The great Universe Disturber

I have a couple of quotations for you today, variously related to the Word that comes to us at Christmas:

If we disturb the universe, no matter how lovingly, we're likely to get hurt. Nobody has ever promised that universe-disturbers would have an easy time of it. Universe-disturbers make waves, rock boats, upset establishments. Gandhi upset the great British Empire. Despite his non-violence, he was unable to stop the shedding of blood, and he ended with a bullet through his heart. Anwar Sadat tried to work for peace in one of the most unpeaceful centuries in history, knowing that he might die for what he was doing, and he did.

Does it encourage our present-day universe-disturbers to know that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob before them were universe-disturbers? Their vision of God, while undeniably masculine, was also the vision of a God who cared, who appeared to his human friends and talked with them. The patriarchs lived in a primitive, under-populated world, and yet their vision of God as Creator of all, of God who cared, of God who was part of the story, was very new.  Jesus was a great universe-disturber, so upsetting to the establishment of his day that they put him on a cross, hoping to finish him off.  Those of us who try to follow his Way have a choice, either to go with him as universe-disturbers (butterflies) or to play it safe.  Playing it safe ultimately leads to personal diminishment and death.  If we play it safe, we resist change.  Well.  We all resist change, beginning as small children with our unverying bedtime routine, continuing all through our lives.  The static condition may seem like security.  But if we cannot move with change, willingly or reluctantly, we are closer to death and further from life.

Madeleine L'Engle, A Stone for a Pillow: Journeys with Jacob.

I.
There is only one physician,
Of flesh, yet spiritual,
Born yet unbegotten,
God incarnate,
Genuine life in the midst of death,
Sprung from Mary as well as God,
First subject to suffering, then beyond it,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.

II.
Be on the alert for Him who is above time,
The Timeless, the Unseen,
The One who became visible for our sakes,
Who was beyond touch and passion,
Yet for our sakes became subject to suffering,
And endured everything for us.

Ignatius of Antioch, taken here from the MacMillan Book of Earliest Christian Hymns

God's story is true. We know that God's story is true because God gave us his Word - that Word who came to us, as one of us, and dies for us, and descended into hell for us, and rose again from the dead for us, and ascended into heaven for us. The Word became the living truth for us, the only truth that can make us free. Part of that freedom is mortification. Part of that freedom is the Cross, for without the Cross there can be no Resurrection.

When was the last time anybody asked you, "Do I have your word?" Or when was the last time anybody said to you, "I give you my word," and you knew that you could trust that word, absolutely? How many times in the last few decades have we watched and listened to a political figure on television and hears him say, "I give you my word..." and shortly thereafter that word has proven false. In the past year alone, how many people have perjured themselves publicly? Sworn on the Bible, given their word, and that word has been a lie? Words of honor are broken casually today, as though they don't matter.
Small wonder that when God tells us, "I give you my Word," few people take him seriously.
"I give you my Word," said God, and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.

Madeleine L'Engle, The Rock that is Higher: Story as Truth

New digs

So just a general life update today.  Some Lagniappe friends arrived from out of town, for the particularization service this weekend (more on that later), and I realized how much there is to catch up on.

For one, my job has changed again.  Same place, still no job title, but now I'm mostly in the kitchen, preparing and serving lunches and dinners for volunteers, plus a bit of general camp housekeeping.  We've been riffed (Reduction in Force), and I have one former co-worker who already had an interview for a new job, but another who may be looking for a while.  On the plus side, it's looking like a move back toward the faith-based part of 'faith-based organization,' plus I now work directly under a real chef, so instead of guessing and stressing, I can just ask.  Exactly how many pans of spaghetti does it take to feed 75 hungry carpenters?

Second, I have a lovely new studio apartment on Main Street, Bay Saint Louis.  Fabulous.  Even the cat likes it better; she can tear up and down the stairs and sit on the screen porch to watch birds.  It's funny to bask in the sunshine and put up your Christmas tree in the same week.

Next up: Lagniappe becomes an 'official' church.  Up til now, we've been a ministry or church plant of the Presbytery (our regional affiliation).  Tomorrow, we'll become a regular congregation with our own Elders.  Not that it makes a lot of difference in real life, but it's a great excuse for Lagniappe friends, former staff and volunteers to come down for a visit.  After the worship service Saturday night, we'll all head down to the Mockingbird Cafe for celebration and socializing.

Finally, I was thinking about how the presence of friends is what makes the holidays seem important to me, and then I read my friend Jane's blog.  She hit the nail on the head regarding giving, so if you want some real holiday spirit, check it out: http://janeels.blogspot.com/
After all, God is the original giver:

Ephesians 2:1-9
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Owls and Buddhists

Owls
Yeah, I'm a little late for Halloween.  I was reading a book about someone else’s life the other night, when Life interrupted, by way of a barred owl hooting in my backyard. I always think there’s something magical about the barred owl’s call; in this case it reminded me to write about the sensory event of the past week or so:

Autumn has come to the Bay. It took a while, and I know all of you in the North have probably already had snow, but summer holds on as fiercely here as winter does in New York. Yet finally, I am reminded why autumn is my favorite season. It’s a feast for the senses!
* Wood smoke
* Leaves changing…even just a few, like here
* Apple cider and pumpkins
* Sweaters and fleece
* Socks…hey, what can I say? Flipflops one day, boots and woolies the next.
* Crisp, dry air and sunny days with a breeze

Buddhists
Latest Sight-the-King success: Don't freak out, but I spotted Jesus in a Buddhist lady in Burma (Myanmar).  This week I watched Beyond Rangoon, a film about an American lady trapped in Burma (Myanmar) during the supression of a democratic uprising in that country in the late '80s.  Never heard of it?  Neither had I.  Apparently it was much like the events of Tianenmen Square in China, with the exception that the military junta in Myanmar was much more successful at keeping foreign journalists from getting the word (or photos or TV footage) out.  The students and Buddhist monks of Myanmar were led by a courageous lady named Aung San Suu Kyi. 

The most memorable scene of the film was when Suu Kyi, on her way to speak at a public demonstration, was blocked by a squad of soldiers barring the street.  They raised their machine guns to her, but for some reason, as she serenely walked toward them - all alone - none could bring themselves to fire.  She passed through their ranks like a doe through high grain, gently parting the gun barrels.  I swear, if Christianity were about our actions (and I have to re-learn every day that it's not), there are a lot of Buddhists in the world who would be better Christians than me.  All truth is God's truth, and He gave a sizeable chunk to the East.
 
Not to get political, but...whoops, here goes: why is it that the USA meddles in the affairs of so many tyrannical regimes, but never with the peaceful but oil-poor nations like Tibet and Myanmar?  If we're really so concerned about spreading democracy, it seems like our meddling would be more evenly distributed.  Since it's not, we ought to call a spade a spade and admit that we're just interested in nukes and petrol.  And those of us radicals, who would prefer no blood be spilled to guarantee our oil supply, ought to get busy praying and advocating for our brothers and sisters in the neglected nations.  Sorry.  Stepping off the soapbox now.

Washing Windows

Some people hear from God most often while driving.  Some hear Him in the shower.  I seem to hear Him particularly well when I'm washing windows.
So I'm out front this morning, scrubbing rain splatters off the front door, and a thought that started earlier in the morning was completed.  I had started thinking about a particular person; let's call the person Arden. It occurred to me how much more pleasant this person is, now that Arden doesn't spend so much time ragging on other co-workers.  Arden used to make jokes at other people's expense and complain about folks pretty often.  It made me uncomfortable, although - as I'm sure you know from experience - it's much easier to join in with such talk than to confront it.  Lately, Arden doesn't do this so much, and instead I'm beginning to appreciate this person's true wit and wisdom.
This appreciation is well enough, but my next thought was maybe I should mention it to Arden.  But as I was washing those windows, the real application came home to me: this is a reflection on my own behavior.  It's not my place to say, "Hey, Arden, you're much nicer to be around when you aren't putting people down;" we're not close enough friends for that to go over well.  It's my business to repent of the times (all too often) when I complain about co-workers to others.  I don't think I'm ready to go around saying nice things about some of these folks (although that might be a profitable exercise, if I could come up with something that's not a lie), but I can at least keep my mouth shut.  If Jesus helps me!  You'd think some of this would have rubbed off on me from my grandmother, who never says a bad word about anyone, and always finds something positive to say about everything.  Apparently I need more Jesus and more Grandma in me!

Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.

James 3:2-12  We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.  When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Raisin Cakes

For today's observation, I need you to go read Hosea 2 and 3.  In case you're like me and aren't quite sure where they hide Hosea in your printed Bible, it's after Daniel - or you can go here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea+2&version=NIV
Really.  This will make much more sense if you read it.  It's not that long.

Ok, ready?  So Monday night we were reading in Hosea 9, where the Lord says that Israel used to be so blessed, it was like finding grapes in the desert, and early fruit on the fig tree.  Now, after Israel has run after other gods, she is barren and withered.  We were discussing whether these things might apply to our nation, or to the Church, or to each of us individually (a hint: when we want the answer to be either-or, it's often both-and.  In this case, we figure it applies to God's people - whether ancient or modern).  Somebody mentioned how we Christians get all upset that our protections under the law are being whittled away, and so forth.  Remembering Hosea 2 & 3, I was thinking about raisin cakes.

What happened with Hosea and Gomer was that Gomer, the faithless wife, ran after her other lovers (read: idols - plug in your personal favorite) partly because she thought she was getting all the good things from them.  Food and drink, wool and linen, celebrations and religious observations, jewelry and fruitful fields - all the things Gomer (we) think we are getting through our own efforts and our idols - blessings.  Raisin cakes.  God took them away from Gomer in order to show her that only He provides blessings that satisfy.  Is it not possible that after many years in which we, the Church, have run after other gods (worldly success, political power, the American dream, etc), God is now stripping away many of the fringe benefits in order to teach us that only He can satisfy?  As usual, at this thought I am both cringing and thankful.  Hosea 2:14-15:

Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her.
There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

In observance, let me offer a recipe from a peculiar book I picked up recently.  It's called The Good Book Cookbook, containing re-created recipes for many of the foods mentioned in the Bible, and information about the ancient Middle Eastern diet.  Enjoy, and remember where your blessings come from!

Raisin Cake
Sustain me with cakes of raisins...
Song of Solomon 2:5

4 eggs
1/2 c honey
1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 c chopped raisins
1 c almonds
whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a large bowl, beat eggs until fluffy.  Gradually beat in honey, flour, salt, raisins, and nuts.  Pour batter into oiled 9x9 inch pan.  Bake 30-40 minues.  Serve warm with whipped cream.

Scandalous Lewis

I never knew C.S. Lewis was so scandalous!  Listen to this:

The pagan traditions, being pre-Christian, contained the mystery and wonder and excitement that preceded the Incarnation. In our modern age, post-Christian humanity has lost this sense of wonder; the world has become a dark, bleak place. In a letter to Blessed Don Giovanni Calabria, written in Latin, Lewis shows us this view with the following observation:

What you say about the present state of mankind is true: indeed, it is even worse than you say.
For they neglect not only the law of Christ but even the Law of Nature as known by the Pagans. For now they do not blush at adultery, treachery, perjury, theft and the other crimes which I will not say Christian Doctors, but the Pagans and the Barbarians have themselves denounced.
They err who say ‘the world is turning pagan again.’ Would that it were! The truth is that we are falling into a much worse state.
'Post-Christian man’ is not the same as ‘pre-Christian man.’ He is as far removed as virgin is from widow: there is nothing in common except want of a spouse; but there is a great difference between a spouse-to-come and a spouse lost.

---C.S. Lewis, The Latin Letters of C.S. Lewis. Trans. Martin Moynihan. (South Bend, Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press, 1998), 83-85.

Lewis significantly considered the possibility that the only way the world can be Christianized again is that we would first have to reconvert humanity back to the pagan traditions. “If they were Stoics, Orphics, Mithraists, or (better still) peasants worshipping the Earth, our task might be easier. This is why I do not regard contemporary Paganisms (Theosophy, Anthroposophy, etc.) as a wholly bad symptom.” C.S. Lewis, “Modern Man and his Categories of Thought” in Present Concerns . Ed. Walter Hooper (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers: 1986), 66.

All this above is from an interesting blog I discovered while trying to sort out my most recent read: Till We Have Faces, by Lewis.  The full blog entry is at http://houseoftheinklings.blogspot.com/2006/12/till-we-have-faces.html
 
Scandalous
So back up for a second: did Lewis just propose that some modern paganism would be a healthy thing?  Yep, sure did.  That's no more confusing than the book.  I pushed through all of Till We Have Faces on the flight home this weekend.  I think I will have to read it again more carefully, but I'm too impatient to wait before writing, so too bad for you.  You're stuck reading my half-formed ideas again.
 
Like all of Lewis' writing, this book is lucid and brilliantly written.  Unlike what I've encountered before, Christianity is not plainly on the surface; in fact, it's a pagan tale, a re-telling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche.  What's impressive is his success at communicating several ideas:
* The foolishness of mortals trying to question or accuse immortals.  Orual, the viewpoint character, gets no more answer from her god than Job gets from the Living God; only this, that God does exactly as he pleases.
* That we should be immensely grateful that our God is Love, that he inclines his favor toward us and is not impersonal or uncaring.  He does not riddle with us, but reveals himself - not completely, for we are not capable as yet of understanding it all - but faithfully, without trick or misleading.
* How pagan philosophy (whether of the ancient Greeks or of the modern paganisms, as he calls them) is capable of identifying the best way to be human, but incapable of mending our brokenness so that we can be as good as we wish.
 
And with these three things, as a Christian I can respond with gratitude.  How not?  Lord, to whom shall we go?

Comfortable Lands

I just got back from a trip North, and I must say I fully enjoyed it.  I read, picked apples, made pie, visited my brother at college, made fun of early modern art (OK, and appreciated some, too), stayed in a lovely cabin at a state park in PA, saw my grandmother and two uncles, and finally moved the contents of my storage unit to MS.  That makes it feel very permanent!  But here's what I noticed while driving through western PA:
It's a very comfortable state.  Pennsylvania is well-settled. We stopped at the Horseshoe Curve, near Altoona, and the exhibits about the challenges of getting a railroad line across the state from east to west made it obvious how difficult it must have been to explore the area.  A wide swath of mountains makes for rugged travel.  But at this point, PA has been settled for so long, it reminds me of a pair of well-broken-in blue jeans.  It's creased and worn down in all the right places, stretched out where it needs to be.  There are roads and fields everywhere.  Even in the woods, you can tell how long Mankind has been around, because you're constantly encountering old logging traces or artifacts.  Granted, the place has its share of scars from our careless exploitations, but darn it, I like that state!

Sighting the King
Up next: more reading results.  In the meantime, here are my latest glimpses of Jesus in my neighbor:
* Pr. Jean, preaching.  We're working through the book of Acts, and we're up to the arrival of the Holy Spirit as tongues of fire upon the disciples.  The indwelling of the Spirit is evidence that a person is chosen of God.  The preaching that we're blessed with through Jean is rather spectacular evidence.  As he'd say, "Thank you, Sir!"
* A friend putting in several hours of labor in the Southern heat to help a single mom pack and move into a new house.  Don't tell her I think it was Jesus helping tape the boxes, she'll just get embarrassed.
* An Episcopalian singing his fool head off, arms up in the air, face tilted to the elaborately painted ceiling, praising God visibly for the rest of us.
* An irritated Methodist attending the Episcopal church, not quite persuaded that all this kneeling and incense is profitable, but willing to put up with it for the sake of hearing the Word spoken clearly by the Lord's messenger.
* People who suffer.  I keep encountering hurting people who bear witness to the fact that God works through suffering, in ways we can't understand.  When they thank God for things like infant deaths and hurricanes, I cringe - but I also marvel at how he works beauty and complexity out of things we think are just bad or unfortunate.

Seeing the Value of Tradition

When I'm in Auburn, I usually visit Saints Peter & John Episcopal Church. The rector, Rev. Doug, is a wonderful preacher and I'm always edified and moved by the service. Visually, it's quite a contrast from Lagniappe: the sanctuary at Sts. Peter & John is lovely and full of symbolism, richly-carved wood, and stained glass. Lagniappe is an old warehouse with spotty cement floors and Where Y'at signs hung from every available surface; it's chiefly decorated by the living saints residing in BSL and Waveland. Yet the sweet Spirit is noticeably the same in both places.

The main difference for me at Sts. Peter & John is the prominence of tradition. They follow the Book of Common Prayer and the lectionary readings, while Lagniappe tends more to topical series or a progression through one book of the Bible. The Episcopalian liturgy is part spoken, part sung. It takes a bit of getting used to, especially the rhythms of flipping from the BCP to the hymnal to the bulletin, and sitting-standing-kneeling. But in the ritual, I am aware (more clearly than at other times) that I am part of the Body of Christ, linked through him to all the other believers throughout time and space. The other virtue of this tradition is that reading from the lectionary (a cycle of assigned readings from the Old Testament, Psalms, Gospels and Epistles) shows the connections between portions of Scripture. When enriched by the hymns and sermon, this way of planning for worship gives a fuller view than does examining just one portion at a time. For example, the service this Sunday contained the following:

Genesis 2:18-24

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said,
   "This is now bone of my bones
   and flesh of my flesh;
   she shall be called 'woman,'
   for she was taken out of man."
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Psalm 8

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Hebrews 1: 1-4 and 2: 5-12

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified:
  "What is man that you are mindful of him,
  the son of man that you care for him?
  You made him a little lower than the angels;
  you crowned him with glory and honor
  and put everything under his feet."
In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says,
  "I will declare your name to my brothers;
  in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."

Love divine, all loves excelling
Charles Wesley

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down;
fix in us thy humble dwelling;
all thy faithful mercies crown!

Jesus thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit
into every troubled breast!
Let us all in thee inherit;
let us find that second rest.

Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.

Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.

Finish, then, thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee;


Changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.

Mark 10:2-12

Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"
"What did Moses command you?" he replied.
They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away."
"It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."

Fr. Doug showed us this traditional icon of Jesus; it's called The Bridegroom. (I have copied it from http://www.archangelsbooks.com/prodimages/Large/Icons/11S12.jpg) 

Jesus is shown after having been mocked by the Roman soldiers.  He holds the reed mock-scepter, and wears the thorn mock-crown and the royal robe.  It's a challenging image; when we think of Christ as the Bridegroom, it's much more pleasant and comfy to picture him in radiant white, presiding over the heavenly banquet.  But as the letter to the Hebrews points out, in this world we do not yet see everything in subjection to Christ.  On behalf of the rest of creation, we offer praise to God.  We look forward to the day when we, Man and Woman, will be the perfect rulers over creation (humble and yet honored because God ordained it so - see C.S. Lewis' The Magician's Nephew) and when Christ shall present his Bride, the Church, radiant and spotless.  Until then, recognizing that He did not count the bride-price too high when he was mocked, flogged, crucified and abandoned, we may honor the picture we see in marriage.  Here's to all my married friends who are submitting to one another in Christ-like love! (see Ephesians 6)

Cool Weather

OK, so the "official" start of autumn on September 21 is not so far off.  By September 28, we got a cold front here in coastal Mississippi...meaning the average daily high has dropped from 90-ish to 75-ish, and the humidity has dropped right off into the Gulf.  It's actually pleasant to be outdoors now!  Pr. Jean showed up in jeans and a sweater yesterday, and Pr. Curt was whistling "Joy to the World."  You can tell what part of the country they're from! 

A couple of us went hiking yesterday afternoon, and it was lovely, except for the large, threatening spiders who apparently prefer to construct their webs slightly above face height and across the hiking trail.  Can't wait to get up North and spend a week enjoying serious autumn, complete with changing leaves.

Tuxachanie Trail, just north of Gulfport, MS, DeSoto National Forest:

Lord, To Whom Shall We Go?

It always takes me by surprise.  In the middle of the prayer during worship Sunday, Jean said something like, "Lord, we know that you are real."  And right then and there, sparked by the most innocuous phrase, doubt reared its daunting head.  What if...?  I don't know about you, but I've always fled from doubt like a house afire.  I just haven't any idea how to deal with it. 

Then an answer came to me like sudden grace: "Lord, to whom shall we go?"  I looked it up: it's from the end of John 6.  Jesus had begun teaching that it would be necessary to eat his flesh and drink his blood.  Naturally, the Jews were horrified.  Breaking the commandment about not eating blood was bad enough, but he was talking about his own blood.  Sounded like cannibalism!  John says, "from this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."  Obviously, doubt had struck them hard, and for good reason - Jesus appeared to be losing his mind!  I'm guessing the disciples who stayed were those who had somehow become used to Jesus talking like a madman, and convinced themselves that, whatever he meant, it wasn't literal.

Anyway, here's what happens next, as Jesus sees people fading away (John 6:67-69):

"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

Lord, to whom shall we go?  If Christianity is not true, I can't conceive of any acceptable substitute.  I think Jean said it once: if our faith were to be proved false, the most likely next step would be suicide.  How could you live without Christ?  Especially having had such a lofty hope?  So when doubt springs up, maybe some people are stout enough to examine it, to come to grips with it, but I think I'm better off saying with Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we go?"  If not Christ, nothing.  Therefore Christ.  If I'm wrong, I'd rather not find out until I'm dead.  In the meantime, I agree with Madeleine L'Engle: Yes, I believe.  Even when I don't, I do.  I'll put the doubt away in its dark closet.