Category: Blog

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.

LET US REMEMBER

MEMORIAL DAY, the first of our summer holidays, means we will turn to our favorite pursuits — picnicking, boating, mingling with the crowds at the fairs, or the ballpark, puttering in the yard, or lazing in the sun,

It began as Decoration Day, when garlands were placed on the graves of the war dead. It became Memorial Day, an occasion for America to honor those who gave their lives in all wars. It has continued with solemn ceremonies in cemeteries across the country, with parades of school children proudly carrying American flags. And on this day families have decorated the graves of those whose memory they cherish.

Yes, we need to relax and enjoy the holiday, but let us not forget to display the Stars and Stripes in our yards; to take that journey to the cemetery with our tokens of geraniums and peonies and wreaths; to wear the Veteran’s poppy with concern for his welfare.

Let us remember who we are and where we are — Americans in a free land with the power of self-determination, and pause to honor those who have preserved our heritage.

As a pastor, I enjoyed producing Mother’s Day sermons. I realize how difficult this may be for you are preaching to a diversity of women who are mothers, who have a serious relationship with their mother, or who choose not to have children. Because of the potential for creating discomfort I have used some humor as part of the sermon.

Mother’s Day Thoughts from here and there…

Seven helpful hints to show your mother your appreciation on Mother’s Day

1. Wake your mom up after you get home on Saturday night and ask her to wake you early enough in the morning so that you can fix her breakfast in bed before church.

2. Invite two or three of your best friends to Sunday dinner to celebrate Mother’s Day. Ask mom to cook something special. Be sure your friends tell you mom, “Thanks for having us over. We would have had to fix our own dinners because our moms wanted to have the day off.”

3. After dinner, clear the table and put all the dishes in the sink so it is easier for your mom to wash them.

4. Offer to change the vacuum cleaner bag after she finishes vacuuming your room.

5. Gift wrap and give you mom your clothes hangers, since you never hang up your clothes anyway.

6. Remove all the “things” growing under your bed. When planted in flower pots, they make excellent Mother’s Day gifts.

7. Change the sheets you put on your bed for Easter and take down the Christmas wreath from your bedroom door.

Of course you might want to reconsider these seven suggestions. They might have a tendency to aggravate rather than to celebrate. I am sure that you can make up your own creative list of seven things that will demonstrate to Mom how much she is loved and appreciated.