Blessedly Old

Here are a few reasons I feel old:

1) Children: Today my BabyGirl registered for classes at college. ***siiiigh**. As if the constant reminders about my graying hair and receding hairline didn’t make me feel old enough, I only have one left in school.

2) Diets. I started dieting last week. When I was young I could cutback a little, drop the cokes and up the water and lose weight. I did good this week. Weigh in was today and I have lost 5 pounds. Not bad for week one, but I know I’m getting old because I didn’t LOSE any of it! I know exactly where it went. A lot more work goes into it now. I am considering a new blog. I can chronicle my weight loss journey. I think I’ll call it FatPastor.

3) Twitter. I came in to the blog world hesitantly, but soon found I loved it. I came into the FaceBook world kicking and screaming, and found it to be laborious and boring, but OK as a communication tool. Please don't ask me to join your mafia. I don't even know what that means! Twitter I don’t get. Never will get. I feel like some of the seasoned adults at church when they speak of computers. “I don’t know nothing about ‘em, and don’t want to learn!” Amen, on Tweating.

Let me ask you; are "Twitters" egomaniacs that think that I really care that they just ate lunch, or are they so consumed with their consumer electronics that they must justify the thirty bucks a month they pay for their Media ad-ons by updating their status sixteen times a day? Where do you people work!? How do you have time to tap out sixteen status updates on that wee little keyboard? In either case, Leave Me The Heck Alone! Tweat to some one who has time to read a bajillion texts a day! And let me tell you, that ain’t me!

Here are a few reasons I feel blessed:

1) This is the day the Lord has made.

2) I will rejoice and be glad in it.

3) I ministered to a family today, (a group of siblings) that made the toughest decision of their adult lives. Details can be spared, but I spent my day at a nursing home. It was heartbreaking all around. In the midst of the anguish; however, we all laughed as their mother relished in her talking teddy bear. It was a beautiful moment of levity in a stress filled day. And I silently thanked Jehovah Jireh, the Lord Who Provides, for that blessed moment.


Thank Him always,
for everything,
for He is worthy!

Tweeting

I am considering starting to tweet. Or, twitter. Is the verb form Tweeting or Twittering? I really believe in my heart of hearts that people care that I am going to bed. Or that I’m watching The Bachelorette. Well, typing while Patty watches the Bachelorette. But you understand. I saw on their website that BP was Tweeting from the convention. Wow. Next, Jerry Vines will be tweeting. Then I must have twitter.

Hmmmmmm. Maybe not

Well…TTFN

Junk Mail

Jesus said, “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” (Luke 6:31)


A version of the Golden Rule is found in the scriptures of at least seven major world religions and in the ethical teachings of scores of great philosophers throughout history. The one major difference is Jesus puts this statement in to a positive context, rather than negative.

In-other-words, Jesus says treat others how you want them to treat you, whereas other religions place it in the negative, treat others how they have already treated you. Even so, it is considered the simplest statement of ethics ever conceived. Its widespread acceptance speaks of a universal truth—people just want to be treated like people.

The human dimension is fast disappearing from much of humanity. Our existence is now defined as a series of numbers - Social Security, bank account, license plate, driver's license, credit card, church tithing envelope number. We get telemarketing calls from computers. We belong to social networks in order to keep current with friends...a very depersonalized way of staying in touch. We email, facebook, myspace, text, twitter, tweat...ok, maybe I made that last one up. And, perhaps the greatest insult is that our genetic makeup is being mapped. Can you imagine me being cloned?! Woo boy. That’s all we need is a bunch of me’s running around. All though...a couple of extra you’s would help with the BIP this Sunday! Nonetheless, all that makes us truly human - spirit, soul, and the image of God - is being replaced by bits and bytes of digital information.

The illustrations may be new, but the tendency to treat people like objects isn't. Even Jesus' disciples were more concerned about using a blind man as a theological case study than they were about his need to be healed (see John 9:2). How do you see people? When you relate to them, is it to meet your needs or theirs? Have you put the Golden Rule into practice this week? Cassatt, Camden, Columbia, and for that matter our country, could use a little more “golden ruling!”

I hate junk mail. (Can preachers say hate?) Most of it ends up in the round file pretty quick. Last week I had a letter from Bestbuy. Typical junk coupons, I thought. “50% off. On package of chewing gum with a $500 purchase.” But I opened it anyway. It was a ten dollar gift card. Not a coupon. As good as cash. I had to think, do I treat people like I treat junk mail? Do you? Do we cast them away before we know what is on the inside? As you look through your mail box and sort out the unsolicited junk mail, be wary. If all that electronic wizardry makes you feel depersonalized, be careful; you may be treating others the same way.

Food for thought,

Steve