Movie Music...

I visited my mom, and my sister and her family in Huntsville, Alabama over the New Year's holiday. One evening we went to see the movie "True Grit." The original movie won John Wayne an Acadmey Award...which many folks thought was awarded not so much for his work in that particular movie but for his life-long work in films. It was, to my thinking, an OK movie, but nothing to write home about. The new re-make of the movie was, to my thinking, much better than the first. It was more pithy, more tense, more true to what I suppose life would have been like in the time in which the movie was set. And it most certainly was more true to the human nature I have any speaking acquaintance with, than was the original.

The background music, woven throughout the movie, was the old gospel song, "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms." I didn't expect that...in fact it took me some time to recognize the song as it played...sort of sparse-like, and in a country-music bluegrass style. A lady named Iris DeMent sings the song...what a wonderful voice she has.
I remember singing that song (and others like it...gospel songs) in the little-town church I grew up in. I was informed in seminary that my appreciation for these kinds of songs showed my low-brow taste in church music. Hymns are about "we" while gospel songs are about "me," I was told, and that would be a problem for someone going into church ministry.
That may be. But I took a very pleasant trip back in time during my watching of "True Grit." I watched the movie but let my memory travel back to small-town norhtern Indiana in the 1950s and early 60s.
I don't want to actually go back to "the good old days" (if they really ever were that), but I do admit that hearing "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" while watching a good movie was a most pleasant surprise. Like good comfort food, I think.
Come to find out, the song was used in another movie, a 1943 film titled "The Human Comedy", starring Mickey Rooney. Like the new "True Grit," it was nominated for several Academy Awards.

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Refrain

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

You know you started humming or singing that song when you saw those lyrics!

Embrace Your Imperfections

So, I read this on-line article that offered 7 ways to become more approachable. I don't think of myself as being unapproachable, but I figured a quick read couldn't hurt...and maybe I could apply the time spent reading the article toward my required annual continuing-education requirement.

One of the ways the article suggested as a path to becoming more approachable is to "embrace your imperfections."

Well, I don't know if that is an area of my life I really want to open up and deal with. Imperfections. Seems to me I am about as perfect as I'm gonna get...at least any time soon.
Honestly, of course, I am not perfect in so many ways: not a perfect dad, haven't been a perfect husband, not close to being a perfect pastor/preacher, never gonna be perfect at golf! Haven't bowled a 300 game! Haven't pitched a perfect game! Haven't written the great novel!

There's so much imperfection to embrace, in my case. And even if I do embrace it, how is that going to make me more approachable? Do I want to be more approachable? Maybe I could be perfect in my unapproachableness!

Good thing that God and the occasional human being say they love us and really mean it...even if we aren't perfect!

A little love every now and then makes it all better...

Moving On...

I cannot right now number all the places I have lived in my lifetime. I know the names of the cities and towns involved. Places like Lydick, Los Angeles, Greencastle, Vincennes, Avon...and more. Most of my years have been spent in locations in or around Indianapolis. In some of the towns I have lived in more than one place.

This is a picture of my current home in Bloomington. Nice home. Nice town.
Living in many places is now the norm for most Americans. It wasn't always so. Some of us old-timers can remember hearing stories from our parents and grandparents about how they lived their entire life in the house where they had been born.
But life changes...and lifestyles change...and nowadays most of us move on from one home to another quite often. I wonder what we have lost (if anything) with the advent of this new way of living (from place to place)?
I suspect we have less attachment to a "place" as "home" than did the generations that came before us. And so, it becomes necessary for us to work hard at making "where we are" a wonderful and memorable "home" while we are there.
Moving on is not always easy...not always fun...not always what we would choose if the choice were only up to us. Maybe moreso than ever, "Home is Where the Heart Is."

Madness in March (April, too)

College basketball at NCAA tournament time...so good and so much fun to watch. If you fill out a brackets chart and play against yourself or others there is even more reason to enjoy the March Madness (although the Final Four play on the first weekend in April).
Its been a very good year for Notre Dame, so I will be hoping they make it to the final four...they have a decent shot, I think.
If you are old enough to remember, then this time of year takes you back to 1979...back to "The Game." Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird! Sure, it was Indiana State vs. Michigan State...but not really. What it was was Bird against Johnson. What it was was a college basketball fan's dream-come-true.

And there is always a chance that another dramatic match-up will take place in the tournament. Always a chance that a tremendous individual effort will carry a team to the final weekend. Always a chance that your team will be crowned the champion.
Last year, as an Indiana resident, it was great to see the Bulldogs of little Butler University of the Horizon League come to within one point of winning it all against the mighty Duke Blue Devils.
At this time of year...there is always a chance. Bring it on!

Enough, Already...Seriously!

Here in the midwest...central southern Indiana, to be exact, we have had enough, already...seriously! Enough snow. Enough ice. Enough school "snow days." Enough!
Now, I spent the first 18 years of my life in South Bend, Indiana, where we got much more snow and much more winter weather than we do here in Bloomington. And I am aware that even Indiana does not suffer extreme winter weather like some other parts of the country. But its all relative, and we have had enough, already...seriously!
I've gotten to that "enough, already" point at other times in my life. You have, too, I would guess. Enough, already of people being unkind. Enough, already, of leaders taking us for a ride. Enough, already of institutions rigging the game in their favor. Enough, already of the fates dealing me a losing hand.
And, enough, already of me not living up to my better self.

Enough, already of my being unkind. Enough, already of my taking people for a ride. Enough, already of my rigging the game so that it favors me. Enough, already of my dealing other folks a losing hand.
Enough, already...seriously!

Enough snow and ice and winter weather...there is golf to be played soon!

Being Prepared...

Its just about time for Santa to do his thing again this year. Several years ago my daughter told "the man with all the toys" (to quote a Beach Boys' lyric) what she would like him to bring her for Christmas. And we prepared for an expected Christmas-Eve visit. We did our part to make Santa feel welcome when he brought those items that had been requested. We set out hot chocolate and home-made sugar cookies. And, my daughter wrote Santa a note. The note said "Thank you" for the gifts that would be placed under the tree and it also asked this question: "Are you right-handed or left-handed?" I'm not sure why that was important to my daughter, but that was the question. You would want to know that Santa answered that question to my daughter's satisfaction.

In the church, over the past four Sundays, we have been preparing for Christmas 2010. We have invited ourselves to look forward to the annual arrival of the incarnation of Love, and Joy, and Hope, and Peace. It occurs to me that a note could be left at the church after the 11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve worship service that might offer a "Thank you" to God for the Gift and the gifts we know God has and will bring our way. Maybe we could also ask God to answer a question...not which-handed God is, but maybe something like "Why would you do this wonderful thing for us every year?" Or, maybe "Is there something you would like us to do in return for all you have done for us?"

That could prove interesting.

I have heard (and seen in print) several folks lament that they hear "Happy Holidays" more than they hear "Merry Christmas" at this time of year. Some are vowing not to shop at stores who advertise their goods with "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." The complaints go on.
And so, I wonder...I wonder because I do not know for sure...although I do suspect.
-I wonder what persons of other faith traditions in our neighborhoods think about being expected to wish folks, or have themselves wished with, "Merry Christmas."
-I wonder why some folks think that how the holiday season is advertised defines the holiday season.
-I wonder if some who are really upset with the lack of enough "Merry Christmas" wishes and advertisements will nonetheless consider Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus, or even the Grinch as suitable Merry Christmas symbols.
-I wonder if behind some of the complaints about the shortage of "Merry Christmas" greetings is really a nostalgia for wonderful Christmas holidays gone bye...for returning things to the way it used to be in an imagined better time of life.
-I wonder how central the Christ of "Merry Christmas" is to our lives the remainder of the year; and what greetings are exchanged that might display that.