spirituality | dual personalities

January 29, 2021

“Toiling,—rejoicing,—sorrowing, Onward through life he goes”*

by chuckofish

It snowed on Wednesday–not much–just enough to be pretty.

Look at that blue sky for a change! We haven’t seen much of that blue sky this winter.

This is good information for those of us who worry about such things.

Wednesday was the 100th birthday of Donna Reed. Iowa’s governor, Kim Reynolds, proclaimed it “Donna Reed Day“–wasn’t that nice? Indeed, it is surprising to note how many of my favorite movies featured her back in the day, notably They Were Expendable (1945).

Her big scene is so well done, so understated, but powerful. Note that she is wearing her U.S. Navy jumpsuit, but has put on pearls for this big “dinner party” on the temporary island base. She won an Academy Award for playing against type in From Here to Eternity (1953) and she deserved it, but no one was better at playing to type, the fresh-faced Iowa girl.

This article on “the standing orders of the gospel” (“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances”) is worth your time to read.

It is the will of God for us to rejoice always. But obedience to this command is not accomplished by an act of the will. It is only accomplished by faith in Christ. The believer’s unceasing rejoicing is the will of God for us “in Christ Jesus.” This is the key to the life of rejoicing. Unsaved people do not rejoice in God, pray to God, or give thanks to God. Religious people rejoice sometimes, pray when they feel like it, and give thanks when things are going well. But Christians rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances. This is not the believer’s response because we are impervious to life’s dangers, toils, and snares. It is our response to life because we are in Christ Jesus.

And I really liked this from the Almost Daily Devotional:

The term “obeisance” means to acknowledge another’s superiority or importance. I love the way it is used in this provocative article in the UK’s The Guardian. “Even with the smartphone’s on-purpose designed-in distraction notification architecture, our prostration at their non-human feet is the real issue. Our obeisance demotes the advanced human, and we pretend it doesn’t. We don’t take charge of our attention. Our little robots do. And we caress them.”
Of course, our obsession with our phone is not the problem; it is a manifestation of the deeper problem. Sin – or in current terms, self-interested distractibility – is our problem. Our attention and obeisance rightly belong to our Lord. Single-mindedly, St. Paul says, “For I resolved to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2)
While we may worship our Lord each day and in all kinds of settings, our current inability to worship Him in church is what truly “demotes the advanced human.” Worship, especially corporate worship, is a reset – it pulls our bent down heads and fixated eyes from our phone (or you name it) up to gaze at the cross. We are brought out of ourselves to, ironically, be ourselves, for we were made by God and for God – to love, worship, and obey Him.
Help us, Lord!

Tonight we will toast our other ancestor with a January birthday, John Wesley Prowers, on his 182nd birthday. Born in Missouri in 1838, you will recall that he became a trader, cattle rancher, legislator, and businessman in the territory and state of Colorado.

Speaking of ancestors and descendants, I hope we get to see the wee babes this weekend…

…and talk to these twinsies…

Indeed, I plan to take it easy this weekend–it was a long, hard week!–I’ll toast J.W. Prowers, watch a Donna Reed movie, do some needlepoint, talk on the phone with my loved ones (and then put my phone down for the duration), and get out of the house to do something.

And rejoice!

*”The Village Blacksmith” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow–read the whole poem here.

7 Comments

January 22, 2021

Meanwhile the world goes on*

by chuckofish

I don’t know about you, but if I read one more article/blogpost that starts off like this:

“Here are some things you can do to lift your spirits like take a walk in nature, connect with a friend, clean out clutter or your closet and donate things you don’t need, spend time with animals or adopt a pet, log off social media and read a book, binge a new show or volunteer…”

I’ll scream!

Oh good grief! Is this truly the best we can do? These are valid suggestions, they are. But we’ve been hearing the same old drone for 10 months. By now everyone’s closets must be organized and their homes neat as a pin, right? But I doubt it.

Removing myself from social media and blocking out the news cycle has helped. It has helped a lot. And I continue to recommend watching old movies, like Pal Joey (1957) with Frank Sinatra crooning old Rodgers and Hart songs. Hard to beat.

But all those things only give one a fleeting escape and ultimately I agree with Tim Challies, who says:

For now my confidence is in the goodness and sovereignty of God, my trust is that his plan is perfect, even when it doesn’t feel like it. And, when worries return, when I feel fear… when my mind clouds and my pulse quickens, instead of looking forward to project grief I look back to remember grace, instead of looking inward I look upward, instead of dwelling on projections I dwell on providence. For worry, I know, is as senseless as predictions.

Hold your loved ones close. (But not too close.)

Look upward.

And pray. “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?” (Psalm 13:1-2)

*Mary Oliver

5 Comments

December 15, 2020

A touch of myrrh

by chuckofish

Cards in each mailbox,
angel, manger, star and lamb,
as the rural carrier,
driving the snowy roads,
hears from her bundles
the plaintive bleating of sheep,
the shuffle of sandals,
the clopping of camels.
At stop after stop,
she opens the little tin door
and places deep in the shadows
the shepherds and wise men,
the donkeys lank and weary,
the cow who chews and muses.
And from her Styrofoam cup,
white as a star and perched
on the dashboard, leading her
ever into the distance,
there is a hint of hazelnut,
and then a touch of myrrh.
“Christmas Mail” by Ted Kooser

Read through this article about the line-up of December Christmas movies (and others) on TCM to find out why Paul Zahl and I should truly be best friends. I mean really. I don’t agree with his take on all the movies, but The World of Henry Orient and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon are spot on.

This is an interesting tidbit about Episcopal minister Endicott Peabody in the Old West. He built St. Paul’s Episcopal in Tombstone that stands today as the oldest Protestant church in Arizona.

On December 21 Saturn and Jupiter will align into a beautiful bright star. This will be the first time they align like this since the Middle Ages. According to Forbes, the two planets will look like a “double planet” and provide an extraordinary amount of light. The last time these two planets aligned like this was on March 4, 1226, according to astronomer Patrick Hartigan at Rice University. Pretty cool. I hope I remember to look.

We were sad to learn that Charlie Pride, country singing superstar and the first Black member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, had died at age 86.

Here’s Mr. Pride bringing some Christmas cheer your way 50 years ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMEYTIRGlA0

Enjoy your Tuesday. Only three more days ’til Christmas vacay starts pour moi.

6 Comments

November 27, 2020

We lift our hearts to God on high

by chuckofish

Now that the daylight fills the sky,
we lift our hearts to God on high,
that, he, in all we do or say,
would keep us free from harm this day:
Our hearts and lips may he restrain;
keep us from causing others pain,
that we may see and serve his son,
and grow in love for everyone.
From evil may he guard our eyes,
our ears from empty praise and lies;
from selfishness our hearts release,
that we may serve, and know his peace.
–John Mason Neale
#4 The Episcopal Hymnal 1982

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving.

It was just the three of us (the OM, daughter #1 and I), but it was a nice day spent leisurely getting ready for our dinner and listening to nostalgic show tunes on 50-year-old LPs. Who doesn’t like to sing along with John Raitt?

And now we have a lovely day off. We have a lot to do now, getting out all the Christmas decorations and preparing for the visit of daughter #2 avec petite famille in a few weeks. We also will celebrate the boy’s thirty-something birthday this weekend!

He hasn’t changed much over the years, certainly not in the way he perceives himself (see above self portrait). 😉

We love him dearly and he makes us proud every day.

Sunday is also the first Sunday of Advent–not that anyone is really paying much attention to such things these days. I plan to do what I did last advent, which, if you recall, was read one chapter of Luke each night starting on December 1. On Christmas Eve I will have read the entire account of Jesus’s life and been reminded who and why we celebrate.

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
BCP, Collect for first Sunday in Adent

Happy long weekend. Keep doing your best.

2 Comments

October 9, 2020

Help of the helpless

by chuckofish

I read recently that one of our local scions, in his later years, did a three-minute plank exercise each morning, propping himself up on his elbows and toes while singing “Abide With Me,” reciting the Lord’s Prayer and praying for loved ones. I think this is just a great exercise plan and I have started doing it. So far, I am unable to maintain the plank for the full time, so I shift into a yoga pose taught to me by one of my daughters.

Abide with me, fast falls the eventide
The darkness deepens Lord, with me abide
When other helpers fail and comforts flee
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me

That “help of the helpless” seems particularly appropriate for an exercise descriptive.

Anyway, I am taking today off–no Zoom meetings, so it is possible–and I’m getting some ‘stuff’ done. I am going for my flu shot and I am having my hair cut. Woohoo!

In other news, I am forcing myself to continue reading Jack by Marilynne Robinson. Sad to say, Jack, as the NYT reviewer put it, is “the dullest bad boy in the history of bad boys.” And he is not, in the long run, very likable. Worst of all, the book is kind of boring. If it were written by anybody else, I would not finish it. Sigh.

I enjoyed this article about scrubbing away one’s anxiety. “This is why I am so glad that my church’s lectionary is taking us through the book of Exodus right now. I’m reminded that we are not the first group of people to be led through hard times. We are not the first people to grumble and whine and not trust that God will provide. We aren’t even the first ones to do dumb things to distract ourselves from the problems that weigh us down.”

I confess that I have contemplated buying a power-washer.

Have you started your Christmas shopping? You know this year it’s going to creep up on us. It may feel like it’s still May, but it is not! It is mid-October. I mean, I don’t want to alarm anyone, but Christmas is, indeed, 77 days away.

This made me laugh:

So get out this weekend and enjoy the fine fall weather! Do some Christmas shopping! Shop local! And remember:

5 Comments

September 4, 2020

“Hey, Ma, how ’bout some cookies?”

by chuckofish

Raymond J. Eastwood
*High Plains Range Land*, 1950

A glorious three-day weekend is upon us. My office is officially closing at Noon today so it’s actually a three and a half day weekend! One more Zoom meeting to go and then I am free to putter around my house to my heart’s content. (Daughter #1 is driving home this weekend so I will do more than putter.)

Yesterday we had the electrician in our house all day fixing numerous things and (finally) installing a new ceiling fan in my ‘office.’ Hopefully nothing will break for awhile. Now we will have light in the basement again, so we have no excuses for getting back to work on all those boxes.

This week we watched a couple of old Charles Bronson movies: Breakheart Pass (1975) and Red Sun (1971). Breakheart Pass is a good western/mystery-on-a-train story written by Alistair Maclean and directed by Tom Gries. Red Sun is also a western with the added attraction of Toshiro Mifune as a samurai who joins forces with Bronson to retrieve a ceremonial Japanese sword.

Both movies offer lavish productions, good casts and excellent music. I enjoyed them. However, I can never watch a Charles Bronson movie without thinking of this:

Tomorrow is the birthday of Missouri native and legend Jesse James (1847-1882). Everyone knows that he and his brother Frank were American outlaws, bank and train robbers. Disenfranchised ex-Confederates, they wrecked havoc across the Midwest, gaining national fame and often popular sympathy. Jesse James has been portrayed in film by Tyrone Power, Roy Rogers, Rod Cameron, Audie Murphy, Clayton Moore, Robert Wagner, James Keach, Robert Duvall, Kris Kristofferson, Colin Farrell, and Brad Pitt, just to name a few. I tried to watch the Brad Pitt version of the Jesse James story, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) in preparation for this post, but it was unwatchable. I cut my losses halfway through. Like many 21st century films, it was more interested in the look and sound of the movie than the story or the characters. There was not one likable or interesting character. It was slow, it was boring. Worst of all, it was filmed in Canada and did not even look like Missouri.

There are many museums and sites devoted to Jesse James across the U.S. including several in his home state. The James farm in Kearney, MO is a house museum and historic site operated by Clay County. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. One can’t help but think his mother would be proud. I may have to add Kearney to my bucket list.

One of my favorite blogs, which I have read for years and whose author I admire, is ending (at least for the time being.) Times change and we roll with the punches and I applaud her decision to focus (without guilt) on her large and exuberant southern family. You go, girl!

I thought this piece from one of my favorites was very on point. “We have to decrease and defund our inner police so that Jesus can increase in us.” (Did you get the reference to John 3:30?) SO true!

Have a joy-filled weekend. Love where you are and who you’re with.

6 Comments

August 28, 2020

Fri-yay!

by chuckofish

It’s been a long week. And I am ready for the weekend–the last weekend in August! Can you believe it? The summer is just about over. Where did it go?

Today is National Red Wine Day and we will toast the awesome Shania Twain on her birthday (August 28, 1965). We can all use a little Shania, can’t we?

It is also the feast day of Augustine of Hippo (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430 AD) who is recognized as a saint in the Anglican Communion. Many Protestants, especially Calvinists and Lutherans, consider him one of the theological fathers of the Protestant Reformation due to his teachings on salvation and divine grace.

Lord God, the light of the minds that know thee, the life of the souls that love thee, and the strength of the hearts that serve thee: Help us, following the example of thy servant, Augustine of Hippo, so to know thee that we may truly love thee, and so to love thee that we may fully serve thee, whose service is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
BCP, Collect for Augustine of Hippo, Bishop and Theologian

If you have 20 minutes, here’s a lecture by R.C. Sproul about the influence of Augustine.

And here’s an interesting article about the riots in Minneapolis just blocks from John Piper’s neighborhood. No one in my denomination walks the walk like John Piper. Not by a long shot.

Well, enjoy the tail end of August–four months until Christmas! Zut alors–are you kidding me?

3 Comments

August 17, 2020

Accentuate the positive*

by chuckofish

It’s Monday and I have no cute pictures of darling wee babes to share. Oh well, c’est la vie. Sometimes we have to fend for ourselves, latch on to the affirmative and smile, dude! I had fun this weekend–even without a visit from wee babes–how about you?

Daughter #1 drove home on Saturday and we went to three estate sales (!) and found nothing! Not even so much as a plant rescue or a book. Unheard of, you say. Indeed. We consoled ourselves with take-out margaritas from Club Taco and listening to music all evening.

When daughter #1 drove home to mid-MO on Sunday morning, I tuned in to Morning Prayer with Christ Church, Charlottesville, where David Zahl gave a good sermon on Joseph and his brothers. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20) Joseph’s story is a good reminder for us all during a trying time that God is with us through thick and thin.

In other news, Matt Rollings, super keyboardist, who has played with Lyle Lovett, Mark Knopfler and many others, just released his first solo album in over 30 years, Matt Rollings Mosaic, and I bought it. I highly recommend it. Here’s a taste:

In another track, Lyle Lovett sings the old Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen standard, “Accentuate the Positive.” The lyrics seems appropriate to the times.

Gather ’round me, everybody
Gather ’round me while I’m preachin’
Feel a sermon comin’ on me
The topic will be sin and that’s what I’m ag’in’
If you want to hear my story
Then settle back and just sit tight
While I start reviewin’
The attitude of doin’ right
You’ve got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between
You’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium’s
Liable to walk upon the scene
To illustrate my last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do just when everything looked so dark?
(Man, they said “We’d better accentuate the positive”)
(“Eliminate the negative”)
(“And latch on to the affirmative”)
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between (No!)
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between
(Ya got to spread joy up to the maximum)
(Bring gloom down to the minimum)
(Have faith or pandemonium’s)
(Liable to walk upon the scene)
You got to ac (yes, yes) -cent-tchu-ate the positive
Eliminate (yes, yes) the negative
And latch (yes, yes) on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between
No, don’t mess with Mister In-Between

On that note, I’ll wish you a good start to the week. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

5 Comments

August 11, 2020

Faithless fears and worldly anxieties

by chuckofish

So yesterday I was allowed to go to my flyover university office on campus and retrieve my computer and other needful things that I have been doing without for six months (while using my personal laptop at home). Thinking I would be back in a couple of weeks, I left some plants in my office when I vacated the office back in March and they were (of course) all dead. I packed up a few files and such and brought everything home and lugged it inside and set it up.

And, oh boy, I had forgotten how great a big screen is! Anyway, I guess we are telecommuting for the long haul, i.e. the end of the year.

Sigh.

But here’s something to cheer you up if you need it:

Sigh. I’m sure we all need it.

Loving God,
you want us to give thanks for all things,
to fear nothing except losing you,
and to lay all our cares on you,
knowing that you care for us.
Protect us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties,
and grant that no clouds in this mortal life
may hide from us the light of your immortal love
shown to us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

–William Bright (1824-1901)

(The painting is by Van Gogh.)

4 Comments

August 7, 2020

“It’s not dark yet, but it’s getting there”*

by chuckofish

I’ve had a long week of back-to-work activities. Zut alors! I’m still at home.

I thought this was interesting, written by a fellow Episcopalian.

God has made us know what we always sorta knew: that we are not in charge, no matter how much we take charge of what God has left for us to do.

Indeed, we are not in charge. Sometimes I guess we need to be hit over the head to be reminded. But I choose to believe that all is not chaos and that God is in control. This helps me persevere.

I also try to keep things in perspective and stay grateful. We have much for which to be grateful, don’t we?

Our families, for one thing, far-flung as they may be. They keep us close in their hearts, as we do them. My niece sent me this video because she thought I might like it (and I do, of course)…