My Sabbatical Valentine

As my 8 weeks of a time apart enter the concluding quarter, what I have been looking forward to the most is about to begin. Yesterday, I picked Sue Ann up at the Fort Lauderdale airport and this morning we will board "The Miracle" for 8 days in the Southern Caribbean. The theory behind these kind of leaves is to spend significant time with your family. It seems good then that at least these two weeks I get to spend with the love of my life.  I have enjoyed portions of solitude, but was really designed for community.  And, the center of my community is my bride! This year we celebrate 35 years of marriage. I will be the first to admit that I am not the most romantic guy in the world, but it is pretty cool that today, on valentine's day we get to board a cruise ship. Our first valentine's day of marriage in seminary, I got Sue a set of white enamel pots...not my finest moment as a gifting husband, but you can understand why it might be memorable.

Here are my thoughts anticipating the community of a cruise. On other cruises, acquaintances/new friends have helped make the experiences joyful. I wonder who our table mates will be this time?  What songs will I sing at the karaoke bar? Oh yes, we will rock! And, will there be "smooth sailing?"

I will not pop for the exorbitant costs of wi-fi, so I will not be blogging until Ash Wednesday, the day we disembark, ( ironic huh?) Until then.. let's all sing together...."THE LOOOOOVE BOAT"

Getting one's imagination turpentined

A reading in my daily breviary "For all the Saints" for today is from James Weldon Johnson, a favorite poet who wrote a collection called "God's Trombones. I was just going to include a portion of today's reading but it's too good to abridge. Enjoy;and, if you like this poem, then look up "Creation" and " Crucifixion" also from the collection "God's Trombones"
And now, O Lord, this man of God
Who breaks the bread of life this morning-
Shadow him in the hollow of thy hand.
And keep him out of the gunshot of the deviol
Take him Lord-this morning-
Wash him up and drain him dry of sin.
Pin his ear to the wisdom-post,
And make his words sledge hammers of truth-
Beating on the iron heart of sin

Lord God, this morning-
Put his eye to the telescope of eternity,
And let him look upon the paper walls of time.
Lord, turpentine his imagination,
Put perpetual motion in his arms,
Fill him full of the dynamite of thy power,
Anoint him all over with the oil of thy salvation,
And set his tongue on fire.
And now, O Lord-
When I've done drunk my last cup of sorrow-
When I've been called everything but a child of God-
When I'm done traveling up the rough side of the mountain-
O- Mary's Baby
When I start down the steep and slippery steps of death-
When this old world begins to rock beneath my feet-
Lower me to my dusty grave in peace
To wait for that great gittin' up morning
Amen

This time apart, and Johnson's writings about a "man of God" and his need for renewal, stikes a chord with me as I march forward a day closer to "that great gittin' up day" ...In the meantime my hope is that you and I may be "drained of sin" and may have our ears "pinned to the wisdom post,"
And Dear God, my imagination could use stipped, cleaned, and ready to dream again...
Let it be so.

James Weldon Johnson 1871-1938

Florida!!

It is still hard for me to believe that last week I was in Minnesota. After a quick turn around including getting to worship at First downtown, My trek continued another 1200 miles, ( interestingly enough almost the identical mileage I went north to Lake of the Woods) I have been experiencing the wonderful hospitality of a dear old friend Jon, and his wife Kathy, at Port St. Lucie.  Let's just say I have been eating very well. Jon and I met at Pymatuning 28 years ago when my boat was incapacitated, he was putting his boat in behind me and invited me in a rather bemused tone to fish with him...We have been fishing together ever since, but the first time in a long time...
The fishing trip today was on the ocean, and it was a bit tough, fishing near the bow of a head boat in 8 foot swells, I can honestly say at the conclusion of the trip, I was ready to come in...not typical of William B.
I will give an atta boy or atta girl to the first person who can identify, these beautiful fish...It must be the exact modifier of the fairly well known species to get the prize.
Lake Okechobee tomorrow ( Kissimee River mouth)...Love Florida, feel very blessed to be on this leg of the journey and received so kindly by old friends

My Two Favorite Hockey Players

I drove to the Twin Cities so I could see my two favorite hockey players. "Wait," you might say, "Crosby and Malkin didn't play the Wild this month." I'm not talking about those hockey players, I'm talking about Matt and Matt. The one, my nephew formerly of the state finalist Oxford Talawanda team of 2004, who is "living social" and "encountering youth" in the St. Paul area; the other Matt, my parishoner recent of the Holy Cross Crusaders NCAA Div. 1 team who is an investment banker in Minneapolis.
It was my privilege to get to experience some of the local color with each of them during my stay at the seminary, and I must say, what makes them so special to me is their genuine desire to spend time with the likes of this sabbatical sojourner. We dined at such places as The Brit Pub, and The Nook and solved some ot the worlds problems, but mostly did what we do best, just enjoyed being for and with each other for a spell in the midst of our mid winter journeys.  I'm proud of these guys for making a life away from the security of what was once a comfort zone as they like so many "20 somethings" take a step toward what is next, realizing this is not the final stop but where God has planted them for now. We who are a generation older are always concerned about the destination, they teach us about the journey.
Well done boys! (hockey speak) You have skated a good shift...now get ready for what's next. We need you to keep putting stick on puck!