Eep.

I just made a point of looking at the date of my last post, and I owe all of you out there in cyber-space an apology. I should have updated by now. I should have taken before and after pics of my office, which I am nearly done re-organizing. And I mean completely reorganizing. I was given a copy of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen Allen's theory seemed to make sense, so I jumped in with both feet when he started asking me to put the book down and actually do some of the things he'd been talking about. It's taken a lot of work, but the end of the tunnel (or the beginning of a new system of working efficiently) is just ahead. I hope this means more time to blog, among other things!

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
012507

An Unselfish Deed

I love the interenet. Granted, it isn't a very reliable research tool. And you have to be careful, or you might see something awefully naughty. But it brings me my e-mail, and allows me to journal where you all can enjoy it, and it brings me Yahoo News, which, despite the national trend to the contrary, actually gives me some good and uplifting news every so often. The kinds of stories that might help bolster a person's faith in humanity, rather than shake your head sadly and go numb inside. News like the story of Ray Heilwagen. You see, the other day, Ray got a phone call from a man named Stephen Breitenstein, who told Ray that he had found Ray's wallet, and was going to send it back to him through the mail.

I know what you're thinking. Just wait a minute. People return wallets all the time. Sometimes they're hoping for a reward rather than doing it out of the kindness of their hearts, but they still do it! Every day! What makes Ray's wallet so special?

Well, besides the fact that it was very special to Ray, I suppose you might be impressed that he had lost the wallet in France. During World War II. After being hauled off the field of battle because he'd been blown into a river by a mortar shell. Ray recieved a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, but he lost his wallet.

That is, his wallet was lost until Stephen found it among his late father's belongings. It seems that Stephen's father found it during the war, and brought it home, hoping to return it. Not knowing how to go about it, it sat, forgotten, in a drawer for six decades!

So how did Stephen find Ray? He used the internet.

I love the internet. Sure, it isn't always a reliable source of information. But at least Ray got his wallet back.

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
011007

Cries at Movies

So, a bunch of us did get to go see Charlotte's Web last Saturday. It was good. It was very good. I cried. A lot! I was going to outline what bits did it to me, but I don't want to give anything away on the outside chance that you don't know the plot. Suffice it to say that the third act got me going, one thing after another, and leave it at that. Jenny was very comforting!

But it got me to thinking about the social relevance of a full grown man crying at a movie. And it reminded me of Dar Williams, or rather, her song, "When I Was A Boy" Here are the first and last verses, I think you'll appreciate why it comes to mind...

I won't forget when Peter Pan came to my house, took my hand
I said I was a boy; I'm glad he didn't check.
I learned to fly, I learned to fight
I lived a whole life in one night
We saved each other's lives out on the pirate deck.
And I remember that night
When I'm leaving a late night with some friends
And I hear somebody tell me it's not safe, someone should helpme
I need to find a nice man to walk me home.
When I was a boy, I scared the pants off of my mom,
Climbed what I could climb upon
And I don't know how I survived,
I guess I knew the tricks that all boys knew.
And you can walk me home, but I was a boy, too.


And like the woods where I would creep, it's a secret I can keep
Except when I'm tired, except when I'm being caught off guard
I've had a lonesome awful day, the conversation finds its way
To catching fire-flies out in the backyard.
And I tell the man I'm with about the other life I lived
And I say now you're top gun, I have lost and you have won
And he says, "Oh no, no, can't you see
When I was a girl, my mom and I we always talked
And I picked flowers everywhere that I walked.
And I could always cry, now even when I'm alone I seldom do
And I have lost some kindness
But I was a girl too.
And you were just like me, and I was just like you.

I think it's time to take back the notion that you are just like me, and I am just like you, don't you? I won't care if you're a gal who climbs trees, as long as you don't care that I'm a guy that cries at movies.

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
010907

PS The last movie that made me cry was The Iron Giant What was yours?

Charlotte's When?

Hey, just in case anyone is trying to check this blog for information about tomorrow afternoon, the showtimes for Charlotte's Web did change. So be at the theatre for the 1:10 showing of Charlotte's Web, because there is no 2pm showing!

Hope to see y'all there!

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
010507

The Most Mighty Purple of All...

Elizabeth and I were talking over the instant messanger (AOL Instant Messanger, my screen name is RevJosh211) and she asked me if I wanted to hear a new song by Mighty Purple.

I do!

And maybe so do you, so here's the link Elizabeth sent me:

Mighty Purple Live

Enjoy!

Oh, and be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
010307

PS Happy New Year!

Dungeons & Dragons

Despite myself, I am beginning to become excited. A couple of our Junior High students have exibited an interest in D&D. In fact, one of them has approached me and asked me to run a campaign. Suddenly, I feel like Wil Wheaton sharing his love of "geeky" things with his step-kids.
I truly love telling stories and playing games, and D&D is such a wonderful way of doing that. It's the most cooperative passtime I've ever been a part of, and that's one of the things I love most about it. It's not an "I win, you loose, ha ha ha" kind of game at all. So I hope this works out, and that I'll have a chance to collaborate on a great story with some of our youth, soon!

Be good to each other,
Rev Josh
122906

The Miracle of the Christmas Mic

A Charlie Brown Christmas has been striking a chord with all kinds of people from the religious to the not so religious (and even geeks to some extent!) since the mid sixties. So it should come as no surprise that (a) I posted Linus' famous speach just before Christmas. (Incidentally, check out what Linus does when he gets to the spot about "Fear not!" I believe that's the only time you'll see Linus do that on film!) and (b) That I thought to myself, "that'll preach" and decided to use it in my Christmas Eve sermon. Ah, but I was crafty! I roped in one of our Jr. High students (thank you, Kathleen!) to read the part of Linus when I got there in my sermon. I decided to give her the cordless hand mic, and have her read from her seat, so as to make it a surprise. And that's why this post is called "The Miracle of the Christmas Mic." My sermon was just that good.

Just kidding.


The miracle was this: The microphone almost didn't make it. It was to be used three times during the service. Once for the lighting of the Advent candles, once for the solo vocalist offertory, and when Kathleen was being Linus for the sermon. The deacon of the evening (Eric) went and got the mic for the Advent Candles, and noticed that the batteries were just about shot. So he turned off the mic, and didn't turn it on again until it was time for the solo, with the thought that if the mic made it throught the solo, we'd be in the clear. So he took the mic, turned it off, and put it back in its stand when the solo was done. At which point Kathleen did exactly what I told her to do. She got up, nabbed the mic, and proceeded to try to turn it on.

Now, imagine the look on Eric's face. Priceless.

So it's about time for the sermon, and I see Eric go up to Kathleen, take the mic from her, and leave. It turns out he's looking for batteries, but I don't know that yet.

Now, imagine the look on my face. Priceless.

So I buy us some time through prayer. I mean, isn't it lucky that I always pray right before I preach? So I give Eric what time I can, then, noting that he's in the pew in front of Kathleen (with no new batteries, but I don't know that yet) looking anxious, I begin to preach. When we get to Kathleen's Linus reading, I see Eric turn on the mic and hand it to her. She reads just a little bit fast, but honestly, so does Linus. She did a great job. It was fun watching people trying to figure out who was reading, and where it was coming from. I saw lots of nodding heads, agreeing with the Linus message. And she made it all the way through! And Eric takes the mic from Kathleen, and goes to turn it off.

But he doesn't have to.

Because the batteries have given out.

Kathleen literally finished her reading in the nick of time. She finished just before the mic.

And that is the miracle of the Christmas Mic.

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
122806

I Can't Say It Any Better

I never noticed this before, but pay close attention to Linus and his security blanket...


Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
122106

Who is Ministering to Who, Here?

Pastor Ed told me this story about one of our fellow clergyfolk. Apparently it was the middle of Advent, as it is now. (I like to imagine that maybe he had performed a funeral or two already that week, as I'm doing now.) In any case, it was the middle of Advent, and this pastor went to visit an elderly shut-in member of his congregation. And so he entered her house, which was quite warm, and sat down in a confortable chair to visit with her.

And then, quite suddenly, he realized that she was grasping his shoulder and asking him if he was okay.

He had fallen asleep.

When he explained that he had drifted off, she responded, ever so kindly, "You must be very tired."

Isn't that just about the sweetest thing you've ever heard?

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
121206

Abolitionist? Today? Really?

Yes, really. It's not something we think about a lot as U.S. citizens, since slavery is not legal here. We think of it as a thing of the past. I thank one of our youth for reminding me that it is not. You'll notice that I've linked Elizabeth's blog in my link list, please go check it out. But before you do that, look at this video she e-mailed to me. It's heartbreaking...

But that's why you have to see it.



Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
120806

Every Time It Rains, It Rains Pennies from Heaven

Thanks to Jenny for finding this on the Mental Floss site this morning. As I was eating my breakfast, I looked up and she had this image up on our computer.


"What is that?" I ask. (To me it looks like somebody drove a tractor trailer truck into the ocean.)

"Apparently a cargo container fell off a ship and washed up on the Outer Banks of NC a few days ago. It must have broken open, because bags and bags of Doritos washed up too! And they were all still in their bags, so the chips were still good!"



Mmmm, nothing like the taste of free ocean Doritos!

Shooby Dooby

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
120706

More, more, more!

I ran across this today, and I simply must share it. Robert Needlman, M.D. gives us some advice on how to avoid Christmas becoming only about the presents.

Pay close attention to the developmental psychology, it's telling.

He writes:

Here in the world's richest country, we often confuse material things for love. "I give him everything," a frustrated mother complains, "New shoes, videogames, his own TV. You'd think he'd at least show me respect!"

Of course, love and consumer goods are related. Most parents work hard to earn money. They want their children to have more than they did. They sacrifice so that their children can have better lives.

The problem is, most children don't connect the things parents buy with the labor that pays for them. Children have more, but our culture -- and television in particular -- teaches them that more is never enough. Having more does not guarantee that a child feels loved.

From a parent's point of view, this all may seem like plain ingratitude. But normal developmental forces are at work. Young children see their parents as all-powerful. If parents fail to provide what they want, it must be a matter of choice. It's normal for children, even well into school-age, to not be able to take another person's point of view. For example, they may resent their parent for working long hours, and not realize that the parent would also rather have more time at home.

As hard as these issues are all year round, they're even harder during the holidays. For many children, Christmas is all about the presents. Even in devout families, it's easy for the religious meaning to be lost amid the tinsel and wrapping paper. At the same time, the holidays heighten needs for connection and belonging which cannot be filled by more and bigger presents.

Instead, we have to find other ways to express love and create memories. Reading or telling stories together, making music, playing games, are all ways for families to spend time without spending money. Traditions like midnight services, caroling, favorite poems, even snowball fights, all serve the same purpose. Most important, as parents, we have to learn to hold back some energy from our exhausting jobs and all-consuming careers. When we're present for our children we ourselves become the presents we want to give.

To read see the original article, click here

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
120106

World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day, and tonight I'll be doing my part in the annual World AIDS Day service. (7pm at United Methodist) But maybe that doesn't help you (or impress you much) out there in cyber-space, so here are some links to some on-line resources:

Ecumenical Advocacy Allience

The Balm In Gilead, Inc.

UNAIDS

Personally, I will always remember a sign held by a demonstrator outside of General Synod in Kansas City, oh, a few years ago. I talk about that experience here. Anyway, Synod was being picketed by Fred Phelps' ravaging horde--er... I mean his church. Several signs caught my attention, some so badly graphic that I won't describe them here. But I will tell you about this one. It said that AIDS was a plague sent by God to destroy the fags.

I beg to disagree, on every aspect of that thought.

First, AIDS can be caught by anyone, gender and orientation have nothing to do with it. Not one thing. It can be spread through sexual contact and blood, and there are many, many ways that can happen.

Second, I don't believe that gay men and lesbians warrent such vehement hatred to begin with. Of course, Jesus told us not to judge each other at all, and I'm obviously having my own problems not judging people like Fred Phelps and his ravaging horde--er... church. So maybe I'll just let this point drop for the moment.

Third, I don't believe that God sent AIDS to punish or destroy anyone. Not the queer community, not druggies, not even Fred Phelps' ravaging horde--er... church.


Here's the bottom line. There needs to be more education and less stigma attached to HIV/AIDS.

Don't you think?

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
120106

For Safety's Sake

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and all you parents out there (unless you're as on top of things as our friend and neighbor, who's ALREADY DONE! Sheesh...) are getting ready to do a whole lot of Christmas shopping. Well, I just saw a news report with some new safety guidelines and some old ones that we should maybe be reminded of. First, if your child is under three years of age, avoid toys with small parts. That is to say, parts that are small enough to attempt to swallow. Swallowing parts is bad, ok? Second, if your child is under six years of age (and this is a new one, so pay attention) avoid toys with magnets inside. When magnets come loose, and can be swallowed, your initial reaction may be that they will simply pass through... however, once inside your child, the magnets can (and in some cases have) join together, effectively creating a larger blockage that can seriously injure your child. Finally, in children under the age of eight, you should avoid toys with sharp edges and corners.

Be safe!

And be good to each other,
Rev. Josh Sander
112206

Silver Lake!

So, we're getting ready to take SPF (Senior Pilgrim Fellowship--that's our Senior High School youth group) to Silver Lake Conference Center. Yes, that Silver Lake, the one you see linked in my sidebar. Go on. Click it. You know you want to. I'll wait...

Anyhow, we're dropping like flies. Several regulars just aren't coming. Two of our advisors can't make it (one's even being shipped off to Puerto Rico for work) and now the son of another has come down with strep... which means one less kid and one less advisor. But I'm not worried! We still have two adults for nine youth, and that's really not that bad.

Besides... if we've had this much trouble before the trip, it has to get better during.

Right?

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
111706

Be Intentional!

Thanks to my wife for finding these videos and showing them to me. Actually, this is the second of the series, which you can find on YouTube. It has been the focus of some lively (and for the most part, civil) blog discussion at redhead ramblings Go check it out, even I couldn't refrain from throwing my two cents in!

So, with no further ado, "I'm A Christ Follower Pt 2"

The Last Halloweenie

I thought I'd write an overarching, beautiful, poetic, creepy, scary, powerful post about Halloween that you would never ever forget.

But I'm not going to.

I'm just going to wish you a Happy Halloween. Be safe. Have fun.

and of course

Be good to each other
Rev. Josh
103106

hangin' out with the DREAM KING

Not a Halloweenie, but then again, The Sandman gets pretty dark in places. But that's not really why I'm writing this post. I'm writing this post because Neil Gaiman is quite simply an author everyone should familiarize themselves with. I especially wanted to link this post from Neil's blog. You may have to scroll down a bit, but there's a great question about graphic novels' being eligible for literary awards. I love Neil's response. If you have any interest whatsover in our First Amendment Rights, and you should, you definately want to dig deeper into Neil's brain. Oh, and check out the Comic Book Legal Defence Fund The Comic Book Legal Defene Fund helps people like Mike Diana, the first American artist to be arrested under an obscenity law. His sentence was... rediculous, I honestly can't believe a U.S. court enforced his sentence.

Sigh...

I guarentee that if Mike were a novelist instead of a comic book artist, this case would have been all over the news.

Huh, maybe this post is scary enough to be a Halloweenie after all...




Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
102706

Halloweenie of the... ok, the Week, sorry.

I know I haven't been keeping up with this very well, but you'd much rather I kept up with my other work first, right? I still have hope that my wife will be writing something about one of her favorite horror flicks, but for now I want to tell you about one of my favorite television shows that explores the creepy.



Ghosthunters follows a group of paranormal investigators called The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) which operate out of Warwick, RI. This information in and of itself catches my attention, after all, I've been to Warwick many a time on shopping outings... and they're often investigating places we know, such as The Lighthouse Inn, New London and the Bradley Playhouse. (Incedentally, I know folks who have been involved with the Bradley, and they were disappointed in the episode... can't all be winners, I guess.)

Anyway, my wife and I have both seen shows that tear apart paranormal investigators as utterly pseudoscientific, and indeed, the founders of TAPS are not scientists--they're plumbers who had personal experiences which led them to wonder more deeply about the possiblity of hauntings. But they are a little more grounded than most of the "investigators" I've seen torn apart. For example, a staple of paranormal investigation is an EMF (electro-magnetic-field) detector. The theory is that unexplainable electro-magnetic fields could be evidence of a haunting. The thing is, anything with electricity has an electro-magnetic field, so when you see other investigators oo-ing and ah-ing over their beloved toy while they're standing next to an outlet... it means nothing.

But the TAPS team doesn't do that. They try to find what the base readings are in a room, and record fluctuations. And if they find fluctuations, they attempt to discover a reasonable explanation for it. For example, in one episode the team is investigating the claims of a pair of homeowners. The gentleman of the house is a refurbisher, and the house is old and in the process of being refurbished. The homeowners complain of phantom noises, unexplained shadows, and feelings of dread and depression. And the kicker? These symptoms are only experienced when in the house! During their investigation TAPS discovers that there is an unshielded electrical box in the basement under the stairs (where phantom sounds are heard) putting off an emense EMF. They also discover a serious mold problem. And the chemicals used in the gentleman's refurbishing business are stored near an intake for the air vents in the house. Any one of these, high EMF, mold, and chemical fumes, are possible explanations for the hallucinations and emotional swings the homeowners were experiencing.

Most of the cases they cover have no conclusive evidence at all. Some are even easily explained away rationally. So when they do catch something, it becomes that much more impressive. Now, I'm pretty sure that I could reproduce most of the evidence they've caught on tape. But if the show is a hoax, it's a really elaborate one, with money spent covering episode after episode where nothing really happens.

So when TAPS goes home and goes through their audio footage and hears a voice that they have no memory of, and they bring the audio clip to their host and she says, "No, that's not my daughter," then they call it an EVP (Electronic Voice Phenominon) and they put it in their "evidence file."

It's enough to give you a shiver, and get you to thinking... what if there are ghosts, and science just hasn't caught up yet?

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
102006

I'm Sorry

I've actually gotten a response or two from my last post through private channels, and I think I came down too hard on the subject. From my original perspective I saw a large percentage of the congregation in a big hurry to escape from what I considered to be the responsibility of the membership. After all, the boards and committees of the church worked hard to get to that meeting and all that was asked of us was to vote on it--which, again, only took 7 minutes. And one of the first things I heard in the midst of that was what felt like an accusation that it was the fault of Pastor Ed and myself that so many people left. And as I reflected on that, I came to the post before this one. It was a little defensive, and it blew things out of proportion, and for that I'm sorry. It was not my intention to cause guilt over our busy schedules, and I'm sorry for doing that.

So let me try again. Pastor Ed and myself should not have recessed, it gave our "captive audience" the freedom to "escape."

I'm sure that there were many reasons for folks to not want to stay for a congregational meeting. We live in a society where every minute of the day is packed with more and more activities, especially if you have children. And you have to eat sometime. And so out they go. I'm sure there are people who would rather poke themselves in the eye with a sharp stick than sit through one more meeting. And so out they go. I bet there were at least a few who just hadn't been listening that hard, or their minds had wandered, and so they didn't hear that they were asked to stay. And so out they go. And so on, and so on.

There were people who thought they had time to leave and come back, or were coming up from the church school, and the meeting was over before they could make it. And so out they go, and back in they come, surprised!

What worries me is the idea that some people just don't care about the meetings and boards and committees and how the church works, as long as it's still there for them. It worries me that there might be people who aren't as concerned with making this church a thriving, growing place as the rest of us are. The very idea worries me on a personal level (after all, you added my position with the intention of it helping the church become a more thriving, growing place), but more importantly the idea worries me because I love this community, and I want it to thrive, and grow.

And so, instead of asking you, "Why did you run?" I wish I had asked, "Do you care?"

Because I hope with all my heart that you do care.

Be good to each other,
Rev. Josh
101906