Wisdom List Post Number 1

My wisdom list started when I used a Personal Data Assistant (PDA) and I would enter sayings that people would say to remind me of the wisdom that friends and others have created or quoted. I decided this morning that this was destined for my (neglected) blog. The list is a little long for a single blog entry and it will give me a number of topics. O, and by-the-way, there are two lists – Mary Chris’ and then the general list. Let’s start with Mary Chris’ list first. I will use the designation MCL Entry and General Entry to distinguish between the two lists.


MCL Entry one: “I'd rather ask for forgiveness for accepting someone I shouldn't have than for not accepting someone I should have.” Mary Chris said this at the Transfiguration Vestry Meeting on 8-18-2003

MCL Entry two: “I can't say your sin is worse than mine.” Mary Chris said this at the Transfiguration Vestry Meeting on 8-18-2003

My reaction and why I think this is wisdom

The vestry of Transfiguration was dealing with an exodus of sorts. People had heard about the consecration of Gene Robinson as the bishop of New Hampshire (for those who don’t know he is the first openly, gay bishop in the Episcopal Church). Michael Knight, the Vicar of Transfiguration, said that we should be more open-minded when reading scripture. People left the parish because of these events – Wow. Mary Chris had prayed about this issue intensely. This was her statement.

It makes me realize that the person deciding who gets into the church or God’s kingdom is not me. As someone else said that job is taken. It is our place to love the people who come to be with us on our journey to Christ and love and live with them. Judgment is one of the most powerful tools in the arsenal arrayed against the Church and really any group that is trying to be or create community. We need to work on our own sins and not condemn others because of theirs. Oh, if I could only live this way.

General Entry One: “Do I want more than I need? Do I want more than you?” John Buford said this at a Kairos planning meeting on 1-9-2003

General Entry Two: “When we listen that's when they hear us... Loud silence... Speaking by listening.” John Buford said this at Kairos planning meeting on 12-19-2003.

My reaction and why I think this is wisdom

John Buford and I served on few Kairos teams together. Kairos is an organization within the church that provides spiritual retreats (like Cursillo) in prisons. John and I served at the State Correction Institution of Chester (SCI Chester). These bits of wisdom came during a team meeting in preparation for one of these retreats.

First John was making a point about God’s provision and that it comes for our needs and not necessarily our wants. Our wants can cause conflict and division within the community. This needs to be avoided and we need to learn to be content with God’s provision.

Then John talks about how we should treat the people coming to the retreat. Loud Silence and Listening. This is so true not only in the context of ministry like this but also life in general. I need to listen more and not worry about silence. Loud Silence and listening can be profound to the other. It shows respect and provides an opportunity to learn.

Civility

The latest in the news is civility or the lack of it. Celebrities, politicians, sports figures and average citizens are being reported in the news – behaving badly. Have we forgotten good sportsmanship? Why must we disagree by insulting people and calling them the enemy? Why do we even think others are our enemy? Are we that paranoid?

I just saw an old episode of “Happy Days”. Richie and his Dad find themselves on opposite sides of the presidential election. His Dad says that “… He (Richie) has gone over to the enemy.” Wow – even Howard Cunningham.

Do we who call ourselves Christian forget that Jesus said to “love your enemies”? Hollering at people, insulting people, or worse getting violent - it is hard to think that Jesus meant any of those behaviors. I think it comes from insisting on our own way. Remember that St. Paul said something about that when he defined love in first Corinthians 13.

4Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Cor 13:4-7 (NSRV)

I invite you, as I am, to spend some time with these thoughts and meditate on them. …“[Love] does not insist on its own way, it is not irritable or resentful”… And let’s not worry about someone else’s behavior that we can’t control and control our own.

This summer I read that “The best answer Christianity can offer for the problem of evil is the Church itself.” When the church doesn’t live up to the standard of Love placed before us, it doubles the evil.

Peace

Steve

Labor Day Weekend

I really don’t like Labor Day. I get the celebration of the American Worker and the celebration of our productivity. It’s the “End of the summer” thing. I just hate it.

Growing up, I spent my summers in Cape May Point, NJ – free as a bird with little cares in the world - thanks to my parents’ provision. The trouble came when the summer ended and we had to leave Cape May Point to come home and go to school and endure the winter. There was no sailing, no water skiing, no swimming, no body surfing, no fun. Just cold weather, bleak dried up trees and plants, and school. Now school itself was not bad. I loved learning and finding out new things. It was just the people. I just never seemed to get along with anyone except those at the shore.

This pattern is so deep; I get grumpy during Labor Day weekend. I just expect that new nip of cold in the air to bring all those things that made me sad as a child and teenager. So here we go into the winter. Are you ready? I’m not.

That being said, Mary Chris and I spent the most glorious day in Cape May on Saturday. The weather was perfect – blue sky, warm sun and nice breeze. It started with a perfect omelet at McGlades on the boardwalk in Cape May. I had a wonderful walk on the beach in Cape May Point and then soaked in the Bay - followed by a short nap in my mother’s house. We had our dinner at the picnic area near the ferry. The sun just gleamed off the Delaware Bay. The breeze came in off the Bay. Wow it was beautiful

Peace

Steve

It begins...

Here I am… I am blogging – wow. There is not much to say at the moment, but it will come. I have wanted to do this for a while and I guess a combination of “what will people think” and “How do I do it anyway and not make a fool of myself” combined to stop me. Recently, I attended a webinar on blogging and got some do’s and don’ts and I watch Julia and Julie and that was encouraging as well. So let’s give it a whirl (as my Dad would have said).

There is the fear of being a fool, since I am Information Technology professional. I have two degrees in Computer Science and have been working with computers since I was in seventh grade – 1967-1968. I should know how to do this stuff, but sometimes the world moves faster than I like and things get beyond me.

Anyway here I am… I am searching for things that simplify life. I think that is my attraction to technology. It simplifies things – when it works well. Sometimes it makes life more complicated especially when it does not work as expected. Please enter into the conversation and together the world might be a better place.

Peace,
Steve