September Newsletter Article

Here is my newsletter article for September:

Dear Friends in Christ,

As a fan of Star Trek, one of the things that always amused me about the Original Series was the ship’s chief medical officer and surgeon, Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy. He was smart and capable, but he was also a fish out of water. When situations got out of hand, he would say, “I’m just a simple country doctor.” Capable yet flustered, the writers began having fun with putting the doctor into situations that did not call for a doctor leading to “Bones” telling his Captain who he is and who he is not. These sayings are collected into a piece of the Star Trek pantheon called “I’m a doctor, not a…” Some of these (with some mild variations) include:

“I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer.”

“I'm a surgeon, not a psychiatrist.”

“Look, I'm a doctor, not an escalator.”

“I'm a doctor, not a mechanic.”

“I'm a doctor, not an engineer.”

“I'm a doctor, not a coal miner.”

“I'm not a mechanic, Spock...”

“I'm not a scientist or a physicist, Mr. Spock...”

“I'm not a magician, Spock, just an old country doctor.”

“I will not peddle flesh! I'm a physician.”

“What am I, a doctor or a moon-shuttle conductor?”

You get the idea. This joke became so important to the Star Trek mythology that every doctor in every Trek show has had their own “I’m a doctor, not a…” lines.

The other day, I was chatting with a member of the congregation who told me, “I’m not a theologian.” As soon as I heard this, that wonderful Star Trek line came back to me. 

“I’m a teacher, not a theologian…”

“I’m retired, not a theologian…”

“I’m a mom, not a theologian…”

“I’m a mechanic, not a theologian…”

“I’m a clerk, not a theologian…”

“I’m a carhop, not a theologian…”

“I’m a (insert your label here), not a theologian…”

Again, you get the idea. Well I’m here to tell you that as a child of God you are a theologian. Anyone who says they aren’t is selling themselves short. Anyone who says they aren’t is saying that Sunday School and worship hasn’t informed them at all. And I don’t think that’s true.

While I can’t speak for everyone who has ever said “I’m not a theologian…” perhaps one of the most likely reasons people say this is out of modesty. I honor this, but don’t sell yourself short because we have all answered the greatest theological question in scripture.

In Matthew 13, Jesus asks his disciples “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Jesus then asks them, “But who do you say that I am?”

It is our answer to this very question that begins our road to being theologians! Of course we answer this question like Peter, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus answers Peter saying, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.” We are blessed together knowing that Jesus is the Lord, the Christ, the Messiah—the Son of the living God.

But being theologians is more than this. Being theologians, being the children of the living God is more than what we say with our tongues, it is also what we do with our hands, our feet, our lives.

How we respond to these blessings together as the Body of Christ, that’s the next step in being theologians together. Paul tells the Philippians how important this step is when he tells them, “Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

This is what we are called to do, work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, which is not the same as trying to earn our salvation. We can’t earn our salvation, but we can respond to the gift of salvation we have received by the grace of God. We are saved by grace and we respond by faith, faith that is met by action. This is how we work out our salvation, by letting God use us to fulfill his purposes.

By the end of Star Trek, Dr. McCoy discovers that he will be called upon to be brave and do things he never imagined. So smile, be of good cheer! We are theologians! It is through being active theologians that God can use us. This is true whether you’re a mechanic, a stay at home mom, a teacher, or even a doctor. We are called to the work of good theologians. To God goes the glory!

See you in church!

Paul

Our New Used Car, Part II

About two-and-a-half years ago, I published a blog called Our New Used Car. The blog featured pics of our new used Xterra. Well, we were in a wreck on Sunday and this is what it looks like today.

We are both safe and well, there were no injuries in the other vehicle either. State Farm does not want people commenting on accidents, so I will not. I haven't heard anything from the insurance company about whether it's been totaled or not, but I sure hope not, we need the vehicle.

Praise God the people are well and we have insurance for the stuff.

UPDATE! The estimate has come in at under Blue Book Value, so it looks like repairs are in order. I do so hope I'm right.

In the Last Twenty-Five Years

I'm sitting here in my study, and I've been looking at an "old" picture. I say "old" because the year this shot was taken was in 1985. That was the year I completed my Master's Degree in Counselor Education/Student Personnel at Emporia State, so I doesn't seem so long ago to me. Then again, twenty-five years is over one-half of my lifetime ago, so maybe it is old for a picture.

It's a picture of the Deacons of First Presbyterian in Marshall. They're standing tall at the front of the sanctuary, all seventeen of them. I look at them and I wonder, would they recognize their church today? I gotta say no, there are a lot of things they would see that they wouldn't recognize at all.

We can begin with the people who make up the church board, what Presbyterians call the Session. The first thing they would see is women! Half of our Session is women as required in Presbyterian polity. How would seventeen men, most of them balding and gray, feel about working under a session that was half women? Granted, the pic is from '85 and not '55, but I think it would have made for some uncomfortable silence before the chatting began.

These men are all in suits, not a blazer or a sport coat among the bunch, but suits. How would they feel about the more casual atmosphere they would find today? I see some of these men's wives in church every Sunday, and they don't seem too upset about it, but if they were dropped into worship by some sort of time travelling parachute, they would be in shock.

They would also probably be uncomfortable that almost nobody smokes anymore, except for the young men and women who were in the church pre-school in 1985. That would be a conversation.

Don't get me started on the two hymnals that had been published since 1985, with a third in the pipeline.

What they would still find is Christ. Christ living, crucified, and raised is preached every Sunday.

These men and I may not share much. The youngest appears to be twenty years younger than me. We probably think differently about a whole lot of issues, but I pray that we would all find that we take the same living water from the taproot of the tree of faith. We are all, then and now, saved by grace through faith. For this, thanks be to Christ.

Oh, one more thing, what would they say about me blogging this about them. Computers? Blogs? The Interwebs? It is a whole new world, saved by the same ol' God. Hallelujah!

Congratulations to our National Leaders, You've Really Done It Now

I know that I should refrain from language that is not so nice, but sometimes there are few phrases that express meaning more clearly than a colorful one. Congratulations to the President and Congress, you've really screwed the pooch this time.

Standard & Poor's is the most often cited ratings agency for bonds and other sorts of debt. In short, the better your rating, the cheaper it is to get financing. It' s kind of like a credit score for people who finance big debt. This is what they had to say about the "quality" of US Debt after the last round of talks that raised the debt ceiling:

We lowered our long-term rating on the U.S. because we believe that the prolonged controversy over raising the statutory debt ceiling and the related fiscal policy debate indicate that further near-term progress containing the growth in public spending, especially on entitlements, or on reaching an agreement on raising revenues is less likely than we previously assumed and will remain a contentious and fitful process.

— Standard & Poor's, United States of America Long-Term Rating Lowered To 'AA+' On Political Risks And Rising Debt Burden; Outlook Negative, www.standardandpoors.com/ratingsdirect

Yes, Standard and Poor's didn't lower the government's credit rating because the debt ceiling was raised, but because of how the debt ceiling was raised. Much of the quality of debt rating has to do with the confidence a lender has about whether or not the debt will be repaid. Our leaders have just shaken the confidence straight out of our S&P's rating.

This is not a "Republican Thing" or a "Democrat Thing." It's not a "President Thing" and it's not a "Congress Thing." This is a pox on both of their houses. They have completely screwed the pooch, they have killed the goose that laid the golden egg. Welcome to the wonders that were Rome, Greece, and Britannia. We have no one to blame except for the leaders that put us there.

Is there a way out? As a child of God, I believe in redemption, there's a way out. Do I think it has to do with any of the Bozo's inside the beltway? Maybe that one Independent from Vermont, but anyone else, no.

So what do I say about voting next time? Vote against! Vote against incumbents everywhere! Start fresh and maybe we can get two solid years of governance in before the corporations begin to buy themselves a new set of politician.

"Vote 'No' on Politicians! It Won't Get Worse."

August's Newsletter Article

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking at the local newspaper, the Marshall News-Messenger, and discovered that I was named runner-up for "Favorite Pastor" in the paper's annual “Hometown Best” edition. So I used my August newsletter article to say "thank you" to the congregation.

Dear Friends in Christ,

When Sally Field won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in “Norma Rae,” she started her acceptance speech crying and saying, “You like me, you really like me.” I’ve recently discovered how she felt.

A couple of Saturdays ago I saw in the newspaper that I was named a runner-up in the Pastor category of the Marshall Messenger’s “Hometown Best.” When I got the news I was filled with joy. On Sunday when I was congratulated on the award I hope I blushed at least a little bit. I am honored, and I am humbled too.

I prayed I have been able to walk that line between being honored and boasting. The words of Paul’s warning to the Corinthians was ringing in my ears, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1Corinthians 1:31) Saying that, there are two things about this honor that bring me joy.

The first is that so many of you voted. Voting is active, whether it’s “Marshall’s Best” or anything else, voting is something the voter chooses to do. Without voting there’s no voter, right? What makes this even more special is there are so many churches in Marshall with more members that if they had chosen to vote for their pastor, well you get the picture.

The other joy is that this encourages me to keep doing what I need to do so that I don’t let you down. You have shown that you really like me (thank you Sally Field), but that’s a trust I have to continue to earn.

It’s hard to believe Marie and I have been here ten months. In one way, it feels like we haven’t been here that long at all. You know, time flies when you’re having fun. In another way, it’s like we’ve been together for a long, long time, like we have always been the Body of Christ together. For this, I thank you and I give glory to God!

So thank you for the honor and may I boast only in Christ who gives the power to live into it.

See you in church!
Paul

Government Cheese

"Government Cheese" written by Bob Walkenhorst and recorded by The Rainmakers.

This song was written in the early 1980's when one of the foods distributed to poor people was cheese, forever known as "Government Cheese." The song was an anthem to Reagan Conservatives and everyone else who though this was an absurd creation of the welfare state. The first verse goes like this:

Give a man a free house and he'll bust out the windows
Put his family on food stamps, now he's a big spender
no food on the table and the bills ain't paid
'Cause he spent it on cigarettes and P.G.A.
They'll turn us all into beggars 'cause they're easier to please
They're feeding our people that Government Cheese

As a liberal, it isn't my favorite in the catalog, but as someone with a lick of common sense I can't deny much of it. But there's also a final verse I want you to consider:

Give a man a free ticket on a dead end ride
And he'll climb in the back even though nobody's driving
Too goddamn lazy to crawl out of the wreck
And he'll rot there while he waits for the welfare check
Going to hell in a handbag, can't you see
I ain't gonna eat no Government Cheese

Here's my new point: Politicians, those who are nominally our leaders, are bought and sold by people who finance campaigns. Politicians need votes to get elected; getting elected takes money; money buys influence. Money buys influence.

Politicians have been given the ticket on the dead end ride of campaign finance and they aren't bothering to get out of the wreck because they keep getting their checks. This is why people in Washington don't change, they keep getting paid. In the end, the real difference between Republicans, Democrats, and Welfare Queens is the source of the check. What a bunch of hypocrites! Any way you slice it, they've all lined up to a teat and are feeding well while the rest of us are left to rot.

Good luck everyone. What we need is someone in government who will say, "I ain't gonna eat the corporate cheese." Until that happens, what we've seen for the last four weeks is going to be the beginning. I just pray it isn't the beginning of the end.

All or Nothing

Earlier today I was at a meeting of clergy. By the way, if you ever want to sit in a meeting with forty people who love the sound of their own voice, clergy meetings are the way to go.

During the time for prayer, one of the women in the group asked us to pray because the State of California was looking into getting "gay textbooks" into the schools. She said she saw it on "60 Minutes" last night and she knows that if we don't stem the tide now, it's just going to keep on going. (I didn't see the show, so I what I say is not based on the story, but on her reaction to it.)

The "Amen Corner" was in full voice. Now, cut to last month...

The meeting begins with a devotional. The June meeting featured a piece originally published in an Baptist (sorry, don't know which branch) magazine on death and dying by Henri Nouwen. It was a lovely piece that she read and from what she read the article was well done.

Now my questions:

Did she know Henri Nouwen was gay?

If you have any question that the answer to this question is "yes" then read the Nouwen biography "Wounded Prophet" by Michael Ford.

Here's my point: To hold up the spirituality of a gay man in one breath and condemn gayness in text books because "it's going to infect us all" displays hypocrisy or ignorance. I don't know which is which, I just know neither is good.

Here's the next point: Nobody should throw labels around without knowing where they land.

Here's my last point: I know this is true because I have an open account at the plate glass company to replace the walls in my own house. I have violated these rules, so believe me when I tell you I am sensitive about this.

Ignorance is a lack of information, so friends GET INFORMED before throwing out holier-than-thou statements. It's all or nothing people, you can't cast judgment against one without casting the same an all. So beware, you never know where it's going to fall next.