Thanksgiving
In the next few days most of us will sit down to feast. It’s not exactly Ramadan, because we haven’t been fasting—that would hardly be the American way for us to eat. A recent TV article noted that we have found ways to make a 400 calorie salad into a 2,000 calorie event—and still call it healthy eating, because it’s a salad.
Anyway, we’ll feast with friends and relatives. We’ll look out over the expanse on the table (Norman Rockwell might live here) and give thanks. I just looked up the NYTimes webpage (nytimes.com) and there’s a nifty video on how to carve a turkey.
The idea of feasting is quite old. We put the our day-to-day existence out of sight for awhile and we celebrate. It’s something in the human nature to do so. Just look at the number of national holidays we have—New Year’s, Memorial Day, Labor Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Yep, we want to regularize our feasts, and take opportunities to recognize the special times of life.
Thanksgiving, as the name implies, is about giving thanks. We have always used the Pilgrims first fall feast as the image we project—giving thanks for the harvest and thanks for their mentors, the Native Americans who helped out in a number of ways. As Christians, we give thanks to God for all this. Whether you think God created all this for you or whether you think God created the heavens and the earth and left it all up to us to be creative with it, we still are grateful for the centrality of God.
One time there was a king of Israel. Hezekiah was his name (715-687 BCE—see 2nd Chronicles 29-32. He was king after the bad boy Ahaz. To get the stink out of the holy places and the cities, Hezekiah proclaimed a time of worship, celebration and giving thanks to God. Though he wasn’t perfect, he got a head start on reforming the rituals of the life of the Hebrew nation and focusing on God instead of self. Hezekiah’s work lasted for a while.
When you think turkey, I invite you to think God, too, and creation, and work that lasts for a while.
Wednesday, November 21
Tuesday, November 20
Life after portal 25
Life after portal 25
The hunt for humility just gets harder. One would like to think being persistent for a day would be all that’s necessary. Not so. Banging on the door looking for help may just need more than one brief stop. It may require several stops. At least for me, humility needed a second round. Once again, I needed help. I couldn’t give help to myself.
Bill Coffin comments on the need for help. “I have always like the old fairy tales in which the one who has turned into a beast can only regain human form through someone else’s love. Here I think is the clue to love. Love is to make us more human, that demands that we care so much for each other that we have not to be nice but to be honest. We have to be honest, for most real faults are hidden and therefore demand an outside revealer.” (from Credo)
Portal 25 wasn’t working. Portal 25 is the default entry point for my laptop’s email and it was working fine. When I updated operating systems, it wasn’t fine. Then I asked for help and it was fine. Then, eight hours later, it wasn’t fine. So this time, instead of being totally annoyed, I had a much better attitude about investing time and energy into getting this computer operational. I was the widow banging on the door, asking for help. After being at the judge’s door a number of times, it wasn’t so bad. The door and I were gaining a little familiarity. The ritual of banging on the door and asking for help was not so bad the second and third time around. This is true even if the answer from the door was different at each knocking. “No, the answer to your problem is not portal 25, it’s portal 995 now, and select SSL.” “How come Cox didn’t tell me this?” “They’re in transition to a new system, too. They’re going to ‘spop.east.cox.net’” “You mean we’re all in transition?” “Yes, but not everybody knows it.” The answers were different yesterday, but I didn’t care, as long as they worked.
What would be the result, I wondered, if I had the same attitude about God in my life? What if I was demanding and persistent and wouldn’t let go until God gave me a blessing, even if the answer was different than I expected, or was used to? (am I coachable?) What would it take to be demanding and persistent and would I be willing to go further?
Another clue to understanding the word “God” is to substitute the word “relationship” or “vulnerability” or “courage” or even “single mindedness”. For example, read the statement, “What would be the result, I wondered, if I had the same attitude about God in my life?” with substitute words. What would be the result, I wondered, if I had the same attitude about relationship in my life? What would be the result, I wondered, if I had the same attitude about vulnerability in my life? What would be the result, I wondered, if I had the same attitude about courage in my life? What would be the result, I wondered, if I had the same attitude about single-mindedness in my life?
Substitution of words of your choosing is allowed. Play with it. What would change in life if we used “Thanksgiving” as the center, or “Christmas” or “grades” or “a weekend off,” or “intramural sports” or “a healthy lifestyle” or “shopping” or “Wii” or “winning a national championship” or “only what I can control”? Some folks would substitute “myself” as the designated center of life. Others might suggest “balance” or “knowing what I really believe.”
Lots to ponder. Let me know if something comes to mind. I’d love to hear from you.
Luke 18:9-14
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I think you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income. But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating this breast and saying, ‘God be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
The hunt for humility just gets harder. One would like to think being persistent for a day would be all that’s necessary. Not so. Banging on the door looking for help may just need more than one brief stop. It may require several stops. At least for me, humility needed a second round. Once again, I needed help. I couldn’t give help to myself.
Bill Coffin comments on the need for help. “I have always like the old fairy tales in which the one who has turned into a beast can only regain human form through someone else’s love. Here I think is the clue to love. Love is to make us more human, that demands that we care so much for each other that we have not to be nice but to be honest. We have to be honest, for most real faults are hidden and therefore demand an outside revealer.” (from Credo)
Portal 25 wasn’t working. Portal 25 is the default entry point for my laptop’s email and it was working fine. When I updated operating systems, it wasn’t fine. Then I asked for help and it was fine. Then, eight hours later, it wasn’t fine. So this time, instead of being totally annoyed, I had a much better attitude about investing time and energy into getting this computer operational. I was the widow banging on the door, asking for help. After being at the judge’s door a number of times, it wasn’t so bad. The door and I were gaining a little familiarity. The ritual of banging on the door and asking for help was not so bad the second and third time around. This is true even if the answer from the door was different at each knocking. “No, the answer to your problem is not portal 25, it’s portal 995 now, and select SSL.” “How come Cox didn’t tell me this?” “They’re in transition to a new system, too. They’re going to ‘spop.east.cox.net’” “You mean we’re all in transition?” “Yes, but not everybody knows it.” The answers were different yesterday, but I didn’t care, as long as they worked.
What would be the result, I wondered, if I had the same attitude about God in my life? What if I was demanding and persistent and wouldn’t let go until God gave me a blessing, even if the answer was different than I expected, or was used to? (am I coachable?) What would it take to be demanding and persistent and would I be willing to go further?
Another clue to understanding the word “God” is to substitute the word “relationship” or “vulnerability” or “courage” or even “single mindedness”. For example, read the statement, “What would be the result, I wondered, if I had the same attitude about God in my life?” with substitute words. What would be the result, I wondered, if I had the same attitude about relationship in my life? What would be the result, I wondered, if I had the same attitude about vulnerability in my life? What would be the result, I wondered, if I had the same attitude about courage in my life? What would be the result, I wondered, if I had the same attitude about single-mindedness in my life?
Substitution of words of your choosing is allowed. Play with it. What would change in life if we used “Thanksgiving” as the center, or “Christmas” or “grades” or “a weekend off,” or “intramural sports” or “a healthy lifestyle” or “shopping” or “Wii” or “winning a national championship” or “only what I can control”? Some folks would substitute “myself” as the designated center of life. Others might suggest “balance” or “knowing what I really believe.”
Lots to ponder. Let me know if something comes to mind. I’d love to hear from you.
Luke 18:9-14
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I think you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income. But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating this breast and saying, ‘God be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Getting along without portal 25
Getting along without portal 25
I felt like I had been robbed. It all started innocently enough. My external hard drive was inadvertently disconnected at a totally inappropriate time. Or maybe it was something else. Who knows? Anyway, after six hours of working with experts, I determined to reorganize my data structure by upgrading to Leopard. I’d toyed with making that change anyway, but I didn’t want to spend the money. For a variety of reasons, though, it was the best option. The result was whizzbang, except for a few minor problems. Like, my computer could receive email, but not send it in the usual way. So I’d upgraded and gone backwards. I felt robbed.
Instead of the lovely and elegant email system, I was forced to use the internet version, which of course, is clumsy. And I could not use my address book. My address book has your email address in it along with others who get these devotions. That’s why nothing came to you last week. I could have entered your email into the internet version of Cox, but that would have taken time, and that was something not available at the time.
Finally, on my second try, a collaborator at Cox took me through a few steps, ending in the “advanced” area, and finally asked. “What portal is listed?”
““995” is what listed, and the SSL is checked”
“It shouldn’t be. It should be portal 25 and uncheck the SSL.”
That solved that problem. It just took persistence, the right person, the right knowledge, the right portal. And the whole thing was humbling. Hard on me, it was. I had to be persistent and ask for help.
Luke 18: 1
“Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “grant me justice against my opponent. For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, “though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone. yet because I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
The widow was probably tired out, too. I wonder if she was humbled? Is that what Jesus was saying was important?
“At no time in the history of civilization is humility needed more than in this era of globalization and information technology. There is a need for new visionary leaders in this generation and the generation to come who can conduct themselves with humility even among members of their individual families, organizations, and civil society as a whole. Although using humility as a strategy in pursuit of life is no longer popular, humility is the only virtue that has proven to defeat the banal exploitative nature of some members of the Group of Eight nations, the architects and staunchest advocates of globalization; a 21st century version of colonialization.” Carlos Madrazo, development worker for the Christian Church and UCC, Indonesia. Read more at: http://www.globalministries.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1035&Itemid=140
I felt like I had been robbed. It all started innocently enough. My external hard drive was inadvertently disconnected at a totally inappropriate time. Or maybe it was something else. Who knows? Anyway, after six hours of working with experts, I determined to reorganize my data structure by upgrading to Leopard. I’d toyed with making that change anyway, but I didn’t want to spend the money. For a variety of reasons, though, it was the best option. The result was whizzbang, except for a few minor problems. Like, my computer could receive email, but not send it in the usual way. So I’d upgraded and gone backwards. I felt robbed.
Instead of the lovely and elegant email system, I was forced to use the internet version, which of course, is clumsy. And I could not use my address book. My address book has your email address in it along with others who get these devotions. That’s why nothing came to you last week. I could have entered your email into the internet version of Cox, but that would have taken time, and that was something not available at the time.
Finally, on my second try, a collaborator at Cox took me through a few steps, ending in the “advanced” area, and finally asked. “What portal is listed?”
““995” is what listed, and the SSL is checked”
“It shouldn’t be. It should be portal 25 and uncheck the SSL.”
That solved that problem. It just took persistence, the right person, the right knowledge, the right portal. And the whole thing was humbling. Hard on me, it was. I had to be persistent and ask for help.
Luke 18: 1
“Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “grant me justice against my opponent. For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, “though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone. yet because I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
The widow was probably tired out, too. I wonder if she was humbled? Is that what Jesus was saying was important?
“At no time in the history of civilization is humility needed more than in this era of globalization and information technology. There is a need for new visionary leaders in this generation and the generation to come who can conduct themselves with humility even among members of their individual families, organizations, and civil society as a whole. Although using humility as a strategy in pursuit of life is no longer popular, humility is the only virtue that has proven to defeat the banal exploitative nature of some members of the Group of Eight nations, the architects and staunchest advocates of globalization; a 21st century version of colonialization.” Carlos Madrazo, development worker for the Christian Church and UCC, Indonesia. Read more at: http://www.globalministries.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1035&Itemid=140
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