Of Reading Biographies

Been reading biographies of late - John Adams, Abraham Lincoln and now John A. MacKay (former missionary to South America and president of Princeton Seminary).

I am always comforted by women and men of courage and faith - no matter life's challenges, pitfalls, and pain,
they made it through.

They advanced the human cause,
they added to the goodness of human longing,
they enlarged the library of wisdom,
they lived with passion and compassion;
they weren't perfect, but they did great things for humanity.

They loved, as best they could;
they saw the realities and needs of others,
and to others they were devoted,
and each in their own way, devoted to God,
to the highest and best to which any of us might aspire.

These are some of the heroes of my life.
They make it clear: Life is hard.
And not to unduly fret.
But to stay the course.
Keep my eyes on what is good and fair and lovely.

And for me, personally, to remain centered in Christ.
In the words of the Sacred Text.
With mindfulness and generosity.
With love for fellow travelers on truth's road.

And so it is.
And so it goes.

To God be the glory.
And God's glory is a human being fully alive.

Images of the Church

The church is like a spring in the wilderness.
It’s not the spring itself.
It’s the water.
But if we’re thirsty, we go to the Spring.
If we’re thirsty for greatness, we go to the church!
Not for the church itself, but for the water God gives there.
The stories … the liturgies … the images and the seasons … the rites and the rituals … preaching and praying … in all of it, the greatness of God!
The Spring may be in a muddy field.
And oasis in a dry land.
And we’ll get a little dirty making our way to the Spring.
The church, you see, isn’t pure.
But the water is pure.
And on bended knee,
And with faithful hope,
We will drink.
We will find God finding us.
The soul’s thirst will be assuaged.
And the soul will become great!