Just a Little Rewrite of History...

All of us studied history at least a little in high school.  Maybe some of us went on the further that historical study in college.  I was one of those. 
I studied the history that was required for graduation from high school.  But when I got to college I signed up for a required history class and ran smack into a man who helped decide one of my two majors...his name was Dr. Fred Hill...and he made history so much fun to study and research that I settled in for as many courses as I could take and still manage the other courses required for a degree from a Liberal Arts College. 
A course in historiography made me aware...very aware...that history is written by the "winners."  Aware that if one wants to find out  about the "losers" one will have to dig much deeper than the popular printed material.  I was also to discover that all along the way of life there are folks who try really hard to rewrite history to fit their agendas, the prejudices, their defense of the status quo.

In recent memory the person I am aware of who has tried his damnedest to rewrite history to fit not only his agenda, but the agenda of the Far Right political and Christian agenda is David Barton.  If you want to do so, you can check out his clap-trap at wallbuilders.com.

But Barton is not alone.  More and more I see material and memes on the internet...especially on social media...trying to rewrite history to fit an agenda that is silly, bigoted, and dangerous.

And so. as Historiography teaches:

-Pay close attention to the methodology of those who write stuff called "history."

-Check the sources and the theoretical approaches of historians.

-Try to determine if the material you are reading is actually concerned to find the truth.

-Make sure the historian whose work you are reading uses primary sources as often as possible in researching the topic.

-Good history includes a study of the social evolution taking place at the time being researched and written about.

-History written as propaganda is bad history.

And while historiography doesn't teach this..."stuff" written by the David Bartons of this world is "stuff," not "history."

This Place Would Be a Lot Nicer...

My daughter just got a puppy.  Actually Oliver arrived about Thanksgiving time.  He is a small dog, and it turns out he's quite smart, and fun, and nice to have around...all the stuff that a parent who doesn't exactly want their kid to get a pet hopes the pet won't be.  It is what it is.  And he's here to stay.  And that's OK.

But puppies produce stuff.  And by "stuff," I mean "poop."  Oliver produces poop.  It seems to me that he produces it in quantities out of proportion to his size or his daily dietary intake.

And so, life at our house now includes obvious and regular offerings of poop...just outside the front door.  Which, if not picked up and deposited in a plastic bag and then placed in the garbage bag, can be picked up on the bottom of your shoe and deposited on the front room carpet.  Or the kitchen tile.  Or the hallway runner.  Or all three places...and even more.

Oliver is only the most recent reminder to me that the place I live would be a lot nicer...if it weren't for all the "stuff."  All the poop.  All the poop that each-day-of-life deposits on my shoes and gets tracked into every room in the house...and stains the carpeting and the drapes and the bed skirt and the clean clothes, fresh out of the washer and dryer.

And it does more than stain the place where I live, it stinks the place up!

It stinks up the place where I live...Bloomington, Indiana, the United States of America, the World.  The Whole Stinkin' World!

There's poop all over the place.  Put there by individuals, and groups, and communities, and cultures, and countries,  and corporations, and politics (this might be the biggest source of our poop problem in this country...maybe), and accidents,  and disease, and acts-of-God (although nobody in their right mind really believes God causes that poop!), and heart-break, and soul-crushing tragedies of all types and descriptions.  And everyone of us has tracked in our fair share of the stuff over the years...and done our part to foul up this place we live in...this world of ours.

Every time I put together a sermon about do-overs...or second-chances...or doing-it-different the next time...or learning to live with the way life is...every time I have to keep in mind just how much poop the people who will hear that sermon actually have to deal with in their actual lives in the actual worlds they live in.

Poop happens!  And it will keep on happening.  And we will all (every stinking one of us) keep on tracking it in to the most amazing places: Our places of work.  The places where we share our morning coffee.  Our houses of worship.  Our homes.  Our relationships.  The eateries and bars where we share lunch or dinner with friends.  Baseball Stadiums, Football Stadiums, Basketball Arenas, Soccer Pitches...and any other of the many places where we engage in or watch sporting events.

And even though the picture/meme that follows this sentence is funny, this is not a realistic way to deal with poop.   (And BTW, the Buddha never said this!)

Here is a better way to deal with poop...with the stuff of life that is not going to go away...but will continue to dog us for all our days:  Grace.  Yeah, Grace.

Remember those times when poop got tracked in and you thought you were defeated, and you couldn't carry on...not one more minute...and right then and there something good happened?  Yeah, that was Grace.

Remember those times when poop got tracked in and you were bitter and you were convinced that you could never again forgive...and out of the blue something good happened?  Yeah, that was Grace.

Remember those times when poop got tracked in and you had sacrificed one too many times, and you were so sure that you could give no more...and somehow something good happened?  Yeah, that was Grace.

Remember those times when poop got tracked in and you said you lacked the courage to stick your neck out again (because it would just get chopped off again), and you simply could not muster up the strength to do the right thing...and lo and behold something good happened?  Yeah, that was Grace.

Remember that time when from somewhere deep down inside you there came a prayer, if indeed that is what it was...and thankfully something good happened?  Yeah, that was Grace.

There is poop in this place we call "home," and this place would be a lot nicer if only there was some way to deal with all that poop...yeah, that would be Grace.

Poop happens.  Grace happens.  Grace trumps poop.

In fact, Grace trumps everything.

Oliver needs to go out...

Don't Look Back...

Do you remember the movie, "Duel?"

Released in 1971 as a TV Movie, and then later as a full-length theatrical film, it starred Dennis Weaver (of "Gunsmoke" fame).  Weaver drove his Plymouth Valiant while being stalked on a lonely dessert road by the mysterious driver of a large tanker truck.

It was a great flick.  If you haven't seen it...or haven't seen it in some time...you should check it out.  It holds up well as a quite terrifying movie-long chase scene.

Warning:  After watching it you may find yourself glancing more often than usual in your car's rear-view mirror...to see if something scary is gaining on you.

Famous Negro Leagues pitcher, Satchel Paige, among his many humorous and insightful quotes, has this one: "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you."

When you look back, what's gaining on you?
Guilt?
Shame?
Lost and/or unresolved relationships?
Fear...of sickness, death, loss, being found out, losing control?

Yeah, me too. We all got that "stuff" called baggage that we drag around behind us...and every now and then it seems like some or all of it is gaining on us.  Damn!  It makes a tanker truck look pretty tame, by comparison.

Now, beyond owning up to the fact that I have baggage just like I suppose everybody does, I sadly have no magic cure for how to deal with the "stuff" that appears in our rear-view mirrors from time to time.  I ignore it sometimes...maybe you do too.  I try to soften it a bit with all kinds of mind-tricks sometimes...maybe you do too.  I swear at it out loud (or under my breath when I am with others) sometimes...maybe you do too.

So, I went to a couple of big-shots in the world-of-living-decently...perhaps their wisdom will help us keep from dragging around any more "stuff" than we have to...and perhaps their wisdom will make it possible for us to not add to the "stuff" we are already dealing with.

First, from Pope Francis' "10 Tips for a Happier Life."
-Live and Let Live.
-Proceed Calmly In Life.
-Be Giving of Yourself to Others.
-Respect and Take Care of Nature.
-Stop Being Negative.
-Work for Peace.

And, from the Dalai Lama's "21 Rules for Living."
-When You Lose, Don't Lose the Lesson.
-Follow the Three Rs: Respect for Self; Respect for Others; Responsibility for All Your Actions.
-Learn the Rules So You Know How to Break Them Properly.
-Open Your Arms to Change, But Don't Let Go of Your Values.
-Live a Good, Honorable Life. Then When You Get Older and Think Back, You'll Be Able to Enjoy It a Second Time.
-Be Gentle with The Earth.
-Judge Your Success by What You Had to Give Up in Order to Get It.

Lastly, some more from the great pitcher, Satchel Paige.
-I never rush myself. See, they can start the game without me.
-Ain't no man can avoid being born average, but there ain't no man got to be common.
-How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?
-You win a few, you lose a few. Some get rained out. But you got to dress for all of them.

Somewhere in the wisdom and wit of these three outstanding gentlemen you may find some tid-bit (or two, or three) that will help you deal with the "stuff" you are dragging around; maybe you will find something to help with not adding to that "stuff."

Hope so.

Its What Comes After Advent That Really Matters...

I serve a church that has in place a Worship Design Team.  This group of people sits with myself and the other pastor of the church about once a month or so, to think out-loud about upcoming worship experiences, offer suggestions and direction, and assist with pulling the whole thing off.  What a gift!

This Advent Season the WDT and the pastors have set off on a course that includes The Announcement (of Jesus' impending arrival), The Journey (by Mary to Elizabeth's home, and by Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem), The Birth...you get the idea.

And thru it all we are reminding ourselves that Advent provides a Hopeful way of looking at our world...and our life together.

The time leading up to That Birth way back when and half a world away from where I sit today, had Mary and Joseph running the gauntlet of census takers, tax collectors, beggars at the city gate, not to mention bedding down in an animal barn...where That Baby arrived.  Not much Hope involved in that scene...obviously, the Hopeful way of looking at our world...and our life together...comes after Advent. 

The Grinch is most likely the character most of us run into during each year's Advent (run-up to Christmas). 

Too little joy...you're a mean one, Mr. Grinch.

Too little money to purchase the required number and type of presents...you're a mean one, Mr. Grinch.

Broken family ties...thanks, Grinch.

Etc.

This year the Grinch has one helluva gauntlet for us to run in our run-up to Christmas:

Ferguson, Missouri.

A chokehold death in New York City.

ISIS.

Guantanamo remaining open for "business."

Global poverty and hunger.

Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, Xenophobia...and a whole lot more -isms and -phobias.

Etc.

Like I said earlier, the Hope comes after Advent.  A Hopeful way of looking at our world...and our life together...comes on the way back home after paying respects to That Baby born in a barn.

It comes when we finally realize that That Baby was born into existence for all of us:
Believers and Non-Believers.
Kings and Shepherds.
Do-Gooders and Sinners.
Women and Men.
The Perfect and the Imperfect.
Those who Succeed and Those who Fail.
Those who hold on to a Grudge for dear-life and Those who Freely Forgive.
Those who are Myopic and Those who see the Big Picture.
You, and Me, and Everyone Else.

A Hopeful way of looking at our world...and our life together...comes when it dawns on us that
God loves us universally!
God loves us unconditionally! And,
God loves us constantly!

Time Is Running...

24 hours in a day.
365 1/4 days in a year.
And how many years in a life?

For me, so far, 69 years...actually almost 70.  If I make it to March 12, 2015.

For others...not as much; or maybe even more.  Its a crap-shoot.

I recently took one of those incredibly scientific tests on Face Book and was told that I still have 33 years and 9 months left to live on the face of this earth!  That would put me at 103 when I kick the bucket...breathe my last...take a dirt nap...assume room temperature.  You get the point.

Back in 2009, when I was moved by the Bishop and Cabinet to my current (and final) local church appointment, I said this to a congregation that had just turned 55...I had just turned 64:

-Let’s say that the average life-span of a white male born in the United States in 1945 is 70 years.
-That means that I once had at my disposal 25,550 days (give or take some Leap Years).
-I have used up 23,360 of those days.
-And that means I only have 2,190 days left!

I am just about to run out of those final 2,190 days.

I also said, back in 2009, that part of maturing gracefully and (perhaps) living long, involved these things:

-Taking into account who others are, and what it is that others think, and do, and believe. 
-Taking risks.
-Remembering who we are.
-And, taking some time to be healed a little each day. 

Truth is, I suppose, that time is always running just ahead of us...until the day we catch up to it.

And while we are still in the race (with time), maybe a good three-part mantra would be this:

-Learn to be on the way to getting better instead of worse.
-Learn to dream...and thereby have a million thoughts and ideas.
-Learn to have an enthusiasm about the life yet ahead.

 

Do It Youself...

DIY...Do It Yourself.  That's big these days.  Check out TV and print ads from Big Box Hardware Stores and you'll see what I mean.

Got some free time this Saturday before the big game comes on ESPN? Get the materials for a new deck...and DIY.  You can take the flat-screen out on the completed deck and watch the game in the cool of the evening.

The shelving that the wife wants installed in the family room.  Take the specs to the friendly people at your local DIY store and before you know it, the whole project will be completed...by you.  Probably before lunch.

Got a whole crowd coming over for dinner?  Pull the DIY cookbook down from that new shelving the husband put up, and in no-time-flat you will be serving up a meal good enough to make it to the final round of "Chopped."

Do It Yourself. 

Here is a list of "Six Personality Traits to Admire and Acquire;" they come from an article by Brett Blumenthal, back in January of 2010.  They are all...every one of them...DIY projects:
#6...Humility
#5...Integrity
#4...Sensitivity
#3...Genuinness
#2...Tolerance
#1...Selflessness

Have at it.  Do It Yourself, and you will be an even better person than you already are.

Do It Yourself.

Here is how friend, Stan Abell (back in his BlueVine Collective days) said it:

Humans are on a life-long journey toward perfection, but not the A+ kind of perfection. Rather, the wholeness and fulfillment kind of perfection. Not the kind of perfection purchased by claiming and clinging to dusty creeds…but instead, participating in life-giving wholeness that comes from claiming, following, and perpetuating a message of hope, compassion, and unconditional love.

Have at it.  Do It Yourself, and you will be an even better person than you already are.  You've got plenty of time...it is, after all, a life-long DIY journey.

Do It Yourself.

Leonardo da Vinci (yeah, That Guy) wrote this:

Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works...Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else.  

Have at it.  Do It Yourself!

Really Bad Ideas

I have had some really bad ideas in my time.  We will not recount them here.  Many of them no doubt began with something like, "Hey, wanna see somethin'?"

You have had some really bad ideas in your time, too.  Don't be all smug and feeling superior to the rest of us...we've all...all...all had some really bad ideas.

Radium and phosphorus toothpaste was a really bad idea.  No kidding, it was a real thing.

Infusing toilet paper with lotion was a really bad idea.

New Coke was a really bad idea.

You want more proof of really bad ideas?  Ok...but remember, you asked for it:
-Billy The Big Mouth Bass
-Mood Rings
-The Flowbee
So, you see what I'm saying here, right?

That going-over-the-falls-in-a-kayak thing is a really bad idea.

And, sadly, some folks have posited some really bad ideas about God.

"There but for the grace of God, go I," is a really bad idea about God.

"God said it, that settles it," is a really bad idea about God.

"God loves me more than God loves you," is a really bad idea about God.

"Christianity is the only way to God," is a really bad idea about God.

Believing that God had anything to do with the murder and genocide accounts in the Old Testament, is a really bad idea about God.

"God never gives you more than you can handle," is a really bad idea about God.

Accepting the notion that God will eternally damn any part of creation as a result of temporal sins, is a really bad idea about God.

And so, wanting to avoid really bad ideas about God, let me suggest this (paraphrasing a New Testament writer):

If its noble,
If its pure,
If its lovely,
If its just,
If its admirable,
If its excellent,
If its praiseworthy,
Well then, if its any-or-all of those things, then its a really good idea about God.

And really good ideas beat the heck outta really bad ideas every time!

Oh, BTW, Motorola's Razr cell phone was a really bad idea.  Not joking, it was known as the MotoRazr.