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Beethoven’s Seventh and the Superbowl

February 8, 2016

We had an enjoyable night at the symphony last weekend. Our fine conductor, Mark Russell Smith, has done an outstanding job with our Quad City Symphony over the years and their hard work has certainly paid off. An Edvard Grieg all-strings suite (the Holberg) was a charming Baroque-like dance and featured violist Livia Sohn did a splendid job with Samuel Barber’s energetic Concerto, Op. 14.

Maestro Smith introduced the second half of the program by reminding us that it was Super Bowl Sunday and that we should, at the end of the concert, ponder the question, “Which takes more energy: The Super Bowl halftime show or Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony?” Chuckling, he suggested, “You know the answer to that!”

Besides the fact that neither this year’s Super Bowl game nor its halftime show lived up to expectations, I think Mark’s observation is correct. I have loved the driving rhythmic motives of Beethoven’s Seventh since college days and I can honestly say I have rarely heard it better performed than last Saturday night. Four standing O’s suggest the audience felt the same.

During the intermission, Susanne engaged a couple of young women sitting near us, a new mother on a Mom’s night out with her younger college friend. They had played stringed instruments in school and were thoroughly enjoying themselves. But when Susanne asked them how many of their friends liked classical music, one of them looked around at the milling audience and said, “It is sort of like being in a nursing home, isn’t it?”

I thought, “Yeah, and like being in my church most Sundays!” I wonder if there is a connection between the lack of interest of so many younger people in church and their absence in church? Since my church at least seems to major in pretty traditional music and hymnody, the connection seems likely. Yet, we hear from so many of them that just featuring “contemporary” music and dumbing down the liturgy is not what they are interested in. They want us to be authentic…and to walk our talk out there in the real world.

Maybe if we really did those things, younger folks might hang in there with us long enough to experience the soul lifting involvement with a fine organ, choir and the full congregational participation that liturgical worship, at its best, can provide.

There’s as much energy in that as in even a good Super Bowl halftime show!

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In The Light of His Glory and Grace

February 7, 2016

Turn your eyes upon Jesus/ Look full in his wonderful face; And the things of earth will grow strangely dim/ in the light of his glory and grace.

I remember singing the words to this sweet (maybe even saccharine!) hymn in a dimly lit chapel at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Winter Park, Florida as a young teenager. We would always close our youth group meeting with a quiet service of Compline in the little chapel. The two texts we would sing were, invariably, the Nunc Dimittis and this little song.

For all its simplicity, the words convey the central theme of the Transfiguration which we celebrate this Sunday, and perhaps the central claim of the Christian faith. Which is: that when we look at Jesus of Nazareth, we can see all we need to know about God.

Our complicated trinitarian dogmas enshrined in fourth-century creeds attempt to tell us a whole lot more about God than that and they were noble attempts to explain the unexplainable and define the indefinable. But they often do more harm than good when they are seen as a kind of theological litmus test for ‘true believers.’

The God of the universe, the Source of all that is, the Ground of our very Being is far beyond anything we can fathom or get our minds around. But our claim, as Christians, is that — just like Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration — when we turn our eyes upon Jesus. And look full on his wonderful face. Then the things of earth (including our need to say more than we need to say about God ) will grow strangely dim. In the light of his glory and grace.

When we look at Jesus, we can see all we need to know about God.

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What Does “Walking Together” Really Mean?

February 6, 2016

Much has been made in recent weeks about the Anglican Primates’ meeting and their decision to continue to “walk together” as a world communion despite disagreements, chiefly in the area of marriage equality. I join many in affirming that decision and yet, given the “consequences” suggesting that the Episcopal Church be excluded from sending representatives to certain global church forums, I wonder what “walking together” really means in this case.

In a recent press release from the Vatican headlined Pope extends new olive branch to China, “the pope explained that his view of dialogue is one in which neither side compromises or carves out its foothold, but both decide to ‘walk together’ respecting differences.'” The phrase “walk together” is obviously what captured my attention, but the fact that it is book-ended by “neither side compromises or carves out its foothold” and “respecting differences” is what is really important.

If the Bishop of Rome can foresee walking together with an officially atheistic nation, respecting the vast differences but not seeking to compromise or carve out its foothold, surely sisters and brothers in the Anglican Communion can find a way for its various Provinces to do the same.

Otherwise, what indeed does “walking together” really mean?

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Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

February 4, 2016

Several months ago”Spotify” began making available the entire Beatles corpus, as usual free of charge and available through their Ap on smart phones or whatever. Since then I have spent some enjoyable and nostalgic hours listening to some of this music from my youth, happily “shuffle playing” the songs so that I never really know what to expect next.

I will never forget the first time I heard a Beatles’ song on the radio. I must have been about fifteen and tooling around Orlando with my best friend in his car. It was likely “She Loves Me” or “I Want To Hold Your Hand” – not by any means their finest but enough to get me hooked for life. I had been pretty deeply involved in the coffee house, folk music scene, even playing in a very amateur folk duo with another friend. But this was something totally different.

Listening to them again, consistently after so many years, I am amazed at their evolution as musicians, at the sheer variety of musical styles in which they were comfortable. You get this sense particularly when hearing songs that were never really best sellers, but which may have appeared on an album somewhere down the play list or maybe even never made it on the world stage.

This can range from classic, early-twangy rock and roll, to dreamy ballads, to what sometimes sounds like 1920s honky tonk, to the circus band of Sgt. Pepper, and of course to the psychedelic, drug influenced meditations of their later years. Listening carefully can also reveal their reflection of the 1960s/1970s culture of which they were so much a part.

They struggled with how to fit together the “flower child” social revolution; the drug scene; the Indian mysticism of George Harrison, John Lennon’s poetic, darker side; Paul McCartney’s genius…and of course the adulation, the money, the rocky relationships between them. But somehow, through it all, this blue collar team from Liverpool captured something of a generation in flux, the birth pangs of — if not the Age of Aquarius — then at least the dawning of a new consciousness in a generation that is still influencing and impacting the world today.

The Beatles did not create that consciousness, but they accurately reflected it in all its glory and confusion, its sins and its redemptive qualities. It is truly, more than the Rolling Stones’ or other representatives of the British invasion, the music of my generation.

It is good to hear it, in its entirety, once again.

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Biblical Leadership

February 3, 2016

As I read Psalm 72 this morning, I thought about how it is a really pretty good summary of what might be called “biblical leadership.” At least, these are the qualities the psalmist sought in the “ideal king.” In this political season, when so many are wearing their faith on their sleeves, perhaps this psalm might be a good reflection piece for us all:

(Verse) 1 Give the King your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the King’s Son — so what does justice and righteousness mean here? Read on:

2. That he may rule your people righteously and the poor with justice — so, “rulers” are to treat poor folks “rightly” and with justice.

3. That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, and the little hills bring righteousness — assuring economic security and justice for all is part of the role.

4. He shall defend the needy among the people; he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor — sounds like “a preferential option for the poor” to me. Beware, oppressors!

7b. there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more — rulers are to be peacemakers.

9. His foes shall bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust — yes, there is a “commander in chief” role here, in our broken world.

12. For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, and the oppressed who has no helper. 13 He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; he shall preserve the lives of the needy. 14. He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, and dear shall their blood be in his sight — sounds like the ideal leader has compassion for those in the realm who are victims of violence and mourns every loss of life (maybe even with tears).

15. Long may he live! And may there be given to him gold from Arabia; may prayer be made for him always, and may they bless him all the day long — best wishes and adequate support must be given the ideal ruler. And it wouldn’t hurt to offer our prayers and blessing as well!

Interesting how much more attention is give to the leader’s concern and actions for the poor than to “national security.” Both are there. It’s just that justice is at the heart of the people’s security. Or, so it seems to me.

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Ready for a Change?

February 2, 2016

“Well, the good thing is, we don’t have to hear about the ridiculous Iowa caucuses for another four years,” tweeted a (perhaps snobbish) Californian this morning. Well, I understand the rap on our caucus process — rural, “flyover” state, mostly white, only a relatively small percentage of folks turn out, etc, etc, etc.

But, if you stood in the midst of very average, but extremely knowledgeable people of all ages (and, believe it or not, colors) in church basements, elementary school libraries, community centers, and saw their passion — and yet patience — with the admittedly messy process, I don’t think you would call it “ridiculous.”

Not unless you want to ridicule good people who are trying to make our democracy work. Iowans don’t claim to have the last word in this, or any, political season. But, we do have the first. There are all kinds of other contests, big state and small, north and south, primary and caucus. It will all shake out in due course. But, for now, we have had our say. And, to a person, the candidates are grateful for the way they are treated and the seriousness with which Iowans take their politics.

As to this year, the only surprise for me was Rubio’s surge. Our conservative evangelicals were sure to pick Cruz. Trump still brings out angry, disillusioned people who apparently will vote against their own best interests. I would have thought a Kasich, or even Rand Paul surge more likely than Marco, but there you have it. Now, if he could only return to his optimistic vision, personal story, and show up occasionally for Senate votes, he might be a real contender.

I knew Bernie Sanders would do well with our “lefter-than-average” Democratic base, but was surprised how well he did. If only he really could lead a “revolution” and turn over both Houses, this country would be infinitely better off. Again, I think that’s unlikely and will continue to support to “pragmatic progressive,” Hillary Clinton. But, I’m going to keep my eye on Bernie.

Maybe this country really is ready for a change…for a change!

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Local Paper Endorses Sanders and Kasich

January 31, 2016

Our local, Lee Enterprises owned, newspaper the Quad City Times this morning endorsed Bernie Sanders and John Kasich as their choice for the Democratic and Republican candidates for President. It’s not a great paper and I only read it because of the local coverage, but I think the choices are interesting. Here’s how they explain them:

“Americans are tired of the hollow rhetoric. They’re tired of two parties that, in a lot of ways, mirror each other. Any Democrat looking for a clear choice in the general election should caucus Monday for Bernie Sanders…If the Democratic Party is to move forward, it must abandon its compromised policy and differentiate itself come November. Only Sanders can accomplish that goal.”

“John Kasich is the poster-child for all thinking Republicans left behind by a party over-run by an irrational, seething fringe. The Ohio governor is the antithesis of the shrill, bigoted screaming heads dominating the Republican Party field. He should carry the GOP standard heading into November’s presidential election, if re-injecting reason into GOP rhetoric is of any concern.”

While I prefer Secretary Clinton over Senator Sanders as a Democrat, I certainly understand the appeal of Sanders’ consistent record, clear voice for income equality, and the need for a clear choice. I am also mindful of how many young people have been drawn into the process (as happened with Barack Obama) and how disappointed — perhaps even disillusioned — many of them will be if he does not win the nomination. I still think Hillary is the best prepared person in history to be President, but I absolutely get Bernie’s appeal.

I really hope the Times’ endorsement of John Kasic can move the needle a bit for him. Iowa has a long and laudable history of a kind of “progressive Republicanism” which has all but vanished in today’s GOP. Kasich is no Jim Leech or Maggie Tinsman (fine Iowa Republican legislators in Washington and Des Moines, respectively, in the recent past) but as the Times’ article points out, he is in many ways, “…a model Republican.He’s a thoughtful, pragmatic workhorse, who’s disinterested in mounting divisive social battles that reduce people to political fodder…(and is)…one of the few Republicans in the race who honestly believes in big-tent conservatism.”

Well, we’ll see. Tomorrow the first real “votes” in the nation will be cast here in the Iowa caucuses. Can’t wait to participate…and to see the results!

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Hillary and John Wesley

January 30, 2016

Worked an event for Hillary and Bill Clinton last night here in Davenport. I was responsible for seating people in the ADA section so that physically-challenged folks could hear, and at least partially, see this famous couple. And, I’ll be on the phones all weekend and on Monday right up until caucus time to try and get out the vote.

Bill was his usual charming, winsome self describing falling in love with Hillary, the amazing accomplishments she had as a young lawyer, working for the Children’s Defense Fund and to combat segregationist academies throughout the south, long before she ever became First Lady, a Senator from New York, or Secretary of State. He said, “She makes everything she touches better.”

Of course, if you dislike and distrust Hillary Clinton, you will continue to believe that her e-mails reveal that she was, perhaps, a spy releasing classified information to damage the United States. And, that she was personally responsible for the tragic death of Ambassador Chris Stevens (and the others) in Benghazi. Some protesters across the street from our venue obviously believe that as they lowered a banner reading, “Hillary Lied, Americans Died.” And, you will continue to believe that she is hopelessly compromised by her Wall Street donations.

If you like and trust Hillary Clinton (as I do) you will continue to believe that, however, mistaken she was to use a private e-mail server while Secretary of State, virtually all of the microscopic percentage now marked “classified” were done so long after she sent them (hindsight being 20/20) and that in any case no real harm was done. You can bet she learned from that experience. It will not happen again!

And, I believe that her personal culpability in Benghazi consisted primarily in being Secretary of State while the kind of tragic event occurred which has happened before, and will happen again, in the dangerous world of international diplomacy. Finally, I believe her when she says she will go after Wall Street excesses using existing laws (and working for new ones, if necessary) but be realistic to know that not all “Wall Street bankers” are either billionaires or thieves and that the stock market, for better or worse, is an integral part of the U.S. (and world) economy and that it is likely best for a candidate for President not alienate the entire system before even taking office. If you want to get things done and not just posture.

As he introduced her last night, Bill Clinton said that Hillary’s values were formed in that “little Methodist church” she attended and that she was motivated in part by the famous quote often ascribed to Methodist founder, John Wesley, about “doing as much good as you can, for as many people as you can, for as long as you can.” I believe that to be her motivation and her life story makes that clear, if people only knew it in its entirety. That’s why I support her.

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Alone In The Universe?

January 29, 2016

It was easy to see the five planets visible in the southern sky around 6:30 while walking Sammie, our Golden Retriever this morning. I understand they are Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter. I’ve been fascinated by astronomy and cosmology ever since growing up in Florida, within site of Cape Canaveral and surrounded by enthusiasm for the “space race” in the 1960’s.

My favorite elementary school teacher, Adelaide Davis, and her husband Orville (who was later my high school principle), took a special interest in me and a buddy, Bryan Morris, because we were both “science nerds” and good students. They even took us with them to some meetings of “The Astronomers’ Club” to which they belonged in Orlando.

We spent a number of happy evenings looking through their sophisticated, though amateur-grade, telescopes, peering into the night sky and asking endless questions about what we were seeing. One Christmas I received a “Moonscope” which was an inexpensive, reflective telescope which at least allowed clear visibility of the moon’s surface and the sense that its rugged surface and deep craters were within easy reach.

It is, of course, clear that no “life” as we understand it is present on those five easily visible planets I saw this morning. Equally clear that no such life exists in our solar system. In fact, we seem to have found no real indications of any in our galaxy. I often wonder if we are indeed “alone in the universe.” Of course, given the vastness “of interstellar space” and the possibility that there are even multiple universes, the chances seem quite small.

It would prove no challenge to my faith if we were discover other forms of life, even other religious systems “they” might have developed to understand their place in the universe. But, if indeed, we earthlings are indeed alone in the universe, I would not find that troubling either.

In fact, I would find it…awesome!

All this…and just us?

Cool!

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