without the added complication of church. According to Pew Research, the number of nonchurch attenders was dropping steadily before the pandemic forced even smaller isolated churches to go online. Here is a link to the data from the research that shows the across the board downward trend in religious affiliation and church attendance.
Something tells me the addition of online services will also contribute to the decrease in church attendance.  

When it comes right down to it -- my personal beliefs haven't changed much. I still believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. I no longer believe that God needs me, nor is God counting on me to shepherd souls into heaven. While I will gladly share my beliefs with others, I will just as gladly learn from others about their own beliefs and reasonings when it comes to God/man (or woman) relationships. As far as getting you into heaven  -- I no longer see that as my responsibility. I'm going to leave that up to God. 

I know readers of this blog vary from atheist and non-religious to devout Christians. I also know there are a few non-Christian religions, beliefs, or philosophies represented. Here are some questions I have: 

How important is church to you?
How beneficial is regularly meeting with like minded people to your relationship with God? Humankind? or just knowing yourself?
Is the traditional practice of weekly religious gathering becoming obsolete or is it just a generational thing?
If you have quit going to church, what would bring you back?

Thoughts?

John

Spring Swing and Monday Motivation

I don't know of anything more motivating than sunny and 70f (21c) on an early spring day!
As is typical in the Ozarks of SWMO, the spring weather swings from sunny to stormy and warm to below freezing. There are now a couple of overnight temps in the coming week that are expected to be below freezing so you'd better cover those early spring plants and blossoms!

I know I'll be outside painting the remaining two downspout flower boxes today and planning some additional landscaping areas. I'm wondering if we need a front yard gathering place for neighbors to stop by and visit. We had an impromptu gathering at our neighbor's this weekend. It was inside by the time I joined them. I know our backyard will be the place for planned gatherings, but there is something uninviting and isolated about the backyard when it comes to impromptu gatherings.

It is nice to see more of the neighbors as the weather is warming up. We have a good feel in the neighborhood and I am hopeful for more of those unplanned come over, have a cigar and a cool drink kind of nights. 

Time for a quick breakfast and then outside to absorb some sunshine and get to work. Those flower boxes aren't going to paint themselves!

Be well,
John  

Wednesday Wisdom

I saw this quote on Facebook on Monday.
I heard it in a Ted Talk on Tuesday.
I'm sharing it here on Wednesday.

On Monday I thought, "That's good. I'm saving it for a Wednesday Wisdom post."
On Tuesday I thought maybe the Universe (aka God) is trying to tell me something.
Today I am sharing it with you.

John

PS Btw, the Ted Talk is worth listening to. Eighty percent of us are lying to ourselves about whether or not we lie to ourselves. Hmmm...check it out here.

Thoughts in my head today

In the spring of 1999, I was in Denver, CO for a combined regional NATCA meeting. Part of the extra-curricular events was an evening trip to Coors Field to watch the Rockies play baseball on the night we arrived in Denver -- April 20, 1999.

That was the day that 13 students were gunned down by two of their classmates (also killed) at Columbine High School. The entire area was in shock. The Rockies cancelled the entire home stand as the city mourned. Our guest speaker at the next day's meeting was a labor lawyer. His son was at the elementary school a few blocks away which was used as a gathering point for students that had escaped the high school massacre. Twenty-two years ago there were no active shooter drills in schools.

A year or so after that, the dad of the first student killed at Columbine (Rachel Scott) came to speak at our church in Ozark. He was telling the story of the day and sharing the faith of his daughter. Rachel's brother also spoke. He was in the school that day and lost several good friends along with his sister. 
Before the speaking event the dad stopped me downstairs in the church fellowship hall. He asked if I was on staff at the church. I told him that I wasn't but asked how I could help. 
He pointed out a young boy that was sitting in the kitchen -- his son, Rachel's youngest brother. The dad told me that the youngest brother always wants to go with them as they travel to honor his sister, but never wants to hear the story. I was asked if I could stay with him.

As much as I wanted to hear the dad's speech that night, I missed it. There was someone else that needed my attention.

Yesterday -- 22 years after Columbine, and less than an hour away from there -- another shooter walked into a grocery store and killed 10 innocent people. 
Just six days ago, a shooter in Atlanta killed eight people.
It looks like things are getting back to normal in the US.

To all of the gun owner's rights advocates -- What is the answer? How do we end these mass shootings in the US?
I don't want to hear that gun regulations aren't the answer.
I want to hear what is the answer.
I want to hear what your proposed solutions are and how they will work. 

Shootings in schools
Shootings in churches
Shootings in theaters
Shootings at concerts
Shootings at shopping centers
Shootings in work places

Life (and death) the American way.

My heart is heavy, because I know there will another incident and more death
...and still nothing will change, except for the families of the victims.
For them, life will never be the same.

John

Cancelled!

Yeah, it could happen.
I've been writing this blog since 2006 and made over 2100 posts.
I've been posting on Facebook for more than 12 years, and Twitter and Instagram for the past few years.
And I've been highly opinionated for most of my 60+ years.
Along with that, I've been an ass to people on occasion.
I suppose that I still am..., but I'm working on it.

I know that I have said, done, and written things that I regret (even fairly recently). I know that I have changed my beliefs about a lot of things as I have gain knowledge, experienced more things, and met more diverse people. The thing is -- I could easily be cancelled by you or anyone that I've offended in the past.
Or we could talk, I could offer my apologies and explain how I've changed or why I said or did what was offensive. I could ask for and hopefully receive your forgiveness.

Of course -- if I am hoping for you to forgive me for my past transgressions, I have to be willing to forgive you. I think that as a people, we have forgotten how to talk civilly to each other. And we need to be honest with ourselves about our faults and we need to be able to forgive ourselves and grow.

Do we need to talk?
Comments are moderated, so you can leave me a message to contact you here. If you read this through Facebook or Twitter, DM me.

I understand there are always consequences to pay for the stupid things we say and do, but I also believe that we need to be more gracious with one another.
Sorry for the erratic swings from assholery to apologetic. There is still a lot of work to do here.

John

Monday Motivation

It may be true that the best way to improve the world is to improve myself.

John

Spring has Sprung!

It is the long awaited first day of Spring!
During the early hours of the morning the sun reached the equator on its journey northward toward the Tropic of Cancer. This was the first sunrise of Spring 2021 from my backyard.

I'm planning a kind of compass flower bed for the backyard. Yesterday I marked the center spot for the flower garden with a wooden stake. The plan is to replace it with a sundial. I was up early enough this morning to mark sunrise at the equinox with a smaller stake and will also mark tonight's sunset. I'll do the same for the summer and winter solstice. With this morning's sunrise pretty much due east, I could probably predict the solstice markings by moving north and south 23.5 degrees, but I'll wait for the actual sight verified marks.

It was just below freezing at sunrise this morning and that looks to be the last overnight freeze in the forecast for the season. That means it is time to plant flowers and over seed the lawn. So much work to do and money to spend! 
So far, I am enjoying the work. I am finding myself more aware of the earth's energy and I feel like I am in sync with it. It's weird to be aware of the energy flow that transforms seeds to plants that produce flowers or food and then return energy to the soil in decomposition and the cycle repeats. Observing the process and feeling the energy flow are different things. Perhaps it's just the awareness that comes from having the time to meditate and contemplate the world around me, but it is pretty peaceful and satisfying.

Sunny and 58 (14c) is the forecast for today, so I should be able to get some outdoor work in. I take it pretty easy and try to enjoy it more than looking at it as a task that needs to be accomplished or conquered. Even so, there is plenty to do and the days are not yet that long so I'm going to fuel myself with a good breakfast and get busy.

Happy Spring to all my Northern hemisphere friends!
And Happy Autumn to my friends and family Down Under!

John 

Spring in the Ozarks and What the Hell is wrong with people?

It was nearly 70f (20c) on Tuesday as I was working in what will be our garden. It was 34f (1c) when I woke up this morning and now it's snowing!
Ugh!

I'm back to coffee by the fireplace this morning and probably will be for a few more mornings.
Today's coffee and quiet time will be cut short by a trip into Springfield -- Dr. appointment for Chris, setting up for in-person services at The Venues for me. We're doing the ecologically and economically best thing by carpooling. I'll probably be finished before Chris but I'm sure I can find a coffee shop and I always have a selection of books on my phone. 

   * * * * *

I am finding the current trend of attacks on Asians to be very troubling -- not only because of the racism, but the attackers are targeting older people. It seems that most of the violence is against senior adults. 
What the hell?!
Effing damn cowards!

I suspect cowardice is a common trait among racists. They find strength in numbers or anonymity, but would not be so bold one on one with a person of equal or greater strength or size. Reading about attacks on unsuspecting Asian seniors really pisses me off and I find it a challenge to maintain my newly found calm, peaceful, more gentle demeanor. 
Perhaps the thing that upsets me the most is the failure of so many Republican (Yes, I'm calling them out!) leaders to address the racist issues in our country. If fact, far from addressing the issues -- in 43 state legislatures and in Congress, most are contributing to the goddamned racism that our previous President and his followers -- every f#*cking one of you -- endorses.
No more passes. You don't get to say you support his policies but not his racism. His policies are racist. If you support him, you support a racist. If you support a racist - YOU ARE A RACIST.

Go ahead - change my mind. 
I'll listen, but you better bring some kind of super strong defense.

sigh
I'm going to need some serious quiet time to re-find my peace this morning.
Or maybe I need to be outraged for a while longer. 
Maybe we all need to be outraged.

John

Happy St. Patrick's Day

 From Sunday's Student Venues

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

What do you think of when you think of St Pat’s Day?

I always think -- I don’t have any green clothing to wear because it’s such an ugly color on me!

March 17th is a day when everybody claims to be Irish.

“Kiss Me, I’m Irish” will be seen on t-shirts and caps that are only worn one day a year.

People will eat corned beef and cabbage and wash it down with green beer.

Throughout the parties and celebrations, there will be little that accurately depicts the character of the Irish or of St Patrick.

So how about we take a few moments to look at the traditions of Celtic Christianity?

While much of Western Christianity seems focused on the depravity of man and our inherent evil, Celtic Christianity says that we are connected by God’s goodness, that God’s goodness is in each of us -- even if we have strayed from God’s vision and purpose for our life.

When I think of symbols that connect us to the Irish, I think of shamrocks, rainbows, and pots of gold -- probably a misguided connection to Lucky Charms and childhood memories.

The biblical reference to the rainbow doesn’t mention a pot o’gold. It comes at the end of the Noah story when God destroys the earth, all of mankind, and most of the animal life. The story says that God set his bow in the sky and promised never to destroy the earth by flood again. The rainbow is going to remind God to calm down and not destroy us!

(These are the things that convince me that much of the Bible is man-made stories. Does God really need a reminder of a promise not to send another great flood?)

Even so -- this covenant is made with all of humanity. It is for all men, women, boys, and girls. It is for every member of the LGBTQ+ (maybe that’s why they picked the rainbow symbol) community. It is for Muslims, Jews, Christians, atheists, and members of every faith tradition. It is for every nationality and race. The covenant is an all inclusive deal.

It is so weird to me that we can see inclusivity in God’s promises and dealings with humans, but we make up our own rules about separating people based on gender, race, sexuality, etc.

Long before feminism was a thing, St Patrick taught women to read -- something unheard of and frowned upon in his day. He taught that all people were equal -- slaves, free, men, women, clergy, laity.

Like so many of the other world religions, Celtic Christianity believes that we are connected to nature; that God is expressed in nature. (I know that Western Christianity is supposed to believe this too, but it is rarely taught and even more rarely emphasized.)

Pelagius (another Celtic Christian) wrote:

“...it is not what you believe that matters. It is how you respond with your heart and your actions. It is not believing in Christ that matters; it is becoming like him.”

He was considered to be a heretic by his contemporaries and I’m sure he is still considered so today -- but I like it! I’ve known far too many that talk the belief talk, but fail to even try to emulate Christ in their actions. If trying to live like Jesus is heresy, then maybe we should all become heretics.

I often wonder what and how Jesus would teach us in the USA today.

Would he teach us that we are connected to nature?

Would he teach us about climate change?

What would he teach about gender equality?

...about race equality?

...about nationalism?

Wouldn’t it be great to sit with Jesus over corned beef and cabbage this week and get some real-life instruction from him? I have a feeling I know how it would go:

Me: So, Jesus, what do I need to do to get to heaven?

Jesus: It’s simple, John. Just love everybody that I love.

Me: But you love everybody!

Jesus: Yep. Pass me another bottle of Guinness, will ya?

Daylight Savings Time: a rant

Once again, there is a push to make Daylight Savings Time (DST) permanent in the United States.
Personally, I think it is stupid.

While I certainly enjoy the sunshine hours later in the day, I've always felt that local governments, schools, and businesses could just as easily have summer hours and winter hours and we could leave the damn clocks alone. 
Putting DST as the permanent standard in the US will be like having a separate standard of measurement than the rest of the world! (Yes, I think it's past time that we join the world and go metric!)

There are times (literally every day) that I wonder how we have managed to survive as a species. We use some pretty messed up logic to arrive at even more messed up solutions.

John

Monday Motivation

Beware the ides of March!
Make good choices!

John

Life in the Ozarks

It's mid-afternoon on a cloudy Sunday and I find myself where I will soon be finding myself on a regular basis -- sitting on the deck, smoking a cigar, and listening to the sounds of nature. Because the day is grey and dreary, the peeper frogs are already making themselves heard even though it's hours before their usual active time. If you are not familiar with their sound, it kind of sounds like the someone hung sleigh bells in from trees. 

I don't mind the little bit of rain we've had the past few days. I'm going to need to be turning some ground this week to get the garden area ready and I am hopeful that the rain will make it easier. Truthfully, I could be working today, but I'm enjoying this moment as it is. The damp air and cool wind make sitting on the deck futon pretty inviting. I've added a DVD player to my outdoor setup and expect to be doing daily Tai chi when the mornings are consistently warm enough. 

I was planning on shaving the beard at the spring equinox on Saturday -- kind of a personal farewell to winter and hello to spring. I may not wait that long since Chris seems to be tiring of my long hair, unshaved face, and general unkempt appearance. Time for a shave and a haircut (two bits)! Personally, I'm okay with it long, but you know the saying -- Happy wife, happy life!

I was going to post my Student Venues lesson from this morning, but since it is a little bit about Celtic Christianity, I figured I'll wait until St. Patrick's Day to post it. (Actually, as I type that I think that I should go ahead and set it up now and just schedule it to post on Wednesday morning.)

The sky is looks like more rain soon and there are rumbles of thunder along with the occasional bolt of lightning, so I'm going to sign off and enjoy the sounds of nature and the majesty of God's creation. 

Be well, friends!
John

Coffee, Connections, and Contemplation

Last spring my son was working in Tepic, Nayarit MX. He was working with the local coffee growers during the harvest. Since then, I've been able to enjoy some of that harvest that has been imported and roasted by some American coffee roasters. 

This first one was roasted in Chicago and the profits all went to support mental health and suicide awareness. 

The second was from an association that is made up of all women growers.

And most recently, the Sip of Hope coffee was used by a craft beer company in this coffee porter.

The thing is -- I have a connection to each of these products. My son was a part of bringing these products to my palate. He met and worked with the growers of the beans that went into them. He was at the mills where the cherries were processed, and he was one of the people cupping and grading the beans. It's almost as if I have some small investment in (and connection to) the people, the earth, and the coffee, itself. 

This morning's coffee is a single origin coffee from the mountains of Honduras. As I sip this coffee, I am thinking about the farmers that grew and harvested the cherries. I'm thinking about the people that processed and transported the beans. I'm thinking there were a lot of people involved in bringing me this coffee from the earth on a mountain in Honduras to my coffee cup in Highlandville MO...
...and I am so appreciative of their contributions to my morning ritual. 

When I look at it that way, it is a wonder this cup of coffee doesn't cost a small fortune!
But more than that, there is great value in pausing to enjoy the quiet moment, savoring the taste and subtle flavors of the region, and feeling connected to the people that produced and brought this simple cup of coffee to the Ozarks of Southwest Missouri. 
The coffee beans that came into existence on a mountain in Central America will end up as grounds decomposing in the soil of Southwest MO. It's really kind of amazing.

How are you connected today?
How far has somebody reached to touch your life?
How far will your influence and contributions of the day reach?
Are we all connected?

John

Church Hurt: a rant

I don't even know where to begin.
I suppose an easy place to begin is with the reason for thinking along the lines of people being hurt by the church or by church people. While Beth Moore has been in the Baptist news circle for some time, she recently made it into mainstream news by making the announcement that she is leaving the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).  

Over the years there have been many of us that have left the SBC for a number of reasons. Many have been sexually abused at the hands of church leaders. Others have been spiritually abused and manipulated. So many of the ones that left the SBC have completely left church, religion, even God. (I wonder if this is where that millstone thing from Matt 18:6 comes into play.)
Perhaps the most disheartening thing about Ms. Moore's leaving the SBC is the comments being left by people that feel it's the best thing -- for the SBC. They view a woman that loves Jesus to her core as more of a threat to their patriarchy and would rather see her silenced than have her spreading the Word of God.
And while there are some in the SBC world that will lament her leaving, there has been no one to notice nor mourn the thousands that have left before her (and continue to leave) because of the very non-Christlike behaviors and opinions of church leaders.

It's pretty amazing once you are able to step back from the midst of the chaos. I now know so many people that have struggled with being hurt by the very people that are supposed to love and comfort you. Each time I hear their stories I have to wonder if my words or actions played a part in someone's being hurt or in their leaving God behind.
I wonder if there is a millstone (or worse) waiting for me.

How is it that we have let religion separate us from God and from each other?
The very word - religion - means to re-connect (think re-ligament).
 
If I am to be honest with you and with myself, I really don't think much of American Christianity. I think it has become a power structure like any other power structure where the leaders exert control and suppression and do so for their personal gain and glory. They have set up their rules about who can join their churches and who gets into heaven. Even those that genuinely love Jesus are coerced into working within the accepted rules to share that love or (like Ms. Moore, myself, and countless others) they are silenced or forced out and condemned. 

While I no longer have the platform (nor the pulpit) to share God's love with others, I am pretty convinced that God doesn't need me to tell people about God's love and mercy. I believe what God wants is for me to show people that love and mercy. When I look at the preachers of my past (myself included) I see a lot of talkers. When I look at the people that surround me today, I see people that daily show God's love to the ones that most need to know they are loved.  

I'll take these meek, more organic, non-churchlike, followers of Jesus over the loud talking American Evangelical (self-proclaimed) Christians any day. 

(end rant)

John

Why are grey days depressing?

Thanks to Meghan Markle openly talking about thoughts of suicide, depression is something people are talking about for the moment. I'm sure that it will soon be relegated back to whispers and closed door conversations, but for now we can think about it in terms of healthcare and not just mental healthcare.
Before I get into this post, I have to remind you that I'm no expert on anything related to depression or mental health. In fact, I'm not an expert on anything at all. I do not suffer from depression, so I can't even offer any first hand observations. These are just some thoughts and observations that enter into my head and make me wonder about stuff.

Long winter nights, long winters, overcast days, periods of grey, rainy days, all seem to have a way of triggering depressive swings. A lack of exposure to direct sunlight seems to have a very negative effect on most people -- not just people that suffer from depression.
One of the aspects of becoming more contemplative is asking myself -- Why? Why is it this way and does it have to be this way? Can a change of perspective bring about a change of attitude or outlook?

Sometimes I have to remind myself that God moves in the darkness as well as in the light. Genesis teaches that before God created light there was only darkness and in the darkness the Spirit of God moved. When God created light, He didn't do away with darkness -- He separated darkness from the light and called the dark - night, and the light - day. Each has its own purpose and both are necessary.

Nights give us (and most of the plant and animal life) the rest we need. Some things thrive in the night and darkness is their active time. The night is a necessary part of the balance of the earth's life cycles. 
Just as we need dark nights, we need the rain. The rainy days are necessary to replenish and refill the life giving water reservoirs. The rain waters the food crops and the flowers that feed the bees, butterflies, and birds. Isn't it funny how we see a beautiful flower and think of the sunshine that brought it into being, but rarely think of the rainy days and restful nights that were also a part of its beauty and creation.

To be fair -- 
This morning I am enjoying sitting in the sunshine. I hope that I will also enjoy the rainy mornings that are surely in my future. I am a fan of overnight rain showers. The earth being watered while I sleep is perfect -- a rhythmic sound to sleep by, the needed water for life, and we still get to enjoy sunny days for play and work! (I wonder if nocturnal creatures wish it would rain during the day when they're sleeping!)

Maybe if we started to see grey, rainy days and long dark nights as a necessary part of life they would begin to feel less depressing. I'm not advocating that curing clinical depression is as simple as eliminating some of the triggers. I know far too many people that need the chemistry of medical science to deal with their depression. These are just thoughts that help me with those particularly depressing kind of days.

If your depression is more than feeling bad on grey days, please seek professional help. We are slowly moving past the dark times where mental illness is stigmatized. It helps when well known people and celebrities are able to come forward and make mental illness issues as common as other illnesses. Please use the moment to talk to someone that can help you. 

Sorry for the rambling this morning.
I hope that you enjoy your day.

John

What's for breakfast?

Back a number of years ago (I was still working) I was having a tower conversation with a co-worker about an idea I had for breakfast -- fried oatmeal!
Hear me out -- you know if you let oatmeal get cold it turns into a thick, sort of gluey mess, right? I was thinking you can fry that in a skillet, cover it with cinnamon, powdered sugar, or just some butter and syrup and it would be a pretty good breakfast. My co-worker didn't buy it. I think her exact words were, "John Hill, only you would take something healthy like oatmeal and fry it and cover it with sugar to turn it into something unhealthy!"

This morning during the beginning of our Facebook stream of church, someone asked me, "What's for breakfast?" 
While I was typing, "Idk. Probably oatmeal," someone else commented that it would no doubt include an egg or two.
And then I was remembering my fried oatmeal idea from years ago.

After church was over I fired up the griddle so that it would get hot and put 1/2 cup of whole rolled oats and 1/4 cup of water into a bowl. Then I added some crushed pecans and I cut up a strawberry and added them to the cup. I also added a generous amount of cinnamon. To keep things together, I added one egg and mixed it all together. 
It was pretty runny so I added another 1/4 cup of oats and that gave me the consistency I was looking for. The griddle was hot, so I put a little butter on it and poured out the contents of the bowl. I let it cook for a bit on one side then flipped it over and cooked the other side. I did top it with a pat of butter and some maple syrup. 
I know -- it's really just an oatmeal pancake, but because it's me and my original idea was for fried oatmeal -- that's what I'm calling it.

Yeah, it was pretty delicious!
Another successful food experiment.

And I think that I could easily go savory instead of sweet by starting with the oats, water, and egg, and adding onions, garlic, a bit of cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Then I would want to top it with a fried egg and maybe a bit of shredded cheddar!
Mmmm...that will definitely be something for another day!

Bon appetit!

John

Sunday Quiet Time

It's my Sunday morning quiet time. I've had some time to browse through my memories on Facebook, catch up with some news on Twitter, and just enjoy the warmth of the fireplace and a cup or two of coffee.
Some of the articles I read this morning reflected the lack of integrity of so many religious leaders. It's a sad commentary on what American Christianity has become.

Yesterday I read a pastor's tweet that compared a Christian that doesn't go to church with a cancer patient that refuses to go to the hospital. I really wanted to offer my comments about that, but scrolled on because I am not a friend/follower of that pastor and I think it's a bullshit comparison. I stand by my personal assessment that the further I got from religion, the closer I got to God.

I'm in a pretty good spiritual place right now. I enjoy sharing thoughts with the people of The Venues Church where we were attending before the pandemic hit and relegated us to online church. In some ways I do miss the in person services (back on the 28th!), but in others ways I am perfectly comfortable on my computer while sitting by the fireplace or out on the deck (depending on the weather). I guess it's a little sad that I really don't miss being around people that much.
The truth is -- there are quite a few people I am looking forward to seeing and sharing a hug or handshake, and just catching up on the missing year, but still... sigh.

For now, I'll enjoy a few more quiet Sunday mornings. Online church start in a few minutes.
Have a great day.

John

It's the Weekend!

Happy Saturday, my friends!
The weekend weather forecast for SWMO is looking like spring is on the way. I hope to finish building flower beds and raised garden beds. The digging in and leveling the beds will take some work and will probably go into next week.

This past week has kinda sucked on the Lenten resolve. I'm not sure why -- I just didn't have the same motivation. I am looking forward to getting back to it this week. I'm working on those cards and notes of encouragement. I've got several written that I need to get into the mail. They aren't offering much encouragement in my backpack.

Even in the midst of hope from falling case numbers and more people getting vaccinated, there are still stories of despair. I'm a bit surprised at the number of people that are really depressed and isolated due to pandemic restrictions. It's sometimes difficult to empathize when the isolation hasn't bothered me.
Perhaps the most difficult thing is seeing others having to go through difficult times alone.

There are many senior citizens that rely on people to help them, but now are on their own. Even kids and grandkids are avoiding them to protect them from exposure to the coronavirus. 
Many hospitals and healthcare facilities still have protocols in place so that patients have to face surgeries and recovery alone. In the times when we are used to drawing on the presence and strength of others, we are stuck with our own thoughts and fears.

I hope that you will take some time to offer someone some encouragement this week. It will be good for both of you!

In good news -- Chris got her 1st COVID vaccination shot this week. It's weird how exciting getting a vaccination has turned out to be.

Be well,
John 

Ready for Spring

I know that winter isn't over yet, but the early signs of spring are quite encouraging. This morning I am enjoying my coffee and quiet time sitting on the deck! Yesterday's local temperatures reached 70f (21c) and today will be a sunny repeat! I'm going to try to get some outdoor things done -- building flower boxes and raised garden beds -- and just enjoy soaking up some good ol' Vitamin D. 

I have not been on the computer much the past few days. I do hope to continue to keep it minimal as the spring approaches. In reality, I see myself falling back to it some, but hope to at least keep the social media part of my browsing limited. 

I'd like to write more and to share some peaceful thoughts and perhaps a nugget or two of wisdom I've discovered along the way, but the truth is I sometimes find blogging to be a task. The moment it feels like work, I don't feel like writing -- know what I mean?
I'll continue to write and share as the spirit moves me, but for now I've been sitting here long enough to have emptied my small coffee pot and it is time to enjoy the sunshine!

Have a grand day!

John

Changing My Role as an Evangelist

In many ways I have given up on my calling as an evangelist. I no longer feel led to preaching the gospel as a means of recruiting souls into a place where we go when we die. As a Southern Baptist evangelist, that was the role I was expected to fulfill. If the role of the itinerant evangelist is to convince people to walk an aisle, pray some magical words, and receive everlasting life -- well, I was probably never that good at it anyway. Over the past few years, I've been rethinking my calling as a preacher of the gospel.

Depending on where you look, you'll find evangelism defined as something like -- the act of preaching the Christian gospel as a means of sharing the teachings and message of Jesus.
Somehow modern day Christian evangelism has been boiled down to "How to get to heaven" rather than "How to live and love as we make this human pilgrimage."

I just finished reading Matthew's account of The Sermon on the Mount. Over and over, the teachings of Jesus are about how to treat each other and how to honor God. Love your neighbor. Love your enemy. Be kind. Be generous. Be honest. Be forgiving. Love -- did I mention that already?

Jesus says that you can know a tree by the fruit it produces. You can know a person by what they produce, as well. Someone that preaches love, but acts hatefully is a false profit. If your good works are motivated by a need to cover up hateful things, you are not a good person producing good fruit.

I ran across this statement in the middle of a twitter thread this morning:

   
Could it be that the best form of evangelism is not to speak, but to do?
It is said that we should always preach the gospel and when necessary, use words.
That will put a lot of evangelists out of a job!
It's a good thing I had that air traffic controller gig to fall back on!

Love your neighbors.
Love you enemies. (sometimes they're the same people)
Love yourself, too!

John