Pastor’s study art for February 8, 2015
Romans 12: 22 – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what
is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Monday May 18, 2015, after the Grace Lutheran Church council
meeting. A rambling stream of consciousness that might be more akin to typing
rather than writing – all apologies to Truman Capote.
By Kevin E. Dayhoff Monday May 18, 2015
According to an
item
in the New York Times on October 25, 1992, “In ‘At Northport Watering Hole,
Kerouac Was Just Another Drinker’ [ Sept. 13 ,] Patrick Fenton neglected to
mention Truman Capote's flip dismissal of Kerouac's work as follows,
"That's not writing, that's typing." While this evaluation was not
without merit, I must agree with Mike McGrady, quoted by Fenton as having
declared Kerouac ‘important.’
“Certainly, "On the Road" was a faithful depiction
of youthful despair over the order of things as they saw it. McGrady's praise
is not to be taken lightly, coming as it does from a serious journalist
("A Dove in Vietnam") and mastermind of the … spoof "Naked Came
the Stranger."
“I would add that Capote was a bit of a poseur himself, his
enormous gifts notwithstanding. His professed invention a new genre, the
fictional biography (or whatever exactly he called it) with "In Cold
Blood" was really a veiled excuse for not having to be accurate.” EWIN
RITCHIE Elmont
Of course all that did was to remind me of Oscar Wilde’s
play, “The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People” – February
14, 895
Okay – now that I have chased that squirrel across the
keyboard, moving right along here….
For me, one of the highlights of the month is attending our
church council meetings at Grace Lutheran Church in Westminster. It is a great
council full of really nice folks with a great deal of knowledge and skills
with which they guide the church through the difficult waters of the 21st
Century and its emphasis on the new religion of secular progressivism. Just
saying.
Also just saying, I must be the least qualified member of
Grace Lutheran’s council in the history of the council. I am greatly humbled by
being even considered for a seat on the council. I was the most surprised person
on the planet when the church congregation voted to include me on the council.
I guess that is another conversation for another time. What it all means is
that I have to work hard to be able to attempt to contribute in the midst of
such a talented group if individuals.
Anyway, my schedule this month is horrid and I have not felt
well for several days. I was doing some heavy lifting last week, which I
really-really ought not to have been doing at my age and I hurt my left
shoulder and it really hurts.
Of course this comes during a month of more speaking
engagements than I have had in ages, in addition to my columns for the
newspaper and other writing projects. Oh well… My point was not to complain –
but to put the council meeting in a context that it was certainly not
convenient to attend; yet I prioritized going because I get so much value out
of the meetings.
During the meeting my thoughts drifted to a time earlier in
the year when I was in the pastor’s study class one Sunday morning February 8,
2015 at Grace Lutheran Church in Westminster. At that time I drew some of my
notes from Pastor Kevin Clementson’s great lecture.
That morning, Pastor Kevin led us in a discussion about the
scripture lessons that Sunday. The first reading was Isaiah 40: 21-31. The
second reading was 1 Corinthians 9: 16-23. And the gospel lesson was from Mark
1: 29-39.
The takeaway from the lesson in Isaiah was “The Judeans in
exile have a good reason to be hopeful: the one who will bring them to freedom
is the God who created the world, the God who subdues the rulers of the earth
and gives strength to those who are weary.”
I pondered this after the church council meeting this
evening. Our devotions at the council meeting were led by a particularly
inspirational church council member, Jo Monka, who really reached me with her
discussion about “hope.”
She in turn, mentioned Romans 12: 22 – “Do not be conformed
to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing
you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and
perfect.”
In a year in which has had so much strife and trouble, the
Romans verse is a great springboard for some insightful thought and reflection.
The context of the verse is that it is sandwiched between
words which give it even greater meaning: “1Therefore I urge you, brethren, by
the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice,
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2And do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so
that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable
and perfect. 3For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not
to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to
have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.…”
At the February 8, 2015 pastor’s study, part of the takeaway
from the reading from 1 Corinthians 9: 16-23 was that “God had entrusted Paul
with the responsibility of bring the gospel to diverse people. Hence the focus
of Paul’s ministry is not his own rights or privileges as an apostle but the
privilege of serving God by freely sharing the good news of Christ with others.”
Several years ago, one of the highlights of a trip to Greece
was visiting the place where it is reported that Paul spoke to the Corinthians…
The takeaway from the gospel lesson, Mark 1: 29-39 was that “Everywhere
Jesus goes, many people expect him to set them free from oppression. Everywhere
he goes, he heals them and sets them free. Disease, devils, and death are running
for their lives. The forces that diminish human life are rendered powerless by
Jesus…”
Which brings me full circle back to my drawing. What does
the drawing mean? Beats me. I guess we will never know now that Mr. Capote is
no longer with us. Then again, he wrote fictional biographies so he did not
have to be bothered by being accurate.
This comes at a time when so much of the media is factual –
and accurate but does not tell the truth.
Oh – I’m over my word limit.
So, now that my fingers are warmed-up, I guess I need to
write a speech for the Memorial Day services at Pleasant Valley Cemetery on
Sunday, May 24, 2015…
This is fun. I must be the luckiest person in the world.
Just saying.
