This week in the garden… 30 May 2009

First row: peonies, more peonies, iris, more iris, wallflowers

Second row: False dragonhead, lavender, hibisicus shoots, rose bud

I want to be RICH!

Another story from our house…

 

Middle Daughter:  I’m having a garage sale because I want to be RICH!

Ordinary Mommy:  Is that a good way to be rich?

MD:  You get a lot of money that way.  Grandma might be rich because she has lots of garage sales.

 

Just got off the phone with Ordinary Mommy.  She had to go outside to make sure that Middle Daughter hadn’t actually sold anything.

It’s Aloha Friday!

Inspired by an article in a local paper and by a colleague who is Hawaiian, my co-workers and I have declared today (and every Friday through Labor Day) to be Aloha Friday!  What does this mean?  (I’m glad you asked.)  It means that you find your loudest shirt and wear it to work.  Then when you have an all-division meeting (such as the one that we had today), your division director gives you funny looks.  But beyond that, it’s an excuse to have some fun, share a festive mid-afternoon snack, and… um… well, get funny looks.  (My group has a core of people who specialize in getting and giving funny looks.)

 Here are some rules from the newspaper article, just in case you want to start your own Aloha Friday:

 A few rules for wearing Hawaiian shirts:

 Do

•  Do buy at least one size too large
•  Do believe that louder is better
•  Do compliment another guy on his rockin’ shirt
•  Do wear them with a solid blazer for formal occasions.

 Don’t

•  Don’t ever tuck them in, unless you are Thomas Magnum
•  Don’t wear them with a necktie
•  Don’t wear a shirt with matching pants or shorts
•  Don’t wear a matching shirt with your spouse

(Southtown Star, Admired or hated, Aloha shirts make a statement, May 19, 2009)

Summer refreshment (cont)

And one more drink.  This one comes with a story.

Summer refreshment

Summer time is fast approaching.  Recently, my wife made some mint tea that made me say, “Wow!  That’s refreshing!”  Those are the kind of drinks that you want in summer.  Cool and light.  Nothing  heavy.  So here is that drink and another to get you started.

Maintain the unity of the Spirit

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.  (Ephesians 4.1-6, NRSV)

A couple days ago, I wrote about bearing with one another in love.  Since then, I have been trying to envision what ”maintaining the unity of the Spirit” might look like.  In other words, how do we go beyond an uncomfortable existence to actually living a Spirit-filled life with those with whom we disagree?  There’s nothing new here, but I find it helpful to come to some of my own conclusions, so I’ve brainstormed a few ideas…

• Fundamentally, we should agree not to question the authenticity of another’s salvation, faith, or beliefs.
• We should honor the other’s gifts.  This might involve gifts offered in a worship or study setting, for example.
• Do not neglect the difficult discussions…
• But conduct those discussions at safe, mutually acceptable times.  Find respected people to help facilitate or mediate.
• Pray for one another…
• But don’t pray in a way that you wouldn’t pray for yourself.
• The Church isn’t a democracy.  The well-being of the minority should be vigorously defended.

There are some initial ideas.  Let the discussion begin.

My brain went on vacation

This just in…

 

Middle Daughter:  I can’t think!  I think my brain went on vacation.

ordinary (mostly):  (laughing)  Where did it go to?

MD:  My foot can think.  I think my brain went to my foot.

 

Upon further reflection, her summer vacation did just start.  Maybe keeping your brain close to your feet is a good idea for summer – running, skipping, jumping, and all that active stuff. We’ll work on getting that brain back where it belongs before kindergarten begins in the fall.

Bear with one another in love

I have nothing new to say about this topic.  But as I observe the struggles that my congregation is currently going through, and as I reflect on the struggles of other congregations, within denominations, and among denominations, I’m reminded of Jesus’ prayer on the night before he died.  It is worth reading again.

I ask not only on behalf of [my disciples], but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. (John 17.20-24, NRSV)

How is it that the Church’s history is so filled with splits and divisions, when his final prayer was for our unity?  It is sad.  You would think that we’d pay better  attention to the final lesson of our teacher.

What guidance do we have for how to work toward unity?  Chuck Neufeld spoke to our congregation yesterday, basing his message on parts of Ephesians 3 and 4.  Here is part of that scripture:

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.  (Ephesians 4.1-6)

Note the middle portion of this passage.  “Make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit.”  How?  By “bearing with one another.”  Now you don’t “bear with” people when you’re in agreement.  You bear with them when you’re in disagreement.  And how long should you do this?  According to Chuck,

If you bear with me for a moment, then can you bear with me for a time?  And if you bear with me for a time, then can you bear with me for a long time?  And if you bear with me that long, what if you are still bearing with me on something that is confusing to us when Jesus returns?  Do you think Jesus would be displeased?  Or if Jesus would find us earnestly searching the scriptures in a spirit of unity and of  joy and of forbearance, would Jesus not say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”?

Is he suggesting that maybe we don’t have to come to a conclusion?  Are we to understand that our first priority doesn’t need to be getting this right, whatever “this” is?  Is ambiguity acceptable?  Might there, in fact, be something more important than orthodoxy?

And in aisle two…

So – yesterday I mentioned that my wife and I had a date at an Amish bulk food store (E&S Sales in Shipshewana, Indiana) and suggested that you (faithful readers) also need to make a pilgrimage to experience one of these stores yourselves.  So today I offer my list of unique things you might encounter when you make your trip.

Out on the town!

My wife and I had a date today!  It was the first one in nearly a year.  We’re visiting her parents, and they took all the girls to the zoo.  So we were left all by ourselves to do whatever we wanted.  And how did we start our date…?