Going Green

The Muppet character Kermit the Frog laments,

“It’s not easy being green – It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things – And people tend to pass you over, ’cause you’re not standing out – Like flashy sparkles in the water or stars in the sky”

For decades now we have been urged to “Go green”, to recycle, to repurpose, to reutilize all the trash that we generate thanks to our modern life styles. It is a call that some embrace whole-heartedly, and some grudgingly, complying with their municipal requirements only as far as they must. For many years I tended to the latter category; however, in recent years, that has changed.

Now I gave up regular delivery of a paper newspaper years ago; on rare occasions I will buy one, but I prefer electrons to paper for my news. If it was not for the supermarket sales circulars that come through the mail, I would not have any newsprint to recycle. Glass and metal can recycling had been a requirement in my town for years, and I had grown used to it – but for a long time I failed to treat plastic in the same way, because plastic had to be handled separately, and picked up separately. It was the same with cardboard. Everything had to be kept in separate containers, and picked up on different days. Keeping track of what was to go to the curb when was a small nightmare.

And then the municipal town fathers (and mothers) got smart. First, they established a drop off point at the municipal public works yard for recyclables – not merely containers, paper and cardboard, but residents in my town can drop off electronics, used motor oil, yard waste and brush and even concrete. More importantly, this drop off point is not only open on the weekends – as in many neighboring communities – it is open six days a week from the early morning to the early afternoon. This allows me and my neighbors to dispose of recyclables when it is convenient to us, not to the local trash collector.

And the town fathers (and mothers) went further. They introduced “single streaming” for recycling – containers (glass, plastic and metal – all commingled), cardboard, newspapers and mixed paper (all separated though) – are now picked up on the same days of the week, and twice a month too; this makes it far easier for the ordinary person to recycle all that we are urged (and required) to recycle.  On a personal level, mixed paper was one area where I was a recycling holdout; because it is easier for me to do so, I now recycle mixed paper, and I am surprised how much difference it has made in the amount of regular trash I have to take out.

This then is the key – if we make recycling painless though a few reasonable decisions – make it convenient for householders to do one-stop drop off and have one-stop recycling collections on a more frequent basis, the results can be amazing. We need to encourage our municipal authorities to make recycling easier, not merely mandatory. If we can make it easy to be green, more of us may choose to be green.

At this point, you might be wondering how this topic, as valid and important as it might be, relates to my more common themes. In Genesis 1: 26-28, it is written:

“And God said; Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

God entrusted the dominion of His creation to us. If we look around us, I think we might agree that we have used our dominion over the Earth in ways God did not intend. By “Going Green” we can each do a little to right what has been wrong. By being conscious of the responsibility He has entrusted to each of us, we can make individual and corporate decisions to address the ills that are only too apparent.

 

Perseverance

The author of Hebrews wrote,

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-36)

For the last six hours or so I have been at my computer screen, hoping that inspiration would come to me; I have been thinking of this week’s installment for several days; and nothing really came together for me. There were things in my mind that were tantalizingly just beyond coherence – thoughts would appear and disappear too quickly to reduce them to reasonable form. I would start sentences and find that they trailed off into a morass of confused verbiage.

It has been that sort of a week thus far – things move forward but slowly, with much friction. I even wondered if I could get away with skipping this week’s item.  I then realized that this is a part of life – that not everything will go our way; that we will experience frustration and confusion; that we will wonder whether it is worthwhile to persevere.  The answer to that last question is, of course, yes – we must persevere. It is what we are called to do; we know that if we do, our reward awaits us – but getting there can be so difficult.

As I have in this particular endeavor, I have no doubt that each of you have gone through a dry spell where you question whether it is worthwhile to carry on, to strive for whatever goal you may have set for yourself. That is part of human nature; and it is normal. But we must gather up our strength to do that which we have set our face to. We can take comfort in the fact that the dry spell will end, that we will see daylight at the end of the tunnel, and that our victory is in fact won.

I will continue to bring my thoughts to heel and make something coherent of them. Stay the course of your endeavor this week, whatever it may be. Persevere in all things.

 

The Art of Conversation

We live in an age of technological marvels that have changed our lives in many ways. One of these is how we communicate with each other – we can, if we wish, be in constant communication with the world. Yet in large measure I feel that we have forgotten how to talk to one another, and lost the desire to talk to one another; talk at one another yes, talk to one another, perhaps not as much.

What do I mean?

In many areas we have come to use email or text messages to substitute for actually talking to a person face-to-face. While this is sometimes necessary it often serves as a means for avoiding talking to the person; it certainly allows us to communicate with many people at once in a mass email, but that communication is one-way. To have a conversation requires us not only to speak but to listen, to share not only information but context – the inflection in someone’s voice that signals their interest, disinterest, hopes, fears, and general reaction. By sending an email or a text message we can avoid getting wrapped up in that and move on to the next thing.

Context is as important in a conversation as the content, if not more so. Through actual conversation we can understand where the other person stands, what their point of view may be. What subtle message is sent when your co-worker two cubicles down sends you an email rather than walking ten steps to speak to you? My first reaction is that the co-worker does not want to hear whatever the recipient has to say, and can avoid an unpleasantness but using email. This would certain condition any response that might be made.

Conversation requires us to listen – and that is a more difficult task than talking. Listening requires us to take the time to process both content and context, to exchange views and ask follow-on questions, to share peripheral information that opens up windows to who we are.  We may reach a conclusion that is not as cut-and-dried as we at first thought; we may find that our original assumptions and conclusions were wrong. In our haste to move on to the next thing, in our desire to avoid unpleasant outcomes, we choose to avoid conversation in favor of instant, faceless messages.

We do this all too often when we pray – that conversation we have with the Lord. Oh, we talk to the Lord – but do we listen, really listen for his answer? Do we take the time in our lives to not only address our petitions but open our hearts and minds to hear Him speak to us? Far too often we ask for what is on our hearts and having done that, we immediately move on to the next thing. God answers our prayers, most often in ways we do not notice; far too often we fail to give thanks for what blessings he has bestowed on us, we just ask for the next thing on our list. Many of his answers are already laid out for us in Scripture, but we fail to take the time to read them and come to know what he expects of us. But if we listen, really listen, God will answer our prayers – if we share not only content but context with Him – not only what we want but what we feel, what hurts us, what fears we have, what hopes impel us forward.

His answer may not be instantaneous; it may not be exactly what we want – but it will certainly be what we need. If we take the time we will comprehend not only the content of His answer, but we will understand the context. Take time to have a conversation with the Lord.

 

The Church Supper

Last Saturday the Ladies Society of my church held its most recent Spring Roast Beef Dinner, an annual fund-raising effort that does much to support the church throughout the year. As one might expect, the men of the church get roped into the process in some capacity as well; my task was to dish the desserts.  I believe that the dinner was a success as a fund-raiser, but I am certain that it was a success on many other levels – and it is worthwhile to recall those.

I am amazed to see the organizational skills of the ladies of my church – to work out timing for the preparation of dozens of pounds of potatoes, to pace the roasting of the beef so that it comes out properly done, on time (a task I would fail at), to service the tables in a cheerful and loving manner. But success is in the manner by which these skills are handed down from one generation to another – I watched as the older children of the church began their first steps in learning the ropes as waiters and waitresses, and newer members in the church were initiated into the mysteries of food preparation and cooking.

I found it heartening to learn that there are still local merchants who are willing to support local charities through donations; so often do we read that American business is cold-hearted and unwilling to remember those in need. I suppose in overall dollars, such contributions do not amount to that much – but such support helps my church a lot. Success is in mobilizing such small contributions to achieve a greater result.

My task at the dinner allowed me to observe those who came – we have many regulars who come year after year, from neighboring churches or from the community at large. We have those who are attending our dinner for the first time – perhaps they are recently moved into the area, perhaps they merely saw an advertising poster. Since we serve family-style, people who might not know each other find themselves seated together, and it is fascinating to watch the conversations develop. Success is in the fellowship that develops between those who meet for the first time, or the fellowship that is renewed among friends who have been long absent from one another.

Those who come to our dinners learn that our church is not just a building open on a Sunday morning – that we are a community; one in which they might find a place for themselves. This is perhaps the greatest success. I chose to attend my church because I found it to be a community and not just a collection of congregants.

When it comes to church suppers, or any other fund-raising activity, success is not merely a question of money. When community is built, when support is garnered, when fellowship is shared and when community grows – there is when success is found. Do we work hard to bring this all off? Certainly – but it is done in joy. And that is all that counts.

 

Miracles

Some days ago a friend shared with me a story of faith, hope and charity, illustrating how God’s love can manifest in our lives in the  most unexpected and powerful ways.

 

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully – three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect – no chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way six blocks to Rexall’s Drug Store with the big Red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. She twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise – nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster – no good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter – that did it!

“And what do you want?” the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. “I’m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t seen in ages,” he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

“Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,” the little girl answered back in the same annoyed tone. “’He’s really, really sick….and I want to buy a miracle.”

“I beg your pardon?” said the pharmacist.

“His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?”

“We don’t sell miracles here, little girl. I’m sorry but I can’t help you,” the pharmacist said, softening a little.

“Listen, I have the money to pay for it… If it isn’t enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.”

The pharmacist’s brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?”

“I don’t know,” she replied with her eyes welling up I just know he’s really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can’t pay for it, so I want to use my money.”

“How much do you have?” asked the man from Chicago. 

“One dollar and eleven cents,” the child answered, barely audible. “And it’s all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.”

“Well, what a coincidence,” replied the man with a smile. “A dollar and eleven cents – the exact price of a miracle for little brothers.”  He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said. “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the miracle you need.”

That well-dressed man was Doctor Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn’t long until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.

“That surgery,” Mom whispered, “was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?”

The child smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost….one dollar and eleven cents…plus the faith of a little child.

 

Too often in our lives when life opens a chasm before us, we cannot see across to the far side. We may feel lost, hopeless, abandoned. In its own way the story shared with me by my friend illustrates that faith is the guide that can see us through such times of trouble. Our Lord is there for us in times of trial – to comfort our fears, to dry our tears, to be that light that guides us out of darkness. He chooses different ways to act – be it the intervention of a surgeon, the support of loved ones in time of loss, or the calm assurance of His presence when we are alone. When faced with trial, even the strongest of us find the need to turn to Him; when confronted with a friend facing trial, we are called to do what is in our power to heal and sustain them. In that manner we help make miracles possible.

A New Equilibrium

Shortly before Easter my older brother passed away, quite suddenly; as one might expect it was a shock for all my family, and each of us now deals with the loss in our own way. Time, we hope, will ease the pain that each of now feels; that in rejoining the routine of our daily existence we can fill the gap that yawns in our lives; that somehow we can get ‘back to normal’. But that is a chimera – things cannot be put back the way they were, a lost loved one cannot be replaced or forgotten. The best that can be hoped for is to carry on as best we can and seek a new equilibrium – where good memories survive and pain recedes.  This too is something that each of us must do in our own way, so I can only speak of my own; yet I think that many of us have felt the same things when we have lost a loved one.

Three pillars help me to find that new equilibrium – faith, family and friends.

My brother and I never spoke much about matters of faith – our parents raised us in the same manner, but – he being much older that me – my brother was out in the world and raising his own family before I even thought of such things. In the years since it never really came up in discussions between us. Thus, when I was asked by someone whether my brother was a believer, the only honest answer I could give was, “I don’t know”.

I do not feel qualified to comment or judge another’s walk of faith, wherever they may be on that journey; that is between the individual and the Lord. Yet I have faith that my brother is now at rest in a far better place than this world; he could not have been the brother, father, grandfather, friend that he was to all who knew him without walking a path with the Lord. If Jesus could promise paradise to the thief beside him, I do not think my brother would have been shut out of heaven.

The second pillar of the new equilibrium has been my family. While each of us still grieves, we have come together in support of each other to ease the pains of loss. I have been in a situation where the loss of a loved one sets one part of a family against another, with long term consequences – it is not pretty, and it is a blessing that we avoid that now. My challenge is to be there for the other members of my family and not hide in solitary grief – something which can be so tempting.

The last pillar is friends – my friends who have comforted me and my family with their prayers, well-wishes and support – and seeing the many friends of my brother, most unknown to me – do the same. If a man’s wealth can be counted by the friends whose life he has touched, my brother was a wealthy man. The support of friends has been of immeasurable value – for listening when working through the immediate sense of grief, for the simple kindness of a reassuring presence, for the testament of memories of shared good times.  Friends have eased my sense of loss, and they have done so for each member of my family.

Despite these pillars of support, that new equilibrium in my life will take a long time to settle; and there will always be the twinge of loss when a memory is recalled. Time will heal the wound, though a scar may remain to mark it. But the most important thing to recall that despite the loss of loved ones we are still called to follow the path that the Lord has marked out for us – for he will carry us when we feel we cannot go on.

 

Attitude Adjustment

Several weeks ago at my regular bible study, one of our members shared a quote by author, educator and pastor Charles Swindoll on the subject of “Attitude”. Mister Swindoll wrote,

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home.  The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude… I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.  And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.”

This is a very powerful and thought-provoking insight. By the time we reach middle age most of us realize that we cannot control what others do, but we can control ourselves. At it is the attitude we adopt that influences how we interact with all that is happening around us.

One of my friends seems to see herself as the victim of fate; that at each major juncture of her life the world has conspired to oppress her and deny her the opportunity to become the person she thinks she wants to become. I am willing to bet that most of us know someone who seems to fit that description. These individuals have the attitude that the world is ‘out to get them’, and they see only the negative in a situation and have no real desire to see or embrace the positive. They seem content to remain on a downward spiral.

Another friend remains exhibits a far more positive attitude – seeking opportunities for service in his church and his community. He accepts that not everything in life will go his way, but he seeks to make the best of the opportunities that come his way and to help others to do the same. If we are fortunate, most of our friends fall into this category, as we might ourselves.

Consider the individual who might become defensive when challenged in a personal or business relationship. While becoming defensive may be human nature, does it help resolve the issue? No, it merely erects a barrier to communication and the resolution of the problem at hand. Anger on its own solves nothing; indeed, it may impel us to do harmful and hurtful things to others. Yet if we look at each day for the opportunities is presents to us, we can set disappointments behind us and begin afresh.

Have you heard the phrase, “When life deals you lemons, make lemonade”?  This puts Mister Swindoll’s message in nutshell – we can make the best of a bad situation if we choose to do so, or we can stew in our own juices and grow bitter. And it is clear that making lemonade is better than trying to suck on a lemon.

Remember that only things in this world that you can control are what you think and what you do. If you perceive the world with a right attitude you will see the opportunities that are there to prosper and strengthen right relationships with your family, your friends or your business associates. With the wrong attitude, you will be blind.  Consider if it is time to adjust your attitude.

Unison

There are times when we have grown so used to Sunday church services that we forget how they can differ and how they have changed over generations; unless we are intimately involved in them, we may not realize how the elements of a service evolved. Take singing for example.

Most churches have a choir, be it large or small, drawn from the congregation or set apart for that special purpose. There was a time when all the singing done in a church would have been done by a specialized choir – who would have been trained for the task over many years, if not a lifetime.  These days we take singing from a hymn book for granted, but the printing of hymnals and the spread of singing from them date back to the early Reformation, and at the time such things were a novelty.

It was in Calvinist Geneva that the habit of a congregation singing in unison first took hold, and the book used has come down to us as the Genevan Psalter – which has had wide impact. Perhaps the most influential edition was that of 1562 – from which many favorite hymns of even the current generation derive.  For this we can thank the genius of the composer Louis Bourgeois.

Adaptation of secular tunes to liturgical purposes was a feature of the Renaissance, and went hand-in-hand with the spread of singing in the home; Bourgeois wrote his hymns in for both, which is, I suspect, a reason for their continued popularity. William Kethe, a Scottish reformer, adapted one of Bourgeois’ tunes to a metrical paraphrase of Psalm 100, which is known to many as Old Hundredth.

All people that on earth do dwell; Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice

Him serve with mirth, His praise forth tell; Come ye before him and rejoice

 

Know that the Lord is God indeed; Without our aid he did us make

We are His folk, He doth us feed; And for His sheep He doth us take

 

O enter then His gates with praise; Approach with joy His courts unto

Praise, laud and bless His name always; For it is seemly so to do

 

For why? The Lord our God is good; His mercy is forever sure

His truth at all times firmly stood; And shall from age to age endure

This is one of my favorite hymns – whether sung in unison or sung responsively. It sums up and expresses so much of what we believe, and does so in an elegant yet straightforward manner. While we may differ on small points, these words remind us that we are all people of God and called to his service; that He has done so much for us and that we ought to be thankful and give praise; and that He will stand by us for all eternity.

 The next time you hear this hymn being sung, remember there was a time when a congregation saw these words as a new hymn being sung to a new tune; neither undermine the truth of what the song conveys, and what was once seen as novelty is now a touchstone.

 

Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning is something we are all familiar with; it is a chore we have to undertake to prepare our homes for a new year of activity after a long winter. I have recently finished such an effort – clearing from my cellar all sorts of accumulated trash and detritus – scrap lumber I have not used in ten years, paint cans untouched in fifteen or twenty years. It took a fair amount of time to go through all the ‘stuff’ and properly dispose of it, and my muscles complained all the way; but having done it, I look at a space that is much less of an eyesore and more inviting to work in; and I feel as though a great burden has been lifted from me. Now, it seems, I can move forward.

Too many of us, I suspect, have similar collections of ‘stuff’ in our possession, and perhaps now is the time to deal with it. Yet we also have a burden of matters that weigh upon our hearts – old hurts, long-remembered failures, disappointments. These things too need to be cleaned so that we can move forward – but they are far more difficult to dispense with that the physical ‘stuff’ we have accumulated. To do so we must be honest with ourselves, and honest with God, that by prayer we can turn over these burdens and start afresh.

But in this season of Lent we have the opportunity to do just that. The supreme sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross is a reminder to us that we have been forgiven and our faults forgotten. Likewise, to be forgiven, we must forgive – our neighbors, our friends, ourselves. By eliminating those burdens from our hearts we can move forward in a new life of caring and service, fulfilling the purpose to which Jesus calls all who would follow him.

The calendar says it is still winter for a few more days; but start your spring cleaning now – you will be better for it.

Chance Encounters

The other day, arriving at the church where I volunteer in their food pantry, I had the opportunity to exchange a few moments conversation with the pastor, who had only recently come there. She is a very outgoing person, and we spoke about the ongoing ministry of the food pantry. In passing I noted that we never know who is going to come through the door of the pantry, or what their needs may be; she agreed, and remarked that such unknowns ought to remind us to be open to God; and she is right.

As human beings we don’t really like the unexpected. We prefer order and routine, however spontaneous we might think ourselves to be. The unexpected disconcerts us, be it the shout of “Surprise!” from the folks at your surprise birthday party or being confronted by a situation that is new or different for us – or being called to minister to someone unknown to us. Thousands of years of instinct, or watching last night’s television news, remind us that dangers lurk in the unexpected, and often there is good cause to be wary of a situation that is not quite right.

But God often calls to us in unexpected situations – we look back in the liturgical year and only weeks ago we read of Mary being visited by the Angel, of shepherds being greeted by the Heavenly Host, of a Messiah born in the manger; totally unexpected. When Jesus called the apostles, none of them was expecting to be summoned.

We need to be open to the call of God in our daily routine, for sometimes the opportunity to do His will is so subtle. No act of kindness is too small to change a person’s life in an important way, even if that act is to get their name correct and treat them with a moment’s respect – that is one of the things I have learned working as a volunteer. Take a moment to notice the world around you and you can see things you can help change for the better – helping a neighbor with routine chores, visiting the shut-in, or calling or sending a card to a family member you have not seen in ages.

We may never see the results of what we do; but sometimes we can. I recall someone who came to the food pantry seeking assistance while he put his life back together – we did what we could, and for several months he was a regular client – and one each visit I could see that he had made progress in restoring what most would call a ‘regular life’ – finding a permanent home, finding employment. We have not seen him in a few months now, I am hoping because he no longer needs assistance and that he has been successful in restoring ‘routine’ in his life.

If that is the case, or even if it is not, I know God will be happy that we tried to do His work.

Be open for the chance encounters in your life – you may do something very important for someone.