To Be Fair....

My article on Men's Advent Breakfast has generated a certain buzz. Mostly the response has been that the piece was both funny and sad. When I wrote it I was going for the funny, but I did feel the sadness that spiritual events don't seem to take off in my church--be it the breakfast or Labyrinth walks and the like. Perhaps that says as much about my leadership as anything.

But in fairness the First Church of North Platte is engaged in very significant ministries. For many years we have operated a food pantry and at the last year end report we had 85 volunteers working for the pantry including a sizable number from other churches and organizations in the community. North Platte's homeless organization has been trying to raise money for a new shelter and the FPCNP'ers contributed in excess of ten-thousand dollars. The congregation is always very generous in supporting Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Church World Service.

Many individual members volunteer for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, the Red Cross, and other services for the poor.

Overall they are a generous bunch who do try to work for the children of God.

They just don't seem to be interested in breakfast.

Mission- No doubt due to my wife's leadership. Perhaps she should do the cooking too.

Just a Question

The well has run dry a bit (or is it the tank after flushing? Not sure...) Anyway, can't really think of anything bloggable but I do have a question prompted by a conversation last night at a church social gathering. It is about Avatar

Now Avatar is not worth writing about. I have seen it, and it appears to be one dimensional characters on a freight train toward an inevitable ending. Not exactly the stuff of literature. It is, however, a technological marvel.

It has been written about, protested... I lose track and don't really care. My question is a lot more specific, and maybe even my question is not worthy of thought.

Last night someone told me that "a minister in Lincoln says to not watch it!" What??? Let me get this straight. Fictional aliens living on a fictional world in a fictional part of the universe in 3D aren't Christians? And we are supposed to have a problem with this? If I told my flock not to see the film because they would be led away by druid nature worship I should resign immediately because obviously I am not providing any substance by which they could withstand such an onslaught of propaganda.

Good heavens. Read what you want--watch what you want-- I guess all I ask is that you think about what you watch.

Feel free to advise me on this.....

About the Poetry

I am posting poems now and again and to date they are all mine. Many of them come from a graduate degree thesis I completed last year. Some of them are newer than that. I really haven't mastered the art of the happy poem yet, but there are some that are pretty silly. The following is a very poor sonnet from a technical standpoint but I enjoy the text because it is pretty much true.

Haunted By Sonnets

I wake up at night counting syllables.

The rational mind resists the prompts of

a neglected heart. If I am able

I arise to the siren's call of love.

Sir Phillip Sydney, Sir Walter Raleigh

mock me across centuries of verse.

As the dawn breaks through the trees I rally

to fine a voice more lilting, less a curse.

Perhaps those lips that love's own hand did make

No wait! It's not stealing, just to borrow...

One short line! I need the help for God's sake!

Capped pen, blackened page, hope in tomorrow.

For try as I might, using every trick

The lines I create are not iambic.

We Interrupt This Blog

for the following announcement.

In an earlier post featuring an unpublished newsletter article, the preamble stated that the piece had been "censored". This referred only to the author's own internal censor and sense of propriety and not to some external tyrannical power.

The blogger apologizes for any confusion this may have caused.

A Quick Thought On Gays in the Military

I intend to write about Bullying. I don't like bullying. But then, who does? Only bullies, a suspect, like bullying. So why is it that so few states have laws making bullying a crime? Why, in my own town, when I speak of the bullying my son is subject to, the response is to suggest changes to my son?

But that is for another day.

But I cannot help but have these feelings as I see the twisted arguments in favor of Don't ask, Don't tell. We have to put a stop to responding to discrimination and violence by demanding the victim accommodate. Whether its gays in the military (or anywhere else for that matter), domestic violence, or bullying. Stop blaming the victim. Yea. I know. Everyone will say "sure--that's right--of course--" and yet it still goes on.

Newsletter Articles That Didn't Make It

I have been trying to add a little levity to our church newsletter. But sometimes my sarcasm is a bit much and an article doesn't make it past the censor. For example, the following was written in response to my Advent Men's Breakfast Series which died after two weeks for lack of attendance.

ADVENT BREAKFAST A BIG HIT!

Our men’s advent breakfast was a big success. While no men actually came to the breakfast, there was one that would have come had others been coming and one who came the third week after we stopped doing it because no one came the first two weeks. But it was on the calendar for four whole weeks and that was really a spiritual uplift.

So now we are on to the next great men’s event. All men of the church feel free to vote on the event you would most like to see.

Hunting for Jesus- we will go deer hunting in parties of four and while waiting in the blind think about what role Jesus might play in our life.

Sitcoms with the Savior- We will gather in homes to watch tv sitcoms and speculate which characters know Jesus the best.

Simon Peter Says—A fun game in which we think of what we can say that will really tick Jesus off.

Church Scavenger Hunt—in teams of two, men have two hours Sunday morning to see if they can locate the church. Automatic disqualification for finding the E-Free church first. (could also be played with families).

CAN YOU SAY SPIRITUAL REVIVAL!!

Text your vote to xxxxxx. The winner will be announced sometime.

Life with My Son

So the other night my son falls asleep on the floor at 7 pm. At 9, his bedtime, he is still asleep. So I carry him to his bed. He looks at me and says, "You woke me up to put me in bed?" I answered yes. As he rolls over to face the wall, he says, "oh...the irony."