During a recent Thanksgiving visit, our older daughter indicated that she is always moved emotionally by her first hearing of “The Little Drummer Boy”, but by the end of the Christmas season she has heard it so many times that it has lost its luster. The old adage has it, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” There is a certain truth to the statement, but on the other hand the familiar can bring comfort. Little people may sleep better with their own pillow beneath their heads. As in many things, balance is significant. I notice that congregations sing better when the songs are familiar. I believe that this year is the 200th anniversary of the composition “Silent Night.” Now it is so very familiar that even secular singers know the tune and lyrics. 200 years ago it was a new song. What a loss it would have been if it had stayed in the realm of the unfamiliar. We still offer praise to God with the ancient doxology when we present our offerings, but we also sing the new Advent hymn, “People Look East” to celebrate Jesus’ Advent in a new way. The mix of the familiar and the unfamiliar gives us an exciting mix that both comforts and inspires.
12/02/2018
I have always liked facts, especially random, scientific bits of information like: the speed of light is over 186,000 miles per second. “It is actually 186,282.397 miles per second, but 186,000 miles per second is close enough for a trip to the grocery store. Denver is 5280 feet high, although I have not measured it to the second story of my daughter’s house. I have always liked keeping those facts in my head. Now, however, the dullest student can punch information into their cell phones and have the facts instantly. With so much information floating around, how does a student know what information is really significant? Is there real evidence for an internet “fact”, like the scientific measurement of the speed of light or the U.S. geological survey of the elevation of Denver? We need to be able to evaluate the information we receive. If an advertiser claims, “our light bulbs increase the speed of light.” We are right to be dismissive. If someone claims Indianapolis is located higher than Denver because they like Indianapolis but despise Denver, we know that that opinion is contrary to fact. Facts should be more than opinion; they should be based on real evidence that can be verified. Not all important things can be factually verified, for example certainly love can’t be, but where we can we should let the facts speak for themselves.
11/25/2018
We are spending Thanksgiving this year with our family in Centennial, Colorado (a suburb of Denver). We wish our Florida family could be there as well. Maybe we can all gather at Christmas time. But all of us near and far will be giving thanks this Thanksgiving. After my wife’s medical scares this year, we are grateful that we and our children and grandchildren are well and happy. We will all be enjoying good meals and pleasant conversation. After the first helping of Thanksgiving fare with a bit of everything first as is our tradition. We can then fill up the corners with a bit more of our favorite dishes. We will pat our tummies and watch parades and sports and maybe a family style movie on the TV, but most of all we will be together. When scripture references the Messianic banquet, I am quite caught up by the imagery. The vision of the greater family of God gathered around a table of bounty in the presence of God and his messiah is beautiful in my mind. Strangely enough, I envision not the lovely foods, but the joy of being in the presence of God and our brothers and sisters. It is captured by the many songs like “An Unclouded Day”. “Oh, they tell me of a home where my friends have gone, Oh, they tell me of the land far away…Oh, they tell me of an unclouded day.”
11/18/2018
I am a bit ambivalent about change. At times I am quite resistant and wish to stick by the old ways. At other times, I am among those pushing for change. Early on I was convinced that we didn’t need a microwave in our kitchen. So it’s faster, but what is the rush. Finally, we got a microwave and now hardly a meal goes by that we don’t use it. Warming leftovers without over cooking them, thawing meat quickly, melting butter, all are much easier now. We recently added an Instapot to our kitchen. Now one pot meals are a breeze. Perfect and nice in 15 minutes, pulled pork in less than 60 minutes are just a couple of examples. I still think hot dogs cookers are ridiculous, but my verdict is pending on airfryers. In spite of my resistance some changes end up converting me from skeptic to champion. Others areas of life bring changes as well. Somethings I resisted turn out to be positive as I learn to live with them. Perhaps I ought more often to reserve judgment until I see how the changes play out over the long run. Changes in religious life can often bring out the most resistance. In part, this is because it matter so much to us. God initiated the greatest of changes when he sent us Jesus and look how that turned out!
11/11/2018
There are many things which make me thankful to be a citizen of the United States. I am thankful that I get to vote. Changing things with a ballot rather than a bullet is, I believe, a great thing. My vote doesn’t always turn out as I wish, but I do get to cast my vote. I want that privilege for everyone even when I do not agree with their vote. I am appreciative of other good things that are part of our country. In comparison with other parts of the world we have an abundance of food and water. In many places in the larger world people stand in long lines to carry off a small amount of water for their families. Every time I forget to turn off the faucet when I am shaving or brushing my teeth, I think about how blessed I am. Recent droughts in the west of our country have made me conscious of being more careful in my use of water. I know even in our country there are still hungry and thirsty people, but the abundance is there if we can figure out how to better share it. In the drier land of Jesus’ upbringing water could be a symbol of blessing and life. Jesus’ comment to the Samaritan woman about living water utilizes the water image to allude to a spiritual truth. Human beings can survive for quite a while without food, but water is critical. In as little as three days we can die without water. Water as a spiritual image is less obvious, but doubtless just as critical for our spiritual survival. It would be grand if everyone had it in abundance.