Monthly Archives: August 2008

Words from Mark Palmer

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candleflame In the spring of 2007 I attended an event at Vineyard Central in Norwood, Ohio.  One of the purposes of this gathering was to celebrate the lives of two of the church’s members who had died in the year past.  Though I never had the honor of meeting either man, someone shared a quote from Mark Palmer that really stood out for me that weekend.  This past March, Kevin Rains, of Vineyard Central published the quote in his blog (link is below) that reminded me of what I had heard over 18 months ago. The words still speak strongly to me.  Maybe they will to you as well.

“When it seems that hopefulness is the least appropriate response in this situation, let it rise up even more. Whisper your hope when you lie down at night; scream your hope when you wake in the morning. Live your hope as if it is the one and only thing that sustains you in this ravaged world. You will not be disappointed.”

Palmer’s words was originally published by rains628 on 19 March 2008.

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Six Things I Love About The Opera Browser

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Lately I am trying to go through some of the drafts I have saved for posting on my blog, so many of the posts that will appear over the next few days will result from that attempt.  I start with just such an article about the Opera Browser.  Since anyone who reads this blog knows I am a big fan of the Opera Browser, I thought I would repost some of what Laurence John of makeuseof had to say about Opera now being his favorite browser (see link to his full article below).

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Starting as a research project in 1994, Opera has been responsible for some world changing innovations (think tabbed browsing) and yet never seemed to achieve the kind of success it deserved.

But this isn’t a history lesson, it’s an article on a few of the killer features of Opera that keep me using it each day. I use Firefox and Flock pretty frequently as well, but Opera, as of version 9.5 has become my favourite.

 

1. The Interface

Opera 9.5 introduced what I think is a fantastic new interface and theme which is both attractive, useful and unique.  [In addition] a ‘recycle bin’ has been added to the end of the tab bar and provides a list of recently closed tabs. Again, simple and useful. I find myself needing to use it all the time, and it’s a lot quicker then having look through the browsing history.

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2. Speed Dial

What can I say about Speed Dial? 

It’s one of those things like tabbed browsing, so simple that you wonder why no one did it before, and yet so useful you would hate to be without it.  Speed Dial is just so simple, point, click, add: instant access… add that to the easy to use interface and page loading speed and you have a winner.

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3. Bit-Torrent and Download Manager

Opera has a simple Bit-torrent manager as well as an enhanced Download manager, significantly better then you’ll find in either Internet Explorer 7 (With the IE Pro add-on) or Firefox 3.

4. Saved Sessions

Just close Opera safe in the knowledge you can come back later and resume where you left off. And yes, I know Firefox 3 has this now as well, but that doesn’t diminish its usefulness in Opera and I like it.

5. Mail Client

The Opera Mail Client is under-rated in my opinion as it really is quite useful, particularly with 9.5’s general update and improved Gmail integration.

As you know Gmail provides free Pop3 and SMTP access, which makes using Opera Mail all the more useful as you can use it either as an offline client like you’re used to, or as a way to access mail through SMTP and not have to reload the Gmail web interface whenever you use your email.

To get the most out of this feature I suggest using it in conjunction with Opera Link, another feature which will synchronise your Opera profile across multiple locations including desktop versions and mobile devices.

6. Search, History and Indexing

All pages you’ve visited are now indexed and you can search based on any word or subject you remember being vaguely associated with the page you visited.

(By) Laurence John was born naked, screaming and utterly helpless at some point in the last century. He currently blogs about heroic failures and the development of Windows 7.

Some of the comments on this article also pointed other useful features of Opera, including:

  • Mouse Gestures- probably the neatest most unique feature. I couldn’t open a tab any other way now. I love this feature! Moving up in a URL level with a simple gesture, very neat.
  • Paste and Go, seems small and simple, but handy
  • Copy to Note, perfect to keep track of bill pay confirmations, shipping numbers…
  • Smart zoom
  • Fastest rendering speed among ie6/7, maxthon, even firefox 3

Now I realize that many of the features above can be had in firefox through the use of extensions, but the fact is that Opera has most of the functionality of many firefox extensions already built into it’s interface.  It is the most complete browser right out of the box, so to speak.  And for me, the built-in mail client has often been a lifesaver for those few times when I am not connected to the internet.  The speed at which Opera searches emails is amazing as well. 

If you haven’t tried Opera, I highly recommend that you do.  You can download Opera here.

The article Six Things I Love About The Opera Browser was posted by Laurence John on 17 July 2008.

Today’s Poem: The Lies We Tell Each Other

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What follows is one of my favorites of Shakespeare’s sonnets.  The title above is the only thing in this post that is mine.

CXXXVIII

When my love swears that she is made of truth,
I do believe her though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutor’d youth,
Unlearned in the world’s false subtleties.
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
Although she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue:
On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed:
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
O! love’s best habit is in seeming trust,
And age in love, loves not to have years told:
Therefore I lie with her, and she with me,
And in our faults by lies we flatter’d be.

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“Tears” by Frederick Buechner

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1877_346839546_man_20crying_1__H120751_L Jan, at Yearning for God (see link below), recently quoted Frederick Buechner (one of my favorite writers) on the subject of tears:

“You never know what may cause tears. The sight of the Atlantic Ocean can do it, or a piece of music, or a face you’ve never seen before. A pair of somebody’s old shoes can do it. Almost any movie made before the great sadness that came over the world after the the Second World War, a horse cantering across a meadow, the high school basketball team running out onto the gym floor at the start of a game. You can never be sure. But of this you can be sure. Whenever you find tears in your eyes, especially unexpected tears, it is well to pay the closest attention.

“They are not only telling you something about the secret of who you are, but more often than not God is speaking to you through them of the mystery of where you have come from and is summoning you to where, if your soul is to be saved, you should go to next.”

I am sure I have read this quote in the past, since I have read almost everything Buechner has written, but I don’t remember reading it.  Nevertheless, Jan’s quoting of it has caused me to reflect off and on about Buechner’s words for almost three months.

You see, by nature, tears come easily to me, perhaps too easily.  I have found myself tearing up when reading a book, watching a TV show or movie, or when listening to a particularly stirring piece of music or song.  Even some commercials have brought moisture to my eyes, and I’m not talking just about those hokey holiday ones either.  And so lately I have been asking myself what these tears might say about who I am and what God might be saying to me through them.

In the last few months I have found myself teary-eyed (or more) at the following times or situations:

  • At the end of a romantic comedy when the couple, who, after having gone through the requisite troubles and trials, finally find themselves together despite all the odds against them.
  • When listening to Jim’s last sermon at First United Methodist Church.
  • Watching my daughter perform at the last choral concert of the school year this past June.
  • At the beginning of Obama’s acceptance speech at the DNC last night.
  • While praying for my church.
  • Looking through some of the items in one of my “Memory Boxes.”
  • At the funeral for a church member I really didn’t know all that well.
  • Thinking about my dad and his health, which has not been good this past year.

And these are just some of the times/situations.  I could list quite a few more given the time or inclination.  Now I realize that by now some may thinking that I am a real crybaby, while others may be thinking that this is not very manly of me – to either cry or admit to such, but neither of those “thoughts” trouble me in the least.  Instead, I’d really like to know what it is that these tears are telling me.  Are they telling me that I value my family greatly?  I already know that. That I am a romantic at heart?  Ditto.  That death is pain-full even when it touches us only slightly, or loss is much the same, or that I care about my church and my nation.  Again, ditto, ditto, ditto.

Is there more, though?  Is God speaking to me through my tears, and if so, what is God saying?

“Tears” by Buechner was originally posted by Jan on 03 June 2008

Sleepless in Pottstown

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Okay, it doesn’t have the same ring as “Sleepless in Seattle,” but it is true.  Insomnia has struck again, and so here I am at 2:53 am, wide awake.  I tried to sleep, laying in bed for over an hour, but I could not.  Too many things on my mind, and one big thing especially, that insist on keeping me awake.

Sometimes you just hear something or get some news that troubles you, and that is the case tonight.  I am easily perturbed and upset by things. I wish I was not that way, but I am.  One little thing can ruin my whole day.  I can, for instance, have five people tell me that I preached a good sermon after the services on Sunday, but if one person gives me a hard time about a hymn I picked out, that is what I will take home with me.  I have counseled many a person entering ministry that a thick skin is needed in order to survive . . . . now, if only I could develop one . . .  If only I could let things roll off my back . . .

Oh well.  Until I do, I will be prone to these occasional sleepless nights.  Until I do, I will find myself up at these ungodly hours.  And, until I do, I will no doubt continue to inflict upon you, my gentle readers, these rather pointless blog posts.

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Churches Versus Funeral Homes

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funeral-megeney070316 It is my opinion that over the years many churches and their pastors have allowed funeral homes and directors to take over some of the tasks that only churches should have.  In particular I am talking about the practice of having memorial services, or what we United Methodists call a "Service of Death and Resurrection” in the funeral home rather than in the church.  Now while this may be understandable if a person has no church home or has been inactive in a church for many years, it is simply unacceptable that such services be held in funeral homes when an active church member is involved.

It seems to me that one of the best times for ministry to a family is in the careful planning and conducting of a church service in honor of the deceased.  In a church a true worshipping community can gather, songs of the faith can actually be sung (instead of taped music or hymns being played before or after a service in a funeral home), and the departed’s life can be celebrated in a place that had real meaning for him or her.  And while funeral homes may be familiar and comfortable settings, none of the above statements hold true for them.

As a minister for over 20 years now, I have seen increasing numbers of church members have their funeral services conducted in the funeral homes.  Why?  I don’t know, for sure, but perhaps it has to do with a possible added cost for transporting the coffin to a church for the service.  And I also know as well that some church sanctuaries are located on the second floor of church buildings, making the placement of a coffin in the sanctuary problematic.  But I believe such problems can be solved, and I am of the firm opinion that every active church member should have his or her memorial service in the church where he or she worshipped or prayed.  I encourage my church members to do just that.

I was therefore interested to read a post recently in the GetReligion blog (see link below).  In it a funeral director is suing a priest and the Archdiocese of Louisville for undercutting his business by implementing (or I should say enforcing) rules for conducting funerals in the priest’s parish.  This funeral home is located in Nelson County, Kentucky (the county in which I grew up), and the story was reported on by Pete Smith of the Louisville Courier-Journal, it’s religion reporter.  Smith wrote:

A Nelson County funeral home director is suing the Archdiocese of Louisville and a Roman Catholic priest, whom he accuses of undercutting his business by implementing new rules on conducting funerals at his parish.

The Rev. Jeffrey Leger, pastor of St. Catherine Church in New Haven, put a new policy into effect last month, stipulating that funeral directors can no longer solely plan funerals. Instead, they must now plan them with Leger, who has final say.

The new policy, which Leger outlined in a 10-page letter to funeral directors, strictly enforces church law and liturgical practices that limit such things as the types of readings, music and eulogies at funeral Masses.

Ron Rust, owner of the William R. Rust Funeral Home in New Haven, said the policy will interfere with his longstanding business of coordinating funerals that are held at St. Catherine.

Smith goes on:

In his letter to funeral homes, [Leger] said the purpose of a funeral Mass is to “illumine the mystery of Christian death in light of the risen Christ,” and that everything must focus on the Christian hope of resurrection.

Anything that could distract from that should be avoided, he wrote, adding that eulogies, recorded music and nonbiblical readings such as poetry and letters are forbidden except under limited circumstances.

Such personalized features should take place at the vigil service, typically held the evening before the Mass at either the church or the funeral home, he said.

I particularly like what Mollie Ziegler, the writer at GetReligion, has to say:

It’s the dirty little secret of church life that some funeral directors are responsible for exerting a great deal of power over funeral services. Sometimes that’s a net blessing for the parties involved. Grieving family members don’t always make the best decisions about funerals. But for churches, such as mine, that approach funerals as worship services in which the Word of God is proclaimed in order to comfort those who grieve with hope in the resurrected Christ — meddling from non-members can wreak havoc. I say all this as a descendant of successful funeral home directors on one side of the family and the daughter of a pastor on the other side of the family.

I couldn’t agree with her more. What do you, my gentle readers, think?

The business of death was written by Mollie Ziegler on Thursday, 21 August 2008.

To Speak or Not to Speak

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I started blogging almost three and a half years ago, and the third post I wrote was entitled (at the time) “Deadly Poison.”  It was about the dangers of the tongue and referenced James 3:8.  I was reminded of this post recently by Neil Locke, a new friend I discovered on the nets, when he posted an entry on his own blog titled “Vow of Silence.” In it Neil reflects on his “diarrhea of the mouth,” a disease I have myself, and ponders what it might be like to practice silence as a discipline.  Calling our attention to Cistercian Trappist monasticism, he writes:

While it is certainly a misconception that trappist monks take a “vow of silence” along with their vows of obedience, chastity and poverty, they do place a high value on limiting one’s speech to bare essentials in certain situations, and at certain times of the day. As best as I can understand it, this is an attempt to both cultivate an atmosphere of contemplation, and to practice self-discipline in communication. I imagine it also forces them to be better listeners and reflective thinkers.

To become a better listener and more reflective thinker . . . seems like a noble goal to me.  I know that I am as prone to negative and destructive speech as the next person (maybe even more so), and I’d like to think that I can, with God’s help, become better at watching what I say.   Neil’s post also reminded me of the “Three Gates of Speech” that can be found in many Buddhist and Hindu writings.  These gates of speech are meant to give a person pause before opening his or her mouth and perhaps saying something he or she shouldn’t say.  Before speaking, one should ask three questions:

Is what I’m about to say the truth?

Is what I am about to say kind?

Is what I am about to say necessary?

Only when one can answer these three questions in the affirmative, thus going through the three gates of speech, does one open his or her mouth to say something.

Needless to say (but I will say it anyway, because that’s how I am), practicing such a discipline would drastically cut down on all the noise and chatter around us.  It would also drastically reduce the negativity common in everyday conversation.  The only trouble I see with using these gates of speech as a kind of filter is that a lot of us might be left without anything to say at all.

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You can read more about the Three Gates of Speech on Sally Kempton’s website, which can be found here.

The Church as a Prostitute

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In a recent post on Emergent Self, Judith Hougen wrote:

Some years ago I sat at a sidewalk cafe with Barry, a pastor from San Francisco, during a break at a spiritual formation conference in Denver. I was interviewing him for a phantom book project. I sipped iced tea and described to him my ideas for the book and reported the results of the Barna survey [in which] . . . evangelicals scored just above prostitutes as a favorable group, his initial laughter lapsed into sober reflection. Barry can get this Buddha-like look, and you know something profound is on the way.

Finally, he leaned across the table and said, “One reason we’re right next to the prostitutes is that we’re in the same business. We don’t offer love, we offer services. We look good but we don’t know how to love and, unfortunately, society will settle for that to get what they think they need.”

“We don’t offer love, we offer services.”  Now that is a powerful indictment of the Church, if it is true, and unfortunately, in my experience, this is true for many congregations.  Churches become the place to go if you need to get a baby done (baptism), a beautiful setting for a wedding, or a place to view the recently deceased besides the funeral parlor. Many churches also provide their members with services like pastoral counseling, fellowship opportunities, and comfortable, non-confrontational worship for little or no cost.  And many people now treat congregations as just another shopping experience, seeking the church that best meets their needs.

Some, not allm but some successful churches are those who have learned to prostitute themselves to consumers looking for best value for their tithing or offering dollars.  And if love – the preaching, teaching and practice of love – has anything to do with congregational life, it does so only secondarily to the overwhelming need the church has for new participants and their much needed money.  I cannot tell you how many meetings I have endured in which the primary conversation was centered on this question: “How can we attract new members to our church?”  And why does this question come up?  Only because the church in question needs these new people and their money in order to survive.

It’s like the Church has a bad habit it needs to feed, and in order to keep getting its fix, new infusions of cash are necessary to score the drugs.  And in the church’s case the habit primarily has to do with maintaining itself and especially its building(s).

I have no desire to see this charade in my ministry or in the ministry of any church with which I am involved.  From now on conversations that start with "how can we we get new members/money into the door?" will be shifted to "How can we show the love of Jesus to those around us?"  Rather than being a love-less provider of services, I want the Church to share the love of Christ in as many ways as is humanly possible.

In short, we need to stop prostituting ourselves and start giving ourselves away. Those, at least, are my thoughts for today.  What do you think?

Thanks for Sonja Andrews for pointing the blog post above a "tweet" yesterday on Twitter.  You can read Sonja’s blog here.