MY SECRET CAREER HAS BEEN EXPOSED!

        I live at Princeton Windrows, a community for independent seniors just outside of Princeton, New Jersey. Seven years ago I started a chorus, and we have been putting on a show for our staff and residents in mid-December every year. We call ourselves the Windrows Warblers. I write silly words to popular songs of the past and present, and we sing and dance and do some funny skits for everyone's enjoyment, but principally for the staff, who love to see us older folks make fools of ourselves.
        Last year for the first time I decided to do a rap incorporating the names of our entire staff, calling myself "The Rev," the granddaddy of all rappers. My disguise didn't fool anybody, of course, but the effect was hilarious. It went over so well that The Rev was pressed into making a return appearance this year. Our executive director decided to put it on YouTube, to show that life in a community like ours can be lots of fun, and we're not a bunch of old fogies, sad sacks, and stuffed shirts.
        So my secret career has been publicly disclosed! Don't worry, we're not about to take our show on the road!  But if you want to watch the oldest living rapper in action, here's the link to the YouTube video:  http://youtu.be/fUMuH113zVI.

A CHRISTMAS PRAYER

God give us grace. . .  
                                                    
To see
beyond the gleam and glitter
of our tinseled trees
a dim lit stable
not at all like these,

To hear
above the clash and clamor
of the market throng
an angel's call for peace
in silent song,

To feel                                                                                                  
in all the merry madness
of our festive cheer
the Savior's presence
in our hearts this year.

(from Now, That's a Miracle!)

REFLECTIONS ON THE TRAGEDY IN NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT

Children being led to safety out of the Sandy Hook
 Elementary School with their eyes closed to avoid their
seeing anything that might disturb or frighten them.

        I was shocked and sickened, like everyone else, by the horrible slaughter of twenty children and six adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, this past Friday morning. My heart was breaking for those whose lives have been so rudely and cruelly devastated by this unspeakable catastrophe.
        Those of us who are pastors wrestled with what to say to our congregations yesterday, the third Sunday of this holy season of Advent. Our parishioners are grieving, too, and trying as people of faith to make sense of this senseless tragedy. Where is God in all this?
        Unbelievers are quick to use such a disaster to deny the existence of God. They wonder how anyone can believe in a God who would let wenty-six innocent children and adults be so brutally murdered. They don’t understand God’s permissive will and humankind’s propensity for misusing the freedom God has granted us. God did not kill those children; a deranged young man named Adam Lanza did, for reasons we do not yet know or understand.

THE SNOWMAN

When I pass by some wintry lawn and see
        a rounded figure fashioned from the snow,

with button eyes, a carrot for a nose,
        an old felt hat, a scarf, or tie, I know
what it would surely say, if it could speak:
        that there is love within that home, and joy,
because the silent sentinel was built
        by some excited little girl or boy
with some parental aid undoubtedly,
        or maybe by a grown-up (just for fun),
in whom a little girl or boy still lives.
        In any case, I know, if there is one
upon the lawn, the people in that house,
        if nothing else, can take the time to play,
and if there were more snowmen on more lawns,
        the world would be a better place today.

(from If I Do Say So Myself)

GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS

(Note: This poem was originally written to be used as a sermon illustration. It is intended to be read aloud as rapidly as possible.)

                                                             Working, slaving, pennies saving,                                                        
                                                             shopping, waiting, long lines hating,
       sewing, pressing, cards addressing,
       buying, trying, washing, drying,
       licking, sticking, presents picking,
       making, baking, early waking,
       capping, wrapping, never  napping,
       lighting, writing, stopping fighting,
       messing, meaning vacuum cleaning,
       memory versing, parts rehearsing,
       car pool driving, late arriving,
       parties throwing, money's going,
       sick kids nursing, feel like cursing,
                                                             surely this must not be Christmas!

                                                             (from If I Do Say So Myself)

SHAME ON THEM!

AP Photo

        Shame on those 38 Republican Senators who voted against the United Nations Treaty banning discrimination against people with disabilities.
        Ratification of international treaties requires a two-thirds majority of the Senate. More than 150 other nations have signed the treaty, which guarantees disabled persons the same rights provided disabled persons in the United States under the Americans With Disabilities Act, which was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush in 1990.
        Kudos to the eight Republican Senators who voted with the Democrats in favor of the treaty, including Senators Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), John Barrasso (Wyo.), Scott Brown (Mass.), Susan Collins (Maine), Dick Lugar (Ind.), John McCain (Ariz.), Olympia Snowe (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) voted with Democrats in favor of the treaty.
        Eighty-nine year old retired Senator Bob Dole, a disabled veteran of World War II, was wheeled by his wife, retired Senator Elizabeth Dole, onto the Senate floor as a gesture of his strong support for the treaty. He was greeted warmly by Senators on both sides of the aisle, but how disappointed he must have been by those of his own Party who voted against the Treaty, on the pretext that it would be an infringement on the sovereignty of the United States.
        How sheepish they must have felt, as their names were called out in opposition. They included some of Senator Dole’s closest former colleagues and friends, whose fear of a back lash from their Tea Party constituents was, I suspect, the real reason for their opposition. Their misguided political loyalties stifled their desire to do what was right for America and the world. Shame on them!
        But then, why should we be surprised? Because of their outrageous pledge to Grover Norquist, they’re willing to let the Bush tax cuts expire for 98% of us Americans rather than allow the tax rate for the wealthiest 2% to revert to the Clinton tax rate, which would represent a slight increase that the rich can well afford.
        Shame on them!

THE FISCAL CLIFF

Regarding the dread fiscal cliff                                                          
the backs of both Parties are stiff.
After hearing their views
on which option to choose,
I’m beginning to think, what’s the diff?

The wealthy will still have to pay
a higher tax rate either way.
Meanwhile posturing
is the politic thing.
So for now just ignore what they say!

WHAT DID BARACK AND MITT SAY TO EACH OTHER PRIVATELY?

Romney went to the White House for lunch.
What was said there I haven’t a hunch.
Did Mitt say, “Thanks! I’m free
now to be the real me!
I am through with that Tea Party bunch!”

Did the President say in reply,
“I have always thought you’re a good guy,
but I hear in my head
all the mean things you said;
can I now on that promise rely?”?

EMOTION OR DEVOTION?

                                                                                       
Some church members have the notion
that their level of emotion
is the mark of their devotion
and on that their kingdom standing must depend.

Some are much too braggadocian,
and their cocky self-promotion
may just get them a demotion,
when the roll is called up yonder in the end!

WILL THEY EVER GET THE MESSAGE?

Rachel Maddow posted this composite photo of the nineteen newly appointed persons who will be serving as committee chairs in the House of Representatives, when the new term begins in January.

Note that there is not one woman or minority person among them!

Will the Republicans ever get the message?

"WE'RE NUMBER ONE!"

To be a good loser is challenge enough.
        To be a good winner is equally tough!                                          
Few things ever gall me more under the sun
        than hearing some braggarts shout "We're Number One!"
I have to declare that it sure gets my goat,
        when even the teams that I'm rooting for gloat.
For boxers or merchants or teams and their fans,
        for leaders of nations and vain "also-rans,"
For armies and navies and their personnel,
        for whoever wins and their boosters as well,
it ill behooves any to flaunt their success.
        Sincere gratitude is what they should express.

STAY PUT, MR. FOSS!

"Let me live in a house by the side of the road                                                  
and be a friend to man."
With all due respect to old Sam Walter Foss,
I don't know how anyone can!
It's not just his language to which I object.
Inclusive or not, it's the thought.
I have a suspicion the poet elect,
if it had been my house that he bought,
would find himself surely agreeing with me,
before a few days had gone by.
For all of the trash that is dumped on our lawn
would make any home owner cry.
From beer cans and bottles to Styrofoam cups,
old clothing and cigarette butts,
scrap metal and garbage and furniture, too,
and even dead cats and dead mutts.
How can I befriend all those mean litterbugs
whizzing by in their cars and their trucks?
Their thoughtless pollution deserves only wrath
---and a fine of a few hundred bucks!
So take my advice and ignore Mr. Foss,
though he was a remarkable man.
If he moved to a house by the side of the road,
he would need a much bigger trash can!

DOES IT SHOW?

We can say we love Christ with a smile on our face.  
We can tell everybody we know.
We can share our faith stories all over the place,
but the question remains, Does it show?

We can put it on badges and bumpers of cars
and even on billboards for dough;
We can sing it in churches and shout it in bars,
but the question remains, Does it show?

For actions speak louder than words, as they say,
and faith without works will not grow.
Salvation by grace through faith is the way,
but the question remains, Does it show?

(from Enough, Already!)  

A THANKSGIVING SERMON

                                                                                      CONFIDENT THANKS

“And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said 'Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me'" (John 11:41, RSV).
         The place is Bethany, a tiny village less than two miles from Jerusalem on the road to Jericho. Mary and Martha are at the tomb of Lazarus, crying over the brother they have lost. Some of their friends have followed them to the tomb, and they, too, are weeping.
         At this moment an anxious silence grips the mourners. The sobbing has momentarily ceased, the weeping and wailing have halted like a suspended sigh, and even the air seems suddenly still. They are staring intently at the quiet figure standing beside the open cave from which the stone has been rolled away. Jesus also has been weeping, but his expression and manner are calm and confident. As the master is about to speak, they wait with bated breath and pounding hearts, sensing the excitement, the expectancy, the anxiety of this moment.
         Lifting his eyes to heaven Jesus utters a prayer of thanksgiving, and then with a loud voice cries: "Lazarus, come out!" From the murky, musty darkness of the tomb, before their wondering eyes, the man they had buried four days ago emerges, still wrapped in his grave clothes, but alive! As they stand there gaping, entranced by the miracle, the sharp command of Jesus snaps them back to the reality of what must have seemed a dream: "Unbind him and let him go."

THE LOSER SYNDROME

        What ever happened to the “loyal opposition” concept? It has been replaced by what I call “the loser syndrome.”
        You encounter this syndrome in every organization, including in the church. A new pastor comes and those who used to be on the “in” with the former pastor start making odious comparisons and finding fault with the changes that usually occur. Those who have lost power seem to feel they have to exercise their influence in negative ways. They aren’t running things any more, so they oppose, and criticize, and second guess everything the new “regime” is doing. I’m sure you have encountered this attitude somewhere along the way. It’s the loser syndrome.

Illustration by Stephen Kroninger for TIme

       It is especially evident in the current political arena, and the prime example is Senator John McCain, who has never got over his loss to Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential campaign. His and Senator Lindsey Graham’s unwarranted attack on U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice drew a stern rebuke from President Obama, who called the attack “outrageous.” The Senators are accusing the Ambassador of either deliberately lying about the cause of the Benghazi attacks or of being incompetent for not knowing what she should have known. They have vowed to oppose her nomination as Secretary of State, should President Obama choose her to replace Hillary Clinton, who will be leaving the post in January.

A SERIOUS ISSUE

        In our nation's concern about our dependency on foreign oil and the laudable desire to find safe alternative sources of energy, such as wind and solar power, "clean" coal, and natural gas, many knowledgeable Americans are deeply concerned about the dangers of the use of hydrofracking to extract natural gas.
        Having written about this issue before (see How One Church Has Addressed the Issue, and ALEC Is At It Again), I now urge those who are not familiar with what looms as a controversy of growing national and even international significance to read the following article, entitled Frack Fight.
        Given the conflict between the general public's concern about gas prices and the environmentalists' concerns about the harmful effects of fracking, between the conflicting economic interests of the oil companies and the health and safety concerns of communities impacted by the process, and given the enormous political implications of the issue, President Obama will face some difficult decisions in the months ahead.
        It will be one of the most challenging tests of his presidential leadership.

THE REAL ME

A take-off on I Corinthians 15:10 - "But by the grace of
God I am what I am."

God created me.  I don't understand ---
        is what I am now the "me" that God planned?
If by the Lord's grace I am what I am,
        can I be to blame, whatever I am?

Is claiming that just a pretext to say
        whatever I am is really okay?
As if what I am is not up to me?
        So blame it on God, and I go Scot free!

Or does God alone observe the real me,
        not just what I am, but what I can be?
God knows my desires as well as my needs.
        God knows the intent behind all my deeds.

The "me" others know is not the real me;
        nor is it the "me" I want them to see.
I'm not what I seem.  Yet is it not true,
        that masquerade "me" is part of me, too?

Beneath the facades the world need not see;
        the masks that I choose reveal the real me!
Indeed, I confess that it may well be
        those phoney facades are closest to me.

To know who I am may be but a sham.
        Salvation is this:  to know whose I am.
To know I am Christ's by grace and that he
        can free me through faith to be the real me.

(from Now, That's a Miracle!)

OTHERS ARE HURTING, TOO

How long will this awful pain last?
I am reaching my breaking point fast!
No one ever could know
that it's hurting me so.
I just pray that the worst part has passed.

But have I any right to complain,
when so many are suffering pain
which is far worse than mine?
Therefore, why should I whine?
There are things that can deaden my pain.

Furthermore, I need not be up tight,
for they tell me that I'll be all right,
while for some on this Ball
there is no hope at all
that the end of their pain is in sight.

While I suffer, therefore, I shall try
to remember those worse off than I.
As I pray for them now,
I feel better somehow
---though it still hurts, I would not deny!

RSA

WHEN WILL THEY EVER LEARN?

        On and on it goes. Mitt Romney tells his big donors he lost because of President Obama’s “gifts” to
the African American community, the Hispanic community, and young people. His comments were in keeping with his infamous remarks about the 47% of Americans whom he accused of  paying no income taxes, expecting  handouts, and not wanting to take responsibility for their own lives. When will he ever learn?
        That on top of Karl Rove’s karlrovean assertion that Barack Obama won the election by "suppressing the vote"! When will he ever learn?

Senator Mitch McConnell

        In responding to an editorial in the Louisville Courier Journal celebrating President Obama’s victory, Senator Mitch McConnell wrote “Kentuckians did not, as the editorial board would lead you to believe, suggest that those of us representing their interests capitulate to the wishes of President Obama and his liberal allies in Washington. The fact is, America voted to maintain divided government.” What Senator McConnell failed to note is that the Democratic candidates actually received over half a million votes more than their Republican opponents, who though they lost some seats, managed to maintain the control of the House because of the gerrymandering that took place in Republican States following the 2010 mid-term election. This month’s election was hardly a mandate for divided government! When will they ever learn?

ANSWERING THE RACISTS

        Who are the truly loyal Americans?
        They are not the flag-waving red necks whose bigotry oozes out of every pore. Decent folks who care about the truth need to speak up and speak out against the absurd but dangerous rhetoric coming from the radical right. I feel duty bound not to let the racist charges against President Obama which we hear or receive from our friends and others go unchallenged.
        A college classmate of mine keeps sending me anti-Obama propaganda he receives from his far right sources. Usually I read it, because I want to know what the opposition is saying. Then I delete it. But sometimes his material is so blatantly racist and false that I feel compelled to respond.
        His most recent post-election offerings have been so outrageous that I had to reply. Here’s what my former friend (I feel it is appropriate that I change his name), sent me from his friend Sam Holliday, whose name I have not changed: