Farewell William F. Buckley, Jr.

God bless William F. Buckley, Jr. (1925-2008).

William F. Buckley, Jr. died this morning, at his desk, in his study, at his home in Stamford, Connecticut. Buckley was one of the most fascinating political figures of the 20th century, and he is largely responsible for founding the "modern conservative movement". His work, along with Russell Kirk's brilliant 1953 book The Conservative Mind, gave political conservatism in America an intellectual foundation which had been largely lacking previously. Buckley's impact on American politics simply cannot be overstated.

I first encountered Buckley's work in college, reading his brief 1961 book Up from Liberalism. I found the book intriguing not only because of Buckley's famed masterful use of the English language, but because he engaged the political opinions held by Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the patron saints of 20th century American liberalism, without attacking her personally. It occurred to me that Buckley was a true rarity in today's world; he was a gentleman.

Through books (like 1951's God and Man at Yale, a prophetic indictment of American higher education which has only been proven more correct in the ensuing years), magazine commentaries (he founded National Review in 1955), and television appearances (such as PBS' Firing Line and frequent guest spots on The Tonight Show with his friend Johnny Carson), Buckley spread his brand of political conservatism from coast to coast, becoming a tremendous influence on important figures such as Irving Kristol, Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan, Jeane Kirkpatrick, and Rush Limbaugh, among others. He believed in giving as much power as possible to people rather than the state, and that in every meaningful area of life, one's character and personal integrity matters.

Four things have always impressed me about William F. Buckley, Jr.

First, I was always dazzled by his eloquence, both onscreen and in print.

Second, he was apparently a devoted Roman Catholic who faithfully attended Mass, and whose political beliefs sprung from his faith, not simply from his own experience. I wish we had more Americans who took their faith as seriously.

Third, his basic political opinions helped form my own. I believe wholeheartedly in having "checks" on institutions in order to prevent too much concentrated power, and keeping taxes low and people of integrity in place seem excellent ways of doing just that.

Fourth, he was a real "renaissance man". Though best known as a political philosopher, he was a talented musician, a best selling novelist, CIA agent, and a first rate celebrity, who was always able to laugh at himself. I love the idea of being involved in - and perhaps even good at - several things.

America is better for having had William F. Buckley, Jr. as a citizen; the Church is better for having him as a servant and a model of piety. His legacy will last for decades to come.

Farewell Myron Cope

God bless Myron Cope (1929-2008).

Myron Cope died this morning in Mt. Lebanon, PA. Western Pennsylvanians will surely know Myron as the longtime radio "voice of the Steelers", the man who created the "Terrible Towel", and a man who was as much a fixture of the "Steelers Nation" as the Rooney family and the old steel mills.

Myron was an award-winning journalist for Sports Illustrated but really rose to fame announcing Steelers games in the 1970s. He was an integral part of the Steelers mythos as they won four Super Bowls in that era, becoming the greatest dynasty in NFL history. He is as important to the pride of Pittsburgh as Gene Kelly, Fred Rogers, Andy Warhol, and August Wilson, and (almost) as important a figure in Pittsburgh sports as Terry Bradshaw, Mean Joe Greene, Chuck Noll, Roberto Clemente, and Mario Lemieux. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2005, the same year he received the Pete Rozelle Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game.

"He doesn't play, he doesn't put on a pair of pads, but he's revered probably as much or more in Pittsburgh than Franco, all the guys," said Jerome Bettis. "Everybody probably remembers Myron more than the greatest players, and that's an incredible compliment."

Like many Steelers fans, I often watched the TV broadcast of the games with the volume turned down, turning to Myron on the radio to get a more "authentic" Steelers experience. His retirement a few years ago was a sad day. I'm glad my kids got to hear Myron a bit before he retired; his voice, antics, and personality are a part of my childhood I'll treasure. Hearing his voice still takes me back. Today is a sad day for the Steelers Nation.

New Banner by Kate

On the left of my image:
Marvin Gaye, Martin Luther King, Johnny Cash, Chewbacca, John Wesley, Thomas Oden, John Howard Yoder, Jack Ham, Hawkman, The Beatles, Albert Outler, Theodore Roosevelt, Athanasius, William Shatner

On the right of my image:
Richard Allen, Augustine, Fanny Crosby, Charles Wesley, Bob Zilhaver, The Monkees, Bob Dylan, Cornelius, Bono, Francis Asbury, Hugo Grotius, John Wayne, Thomas Coke, Marva Dawn, N.T. Wright, William Willimon, Thomas Cranmer, Ronald Reagan, Stanley Hauerwas

Thanks, Kate. Nice Sunday afternoon project.

A Valentine

"An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life...
She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy...
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness
is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
'Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.'
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates."

- from Proverbs 31:10-31 (ESV)

One Kind of Folks

I have been disturbed by some of the political coverage regarding the Democrat presidential nomination. I haven't followed it all very intently, but as I write this, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama seem to be in a "virtual tie", with Sen. Obama holding a slight edge in the number of delegates needed to claim the nomination.

Sen. Obama is a decent man with a sincere faith in Christ; he also overflows with charisma and is one of the most inspiring American politicians perhaps since Ronald Reagan. I disagree with his stated positions on several issues, but I think he might make a fine national leader (as I've posted before, a candidate's personal character ought to be a key reason for support or non-support, and Sen. Obama seems be a man of integrity). I may well end up voting for him in November (I haven't yet decided; November's a long way off).

What bothers me is the way in which "the race issue" has been portrayed in the media.

Some analysts have said that many are voting for Sen. Obama because of his race; some may be rejecting him for the same reason. Some analysts have been echoing familiar words, saying that people are (or should be) voting for the Illinois senator because "it's time" to have an African-American president.

In short, their data suggests that some people are voting for Sen. Obama just because of race.

Hearing that, I was reminded of Annual Conference last year. As we were getting near the end of the voting for General Conference delegates, it occurred to some attentive folks that our delegation was - so far - all white. It seemed that clergy were voting for representatives largely based on theology, rather than race. More than once, I heard well meaning sisters and brothers say, "We need to have a person of color on our delegation."

While I certainly support diversity, the questions in my mind became:

"What if the only candidates of color have theological commitments with which I'm uncomfortable?"

"What if we have no appropriate candidates of color?"

"Should we vote for someone just because of their race?"

"Is inclusiveness now such an important theological issue that it may even trump historic Wesleyan doctrines such as, for example, Incarnation or holiness?"

I posted these words last June:

"If we fail to be racially inclusive, we fail to be the Church. This is not a political matter; it is a spiritual and theological matter. But, is inclusivity a greater concern than, say, doctrinal faithfulness, or effective leadership, or relational gifts? Inclusiveness is a part of orthopraxy; it surely does not comprise the totality of orthopraxy."

Mind you, the sisters and brothers who were concerned about race are good people. They are fine pastors who do excellent work. But, I still wondered if it was appropriate to vote for someone just because of race.

Isn't that the same sin as rejection because of race?

"Racism: Discrimination or prejudice based on race."
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

So, to discriminate based on race is, by definition, racism.

"Discrimination: Treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit."
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

The problem becomes obvious. In our well-meaning efforts to fight institutional racism, which is very real, and exists both in secular government and in the Church, we may sometimes act in ways that could be deemed racist.

In our efforts to fight this sin, in both Church and society, have we made the mistake of practicing the sin?

That's my fear.

I often think about and refer to the great words of Martin Luther King:

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Do we dishonor King's legacy when we judge someone - well or poorly - by the color of their skin? Shouldn't character (and, in the Church, theology) have more to do with it?

One of Robyn's favorite books (and it's a favorite for our son Christian, as well) is the classic To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. There's a quote in the book that sticks with me as I think about judging or voting based on race:

“I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.”

A beautiful statement. How true it is. Can we get past the politics of race and judge by character (and, in the Church, theological commitments)? Should we? Or does the notion of "inclusiveness", which isn't bad or incorrect, eclipse the imperative to judge based on merit, character, and, when appropriate, policy or theology?

My prayer is that Americans ask themselves these questions throughout this election year. I'd like the next president to be elected because he or she is viewed by the people as having the highest integrity and best ideas of all the candidates in the field. I'd like our Conference in the future to vote openly, without anonymous letters crafted out of fear of bureaucratic reprisals, without "discernment processes" designed to elect any particular delegation. I'd like us to have the confidence and assurance and love to openly talk about "hot button issues" like theology and sex, trusting one another to practice prayerful discernment when we cast our votes.

My prayer is that we can celebrate race without fear. I am proud of my Scottish heritage; I am certain that Sen. Obama is equally proud of his own heritage.

I remember the words of Bishop Thomas Bickerton at our Annual Conference last June:

"I love you. I love you when I like you, and when I don’t like you. I love you when I agree with you and when I don’t. I love you when you lift me up and when you make me hurt. This is at the center of my theology.”

May these words resonate in the Church in 2008, regarding race and other equally difficult issues. And, through love, may we finally come to the place where we recognize that there is truly only "one kind of folks".

It Don't Mean a Thing If You Ain't Got That Ring

For weeks - no, months - football fans and analysts have been trying to determine the place in history held by the 2007 Patriots, who earned an undefeated regular season, as well as the legacy of the current Patriots dynasty.

Quarterback Tom Brady, the best football player in the world this season, needed one more Super Bowl ring to tie Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana and be considered probably one of the two or three best ever to play the game.

Head Coach Bill Belichick, the Darth Vader of football, needed one more ring to tie Chuck Noll for most all-time Super Bowl victories.

Wide receiver Randy Moss needed a ring to finally claim the mantle of undisputed best of his generation.

Nearly everyone predicted a Patriots victory; my guess was 42-13.

What a pointless waste.

God bless the New York Giants, who came to play, and really shocked the sports world. It was the greatest upset in the history of professional sports. Peyton Manning's little brother Eli deserved MVP honors, and could have shared it with the phenomenal Giants defense, which kept Brady and Moss from making any big plays.

A few thoughts:

* I'm so tired of a lip synced national anthem. Boo, hiss. Shame on Jordin Sparks (and her handlers).

* Belichick's red hoodie didn't bother me as much as his continual bad attitude. I agree with one analyst who said that no matter what Belichick does, he always seems to be giving the NFL the middle finger.

* The Giants coaching staff called one heck of a game.

* Troy Aikman has become one of the best analysts out there. Working with Joe Buck, who always calls a good game, it was one of the more bearable Super Bowls in terms of broadcasting.

* Alicia Keys gave a terrific pre-game show; Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ROCKED at halftime. I've seen Tom Petty live, and he always gives a great show. He'll be in Pittsburgh on June 10, just before Annual Conference. Anyone else want to go?

* It was great to see Peyton at the game, cheering on Eli. A true match-up of the NFL's best would mean that for most of this decade, we'd have been watching Brady vs. Manning. This is as close as we'll ever get to seeing that Super Bowl.

* Tom Brady is still one of the all-time best, and the Patriots may yet win another Super Bowl or two. But the opportunity for them to go 19-0 won't happen again; they choked, and got beaten up by a Giants team with way less talent, but way more heart.

New Church Start

Eighth Avenue Place is a new faith community in nearby Homestead, PA. The pastor is a fellow Pittsburgh Seminary alum named Keith Kaufold, a former Jumonville staffer who, Lord willing, will become a Probationary Elder (what a horrible designation!) at Annual Conference in June.

This "new church start" is unique in our Annual Conference.

First, it's not a "church" in any traditionalist sense; it's a coffee shop. This is a place where people come together throughout the week to drink coffee, tea, and cocoa, play Uno, read the Bible together, listen to (and play) music, and talk. Located next to the Homestead Grays Bridge on the main drag in Homestead (not far from The Waterfront, where Robyn works), it's a great place to go and just "hang out" in a safe environment where everyone is accepted and all views are respected.

Second, Homestead is a community which is almost split 50/50 in terms of racial demographics. In spite of this, folks share a historic mistrust of one another. Given our Conference's near abandonment of the inner city and the fact that we've done little toward strengthening the African-American Church (which is on life support in our Conference), this could be a crucial place to reach a precious group of people we have been ignoring for some time; we can finally do more than just talk about racial reconciliation. I've been there; I can tell you that more is done in an hour toward racial reconciliation at Eighth Avenue Place than in a year of Conference meetings. This is real ministry. Keith has actually done more toward racial reconciliation in the last few months than probably any of our pastors, including myself (shame on me).

Third, Keith is an all-around good egg. When he shares his vision, it becomes immediately clear that he is a PTS grad. I've found that PTS grads, more than any other seminary represented in Western PA Conference, are driven by Christological concerns (this is, no doubt, largely due to the Pittsburgh presence of Andrew Purves, a driving force behind the Christological revival in the Presbyterian Church and throughout the American Mainline..."the Presbyterian Thomas Oden", if you will; Dale Allison, one of the top Jesus scholars of the moment; and Scott Sunquist, one of today's leading missiologists, who has a strong Christological focus). PTS grads also tend to be our strongest Wesleyans, but that's another post for another day.

Keith's vision is very deliberately Christologically driven, and he is quite serious about living out Incarnational doctrine, not simply affirming it in creeds or in paperwork. He has a real passion for sharing Jesus with the poor, the lost, and those who don't realize how important they are to God. It's a wonderful vision to have.

I would urge the readers of this blog (all two of you) to keep Keith and Eighth Avenue Place lifted up in prayer. I urge you to look into ways you could support this new ministry. I urge you to consider visiting the next time you're in Pittsburgh; they're open for coffee from 6 AM till about 9 PM. I also encourage those of you who are pastors in our Conference to vote for Keith when he appears before the Clergy Session this June. And buy him a cup of coffee in Grove City.

5 Most Played on My iPod right now

Just for fun...

#1 - "Here Comes the Sun (live)" by George Harrison

#2 (tie) - "Nowhere Man"
by the Beatles,
"There She Goes Again"
by the La's

#3 (tie) - "God Only Knows"
by the Beach Boys,
"God's Gonna Cut You Down" by Johnny Cash,
"You Know I'm No Good"
by Amy Winehouse

#4 - "Mama Kin" by Aerosmith

#5 (tie) - "I Feel Fine" by the Beatles,
"Only A Pawn in Their Game" by Bob Dylan

Being Jesus

Today, I had the privilege of visiting seven people in area hospitals. Normally, I'd try to spread that out over a few days, but with the intestinal flu running rampant in the McIlwain household this week, that became impossible.

I started the marathon, I believe, in an exceedingly good mood, and really felt God's empowering grace as I represented the Church at Allegheny General Hospital and then Montefiore Hospital, and eventually Jefferson Hospital. I have to confess, though, that as time went on, I became more and more irritable, and God's ever-present grace began to feel in short supply. By the time my last few visits came around, I did my best to proclaim the loving presence of Christ even as I was thinking, "Lord, get me home. Amen."

And then the power of the words I was sharing hit me. Hard. I was sharing with most of the patients the Gospel selection in the week's lectionary readings, which is also serving as my primary text this Sunday.

"'...the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.' From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" - Matthew 4:16-17 (ESV)

Certainly, Jesus is the Light of lights, and the Gospel prophetically quotes a passage from Isaiah which (in part, at least) looked ahead to the coming of the Messiah, who would bring light into the darkness of this broken world. Light in darkness, then, is (again, in part) the coming of the kingdom of heaven.

In a more immediate way, as a representative of Christ's Holy Church in those hospital rooms, I was also a light, for most of the wonderful people with whom I spent time were in their own kind of darkness...the darkness of disease, illness, and an uncertain tomorrow. They needed to know that in the midst of their darkness, they were loved - not simply by Pastor Keith, but by a living, sovereign God. They needed to experience the kingdom of heaven.

When I finally got back to the office, I looked up a marked passage in a favorite book to which I return often.

"However important other tasks of ministry may seem - sermons, committees, administrative planning, social service - a significant claim upon the pastor's time is the immediate sufferer. Even if the task at times becomes burdensome or distasteful or irksome, visitation of the sick remains a primary duty of representative ministry. Based on the example of Jesus, reinforced by the ordination commission and by centuries of social expectation, the pastor is ill advised to neglect this ministry." - Thomas C. Oden, Pastoral Theology (1983), p. 253

That's when I heard myself. I have said - I've actually spoken aloud - words something like, "I wish folks would recognize that my job as the pastor is not to be the 'visitor-in-chief', but to equip the saints to do ministry and to raise up leaders for the Church."

I remembered my words, and I felt ashamed.

It is absolutely true that my job as pastor is to equip the saints to do ministry and to raise up leaders, and my visitations do not in any way relieve the laity of their own responsibility to visit the sick. But any leader must lead first by example. And, to the kind sisters and brothers I was blessed to visit today, I was a light in their darkness, announcing the inbreaking of the heavenly kingdom. For these beloved souls, for one brief moment, I was Jesus.

How dare I make light of this transformative moment of grace! How dare I deceive myself into thinking that other acts of ministry are simply more important! How dare I allow myself to grow so cynical that I diminish the importance of pastoral visitation!

I'm relieved that the Gospel passage I was sharing concludes with Jesus' call to repent. I need a little of that today. I need some penitence, and need to kneel before my Lord in a sincerely contrite manner.

May God forgive me for ever losing sight of who I am, to what I am called, and what ministry in Jesus' name is truly about.

Ramblings on Psalm 40

"I waited patiently for the LORD;
he inclined to me
and heard my cry.

"He drew me up
from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the LORD."

- Psalm 40:1-3 (ESV)

Psalm 40 is one of my favorite psalms. It is a song of deliverance from "the miry bog".

A bog is a poorly drained place where dead things have accumulated. Typically, bogs reek of decay, service mosquitoes and similar nasties, and are generally not very pleasant places to visit.

How often I get stuck in the muddy bogs of this life! In many ways a typical male, I hesitate to ask for (or sometimes even to follow) directions, and often end up stuck, surrounded by death and decay. I even try to slog through the bog, believing that by my own strength and abilities, I'll be able to navigate my way to freedom.

The truth is that the Lord is perfectly willing to guide me on my journey, and to keep me from the smells and difficulties of the bogs; I need only listen. He anxiously and excitedly awaits for me to follow his lead and copy his own footsteps.

Preparing to preach on this text, I've noted that the Hebrew words the ESV translates as "pit of destruction" can also mean "noisy dungeon". What a wonderfully rich image!

The dungeon or bog in which I get stuck is a place of death, decay...and noise! Distractions abound on this journey. If I am to follow Jesus faithfully, I need to focus on our mission and destination, and not on those things on the periphery which through babel sounds seek to draw my attention elsewhere and lead me onto alternate paths. In order to focus, I need more of Jesus' presence, more of Jesus' grace...more of Jesus.

Perhaps this is why Psalm 40 is linked in the week's lectionary selections to 1 Corinthians 1, which makes the point that Jesus is the One "who will sustain you to the end".

Farewell Omer

I was saddened a few days ago to hear of the passing of Omer Nichols. Omer was a faithful member of First UMC in Greensburg, PA, and I had the privilege to serve as one of his pastors for two years.

In many ways, Omer represented the best of the so-called "Greatest Generation" of Americans. An Army veteran who served in World War II, he returned home to help build essentially a new nation and a new world. He and his sweet wife Jean raised their children and became very active in their community.

More importantly, in my estimation, Omer was extremely active in Church life. A devoted member and longtime Lay Leader of First church, he served in a variety of roles through the years. He ran the lay speaking school in Greensburg District seemingly since the dawn of time, and also served as the director of Conference lay speaking. Omer was elected by his peers to attend General Conference and Jurisdictional Conference on more than one occasion. He was committed to traditional Christian orthodoxy and orthopraxy, and represented our Conference well. He was a hard worker in every area of his life.

Personally, Omer was a real friend to me during a very difficult time. He often came into my office and reassured me and affirmed my ministry. In many ways, he was a "grumpy old man", and he would likely have admitted that, but that never kept him from letting me know that he appreciated me and my family. On some days, he kept me going when I was ready to pack it in.

Omer's passing is a loss for our Conference and certainly for First church, and especially for Jean. I thank God today for Omer's ministry, and I recognize that I am a part of his legacy.

That's how it works, isn't it? When a saint moves on to glory, those of us who have been touched by their ministry take a little of them with us. So, through me, and through many others (including, perhaps, some readers of this blog), Omer's ministry will continue every time I hug my children or share food with the hungry or proclaim orthodoxy or hold the hand of a dying servant.

I praise the Lord for Omer and for the many saints who have entered the Church Triumphant, who have touched me and helped form me, and who continue to be a blessing through what I do; I pray for Jean and her family, that they would know comfort, peace, and the presence of the living God during this time; I look forward to seeing my friend Omer again someday, and thanking him for his faithful ministry to me.

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Holiday Cell phone shots

Randy Costolo, pastor of the Hopwood/Brownfield UM Charge
and brother in Christ

John (elf), Paul (Rudolph), Ringo (Santa), George (angel)
- from my brother's wall

Church sign

For whom should we vote?

Today, the Iowa Caucuses officially launch the 2008 U.S. Presidential campaigns. Of course, some of the candidates have been actively campaigning for a year or more; some have really been campaigning for years.

I'm really not looking forward to the 2008 campaign. These things tend to be so bitter and so divisive that it's next to impossible for the victor to establish any mandate or build any unity. Four years ago, even the sacrament of Holy Communion was actually tossed around as a potential weapon when it was suggested that John Kerry be barred from communing because of his support for legal abortion; I still find that suggestion absolutely appalling. I actually posted briefly about it last year.

How do we as Christians make a choice between candidates? This can be especially difficult if no candidate shares 100% of our views. There are lots of important issues; are some more important than others? Should we weigh some more than others? It's tough.

Years ago, I came to the realization that the likelihood of finding a viable candidate with whom I agreed on all of the important issues was next to impossible. I often seem to be a liberal among conservatives and a conservative among liberals. That's hard to find on the national scene, at least in terms of viable candidates for the presidency.

I am politically liberal enough to oppose capital punishment and war (anytime, anywhere), to support radical gun control and the fight against poverty and HIV/AIDS (not that we as a people have done well in these areas), and to believe that education is a key issue in this world. I am politically conservative enough to oppose abortion, racial quotas (which is, to me , simply racism that we feel good about), and to believe that lowering taxes is a good thing which ultimately helps the economy as well as the poor (at least in theory). Neither side seems to me to be particularly strong on human rights, which should embarrass this nation to no end. Both sides tend to demonize their opposition, most recently the sinful, sub-Christian hate we see directed daily at President Bush from the Left; the Right hasn't been much kinder regarding, say, the Clintons.

How do we then wade through all the crap to determine which candidates are worthy of our support?

While we need to take many issues seriously, in my view there is one issue which trumps the rest. That issue is character. Politico Peggy Noonan said it well:

"In a president, character is everything. A president doesn't have to be brilliant...He doesn't have to be clever; you can hire clever...You can hire pragmatic, and you can buy and bring in policy wonks. But you can't buy courage and decency, you can't rent a strong moral sense. A president must bring those things with him...He needs to have, in that much maligned word, but a good one nonetheless, a 'vision' of the future he wishes to create.. But a vision is worth little if a president doesn't have the character - the courage and heart - to see it through."

Too true. Booker T. Washington once said, "Character is power." Richard Nixon once spoke words which came back to haunt him, saying, "Character is the most important qualification the President of the United States can have." One of my all-time favorite quotes comes from Martin Luther King: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Incidentally, isn't all that true of Church leadership as well?

A key method of determining someone's personal character, in my view, has to do with the marriage covenant. I believe this to be the most important promise we make this side of heaven. Conservative writer Marvin Olasky said it well in his book The American Leadership Tradition (p. 270):

"Reverence toward God does not confer the ability to have a successful presidency; look at Jimmy Carter. Faithfulness to a wife is no guarantee of faithfulness to the country; look at...Richard Nixon. Faithlessness in both areas, however, is a leading indicator of trouble. Small betrayals in marriage generally lead to larger betrayals, and leaders who break a large vow to one person find it easy to break relatively small vows to millions."

Personal character is, for me, the #1 issue in any campaign. I tend to vote for the candidate whom I feel wins the "character battle". I especially enjoyed the 2006 Senate race in Pennsylvania, when we had two candidates of excellent character running for office - Roman Catholic warrior hero Rick Santorum and the quieter but equally faithful Bob Casey. It seemed to me that whomever won that race, Pennsylvanians won.

There are several worthwhile candidates running this year, in both major parties. Several seem to be of exemplary character. They are worth a look.

I urge all Christians to make character a key issue in 2008. It is even more important than war, poverty, taxes, the environment, or immigration.

Additionally, we need to be in prayer for the process as it unfolds, that God will raise up and anoint the right person for this job which has such drastic implications. We need to be in prayer for President Bush as well as for the two candidates who will ultimately be vying to succeed him. Regardless of our politics, we should faithfully lift up these people and ask that the Spirit will bless them and, through them, this broken world.

Word Without End

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

- John 1:1-5, 14 (ESV, adapt.)

John 1 is one of the great Christological passages in all of Scripture. Few other passages so concisely proclaim both the divinity of Jesus, who is the Word, as well as his humanity. The baby born on Christmas is a very real, vulnerable human baby...who is also God...the one, true, only God...who created all that there is or ever will be. Good, good stuff.

It's part of the lectionary for Christmas Day, but I'll be preaching from it tomorrow.

I've always been a bit intrigued by verse 5: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." Though the rest of John 1 tells a story from the past, this verse suggests something that's ongoing...that the light that is Jesus Christ is still shining, and the darkness - which is very real - still does not overcome this light.

The familiar liturgical phrase "world without end", taken from the "Gloria Patri", emphasizes the eternal nature of the Holy Trinity, but we can certainly think of Jesus as the "Word Without End", for he never fails us and will be waiting for us at the end of every year and at the end of time, to embrace us and walk with us into eternity.

As I prepare my heart for the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008, I am thanking God for Robyn and our children, our family and friends, our congregation and our home, our Connection and Christ's Holy Church, but, most of all, I am thanking God that Jesus is always near, a light in the darkness, even when I'm having trouble seeing. Have a blessed and fruitful new year!

Emmanuel

"'Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel' (which means, God is with us)."

- Matthew 1:23

Hawkman ROCKS!

The Nativity scene on our mantel.

Merry Christmas; HAVE FUN!

Rerun: Merry Christmas from Harry Reasoner

"The basis for this tremendous annual burst of gift buying and parties and near hysteria is a quiet event that Christians believe actually happened a long time ago. You can say that in all societies there has always been a midwinter festival and that many of the trappings of our Christmas are almost violently pagan. But you come back to the central fact of the day and quietness of Christmas morning - the birth of God on earth.

"It leaves you only three ways of accepting Christmas.

"One is cynically, as a time to make money or endorse the making of it.

"One is graciously, the appropriate attitude for non-Christians, who wish their fellow citizens all the joys to which their beliefs entitle them.

"And the third, of course, is reverently. If this is the anniversary of the appearance of the Lord of the universe in the form of a helpless babe, then it is a very important day.

"It's a startling idea, of course. My guess is that the whole story that a virgin was selected by God to bear His Son as a way of showing His love and concern for man is not an idea that has been popular with theologians. It's a somewhat illogical idea, and theologians like logic almost as much as they like God. It's so revolutionary a thought that it probably could only come from a God that is beyond logic, and beyond theology.

"It has a magnificent appeal. Almost nobody has seen God, and almost nobody has any real idea of what He is like. And the truth is that among men the idea of seeing God suddenly and standing in a very bright light is not necessarily a completely comforting and appealing idea.

"But everyone has seen babies, and most people like them. If God wanted to be loved as well as feared he moved correctly here. If He wanted to know His people as well as rule them, He moved correctly here, for a baby growing up learns all about people. If God wanted to be intimately a part of man, He moved correctly, for the experiences of birth and familyhood are our most intimate and precious experiences.

"So it goes beyond logic. It is either all falsehood or it is the truest thing in the world. It's the story of the great innocence of God the baby - God in the form of man - and has such a dramatic shock toward the heart that if it is not true, for Christians, nothing is true.

"So, if a Christian is touched only once a year, the touching is still worth it, and maybe on some given Christmas, some final quiet morning, the touch will take."

- TV news commentator Harry Reasoner

(quoted in "Illustrations Unlimited",

J.S. Hewett, ed., Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1988,

76-77)

First posted 12/22/06.

TJ State Champions!

Congratulations to the Thomas Jefferson Jaguars football team!

Class AAA PA State Champions 2007!
(Story here.)

Rerun: The Blessings of Commercialization

"'There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see "the Son of Man coming in a cloud" with power and great glory.
Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.'
Then he told them a parable: 'Look at the fig tree and all the trees;
as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near.
So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.'"

- Luke 21:25-31 (NRSV)

Jesus said to be on watch for the signs of the times, because when the signs are "just right", miraculous things will happen.

In Luke 21, he is primarily talking about that glorious Day when he returns to fulfill God's Promise to reconcile all creation to heaven.

But while we wait (sometimes rather impatiently) for the blessed return of Our Lord, we can also look for other signs marking other times, other miraculous seasons, other incredible opportunities to praise Almighty God and to reach out to others.

This is why I don't condemn the commercialization of Christmas, as many do; on the contrary, I revel in it.

Why? Because the signs are all around us! Trees, lights, bows, candles, greens, snow...and the wonderful music! The world is reminded during this time that we are about to commemorate one of history's greatest events, as God became incarnate in human flesh in a grand effort to save the world! (Why we evangelicals don't make a bigger deal out of the date of Jesus' conception is beyond me...so, Christmas it is.)

Because the culture has decided to commercialize Christmas, we are given a great opportunity to share the gospel. Everywhere people look they are faced with the nativity scene...they are reminded in song of the miraculous birth from the womb of a maiden...they must deal with the beautifully powerful message of the greatest and most profound of all Christmas carols, "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing".

So, bring on the bright lights, the cookies, the candy, the presents, the reindeer, and the cocoa by the fire! For at least one more season, the world is faced with an opportunity to meet Jesus in his most vulnerable state - that of a newborn infant - and is given one more opportunity to consider (or ignore) the kenotic miracle of God's love!

Merry Christmas!

First posted 11/30/06.