Snow this morning. We do not see a lot of snow over the past several years in Little Egypt…and it is an exciting sight. I was happy to see that my gaggle of geese have returned to my side of the Campus Lake. I find their fluid and structured movements to be Art in Motion. I often ponder as I watch nature that our human endeavors and grand plans are lost on the natural world…of which we are members…but often we do not realize our lifelong place in the magnificent structure of nature. Our animal friends function on a very clear time clock and consider their human neighbors with a bit of perplexion as to our purpose.

We are big fish in a little pond. Often we seek to baffle others with our bullshit and establish our dominance by our brilliant intellect… We of the human family are looking for our home. We are seeking the warmth of our mother’s embrace and the confident assurance of our father’s love and wisdom. We seek the unique odors of Christmas morning and the hope of the birth of Christ. We long to express that longing of love for our family and friends…and fear their response. Life brings us so many challenges that we have forgotten to just…live… Many counselors have their ideas about what we should do…but it is our life… We look for the church and the pastor to see us…and to care about us…but often their eyes are set upon those who have influence and resources and who are the movers and the shakers…

Rhythm is the heartbeat of our world. There is a beat to life and a place for us in the harmony of the song. I have an old friend who is undergoing cancer surgery today…I pray for him and his lovely family. On my first job…John’s wife and her sister drove me to Essex International in DuQuoin, Illinois. The three of us worked there in the 70s…and it seems like yesterday. I recall John and me talking about our walk as Christians and the joy on his face as he contemplated his new journey. The secret of life is understanding that the ordinary is extraordinary…

Home is our destination throughout our lives. Home calls out to us every day and every night. First, we are young and unable to care for ourselves. Then we march upon our Terra Firma with confidence and abandon for rules and regulations and the vision of achieving a place in history that will be remembered when we pass this mortal coil… We are all somewhat like Orson Wells’s character in the movie Citizen Kane….we are looking for ‘Rosebud.’

Home…where the idyllic front porch is where we sit and watch the squirrels playing on the magnolia trees…and the sweet ice tea is plentiful. Home where you are with your mom and dad under the humongous Christmas Tree in Chicago, Illinois. Home where you tell your mom and dad…just how special that they are to you…and where your hug your children close to your breast… hoping they know how much that they mean to you…

I discovered about myself that I was seeking my father’s approval well into my 30s. My dad was dead by that time…but I sought it in the eyes of my supervisors and pastors. We have an indelible image of home and what it means to us. We are returning there…on our journey back to Jerusalem…

Most people are doing the best that they can. I grew up in a former coal-mining town, Eldorado, Illinois, and the hardscrabble friends and neighbors that I had were ‘Salt of the Earth’ people. Southern Illinois has never been known for a booming economy. However, you would not know it by the richness of spirit kindness, and benevolence of the residents of Little Egypt. When the coal mines were prominent in Southern Illinois…they were not high-paying jobs. My step-father’s dad, Mike, was a coal miner and he was never a well-to-do man. He never learned to drive and subsequently walked everywhere that he went. The little thriving business district of the Eldorado of my youth had become in later years a group of Antique Emporiums. In the 1960s there was one Theatre left out of the three that had been prominent on the town square in the 1940s and 50s.

Walmart looked like a Ghost Town today when I was shopping for vitamins and snow scrapers. People are either ill from Omicron or afraid to get out…or both. The geese have set up camp on the far bank of Campus Lake…but some ducks remain. I learned from my good friend, Jeff D., that he had a friend who had contracted Omicron and almost died…and has residual physical effects that are ongoing. I am so happy that MJ Jonathon and I had been fully vaccinated and boosted prior to our getting Omicron… I have been reflecting on the eternally sunny disposition of our pastor, Kerry, and his encouragement in our troubled times. Have you ever met anyone that just by hearing them speak…you feel uplifted and encouraged and strengthened? Kerry has a pastor’s heart.

Southern Illinois is one of the most lovely parts of the state and rivals anywhere in the nation. It is much like the popular Butter…it is a ‘Land of Lakes.’ The natural beauty of our region has never been successfully marketed for tourists. The land’s unparalleled beauty is a hidden treasure.

Although our Pandemic is still with us…I have felt extremely calm and centered. Each day is a profound gift and we are a bit like the Blues Brothers…’On a mission from God.’ I wonder if once we pass from this life and reflect on our time on Earth if we will not wonder what we were so worried about… So often we are surrounded by heaven and would rather ponder hell… We want to help others…but we are afraid and so we dig a hole in the earth and hide our talent.

We are somewhat akin to the Old Testament Prophet Elijah, ‘Then he said, ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ And behold the Lord passed by, and a great strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ I Kings 19: 11-13

What are we doing here…is the question of 2022…

Frigid air is returning to Southern Illinois. Winter has decided not to disappoint. After making friends with Omicron…the uninvited guest…I find my tolerance for bitter temperatures is less than before and certainly less than in my younger years when I relished the cold… I have been checking daily on my geese friends at Campus Lake. Most of them have left with the frozen Lake…but a few remain. I bonded a bit with the gaggle and was able to snap some close-up photos that have alluded me for years. I marvel at how the geese seem so at home in the icy water…while I am freezing watching them.

I have noted that I am on a bit of a blog series regarding church and the many vagaries of church life. Although I have never been a minister…I have worked in ministry and assisting pastors and most church offices during my 53 years of Christianity. So, most elements of church life interest me and I have thought of them for many years and have experienced a variety of experiences in church. As I watch churches shrink and become diminished in people and resources and outreach…I am troubled. I believe that with all of the challenges that face us humans and occupants of planet earth…becoming secular is not helpful in our present distress.

There are a plethora of cults that have arisen in our society. Not just religious…but political and social. I can show you more than one plaque regarding former Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale leaders that mention early on in the narrative the fact that the person was a dedicated Christian and churchgoer. At least two societal issues have changed the fabric of American society. Since Watergate in the early 70s there is an increasing lack of confidence in our elected political leaders and what was once an established Sunday activity…church attendance…has decreased tremendously. In the place of these one time almost universal experiences has arisen Cults based on conspiracy theories. During January 6, 2021, Capitol Insurrection we saw the ‘Proud Boys’ and ‘The Oath Keepers’ and many other formerly unheard of groups…storm the Capitol of the United States believing that it was their right as they fought to protect their president who lost the election and their way of life…which is a strange amalgamation of political/religious hybrid faith…

Money has become the god of our secular society. Somewhat similar to the Israelites crying out for Aaron to fashion them a Golden Calf…in the absence of Moses. I was amazed when I began to see the turn in many churches to the Prosperity Doctrine. Basically, this doctrine teaches that if you give money until ‘It Hurts’ you will be recompensed many times over by God. I watched ministers get richer and members of the congregation get poorer. The same can be said for Higher Education and business and leadership in general in our society. We seek the rich…we seek the top of the economic ladder…to function as our Wise Men and our Wise Women. The ability to earn a lot of money has become the measure of success in life…while the children suffer from depression and desperation and devastation of soul and death of spirit…

Carol and Lee invited MJ and I and Aaron and Jonathon to First Presbyterian Church 24 years ago. MJ worked with Carol and Lee at the University. They described their love for their church. They told us of how friendly the members of the congregation were and how that they, Did not get into your personal business…but we’re there for you when you needed help.’ We visited for our first time because these two wonderful women wanted us to come…we felt welcome. When we arrived many people warmly greeted us. We felt that they were glad that we were there. After the 9:15 A:M: Sunday service we returned home to our little house in Elkville. That afternoon a car pulled up in front of our house and an elderly couple from the church brought us homemade cookies. Again, they told us how happy they were that we had visited and that they hoped that we would return next Sunday. We were honored and humbled by their generosity. At that time I had been attending church for almost 30 years…but I had never encountered a church that was so glad that I had dropped by.

We are emotional creatures. We are led by our heart and our head. Indeed…a solid theological foundation is vital to the ongoing following of Jesus…but without the heart…it is nothing. Have you ever heard a song that simply carries you to the land of Christs’ Love? Did you marry your spouse or partner…because it worked out on a ledger sheet? Or does the old hymn Amazing Grace resonate in your soul as regarding the miracle of your life with Christ?

God lives in our midst…in each of us. When our neighbor or friend…or the stranger among us needs to see God…they look to those who love them and who help them and who will listen without judgment to their needs. There was a common and well-established belief among Christians of former years in most churches that the Holy Spirit will assist you as you minister to those in need. This is not a strange doctrine as we Presbyterians believe in the Father and The Son and The Holy Spirit. Have you ever experienced the aid of the Spirit in assisting you in the message of Christ?

To accept that the Christian Story is the faith of untold humans over the past two thousand years…is to accept that mystical magical majesty of the narrative… that is still gripping the hearts of men and women and boys and girls…today…

My Brother Brock posted on Facebook a photo of me and mom and dad preparing to take a journey on dad’s Harley Davidson motorcycle. The picture brought back so many memories of my very early years. Dad was a dapper dude. He loved his Harley and loved the motorcycle culture. This is evident in the photo. Mom was a fashion plate…she was a lovely woman and always looked perfect before she left the house. She was infatuated with my dad and doted on little Jay… Dad was a bit of a mobster. He was a person who enjoyed operating outside the norms of society. He was a tough guy…for real. He smoked Marlborough Cigarettes and worked on Semi Tractor Engines and returned home to love his lovely wife, Neva June, and to carry his son, Bradley Jay, on his shoulders…around their Chicago Home.

Dad was a rebel and Mom was a rebel…and they had a rebel son. I have never taken what those in power told me as the ‘God’s Truth’ until I examined it thoroughly. I noticed early on in my life that adults were not especially wiser than children…the only difference was size. I learned by the ‘Devil May Care’ attitude of my dad to examine the supposed truths that people would tell me…

Jonathon and I visited Campus Lake today to see the Geese and Ducks on the semi-frozen water. It was a picturesque sight and worth of a photograph or two.

I considered briefly this morning the sadness of committees having members who have something valuable to contribute for the enrichment of all… and the edification of the organization…and they’re being marginalized and their comments are taken with a ‘grain of salt’…while other committee members suggest the same things that that they have for many years….which have resulted in limited or no productive results or improvement in the status of the organization. It is little or no reward for thinking outside the box…while the organization whither and dies… I have been a member of many Blue Ribbon Committees at SIUC where the subject was the desperate issue of the recruitment and retention of students at our institution. The end reports of these committees were written by the recognized Academic Wise Men…and aided little in the solving of the endemic problem. I have been a member of churches that were finally forced to shut their doors due to declining membership and stale ideas for the recruitment and retention of members of the congregation. Again…the committee dynamic is to defer to the grey hairs and the senior members of the congregation for fresh answers to changes needed in the mission and vision of the church…

When a University shuts its doors…all you have is memories…and the same can be said for a church… One measure applies to both institutions…are we a social club…or are we a mission to our fellow human beings?

So, today I ventured out as my Omicron Quarantine is over. The cold outside air felt a bit colder than usual after my seclusion. We have been experiencing bitterly cold temperatures and the warming to above freezing…at least for a while…is welcome. I drove out to Campus Lake and there before my eyes were an untold number of geese enjoying the frozen lake. Some honked with a lusty approval when I walked up…while others seemed to take no notice of my presence.

Since I was released from Isolation I dropped by Electric Larrys Emporium as I had seen an old Action Figure of ‘Dr. Evil’ that he advertised on Facebook. Have you ever had a childhood memory that was a bit fuzzy? That would best describe my recollection of the Doctor. I recalled having him but did not recall where or when I got him other than it had to be in the 1960s. While I was pondering the deep thoughts of Action Figures and their beginnings…two men came in with some dirty and unkempt toys that they wanted to sell. Among the ‘Land of Broken Toys’ was a Teddy Ruxpin with his sly smile intact. He needs shampoo and batteries and he still may not talk…but he is a semblance of the one that got away from Jonathon…so many Christmases ago…

Childhood and Vintage Toys have become an active hobby of mine for the last fifteen or more years. The hobby began when MJ told me, much to my surprise, that I should see if I could locate some of the toys that were cavalierly burned in the Burning Barrel…gleefully by my mom…not long after I left home at the age of 17. You see when I left home I lived with others of similar circumstance as mine and subsequently had no room to bring along my childhood Booty. Mom would say…now and then…’You better take what you want of your stuff…as I am going to burn it in the Burning Barrel…if you do not.’ As I planned to do so…she decide that the day had arrived. Thousands of dollars of antique toys and comic books…up in smoke…

Mom meant well…she had a heart of gold…I simply was not focused on what I had left behind…until I did not have it any longer.

Tara, MJ, and my niece texted me this morning to inquire how we are doing with Omicron. Her kind gesture…made my day! So often when you are ill and feeling as if ‘warmed-over death’ was your default setting…you feel a bit alone and watch life pass you by as you suffer in silence. When I told MJ of Tara’s text…she smiled broadly and rose to play a few hands of our card game…Golf. As she won almost every hand…her smile broadened and she proclaimed that we must play another once the Automatic Card Shuffler from Amazon…arrives later today.

Concern makes a difference in so many trials and tribulations of our lives. Once we understand that someone cares about us and our health and welfare…we take courage and often gain strength. We are not alone…we are members of a loving community that cares for us and that will help us when we need assistance. We are a bit like the young man that I observed in New York City many years ago. Someone felt that he had pulled his automobile too close to theirs in the midst of the nightmarish traffic of Manhattan. They screamed epitaphs at him and he returned the colorful rhetoric. Then someone that he knew called out a friendly greeting to him…and it was as if another man suddenly appeared. He smiled happily greeting his friend and went about his affairs with a joyful heart.

January is moving on in a rapid fashion. It will soon be a month since Christmas. Although some of our four seasons may seem a bit longer than others…they are all three months in length…and are all made to be appreciated and enjoyed. Service to others is a wonderful vocation or hobby and a way of life. Indeed there are few activities that are more satisfying. The more that we lighten another’s backpack…the freer we feel. When we make others happy…we in turn are happy. The human dynamic of peace and contentment is to look outward to assist our neighbor’s friends and family. I often said of Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale…that I could not outgive what the University had done for me. Rather it was additional hours worked or numerous committees that I volunteered for…or to daily endeavor to help people inside the house…and those who would be thrilled with the opportunity to come in…I could not repay SIUC…

My dear departed mother was always looking for someone that need help. If she had a dollar and you needed money…she would give you some. She neither sought recognition or praise for her charitable deeds…rather she relished anonymity. If you were a marginalized person or a person who people shunned…mom was your friend. Mom saw the good in people…because she took time to look…

Nineteen degrees that feels like seven with a thirteen-mile-per-hour wind. Our pond is freezing over. Winter brings both a sense of calm and quiet serenity and a pervasive feeling of unease and distress. Snow and ice are lovely to look at and treacherous for we senior citizens to walk upon. I am reminded of a little over five years ago when I fell in December and broke four ribs. I laugh when I see actors portray characters in movies who fight and receive horrible physical abuse and later comment that they are fine…they then comment with a smile, ‘I only cracked some ribs.’ Cracked ribs are no picnic!

Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has told an untruth to his constituents…or as I used to hear…lied to their faces… regarding his being present at a ‘Drinks Party’ that was in violation of his own governments’ lockdown rules surrounding our Pandemic. ‘Nobody told me that what we were doing was against the rules, that the event in question was something that wasn’t a work event,’ the prime minister told Sky News on Tuesday.’ Now, this is nothing new to we Americans…as we are accustomed to lies from our political leaders. However, it raises the question that I have often asked myself as to if our leaders really believe that we are so mediocre that we do not realize when they are telling us a bald-faced lie…without impunity?

Living in the moment has been on my mind more of late. We tend to look to the future for our reward…or to wish the ‘good old days’ would revisit us. We are firmly planted in the midst of a kaleidoscope of the panorama of possibilities…at this moment. We had Boston Terrier dogs for over 30 years. I marveled at their innate ability to live in the moment. They were happy with their existence in time…and each joy was brand new… Whenever I returned home from work or an errand…they greeted me like they had not seen me in a week. We humans are blessed and cursed with a big brain that is always on… Often when we are counting sheep to aid in our falling to sleep…we wonder if the sheep have done the grocery shopping… or what they are going to purchase for their new house…that they have yet to build…

Centering is vital to our happiness. Focus is the key to accomplishing anything worthwhile. A sense of place provides us with purpose. ‘Centering is a technique whose aim is to focus attention and energy, to provide relief from stress and anxiety, or both. In other instances, at the point of concentration, negative thoughts and emotions are released and positive thoughts and emotions are encouraged…’ APA Dictionary of Psychology

The great Heavy Weight Boxer Joe Lewis said of an opponent, ‘He can run but he can not hide.’ A similar refrain can be uttered for the Omicron variant of Covid. We have been running from our Pandemic for over two years…successfully. First masks and social distancing and then both vaccinations and a booster. We literally did not go anywhere in 2020…and rarely eat out or travel to this day. When we do we are often the only people in the group that are wearing masks and are subject to our share of dirty looks and political/religious condemnation. Yet…Omicron has found us…

Now you may think that we feel misused by having followed the best health advice from our Health Experts…I do not…I am relieved that we have done everything that we could to avoid this plague. It is neither a political/religious/conspiracy hatched by the behind-the-scenes rulers of the world…nor is it the overblown flu that many claims. It did not end after the Presidental Election…and it appears that it will be here to stay for the foreseeable future and that we will have to learn to live with it. Someone said that they did not like to be told what to do with their body… I could care less what you do with your body…until your carelessness affects the health of my loved ones…

Having the sniffles and a bit of a cough is a lot better than being placed on a ventilator… I think that all of us need to pause and think about our heated rhetoric and research that comes from a box of Cracker Jacks. Also, we mask wearers need not think that we are superior because we do what science tells us is prudent…we are all mere children before this Virus. We need each other and we must love each other and endeavor to understand each other…rather than paint our living rooms…while our kitchens are on fire…