Shameful Vote

Dear Friends

I hope to break away from so many political blogs (and so much cable TV!) after January 20th. But for now, I feel so strongly about what is happening that I must speak up again. Below is a letter (without the bolds and italics) I sent to the Press Enterprise. I  imagine many letters being written, and therefore there is a slimmer chance of it being published. So I decided to sent it to you directly.

Congressman Ken Calvert’s decades long journey from a once reasonable Republican to being hinged at the hip of our current president is now complete. He has even betrayed his own words. On November 19th, he said (in a press release on his website) the election is “determined by the certification of results by states and those results are then reflected by the Electoral College vote. I will certainly respect that outcome.”

Calvert now claims his vote was only “lending his voice” to “those deeply concerned by the integrity of the election”. In reality, Calvert’s fear of being “primaried” will also divide our country further, encourage the Trump fringe to continue plotting the violence he denounced just before his vote, and further calcify the steady stream of poison this president has already poured into our national bloodstream.

For many of us, Calvert’s vote not only stains but now defines his legacy. If enough people remember in 2022, this may be his last term.

This Sunday I will be sending a blog with lighter content which I hope will inspire and put a smile on your face. In the meantime, keep praying for our country. And let us not forget the families and friends of the five people who died on Wednesday.

John

 Dear Friends

First of all, as a first step, Congress should immediately, at the very least,  vote for a resolution to censure the president. Shame on any members who refuse---they don't deserve to continue to represent our country. I would welcome anything else that can realistically be done in the next two weeks (without enflaming the situation) including the 25th amendment. And, of course, the Justice Department and state of New York has work to do starting January 21^st . A real leader who loved this country more than self, would resign today. But for us to say or do nothing is to be complicit. It is not enough to just condemn the violence.

In the meantime, I don’t know what I can add to all the other words being written and spoken right now. But I found these words from former Trump chief of staff John Kelly especially worth sharing:

“We need to look infinitely harder at who we elect to any office in our land---at the office seeker’s character, at their morals, at their ethical record, their integrity, their honesty, their flaws, what they have said about women and minorities, why they are seeking office in the first place and only then consider the policies they espouse.”

Not all who voted for Trump are the same. I hope and pray that the otherwise good and decent people who did, people who would never accept or tolerate the characteristics of this person in their spouse or son-in law, in their children’s or grandchildren’s teacher or coach, in their pastor or doctor, would take Kelly’s words to heart. Trump isn’t the only one who can promote your policies!

Lord have mercy upon us and our country. Help us heal. Help us not shy away from the hard work of reconciliation ahead.

John

P.S. Let us all pray for Joe Biden and all in his new administration, that, as they promote their policies, they might "do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God". And let us keep praying for our medical heroes (who are now going to have to treat more people infected with Covid-19 because of yesterday’s rally, march and invasion.)

 

New Year's Blog

 

Dear Friends

There are many New Year’s Days to observe. The first day of school, the first Sunday of Advent and, for baseball fans, the first day of spring training. 

But everyone celebrates January 1^st, no matter what one’s situation, faith or interest. Have we ever, in our lifetimes, been so anxious to "turn the page"? Of course most turn the page calendars are not tied to a particular day or year. It is our wall calendars which we usually toss into the recycling bin.  (This year I can imagine someone organizing a community burning of those calendars!)

But before we are so quick to throw out 2020, there are some things for which we can be thankful:

***Many more deserving people have had the label “hero” attached to their professions. Their service and sacrifices should continue to inspire us all. I include my fellow, still active clergy, as they do their best to keep the supply chain of Good News flowing, in the face of many challenges.

***Democracy (the election process) while still under attack, won! Politics and politicians of all stripes can still infuriate us, and things will remain messy. But we can also breathe a deep sigh of relief because a new tone and style (as well as dignity and decency) is returning to the oval office.

***And maybe it’s because I am retired again and sheltered at home for the time being, but I am more aware of and thankful for so many ordinary, daily blessings (including watching the birds that come to our feeders).

Going forward into 2021, I hope and pray for our nation (and world), that more people will see the pandemic as a public health crisis which we all need to take more seriously. It should have nothing to do with politics. Going forward, I hope more people will ignore those voices with large platforms who have muddied the message and cost lives.   

But most of all going forward, I hope we will remember that the one who has brought us this far, will continue to guide us through our every step and stumble in the new year, that we will recognize our daily choices matter, and that no matter what, we are loved beyond measure and have reason to rejoice.

As that 17^th century Slovak hymn puts it:

His love abundant far exceeds

the volume of a whole year’s needs

Rejoice, rejoice with thanks embrace

another year of grace

 

With such a Lord to lead our way

in hazard and prosperity,

what need we fear in earth or space

in this new year of grace?

 

Happy New Year!

 

John

 

 

Forward step by step

 

Dear Friends

With the arrival of the vaccine, we are now being told that there is “light at the end of the tunnel”. While we rejoice at that good news, we also must realize the “end” of the tunnel is still many months away, at best. And, there will be many twists and turns along the way, which means the light will not always be visible.

Tomorrow, December 21^st, is the first day of winter, the winter solstice, the day with the longest night. For many, 2020 has been the longest year of their lives. This year, it is also the closest visible conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 800 years. This is being compared to the “Christmas Star” because the biblical star we read about in Luke could also have been a conjunction of planets. (To see it, we are being told to “look toward the waxing moon in the western sky, about 45 minutes after sunset”).

Perhaps we could imagine ourselves being in conjunction with Jesus this Christmas (“God and sinners reconciled”, as we sing in that carol.) When we intentionally try to stay close to the “light of the world”, he will lead us through the long, dark, twisting and turning tunnels of our lives, including the one the whole world is experiencing right now.

These words of John Henry Newman's classic hymn come to mind:

Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom, lead thou me on;

The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead thou me on;

Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see

the distant scene: one step enough for me.*

Forward day by day? How about, for right now, forward step by step!

As we patiently and prayerfully wait for the vaccinations to spread (in order to slow down and stop the spread), let us rejoice that we have a light, a Shepherd and Savior now. Jesus is not a vaccine to give us immunity from every disease and heartache, from every sin that infects the world. He is the one who walks with us through this life and offers forgiveness, healing, and abundant life, and, a new life that defeats death.

And so let us pray the verse of “O Come O Come Emmanuel” appointed for tomorrow, December 21^st:

O come, thou Dayspring from on high

and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night

and death’s dark shadow put to flight

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

You're finished, fall. Welcome, winter. Coming Soon: spring and summer!

John

* If you have extra time, you might enjoy reading these excerpts from Wikipedia about this hymn:

"Lead, Kindly Light" is a hymn with words written in 1833 by Saint John Henry Newman as a poem titled "the Pillar of the Cloud", which was first published in the British Magazine in 1834. As a young priest, Newman became sick while in Italy and was unable to travel for almost three weeks. In his own words:

Before starting from my inn, I sat down on my bed and began to sob bitterly. My servant, who had acted as my nurse, asked what ailed me. I could only answer, "I have a work to do in England." I was aching to get home, yet for want of a vessel I was kept at Palermo for three weeks. I began to visit the churches, and they calmed my impatience, though I did not attend any services. At last, I got off in an orange boat, bound for Marseilles. We were becalmed for whole week in the Straits of Bonifacio, and it was there that I wrote the lines, Lead, Kindly Light, which have since become so well known.

Notable occasions relating to hymn:

The largest mining disaster in the Durham Coalfield in England was at West Stanley Colliery, known locally as "The Burns Pit", when 168 men and boys lost their lives as the result of two underground explosions at 3.45pm on Tuesday 16 February 1909. In the Towneley Seam 63 lay dead, in the Tilley Seam 18 lay dead, in the Busty Seam 33 lay dead and in the Brockwell Seam 48 lay dead. But incredibly, there were still men alive underground. A group of 34 men and boys in the Tilley Seam had found a pocket of clean air. They were led by Deputy Mark Henderson. Sadly, a few of them panicked and left the group, they died instantly after inhaling the poison gas. The remainder sat in almost total darkness, when one of them began humming the Hymn "Lead Kindly Light". In no time at all, the rest of the miners joined in with the words, "Lead kindly light amidst the encircling gloom, lead thou me on; The night is dark, and I am far from home". This was probably sung to the tune "Sandon" by C. H. Purday, popular with miners in the Durham coalfield. Before the hymn ended, young Jimmy Gardner died of injuries. These 26 men were rescued after 14 hours, four others were later rescued.

"Lead, Kindly Light" was sung by Betsie ten Boom, sister of Corrie ten Boom, and other women as they were led by the S.S. Guards to the Ravensbrück concentration camp during the Holocaust.

“Lead, Kindly Light” was sung by a soloist, Marion Wright, on the RMS Titanic during a hymn-singing gathering led by the Rev. Ernest C. Carter, shortly before the ocean liner struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912. The hymn was also sung aboard one of the Titanic's lifeboats when the rescue ship Carpathia was sighted the following morning. It was suggested by one of the occupants, Noëlle, Countess of Rothes.

Finally, on one occasion in February 1915, “Lead, Kindly Light” was sung by a group of British troops to the accompaniment of nearby artillery fire on the Western Front during the First World War, at services held before going into the trenches the following day.iends

Powerful Reminder

Dear Friends

The picture/cartoon above has nothing to do with this post, although I hope it brings a 😄

A friend just sent me this quote from an evangelical preacher in Texas. I thought it was worth sharing: 

I do not believe these are days for mincing words. I’m 63 1/2 years old & I have never seen anything in these United States of America I found more astonishingly seductive & dangerous to the saints of God than Trumpism. This Christian nationalism is not of God. Move back from it.

Fellow leaders, we will be held responsible for remaining passive in this day of seduction to save our own skin while the saints we’ve been entrusted to serve are being seduced, manipulated, USED and stirred up into a lather of zeal devoid of the Holy Spirit for political gain.

And, God help us, we don’t turn from Trumpism to Bidenism. We do not worship flesh and blood. We do not place our faith in mortals. We are the church of the living God. We can’t sanctify idolatry by labeling a leader our Cyrus. We need no Cyrus. We have a king. His name is Jesus.

This reminded me of the words of my favorite Advent hymn which was sung at the National Cathedral this morning. These are the final two verses:

O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up to the heights and sing

Proclaim to a desolate people the coming of their King

Like the flowers of the field they perish, like the grass our works decay

the power and pomp of nations shall pass like a dream away

but the word of our God endureth, the arm of the Lord is strong;

He stands in the midst of nations and he will right the wrong

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, the lambs he'll gently hold;

to pastures of peace he'll lead them and bring them safe to his fold.

May it be so.

John (the Episcopalian)

 

 

Embarrassed and Ashamed

Dear Friends

Pardon this interruption but I will not remain silent.

Very briefly, I am saddened, embarrassed for, and so ashamed of my representative to Congress, Ken Calvert, who has signed on (this was requested by Trump) as supporting the crazy Texas AG lawsuit which is suing 4 other states in a pathetic attempt to overthrow the election results. He is one of only 107 of 435 House representatives that represent, from my view, Profiles in Cowardness, not Courage.

I don’t know if you are aware of the details of all this, but it would appear that he has chosen to side with Trump and against the constitution and democracy---because he is afraid of Trump voters in his district, not to mention Trump? Or does he really understand and believe in what he did today.

He needs to hear from people who will not remain silent in the face of this absurd but dangerous action, because it has the potential to further divide our country. States decide on their own rules for elections. Texas has no right or business doing this. It is spearheaded by the Texas Attorney General who is under indictment---is he doing this to show his loyalty to get a pardon? Why is Calvert really doing this? He needs to be called on to explain.

Read up on what is going and then, if you are so moved, call

Ken Calvert  Corona Office 951-277-0042

and

Ken Calvert DC office  202-225-1986

John

P.S. Picture above is just part of a cartoon I shared before---Nancy Pelosi is in background tearing up his last state of the union speech. I am aware politicians of all stripes can divide, but I am focusing on a president who is STILL SELFISHLY tearing apart the country I love. I am dismayed and disgusted that so many are continuing to enable him, including half of the Republicans in the house and a majority of Republicans in the Senate.

Happy Baptismday to Me

Dear Friends

The newspaper article above announces the day I was born, May 25, 1952. It must have been a slow news day! 

Here is the article: 

It was a busy day and joyous one for the Rev. John Kimball Saville, rector of St. Michael's Episcopal church this last Sunday. Their first son and fourth child (was) born to Reverend and Mrs. Saville at St. Vincent's hospital, Los Angeles, at 5 am.

Rushing to Los Angeles, the Rector stayed with his wife and new son for a short time before returning home to take over his pastorate duties at St. Michael's. The remainder of the day was one of continual congratulations, all delightfully received as John Kimball Saville III was as "welcome as the flowers in May" not only as the son in the family but as brother-playmate for the young Misses Susan Anne, age eight, Deborah Elizabeth, age five, and little Mary Rebecca, age two.

Both mother and son are reported as doing nicely.

Exactly twenty-eight weeks later, December 7, 1952, I was born again by and through the sacrament of baptism. To my knowledge, there was no news coverage.  I do have a nice church certificate.

While most of the world rightfully remembers today as the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, I also remember it as the day I became a member of the Body of Christ. Presenting me for baptism I now see as one of the most important gifts my parents gave me, including raising me in the church I love.

May 25^th is the feast of Bede the Venerable, 8^th century priest and monk, whose claim to fame includes writing “The Ecclesiastical History of England”. Unlike me, he was known as the greatest scholar of his time in the Western Church.

December 7^th is the feast of Ambrose, 4^th century Bishop of Milan. It’s a longer story, but he was attending a deadlocked convention as a mediator and suddenly a crowd began chanting “Ambrose shall be our bishop!”. Over his protests, the non-candidate (who wasn’t even baptized yet), was elected. Hastily baptized, he was then ordained bishop on this day in 373.

After his baptism, he wrote, “After the font (of baptism), the Holy Spirit is poured on you, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and godliness, and the spirit of holy fear.”

Also, these words from a meditation are attributed to Ambrose:

Lord Jesus Christ

You are for me medicine when I am sick

You are my strength when I need help

You are life itself when I fear death

You are the way when I long for heaven

You are light when all is dark

You are my food when I need nourishment.

I am thankful for my birth, of course. But I am also so thankful for my baptism (as I am sure you are) and for these words of Ambrose which continue to guide me as I continue to try to grow up into the full stature of Christ.

John

P.S. I am happy to report that the words of several hymns in our Hymnal are from Ambrose. His words from Hymn 22 seem especially appropriate to pray for our country right now:

Quench now on earth the flames of strife

From passions heat preserve our life

And while you keep our body whole

Pour healing peace upon our soul