Black History Month 2023

February is Black History Month.  While "officially" recognized in 1976 by President Gerald Ford, the celebration has its roots dating back to 1926, with the celebration of Negro History Week.  Historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History choose the second week in February because of the recognition of the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas.

For both the week and the month, the focus remains the same, the coordinated teaching of the history of Black Americans.  To recognize the overlooked contributions and impacts that African Americans have had on the course of American history.   The Hidden Figures if you will.  President Ford recognized this, for his part urging Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history."

This mission also serves as a powerful antidote to the tendency we have toward creating selective histories, false narratives, alternative facts.  The early celebration of Negro History Week in the 1930s had to counter the growing and dangerous myth of the "lost cause" of the South.  The false narrative that the Civil War was not fought over slavery, that it was a war of Northern cultural and economic aggression toward the South.  A lie meant to maintain a Supremacist status quo.  As Woodson would write, "When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his 'proper place' and will stay in it."  This aspect of the month's recognition has led some to claim its focus is rewriting history.  It's not.  Instead, it's reclaiming lost history.  Removing lies and myths that have been perpetuated for too long and have had too many lasting harmful effects, and in their place shedding light on long dormant corners of our history.  Uncovering the reality of history, in many instances for the first time.

We've seen the shock this causes to the American conscience.  How many white Americans learned about the Tulsa race massacre of 1921 for the first time by watching HBO's Watchmen?  How about the Wilmington coup of 1891, focused on ousting a biracial local government and replace it with a white supremacist one?  That being the only successful coup in American history.  How many people learned about the contributions of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson and the other Hidden Figures mathematicians through the eponymous film?  How many know about Hiram Revels, Bessie Coleman, Robert Sengstacke Abbott, Madam C.J. Walker?  Why do we more often find out about them outside of history class?

This year, this month is especially important.  When Florida has taken to banning high school Advanced Placement Black History classes, we know we are moving in the wrong direction.  

We have to keep learning, for Black History is American history.

Read African American authors, watch television and film from African American artists (which we are doing).  Google "Black History you should know" and explore - there are dozens of articles that could provide a great springboard for education.

There's a wealth of information out there to make this month an enriching experience.  All you have to do is be willing to learn.

And in honor of last night's game, a game in which a lot of history was made with two African American quarterbacks, and a performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" on the anniversary of the day of its first performance, I'm including the brilliant Sheryl Lee Ralph's amazing rendition below.

Run to the Father

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling."

Psalm 46:1-3

Part of being able to keep on keeping on when it seems like the struggle will never end is being able to identify places of refuge.  To identify places where you can find respite.  A temporary rest to sustain you.  To keep you from being overwhelmed.  

A place to find refuge.

Refuge carries the idea of resting in the center of a heavily fortified base.  Of hiding in the center of a large fortress.  Deep in the caves at Helm's Deep, with the walls intact, the gates down, the drawbridges up, and guards at every station.  

Of being in the center of the storm in a building you know can withstand it, for it has withstood much worse.

Of the story of the lighthouse keeper at La Jument.

La Jument is a famous lighthouse built on a rock off the coast of Brittany in France.  This lighthouse was built in 1911, 300 meters from the shore, in an area that is heavily trafficked and subject to heavy storms.  

The lighthouse became well known due to a series of photographs taken by Jean Guichard. During one infamous storm on December 21, 1989, Guichard had hired a helicopter to take pictures of the severity of the storm. The low pressure front blowing in from Ireland, was bringing gale force winds and causing waves up to 20 to 30 meters to crash on the lighthouse.  Despite the severity of the storm and danger in doing so, Guichard was determined to fly over the sea for his pictures.  He made it to La Jument and hovered around to take photographs of the lighthouse.

Inside, lighthouse keeper Theodore Malgorn heard the helicopter and went downstairs to see what was going on.   This lead to an incredible series of shots where Guichard was able to capture the initial calmness of Malgorn, looking out of the lighthouse despite the raging sea around him.

It captures the faith in the sturdiness of the lighthouse, knowing that it will hold against the waves.  That there is security and refuge in the lighthouse.  

But this still image above, does not capture the whole story.  Malgorn saw the waves, saw the helicopter, but also knew he could not stand out there throughout the storm.  The rest of the photographs show him quickly running back inside.  Malgorn knew that the security was inside the structure of the lighthouse, not out on the edge.  "If I had been a little further away from the door, I would not have made it back into the tower. And I would be dead today. You cannot play with the sea."

The same is true with us in our struggles.  We have repeated promises that we have refuge in God.  The He will provide us rest.  That He will sustain us.  

But, we have to run back into the Father.  We can't stay out on the edge.

We can't be half in and half out, looking at the storm raging around us while still trying to keep a foot in our refuge.  We find our full security, our full sustenance, our full refuge when we are fully in Him.

And refuge brings so many benefits.  It brings rest.  It brings sustenance.  It brings life.

It's home - where we can fully be ourselves and be known.

And with that, I worry that we have far too many churches that are portraying an improper picture of God's refuge.  

Think about it - would you describe your church as a refuge?

Can you be fully yourself at your church?  Or is there an image you have to fit?  A type you have to be?

Do you feel fully known at your church?

Those are the hard questions that we as believers have to answer.  To become support for everyone seeking refuge.  To show that He is the one, true source of refuge.

For that is the miracle.  Even if none of our buildings could be called it.  Even if none of our groupings are showing it.  He is the perfect refuge.

That is worth celebrating and that is worth running to.

In the middle of the waves, He is faithful and secure.

Run to back in to Him.

"I've carried a burden for too long on my own

I wasn't created to bear it alone

I hear Your invitation to let it all go

I see it now, I'm laying it down

And I know that I need You

My heart has been in Your sights

Long before my first breath

Running into your arms

Is running from life to death

And I feel this rush deep in my chest

Your mercy is calling out

Just as I am You pull me out

And I know that I need You now

Run to the Father, I fall into grace

I'm done with the hiding, no reason to wait

My heart needs a surgeon, my soul needs a friend

So I'll run to the Father again and again and again and again"

Raindrops Keep Fallin'

I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself

Wishin' and Hopin'

(They Long to Be) Close to You

Walk on By

A House is Not a Home

Always Somethin' There to Remind Me

What the World Needs Now Is Love

What's New Pussycat?

Alfie

The Look of Love

I Say A Little Prayer

Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

I'll Never Fall in Love Again

Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head

Arthur's Theme

That's What Friends Are For

There are definitely times when a person can stand on their accomplishments and their accomplishments can stand on their own.  Burt Bacharach's discography certainly stands with the best of them.

Described as "a composer whose venerable name can be linked with just about every other prominent musical artist of his era," Bacharach defined his own style of music.  His five decade plus career was littered with accomplishments that others could only dream of.  Seven Grammy awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 that proclaimed him the Greatest Living Composer.  Three Academy Awards for his contribution to music in film.  An Emmy award, making him one award short of an EGOT.  The 2012 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, awarded by the Library of Congress.

His collaborators include a who's who of American and British popular music.  Songs for Nat King Cole, Marty Robbins, Perry Como, Frankie Avalon, The Drifters, Andy Williams, Doris Day, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, Christopher Cross, Roberta Flack, Neil Diamond, and Rod Stewart.  And of course, the legend, Dionne Warwick.  

While his music would be labeled easy listening and he made it look effortless, the process and the complexity was anything but easy.  He sought to make every composition interesting and in doing so, wrote for unique combinations of musicians, added unusual chord progressions, and played with tight harmonies, syncopated rhythms, pacing, and changing meters.  He was a master of his craft and it showed.

Bacharach passed away Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at the age of 94.

He will be missed.  Thankfully his legacy of music will live on.

National Pizza Day 2023!

It's National Pizza Day!  Always a worthy celebration for the Keeler household.  I've definitely eaten more than my fair share, particularly during law school.  And it is one of the dishes the kids will consume happily.

Pizza has to be nearly the perfect food.  All food groups in a single delicious dish.  It can be a single filling deep dish slice or a perfect binge food.  Crust to your preference, zesty tomato sauce, melted mozzarella cheese, and virtually unlimited combinations of toppings. 

I love it all.  From thin neopolitan to Chicago deep dish.  From the authentic pizza we got in Florence to the cheap oven bakes.  As an 80s kid, nothing beats Pizza Hut for nostalgia.

I like white pizzas with alfredo sauce.  I like buffalo or barbecue chicken pizza.  I'll even take pineapple on pizza with a good Hawaiian style.  I like five cheese and marmalade.  With the kids, I'm growing to appreciate just a classic cheese pizza and sausage and cheese.

I do miss the buffet.  It was such a treat to take Jude to Gattiland and enjoy that again.

I think the best we've had has been a quattro formaggi in Florence (Jamie cried over this one) and The Malnati Classic Chicago at Lou Malnati's. 

This has to be one of the benefits of moving to Indiana.  Not that we didn't have good pizza in Texas, but we've moved close to several great pizza parlors.  We have our favorites here in town like Rockstar Pizza, and we're really close to Chicago to get Lou Malnati's when it strikes our fancy.  Malnati's has even moved into Avon nearby.

So, grab a slice in celebration today.  And this year in particular, why not support your local pizza place and show them some love.  We want to make sure pizza is here to stay and not just at the national chains.

State of the Union 2022

President Biden will address the nation tonight in the annual State of the Union speech.  He will attempt to rally the nation at time of particular division and uncertainty.

I certainly don't envy him.

He has the monumental task of outlining the factual state of the nation, the achievements of his administration, and his plan for the remainder of this term, in an environment where perception is greater than reality. 

The country and its representatives have generally made up their mind already about the state of the nation.  Polls are not in Biden's favor.  Only 42% of Americans find Biden generally trustworthy.  This is down from 60% when he took office.  His approval ratings remain likewise below half, trending at around 43-44% approving of his performance in office.  

It's interesting, as this is in direct contrast to the results of his policies.  Economic numbers are generally trending positively.  Unemployment is at its lowest rate in more than half a century.  Twelve million new jobs have been created in his first two years of office.  

No matter the numbers, it's not impacting the people.  The country is still feeling inflation, recession, shortages, supply chain issues, staffing impacts.  The country is changing, and it remains to be seen as to what.  

Perception creates reality.  

And it's that perception Biden has to overcome and change.  He has to improve reality to make it felt. 

I don't know if that is possible.  For any president.

I pray he does make policy choices that can get the country to start feeling positive changes in the economy and environment.  I pray they do take hold over the next couple of years.  I'm not optimistic for his odds, but I pray they do work.

To create a more united state of our union.

I Am Strong

"a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.  But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."

2 Corinthians 12:7b-10

Our church is starting a series on how to persevere when healing or answers are not coming.  How to move forward in the faith when you are continuing to suffer.  Continuing to face hardship or adversity.  Continuing to feel like a certain prayer has not been heard.

Our pastor is looking to answer the question, when your pain and suffering seem to be constant, and God's healing may not come in your desired timeframe, what can you do?

It's an important series, because there are so many people suffering.  So many people that are hurting and have been hurting for a while.  Fighting through cancer treatments or facing an untreatable disease.  Parents praying for their kid's safety and protection, but unable to help them through addiction, or other difficult life choices.  A community reeling from the sudden loss of a beloved member.

There are times when we do see miraculous healing.  There are times when it all can make sense.

But there are also those struggles where we never know the answer.  We never see healing.  We never understand.

Our study focused on Paul's thorn in the flesh, the weakness he struggled with and prayed to have removed repeatedly, to no avail.  Paul, seen by many as the paragon of Christian living, struggled through this thorn for his lifetime.  

But Paul came to understand the affect if not the purpose.  Paul recognized that his weaknesses allowed God's strength to shine through.  The cracks in his life allowed God's grace and mercy to pour out.

It's the miracle of a family being able to forgive the killer of one of their members.  It's the patient having joy through a cancer battle, to the end.  It's someone continuing to show up, continuing to believe, continuing to pray, though they may never see healing this side of eternity.

Those are modern miracles.  God shining through in an impossible situation.  Superhuman strength of character, superhuman belief, superhuman joy.

We were given four reminders or affirmations to get through when there seems to be no answer, seems to be no healing.

First, we are reminded that God will heal us entirely, in time.  It may not be until eternity, but it will be healed.  After all, earthly healing is temporary, like the earth itself.  We will still all need eternal and complete healing.  

Second, we are reminded that our pain will be used for a purpose.  That in all things, God works things out for the good.  We may not know the purpose, we may not see it play out, but it will be used for a purpose.  That can be unsatisfactory in the moment.  And we're allowed to struggle with it.  But we can still look for it to be used well.

Third, we are reminded that God longs to sustain us through our suffering.  Paul sums this up from Jesus's words - "My grace is sufficient for thee."  God will see us through whatever comes.  He wants to be beside us, to walk with us, and will never leave us alone.    He knows what suffering is and will be alongside us through it all.

Finally, we experience power when we trust God with our pain.  God's Strength and Our Pain is greater than Our Own Strength and No Pain.  His power is made perfect in our weakness.  We don't like this one, because no one likes pain, not really.  We try to avoid it and minimize or eliminate it.  We should be turning it over.

We should be reminded of these as we struggle with situations and hurts beyond our understanding.  I think we can also look at Paul's thorn as a reminder of our struggle with sin as a new creation.

There is a reminder in Paul's passage, an indication of what purpose our struggles.

In the lead in to verse 7, Paul explains why he has the thorn in this flesh.  "So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations" that he has seen.  

Paul is given his thorn to keep him humble.  

Given the volume of the New Testament Paul is attributed as writing and the influence Paul has in spreading the gospel, it becomes easy for us to put him on a high pedestal and could have been easy for Paul to elevate himself there.

Prior to his conversion, Paul was a Pharisee, the cream of the Jewish religious elite.  The ones who set the standard for living in Jewish religious circles.  The ultra-observant.  They observed every jot and tittle of the law.  But sadly, keeping the letter of the law, just not the spirit.  It made them haughty and pious in their observance.  

They lacked humility.

Paul could have easily returned to form.  Especially as his experiences as a leader in the way grew, to include surpassing great revelations.

His thorn, though, kept him from becoming a "Pharisee" again.  It kept him relatable to the ones that he was conversing with and walking alongside.  It allowed him to understand and empathize with the struggles of those around him.

Do we still today have our struggles so we can relate to those around us?  Do we have our struggles with particular sins so that we can support others who are facing the same ones? 

Could the purpose of our thorns be to keep us humble?  And to keep us looking for ways to help others avoid our hurts?

This idea of a thorn can cover so much and has been interpreted in many different ways.  The reminder to us, is that God wants to use us, thorns included, for His purpose.

Let's be open to that.

American Pie

"A long, long time ago
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while
But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step
I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died"

62 years ago, the music died.  Richie Valens, Buddy Holly, and the Big Bopper all cut down in their prime.  And in remembrance, this seemed most appropriate.

Groundhog Day 2023

"Then put you're little hand in mine, there ain't no hill or mountain we can't climb..."

Well, the little bear rat in Pennsylvania saw his shadow, so supposedly we're in for six more weeks of winter.  Based on current weather patterns, I’m inclined to believe him. 

This is truly an odd custom, tracing back to German traditions regarding Candlemas and the bear, then the badger.  Really it seems at some point, any hibernating mammal would have sufficed.

United States’ groundhog day itself dates back to the 1840s, with the round woodchuck in Pennsylvania identified as Punxsutawney Phil starting in 1886.  As weather forecasters go, this little rodent is either really good or pretty terrible.  Part of the problem is defining what an "early spring" means; depending on your definition, his accuracy is somewhere between 28% and 70%.

Phil has become an international film superstar thanks to the movie surrounding his holiday.  His co-stars had nothing but good things to say about working with him.  This success has also translated into Broadway fame.  Shockingly, he is also a wanted felon, with outstanding warrants for his arrest Butler County, Ohio, Merrimack, New Hampshire, and Monroe County, Pennsylvania dating back to 2013, 2015, and 2018, respectively.  

For fraud, naturally.

Whatever your feelings on the groundhog, I will remind you, the Wikipedia article on Punxsutawney Phil is extremely entertaining.  It reads a bit like a defeated and sarcastic conspiracy theory gone awry.  Well worth a look.

Gratitude

All my words fall short
I got nothing new
How could I express
All my gratitude?

I could sing these songs
As I often do
But every song must end
And You never do

So I throw up my hands
And praise You again and again
'Cause all that I have is a hallelujah
Hallelujah
And I know it's not much
But I've nothing else fit for a King
Except for a heart singing hallelujah
Hallelujah

I've got one response
I've got just one move
With my arm stretched wide
I will worship You

So come on, my soul
Oh, don't you get shy on me
Lift up your song
'Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord

Praise the Lord
Praise the Lord
Praise the Lord

So I throw up my hands
Praise You again and again
'Cause all that I have is a hallelujah
Hallelujah
And I know it's not much
But I've nothing else fit for a King
Except for a heart singing hallelujah
Hallelujah

Our church has been working through a series on joy this January, focusing on how to have lasting joy in our lives.  And though it was just a small mention in the last service, to me, one of the most impactful ways to maintain joy is through expressions of gratitude.  Truly remembering all you have to be grateful for.  

Think about it.  It's hard to stay down when you are consistently reminded about how many things bring you joy.  How much you have in your life.  How often we should be thankful.

And if I really start to think about it, I have a lot of reasons to be joyful.

I am thankful to be alive.  I am thankful to have the job that I do.  I am thankful to be in Brownsburg.  To have the rental home that we do.  To be a part of the church that we are.  To get to sing on its praise team.  To sing with the Cummins Diversity choir.

I am thankful for my wife.  I am thankful for my children.  I am thankful for the family life we have created.  I'm thankful for where our life is heading.

I'm thankful that I'm generally healthy.  I'm thankful that my family is as well.  I'm thankful for the time I get to spend with them.  I'm thankful that I get to work from home and the flexibility that affords.

I'm thankful for my small group.  I'm thankful for my extended family.  I'm thankful for my friends.

Yes, there are days that drag.  There are days that are tough to get out of bed.  There are days that I am ready for them to end and to start again.

But, generally, I have a lot of reasons to be thankful and I should be exhibiting joy for how grateful I am.  I have a lot of reasons to be joyful, and it is a good exercise to list them all and truly remember.  After all, thankfulness is part of the call on our lives.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

God, 

Thank you for your amazing power and work in our lives, thank you for your goodness and for your blessings over us.  Thank you that your Word teaches us the power of gratitude.  May we always remember it.  Thank you that you are able to bring hope through even the toughest of times, strengthening us for your purposes.  Thank you that you are always with us and will never leave us.  Forgive us for when we don't thank you enough, for who you are, for all that you do, for all that you've given.  Help us to set our eyes and our hearts on you afresh.  Renew our spirits, fill us with your peace and joy.  We love you and we need you, this day and every day.  We give you praise and thanks, for You alone are worthy! 

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen

International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2023

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day.  It commemorates the tragedy of the Holocaust, remembering the genocide that resulted in the death of an estimated 6 million Jews, 8.7 million Slavs, 1.8 million ethnic Poles, 220,000 Romani people, 250,000 mentally and physically disabled people, 312,000 Serb civilians, 1,900 Jehovah's Witnesses, and 9,000 homosexual men by the Nazi regime.  Honoring the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp on January 27, 1945 and the end of the Holocaust.

We remember and commemorate these events so that we never forget them.  So that we learn from them, for that is the purpose of history.  For us to be able to look back and see the events that led to such events and to be able to recognize them as they occur around us.

"The International Day in memory of the victims of the Holocaust is thus a day on which we must reassert our commitment to human rights [...]

We must also go beyond remembrance, and make sure that new generations know this history.  We must apply the lessons of the Holocaust to today's world.  And we must do our utmost so that all peoples may enjoy the protection and rights for which the United Nations stands."

Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, January 19, 2008

The learning of history, the application, is sadly where we are falling down.  It's part of a bigger discussion of how we learn history, how we teach history.  Another big question for a future blog.  But on this topic, we can see the evidence around us of our failure as a society to completely grasp the lessons of the Holocaust.

Anti-semitism, though not at its highest levels, remains relatively high.  In the European Union, 89% of respondents that had identified as Jewish indicated that anti-Semitism had increased over the last five years in their country.  Further, 40% of respondents feared a physical anti-Semitic attack.

In the United States, the Anti Defamation League found that there had been 1,879 anti-Semitic incidents in 2018, slightly down from 2017, but still at a historically high level.  The New York Police Department has said that there have been more anti-Jewish incidents in the city in 2019 than all other crimes added together.

There are bright spots, reflecting a willingness, an eagerness to learn and to not forget.  The University of Southern California's Shoah Foundation features more than 52,000 Holocaust testimonies that are frequently accessed.  The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum had more than 1.6 million visitors in 2018, 93% of which were non-Jewish.

We still have a long way to go, though.  Only 11 states require that Holocaust history be taught in school.  This is reflected in the gaps in education of the current generation.  Among millennials, 66% of them could not identify Auschwitz, 22% of them could not confirm hearing of the Holocaust.  If you want an excellent film on why this is important, watch Denial, a historical film based on Deborah Lipstadt's work and case against noted Holocaust denier David Irving.

It seems history is more important to us than ever before.  If only we would listen.  May we never forget and may we ever be vigilant.

Vaya Con Dios, Fiesta!

Today we say goodbye to what has been my car.  A 2011 Ford Fiesta.  Purchased in late 2010, it's seen us through a lot.  12 years; 300,000 miles put on it.  

This was my commuting car.  Because it was a more fuel efficient car, it was picked as the one to commute from Wills Point to Tyler and then Wills Point to Richardson.  Selected to put on a 100 miles a day.  It used little gas, it got good miles per gallon, so it made the most sense.  And we decided to keep it to run it into the ground.

The car has been through a lot.  100 miles a day was just the start.  It made a lot of trips to Buna and Austin.  It made a trip into New Orleans and made exactly one drive into Indiana (which we were not sure that it would do).  

It's been driven through a hailstorm and still shows signs of the damage.  That one destroyed the windshield, which was replaced, but many dents and dings remain.  

The check engine light has been on forever for a non-serious issue.  The tachometer hasn't worked in years.  The fuel gauge is unreliable.  The boot doesn't open.  The passenger rear door is will not stay shut and is held closed with tie downs.  The batteries keep dying and draining.  

Now, it has finally given up.  The engine started smoking and will not turn now. 

And there's no way, we're going to pour any money in this one. It's served its purpose and it's time to say goodbye.

Almost 300,000 miles was a good run.

I'm thankful for each of them and will be looking forward to what the next car will be and bring.  We'll be waiting on that one a bit, and can make do with the one car for now.  But before the end of the year, it will be exciting to see what's new.

So, vaya con dios, Ford Fiesta.  You've served us well.

90 Seconds to Midnight

The Doomsday Clock has been moved closer to midnight.  We are now at 90 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been.  The clock was moved forward 10 seconds on Tuesday, largely due to Russia's threats of nuclear escalation in its invasion of Ukraine.  

Created in 1947 by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, the clock does not definitively measure existential crises, but rather it is designed to foster communications about serious threats to humanity.  Originally this focused on nuclear destruction, but in 2007 it was updated to include climate change.  The farthest away from midnight was in 1991 at 17 minutes away.   As stated above, we are now at the closest we have ever been.

Perhaps it is just a larger reflection of society, but there is a general pessimism in the air and it's not uniquely an American sensation.  There is a lot of hopelessness out there right now and I'm not exactly sure how to combat it.

Are we as believers doing an effective job of conveying hope?  Or have we given up?  Are we just burying our heads in the sand, waiting for heaven?  Or worse, are we the ones that are the most hopeless, giving up on our country, our world and viewing them the most pessimistically of all?

We have to change this.  We as believers should be in the business of hope.  It should be overflowing out of us (Romans 15:13).  It is a fruit of the spirit that should be evident in our lives.  We should be spreading hope because we have hope in Jesus.  And not just a hope for the future, for heaven, but also a hope for today.

Can we focus on spreading that? Can we focus on spreading hope?

Let's move the clock back.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12

Snow

"Snow, snow, snow, snow, snow
It won't be long before we'll all be there with snow
Snow, snow, I want to wash my hands, my face and hair with snow
Snow, I long to clear a path and lift a spade of snow
Snow, oh, to see a great big man entirely made of snow, snow

Where it's snowing, all winter through
That's where I want to be
Snowball throwing, that's what I'll do
How I'm longing to ski, through the snow

Those glistening houses that seem to be built of snow
Snow, oh, to see a mountain covered with a quilt of snow
What is Christmas with no snow
No white Christmas with no snow, snow

I'll soon be there with snow, I'll wash my hair with snow
And with a spade of snow, I'll build a man that's made of snow
I'd love to stay up with you but I recommend a little shuteye
Go to sleep and dream of snow, snow, snow, snow"

I don't think I will ever get tired of this.  

The magic of waking up and the entire world being changed.  Covered in a blanket of white.  The newness and freshness that it represents. The wonder it brings.

They tell me that I will tire of snow.  That it will get routine and monotonous, but I just can't see it.  

I'm still as excited as a new kid when this happens.  I'm just as bad as the kids, throwing open the windows and letting everyone know it is snowing or has snowed.  

The picture above represents the first real snow of the year, which we woke up to yesterday morning.  It held on until after lunch, as long in the day as it could last, but the temperature just keeps coming up enough above freezing to make it melt.  You can only see a few traces that anything happened today.

Wednesday we'll be getting our first real winter storm.  This could bring us up to 9 inches of snow, lasting well into Thursday.    That will be a lot of fun.  That's where it really covers the ground and lets us sled on the big hill across from the school.

I'm still waiting for the solid month or so where temperatures stay just at or below freezing to keep it around for awhile.  It's happened in both 2021 and 2022, and we'll look forward to it this late winter.

And I think I'll look forward to it every year. 

It's still magical - and I hope it remains so.

"The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued."

Dust of Snow, Robert Frost, Miscellaneous Early Poems,  1920

Lunar New Year 2023

新年快乐

Xin Nian Kuai Le

Today marks the start of the Lunar New Year.  Derived from the Chinese New Year, it is celebrated in China, as well as neighboring Asian countries like Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Tibet, and Mongolia.  

This year is the Year of the Rabbit, the fourth of the twelve year cycle.  

As with our western new year, while our celebrations may look a little different this year, I hope that this lunar cycle ahead is a joyful and prosperous one for you and yours.  Things here are already shaping up to be a celebratory year ahead.  Lots of milestones to observe. 

Happy New Year!

Congratulations and be prosperous! May your happiness and longevity be complete!

Why I Love My Work - Every Employee Every Community Hours

It's been a while since I've had a Why I Love My Work entry, but today was a good reminder to make one.  I started this series because wanted to write about the things I love about my work.  Reminders of the positive, the blessings we have in life, the things to be truly grateful for.  And there are many, many reasons why I love what I do right now and the company that I work for.  Here I'd like to focus on one benefit of working for such a large company.

One of these benefits is the community oriented focus the company can have.  At Level 2, I previously headed the charitable giving initiative, running the nomination process within the company, so that employees could nominate worthy causes for grant funding awarded annually.

At Cummins, the focus is more on direct involvement.  While the company does make substantial financial donations, they also work to enable every employee to be able to volunteer and donate their time in their community.  One such way is through EEEC hours or Every Employee Every Community hours.  Put succinctly, the company allows and encourages and enables every employee to do four hours of community service each year on the clock during their working hours.

This means you can and are encouraged to find a place to volunteer and it will be factored in as a part of your day.  It's not something you have to find time for in your off time.  And Cummins also has a list of organizations and opportunities to partner with.  

Today, I took part in a volunteer organization I've taken part in for the past two years, teaching technology literacy to fifth graders at a local elementary school. We teach editing a presentation using copy, paste, rotate, and resize.  Creating a folder and moving documents within it.  Internet safety.  Making screen shots and snippets.  Using spreadsheets and other computer tools.

The past two years were virtual and this year we finally got to get back in the classroom.  It went so much smoother.  We were able to keep their attention and get them all involved in working through the practice steps.  

It was truly a wonderful experience and I'm glad to be a part of it.  I'm glad Cummins provides me this opportunity - because otherwise, I don't know if I would have found it.  I don't know that I would have chosen it for myself if it wasn't presented as an option through the company. 

It's something small, at least in terms of all the work I do for Cummins.  But I am ever grateful for it.

Why I Love My Church - Small Groups

This Sunday, our church will be promoting joining small groups for the upcoming semester.  Our small groups, focus on home Bible studies, fellowship, and community.  We do not have traditional Sunday School for ages beyond youth, so Small Groups are our primary resource for deeper biblical teaching and for deeper connections among the members.  Particularly in a church the size of ours.

It's an embodiment of the early church in Acts, chapter 2.

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with the awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

                                                                                                                                                      Acts 2:42-47

A place where we seek to abide daily, devote relationally, live authentically, and admonish biblically.

Small group bible studies hold a special place for Jamie and me.  We met at our community group in Austin.  We both had sought community in connection with the Austin Stone and had ended up in the same central Austin community group.  Since then, we have sought home Bible study in each church that we have attended since. We've led them in Wills Point and started leading one very quickly here in Brownsburg.

There's something special about studying in someone's home.  About gathering together, breaking bread and eating together, sharing in each other's lives.  Crying together.  Laughing together. Praying together.  Living together.

About taking our faith outside of the church and remembering that it carries with us each and every day, and in every location that we inhabit.

These are the people in our circle.  When we are hurting, we we struggle, they are who we reach out to.  And we've been through a lot with this small group.  We've shared and grown in great leaps with them.

We look forward to the new year.  We have room for one or two new couples, so, we are looking forward to getting to know the new members of our group.  To continuing to grow together with the continuing members.

If you're not in a small group, if you are not connecting with a small group of people to grow in your faith and in your life, why not?  What opportunities exist for you in your community?

If you are in the Brownsburg area and would like to find a church to connect and grow with, and would like to learn more about Connection Pointe Christian Church, you can find out more here.

Willy Nilly Silly Old Bear

Today commemorates Winnie the Pooh Day, celebrating the birthday of author A. A. Milne.  Born January 18, 1882, Milne a playwright and author by trade, became internationally famous for the stories celebrating his son Christopher Robin and his playmates from the Hundred Acre Wood.  And though Milne and Christopher Robin may have felt trapped by the success of Winnie the Pooh, there is no doubt that these stories have delighted children of all ages for nearly a century.

In celebration of the day, I thought I would share my favorite wisdom from the silly old bear.

"People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day."

"Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude."

"Just because an animal is large, it doesn't mean he doesn't want kindness; however big Tigger seems to be, remember that he wants as much kindness as Roo."

"And really, it wasn't much good having anything exciting like floods, if you couldn't share them with somebody."

"You're braver than you believe and stronger and smarter than you think."

So, enjoy a pot of honey and enjoy a day with friends, in celebration of the one and only Winnie the Pooh.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2023

Today we set aside to recognize the contributions of a man to the cause of equality.  A recognition of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his contributions to non-violent protest, equality, and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

An ordained Baptist minister, you can see the inspiration he drew from the commands to love the Lord your God above all, to love your neighbor as yourself, and to love your enemies.  His call for non-violence from Jesus' instruction to turn the other cheek.

He serves as a reminder to us that we are all derived from one creator; that there is "neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."  We could add to that list that there is neither black nor white.  

And he reminds us that our founding documents declare that "all men are created equal" and it is our job to hold our country to that truth.  

"All we say to America is, "Be true to what you said on paper." If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand some of these illegal injunctions. Maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they hadn't committed themselves to that over there. But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right. And so just as I say, we aren't going to let dogs or water hoses turn us around, we aren't going to let any injunction turn us around. We are going on."

------------------------------

"There can be no gain saying of the fact that our nation has brought the world to an awe inspiring threshold of the future. We've built machines that think and instruments that peer into the unfathomable ranges of interstellar space. We have built gargantuan bridges to span the seas and gigantic buildings to kiss the skies. And through our spaceships we have penetrated oceanic depths and through our airplanes we have dwarfed distance and placed time in chains. This really is a dazzling picture of America's scientific and technological progress. But in spite of this something basic is missing. In spite of all of our scientific and technological progress we suffer from a kind of poverty of the spirit that stands in glaring contrast to all of our material abundance. This is the dilemma facing our nation and this is the dilemma to which we as clergymen and laymen must address ourselves. Henry David Thoreau said once something that still applies. In a very interesting dictum he talked about improved means to an unimproved end. This is a tragedy that somewhere along the way as a nation we have allowed the mean by which we live to outdistance the ends for which we live. And consequently we suffer from a spiritual and moral lag that must be redeemed if we are going to survive and maintain a moral stance.

[...]

And the words of Jesus are still applicable. What does it profit a generation, what does it profit a nation to own the whole world of means televisions, electric lights and automobiles and lose in the end the soul. The words of Jesus are still true in another sense. Man can not live by the bread of colored televisions alone but by every word, the word of justice, the word of love, the word of truth, every word that procedeth out of the mouth of God. And the problem is that all too many people in power are trying to get America to live on the wrong thing. And this is why we are moving in the wrong direction. This war is playing havoc with our domestic destinies for all of these reasons. We are fighting two wars today.

[...]

And so I say we need your support and we expect it as we move on into this area and I want to thank you for the support that so many of you have continually given. As we were marching today, some 5,000 strong, I thought about Selma because I could look around and see so many who have marched with us in Selma, and from Selma to Montgomery. And we are still marching and we are still moving. And I give you my commitment today that I plan to continue. Someone said to me not long ago, it was a member of the press, 'Dr. King, since you face so many criticisms and since you are going to hurt the budget of your organization, don't you feel that you should kind of change and fall in line with the Administration's policy. Aren't you hurting the civil rights movement and people who once respected you may lose respect for you because you're involved in this controversial issue in taking the stand against the war.' And I had to look with a deep understanding of why he raised the question and with no bitterness in my heart and say to that man, "I'm sorry sir, but you don't know me. I'm not a consensus leader.  I don't determine what is right and wrong by looking at the budget of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference or by taking....  Nor do I determine what is right and wrong by taking a Gallup poll of the majority opinion."  Ultimately a genuine leader is not a searcher of consensus but a molder of consensus.  On some positions cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right."

Martin Luther King, Jr., A Proper Sense of Priorities, February 6, 1968

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

What good does it do us, what does it profit us today to remember the man, to post quotes from his life, if we are not actively working towards change?  Are we honoring his legacy if we pretend his struggle existed only in the past?

Since 1994, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day has been recognized as a day for service.  The only federal holiday to be a day on, not a day off, reflecting our responsibility to each other.  This Martin Luther King, Jr. day, may we be active supporters in the cause of justice, of mercy.  May we be taking positions because our conscience tells us that it is right.  May we truly be in service to all.

Father-Son Weekend

A light post today, for I'm out and about on a Father-Son Weekend with Jude.  We've been looking forward to this for a while now and are finally getting to it.  Jamie and Avalyn had a girl's weekend year before last, and Jude and I have been trying to plan a quick getaway for the guys.  

We've headed out to Evansville, IN and Metropolis, IL.  We're going to go see the Superman statue and museum and otherwise going to just enjoy the time together.  It will be a weekend focused on him, planning things I know he will like and looking forward to just listening to what he has to say.

I know as the years pass, things will change, but right now, I'm rebelling in McDonalds and Gattitown, in the Superman museum and the zoo, and in being a kid again.  To see the world through his eyes.

As I've said before, time is our most precious resource, and I'm determined to make the most of it.

-----------------------------------------

these tears of joy, 
are for the first time that i saw you 
my beatiful baby boy, 
i never thought this love i would find, 
for what i feel for you is so deep inside, 
when i see your face i see mine, 
when i look into your eyes i can see the sun shine, 
no matter how hard times may get, 
just remember that im here for you dont ever forget, 
for you are my heart my strenght my all, 


when ever you need me just give me a call, 
for i will always be here for you until the end, 
because im more than just a father im also your friend

Jose Murguia,  2009

Friday the 13th

Hope you don't have triskaidekaphobia.

I especially hope you don't have paraskevidekatriaphobia.

For today is Friday the 13th.

The origins of why today is considered unlikely aren't exactly clear.  It combines some superstitions around the number 13 and Fridays.  Superstition around both isn't really combined until the 19th century in France.  The first mention seems to be an 1834 play entitled Les Finesses des Gribouilles, in which a character describes all his misfortunes as stemming from his birth on Friday the 13th.  The spread of the fear may even stem from a 1907 novel entitled Friday, the 13th in which an unscrupulous businessman causes a market crash on that day.

Whatever the cause of the superstition, it has had surprising effects on our society.  According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, an estimated 17–21 million people in the United States alone are affected by a fear of this day, making it the most feared day and date in history.  Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed.  It has been estimated that $800–900 million is lost in business on this day.

Ultimately, though, it is just another day.  It can happen up to three times every year, whenever a month begins on a Sunday.  It will continue to occur as long as we can measure time and continue to use this calendar.  There are two this year; there will be two next year.  It can and will come and go just like any other day.

Hopefully, it is a normal day for you and it brings you no trepidation.  If it does, on this winter day, it's a good one to curl up, relax, and sleep if off until tomorrow.

I Get Along Without You Very Well

Last night I got to practice with the Cummins Diversity Choir.  It's so great to participate in choral singing again.  We've been able to practice since last summer and have been able to perform at the Ethnic Expo in Columbus last fall.  I've written before about how much I enjoy this group and the sentiment remains the same.  

We're currently preparing for a Black History Month event at the Indy office, and are working through several pieces.  One piece is one of my favorite songs that I've ever performed.  

I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes), by Hoagie Carmichael

Written in 1939, the song is a haunting exercise in the bravado of love and loss.  Carmichael based the lyrics on a poem by Jane Brown Thompson, and the main melodic theme on the Fantaisie-Impromptu in C Sharp minor, Op 66, by Frederic Chopin.  The singer tells of how well they are able to get along without their last love.  Of course they can.  Except when soft rain falls, to hear their name, or when someone's laugh is the same.  And especially not in spring.

I first was exposed to this song as a Brightleaf Scholar in 2000.  It was one of the most beautiful and touching songs we sang as a group, accentuated with very tight vocal harmonies and surprising lines for each vocal part.  It remains one of my all time favorite songs.

And on a rainy day like today, I'd like to share it with you all.  Below, find one of my favorite performances of it.  Diana Krall's version from her album, The Look of Love.

Universal Studios ... Texas?

Universal Studios Parks and Resorts just dropped a very interesting and surprising piece of news today.  Apparently, the company will be building a regional, family theme park in Frisco, Texas.  They have acquired around 100 acres to build the theme park and hotel.  The park will be east of the Dallas North Tollway and North of Panther Creek Parkway.  The park is expected to focus on the company's Dreamworks properties - Trolls, Shrek, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon, Jurassic Park Camp Cretaceous, etc.

This marks the beginning of Universal's regional entertainment offerings.  They also announced a year round haunt attraction space in Las Vegas, spinning out of their popular annual Halloween Horror Nights.  This is a space that expands them out of competition with the destination parks and entertainment like Disney, but also into competition with the Six Flags corporation and other smaller local amusement parks. Disney has tried to enter regional entertainment before, but never to this degree.  Their attempts focused more on a Dave and Busters arcade or VR like approach with DisneyQuest and the ESPNZone, as opposed to the full amusement park offering described here.

This will definitely be something to watch.  While we will still be several years out from park opening, Universal doesn't often drag their feet.  Their third park in Florida will be completed in 2025 and is coming along well at this point.  I would expect to see construction soon in this area, or at least some signs of progress (dirt moving, site prep, etc.)

Hopefully this marks the start of a great expansion in this regional space.  I'd love to see Disney and have even a few suggestions for them if they'd like to take a look.  

Interesting times, for sure.

Comics and Congress, Part II

Every time I think nerd culture has hit a peak, we hit another high.   File this in the things I just learned column...

I've written before on the connection between Congress and comic books.  Now I've learned that the Library of Congress has the largest publicly available comic book collection in America.  And one thing it can be used for elected officials to use comic books to be sworn in on.

This year, Congressman-Elect Robert Garcia is using a pristine copy of Superman #1 (1939) as part of a stack of documents that represent the values of his life.  The Constitution, family pictures, and Superman #1.

We've had touches before of.  Obama was a self-proclaimed comic reader, particularly an avid collector of Spider-man and Conan the Barbarian.  But that was always an exception.  A rarity.    Now, as the age of our representatives gets lower/as more Generation X-Millenials become elected officials, the connection to deep fandoms will become more common place.

That's a long way from the Wertham hearings.

In many ways, Superman is the perfect comic for this purpose.  Superman's motto is Truth, Justice, and the American Way.  His story relays the ultimate American immigrant success story, which was an inspiration to Garcia, an immigrant himself.  Like America, Superman represents an ideal we are all trying to live up to - the ultimate good guy, protector of the weak and downtrodden, paragon of virtue, and big blue boy scout.  The musical even puts the Boy Scout motto to song.  

"On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight."

If only all Congressmen would strive for that.

TCM Remembers 2022

A bit of a look back today. As a classic film fan and lover of old Hollywood, this type of memorial strikes a chord. TCM always puts together a classy memorial reel, providing the most comprehensive look at the loss that film suffered in the past year.

This past years list included legends and personal favorites. While their presence will be missed, their contribution lives on.  

Good-By and Keep Cold

 As I continue reading through the collected works of Robert Frost, a bit of Frost for this cold January day.

Good-By and Keep Cold

"This saying good-by on the verge of the dark
And cold to an orchard so young in the bark,
Reminds me of all that can happen to harm
An orchard away at the end of the farm
All winter, cut off by a hill from the house.
I don't want it girdled by rabbit and mouse,
I don't want it dreamily nibbled for browse
By deer, and I don't want it budded by grouse.
(If certain it wouldn't be idle to call,
I'd summon grouse, rabbit, and deer to the wall
And warn them away with a stick for a gun.)
I don't want it stirred by the heat of the sun.
(We made it secure against being, I hope,
By setting it out on a northerly slope.)
No orchard's the worse for the winteriest storm,
But one thing about it, it mustn't get warm.
'How often already you've had to be told
Keep cold, young orchard.  Good-by and keep cold.
Dread fifty above more than fifty below.'
I have to be gone for a season or so;
My business awhile is with different trees,
Less carefully nurtured, less fruitful than these,
And such as is done to their wood with an ax -
Maples and birches and tamaracks.
I wish I could promise to lie in the night
And share in an orchard's arboreal plight,
When slowly (and nobody comes with a ight!)
Its heart sinks lower under the sod;
But something has to be left to God."

Yuletide, A Summary

It's interesting how we set a couple of chapters of the Bible aside to really only teach them once a year.  We set aside everything to do with the birth of Jesus and reserve it for December.  As if that were the only time we could learn from it.  

It's odd, because we wouldn't recommend someone reading through the Bible in a year, or whatever period of time, set aside Matthew 2 and Luke 1-2 for December.  Rather we would recommend they read it and study it when they come to it. For context and for understanding.

In that spirit, I've collected all of the posts that have focused on the birth of Jesus and the religious celebration around it into this summary post.  It can serve as a reference point for me to jump back to and expand as the years progress and hopefully will prove useful to others as well.

May we not leave the power, the joy and wonder of the incarnation of the Holy Christ to one season a year.

Advent

• First Week of Advent - The Promise
• Second Week of Advent - The Preparation
• Third Week of Advent - The Proclamation
• Fourth Week of Advent - The Present

The Nativity

• Zechariah
• Elizabeth
• Mary
• Joseph
• The Innkeepers
• The Shepherds
• The Magi
• Herod and his advisors
• The infant Jesus

Las Posadas, The Inns

The Twelve Days of Christmas (An Overview)

• The First Day of Christmas - Christmas Day
• The Second Day of Christmas - The Feast of Stephen
• The Third Day of Christmas - St. John the Apostle
• The Fourth Day of Christmas - The Massacre of the Innocents
• The Fifth Day of Christmas - Murder in the Cathedral
• The Sixth Day of Christmas - The Holy Family
• The Seventh Day of Christmas - New Year's Eve
• The Eighth Day of Christmas - New Year's Day
• The Ninth Day of Christmas - St. Basil the Great
• The Tenth Day of Christmas - The Holy Name
• The Eleventh Day of Christmas - Sister Elizabeth Ann Seton
• The Twelfth Day of Christmas - Twelfth Night

Ephiphany, or Three Kings Day

Epiphany 2022

Epiphany

"A manifestation of a divine or supernatural being; a moment of sudden revelation or insight."

Today marks Epiphany, or Three Kings Day.  Twelfth Night has ended, and the magi have arrived.  A celebration of the visit of the Magi to the Christ child, and the physical manifestation of Christ to the gentiles.

After today, the twelve days of Christmas are over and we enter Carnival.  King Cake season.  A celebration in preparation of the coming fast.

I think the Biblical account of the Magi provides us a blueprint for how to approach this new year with the appropriate viewpoint.

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.'

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.  When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.  'In Bethlehem in Judea,' they replied, 'for this is what the prophet has written:

'"But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel."'

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.  He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and search carefully for the child.  As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.'

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed (They rejoiced with exceeding great joy).  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route."

What would it look like if we started the year with exceeding great joy, celebrating our encounter with the Messiah?  If we brought Him the best gifts we can, that reflect His character.  Gold celebrated His kingship, frankincense celebrated His deity, and myrrh celebrated His death.  What would we bring, what aspect of His character would we celebrate?

That's our call in this season, in this new year.  To rejoice with exceeding great joy.

There is also a warning in this passage.  When the Magi question the leadership of Israel, it's clear that all the priests and scribes know what to look for, where the Messiah will be born.  They have all the knowledge necessary to go and find him.  But the Magi are the only ones who do.  You would think some of those scribes would be curious enough to go and see if this is finally it, if the Messiah has arrived.  But none leave their routine.  None leave their pattern or comfort.  

Don't get so stuck in your routine that you miss the miraculous around you.

Go forth, celebrate the season.  Let's start the year with joy.  And may we carry that spirit forward throughout the year.

The Twelfth Day of Christmas 2022

Twelfth Night

Tonight marks the end of Christmastide. The Ghost of Christmas Present lives through midnight this evening, so may the spirit of the season still be with you.  Tonight we feast.  The decorations have all been left up, the lights are all on.  We gather together to spread merriment and cheer.  

It's a time to eat king cakes and rum cakes, and to drink wassail.  It's also a time for the upending of the normal.  Where the Lord of Misrule enjoys one last night of his reign, calling for songs, entertainment, and plays.  Servants often dressed up as their masters, men as women and so forth.

It's this atmosphere Shakespeare captured in Twelfth Night, or What You Will.  A comedy of errors and misunderstanding.  Of mistaken identities.  It's a celebration of love and joy and a fitting end to this holiday season. 

"If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
That strain again! it had a dying fall:
O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet south,
That breathes upon a bank of violets,
Stealing and giving odour! Enough; no more:
'Tis not so sweet now as it was before.
O spirit of love! how quick and fresh art thou,
That, notwithstanding thy capacity 10
Receiveth as the sea, nought enters there,
Of what validity and pitch soe'er,
But falls into abatement and low price,
Even in a minute: so full of shapes is fancy
That it alone is high fantastical."

I pray this Christmastide has been a joyous season for you, that these Twelve Days of Christmas has been full of love and laughter, of exceeding great joy, and this new year has started well for you.  May it continue in the days ahead.  

"Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too;
And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year
And God send you a Happy New Year."