All those greetings for the holidays? Christ is in EVERY ONE.

Oh good grief.
Yet another screed from a well-meaning but erroneous person who thinks Christ is being disrespected by saying "Seasons Greetings" and "Happy holidays".
Baloney!
Christians! Quit acting like something horrible happens that disrespects Christ when someone says "Seasons Greetings" and "Happy holidays!"
Just stop it! All you display is your own ignorance of your OWN HERITAGE!
Both sayings have been around for hundreds of years AND ARE IN AND OF THEMSELVES DERIVED FROM CHRISTIAN CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS!!
When people think they are being all "diverse" and "inclusive" by saying "Seasons Greetings" and "Happy holidays" they ACTUALLY are HONORING Christ--albeit unintentionally.
Why?
Because the "Seasons" in question are Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, and the holidays are all those feasts in December through Jan. 6!
So relax! Remove the cob and enjoy the holiday season. Say Merry Christmas as much and wherever you like, and when someone says "Seasons Greetings" or "Happy Holiday" YOU can be sure and secure in the knowledge that even if they don't know it, they have honored Jesus Christ the Son of God. So be gracious and say thank you and wish them a Merry Christmas right back!
That is all.

Anniversary

We have entered the temple.
The candles lit,
The incense rising,
All in the presence
Of saints and Our Lord.
Voices chanting,
Father praying,
Hearts trembling,
Before each other
And the church.
The crowns are placed upon our heads.
"Let my prayer arise
In Thy sight as incense."
Aloft soars Otche Nash
Music so sweet,
Yet not half so sweet
As my gift from the Father,
My beloved.
Rings exchanged
And hands clasped,
We dance Isaiah's dance
Thrice around the table,
And then the common cup.
"Lord have mercy upon us."
Not a word we speak,
For if we did not believe,
If we would not commit,
We would not be here:
Our moment of truth.
God ordains,
The church blesses,
We love,
and are man and wife.
In spite of all
With full faith in God's love
And the love you bear me
Even in the depths of your heart:
"With all that I am
And all that I have
I still honor you."

--Kevin Payne, 20 Oct 2013
commemorating 21 Oct 2012 (and 1989)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC9mNVhO2l0&feature=share&list=FL00e3TLeBGRThHVWjnkU6dQ

The dangers of conversation

You don't think conversation is dangerous?

Well let me specify by saying *online* conversation is dangerous.

As many of you know, I am right of center in my beliefs and convictions. I believe (and believe history bears me out) that we move forward as a culture and a nation and a world when we act conservatively with a little push of progressivism to keep us on our toes.

But that's not what I'm wanting to talk about.

The fact is I have friends all across the political spectrum, from waaaaay farther right than me, over by the little mustache mirror and the guns around the train timetable (a dollar to whomever figures out those references, especially the second), to waaaaaay over there on the left, somewhere around the moon or possibly the outer planets (same offer as above).

They are my friends and I value both their friendship and their knowledge. We don't have to agree on everything to be friends. Some of them, even most of them, believe the same and act that way towards me and other friends.

But some seem to take offense whenever I say something "conservative". I get lumped into various nasty namecalling epithets and while I have broad shoulders, it does kind of irk me that I will do them the kindness of listening and trying to understand where they are coming from without saying rude things about them, but they won't do the same for me.

Before we go further, I must admit that this happens with people on either side of me, sitting as I am pretty much in the middle of the road. On the other hand, it seems (and I admit it may be just my faulty perception) to be more virulent and spiteful and just downright mean from over to my left. To my right they can be haughty and cruel, but there's  something special (and I don't mean in a good way) from off to my left.

And that's why I say online conversation is dangerous. Because these things always seem to come from online conversations and not from face to face.

I'm gonna name a name--two actually--so be warned.

Two dear friends are Jim and Kirsten Dewey. We are definitely not on the same page politically. Jim and I can get heated discussing some things but we NEVER resport to name calling and we DO listen to each other. But it's always in person. Well, mostly--Kirsten and I interacdt a lot on Facebook but even there, I guess we're all good enough friends that we may grumble at each other but we manage to hold onto the common ground we share (cats! :) ) and not throw things.

Alas, that does not hold true for all my friends, and I don't know how to change it. Or fix it. Maybe it can't be fixed.

In any event, I find myself treading lightly online, most of the time, and I'm not sure whether I'm being honest or not in doing so. My friends certainly have a right to know where I stand on issues of the day if they want to know, but I don't want to give offense and I'm afraid of doing so if I come on too strong. Plus I *hate* arguing because it makes me mad and when I get mad I get loud and obstreperous. And I don't have enough friends that I can  afford to lose even one because I shot of my mouth.

A problem without a solution, I am afraid. Oh I suppose I could just not go online, but we know that's not going to happen.

I suppose I shall simply have to pray about it, and try to express my points with the kind of gentleness I would want shown to myself, and without an assumption of error on the part of my friends.

A quiet night and a peaceful morning to you all, left, right, center, up and down. If you're off at a diagnoal, yeah, you too. :)

Running behind already

Yikes, I missed posting on Thursday. I guess I'll have to post twice today.

I had a nice dinner time chat Monday evening with a local well-known attorney. Actually I had finished my lasagna just before he came into the eating establishment, and then sat with him while he finished off a plate of delicious-looking spaghetti.

The convo began with a query about my thoughts on healthcare, since I have just completed about $250,000 worth of stents and chemotherapy.

My reply was that I was certainly grateful to have insurance which is covering the vast majority of the cost, but I was still iffy on the whole "government mandates you must, and you can be fined if you don't" bit.

I drew the comparison to car insurance, remarking that there is really no comparison because you can choose not to have a car and therefor not to have car insurance. But you cannot choose not to live (well you can, but that's a different discussion), and thus I find the mandatory nature of healthcare reform to be troubling.

To my surprise, my friend (and I hope I may be privilieged to call him that now) agreed with me to some extent.

From there the conversation turned to a remarkably rapid series of observations and anecdotes, ending (of all places) discussing faith, religion, and committment to discipline (aka the Methodist Book of Discipline, or Orthodox teaching on sacraments such as confession, or communion, and whether or not you could "pick and choose" what you chose to believe and still be a member-in-good-standing of the church or confession of which you purported to be part.

My position was "if you want to be a Rotarian, you have to abide by the rules of Rotary". So if you can't accept the clear teaching of your faith confession, then perhaps you'd better look elsewhere.

At that point we both had places to go, things to do, and in my case a city council meeting to attend. But it was a very pleasant way to pass time, conversing with my friend. I hope we can do it again sometime soon.

Thanks TC!

Ugh

Is there anything worse than a summer cold? Especially when it's so hot outside?

Two days now, hacking and coughing and feeling like a bus hit me. Back to work Thursday, though.

Made Day Three of Post-a-Day-30, though it's just a complaint about summer colds. :) Nothing deep, and nothing hobby-related.

Now to take a long, warm, soaking bath.

John Tripp: Memory Eternal

I was deeply saddened today to learn of the death of John Tripp, aged 59.

I cannot say John was among my friends, for he was not. He was an acquaintance, with whom I conversed a few times first as a news reporter and second as a guy involved in music who performed in a couple of shows with his daughter Meredith. But without hesitation I say, I would have been proud to have been his friend.

If there was ever a man who could have borne the mantle of Mr Quincy after the passing of Joe Bonansinga, John Tripp would have been a prime contender. Perhaps he could even be called Mr Tri-States, for his involvement and committment extended far beyond the border of Quincy. Take his many years of devoted service to Culver-Stockton College in Canton, for example.

John is an example all of us could do to emulate. Certainly he blogged far more than I ever seem to find time to do. His weekly "Up Down and Around our Town" was routinely cheery, thoughtful, and well worth the few minutes it took to read each Monday. If I may, John displayed great wisdom, the kind that few of us attain. John was blessed.

I will miss him and his quiet optimism.

It is appropriate that his final posting on Monday May 11th was about the departure of Culver Stockton president Bill Fox. It is appropriate that the new president looks rather like John Tripp (to the point of "separated at birth?"). John surely got a chuckle out of being told the resemblance was uncanny.

It is even more appropriate that he began that posting thus:

"So many of us die with our music still in us", as Oliver Wendell Holmes so aptly put. His words were designed to make sure that we share all of our gifts as often as possible with those that are close. It speaks of making sure that those special talents are developed, shared and most of all, improved upon. Such is the challenge of living in a fast-moving society. Reality tells us that there will always be starts and stops; it's the journey that really counts the most.

John, your music was lovely and not long enough, but you shared your talents freely with the kind of largesse made famous in song and story. Your journey will be remembered by the many whose lives you touched.

Memory eternal. Memory Eternal. Memory Eternal.

Great Lent begins Monday, March 2nd

Yes, I know Roman Catholics and Protestants began on Wednesday. We figure the date of Easter differently, which means we start Lent differently as well.

But that's not why I'm posting this.

My friend Ron Fritts has a decent article about "giving something up for Lent" over on QuincyNews.Org. You can find it here.

I don't always agree with Ron but he pretty much has this one down pat.

Fasting and prostrations (the two big Orthodox penitential activities) are meaningless without a heart that is willing to change, and an attitude of repentance and intention to do better, and a firm resolve not to observe the letter without embracing the spirit.

The Orthodox during Great Lent generally refrain from meat, dairy, fish, wine, and olive oil. On Saturdays we are allowed fish, wine and oil, usually. On Wednesdays and Fridays we are asked to fast all day (and that actually applies all year round, not just in Great Lent) and break our fast in the evening with very simple fare.

The point is not to obsess over "oh I can't buy this product at the store because it has milk by-products!" The point is to use the time you would usually spend preparing and eating on spiritual food--reading Holy Scripture, or the writings of our Christian fathers and mothers, or in prayer, or in helping others. The point is to use these ancient spiritual practices to help YOU to grow to be more like God: loving, forgiving, calm, full of grace.

If you miss a day, move on and try to do better. If your non-Orthodox parents offer you a meal that includes your favorite steak and blue cheese, do not insult them by refusing, but accept their hospitality humbly and with a glad heart. Fasting from food doesn't mean you fast from right treatment of others.

We say a special prayer during Great Lent, and we say it often. It's meant to focus us on the real meaning of what we're doing--not as a duty to be borne, but as a means to "deification", an aid to that "narrow way", a staff (if you will) upon the path to "theosis".

It is the Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, and it is replete with prostrations. But look past that to what it says, and what we are saying when we submit to God and to letting His power help us overcome the things which hinder us:

The Great Lenten Prayer of St Ephraim:

O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despondency, lust for power and idle talk.
(Prostration)

But grant unto me, Thy servant, a spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love.
(Prostration)

O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brothers and sisters. For blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen.
(Prostration)

O God, cleanse me a sinner. (12 times, with as many bows, and then again the whole prayer from the beginning throughout, and after that one great prostration)

Perhaps if you say this prayer you will not do a single prostration. Personally I think you will be missing an incredibly powerful spiritual exercise (not to mention physical :), but just focus on the words all the same.

Therein lies a great gift of God's grace.

One other thing, the Orthodox don't do the Ash Wednesday thing. But we do have Forgiveness Vespers. This Sunday after the Divine Liturgy (although more properly at sundown) we will pray the Vespers service and end by going to each member of the congregation, embracing them and saying "Brother (or sister), forgive me."

This simple act begins our Lenten walk, and the spirit in which we participate colors the entire season.

May God grant that I freely and openly forgive anyone I have offended, and that I humbly and with great compunction request their forgiveness for my many faults.

Glory to God unto the ages of ages.

Reader Nikolai Kevin Payne