thoughts on the news of the day: weddings

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            April 29 is the big day.  Prince William and Kate Middleton will be married and (hopefully!) live happily ever after.  Fairy tale weddings aside, this bride and groom seem to have their own ideas about how the wedding day will go.  First, there will only be one ring exchanged; Prince William will not have one. Kate will arrive in a private limousine; the horse drawn carriage will not be used. And, heaven forbid! The save the date cards were emailed! 

            Weddings are changing, traditions are being smashed.  Our church is primarily retired folks, so I haven’t had the privilege of officiating a wedding in years.  But all of the sudden, I get to officiate for three!  And these are all folks who have been in their respective relationships for a while so they will have their own ideas about how the wedding celebration should go.

            Fortunately in all three cases, they want to share their happy day with family and friends.  I think that it is important to celebrate joining together in community – to rise up in front of a group of folks who love you and say that you will love another person forever means something.  Hoopla aside, expense aside, expectations aside; standing in front of God and special people and asking for their blessing can create a bond that is hard to break. 

            May my friends and relatives who are getting married this year know that they are loved and blessed as they look forward to their special wedding days!

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thoughts on the news of the day: names

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            Does your name determine your destiny?  That question was asked on my internet home page this morning.   It is a question that has been asked for thousands of years.  For example, when Abrams name was changed to Abraham in the book of Genesis in the bible.  The new name means “father of multitudes” in Hebrew.  Turns out, he was.

            My brother was given a cutesy nickname shortly after he was born.  It was cute when he was a toddler – and apropos when he wrestled in high school.  But cute when he became an executive for an oil company?  Not so much.  So he reverted back to his given name which was much more dignified and suited his new position. 

            The name we chose for my daughter was a combination of being named after my sister and a well known television character at the time.  As soon as my daughter could talk, she nicknamed herself something very different and very much more suited to her personality.  It is an almost unique name and she is never mistaken for someone else.

            Then there are those who try and limit their identity to one name – like Cher or Madonna or Prince (who tried for a while to become simply a symbol).  If it is a distinctive name it can work.  Lindsay Lohan is trying to become just  “Lindsay”.  I doubt if that will be successful, there are too many Lindsay’s out there who have already made claim to that name.

            What does your name mean?  Has it determined your destiny? My name means “grace”, hopefully I can live up to that.

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thoughts on the news of the day: generosity

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            Ryo Ishikawa, a 19 year-old Japanese professional golfer announced yesterday that he will be giving all of his 2011 prize winnings to the victims of the disaster that hit Japan on March 11.  It is estimated that he could win over $1 million dollars if he has a good season on the PGA Tour.  Last year he won $1.8 million on the Japan Tour alone.

            Aside from the obvious reason that it will help the people of Japan tremendously, Ishikawa has other motivations for making the offer.  He says that it will help him play better.  I would imagine that the idea of giving aid to those in desperate need in his home country would certainly bring impetus to play better.  But it would also bring intense pressure.  What if he didn’t do so well … would that cause even more pressure .. a luxury that top flight golfers really can’t afford?

            But you really have to give this young man credit.  How many 19 year old celebrities do you hear about who are willing to donate all of their earnings to people in need?  It’s a noble gesture and requires maturity and generosity far beyond his young years.

            Then, again, it’s pretty good marketing strategy.  Who wouldn’t root for someone who is giving everything to a good cause?  I mean, wouldn’t you want him to win knowing that the people in Japan would be helped? 

            On the PGA tour, it’s going to be an interesting year.

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thoughts on the news of the day: 911

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            Talk about sinking sands! A woman in Plant City, Florida was literally sucked into a sinkhole in her back yard.  The hole was 2 feet wide and 7 feet deep and she was unable to crawl out of it on her own.  She was saved because she used her cell phone to call her husband, who then called 911.  It took three police officers to pull her out since her feet and legs were already immersed in the mud. 

            We all live on unsteady ground at times. There are moments in our lives when we feel as though the earth is sinking and we are too.  Financial sinkholes, relationship sinkholes, challenges with health and with employment all feel like we are being buried alive without much hope. 

            It’s at those times that we need to ask for help.  Like the woman who called her husband, who called 911, we can call for assistance.  We can ask friends, family, our church and our community for the support we need.  The old saying, “two heads are better than one” fits here.  Through the creative thoughts and ideas of another person, we might find a solution we would have never thought of on our own.

            Then there is the spiritual aid we might request.  It never hurts to go to God in prayer when things get rough.  Solutions come from areas we would never suspect.  And before we know it, we are standing on solid ground once again.

            Next time you feel yourself sinking – call for help – it’s as close as your cell phone!

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thoughts on the news of the day: looking local

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            The best hospitals in the United States were recently ranked by US News and World Report.  Naturally these came from the largest cities in the United States.  Hospitals like New York-Presbyterian Hospital of Columbia and Cornell, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.  All are great hospitals, but for most of us, they are inaccessible because of their distance.

            When possible, I try to shop locally, even when choosing a hospital.  Fortunately, our little town has a top notch facility. A good friend of mine recently brought his Mom to our hospital for health problems and even though he has worked in the health care field throughout the United States for years, he says that she has gotten the best nursing care of anywhere he has ever been.  I am sure there are folks out there who have not had the same experience, but by and large as I serve my parishioners, they seem to be very satisfied with the care they receive at our local medical center.

            Yes, online shopping is great.  The variety is infinite and prices are extremely competitive.  But for some things, like medical care, online shopping is not an option.  And for others, looking local first helps the city’s economy grow.    

            Specialty shops in local areas can give the kind of friendly service and attention that just don’t exist in the internet community.  So, I think I will make more of an effort to try our local retail outlets first, and I recommend that you try them, too -- we might just be pleasantly surprised!

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thoughts on the news of the day: breaking bread

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            There’s a story buried on the internet today that says that going to church can make you fat.  Apparently studies have found that religious people are more prone to be overweight than non-religious folks.  This is probably due to the fact that there are so many opportunities to eat at church.  In our church, each Sunday following worship, we have a fellowship hour.  I like to brag that the best cookies in Mountain Home are served in our church because they are baked by the best cooks in the whole county!

            We Presbyterians like to eat.  We have treats after church, Wednesday night pot lucks and special events that all serve delicious food.  Generally there is a pot of coffee and a dish of goodies ready in our mail room almost every day.  Now, probably a few cookies on Sunday and a great meal on an occasional Wednesday is not the real culprit.  It’s probably life long bad eating habits that are the real cause of being overweight.

            And that is not a good enough reason to eliminate the wonderful fellowship that goes on during these gatherings.  Something about breaking bread together brings folks together spiritually and emotionally.  We become a body rather than just the sum of the parts.  I love our times of eating together, catching up on the news of the week and just simply sharing food and conversation.  It’s really a large part of what church is all about. 

            If your church has occasions to share a meal or a snack together, take advantage of them and be blessed by the warmth and the love you find there.

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thoughts on the news of the day: water

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            Water containing levels 10 million times higher than normal was discovered in Japan’s stricken nuclear complex today.  Emergency workers fled the troubled reactor after discovering the contaminated water.  How long the workers were exposed to the highly radioactive water was not immediately known.  And it wasn’t immediately clear how long the levels had been that high.  In addition, there are now safety concerns about the water in Japan.  Radiation has been found in seawater and even tap water in Tokyo.

            Water is a life giving element. The human body can only survive a few days without the benefits of water.  Spiritually it symbolizes cleanliness, restoration and new life.  Jesus was baptized in the waters of the Jordan River by St John the Baptist and this began his unique ministry to the world. 

            Today during our worship service, we are baptizing a young boy who is eager to join with us in faith.  As is our Presbyterian tradition, we will sprinkle a few drops of water on him rather than immersing him in a tank which is the practice of many other denominations.  We do immerse if the candidate requests it, it is just not our general way of doing it.  The primary action does require water, though – the life giving source and the element of the sacrament.

            It’s easy to take fresh water for granted until something like a nuclear disaster occurs.  I am grateful today for clean water – water that can renew and restore both physically and spiritually – a source of Life.

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