Love Your what? Neighbor, Not the Church Program...

Just a great picture!

Today started pretty terrible. I won't bore you with the details. But now at days end, the reality of Christ presence and His emphasis on "Love your neighbor as yourself" has woven a much needed refreshing into this soul.

I find at least five times the phrase, "Love your neighbor as yourself" filtered through the hands of the writers of scripture. Then if you were to add the multiple times in which we are simply encouraged to love one another...well suffice it to say...the concept just seems to hold much weight. 

Inhibitions lacking in children...Priceless!

Neighbors, who have been such for over 20 years are in the slow and enduring process of moving. A stroke just days after Christmas 2014 has left a mighty struggle in its path. Ten months later, a new one-story house completed, the packing, downsizing, cleaning and moving becomes just one more chore in a laundry list of such. Stopping by today to check to see if they were ready to move anything else, they looked at me and said "no, but do I know of anyone who might be able to clean the gutters from the Fall leaves". A smile on my face and my head tilted, I looked at them and said, "I think I know someone". Two hours later, with the job done, the refreshing of His Spirit was more strength than I had experienced in days. 

Charley, Miko and ole neighbors...

We, the church, have gobs of 'programs' for even more gobs of needs. And yeah, guess there are a purpose for programs, but sometimes I think we fill our lives with 'programs' when perhaps we should be filling it with 'relationship'. I never want to sit as 'the example', but rather it is my hope to be just another voice to encourage us to simply look around, perhaps even as close as our neighbor only couple doors down, to find the 'relationship' that He is calling us to.

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:8-10 ESV

Mass Shootings...Perhaps the Greatest Answer - Compassion

Oregon…my home for three and half decades. It is a place that I love dearly. Its beauty and variety is simply astounding! Then…

How do I write without bringing attention to ‘the event’ that has brought such incredible pain to the Roseburg earlier this month? My eyes welled up with tears upon hearing of yet another incident. I want to be there to just hold a friend or a loved one who has been so affected. Much has been written about the ‘why this is occurring so much’. I’m not a psychologist. I’m not even a rocket scientist. But I am an observer.

My first observation is that many want to place blame on the guns. Not saying that there may not be room for further appropriate legislation regarding guns...My second observation is that our media goes ballistic (no pun intended) with coverage over these incidents. My third observation is that perhaps the heart of the matter deals more with our treatment to each other. With that...

I observe that perhaps our greatest need is compassion, something that we lack often to one another…Compassion toward our parents, our spouse, our child…Compassion toward our teacher, our fellow student…the bus driver. We need to have compassion toward our neighbor, and his neighbor and his neighbor. We need to have compassion to those we work with, to our subordinates and to those who lead. We need to have compassion on those who look different, those who act different and those that are just different. 

I observe that Jesus Christ did just this. Whether it was Nicodemus or the leper…Whether it was the blind man or his own disciples…Whether it was the Samaritan or the Jew…Whether it was the young or the old…displaying compassion was His priority.

 I observe that those who are producing violent media (in multiple forms) cannot truly have ‘compassion’ as their priority. I observe that way too often how we treat, or are treated by family or friends does not have compassion as its priority. I observe that even the stranger can be so very uncompassionate to another stranger…occurring to old and young alike. 

Remember the old bumper sticker that reads, “Visualize World Peace”. I’m sorry, we can’t just ‘visualize’ it; it has to be lived out. Living out peace and compassion to each one we come in contact with…perhaps this will move us toward the change that we so desperately need. That’s just what I observe.

 Note: What I'm not saying is compassion without justice. No, people bringing this harm to others require justice.

Grandfather...

Richard Lloyd Barnes

Grandfather...A title used since the 1500's to describe the father of your own father or mother. Their pictures are of those with gray, white or receding hair; most smiling, but some stoic and distant; many approachable and encouraging, yet some only a name of a relative seldom encountered; often a teacher, a friend and your number one fan, but others conjure up fear or perhaps no memory at all; there are those who relish their first and every moment, and those so disconnected that not even a photo is part of their possession; many who are the very fabric of the family, yet others, though trying, could only wish they were; those given honor, respect and the head of the table, while some lack honor, are disrespected and even absent from the table; few are mentors never forgotten, while others are simply...sadly forgotten. 

From our multi-connected family I have six such men in my life...Kenneth, the truck driver, whom I would hop aboard his semi four different summers as a child; Ivan, who upon his last days would ask for me; Harold, the namesake of my baby brother; Gordon, one who cherished my maternal grandmother; Robert, my dad's father and Norman my dad's dad. Grandfather’s all, yet the relationship as I heard on October 11th, they were not.

Grandpa Albright

Grandpa Williams

I write this blog today because if ever there was a man who I might choose to emulate as a 'Grandfather', Richard Lloyd Barnes may just be that person. Inspired by his celebration of life service (and it was), we were blessed to hear stories from his twelve grandchildren. And what better source might we have than the children of a man's children to expound upon a grandfather's character?

Grandpa Carter

Grandpa Barnes was many things, but most of all he was there. There to sit with them, to fish and eat with them; to camp and hunt and talk with them; to be at their every party, game or special event; to hold, to love and laugh with them. Yet above all these, Grandpa Barnes was the image of Christ to them. The testimony of the resurrected Christ was foremost in all of their encounters. What greater gift can a grandfather leave upon this earth than these.

Might we...grandfathers...all choose and have similar opportunity to be such for our grandchildren. 

October 8th...What's in a 100 Years?

Much could be said of Boston Red Sox trivia, but I bet you wouldn't have the foggiest on a couple of the following. ..

 In 1912, the Sox would have the privilege to play in their new stadium called Fenway Park and that year go on to win the Fall Classic for their second World Series title. These you may know,  but did you know that the opening of the Park was quite less than the expected fanfare due to a major world event occurring just days prior to their home opener. The event...the sinking of the Titanic.

Friday, October 8, 1915, Baker Bowl Attendance: 19,343,
Time of Game: 1:58 (or 10:58 PST) {Oct 1958}

Beginning in 1912, five out of the next seven years the title would belong to Boston, but one of those was not the Red Sox, but rather the National League Braves.

That both the 1914 and the 1915 series teamed up Boston against Philadelphia. In 1914 the Braves would defeat the Athletics playing their home games in Fenway since their stadium,  'Braves Field' was not complete. The following year, 1915 the Red Sox would defeat the Phillies playing their home games in their National counterpart 'Braves Field' due to a greater sitting capacity in the newly constructed stadium.

That the 1915 Sox had a second year pitcher who would post a 18 and 8 record during the regular season plus lead the team in home runs, yet did not pitch in the series and would only come to the plate for one hitless at bat. The player...Babe Ruth.

Last but not least, 100 years ago today the 1915 World series opened with the Phillies winning their only game of the series. That happens to be 43 years prior to my birth. I'm sure you didn't know that one :) Also, it would be the Phillies last World Series game victory until 65 years later when in 1980 they would win four games against the Royals for their first World Series Championship, becoming the last of the original 16 teams to do so. I'm not even a Phillies fan, but that's a drought :(

So here’s to starting my ‘Heniz’ year. Fifty-seven years old. Forty-three years to 100…hey that’s Richard Petty’s number :)