Miles To Go

We played basketball together in the back yard growing up.  Sometimes we would play “The Game.”  It was a shooting game we made up that had no name.  It didn’t need one; everyone in the neighborhood knew how to play it.  He was pretty good at it.

Everything happened two years earlier for him.  He got a job two years before I did.  He drove two years before I did.  He graduated two years before I did.  Those two years eventually separated us.  We not only stopped playing “The Game,” we stopped playing all games together.

He joined the Air Force – saw the nation and the world.  I went to college.  I got married and had some children.  He became a loner who would go into dentistry while I went into the more gregarious field of ministry.  Every year we had less and less in common. 

One day he announced that he was moving to England for a couple of years.  We arranged for him to stay nine days with my family before he flew out.  I still don’t know why we arranged this – we hadn’t spent nine days together since high school.  The visit went well.  He played with my children.  He made my daughter “fly” and my son laugh.

Every Tuesday after that visit he would call from England – the same time each week, like clockwork.  This continued for two years and culminated in my visiting him and us trekking through the UK together.  We have taken two vacations together since then.  We talk often, though not every week. 

I have thought about why I am closer now to my brother than I was when we shared a room for fifteen years.  I think the answer is that I grew up.  Immaturity looks for likenesses to receive love from.  Maturity recognizes that love is something that you choose to give away. 

If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20)

I know that the verse above is talking about our brothers (and sisters) in Christ, but I can’t help but think that there are some similarities.  Thoughts?

St. Augustine is sometimes credited for saying, “In essentials – unity, in non-essentials – liberty, and in all things – love.”  It is the second part of that quote that was the focus of the message this morning.  Non-essentials are opinions that Christians hold about their faith, be they practices or beliefs.  There are many instances where we have the option to agree or disagree with a particular belief or practice.  The trick is to not make my opinion a mandate for others.

That being said, there are a few matters of opinion that I would not mind making mandatory.  I know I can’t do this, but wouldn’t it be nice if the following non-essentials were enforced?

• Anyone within arms reach should be able to swat a child who disrespects their parents in public.  Better yet, they should be allowed to swat the parent for allowing the disrespect to happen.
• Premillennial dispensationalists should have to learn to spell “premillennial dispensationalist” before they are allowed to tell you how cool the “Left Behind” books are.
• Men who come to church services wearing clothes that are too tight should be shown the door.
• Preachers are not allowed to use popular phrases that are designed to make them look cool (it just makes them look dorkier anyway).
• Secular songs that remind me of making out with a girlfriend in high school should be banned from church services. 
• People who attend your church once and then proceed to tell you that God has called them to sing in your praise band should be horse whipped. 
• Pretentious Latin phrases should be banned, statim.
• Everyone should be required to smile at least once during the songs, sermon, offering, or communion.  Just once, is that too much to ask?
• Religious clichés should be banned from the presence of those who are truly suffering. 
• Sandals should only be worn by people who care for their toes – this goes for both men and women!
• Older people should keep up with technology.
• Phones that go off during a worship service should be thrown into the baptistery. 

C’mon, I bet you’ve got a few non-essentials of your own.  Let’s here it L-town!

This week the message was on the connection between Unity and Truth.  As always, there is a lot of material that ends up on the cutting room floor.  Some of it is great stuff, but I just can’t find a way to bring it into Sunday morning. 

Since my standards are much lower for you guys, here is some of what did not make it:

“Unitarian Universalism is a caring, open-minded religion that encourages you to seek your own spiritual path. Our faith draws on many religious sources, welcoming people with different beliefs. We are united by shared values, not by creed or dogma.  Explore our website and discover Unitarian Universalism. We invite you to join us.”
www.uua.org/visitors/index.shtml

I didn’t make that up.  It is on their website.  For nearly 200 years Unitarians have believed in . . . pretty much everything.  They have unity right there in their name so you know they will accept pretty much anything. 

Two anecdotes come to mind.  The first is from Garrison Keillor (I love Prairie Home Companion), who tells the story of trying to distract a Unitarian minister by arguing with her.  He complained, “I was unsuccessful.  She just kept agreeing with everything I said.”

From the sublime we turn to the ridiculous.  In a Simpson’s episode, Lisa is at a church ice-cream social and is offered some “Unitarian flavored” ice cream by Rev. Lovejoy.  “It’s just plain vanilla.” Lisa complains.  “Exactly,” responds the reverend. 

Perhaps I enjoy these stories more than I should.  But I believe we should all keep an open mind to humor, especially when it is meant as a commentary and not slander.  And one has to wonder exactly how you define a group that has the inclusion of many (perhaps conflicting) religions as a core value. 

They are united by unity.  Isn’t that like gluing glue to more glue?  “We invite you to join us,” they graciously offer.  I have one question.  JOIN WHAT?

The thing that unites Christians is also right there in the name – Christ.  When you join us at Levittown Christian Church you will be united with a church that recognizes the presence of the Kingdom of God wherever Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior.  And there it is folks - both unity AND truth.

Dear Mrs. Fox and Mrs. Bailey,

Today I send my two children to your classes.  They have anticipated this day for quite some time, though they are not sure exactly what to expect.  They both are very bright students and have a desire to learn and to please their teacher.  With a little encouragement and guidance, their work ethic is fantastic.

You will spend about 180 days with my children for eight hours each school day.  That is over 1,400 hours to teach and influence.  You will get to introduce them to books that I read over twenty years ago and new ones as well.  You will see them interact with peers and watch them grasp new concepts. 

I’m sure that you care about all of your students.  Know that Miles and Nina will care about you too.  You are not just the person who gives assignments and grades papers.  You are the one who shows them what the world outside their home is like and how to live in it.  You are part of a long process by which they mature and prepare to grow into great adults.  They do not know all this yet, but they already feel it.

You have my trust, my thanks, and my cooperation.  Your job is often undervalued and unsupported.  In our home it is neither.  God bless you and your classes this year.  I’m sure it will be great.