The Big Red Chair

Today I’m going to do something which I probably should have done at the outset of this little blog, that is explain why I’m writing it and what I hope to accomplish. What should you expect? I started it around Christmas and one of the things blog writers will often do is challenge ourselves to keep a certain schedule, i.e. once a week or even once a day. I’ve taken on the challenge of writing every day in 2013. I have several goals in mind besides just getting something published every 24 hours. First, I’d like it to mean something. As a Christian, I certainly make no bones about having a particular point of view. I believe there is a prescription for the pain we all inevitably go through, and that is through the healing power provided through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But Christians are in a continual state of change, like anyone. We deal with doubt and sickness and all the other challenges life throws at us, sometimes well, sometimes poorly. Through poetry, humor, and just my general outlook on life, I would like you to take this journey with me. Normally I’ll publish in the morning. Although a couple of times already I’ve looked back at something I put out earlier and wondered just what I was thinking, I’ll try to avoid having to edit myself too much after the fact.

Our family occasionally watches “The Graham Norton Show.” It’s a British talk show, along the lines of something like Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show.” I mention it because Norton features a bit at the end of each show called “The Big Red Chair.” Audience members are selected to sit in the chair and tell a personal story. While they’re telling the story, Norton has his hand on a lever and if the story isn’t entertaining, he pulls the lever, and the chair and its occupant are thrown backward. If the story is deemed engaging enough, the person actually gets to stand up and walk away.
I tell that story to illustrate what I believe is true for writers, as well. As the reader, you hold the power of the lever; At any point you may simply stop reading and, in a virtual sense anyway, I will find myself on the floor with my feet in the air; I guess that’s just the risk I’ll have to take. In the meantime, please be patient with me and stick around if you are so inclined.

See you tomorrow, Write Here.

Holy

Just bring up the word “holy,” even among Christians striving to escape society’s race to the bottom, and you’re likely to get feedback ranging from doubt to despair. I wish. You’ve got to be kidding. Me? You? But there it is, in 1 Peter 1:16. Peter, referencing passages in the Old Testament, says: “because it is written “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” Unlike the animal sacrifices of the past, which had to be done again and again, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was done once. Once to cover our sin. Once to allow us to enter into the presence of God. Once to give us the power, with the arm of our Lord over our shoulder, to walk in holiness. We fall, over and over again. We get up, over and over again… until we rest.

God, look with me. See in the mirror there. How can that man there be holy? He falls and he fails and his clumsy attempts are so laughable. Really? But you’ve still called us to be…

Holy
just as our Savior is
Holy
written in your word
why God, can’t I just be good?
Holy
it’s a word meant for better folks
people with clean sheets and shiny floors
and a conscience not full of shame
Jesus, I’m desperate for your name.

Thank goodness we don’t have to do this alone.
Thank God

Cliff’s Physical

Cliff, answering phone: “Hello.”
“Hello Cliff, this is Julie at Dr. Peabody’s office.”
“Oh, hi.”
“Cliff, as you know, you had your physical last week.”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I was going to call you.”
“You were?”
“Yes, I really don’t think we should.”
“Sorry?”
“I just don’t think it’s the right thing to do.”
“But…”
“Look, this is about going over it, right?”
“Yes, but I don’t think I un…”
“My wife told me all about it this morning. She was watching the Tomorrow Show. She always watches that, first thing in the morning.”
“Sure, I watch it too, but I still don’t…”
“She said the world economy could go into a tailspin. I don’t think I get all the ins and outs of this thing, but she was very upset. She said our taxes would go up.”
“Is this about your insurance? I believe it’s covered. Let me just look up…”
“Look, I’m just afraid I won’t be coming in. I can’t be responsible.”
“But that’s just it, Cliff. Taking your physical was the right thing to do. You have to look out for yourself.”
“I am! I don’t want to lose my job. I just qualified for four weeks vacation. We were going to Hawaii!”
“Well, there’s no reason you can’t, assuming everything is hunky dory.”
“I must say you’re taking this very lightly. You have a job to protect too!”
“Cliff, you’ve lost me.”
“Somehow, and again I don’t pretend to comprehend all the details, but according to my wife, if we go over it, all our taxes will go up, businesses will be forced to close, and the economy will go kaput!”
“All if you and the doctor go over your physical, Cliff?”
“Yes.”
“Cliff, I think we can put that off for a bit.”
“Boy, that’s a relief.”
“But Cliff, would you mind stopping by the pharmacy in about a half hour?”
“I guess not, why?”
“I’m going to talk to the doctor and see if we can get you a little something to… Well, you seem a little tense.”
“Okay, but I must say, I’m feeling better already.”
“That’s good, Cliff. Say hello to your wife for me.”
“Oh, you know I will!”
“Okay, bye.”
“Bye.”

Here Comes the Sun

The mercy of sun after a night of cold greets both the meek and the bold. One turns slowly toward as though risking a wound, the other with palms open awaits a boon. The first fears knowledge of things best left unsaid, the second couldn’t leave a new book unread. The one fears what new light might reveal, the other with steely nerve breaks the seal. The former with a sigh gives in to his fate, the latter with a burst of courage pulls open heaven’s gate.

Your Year Write Here

So you’ve stumbled out of bed and made your coffee and rubbed the little crunchies out of the corners of your eyes. You sit down in front of the computer or notebook and there it is… 2013. All of it. A blank slate. Waiting to be filled in. Do you:

grab a pen
grab some paper
is that enough?
no, more paper
it’s a whole year
that’s a long time
does this poem have to rhyme?
nah

okay, more coffee
the cup’s already low
I’ve only started
this is going too slow
okay, focus

well, there’s your bucket
you know, the list
what’s still there?
what have you missed?
do you climb that mountain?
do you sail that sea?
if you’re still in school
will you settle for a B?
no, an A this time!

then there’s your work
is it your life?
besides paying for stuff
is it mainly strife?
what is in you
that God has planted there
the gift that is you
you’re intended to share?
it could be spectacular!

the lights are blinking on and off
planning uses up watts!
i need more coffee
more coffee, Jacques!
right… i don’t have a butler
got it
sip

okay, what about service?
is it all about you?
God can use your hands and feet
and your noggin too
He can use your muscles
even if they’re small
He can use your height
even if you’re not tall
for someone else
now that’s exciting!

now we’re cooking with gas
now we’re inspired
now we’ve figured out
how we are wired
’13 won’t be easy
sure, ’12 wasn’t either
but you can get started
after a breather
and maybe one, more, cup.

it takes a whole village
to make a village run
it takes hard work
to have the best fun
it takes many hands
to fashion a church
to open a bakery
what rhymes with church?
teamwork!

well, you’ve got your orders
Mr. Mrs.or Ms.
you’ve got your plans
you’ve got your list
you can always develop
and stretch and adjust
all planners surely
know this much
you can do it
that i know
with God, all things are possible
now
on with the show!

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

I’m a Christian. A reasonable response to that statement might be, “So what?” After all, what does the world outside the Christian church see as examples? Consider the Protestant church. There are so many to choose from. We’re protesting, all right. The problem is, everyone has a different idea about what it is we should protest. Even if you only consider the major players, there are a lot of choices. It’s almost as though every time someone got ticked off with the pastor, he got the rest of the pew to get up and start another church. “Let’s have our services on Thursdays. There’s gotta be a scripture that says Sundays aren’t right.” And just like that, The Church of Let’s All Watch Football On Sundays and Go to Church on Thursdays is born. 

So what’s the current status of the Christian church? Living in the time and country I live in, there certainly isn’t much risk. When Christianity was born, believers were hunted down and were tortured or killed. What about now? You still need to make sure you’re in the right country before you admit to following Christ. In China, unless your church is state sanctioned, you can be arrested. Recently an American pastor with duel citizenship was arrested in Iran. Apparently Iran was okay with him having dual citizenship, but being a Christian pastor was beyond the pale. Those are just a few of the many examples we could cite. I think the Jewish leadership mentioned in the Bible’s book of Acts was onto something when they first considered how they should handle what was at the time the fledgling Christian church. After considering several instances where other movements had fallen by the wayside, a Pharisee by the name of Gamaliel said, “So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.” Acts 5:38-39. Smart man, that Pharisee. So here we are, somewhere around 2,000 years later. With all its arguing, schisms, and imperfections, the Christian church remains, even where governments insist on trying to stamp it out.  

So what is a Christian? Certainly, we must accept the whole of the Bible, in context. The fact that the Bible has survived virtually unchanged for so long and has been reprinted in so many languages is unprecedented. The many prophesies concerning Jesus Christ and the development of His lineage are amazing in their accuracy. Recently we celebrated Christmas, the miraculous introduction of our savior to the world.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16.   God sent His son to be a sacrifice for mankind’s disobedience, inherited from the first man. Jesus himself was never one to mince words. He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” John 14:6. This was no timid statement. Note that He didn’t say He was only a way, a truth, or a life. In order to accept Christ’s sacrifice, we must first admit we have fallen short. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. We must then make a personal declaration… “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:9-10 


I believe the bold, unvarnished message of salvation should be the foundation of every Christian church. Also high on the list in my estimation should be the care and growth of those seeking to follow and imitate Christ. We, of all people should be most humble, knowing the cost paid to redeem us. As Christians, we need to understand that each person we meet has a unique path to walk, a unique history, and a unique burden. Abigail Van Buren put it well when she said, “A church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”

“I’m writing a book. I’ve got the page numbers done.”
Steven Wright

Faith

What does faith mean to you? For many, it may denote your religion, which box you check on the questionnaire. For some the issue is not something you want to share, so you might check the box which says, “refuse to state.” For others, faith is worn on the sleeve, something so powerful and all encompassing that it leaks out everywhere, as though the individual is unwilling or unable to keep it inside. For some faith is more a matter of action. Take Gandhi, for instance; He clearly acted out his faith by combining his words with a very active, though non-violent approach. For each of the major world religions, a prescribed life and method define their specific approach to faith.

For Christians, faith is defined by the way of life and belief both demonstrated and taught by Jesus Christ. The bible addresses faith many times in both the old and new testaments. Faith or a lack of faith in God and His plan for mankind seems to be the hinge which swings those many figures in the bible toward a successful or unsuccessful outcome. My favorite scripture defining faith is Hebrews 11:1, which says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

In following posts I’ll illustrate what my faith means to me.

Trowel and Error

I’ll come clean and admit I’m not nearly the gardener either of my parents were.They managed to put together a yard that Better Homes and Gardens would be proud of. My dad built all sorts of garden structures and learned how to grow bonsais. My mom could tell you what everything was and what kind of fertilizer it liked. I suspect orchids liked her as much as she liked them.

Me? Mostly I like to play in the dirt and try to make the yard look nice. I am fascinated though, by what springs from the earth after I plant it. I am beside myself with pleasure when, despite my lack of knowledge regarding growing technique and Latin or even common names for plants, something blooms and thrives. I’ll drag my wife and daughter outside and show them what has dared pop out of the earth in my flower bed. I’ll exclaim, “Look at that, isn’t it pretty?” They’ll ask me what it is and I’ll say, “I have no idea!” Truth be told, I sometimes suspect that when I achieve success in the garden it means one of two things: either absolutely anyone with the ability to dig in the dirt can grow it, or I’ve chosen a plant which would more appropriately be sold as a “Pretty Pest” and will take over my neighbors yard after first making mine its mother ship.

I’ve read books on garden design and climate and micro-climate and soil type and yada yada yada. Due either to stubbornness, laziness, or a diabolical combination of both, I’ve settled on a strategy that sort of works (for me). My strategy is it either lives or it dies, but even if it thrives, I may dig it up and replace it anyway. I’ll probably stick with that, but I still wish I could remember what the bush with the funny looking pink flowers is called.

Poetry Waltz

The following should be read with the rhythm of a Viennese waltz

You start with two words
Like love and you
And add a third word
It could be too
Perhaps add a thought
The concept of love has baffled scholars, engineers, and rodeo clowns for centuries.
It won’t have to rhyme.
See line above
Insert a grand flourish
Our love is bigger than the Grand Canyon, more exciting than a Lady Gaga costume change, longer lasting than the mustard stain on my sweatpants incurred during the unfortunate 49er’s loss last Sunday.
A secondary flourish
A lot of people think you should change your oil every 3,000 miles, but I’ve read that every 5,000 is just fine. The thing is, you have to be consistent.
It runs so smooth
And conclude
I will
Always
Be yours
I’m yours