Home from the Beach

My favorite place to vacation is Ft. Myers Beach, FL. I stay at a place right on the beach of Estero Island. The first time I visited the place was in 1983 or '84 and I have been returning to the same resort ever since. If we get do-overs in life, I would like to be a resident beach bum...but just sort-of. Across the street from where I stay is a movie theatre, and a 7-11 Convenient Mart, and Charlie's Boat House Restaurant. An easy walk away is an executive golf course (no par 5s). The public library is just a couple of miles north (good books and public access Internet). Something would need to be done about the lack of a nearby Starbucks.
Every time I go on vacation I return home, of course. Does vacation make home seem better, or is it the other way around? Probably its a bit of both.
Physical time away from the everyday and ordinary is a true blessing, a gift. And yes, I am fully aware that not everyone is afforded this gift.
Today, I am home from the beach. Tomorrow, I will be back in the routine of home.
I was given the gift of time away...and as with all gifts I am given, I am appreciative.

Reason to Be Concerned

Earlier today a self-proclaimed racist murdered a guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Less than two weeks ago a doctor was murdered by an anti-abortion extremist. There have been other murders recently that fit the same profile.
I have no political agenda to put forth and I will leave the commentary and factual reporting to the numerous news services. I would observe that most of the news sources I pay attention to are suggesting we ought to be concerned about the recent rise in racist and extremist violence in this country. We can all speculate why this may be the case, I have my suspicions and you have yours.
I am going to work even harder at three "celebrations" I have offered in sermons over the years. I am going to celebrate:

• Diversity...not Division.
• Opportunities...not Opposition.
• Advantages...not Adversaries.

My attention to these "celebrations" will not remove the reason we ought to be concerned right now, but it sure can't hurt!

Prayer

I just returned from visiting a friend in the hospital. All is well and he will return home tomorrow...better off due to a new heart cath. Hospitals, doctors and nurses are wonderful human and divine gifts to us!
Before my brief visit with he and his wife was completed, an employee arrived to take my friend from the cath center to a regular hospital room. I said goodbye before asking to pray with he and his wife. And that got me to thinking.
I am a professional "prayer of prayers." As a clergy person, it is expected (and sometimes even appreciated) that I would offer a prayer during a visit like the one recounted above. In worship services that I lead there is most often a time set aside for a "pastoral prayer" wherein I can try to capture and brielfy put into spoken words the prayers, thoughts, concerns and celebrations of the assembled congregation.
A 2008 survey (88 congregations, 950 participants) of United Methodist congregations (Anglo, African-American, Latino, Korean, and Chinese) on "The Place of Prayer" in UM churches revealed some interesting facts. See if you find yourself in any or many of these findings:

• UMs think prayer is very important to spiritual health and vitality.
• Most in leadership find prayer tends to become a function of the job.
• For the majority, "at church" is where most of the praying is done.
• When asked what they expect to happen when they pray, 56% said, "Huh?"
• For 92% of UMs, prayer is about what we say to God.

Mostly, I feel badly about these findings. Too often, my responses could be quite similar.

Ouch.