Our house in Cheshire, CT, faces north/south. The front faces north, toward Waterbury where I ministered for 21 years. The back faces south, toward New Haven, where I served a church for 5 years before that.
All of which means that the sun passes over us from east to west, every day.
We have two Adirondack chairs on our back deck where we sit and read in warm months.
Works in the morning until the sun lights on the one on the right and then the one on the left.
In the afternoon, the one on the right is in the shade first, then the one on the left.
So, my reading, which I do a lot of in these days, is limited by the sun.
I also remember driving to Waterbury for an evening meeting with the sun setting in my face.
We are surrounded by nature out back.
Birds and squirrels and chipmonks galore. Sometimes a rabbit.
And trees and flowers everywhere.
During his strange time, I have had the time to take it all in.
And it is wondrous.
I hope you are enjoying nature too.
Be still and know.....
Saturday, June 13, 2020
Friday, June 12, 2020
A beautiful day in many ways
There was little humidity and lots of sun and a brisk breeze. Just the kind of day to sit on the deck and be joyous.
Too bad everyone didn't see how perfect it was.
The current administration has rolled back Obama-era health protection for Transgendered people in the Affordable Care Act. Transgendered folks will have a harder time getting health care because the new regulations say people must apply for health care as 'their biological gender'.
Amazing!
Plus, Corona 19 cases are increasing in mostly southern states that have re-opened by not obeying the guidelines outlined by the government.
Plus, there was a photo on Twitter (since taken down) of Mike Pence at a campaign headquarters with nearly a hundred people standing side-by-side with no masks.
Plus, Tucker Carlson of Fox News said that 'Black Lives Matter' is lots of things, but not about 'black lives'.
On such a beautiful June day, lots of bad things happened.
Oh, and in addition, the president is holding a rally in Tulsa, a site of a great racial group of murders on Juneteenth--the day blacks celebrate as the end of slavery.
We live in a dangerous and confusing world.
Pray for change.
Pray for hope.
Pray for new possibilities.
Pray.
(The opinions in this blog are solely mine and have nothing to do with the 3 churches I serve.)
Too bad everyone didn't see how perfect it was.
The current administration has rolled back Obama-era health protection for Transgendered people in the Affordable Care Act. Transgendered folks will have a harder time getting health care because the new regulations say people must apply for health care as 'their biological gender'.
Amazing!
Plus, Corona 19 cases are increasing in mostly southern states that have re-opened by not obeying the guidelines outlined by the government.
Plus, there was a photo on Twitter (since taken down) of Mike Pence at a campaign headquarters with nearly a hundred people standing side-by-side with no masks.
Plus, Tucker Carlson of Fox News said that 'Black Lives Matter' is lots of things, but not about 'black lives'.
On such a beautiful June day, lots of bad things happened.
Oh, and in addition, the president is holding a rally in Tulsa, a site of a great racial group of murders on Juneteenth--the day blacks celebrate as the end of slavery.
We live in a dangerous and confusing world.
Pray for change.
Pray for hope.
Pray for new possibilities.
Pray.
(The opinions in this blog are solely mine and have nothing to do with the 3 churches I serve.)
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Being honest
A dear friend let me know today in an email that he/she disagrees with my politics.
I knew that fair well.
But her/his concern was that my blog is publicized through the three churches of the Cluster I serve and on their facebook pages.
He/she is right.
She/he asked if I would give a disclaimer about my blog saying 'The thoughts and opinions here are solely mine, not those of the churches I serve'. That's my wording not her's/his.
I'm glad to do that. I may even ask our Cluster Administrator to take my blog off the bulletins and our web guru to remove it from the Cluster facebook.
But, I do disagree with what she/he said in their email--that church and politics must be separate.
I do try as best I can to be non-political in sermons.
But sermons are about God and our lives--and our lives are lived in the political world.
It is, for me, impossible to not, from time to time, offer my thoughts about what is happening in our world and how our God might think about that.
The current and world-wide demonstrations about race in the U.S. can't be ignored.
God has some thoughts on racial discrimination, it seems to me. God has some thoughts about those in charge vs. those they are in charge of. God has some thoughts on love vs. hate. God has some thoughts on equality. God has some thoughts, obviously, on 'the least of these' in our midst. God has some thoughts on loving our neighbors.
So, I will do whatever my dear friend asks: give a disclaimer that my ponderings are mine and mine alone or stop publicizing my blog with the churches.
But I cannot believe the church and politics must never engage each other.
To do that, in my mind, would deny not only who I am...but who God is.
I knew that fair well.
But her/his concern was that my blog is publicized through the three churches of the Cluster I serve and on their facebook pages.
He/she is right.
She/he asked if I would give a disclaimer about my blog saying 'The thoughts and opinions here are solely mine, not those of the churches I serve'. That's my wording not her's/his.
I'm glad to do that. I may even ask our Cluster Administrator to take my blog off the bulletins and our web guru to remove it from the Cluster facebook.
But, I do disagree with what she/he said in their email--that church and politics must be separate.
I do try as best I can to be non-political in sermons.
But sermons are about God and our lives--and our lives are lived in the political world.
It is, for me, impossible to not, from time to time, offer my thoughts about what is happening in our world and how our God might think about that.
The current and world-wide demonstrations about race in the U.S. can't be ignored.
God has some thoughts on racial discrimination, it seems to me. God has some thoughts about those in charge vs. those they are in charge of. God has some thoughts on love vs. hate. God has some thoughts on equality. God has some thoughts, obviously, on 'the least of these' in our midst. God has some thoughts on loving our neighbors.
So, I will do whatever my dear friend asks: give a disclaimer that my ponderings are mine and mine alone or stop publicizing my blog with the churches.
But I cannot believe the church and politics must never engage each other.
To do that, in my mind, would deny not only who I am...but who God is.
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Giving back
I plan tomorrow to write $300 checks to each of the three churches I serve. I got my pay check today and I'm not doing what they pay me for.
All I do in this pandemic time is a 40 minute or so zoom church and a dozen or so phone calls.
That's not what they pay me for.
I'll feel better about taking the other half of my pay if I give back.
We are people who the virus hasn't affected financially. The church pension fund and social security haven't stopped. We're fine.
In fact, I haven't filled up my gas tank for almost 3 weeks and it's half full. Doing what I'm paid to do by the Cluster I fill it up every week and spend time on the road and see people and buy lunch sometimes. So, I spend money. And I'm not putting my $20 or so in the offering in cash every week.
So, I owe them.
If you're doing ok financially in this time of crisis, figure out who you 'owe'--and pay up.
Pass it on. Pay it forward. Give it to charity or your church or your political party (IF YOU'RE A DEMOCRAT, OF COURSE!!!)
Those of us not affected need to pass it on to those who are.
This is the time to form a habit like that for the future.
That future would be better than what we have today.
Wash you hands. Wear a mask. Socially distance. Pass it on.
All I do in this pandemic time is a 40 minute or so zoom church and a dozen or so phone calls.
That's not what they pay me for.
I'll feel better about taking the other half of my pay if I give back.
We are people who the virus hasn't affected financially. The church pension fund and social security haven't stopped. We're fine.
In fact, I haven't filled up my gas tank for almost 3 weeks and it's half full. Doing what I'm paid to do by the Cluster I fill it up every week and spend time on the road and see people and buy lunch sometimes. So, I spend money. And I'm not putting my $20 or so in the offering in cash every week.
So, I owe them.
If you're doing ok financially in this time of crisis, figure out who you 'owe'--and pay up.
Pass it on. Pay it forward. Give it to charity or your church or your political party (IF YOU'RE A DEMOCRAT, OF COURSE!!!)
Those of us not affected need to pass it on to those who are.
This is the time to form a habit like that for the future.
That future would be better than what we have today.
Wash you hands. Wear a mask. Socially distance. Pass it on.
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Why do I find anything he does unbelievable?
Every time I think the president can't do anything that surprises me, he does.
He retweeted (I don't know what Twitter is or how a 're-tweet' works, and if I did, I wouldn't do it) a conspiracy theory from a right-wing group that the 75 year old man who police shoved down, Martin Gigino, was a member of 'antifia', not ever sure exactly what that is besides the invention of the right, and 'fell harder than he was pushed' to make a point. Martin, who is a well known peace activist in Buffalo, NY, is still in the hospital from the injuries the police caused.
The two policemen (and they were 'men') have been suspended without pay though numbers of the police and fire department in Buffalo have resigned in support of them!
We all saw it on tape.
Martin was shoved down, not tended to until the medical folks arrived, bleeding from the ear and still in hospital, though, thankfully, no longer 'critical' or in ICU.
A couple of Republicans condemned the tweet, but most didn't, trying to turn a blind eye to an outrageous and totally without proof accusation by their president.
It's probably too late to hope that Republican lawmakers will join the Generals and other military in condemning the president for his outrageous behavior.
They are 'fellow travelers' with him.
Only November will change that.
The demonstrators don't want to eliminate the police, they want to change who handles certain situations.
Mental health workers, no police, in incidents of mental problems; social workers for domestic violence and child abuse; drug specialists in drug abuse, and more money for housing and food for those in need who so often are confronted by police.
Police will not be eliminated, just reduced in their role and the enormous police budgets spent in different ways.
Many police would support that--they don't want to deal with issues that aren't crimes against society.
This is a moment in our history where we might become 'great'--responding to profound needs in a positive way.
God help us that we will.
He retweeted (I don't know what Twitter is or how a 're-tweet' works, and if I did, I wouldn't do it) a conspiracy theory from a right-wing group that the 75 year old man who police shoved down, Martin Gigino, was a member of 'antifia', not ever sure exactly what that is besides the invention of the right, and 'fell harder than he was pushed' to make a point. Martin, who is a well known peace activist in Buffalo, NY, is still in the hospital from the injuries the police caused.
The two policemen (and they were 'men') have been suspended without pay though numbers of the police and fire department in Buffalo have resigned in support of them!
We all saw it on tape.
Martin was shoved down, not tended to until the medical folks arrived, bleeding from the ear and still in hospital, though, thankfully, no longer 'critical' or in ICU.
A couple of Republicans condemned the tweet, but most didn't, trying to turn a blind eye to an outrageous and totally without proof accusation by their president.
It's probably too late to hope that Republican lawmakers will join the Generals and other military in condemning the president for his outrageous behavior.
They are 'fellow travelers' with him.
Only November will change that.
The demonstrators don't want to eliminate the police, they want to change who handles certain situations.
Mental health workers, no police, in incidents of mental problems; social workers for domestic violence and child abuse; drug specialists in drug abuse, and more money for housing and food for those in need who so often are confronted by police.
Police will not be eliminated, just reduced in their role and the enormous police budgets spent in different ways.
Many police would support that--they don't want to deal with issues that aren't crimes against society.
This is a moment in our history where we might become 'great'--responding to profound needs in a positive way.
God help us that we will.
Monday, June 8, 2020
Sarah Cooper
If you don't know the name, you need to learn it.
Sarah Cooper is a black, stand-up comedian who, during lock-down, has posted videos on tic-tock of her lip syncing the president.
They are hilarious.
Go to YouTube and find her.
You won't be disappointed.
Her facial expressions and gestures perfectly accompany her lip-syncing.
She even plays other characters watching her.
Well worth the time--and hey, what do we have these days but lots of time?
She's also an immigrant, from Britain or somewhere where English is spoken with an accent.
Perfect--black and an immigrant lip-syncing the president!!!
Watch her and laugh...or cry...either will do.
Sarah Cooper is a black, stand-up comedian who, during lock-down, has posted videos on tic-tock of her lip syncing the president.
They are hilarious.
Go to YouTube and find her.
You won't be disappointed.
Her facial expressions and gestures perfectly accompany her lip-syncing.
She even plays other characters watching her.
Well worth the time--and hey, what do we have these days but lots of time?
She's also an immigrant, from Britain or somewhere where English is spoken with an accent.
Perfect--black and an immigrant lip-syncing the president!!!
Watch her and laugh...or cry...either will do.
Sunday, June 7, 2020
A West Virginia Spring
This Spring and Early Summer in Cheshire has been like a West Virginia Spring.
The altitude of Cheshire is 177 feet.
Anawalt, WV, where I grew up was almost 1300 feet and surrounded by mountains that rose another thousand feet.
So, though Cheshire is hundreds of miles from Anawalt, the altitude made Spring and Early Summer full of cool days and chilly nights. That's what we've had this year in Cheshire.
Even so, the Rhododendron blossoms are falling from our trees after two warmer days.
Rhododendron is the state flower of West Virginia and in the higher altitude the blossoms lasted past mid-June, at least.
It is sad to see them go, but they were glorious because of the cool Spring.
I love to see them. We have four trees. They were glorious and abundant until the last few days.
Ah, well, Spring will come again.
The altitude of Cheshire is 177 feet.
Anawalt, WV, where I grew up was almost 1300 feet and surrounded by mountains that rose another thousand feet.
So, though Cheshire is hundreds of miles from Anawalt, the altitude made Spring and Early Summer full of cool days and chilly nights. That's what we've had this year in Cheshire.
Even so, the Rhododendron blossoms are falling from our trees after two warmer days.
Rhododendron is the state flower of West Virginia and in the higher altitude the blossoms lasted past mid-June, at least.
It is sad to see them go, but they were glorious because of the cool Spring.
I love to see them. We have four trees. They were glorious and abundant until the last few days.
Ah, well, Spring will come again.
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