Well, I've now seen my first accumulated snow  of the season.  Susan and I went to see her brother in Vermont this morning, and while crossing over one of the mountains we came face to face with about five inches of snow on the ground.

It all reminded me that there is plenty of winter yet to come.  We have been enjoying a Thanksgiving vacation with Susan's family in Albany, New York.  I can't remember when we have last had the opportunity to be together with her family for a holiday.  We have had a wonderful time.

Now we are readying for our return to Wisconsin tomorrow.  Of course, there is always a bit of melancholy after a week of enjoying the old haunts.  There is also a sense of great anticipation of going home to the comforts and familiarity of family, friends, and church.

Meanwhile, we will have enjoyed the sight of the snow, and we will be thankful that it would appear that the weather will not throw us any odd curves tomorrow.

Pastor B.

Meister Eckhart, well known Christian philosopher, teacher and preacher expressed this truth: "If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough."

 

Have a happy Thanksgiving

 

Pastor B.

A recent Book of Faith Bible study included an assignment to write a personal ad from the standpoint of Adam and Eve. Here’s three of them written by adult members of the class:

Wanted – By Adam

A helpmate, for me to love and cherish, kind of heart, must be faithful to God. Someone who is willing to share equally with me this lovely garden and willing to work beside me. Must also love children and animals. You may apply at the Garden of Eden in person.

Adam’s Personal Ad

Wanted: Outdoor-oriented woman who can bond for life. Not a "clothes-horse"!! Must agree to equal partnership labor for care and oversight of a large garden. EXCELLENT WORKING CONDITIONS!! Must like animals. Must be God-fearing. Apply in person to Adam in the "Fertile Crescent" between the Tigris and Euphrates River.

Eve’s Personal Ad

Are there any other so called "men" out there? The only one I know, this Adam guy, is constantly complaining that his ribs hurt. My ideal man can handle pain without complaining, and will gladly eat broccoli no matter how I fix it! You can find me, Eve, in the garden.

　

Pastor B

The news outlets keep telling me that our country is in a bad mood. Last week’s elections apparently were a referendum of how bad we apparently are all feeling these days. Democrats want to underplay the frustrations and Republicans want to put as much light upon our national anger as possible and blame it on the President. Fund raisers, whose wisdom has some carry over to church contributions, keep telling us that because of economics and our corporate lousy mood donations seem to be lagging.

So, what is all this moodiness about? I just finished a book about the Dust Bowl where people had lots of reasons to be moody but managed to hang on to life and outlook with hope beyond hope. Also just completed reading about George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River and Christmas attack on the British force at Trenton. It is nearly impossible to even imagine the hardships of crossing that ice choked river in broken down footwear. Back home they had warm fires and loving families to celebrate Christmas with. New Jersey was a cold, wet, muddy road to hypothermia - better known as freezing to death in 1776. Lots of reasons for being in a bad mood back then.

So what is all this present moodiness all about? Like a political pundit, I have opinions but little in the way of facts. But here are some thoughts.

1. We’re in a bad mood because of the aforementioned political pundits often disguised as news reporters. Really, every cable news outlet seems to be more of an opinion builder than an information gatherer. It’s true that news has always tended toward "bad" news, but that was because things that are out of the ordinary tend to be trouble for someone. Today, however, the news folk inundate us with polls, and the news seems to have become much more personal (a fact that probably reflects our love of celebrities and personalities).

2. We’re in a bad national mood because someone told us we were. Really, did you know you were in such a bad mood? Well you are. So if are feeling anything but anger and frustration about your life and this country, then move to Denmark.

3. We’re in a collective bad mood because we now think liberty is about personal freedoms and not community identity. A few weeks ago, the comic strip Non-Sequitur featured the youthful, self-serving Denae offering the absolute road to world peace. Her sure proven method? "Do it my way." Compromise, understanding, getting along, tolerance, forgiveness, and sympathy just don’t cut it in a world of me. And since you won’t do it my way we are all in a funk.

4. We’re in a bad mood because we have shrunk time into a thimble. In a recent devotion I read the words of Paul in Romans, ". . . Overcome evil with good." But the method takes so darn much time. I don’t have time. So, if I think you are wrong (and your wrongness must be a telltale sign of the evil within you), I do not have time to change your errors with good, I’m just going to hit you up side the head ‘til you get it right. Paul obviously had more time than I do.

Okay, enough about our cultural moodiness. I am not a particularly bad mood person, but I’ll try to be better at it.

Pastor B.

I have a movie to recommend. It’s called The Serious Man.

Susan and I took in the movie two Sunday's ago after a wonderful afternoon of trekking around the UW arboretum. Remember the day? The forecast called for rain, but the sun popped through in the morning and pretty much lasted the day. The trees at the arboretum, especially the maples, shown in all their short-lived glory. We enjoyed discovering how many different kinds of maple trees can survive in Wisconsin, and we certainly became newly aware that there are a lot more types of trees that you usually find at the corner garden store.

Then we drove the short distance to the Sundance Theater at the Midvale Shopping Center. Since the film doesn’t meet the general criteria for a blockbuster, it may never show up anywhere else. It will most likely not be around long, either.

Still, if you can find it, I think you will enjoy the chance to see something a little different. Nothing gets blown up. No monsters jump out, and no one wears a hockey goalie’s mask while brandishing a chainsaw. There may be no more than one stunt in the entire film.

The setting is the 1960s in a suburb of Minneapolis. The story revolves mostly inside the Jewish community. If that sounds a lot like here I grew up, it is.

Anyway, the film looks at life with a quiet humor. That is, not a rolling on the floor laughter, but a certain ironic beyond-your-control wit. I think we can all relate to the various characters in the film, and it is definitely filled with a variety of characters. I chuckled especially at the three rabbis (clergy) - young, middle aged, and old.The Serious Man asks the question, "What is God trying to say?" It does so without heavy theological sermonizing or morality preaching. Yet, it is not "cute" either. It carries and R rating that is justified, but I will admit that the items that drove that rating didn’t seem to me to get in the way but moved the plot along.

Anyway, if you get to see it, let me know what you think.

Pastor B.