Windows

Whilst dipping pen in ink, I hereto ascribe these thoughts. In other words, the computer is in the shop! We don’t have the fancy i-phones or Google phones, and I’m old enough that I would rather write long hand than try and piecemeal a letter on a 2x3inch screen anyway - so in computer terms that means I’ve dusted off my Windows 98 laptop. I wanted to try and connect the laptop to our wireless router, but I was unable to find software or downloads that will work with these ten-year old ancient standards. Planned obsolescence. We are forced to use newer operating systems, with more memory, and with different connectors for peripherals. I’m not one that rebelliously will hold out until the bitter end crying for the demise of Microsoft, and I’m not computer literate enough to program my own solutions, but I’m frugal enough to appreciate this ten-year old computer still has the essentials that I need. The main drawback is the heat that is generated makes me warm and sleepy! As long as I’m not trying to download 7M files (which takes approximately 30 minutes via dial-up modem) or support NASA then all works as it should. I’m not leery of progress, nor do I dismiss the newest advances, I’m eager to see the new shortcuts, options, and productivity aids, but I’m not one that stands in line awaiting the latest beta version. I prefer to wait for the price to come down and the kinks worked out for the average consumer.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We are never beyond upgrading in your eyes! You have the belief that we can continue to grow and mature in our faith and in our choices to live more Christ-like. Sometimes we remain at one stage, not because we fear the next step, but because we want to make use of all the resources that are available, and fully appreciate all the opportunities that are still viable. We don’t want to bypass an untapped gift in our rush to clamber to the next goal. Let us not be satisfied to remain level permanently. Give our dreamers the freedom to soar above our expectations and help them deliver your vision in a way that demands that we take notice. Our minds and energy await the challenges that come with adapting what we have with what You have waiting for us. Amen

Sweeten the Pot

I’ve always liked the inspiration of the American melting pot, an eclectic mix of nationalities and customs combining to create a new and stronger country because of its fusion of the best of multiple cultures. An editorial in today’s Dallas Morning News was written by a brand new American citizen, Murli Melwani. He writes of the conscious decision he made to live in another country besides the one to which his alignment was assigned by birth: “the desire to live in a place where one is allowed to give full play to one's gifts, talents, skills and abilities freely, while respecting similar rights of others; where one is not treated as a foreigner in a part of one's own country because one comes from another province or state…” As part of the ceremonies, a video was played of President Bush welcoming the newest citizens: "Our country has never been united by blood or birth or soil," he said. "We are bound by principles that move us beyond our backgrounds, lift us above our interests and teach us what it means to be citizens." The editorial is concluded by an old anecdote from the community of Iran.

In the 8th century, a community from Iran, which later came to be known as the Parsis, fled the persecution by fanatical Muslim invaders of their faith. They arrived on the coast of India. Before these pilgrims set foot on the shore, their leader sent a glass of milk to the Indian ruler. The ruler returned the glass after adding more milk, topping the glass right up to the brim. His action sent the signal that the country couldn't accommodate any more people. The leader of the pilgrims, a sagacious man, added a spoon of sugar, without spilling a drop, and sent the glass back to the Indian ruler. The ruler understood the significance of the gesture: Sugar blends with milk and sweetens it without changing its composition or qualities. The ruler allowed them to settle in India.

Mr. Melwani can’t say whether the story is true or not, but that he understands the emotion and the sincerity, because he feels that he will be able to sweeten the American melting pot.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You hold all of the earth’s nations under your authority. We long to lessen our ties to kings and nations and increase our allegiance to your sovereignty. We are people choosing to live within your justice, your encouragement, and your welcoming grace. Let us add our talents and gifts to sweeten and enhance the portion of the world we are charged to administer and restore. Let us welcome the insights and diverse backgrounds that bring new understandings and new ideas to our congregation. We were established by many voices and varied opinions that made us stronger over our history. Let us continue to tell our stories, share our unique perspectives, and work to combine and unite them all into one house of worship, offering praise and adoration to our one, true Lord. Amen.

Give Me Your Eyes

Paul Newman had one of the most memorable set of eyes with their piercing, clear, and vibrant qualities. They were magnified by projection onto the movie screen, and along with his impish grin captured an image that made him an international star. He also had the talent to support his status. The thing I notice first about a person is their eyes. Some congregations share the phrase “I see the Christ in your eyes” as they Pass the Peace. It’s a phrase that encourages you to seek a deeper level of that person, as you look each other eye-to-eye, soul-to-soul. Others are encouraged to see the world around them, using Christ’s eyes as a filter. One of the Christian singers I’ve started listening to is Brandon Heath. He has a song called “Give Me Your Eyes” that is an invitation to do just that.

Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me Your heart for the once forgotten
Give me Your eyes so I can see
- Brandon Heath

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You have the ability to see the world as it should be, as it could be, and as it is. Let us seek the Christ in others, realizing that each one is a Child of God, and loved. May we find the capacity to love as well. Let us look at the neighborhood around us to see what we might have missed as we rush by to arrive in time for the next service, the next fellowship, or the next meeting. Let us look into the eyes of our neighbor, searching for the connection that reaches beyond their color and into the possibility of the person You have called them to be. Let us look at the mirror, into the eyes of one who has the talent to support the role that You have given as our mission. Give us Your eyes for just one second so that we can see as you can see. Amen.

40 Days

“The Bible is clear that God considers 40 days a spiritually significant time period. Whenever God wanted to prepare someone for his purposes, he took 40 days:

• Noah's life was transformed by 40 days of rain.
• Moses was transformed by 40 days on Mount Sinai.
• The spies were transformed by 40 days in the Promised Land.
• David was transformed by Goliath's 40-day challenge.
• Elijah was transformed when God gave him 40 days of strength from a single meal.
• The entire city of Nineveh was transformed when God gave them 40 days to change.
• Jesus was empowered by 40 days in the wilderness.
• The disciples were transformed by 40 days with Jesus after his resurrection.”

Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

We now have 40 days until the presidential election. It may seem like we have been wandering in political wilderness for 40 years preparing for this election, but in six weeks we’ll know who the next president will be. The first debate between Obama and McCain will hopefully add some insight into their individual strengths and ideologies. Early voter registration is expected to be light as voters are waiting the full length of time hoping to find a defining moment when they can throw their support behind one candidate. Too often Americans vote against a certain candidate rather than for a candidate. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to know you were voting with certitude and were able to place your full confidence and enthusiasm behind your vote? Perhaps better than relying on political ads, media coverage, or talk show rhetoric that we could make our decision through 40 days of intentional prayer for guidance.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You are Lord of all! You govern our comings and our goings, and we are blessed to be under your rule. For the next 40 days let us pray with purpose for our nation, for the vote that each one holds, and for the leader that will emerge. This new president-elect will be forced to embark huge difficulties the moment the count is tallied, let us use our power to be lifted in prayer for wisdom rather than use our power to weigh down the energy needed to resolve. Let us pray for leadership that follows your model of direction and management. Ultimately, Lord, You have authority over us. And we are forever thankful. Let these 40 days be a time of testing of your will and being aware of your guidance. Amen.

Blind Spots

I’ve been telling people for months that I seem to have lost my ability to park straight. The car is just askew enough that it draws my attention when I get out. I’ve been driving a new car style for 11 months, and tonight I’ve found a pack of reports from other people with the same experience. Vindication! No one is sure why this is happening, possibly something about the shape of the car or the view from the driver’s vantage point. Reports indicate that the car does have a larger blind spot than normal. I was reminded again tonight, as I was driving home, how big a blind spot can be. Perhaps I was tired, or perhaps I had been lulled into the state of a lemming, following the trailer 15 miles below the speed limit for several miles, but as I continued following the trailer to merge onto another interstate there was a truck that suddenly appeared out of the blind spot, like a magician seemingly pulling a bird out of thin air. Thankfully that driver was more alert than I was! I think I’m normally pretty conscientious about checking for blind spots because it never ceases to amaze me how an entire car can slip into that space and become virtually invisible - that is, if one relies on the mirrors only. I could perhaps understand a motorcycle or a scooter, but an entire car, invisible? Unlikely! It’s not the best theorem to try and prove while you’re driving, but just take notice that you will probably have to look somewhere else for the full picture.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You are all-seeing and all-knowing. From your vantage you can see beyond our horizons and beyond our understandings. You can see how lives fit together and how actions are brought into accountability. Just because we can’t see the entire vision all at once does not mean that there is not framework and support in place. Let us remember to look on either side of ourselves to see what could be hidden or concealed at first glance. It could be as small as a turtle crossing the road, or as large as an elephant that no one discusses. Let us not be blindsided by obvious obstructions because we didn’t think to look beyond our forward view. Let our congregation be cautious, but not afraid to enter the journey, joining the course of the saints. Let our intention be with you. Amen

Interruptions

A study by Dartmouth University listed four kinds of interruptions: distractions, intrusions, planned breaks, and discrepancies. Being called away from my work station often leads to at least three or four more distractions before I head back to the computer and try to remember what I was doing and how I was doing it. A friend passed along the statistic that said we are typically interrupted once every three minutes, either by external or internal sources! That’s a lot of stopping and starting! Which is one reason I don’t usually leave work the minute the whistle blows like Fred Flintstone did in the introduction of every cartoon, it’s amazing how the stress level goes down a notch and the concentration increases once the phones stop ringing and the front door is closed. Some studies show that it can take up to 15 minutes to regain one’s track of thoughts after an interruption adding to huge losses in productivity. There are tips to help minimize interruptions: close the door, schedule times when you are available, stand up and remain standing when someone comes into your office, put something in the visitor’s chair so that it discourages people from sitting, look at your watch, or say “How can you sum up what you need from me?” Some of the suggestions would be hard for me to enforce, although I have been known to start expanding my work surface to any open chair, but more from lack of desk space or organization rather than to discourage visitors. Productivity and peace cannot be compared, but it takes a certain amount of calmness to encourage productivity and creativity. Ideally one does not have to give up courtesies to try and gain a sense of control and centeredness.

“Peace it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.” – unknown

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, What were you saying? You know how flighty and erratic we can be. We have good intentions and great desire to follow your call, but we get distracted by minor distractions like phone calls and meetings or by large intrusions such as illness or family crises. God of forgiveness, can you repeat that last thought? Let us make planned interruptions to our day to return our thoughts to you, to regain focus on your will for our lives, and to recompose and calm our heart. Let us be aware of the discrepancies between the things we do and the things we ought to do, and between the noise of the world and the peace found in you. Dear God, feel free to interrupt us! Let the sunrise suspend our morning to reflect on your glory. Let the laughter of a child disrupt our attitude of irritation and impatience. Let the unraveling of a seed pod disorder our priorities of immediacy. Let the needs of the world dislocate our inward spiral of importance. Let the prayers of our heart override the interruptions we allow in our relationship with you. Let us know your peace. Amen.

Citizens for Change

One of my pet peeves is when politicians add items to bills that are up for vote. They are like leeches that hang on the sides of the prominent bill and with no line item veto possible by the president; it’s an all or nothing proposition. And I say leeches with contemptuous authority because I’ve had to scrape leeches off my legs after getting out of a river, which is not an easy task; without a stick or a rock they just cling to your hand next as you try to pull them off. Then to the other hand! Leeches! Getting stronger and growing because of their host. So when these piggy-back items are attached to bills up for vote for such things as pay increase for the troops, relief funding for hurricane survivors, or children’s medical aide they get approved when they might not otherwise because not many lawmakers want to have on record that they voted against the troops or children. It may have been that the lawmaker couldn’t stomach the extra trappings, but as much as one tries to explain the reason for voting no, the media and the opponents will point out the heartless rejection of the headline bill. I can only imagine the late-night planners working on which projects to attach to the huge proposal being considered by Congress this week. As much as I enjoy board games and card games, I don’t take any pleasure in watching political games where lives are used as pawns and finances are traded like play money. One can argue that this system is the only way to get things done. If Congress had to act on every item singularly, it would be a quagmire…. Or a bigger quagmire? :-)

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, You are complete, uncomplicated, unwarranted Love. Your Grace is given to us without condition, without limitations, or without ulterior motives other than to offer your peace and freedom. We are a cynical people, weary and cautious by our own experiences, but You are pure and holy. We have no knowledge of government that can compare to your rule of justice, compassion and inclusion, where the greater good is a benefit for all of your people. Let us be proud citizens of your kingdom, upholding your laws. Amen.