thoughts on the news of the day: blossoms

hmmm…..

            You might have seen the news about a seed that Russian scientists found in the Artic tundra. This seed had been buried for around 32,000 years and was recently germinated and grown to become a lovely plant with delicate white blossoms.  It is the oldest plant by far to ever have been grown from an ancient seed and it is beautiful.

            I wonder what I would look like in 32,000 years.  When I look at pictures of myself from my childhood, I see a resemblance; but I wonder if other people do.   How different would I look in 100 years? 320 years?  32,000 years?

            In our church, we have an aging congregation.  There are many members who are over 90 years old.  They are lovely, graceful and still full of playful life.  Occasionally (mostly at their funerals) I get to see photographs of them in their youth.  There are wedding photos, pictures of men in their military uniforms and sometimes, early family photos of them with their young siblings.  I rarely recognized them as their former selves.

            What is so charming about seeing old phtographs, though, is the story that is told by the features that remain.  Often it is bright eyes.  There are several women in our congregation who still have their sparkling, stunning blue eyes.  It is no surprize to me why their husbands fell for them.  Most men had much more hair in their younger years and this changes their appearance greatly.  But often the way they carry themselves or hold their head at a certain angle identifies them clearly.

            I wonder how we look in God’s eyes.  Does God see the wrinkles, the bald heads, the gray hair? Probably not; I mean after all, we will always be his children.

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: avalanche

hmmm…..

            I have been buried under an avalanche of work lately.  It seems like sermons and funerals, Bible studies and hospital visits, presbytery meetings, not to mention a Doctor of Ministry project have nearly buried me alive.  I bet you have been there.  Like a huge snow pack roaring down a mountainside, the pressure to catch up and stay on top of things is almost life threatening.

            This winter, experienced skiers, trained to survive avalanches, have been buried under by them.  In the United States something like 17 skiers have been killed this season when avalanches overtook them.  Four died last weekend in two separate avalanches and many more barely made it out with their lives intact.  These are not amateurs accidently caught up in an unpredicted force of nature.  These are highly trained professional skiers who are tempted by the thrill of trying to beat the mighty snow masses down the mountain side. 

            I am not sure how to avoid these avalanches.  We all run into them from time to time.  An avalanche of work, or laundry or bills pilling up.  Sometimes we can control the enormity of the mass, but sometimes not.  Probably the skiers caught in the icy landslide said a lot of prayers as they tumbled down the slope.  They rightly feared for their life.  Maybe we can pray, too, as we try to survive the avalanches in our lives.  We can ask for help to stay on top of the onslaught and pray for guidance to navigate out of it.  And hopefully we will survive.

            hmmm…..

            

thoughts on the news of the day: love songs

hmmm…..

            A good question to ask on Valentine’s Day is:  What is your favorite love song?  I’m not talking about break-up love songs like “Someone Like You”  by Adele.  I am thinking more of classic songs – the ones you think of as “old school” but somehow have endured the test of time.

            What are the ones you still hear … in jewelry commercials and when you are hanging out in the dentist’s office?  Stevie Wonder’s got a couple:  “I Just Called to Say I Love You” and “You are the Sunshine of My Life”.  Then there is one that especially comes to mind as we remember Whitney Houston’s musical career:  “I Will Always Love You”.  That song was actually written by Dolly Parton, who does a not half bad rendition of the song herself.

            Willie Nelson’s ‘You Were Always on my Mind” qualifies as a love song, although, given the lyrics, I wouldn’t want to be loved by someone who just thought about me, but took no action.  There’s two classics that are hard to forget:  "Are You Lonely Tonight” and “Love Me Tender” by Elvis Presley. 

            “You Are So Beautiful”  was first sung by Joe Cocker but my favorite version is by a Texas Hill country artist: Stoney Larue.  You can find it on you-tube or probably iTunes.

            I am guessing that you have your own favorites, just depending on the generation you come from … but no matter what you favorite, share it with your sweetie today – guaranteed they will love it!

            hmmm…..

thoughts on the news of the day: whitney houston

hmmm…..

            “So good-bye …” Whitney Houston sang those words in the song, “I Will Always Love You” at the Grammy’s in 1993.  She waved her hand as she sang it as if it was a premonition of things to come.  It was a stunning performance and crowned her as Top Diva, if she wasn’t that already.  And now Whitney Houston is gone.  Early reports say drugs and alcohol took her away from us.  When you watch her sing on the videos recorded when she was at the top of her game, she seems so full life; she looks as if nothing could ever bring her down.  But it did. 

            I don’t know about you, but I have missed Whitney.  I missed her a long time before her death.  Tragically, while claiming on an interview that “crack is whack”; she found out that crack as well as many other illegal drugs are powerful and menacing even to those who seem to be bigger than life itself.  Whitney tried many times to make a come back.  I believe that she truly wanted to kick her habit; I have to believe that, otherwise drugs and the evil they bring wins.

            But Whitney lives on.  Her music will always inspire us.  We can always watch her sing her stunning version of “The Star Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl.  Her Grammy performance of “I Will Always Love You” is available on video any time we want to see it. 

And, Whitney, we will always love you!

            hmmm….. 

thoughts on the news of the day: mardi gras

hmmm…..

            Mardi Gras would probably not be nearly as popular – or as much fun if it was called “Fat Tuesday” which is what it means in French.  You probably don’t need this mini church history lesson, but long ago, on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday all of the sugar, butter and spices were taken out of kitchens and used to make cakes, pancakes and other goodies.  The idea was that all of the things that could not be eaten during Lent were finished up the day before Lent, so as not to waste them.  “Fat Tuesday” came the day before “Ash Wednesday”.

            Today, Mardi Gras is all about parties, parades and celebration; plus a few things we won’t go into right now.  It occurred to me that it is interesting that two of the main locations of Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Louisiana and Galveston, Texas have been hit by massive hurricanes in the fairly recent years.  I guess if you were wont to say so, there might be a case for the Almighty to be punishing the celebrators for their misbehavior in much the same way that he punished many Old Testament tribes and peoples.

            I actually do not hold to that theory.  To me, it is just too simple.  I don’t think the Divine Creator works that way.  If that were the case, then we would all be washed away into the salty brink.  None of us escapes sin.  We are all guilty of some misdemeanor or shortcoming and to single out one group or location just doesn’t work. 

            Celebration is good; it only goes south when we get carried away … so to speak ….

            hmmm…..

             

thoughts on the news of the day: purity

hmmm…..

            Dogs drink out of toilet bowls, right?  But it would be unheard of for a human being to drink out of one, agreed?    Well, southern California has completely destroyed that particular concept.  Through a series of purification and reclaiming processes, wastewater is now being used for other things besides well, wastewater.

            Actually, this is not a new concept; it is just new to be accepted by American consumers.  When you think about it, the dry and arid areas of California and Nevada would never have been developed without some kind of irrigation.  Sure, wastewater was used for this, but for drinking water? No way.  The thing is though; California is running out of water.  More and more, water is becoming scarce, especially clean drinking water.  Something had to be done.  So, scientists have developed ways to make wastewater safe to drink again.

            Purity; we all want it.  We want it in our water, and we want it in a myriad of other places, too.   One of our favored expressions in the Presbyterian Church is that we protect the peace, unity and purity of our faith.   But we have a hard time making it crystal clear what we actually mean by purity.

            Seems to me, if we think about what we want in terms of purity for our drinking water, we can easily determine what it is that purity means in our lives.  First of all, pure water means water that is free of undesirable elements.  Pure water is clean and clear, without the cloudiness of dirt or scum.  Pure water is tasteful, cleansing and refreshing.

 Clean, clear, tasteful, cleansing and refreshing -- if we want to have purity in our lives, wouldn’t these things come first?

            hmmm…..

             

thoughts on the news of the day: soup

hmmm…..

            As I write this the Super Bowl is on national television. The Giants and the Patriots are pretty busy right now, but most of us who are watching the game are probably lying around, eating snacks and enjoying a warm cozy living room.  In a few short hours, there will be a winner and a loser and life will go on for all of us viewing the show.  I am guessing that for most of us, the game will not be more than a passing memory in a day or two. In a year when the next game is presented, we will probably not even remember this one.

            But something that is actually much more important happens on this day also.  Many years ago a tradition began to celebrate Super Bowl with a collection of money and/or soup cans for those who are hungry – those who might not even have a bowl of soup to eat today.  The tradition has grown and now expands to many days before and after the big event.  There is a national group that coordinates the “Souper Bowl” but it is very loosely organized.  They get the word out, but encourage those who contribute to give their money and soup to local organizations and agencies who can then distribute them to folks who are in need.

            I think it’s safe to say that for most of us, we have not much more than an emotional stake in the outcome of the game.  But for those who are hungry, a can of soup could mean a whole lot more.  Tomorrow won’t be too late to write a check to a food bank.  It won’t be too late to take a case of soup there.  You might not be on national television, but you will be a hero.

            hmmm…..