Freeform Friday

Appalachian Preacher has been doing some great entries with her “‘Throwback Thursdays” and I think I might do that type of entry in the days ahead but this was inspired by listening to “Pray-As-You-Go” today. I highly recommend them for their devotional material and meditation exercises.

Friday, February 28

Bittersweet aroma
Soothing sounds
Hum of the house
Breathe.

Shadows and then darkness
As eyes close.
“Listen”
How was I found?
How many times have I been held up by God?

words read – The Word beckons

Heart laughs and cries as
the hand that has held up also pierces
Nervousness…Recognition…Resignation
Where is hope and encouragement?

Blessed are those who endure.

It is enough,
the hands that hold
the hands hat judge
the hands that bring hope
Are One and come to me.

A quiet heart speaks to One.
Soothing sound of music
Another sip of coffee
A time of prayer ends… world without end. Amen. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend!

A Cross Between Two Thieves

It’s a snowy day and I’ve had a little too much time to think while I was throwing shovels full of snow to build a temporary fortress around my driveway, so now that I am thoroughly thawed, I’m letting some of the thoughts I’ve had over the past few weeks thaw out as well.

In the midst of doing the question and answer series at “The Church in the Heart of Princeton,” I grew increasingly aware of how much some people had invested in hearing a particular answer to some question. More than one person said to me afterwards that they “felt sure I would say such-and-such” while someone else was expecting the exact opposite answer. Fascinating.

It made me think more and more about why we feel like we have to be “right” when it comes to understanding things of faith. Personally, I don’t get that desire. It seems to me that many Christians want to have a place of honor when it comes to debates about matters of the faith. (I can’t help but think about all the people rooting for “their” side the other night in the debate about Creation versus Science. My vivid imagination could see people throwing popcorn at their screens when one side said something disagreeable. Ludicrous.

Some time ago, I began reflecting on the death of this guy I am doing my best to follow in life. I noticed that even in death, he found himself stuck between two thieves. Sure, someone gave him a placard that identified him as King, but seriously, Jesus was on a cross between two thieves. Not much glory there. no claim to being right when your public execution includes public humiliation by association.

I’m not going to quote Scriptures here since the story itself so much more important to me – not the minute details. I do know that at least one of his cohorts on the cross encouraged Jesus to save himself and them. The other seemed to be resolved to his fate and simply wanted the other thief to leave Jesus alone. Eventually, Jesus says something along the lines of joining him in paradise that day.

I can’t help but wonder who was going to join him there.

Was it the one thief who knew and acknowledged Jesus’ ability to save? Was it them one who simply wanted to die in peace and not be forgotten?

In our world today, and most especially in the church, we find many people on both sides of Jesus. Both of them want the deliverance of being right in there cause – color of the church carpet, sexuality questions, abortion or how to arrange the silver on the table for fellowship meals – its all the same.

However, it appears to me that Jesus prefers to hang out in the middle and offer paradise.

I would apologize to some of the people whom were disappointed with my answers. But truthfully, I think I will stay right where I am.

I think we could use a whole plot more people willing to hang out on a cross between two thieves.

And yes, I’m not quite home on this thought, but I will save more reflection for another day.

The Asoh Defense – Speak the Truth

A colleague in family systems pointed this article out to me. Reminds me of Jesus. Makes me wonder what the church would be like if we learned this lesson. I know I would be a different man.

Russell's Ramblings

This past January, an airbus 320, flown by USAir Captain Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger, ditched his plane in the waters off the Hudson River on a flight bound for Charlotte, NC. There were no serious injuries to the 155 aboard.

Now, almost forgotten is a similar flight that occurred November 22, 1968. It’s been more than forty years since Captain Kohie Asoh, the Japan Air Lines Pilot, landed his DC-8 jet with 96 passengers and 11 crew members, two and a half miles out in the San Francisco Bay but in nearly exact compass line with the runway. Captain Asoh landed the jet so gently that many of the passengers were unaware they were in the water until a sailboat appeared on the port bow. No one was hurt. No one was bruised. No one even got their feet wet when passengers were taken off in inflatable rafts. While the jet…

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Leibster Award

I was flabbergasted this afternoon to learn that I have been nominated for my first award. As I understand it, the word “Leibster” means beloved in German. What a wonderful way to be honored!!

I cannot thank Vida enough for thinking of me in her nomination process. I thoroughly enjoy reading her blog “Good Graciousness” mainly because I share an affinity for those who are not comfortable with the prevailing definition of what it means to be a Christian/Conservative. I especially grow from reading blogs by women on this issue and Vida graciously challenges me with her observations!

Part of receiving this award includes answering a set of questions that Vida has prepared for me. So, here goes:

Why did you start your blog?

I was encouraged way back in 2006 to start a blog by a dear friend and former parishioner, Roy Blackwell. Truthfully, at the time I did not see the need and “A Pastor Ponders” kinda slipped away. However, shortly after moving to Princeton I felt a strong desire to “write” something beyond my normal weekly sermon. “Not Quite Home” developed from that desire. At first, I let my work as a pastor really determine the content, but in the last six months, I have moved the focus away from that and really have attempted to use this as a creative and spiritual development tool for myself. (Other than the short story “Sarah’s Story” I can’t recall the last sermon I posted. It just doesn’t seem to fit anymore.

What is your favorite hobby or activity – one that really makes you feel happy and peaceful?

This one is fairly easy to answer. I love to walk. Although the weather in Southern West Virginia isn’t great in the winter months, I still enjoy getting out as often as possible just to wander around. I have worked this in as my “reward” for completing certain things on my daily “to-do” list…if I actually manage to write one out. Either way, a good walk beings me happiness and peace. The best ones I remember were the hours and hours I walked the gorgeous Duke Memorial Gardens while a student at Duke. I can still smell the Japanese Paper Bushes blooming and even the memory brings me to a great place.

What is your favorite book?

This is almost like asking me which child is my favorite. My heart is literally torn as I look at the shelves of books across from me in this study. I honestly have to answer in two parts. My favorite book for reading purposes has to be the “Harry Potter Series.” I know that they were written as separate books, but give me any one of the seven – I will read it again. I think I am fond of these books because first, they got me interested in reading and writing again. Secondly, I read the first two volumes to my daughter Erin out loud. Those are memories I will cherish for a lifetime. (And yes, she read the others on her own. We did the midnight book purchasing together and, with her sister, even dressed in costume for midnight premieres of the movies – I was Professor Lupin.)

I also have a favorite book that sits on my shelf. It is Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” (Book VII). Once again, I love everything written by King, but this book is special to me because it is a signed first edition. I actually like the book “The Stand” the most from King’s collection and I have a first of it also, but alas…it remains unsigned!

Tell us something about you not many people know.

When I was a teenager, I used to do a fairly regular “bit” on a local radio station during their Friday late night shift. I wasn’t a DJ but I would call in and the DJ would put me on the air for his time with the “Mt. Hope Madman.” I know I told a lot of very corny jokes during those bits and occasionally gave “road reports” which is where I first developed a love for sarcasm as a form of humor. I am not even sure everyone in my family knows I did this!!

What was the most magical day of your life, and why?

One day, my oldest daughter, Leslie, had to attend classes with me at Duke Divinity School. While I was in class, my classmates would keep her entertained. Between classes, we would walk around the campus and just find things to do. During one of those breaks, I pulled out a jump rope that I had brought with me and the two of us began taking turns jumping rope. Sometimes we would jump solo, sometimes in tandem. At some point in our little “fun time” I looked up and noticed that we had attracted something of an audience of Divinity School students. They were all cheering us on. At first, I was embarrassed. Almost immediately, though, Leslie encouraged me to take my turn and I did. I realized in that moment what it meant to be “Daddy” and I hope and pray I never forget it.

I have had many magical moments – births, marriage, and even ordination – but none of them hold a candle to that day and that event.

Do you believe in love at first sight? Why or why not?

Nope. I believe in lust at first sight…even strong attraction at first sight, but sadly, not love. The reason for me is that love is something that must be worked at like any other art in our lives. I deeply and truly love my wife, Pam, but I know that this is something much more than any attraction I have. I have the desire to make her happy. I have the desire to share life with her. I want to communicate openly with her. All of this is work. Rewarding and wonderful work, but work nonetheless. This can’t happen at first sight.

What is your favorite childhood memory?

Riding with my brothers and friends on the tailgate of Mr. Summers’ truck as we headed out to his farm several miles from our house. I’m sure it either was against the law or is now, but we loved those trips up the mountain to that farm. Good times!!

Describe yourself in three words?

Husband, Father, and Wanderer

If you could spend a day with one person, living, or dead, who would it be and why?

I would choose to spend that day with Deitrich Bonhoeffer. First, I would pray that his English was better than my German – which is non-existent but I would still choose him. Bonhoeffer’s ability to maintain a loving presence even while fighting one of the greatest evils to have possessed our world is something I would just love to experience for a day. I think he would have a lot to say to those of us fighting for a new definition of conservative Christian in the United States and I am sure I could learn something from him about that battle.

Who is the one person who can always make you smile?

I could easily pick my wife for this one but I want to choose someone else. (Hopefully, she will understand. If not…well, I will have more work to do!) I also have two other daughters that I could choose because they too bring love to my life, but since I have to choose…

My youngest daughter, Allie, is the one who can always make me smile. She is special to me because she is my youngest, but also because she reminds me of all the things I love about myself. When she was very young, she made me feel like the Dad I want to be and treated me as her hero. Now, we share a great love for “Superheroes” and “Doctor Who.” For years, she was at the mercy of my wit and humor but now this Dad is being schooled by his little girl. Thanks, Allie. You make every day brighter.

Now, for those that I want to nominate – should you decide to accept it, here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.
2. You must answer the 10 questions given to you by the nominee before you. (That list is below the nominations.)
3. You must nominate 10 of your favorite blogs with fewer than 200 followers and notify them of their nomination.
4. You must come up with 10 questions for your nominees to answer.

(Drum roll please…) And my nominees for the Leibster Award are:

Appalachian Preacher
Love, Life and Dreams
Purpose Filled Journey
Pulpit Shenanigans
A Walk Between Words
Better Than Reality
Relax and Inhale
Swirls of Truth
Occasional Stuff
My Writing Box

My questions for you are?

1. Why did you start your blog?
2. If your life were a movie, who would play you?
3. Describe yourself in five words.
4. What is the next thing to do on your bucket list? (If you don’t have one, why not?)
5. What was the best day in your life thus far?
6. Who was your childhood hero?
7. If you could have any “superpower” what would it be?
8. Coffee, Tea or “Just leave me alone in the morning”? (What gets your day started?)
9. Who is your closest family member (not living in your house) and why are you so close?
10. Describe the perfect vacation for you?

I am looking forward to reading each and every one of your answers!!

Outsiders Grace

I sat at the end of the bench. If there were a spot beyond the end of the bench, I would have gladly sat there. The floor was a thought but Coach would not allow it. The corner at the end would just have to do.

Greg, Walter and a few others had the best seats. They were the starters. Their seats were empty right then simply because they were out of the floor playing the game of basketball. It was the United Methodist Youth team v. the Baptist Youth team in the remnants of the city of Mt. Hope, sometime in February of 1977.

I probably would not remember the date very well but forty laps at a practice that week kind of burned it into my brain. When you are the ninth man on the team, you hardly think anyone would notice that you aren’t at practice so I blew one off that week to go see “King Kong”. (It was the 1976 version with Jessica Lang and almost any eleven year old boy might choose laps to watch Jessica Lang.) When I showed up for the next day’s practice the coach simply asked where I was and when I fessed up to being at a movie he thought it was worth forty laps. At least he did not make the whole team run them. They would have finished a long time before I did and each time they would have passed me the taunting would have been unbearable.

Perhaps that is why I was hiding in the little corner on the end of the bench so well at that moment. It was not the laps. It was not the impending taunts. The Coaches were way to close for any of that to take place but I knew the locker room was just a couple of short basketball periods away. The real taunting would start then.

I had played in the game. It was a rule in our little church league that everyone got to play one quarter. The coaches decided to put our weaker links out on the court in the second period and I marched out with them. I remember Coach Groves words well, “Just play good defense. Don’t let them score too much and when you get the ball, get it to Greg. He can work it from there.”

Well, I played pretty good defense most of the time anyway. I was the shortest guy on our team and could often sneak around without being noticed and occasionally steal the ball. Shooting? Forget it? I was about 1 for 30 from the free throw line, another place I would never stand except during those interminable practices.

But something strange happened in that game before I found my corner of the bench. The other team had the ball. One of their not-so-good players took a rather wild shot and it bounced off the front of the rim like a bullet and came right towards me. I didn’t think. I didn’t hear Greg yelling for the ball. I dribbled twice and worked my way into the lane and shot…

…And scored…

…For the other team.
I didn’t even wait for the Coach to pull me out when I heard the laughing Baptists congratulating me for the extra two points. I simply walked to the bench. Grabbed my corner and stayed there till the end of the game. I knew the taunting would come in the locker room. It almost always did. Meanwhile, I sat on my little corner of the end of the bench.

Even now, I still find myself sitting on the edge of the end of a pew from time to time. I have even caught myself moving forward on those huge cushy seats that they give preachers to perch upon during the rest of the worship service. Every once in a while, it is a comfort to sit on the edge and wonder what kind of grace it is going to take to allow God to use me the way God wants to use me. Trust me, I am far enough forward in my seat as I type this to feel the back wheels of the chair lifting off the ground.

Sometimes, I know that being on the outside, well, that’s the only place to find true grace.

Daily Prompt – The Outsiders

From my home to yours (SHARE):

From my home to yours (SHARE):

From my home to yours (SHARE):

From my home to yours (SHARE):

From my home to yours (SHARE):