Searching for home

Father Strobel who created Room at the Inn for the homeless in Nashville spoke at Otter on Wed. night. It was excellent--One of his assistants gave the best synopsis of the Odyssey I have ever heard. And the homeless men who accompanied them were inspirations. On any given night there are over 10,000 homeless people on the streets of Nashville.

I am reading Lynn Anderson's Longing For a Homeland; Discover the place you belong.
It is quite an insight into Lynn and his family and very encouraging to all of us who long for home.

Thinking along these lines, what does the word "Home" mean to you? As a fledgling
teacher, it was my duty to direct the one-act play for competition. We did Robert Frost's The Death of the Hired Hand. A famous line from the poem/play is "Home is the place where when you have to go there, they have to take you in."

I guess my longing would be for the house in Potosi before Sam got sick, when Brandon was in his early years in college and bringing kids out to the country, and we were all involved in church, school, friends and each other. Although, of course, my ultimate longing is the home with God spoken of in Psalm 27:4-5 "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble, he will keep me safe in his dwelling."

Tomorrow

We are so relieved about Sheryl. Thankful it was a speedy, efficient procedure. Please pray for that kidney to function. She doesn't need an operation right now that will put her down.

Brandon refers in his blog to Maddie, Annie and the song Tomorrow. She sang it for me last night. What a joy. I love the lyrics to that song and the hope it offers. In fact, I love hope. I feel that we have sort of lost our way as a nation because we have lost hope in that American Dream that those of us over 50 grew up with. We hear too much doom and gloom and not enough "here's what tomorrow will bring." We are beset by cobwebs and sorrow and think there is nothing to look forward to. Maddie, Ella and Sam are my tomorrow, and I pray they never lose faith in the promises of hope educationally, politically and spirituall.

History

David Rubio spoke at Otter yesterday. He had just taken the youth group to a theme park in Ohio, stopping for a while at the Cane Ridge Presbyterian Church where six reform-minded ministers including Barton W. Stone "killed" the Springfield Presbytery with the document "The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery" in 1804. The document willed that the body "die, be dissolved, and sink into union with the body of Christ at large." The resulting body began calling themselves Christian. Later in the 1800's they united with a like-minded evangelical body led by Alexander Campbell. This uniting fed the roots of what is now known as the Church of Christ.

David spoke about his excitement in learning the history of our movement in a church history class, and then being able to fulfil his dream of seeing Cane Ridge where it all began.I was an adult when I first began to hear about the Stone-Campbell Movement and its significance to my church. Unfortunately there are thousands of believers now who know nothing about it. In fact, those who grew up believing that our church dated back to A. D. 33 who are not comforable with this history.

I am so thankful to Bill Humble, Doug Foster, Richard Hughes, Jerry Rushford, Leonard Allen and others who are lecturing, writing books, and informing our little
group about its history.

Maybe we need to incorporate it into some Sunday School Classes and special presentations so that light may begin to dawn and the next generation can truly see our movement "sink into the body of Christ at large." Someone once said that if you don't know your history, you are like a leaf who doesn't know it is part of a tree.

Penguins

I saw March of the Penguins this week. It is absolutely gorgeous thanks to National Geographic and its freezing crew. I don't know when I have seen such a straight testimony to the creative abilities of God: These beautiful creatures who know at just the right time when to go to the mating grounds after swimming all over the ocean for three months. And when they get there, they meet thousands of others who have also had the call. These birds who swim have bodies created ideally for sheltering their young in that frigid atmosphere. These emperor penguins who swap out family duties so the other parent can go eat. And when the full parent returns, he/she knows where her mate and child are by voice in a din of thousands of other voices.

Thank you God for your creation and the creatures you put in it. Question? Where was Antartica when Adam and Eve were in the Garden?

Men of God

I had the opportunity to hear Don Finto last night for the first time in a while. As always, he was interesting and challenging. Mike is celebrating Glen Owen on his blog today, and I have to stop and think how much these two men were alike. Both (are, were--Glen is dead) way ahead of their peers in grace and world missions. Both feared nothing. Both were sometimes denigrated by their brethern as radicals and "too passionate." Both knew the Bible like no one I ever heard. Both brought light where ever they were and a whole lot of questions too!

Finto spoke last night about world revival--it seems to me that as American Christians, we don't get enough news about what is being done all over the world by God. We hear about what is not being done here and how quickly the church is declining. In fact, we don't even know much about the spread of Christianity outside our four walls. I know Christianity Today has a regular feature on world Christianity. Are there others?

Bugs Bunny

Sheryl and I were talking about Bugs Bunny at lunch today and how much cartoons have changed in the last few years. Turns out today is the day Bugs debuted in 194l. He was patterned after Groucho Marx with a carrot instead of a cigar. And of course, he always won his battles with Elmer Fudd with cleverness and ingenuity instead of violence.

Just comparing that with the Simpsons and what I see fleetingly on the cartoon channel makes me sick. And I might add that I am having trouble enjoying or even looking through graphic novels. I had my young adult classes read Maus! for my course, but there is no comparing today's graphic novels with the beautiful writing of Richard Peck and other young adult authors.

Breaking bread

I ate at the new Panera Bread today. As I sat and watched the people, I thought that this company and others had hit upon a centuries old truth. Breaking bread together is sacred and healing. We have several such companies in town: Bread and Company, The Atlanta Bread Company and now Panera. Panera says in their menu that they believe the universal spirit of bread is sharing. Cash donations given in their bakeries are doubled and given to local hunger relief and other charitable organizations. Any unsold bread is donated at day's end to local hunger relief agencies.

I think even Starbucks is contributing to this bread-breaking culture. A nice thought for today.

Mondays

I love Mondays--I get more done on Monday than any other day of the week. I feel more energized, more organized, more rested. Could it have anything to do with celebrating Sabbath on Sunday? Maybe God had something there.

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Into the West which ended this weekend broke my heart. I think it did show a new generation the sins of their fathers. One of my all-time favorite books about that time is Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. I wonder where the pictures taken by the Wheeler woman landed? Are they in archives somewhere like Matthew Brady's pictures of the Civil War? It is easy to see how lack of communication (telephones,translators, etc.) barred understandings and incited more violence. Are we not continuing our sins with the Native Americans by giving them back their lands so they can build casinos? I wonder if Spielberg and company will publish teacher's guides and a list of their sources later with the DVD? I would like to learn more about the Ghost Dance. Sounded to me like a missionary gone wrong.

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Father, in our arrogance we have raped your land and its native peoples. We have used the name of religion to further our sins. We stand before you not meriting grace, but desiring it.

"Do not be afraid."

In the small town where I grew up, there was not much crime, no violence, and there was seldom anyone but a drunk in the jail. Therefore, people did not lock their doors. I remember the progression at my house: At first, we did not lock any door. Then, we locked the screen door (with a spindly little crook that anyone could break). After buying a new door for the front of the house, we began locking it too. Finally, my dad installed a porch light near the door.

Today, we may be in the most fearful era in history. We fear terrorism, violence, crimes, old age, the big diseases, losing our jobs and pensions, global warming, the loss of social security. We are in deep pessimism about curing our cultural illnesses, our problems in government, in our schools and in our churches. All of this despite our "belief in God." Somehow our religion just doesn't seem to be able to handle the fears.

I read somewhere that the most oft repeated command of Jesus was "Do not be afraid." I did not check on that, but it is the last thing he said as he left this earth.
In John 14:27 he says,"...my peace I give you....Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid." In Matthew 10:330-31, "Even the hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." In Mark 5:36, he tells Jairus, "Don't be afraid, just believe."

Dear Lord, help us to see the big picture and to believe that you have us in the palm of your hand.

Ice Cream

The ice cream cone was invented on this day in 1904. New ways of serving ice cream are coming out and new outrageous flavors.

I am waiting for some one in Nashville to give a Blue Bell tasting party where everyone brings a different flavor to taste.Yummmm....I want to taste Wedding Cake, but I don't want to buy a whole half gallon. Right now I am stuck on cherry vanilla.

Intercessory Prayer

Someone has defined intercessory prayer as "love on its knees in prayer for others."
In thinking more about our practice of this Christian act, I think perhaps we need to be more disciplined in our intercessory prayers and not make them what Tony Campolo has called "laundry lists." I think we need to be more thoughtful about what is included on our lists, and to be more intentional about praying for these things more than once. I appreciate the "refrigerator list" in the Otter church bulletin which I can cut out and post on my frig so that when I open the door, I see the names of these special people.

As Peter Marshall once prayed: "O, God, forgive the poverty and pettiness of our prayers. Listen not to our words, but to the yearnings of our hearts. Hear beneath our petitions the crying of our need."

Prayers

Maddie, Ella and Baby Sam came to visit today--it was lovely! The prayers of children intrigue me--so forthright, so down to earth (kind of like the Lord's Prayer) and often so funny. At the table at lunch, Ella blessed everything and everybody she could think of and then thanked God for catsup. The girls would never be without the red stuff; I never bought catsup before they came along.

I have been thinking about intersessory (sp?)prayer since I attended a class last night in another church in which 30 minutes of the hour class time were taken up with a "laundry list". Is there an example of this type prayer in the Bible? Some of you scholars out there tell me the background of this type of prayer. I do not wish in any way to denigrate our prayers for each other--so don't go off on that please. I have been prayed for many times in time of trouble and appreciate all the benefits of those prayers. I wonder, do we dodge praise prayers or deeper prayers in which we actually talk to God as our father in favor of these long lists?

Names

I have heard several writers say that they got names for their characters from the obituary columns in newspapers.

Here are several just from the Abilene Reporter News this week: Uradean, Dovie, Jerry Jon, Lura, Ola Belle, Bethel. I guess these names were most chosen over 80 years ago, since the deceased folks were quite elderly. These are better than the odd names being given to children today like Apple and Motor.

Bible names are still among the most popular ones chosen for new borns, but I don't think I would want to be stuck with Hezekiah at any age. Samuel is a good one.

Home to Harmony

I just finished reading a good book Home to Harmony by Phillip Gulley. It is a collection of vignettes set down by a Quaker pastor who has come home to preach. Similar to Karon's books with less plot. Some of the vignettes would be fun to read aloud to a group. I loved the one about what we all learn in first grade. The one called Roger and Tiffany is about the pastor, Sam,and his parents visiting Roger, his brother and his vegan girl-friend for thanksgiving dinner. The pastor's mother thought vegan was a cult. The food for the dinner was marcaroni without cheese,small, wormy pesticide free apples, lettuce, a pitcher of herbal tea and a bowl of kiwi fruit. The parents immediately left for the grocery store coming back with a turkey breast, potatoes, cranberries and a two-liter bottle of RC Cola. Tiffany protests, "I can't eat this. I'm a vegan." Roger's mother whips out her Bible, turns to the 10th chapter of Acts and reads about Peter being told to rise, kill and eat. And so they ate.

It seems Roger was not a total vegan. He had been eating with Tiffany and then stopping at Burger King for a Whopper on the way home.

Pastor Sam's conclusion of the matter was that it is so hard, in this world, to be who we are.

I am ordering the other Harmony books soon.

A Little Culture Goes a Long Way

I have been in two groups recently in which parents expressed fear of our culture and its effect on their children. Books, movies, television, etc.

I wonder if those who "do" Sunday School Curriculum have devised a study to help them and their children out? Rather than teaching David and Goliath for the 1,000th time, could we not address some of the influences of the world in student life in classes at church? Waiting until high school is probably too late. There very well may be excellent stuff out there I do not know about. However, I have never seen, in the adult curriculum, classes to help parents in these situations:

Parents said they would like to have an avenue to handle the hassels of dress codes when "all other" girls in the group were wearing halter tops and short jeans. They would like to have help dealing with R rated movies being shown at some else's home
to a group which included their child. They would like to have help in dealing with cliques which shut out any child who is different. Today's "music" is generally beyond the parents.

How would a joint class with parents and children work? How would we approach it without seeming like dinosaurs who know nothing about what is going on?

I don't know the answer--just posing questions.

Wedded bliss

Jason and Alisha's wedding yesterday was lovely and full of emotion. The Zoe Group sang the prelude, Sheryl sang So Are You to Me as the bride and groom took communion and Brian Randolph sang A Prayer for Home. Beautiful music. Brandon did an excellent job as the minister setting just the right tone of lightness and solemnity.

One of the highlights of the reception was Jason's cake--hundreds of various kinds of Krispy Kreme doughnuts stacked in the shape of a cake. Children of all ages loved it.

Blessings to the newly weds and to the moms and dads who are all glad this glorious weekend is over.

Full of family

We had a feast last night at the rehearsal dinner of Jason McArthur and Alisha Swindle.

The food was excellent. The new Provident building provided a magic atmosphere with all the million dollar records hanging on the walls, a giant photo of Michael W. Smith greeting us, and the grand piano in the entrance (beautifully played by J. V.) to the banquet room.

As with most dinners of that sort, the fun came in the open-mike sessions when friends and family revealed all sides of the honorees. Jason Douglas McArthur was into music from the very beginning of his life and obviously his voice is still entertaining thousands of Zoe fans. Alisha was quite the prankster growing up, and her beautiful green eyes still flash with fun. The night was full of family and grace.

May their union be blessed by God and enjoyed by their family and friends.

This strange thing we call English

In some of the days I spent at ACU, I taught English in Academic Advance. AA is a program set up to help those students who did not do well on entrance tests. Many of the students I had were foreign students. Although they spoke English very well, they did not "get" idioms and other fine points of the language. For example, the verb "to be" just didn't make sense to them. They wrote in very long sentences linked with many "ands". Paragraphs were unheard of in their essays.

My Bas Blue catalog advertises a book called Here Speeching American: A Very Strange Guide to English as it Garbled around the World. Examples from actual signs, menus, advertisements and brochures are used. Some from the review:

Keep all fours in the bus--eyes only out window. (Mexican bus)

Compulsory Buffet Breakfast (Melia Hanoi Hotel, Vietnam)

Foot wearing prohibited (Buddhist temple, Burma)

Go Away (Barcelona travel agency window)

Swimming is forbidden in the absence of the savior. (Hotel swimming pool, France)


I wish I had this book for my class. It would have been fun to have my students decipher the mistakes. I must add too that I would be woefully inadequate if I had to speak any other language but English.

More kitchen items

As you can already tell, I am not a minimalist decorator. Add to the things that have memories yesterday:

Cups hang on a cup holder made by a woodworker friend Bill Temple. Bill also taught for Sam. The holder is made of wood from the old Stamford Hospital where one of my brothers was born.

I have a gorgeous pitcher on my stove done by potter Janelle McGuire, the twin sister of one of my best friends, Jeannean Nichols. The pitcher is cream and has the Chinese character for forgiveness on it. She copied the character from Ed Young's book Voices of the Heart.

My kitchen madonna sits in the corner of the cabinet. It is a painted wooden figure with hands folded in prayer. Painted in gold paint, it is flecked with blue crosses.

A ceramic cross with a heart in the center was given me on my birthday by the Zoe group. It has all their autographs on the back and hangs on the cabinet blacksplash.

The 50's.Com bible class gave me a cross emphasizing faith also hangs there, with a stained glass cross given me by Brandon.

Memories tell us something about who we are. I think I am very blessed.

Memories in the kitchen

Thanks to all who responded to yesterday's titles. Tony's Miss Bindergarten goes to Rehab made me laugh! I can tell he has been reading Miss Bindergarten to his daughter. And Phil's Mr. Match meets Mr. Dryer Lint was good as well as Debi's Tickle Me Where?

In her new summer magazine, Mary Englebreit writes, "Decorating with objects that evoke meaningful feelings and memories is one of the surest ways to stamp a room with your own indelible style." I began looking around my kitchen and saw at the top of the cabinet:

The clear Depression glass "Iris" pitcher from my paternal grandmother, Grannie Dobbins.
The bluebonnet serving bowl Sam bought me on our trip to Salado.
Two crocks owned by Sam's grandmother. I use the bowl (largest in my house) to make dressing for Thanksgiving.
The handpainted pitcher created by my dear friend Pat Phillips.
The antique hand churn used by Sam's grandmother to churn many a lump of butter.
The chocolate pitcher done by my friend Carolyn Hughes, now gone home.
Two apple pitchers bought for me by Brandon.
The dark brown pitcher we early-marrieds bought at Safeway in our first year of marriage. It is now a collectable.

I guess you can see I collect pitchers and memories.