Author: Les Shultz

We are all part of the community of faith. We are all a part of God’s family. We cannot be part of something and live apart from it. We recognize that the community is not perfect. Sometimes imperfection is called hypocrisy; it is not. This conclusion is used to rationalize a view that a Christian does not need to be a part of the community for one can find God in nature, but what kind of nature?

Frederick Buechner reminds us of the limitations of this view. “Unfortunately, Adam and Eve took nature with them when they fell. You’ve only to look at the sea in a November gale. You’ve only to consider the staggering indifference of disease, or the field at Anthidium, or a cook boiling a lobster, or the statistics on child abuse. You’ve only to remember your own darkest dreams.”

In contrast, Dr. Andrew Weil, points out that being a Christian means accepting life in a community of faith. There are not only spiritual benefits, but psychological ones as well. “Human beings are highly social, communal animals. We are meant to live in families, tribes and communities, and when we lack those connections, we suffer. Yet many people pride themselves on their independence and habitually distance themselves from others. Some may indulge in isolation as a defensive strategy — possibly developed in reaction to painful emotional experiences. Others may never have learned how to connect meaningfully to anyone or anything beyond themselves.”

We can learn to connect meaningfully. It is a risk that is taken because the results are far more valuable than what may be had in the moment. Consider this, Can one be a Christian without a community? The answer is obvious.

Frederick Buechner, Whistling in the Dark: An ABC Theologized (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988), 85.

Andrew Weil, M.D., “Connectedness Is Vital to Your Well-Being,” Going Bonkers?, December 1997.

Tyops

Typos are mistakes in a publication. Typos may be misspellings. Typos may be an inappropriate word, like using scents for cents. Tpoys is the one thing in this modern age that is neither discovered by spelling or grammar checkers. No matter how hard to you try to get rid of them, they appear at the worst possible time and in the most embarrassing places.

In a M.E.M.O. column, Martin Marty who wrote for the Christian Century, can do a whole column on tsypo that are humorous and gain a laugh or two. Here are a few samples. Some of them are subtle, so read carefully.

“Surly the Presence of the Lord’ by: Chamber Choir.” “Leader: The Living God sends us froth to serve…” “Solo: ‘The Solid Rock/’Tis so Sweet to Rust in Jesus.'” “Births: Stewart and Amy had a baby girl on August 7 in Wisconsin. Material grandmother is Mary.” “A new church member was introduced: ‘In her free time she volunteers as a candy stripper.'” “A trustees report of a church in Connecticut: ‘The eves of the education wing need repair.'” How about one more. “A Lutheran Church announcement: ‘The Associated Ministries will hose Dr. Liebenow in an informal “Coffee and Conversation.”‘” Well, you get the point.

Typos cannot be hidden. They are right out there in front where everyone can see them. You cannot escape the comments that come as a result of your mistake. I mean, you proofread and proofread and still typos rear their ugly heads. It’s as if they were just laying in wait to catch the unsuspecting writer, and/or, editor.

I suppose that you know that the typo is a metaphor for part of our lives. How many times have you spoken when you ought to have remained silent, or vice versa? How many times have you tried to extend to someone a compliment and it came our a complaint. How many times have you told a person that you were a Congregationalist and they understood Congressionalist? We are all too human. We make mistakes. Some of our mistakes we can keep hidden from people so that we do not have to take the heat from them, but at other times there is no way of escape. The copy book is blotted for all the world, or at least as much of the world that we inhabit, to see.

Ah! Well! You cannot hide from typos. Typos are a part of life. I know only one way to handle typos and that is to smile and keep right on going, no matter how silly or how embarrassing they may be. And, I have been guilty of some of the most silly and the most embarrassing. Apologize for the typos that are offensive. Laugh with the ones that are the most silly. Correct the ones that are the most important. Learn from experience and try very hard not to do it again. But you know that it is going to happen. When you least anticipate or expect it, someone will find a typo.

(Martin Marty, “M.E.M.O., Froth and Spray,” The Christian Century, Vol. 113 No. 17 (May 15, 1996), 531.

Thoughts from here and there…Healthy Choices

He looked a bit confused, walking back and forth in front of the frozen entree food section at Pick and Save. I couldn’t help but stop and observe as he opened first one door and then another trying to decide between the perplexing numbers of choices that were available.

Have you ever stood there and seriously considered the choices between: Banquet, Marie Callander’s, Healthy Choice, Weight Watchers, Lean Cuisine, Stouffers, Gourmet, Swanson, and On-Cor, among others? I mean these are just brand names. The brand names do not begin to communicate the extraordinary variety of choices.

The man finally made a decision. He reached in a removed a Healthy Choice entree. I do not know what kind it was. He felt, perhaps, that he was making a healthy choice.

I could not help but question the name of this food product, “Healthy Choice.” I mean we are people who, because of time and circumstances, feel it necessary to use what is provided us. Frozen entrees are available in abundance. I think we will admit that they are not the healthiest of choices. They contain a lot of additives and preservatives that are not present in food cooked from scratch. Don’t take me wrong here I am not trying to make anyone feel guilty. There have been times when Helga was gone, and I have eaten a prepared or frozen entree.

In this situation, the thought occurred to me, “Is there a similarity between standing in front of the frozen entree section of a super-market selecting a dinner and standing in the midst of life and attempting to make healthy choices?” How do we make healthy choices, anyway?

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Phillipian Church in which he emphasized how to experience “joy” or “rejoicing in the Lord.” This word or phrase appears sixteen times in his letter. There were perils to watch out for which were not that much different from what we face today. The church had many enemies. There was danger in a self-seeking attitude and of pride, both of which could divide the people or cause great personal unhappiness. Paul concludes his letter with a few words that sum up how one may make healthy choices.

“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you,” (Philippians 4:8-9, NRSV).

The Christian faces a vast array of choices. Each source attempts to establish its claim to our decision-making processes. We need to investigate and evaluate well before we choose. Paul’s words provide a sound basis for measuring the potential harm or benefit of every choice.

Healthy choices. let’s make healthy choices for ourselves and for the benefit of others.

Thoughts from here and there…Building for the Present and the Future

We are what we have worked together to create. We will be what together we help to create.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” (Preamble of The Constitution of The United States of America)

A simple statement, yet one that is very profound. It is inclusive of all that the founders of this country hoped to create. This is what they pledged themselves, their lives and their sacred fortunes to create. For this they fought a superior British army and navy and won.

Success of the American dream was dependent first of all on a vision of a free country with the government in the hands of the citizenry rather than a monarchy. But our founding fathers and mothers realized that vision alone is not enough.

This is why they embarked on an expensive and dangerous mission. It was not enough for the few to band together for the common purpose, they needed the many. People had to be convinced of the purity and beauty of the vision and to entertain the necessity of engaging in the mission. It was to be a long and costly process. It was to be a successful process.

Let us pause and take the time to ponder, to reflect what make America the great nation that it has been and continues to be. At the same time we can apply the same principles to our own communities of Grafton and Port Washington. Then realize that the same principles also relate to the community of the Church.

Our founding mothers and fathers built a country. We also build communities and congregations. It is not automatic. It takes thoughtful participation and sheer hard work. Is it worth it. Well, where else would you like to live or worship. If you can answer this question than you know that your sacrifices are worth it all.

Thoughts from there and there…Standing At the Place of Promise

They stood at the place disappointed, discouraged and defeated. It was their own fault. They had refused to believe that what had been promised could be accomplished with the help of the god who had led them to this place.

From where they stood they could see the land, the Promised Land; the land promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and their descendants. It was a country that was described as “flowing with milk and honey.” This was the fulfillment of a dream that would soon turn into the people’s worst nightmare.

Spies had been sent out to investigate the land and to gather intelligence and to bring back some representative produce and products. The spies had been gone for forty days. There were many excited people who eagerly awaited their report. What a report it was!

The majority of the spies could only see the negative. It was a good land, productive and fruitful, but the people in the land were strong. The towns were large and well-fortified. There was a race of giants who invoked great fear.

One voice was heard encouraging immediate possession. The majority said it was impossible. As the word spread the people raised a loud cry of dismay and complaint. The intensity o their disappointment was readily observed.

No matter how loud was the one voice, the people would not listen. They believed the negative majority. The whole assembly questioned the leadership and the purpose that had brought them to this place. In a short time they decided to appoint another captain and return to the slavery from which they had been rescued.

So often we stand at the place of promise. We seek information and understanding, and that is as it should be. Too often we all our humanness to defeat the power of divine intention and purpose. Too often we remain as we are disappointed, discouraged, and defeated. God would not have it so.

If our founding mothers and fathers had possessed the same attitude as did Israel at Kadesh–barnea, this land would not have been settled, the Revolution would not have taken place, we would still be under the yoke of English rule and authority.

The founders did not listen to the voices of the majority, neither should we, that is and unless, those voices herald the will and purposes of God.

We can accomplish what needs to be done if we trust in the God who loves and guides us. Let us go up and possess the land!

Thoughts from here and there…Conflict Resolution

I am neither a hawk or a dove. Sometimes war is necessary, but I have come to believe that national or international conflicts will not be solved by “war.”

There are two biblical citations that come to mind: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good, (Romans 12:21, NRSVA), and When Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword,” (Matthew 26:52, NRSVA). The difficulty is that this is the Christian’s perspective it is not the perspective of the world. We are faced with a crisis in the Ukraine that will not be resolved by the Russian war.

This leads me to share with you a thoughtful and insightful observation that I discovered in a Homiletics Magazine on line:

“As the world’s only superpower, the United States bears grave responsibilities of leadership. Sometimes we must use force, and sometimes restraint. Sometimes we must act against world opinion.”

Popular psychiatrist M. Scott Peck makes an intriguing observation:

‘It is notable that two hundred years ago this new nation spent virtually no money and no energy attempting to control the behavior of the other nations of the world. Yet one by one, almost ten by ten, the peoples of these nations followed our spiritual and political example to seek the same freedoms for themselves. It is hard to escape the conclusion that in the years since, our political and spiritual leadership has declined in inverse proportion to the increasing amounts of money and effort we have expended to manipulate other countries…I wonder, if we in the United States were to concentrate—as our overwhelmingly major priority—on making ourselves the best possible society we can be, whether the nations of the world might once again, without any pressure except the influence of example, begin to emulate us.'”

This just might work, if we work at it.

Thoughts from here and there…

Celebrate the beauty of America. There is much that is beautiful. Take a trip to any number of Wisconsin’s extraordinary parks and forests. They are busy, there is no doubt of that. But I have seen the grandeur of the Grand Canyon and the awesome sight of the magnificent Redwood Trees in Redwood National Forest. I have heard the roar of the surf along Highway 1 in California, and viewed the incredible power of the tide along the Maine Coast. Take a trip to Door County and marvel at the scenery. Camp in Governor Dodge. Drive through the Kettle Moraine and enjy the beauty of the countryside.

Celebrate the productivity of America. It is not just the extensive array of products on super market shelves that boggles the mind. It is the too-numerous to mention products that are available to help us achieve the world’s highest standard of living.

Celebrate the diversity of America. Milwaukee must be the festival capital of the world. The rich ethnic heritages of many people are celebrated every summer. It is this diversity that has led to the development of new products, the utilization of the productivity of nature, and the creation of art and music.

Don’t forget our religious diversity. Because we cherish the freedom to worship and proclaim the gospel, we have many religious organizations to which people may belong and find faith and support for their daily lives. God is not confined to one church or denomination. God is in all churches and all denominations. God will find people wherever they are located.

Celebrate the freedom of American. Where else can people be truly free to follow their dream or to pursue their ambition, for great good as well, as sometimes, for great evil.

This may be true. Freedom has its price. So does social responsibility. We can be socially conscious and active in the midst of the veneration of our freedom.

Celebrate the opportunities that America provides to all its citizens. The opportunities are endless. It is true that they must be recognized when they pass by. It is also true that opportunity must be pursued by those who would benefit from them. It is true that you need some education and economic resources to realize the opportunity. Opportunities are in abundance.

This Fourth of July tune out the critics, turn off the gloom and doom soothsayers, turn on the opportunity to celebrate America. Sing the National Anthem. Salute the flag. America, it is worth celebrating.

School is out for the summer. Let us take time to pay “A Tribute to Teachers.” Cody Klintworth is a relative who teaches. I am sure that he would appreciate this blog.

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. Tom, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued: “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?” He reminded the other dinner guests that it’s true what they say about teachers: “Those who can: do. Those who can’t: teach.”

To corroborate, he said to another guest: “You’re a teacher, Susan,” he said. “Be honest. What do you make?”

Susan, who had a reputation of honesty and frankness, replied, “You want to know what I make? I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I can make a C+ student feel like he won the Congressional Medal of Honor, and an A- student feel like a slap in the face if the student did not do their very best. I can make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence. I can make parents tremble in fear when I call home.

“You want to know what else I make? I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them criticize. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them write. I make them read, read, read. I make them spell ‘definitely’ and ‘beautiful’ over and over again, until they will never misspell either one of those words again. I make them show all their work in math and hide it all on their final drafts in English.

“I elevate them to experience music and art and joy in the performance, so their lives are rich, full of kindness and culture, and they take pride in themselves and their accomplishments. I make them understand that if you have the brains, then follow your heart–and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you pay them no attention.

“I make a difference, Tom. And what do you make?”

Thoughts from here and there…..

Dads–you think you’re special, and you are. You think you’re being honored, having one day out of the year dedicated to you? To keep life in perspective consider this:

“Egg salad gets a whole week. As do pickles, pancakes, pickled peppers, split pea soup, clowns, carpenter ants and aardvarks. Peanut butter (March), chickens (September) and oatmeal (January) each rate an entire month.

“Fathers can draw solace from the fact that along with themselves, such national treasures as the rubber eraser and moles also merit only a single day of recognition.”

I include here “Reflections of a Father.” These reflections are something for father’s to ponder.

I can give you life, but only you can live it.

I can teach you things, but only you can learn.

I can give you directions, hut I can’t he there to lead you.

I can allow you freedom, but I can’t account for it.

I can take you to church, hut only you can believe.

I can teach you right from wrong, but the choice will always be yours.

I can buy you beautiful clothes, but I can’t make you beautiful inside.

I can offer you advice, but only you can accept it.

I can teach you to share, but only you can be unselfish.

I can teach you respect, but only you can show honor.

I can advise you about friends, but I can’t choose them for you.

I can advise you about sex, but I can’t keep you pure.

I can teach you the facts of life, but I can’t build your reputation.

I can tell you about alcohol, but only you can choose to be sober.

I can warn you about drugs, but only you can say ‘no.’

I can tell you about lofty goals, but I can’t achieve them for you.

I can teach you about kindness, but I can’t force you to be gracious.

I can warn you about sins, but I can’t make you moral.

I can pray for you, but only you can choose God.

I can teach you about Jesus, but only you can choose Him as Lord.

I can tell you how to live, but I can’t give you eternal life.

I can love you unconditionally all of my life…and I will!

~Charles (Pop) Avery ©2002 by author Reprinted with permission

Fathers can teach children how to work and live and relate in a community which demonstrates interest, compassion and helpfulness for others. This is something that our young need to learn if we are going to have a community in which people can relate to one another and get along with each other.

She stood at the check-out counter with the glass plates that she wanted to purchase. The young man who was working that day appeared to be distracted, disinterested, and distanced from what he was supposed to be doing.

He finally took her money, but he did not wrap her purchases. She was irritated and disappointed with his demeanor. She asked him to please wrap the dishes so she could be on her way. He wrapped a few of them in a rather sloppy manner and left the rest. She waited some more and finally wrapped the rest herself and left the store.

She exclaimed that she ought to have talked to the management, and its true, she should have. She wondered what this young man was doing working there. I wonder as well, but there is another question that arises in my mind.

It is true that he was working. He wanted this job. It might be, and I am doing a little second-guessing here, that he did not know how to relate to the people he was being asked to serve. This is not an uncommon problem today. It is the conclusion of Ellen T. Charry in an article that she wrote in Theology Today.

Dr. Charry suggests that we are in the midst of a “spiritual crises,” created by modern emphasis on the “autonomous self.” We have argued for the freedom of the natural self from social convention. Freedom from family is necessary for adult hood. Freedom from the church is necessary for the development of maturity. So we have been liberated from society, family and God. This increased trust in the self along with doubt about God suggests that each of us is alone in the universe. We live in a world that is shorn of grace, majesty, compassion and hope.

She writes, “Free market capitalism exploits modern themes of emancipation, autonomy, uniqueness, self-creation, and self-fulfillment for its own ends. Now, however, a romanticized ideal of emancipation, coupled with the crass side of the free market are bring despair and anomie (Anomie is a word which describes the state of collapse and the alienation experienced by the individual or class.) To America’s young regardless of race, education, or class. Loneliness, despair, and isolation from sources of nurture and guidance—both theological and familial—feed and are fed by the entertainment industry. Desire is stimulated, but the purveyors of pop culture have little investment in youngster’s spiritual well-being. This is a world of material plenty—whether by aspiration for that plenty or fear of its loss—that lacks spiritual anchors.”

Could it be that the young man behind the counter is experiencing what Dr. Charry is describing. If that is the case than the solution rests with fathers to nurture their children and to teach them the ability to relate in a community of friends and strangers. Your church is one of the best places in which may be done.

Ellen T. Charry, Margaret W. Harmon Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary, “Spiritual Formation by the doctrine of the trinity,” Theology Today, Vol 54, No. 3, (October, 1997), 368-369.