Take a vote!

Dear Friends

First, let us pray these words from the Burial Office found in our  Book of Common Prayer:

O God, whose beloved Son took children into his arms and blessed them: Give us grace to entrust _______ to your never-failing care and love, and bring us all to your heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord...Amen.

I had planned to send out a 70^th Birthday Blog today, but that can wait. I, perhaps like some of you, am trying to balance my mixed emotions of “weeping with those who weep” and dealing with some real anger.

Thanks to President Biden, Senator Chris Murphy and Warriors coach Steve Kerr for expressing some of the anger I am feeling.

As for action, I have called my two senators to summarize my letter below, which was published in the Press Enterprise last Sunday:

Senate Democrats seem to care more about a woman’s choice to have an abortion than my choice to go grocery shopping or to church (and now to drop off someone I love at school), without the fear of being shot. It took them just a few weeks to write, debate and put the “Woman’s Health Protection Act” to a vote, in response to a leaked memo. They knew it wouldn’t pass, but they wanted to get Senators’ votes on the record.

In the meantime, HR 8, the bipartisan universal background check bill passed by the House well over a year ago, continues to collect dust on Senator Chuck Schumer’s desk. And nothing has been done for decades to reinstate the ban on assault weapons which are made to and continue to kill many people quickly.

Why would we send our current Democrat Senators back to Congress with our votes, if they aren’t even willing to take a vote on overwhelmingly popular, common sense gun legislation? Are they afraid of being on the record for supporting such measures?

John Saville   Corona, Ca.

Lord have mercy upon us.

John

                  Letter to the editor and the headlines that inspired it

 

 

 

 

 

 Dear Friends

Forty years ago yesterday, I graduated from General Theological Seminary in New York City, the oldest of our Episcopal Seminaries. (In the picture, I am on the far left.) It has been a wonderful 40 years of ministry, including the last five being retired. And the retirement opportunities continue---I will be doing vacation supply for 15 of the next 16 Sundays at five different churches. I am glad to provide some rest and respite for my still front line colleagues! 

And now back to the blog: 

Question: What do Petula Clark, the Mamas and the Papas and Alvin and the Chipmunks have in common?

Answer: They all recorded versions of the 1964 Billy Page hit song called, “The In Crowd”

I used this as an illustration last Sunday when I was preaching on the lesson from Acts (11:1-18). It includes the story of Paul’s vision which helped him understand the radical idea that God had poured out the Holy Spirit on the once excluded Gentiles also, that “God has given even unto the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.” Words from the lesson which especially stuck with me included “The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us.”

In other words, with God, there is no “in crowd”. God plays no favorites. “God shows no partiality” to quote from Acts 10:34.

I could share more of my sermon (to help you get to sleep tonight) but here is something better. A member came up to me after the service. She has a habit of taking notes during the sermon and fashioning them into a poem and giving it to the preacher immediately after the service! Here it is:

With God there is no “in crowd”

So we say it clear and loud

God doesn’t care about your pedigree

Doesn’t discriminate between me and thee

Clean or unclean it matters not

We need to share the good news we got

So toss out the labels, fully embrace

Anyone, everyone receives God’s grace

It starts when we stop with us and them

Until the whole family of God can shout “Amen”.

 

Needless to say, I was blown away! Her 10 line poem summarized the message I took 12 minutes to deliver.

Most importantly, in light of recent events in Buffalo and Laguna Woods, it is a critical message we need to continue to share and spread and act upon.

John

P.S. Below is the poem she handed me

 

 

 

Pen is mightier than sword

 

Dear Friends

I agree that some pictures are worth a thousand words. Of course, some pictures leave us speechless, (not to mention our emotions which have been so disturbed and drained by pictures coming from Ukraine over the last few weeks).

But words can be powerful too. The quote “The pen is mightier than the sword”, according to Wikipedia, was spoken by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839, indicating that “the written word is more effective than violence as a tool for communicating a point.”

The world has been moved by the powerful words which have and continue to be spoken by President Zelensky. I would simply like to share some other words, written about a madman named Hitler, words which also speak to a current madman named Putin, words which are currently making the rounds on social media.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the martyred pastor and theologian who stood up to Hitler wrote,

“If I sit next to a madman as he drives a car into a group of innocent bystanders, I can’t, as a Christian, simply wait for the catastrophe, then comfort the wounded and bury the dead. I must try to wrestle the steering wheel out of the hands of the driver.”

Along with prayers for all who are suffering, and all those negotiating for some kind of peace, I pray for those in a position to wrestle the steering wheel out of the current madman’s hands.

John

 

Got Vision?

 

New advent of the love of Christ, shall we again refuse thee,

till in the night of hate and war we perish as we lose thee?

From old unfaith our souls release to seek the kingdom of thy peace,

 By which alone we choose thee.  (Walter Bowie)

 Dear Friends

Engraved above the Redlands Bowl stage are these words from the Book of Proverbs: “Without vision, a people perish”.

But we have been given a vision. And in this time of war, we have the responsibility to keep holding hold up that vision, God’s vision of peace in Christ. Here in the Diocese of El Camino Real, Bishop Lucinda Ashby’s pastoral letter included this important urgent reminder: 

     PEACE: PREACH IT, PRAY IT, PROCLAIM IT, LIVE IT!

Many hymns come to mind right now to offer to the people of Ukraine but the one I want to share and pray with them most, is this beloved Irish ballad, ca.700

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that thou art.

Thou my best thought, by day or by night

Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light

 

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word;

I ever with thee, and thou with me, Lord

Born of thy love, thy child may I be,

Thou in me dwelling and I one with thee

 

Be thou my buckler, my sword for the fight.

Be thou my dignity, thou my delight,

Thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tow’r

Raise thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r

 

True Light of heaven, when vict’ry is won

May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun

Heart of my heart, whatever befall,

Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

 

This is not only a battle for freedom and democracy. It is a spiritual battle between those (not “smart”, not “a genius”) who have become instruments of war and those who try their best to be instruments of peace.

Lord have mercy.

John

 

Poised for peace; poised for war

Dear Friends

There is much more to come, of course, but the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics was already a feast, not just for my eyes but for my ears. Consider that rich smorgasbord-like playlist of Western classical favorites, as the athletes marched in. Was that an “overture” by China, trying to reach out to the West? 

Then there was the children’s choir singing the anthem “Snowflake”, including this refrain:

Snowflake, snowflake

Blossom in the sun

At home or in the far

Shining wherever you are

There was also the Olympic Hymn they sung acapella, with those sweet, smiling faces, including this verse:

As now we come across the world

To share these games of old

Let all the flags of every land

In brotherhood unfold

And what a contrast when it comes to the athletes! Young people poised to offer their best at the Olympic Games, and, at the same time, young people poised on borders in Eastern Europe, preparing for battle with war games!

The Olympics are not free of politics and scandals, of course. But at their best, they offer us a vision of literally passing the torch to a new generation,  with far nobler ideals and purpose than those who are being ordered to gather and arm and wait for war. What a contrast for parents watching proudly and parents watching in fear for the lives of their beloved.

We can hope and pray that the next two weeks will not only be a happy distraction from the daily digest of depressing news; but maybe, also be, a long enough pause for cooler and saner heads of state to prevail.

A pause to give peace another chance.

John 

 

Pastoral Problem

 

Dear Friends

I have a pastoral problem, a dilemma of my own making. 

Mindful of where I am currently living (San Jose), I told the congregation on January 9^th that I would root for the 49ers over the Rams. Why? Because the Rams had already clinched a playoff spot, but the 49ers had to win to make the playoffs. The congregation was pleased by this act of charity.

And my rooting for the 49ers apparently made the difference because they won!

Now the Rams and the 49ers are facing off this Sunday, January 23^rd, for a spot in the Super Bowl. This is not the Dodgers versus the Giants, where I would show no mercy. This is deciding whether to side with the congregation by cheering for the 49ers, or risking their ridicule by rooting for the Rams!

On the local news, a fan said, and I quote: “There is a God, and he loves football, and he loves the 49ers!” “Faithful” and “Faithful to the Bay” are 49er slogans printed on clothing items as seen above.

I try not to mix politics with religion but now I am being forced to mix sports with religion!

I think the best and safest way to proceed is to acknowledge that while against the backdrop of eternity it doesn’t matter who wins this Sunday, we can all rally around Romans 12:15 which says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

To be honest, I’d like to rejoice with the Rams. Just don’t tell the congregation, lest they run me out of town and back to Southern California, halfway into my temporary assignment.

John

P.S. Did the 49er’s get permission from the Angels to add those wings to the shirt?

 

 

What's for Lunch?

 Dear Friends

Few people know how much time I spend in the kitchen! To dispel that myth, I present my latest creation from Chef Juan Sevillia’s Culinary Creations, as not seen on Cable TV.

Easy as Pie One Veggie Three Fruit Delight for Two (With Leftovers)

Ingredients: (Obtain online for speed and freshness):

One bag Chilean Carrots

One Anaheim Angel of California Avocado

One Caribbean Cucumber

One Tony Roma Tomato

Instructions:

Dash to the door when it rings to find food

Carry food to kitchen and find a cutting board and knife

Slice tomato into 3 meter or would that be 3 millimeter strips?

Slice cucumber into 1 millimeter strips?

Slice avocado into four somewhat equal parts

Pick out just enough carrots to separate the cucumber slices

Arrange on plate as pictured above-start with tomatoes

Serve at room temperature with Favorite Compliments* Dip

 

Coming Soon: Leftover Soup Delight

 Juan

 *Some prefer condiments