A Few Things, then reflections on the MLK, Jr. Scholarship Breakfast

Before I forget these tidbits.

1.  For my birthday, my mother purchased me a card that has Johnny Cash singing Ring of Fire when you open it.  #s 1, 2, & 3 have taken it over and love it.  They take the card into #1's room, turn off the overhead light, turn on a lamp, open the card and dance like mad.

2.  I have never doubted the skills of the VOR, she has fantastic organizational, rhetorical, logical and sewing skills.  But after last night's event I must add athletic skills.  (This week, the VOR and I have been taking turns rocking #3 to bed - in an attempt to wean him from nighttime nursing). Last night, #3, presented his firewall - no more.  He coughed to keep himself awake, he scratched my arm to keep awake, he tickled the VOR's throat, he wiggled, cried, screamed, he did whatever he could to keep awake telling us he was not participating in our scheme.  In the midst of this stonewalling spectacle, the VOR was able to get him asleep, but...I was laying on my back snoring very loud (at least that is what I am told).  At the moment the VOR was able to get #3 asleep and about to place him back in the crib I started to really have at it snoring.  The VOR could not yell at me (that would wake #3 up) nor could she force me to roll on my side (she was out of arms reach).  So she performed one of the greatest athletic moves ever witnessed in New England (if not the world).  With #3 in her arms and gently placing him in the crib she lifted her left leg, stretched to its fullest length and kicked me hard in the side, waking me up and thus ending my snoring fit, and then gently placed the boy in his bed.  Absolutely amazing.

Okay, now reflections from the breakfast.

I went to bed around 11pm, #3's protest started around 2:30 and lasted for the remainder of the night.  I got out of bed around 6, got ready and then looked up directions on the web.  Unbeknownst to me I took directions down from the South, not the North.  My right turns were really lefts and my left hand turns were really rights.  Eventually I figured it out and arrived at the venue.  I was a bit puzzled by the lack of cars in the lot, I surmised the cold kept people away (it was 14 degrees after all).  Once inside I realized the breakfast began at 8, not 7.  

Eventually people arrived and I found my seat.  Every year the Minister's Alliance, a primarily African-American pastor's group, sponsors the breakfast in order to reward scholarships to outstanding students; 26 received scholarships this year.  This breakfast brings all the usual suspects out of the woodwork:  the Governor (who talked more about the Patriots than Dr. King), Senator Reed (low-key approach), Senator Whitehouse (grandstanding as usual by praising the day Bush leaves 1600 Pennsylvania), Rep. Kennedy (who brought nice words, but appeared to be shaking), the mayor of Providence (who is Jewish and didn't seem to care too much for Mine Eyes Have Seen the Coming), the mayor of Cranston (a white Italian male who compared himself to Dr. King when school students at a High School booed him) and the mayor of Warwick (whose irenic tone I'm sure was aimed at Whitehouse).  The main speaker was the Rev. James Miller.

Jim and I had lunch last week; he informally discussed what he wanted to talk about.  I thought good luck, he had a whole bunch of stuff.  But man oh man did he deliver.  It was one of, if not, the best sermon(s) I have ever heard - hands down, no foolin'.  If ever I doubted the power of the spoken word, especially a sermon - those doubts were quickly erased.  Hopefully I can get a copy of his sermon to upload to the blog.  The event closed with a singing of Lift Every Voice and Sing; we were not able to sing this at worship yesterday (the organist is good, but it is a tough song to play right).

A few MLK, Jr. Resources

This Sunday we will celebrate the Commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr.  This year, since the organist/choirmaster is not with us, the music will be low key.  The most specific part I do in the service dealing with Dr. King is the Children's Moment.  This year I will be reading Martin's Big Words.  If you haven't read this book to your kids, you really need it to.  I have yet to meet a kid it doesn't move.

You can also download the I Have a Dream Speech by going here.  

My alma mater, for whatever reasons, has never fully funded the MLK, Jr. Chair.  The full funding of this endowed chair will fully concretize the Black Church Studies Program.  I thought about what can I do to help out.  On my own and with a pastor's salary, not much.  But I can cook and I can cook a meal that New Englanders do not eat on a regular basis.  So come this Spring I am having a breakfast with all proceeds going to the MLK, Jr. chair.  More info forthcoming as it develops.  All are invited and all are invited to give.

State of the Church Address

This Sunday is time for the Annual Meeting; back in Athens I began delivering the State of Church Address on the Sunday of the Annual Meeting.  The first one I did a gentlemen took notes, I couldn't believe it.  

My address this year will focus on Evangelism, I feel that is the major area the congregation needs to focus on.  The challenge will be to develop an indigenous model of evangelism that works for this specifically for this congregation in this community and area.   I cannot see simply adopting what FBC of where ever is doing will work here or to quote RWE, "to imitate is suicide."  I do not think there is a model, method or way of doing evangelism that works across the board.  Instead folk have to listen to what stories bubble up of God's presence in their lives and then figure out how to articulate and share that with others.  

We'll see how it goes.

On a side note: while visiting people at homes or in the church office I become aware of irritants that cause an allergic reaction: cats and most forms of perfume that a majority of retired women in this area use.  I can usually only be present for about 15 minutes before my eyes start itching crazy.   

Open for Business

For several months now the VOR has been, whenever she has a few minutes, developing a new business.  She began a few years ago making baby slings for herself and for her friends and relatives.  Folk often wanted to buy them but she did not have the time to dedicate to selling them.  As time passed she began to fiddle more with her sewing machine and started to come up with some pretty cool ideas.  Last Fall she asked the Health teacher at #1's school if she would save all of the Juice Pouches for her.  Once a week the health teacher would deliver around 100 juice pouches.  The VOR started turning them into all kinds of stuff: totes, lunch bags, change purses, belts, etc.  But lots of people make these and they are a pain to clean, dry and put together, so she started tinkering with fabric remnants and came up with totes and bags as her new thing.  She sold stuff to friends, entered a couple of art shows and now has a shop, Sassy Stitches, up and running at etsy.

Last night she uploaded a couple of juice pouch bags and will soon be announcing her Spring Line.

Go over and peruse.

What to do Now

Some people like the Super Bowl, Masterpiece Theatre or the latest reality show, me, I like Presidential Primaries.  I crave them to an almost unhealthy degree.  I really need to think about moving to the Central Time Zone just so I can go to bed at a normal time and still watch the news and such.  

The events of Tuesday were surprising.  What will Edwards do now?  I hope he does stay till the Convention.  Who knows how his number of delegates could play out?  As David Brooks said: what else has he to do?  But should he do at his wife's and family's expense?  Given that Richardson has now dropped out the field debate is quite limited.  I hope Edwards does continue on to hopefully shape the conversation in some way.  If for nothing else then to remind the other candidates what true passion is.   

I cannot believe I am saying this but I actually agree with Karl Rove, his opinion in the Wall Street Journal actually makes good sense.  So what must Obama do now?  If female voters are/will side with Clinton where is Oprah then?  I would look for Oprah to be more of a presence between now and Super Tuesday.  I also think if he goes back to hone in his Jefferson Jackson Day speech he did Iowa a stronger message may emerge.  

Thanks to my esteemed brother of the cloth, the most high rev'd down in Birmingham, I have been instructed to look at Real Clear Politics.  It is a great summation of news, polls and such.

Edwards as Attorney General

This is just a hunch.  I am sure John Edwards, my candidate of choice, can see that the momentum of Obama is simply too much to hold back.  So what is he doing still in the race? Here is my presumption: staying in the race Edwards siphons off votes from Clinton, not Obama. Therefore Obama has pledged the Attorney General position to Edwards if he stays in the race past South Carolina. 

Edwards, being a former senator, would have easy confirmation; he could more effectively carry out his campaign against corporate America.  I think this would be a great fit for him and even create a legacy.  

What a Weekend

Since the NH debates were on ABC I was able to watch them back-to-back. After putting #3 down for bed, the VOR nestled up beside me and sarcastically commented how romantic it was to be watching debates on a Saturday night.

I thought Edwards' passion was a welcomed highlight. I also like Obama's rebuttal that words do matter. It made me think of the time Leonard Sweet (who is from Greenbrier County WV by the way, he also simultaneously completed his MDiv from CRDS and his PhD from the Univ. of Rochester) came to BTSR for a lecture series. Somewhere he talked about the beginning of creation as described in Genesis and went off on a poetical tangent how the first act of creation was a wavelength that produced a new creation. I think Obama is onto something when he insists that words are important, they do have power and life and the possibility of creating something new just by uttering them.

Yesterday we, LRBC, said goodbye to our organist/choirmaster. He took a new position as a soloists at another church in the state. We are going to miss him terribly. He was a great talent, great to work with and a great presence. He taught me just how important music is to worship and how quality music, with forethought and intentionality can enhance worship to levels I couldn't/can't think of. I cannot blame him for taking the new position, great pay, more exposure and opportunities to record. We sent him off in good fashion. I hold dear to some valuable CPE learning: the two hardest things to do in life are hellos and goodbyes, all the stuff in between is a piece of cake. A good goodbye allows the departing parties to say a good hello. I believe that and hold fast to it.

This morning I placed my order for the new preaching gown, double breasted cassock, and preaching tabs. The order will be here in about six to eight weeks; the measurements go to England for and then will be shipped here, I hope the order arrives for Easter! Here is a sample of what I hope to look like:

A Possible Scenario whereby Huckabee comes in 2nd in NH

Last night was something else. I didn't go to sleep till after midnight, watched PBS, read some news stories online and then finally went to bed.

I want to present a hypothetical scenario for a surprising Huckabee 2nd place finish in NH.

What if the majority of Independents vote for Obama, taking a large percentage away from McCain. This would creates a smaller number of voters for those on the Republican side. Then, if in five short days Huckabee can convince the folk of NH that he is not a religious nut ball, because most folk see any Baptists are religious nut balls. But there is the existence of old Yankee Protestantism in NH, would they vote for a Southern Baptist, that is a tough one. If I extrapolate from my experience here in RI I find some of the old school Yankees somewhat enthralled with Huck. but they love McCain. There is a chance for Huck to place 2nd. Then roll into SC.

Hey Iowa, at least consider it...

As Iowans head out to caucus I wish the radio stations would play this Woody Guthrie song:

Let's have Christ our President
Let us have him for our king
Cast your vote for the Carpenter
That they call the Nazarene

The only way
We could ever beat
These crooked politician men

Is to cast the moneychangers
Out of the temple
Put the Carpenter in

Oh it's Jesus Christ our President
God above our king
With a job and pension for young and old
We will make hallelujah ring

Every year we waste enough
To feed the ones who starve
We build our civilization up
And we shoot it down with wars

But with the Carpenter
On the seat
Way up in the capitol town

The USA
Be on the way
Prosperity bound

2007 Lessons Learned

This being the first day of year of our Lord 2008 I thought I would offer some prudent observations I learnt from the previous year.

1.  In order to prevent the constant losing of my wallet and keys designate one spot for keys and wallet.  Every evening when I come home I place my keys and wallet in their designated spots.   This actually works folks.

2.  Regardless of how much is in the tank, always fill the vehicles full of gasoline on Fridays.  

3.  The congregation knows when I am attempting to "wing" it.

4.  It is best to park the vehicles facing the road (and thus the morning sun) in the winter so that the frost on the windshield melts.

5.  Eating a large meal will disrupt my sleep for the evening regardless of how I pace the meal.  It is better to go to bed hungry than full.

6.  My original fright of preaching longer than 10 minutes is unjustified.  Some of my best sermons this year were easily longer than 22 minutes.  

7.  The Sound of Music is not as bad as previously thought.

8.  The French idea of meal: first a mixed greens salad followed by the main course of meat and potatoes is better than having a green vegetable with the meal.