What Is Marriage?

Marriage isn't about children or genitals, 
it's about love, companionship, support in hard times, friendship and going on trips together; 

eating out in a nice restaurant, and cooking chili on a winter evening, 
when the snow lays heavy on the earth; 

going to the movies, doing some gardening together, adopting a child perhaps, visiting a nursing home, changing a flat tire for the other, wearing sexy aftershave, pinching one another, telling crazy jokes, singing together after two drinks, 

planning a dinner party, going to the movies, reading books together, 
having a spat now and then, and sometimes a first-class argument, 
and working it through and making up to one another with apologies for hardheadedness;

it's all about life together, the long-haul, the journey of days and nights, 
wonderful times and terrible times ... life and death ... 
to love and to cherish, in the best and worst of times. 

This is a human thing, something grand and beautiful, that always tries and tests the best in us, bringing us to a better place than yesterday, and sometimes revealing to us how crappy we are and how lousy we can be. 

So it is in the world of cabbages and kings ... to travel with the companion of our life, our best friend and oftentimes counselor, our spouse! To the glory of God and the wonder of life.

Prayers of the People, January 27, 2013

Prayers of the People, January 27, 2013

God of grace and God of glory,

On Your people pour Your pow'r;

Crown Your ancient Church’s story;

Bring its bud to glorious flow'r.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,

For the facing of this hour …

O LORD our God, great is your name.

And greatly to be praised.

All glory, worship and honor to you.

Forever and forever.

World without end.

To you, dear God, we turn in praise and prayer.

Because every prayer offered is well-received at heaven’s gate:

Every tear and every fear.

Every shattered dream and every dim hope.

Our lives, just as they are.

Torn and tattered though they be.

Full of confusion and sorrow.

Uncertain about the day and fearful of the night.

But in your light, we see light.

By your mercy, all is made new. 

In your grace, love abounds and life goes on.

As always, LORD, we pray for those near and dear to us … our children … our grandchildren … brothers and sisters … aunts and uncles … nephews and nieces ...

We pray for friends and neighbors …

For the sick, O LORD, we pray for healing.

For the the dying, O LORD, we pray for peace.

For those troubled by their past, we pray for release.

For those burdened with hatred and animosity, we pray for brighter days and and better feelings.

For those who have suffered great loss, we pray for encouragement and opportunity.

For those who want to be more than they are, we pray for courage and determination.

For those who dream of a better world, we pray for their blessing.

For those who lead nations, we pray for wisdom.

We pray for President Zuma of South Africa …

For King Mswati of Swaziland …

For President Nieto of Mexico …

O LORD our God, we pray for people of faith and vision … who dream the dreams of peace and prosperity … who dream of a world set free from tyranny and the gods of mammon and desire.

Bless us, we pray, with kindness of heart … and gentleness of spirit …

Where our love is weak, O God, give us the greater love of Jesus …

Where courage fails us, grant us the courage of others to inspire us to try again …

Where we are frightened, dear God, remind us that we are yours, that nothing can separate us from your love given so freely in Christ Jesus our LORD.

Bless us, we pray, that we might be the salt of the earth and the light of the world …

That our words might build up and point the way to life …

That our deeds might outlive us because of their goodness …

That our faithfulness would be pleasing in your sight, O LORD our God …

All of this, and more, we pray in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray, saying … Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name ...

My Mind Churns

My mind churns with so many thoughts these days.
Can't keep track of 'em.
But like planets around a sun.
They swirl around a central idea.
Some call it justice.
Others fairness.
The world could do better on so many fronts.
The powerful could be less afraid of losing some power.
The wealthy less afraid of helping others.
And less afraid if they have a million or two less at the end of the year with a better taxation structure to benefit the common good.
If only the pulpits of the land could speak a greater wisdom.
Salvation is for here and now and this good earth.
Whatever eternity means, it ought not to be the only interest of preachers.
God takes care of eternity just fine.
It's here and now that concerns God.
And should concern us, too.
Heaven talk is meaningless without earth talk.
Earth talk is all we need; it will take care of heaven just fine.
Grow up church.
And the same to the powerful and the wealthy.
Grow up.

A Devout Christian of Unfailing Good Humor

Howard Somervell, an Everest Team Member, 1922, is described as "the gentlest of souls, decent and compassionate, a devout Christian of unfailing good humor."*

What a delightful description, and in so many ways, as it should be.

I am reminded of too many "devout Christians" who are anything but gentle, ready to dismiss those with whom they disagree, hardly compassionate and decidedly missing anything remotely resembling good humor.

Sourpuss demeanor and argumentative temperament characterize too many "devout Christians."

Having said that, the above description of Somervell stands as a model for me.

As for gentleness, years ago I had a small banner in my office that read: "gentleness is true strength" or something like that.

As for decent and compassionate, I think of folks I've had the pleasure of knowing who've embodied these virtues rather fully, in such a way that the whole of their life is colored by these sturdy characteristics, and sturdy they are. There's nothing weak-kneed about them.

And unfailing good humor - there's something about that that calls to me. In a world where bad news is abundant, unfailing good humor sustains the soul, lest it decay into darkness, and such humor encourages others to keep up the good work and stay the course.

Good humor acknowledges all the sadness of the world, but retains a deep connection to something the Psalmist describes as "the rock higher than I am."

A man or woman who embodies these qualities is likely to practice a deep presence with others, weeping with those who weep and rejoicing with those who rejoice.

And as a friend once described a mutual friend, "When they enter the room, lights are turned on."

May it be so for us all.

To either be such a light for others, or when the dark edges of life creep upon our soul with their shadows, there will be another light to stand beside us, gentle and decent.

*p. 380, Into the Silence by Wade Davis.

John Winthrop's City upon a Hill, 1630

Much is said about the City Upon a Hill - here's the source of that remarkable phrase, and what Winthrop believes to be the essence of a City on a Hill.

May it be so!

John Winthrop's City upon a Hill, 1630

Now the onely way to avoyde this shipwracke and to provide for our posterity is to followe the Counsell of Micah, to doe Justly, to love mercy, to walke humbly with our God, for this end, wee must be knitt together in this worke as one man, wee must entertaine each other in brotherly Affeccion, wee must be willing to abridge our selves of our superfluities, for the supply of others necessities, wee must uphold a familiar Commerce together in all meekenes, gentlenes, patience and liberallity, wee must delight in eache other, make others Condicions our owne rejoyce together, mourne together, labour, and suffer together, allwayes haveing before our eyes our Commission and Community in the worke, our Community as members of the same body, soe shall wee keepe the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace, the Lord will be our God and delight to dwell among us, as his owne people and will commaund a blessing upon us in all our wayes, soe that wee shall see much more of his wisdome power goodnes and truthe then formerly wee have beene acquainted with, wee shall finde that the God of Israell is among us, when tenn of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies, when hee shall make us a prayse and glory, that men shall say of succeeding plantacions: the lord make it like that of New England: for wee must Consider that wee shall be as a Citty upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us; soe that if wee shall deale falsely with our god in this worke wee have undertaken and soe cause him to withdrawe his present help from us, wee shall be made a story and a byword through the world, wee shall open the mouthes of enemies to speake evill of the wayes of god and all professours for Gods sake; wee shall shame the faces of many of gods worthy servants, and cause theire prayers to be turned into Cursses upon us till wee be consumed out of the good land whether wee are going: And to shutt upp this discourse with that exhortacion of Moses that faithfull servant of the Lord in his last farewell to Israell Deut. 30. Beloved there is now sett before us life, and good, deathe and evill in that wee are Commaunded this day to love the Lord our God, and to love one another to walke in his wayes and to keepe his Commaundements and his Ordinance, and his lawes, and the Articles of our Covenant with him that wee may live and be multiplyed, and that the Lord our God may blesse us in the land whether wee goe to possesse it: But if our heartes shall turne away soe that wee will not obey, but shall be seduced and worshipp other Gods our pleasures, and proffitts, and serve them, it is propounded unto us this day, wee shall surely perishe out of the good Land whether wee passe over this vast Sea to possesse it;

Therefore lett us choose life,

that wee, and our Seede,

may live; by obeyeing his

voyce, and cleaveing to him,

for hee is our life, and

our prosperity.

Faith and Politics - My Journey

Some of my earliest memories are of God.

God was there for me, and I was never afraid of God.

That carried through high school (Grand Rapids Christian High School).

And Calvin College.

And then to Seminary, and all the years since.

Sometime in 9th or 10th grade, I subscribed to U.S. News and World Report.

I read every issue.

Slowly, the world of mice and men merged with my sense of God and Bible reading.

In high school, I bought a huge Thompson's Chain Reference Bible, and I loved it. I found my verses, underlined them, memorized them, and made them mine, but the best was yet to come.

In seminary, I began to read the whole Bible, and that's pretty much continued over the years.

My teaching mantra: "Read lots of the Bible in single settings, and read often."

Out of this mix of reading and personal history, I made my political decision when I turned 21 and was able to vote.

But was it just Bible and then politics?

No!

The whole of my life - for whatever reason, I very much felt like the outsider, and that gave me sympathy for the outsider. I was sick a lot as a child - bad allergies and lots of colds and coughs. I was overweight much of the time. My family moved often. My mother had great difficulties with most of the family and some of their friends. My father was on the fringe of things. My older brother was gone off to college when I was 9, and we didn't see much of each other thereafter.

I've always had feelings for those who are shunned by others, who don't belong, who are looked down upon.

Wasn't always consistent, that's for sure. I was a terrible racist.

It was in college where the debris of racism was finally gathered up and swept away by Dr. Roger Rice who had us read Michael Harrington's "The Other America." This professor will always be enshrined in my memories.

Slowly, my world came together.

Theologically, what mattered was grace.

No one has better understanding of grace than the Apostle Paul.

And then Calvin.

My Presbyterian story.

Amazing Grace.

These are the bits and pieces of who I am, from little on.

This is my story.

And why I see the world as I see it, and think about politics as I do.

I've been reading the Prophets as of late.

Strong reading.

Confirmation, I think,

What God despises is military might and the pride that goes with it.

Wealth without restraint.

Mistreatment of the vulnerable - the failure of the nation to care for its weakest citizens, and even the alien within its boundaries.

And false gods.

False gods are always present and evident in the above: the love of military might, and reliance upon it. Love of wealth and the accumulation of more and more. Contempt for the poor, ignoring their needs, taking advantage of them, impoverishing them even further.

No matter the pretense of faith, behavior reveals the false gods.

So ...

All greatness is of God.

All greatness becomes arrogant.

God brings down all arrogance.

How do I vote?

I vote for the politicians that have the larger grasp of what justice is all about. A big vision of the world, and our place within it. Those who proclaim "America the greatest" are just plain wrong, sadly mistaken, and need to immerse themselves in the Bible before they yammer on like some silly potentate of old.

I vote for those who have a sense of the underdog, the vulnerable - who look upon them and their plight with compassion rather than contempt. Who see them as people, not parasites. Who see them as victims of big systems that serve the wealthy. Who understand that it's the job of priest and prophet and king to address these needs and maintain balance for all citizens.

I vote for those who understand the manna principle: that those who have much won't have too much, and those who have little won't have too little.

I have no time for Ayn Rand and her blighted view of things.

She's to be pitied.

Not believed.

How strange that anyone who professes faith in Christ would shape her bitterness and bile into a political vision.

But so it goes in this world of cabbages and kings.

Racist Debris

I hate it

When

Racist debris floats to

The surface of

My mind.

Those murky paradigms of

A time long ago.

They rise unbidden.

To sink again.

But a stench they leave

Behind in the mind.

I hate it.