Authority...

I have been busy reading, chatting with some good friends, and reflecting on the Scripture readings for this Sunday...

Deuteronomy 18:15-20 talks about God raising up a prophet... "I will raise up for them a prophet like you [God is speaking to Moses] from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command." (verse 18)

Mark 1:21-28 speaks about Jesus teaching with authority... "They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (verse 22)

Authority... after spending 26 years in uniform, I have had some experiences with authority... the Oath of Commissioning gives an Officer certain responsibilities (Command Authority) as they swear to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic... Yet a Chaplain, unlike other officers, has no command authority... what does that mean?  It meant I could not command troops... I could not give orders in battle... my role was to advise those in authority with regards to moral and ethical decisions along with issues of religion and spirituality as they, in turn, lead the forces in battle...

A Chaplain does have, inherent in the uniform, rank and Commission; a special authority... I was always humbled and amazed that complete strangers would come into my office or pull me aside to talk... and in sharing, would share their innermost thoughts and sometimes deeply hurting spirit... why?  In part, because a Chaplain offers Privileged Communication... what is talked about in that setting stays there... I could and did tell Commanders to mind their own business if they tried to pry into a counseling situation with one of their troops...  Yet, in many cases, I found that this authority was given by the individual in the form of trust... In quietly listening without judgment... in being a "sounding board"... they were helped...

However, I also had to regain trust with some of our folks in uniform who's trust had been violated by Chaplains who did not fulfill their responsibilities regarding Privileged Communication... that authority which had been believed had been violated... and it took patience and prayer to overcome that... and, sadly, for some it was not possible for this Padre to break through the wall...

Listening to debates and candidates for office, I am dismayed at the lack of substance in their speech... too busy bashing the other candidates and zero in terms of what is needed to fix our country... if you look at Opinion Polls and ratings for Congress, you see a severe authority problem... at all time lows, these polls reveal a lack of trust in the integrity of our elected officials on the part of a large percentage of the public... their leadership, and thus authority, is being questioned... not a pretty sight...

In a bit of good speaking, the President chastised Congress (and I hope he realized that he too is a part of that system and problem)... he pointed to the Military and how politics is put aside as they focus on the mission... while we now know it was a veiled reference to the Special Forces team who freed the kidnapped aid workers in Somalia in the wee hours of the night, his point was spot on.  Back to the Oath of Commissioning (and Enlistment)... Protect and Defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic... Obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniformed Code of Military Justice (Enlisted Oath)...  There is NO room for political BS when lives are on the line...

As I pray for our political leaders and as our congregation prays on Sunday mornings; we pray for wisdom... that God would work in their hearts... that they would seek to serve the Common Good... At times I feel as though I am beating my head against a brick wall... why won't they listen to me!!

And then I realize... wait a minute... oh wow... I KNOW that I must surely bloody God's forehead with all of my screw ups and botched attempts to serve... But wait... Thank God that God's patience is so much greater than I could ever imagine!  Despite all of the wrong turns and dumb moves this Padre has made and will continue to make; God has called me to serve!

With Authority comes responsibility... Jesus taught with authority... unlike the scribes... He came to humbly serve... and in that humble service... his authority came not from himself, but from God!

I only pray that this cracked pot can be of use to God... and that God will take other cracked pots just like me and begin to heal this land... God help us, we need it :-)

Reunions...

So I was just filling out the rest of my "info" on the Class Reunion Website that I joined... and it came to memories of High School...  Funny thing is I don't have a whole lot of "good" memories of High School.

Oh I remember managing the football and basketball teams... I remember not going to Homecoming or Prom... I remember not having a date during High School... I do, however, have many fond memories of getting to know teachers... so I guess you could say I was somewhat of a dork!

Now I did have LOTS of good memories of my time in Boy Scout Troop 109 and Youth Group at Westminster Presbyterian Church... Boy Scouts involved Camping, Prune Pit Spitting Contests (there was a down side to winning the contest I found out as we had to stop at every rest stop on the way home so I, the "winner" could... um... you get the picture), and tons of jokes... Youth Group involved Church Camp and retreats... learning about the books of the Bible never mentioned in Sunday School Class (Song of Songs!) from our Intern (Youth Director)...

Meanwhile, back to reunions... and High School... yep, not a whole lot that I chose to remember... sadly... but it was what it was.  Funny thing happened though... something called Facebook came into being!  And so many classmates who are also wiser and more seasoned (note I did not say OLDER)... having let go of so many HS games and attitudes... we were getting to know each other "virtually" and realizing that we had all missed out on something back in the day... but were finding out that there was so much more to enjoy in life now with each other!

Instead of "teasing" someone and saying they were gay or a fag (been labeled both and it hurt, but I had no idea how much it hurt my classmates who were, in fact, gay)... or leaving them out of events because they were not "in"... we begin seeing through the facade we had put up (yes, we... I had done the same towards the "in" crowd and others...)  And we began to see each other as sister and brother... as fellow survivors of AHS and this thing called life... and, to plagiarize Genesis, we began to see that it "was good"!

So whether it is, in my case, discovering the wonder of that Minnesota Sensation called "The Gear Daddies" (hey, I graduated with Martin Zellar's sister Nel and knew Nic Ciola's mom Joan and brother Lou, Jr!) or reading the writings of Brad Zellar and connecting with folks that I hardly knew back then but who walked with me during a very difficult personal time (Debbie Iverson Long, Jane Jirele Lightle, Jon Nack, Nel Zellar, Mary Newton Martinson (from College)... you guys rock!)... I figured something out...

We all GROW UP!  Well... maybe we all grow OLDER... and we mature... and we drop biases and stereotypes and HS crap!  Bottom line?  We have fun... we laugh...we cry... we share stories... we share memories... we make memories... and in the middle of that find out that life, despite its twists and turns and dark tunnels, is good...

And, at the end of the day... no matter where we've been... or even where we are... the blessing is this...

"This is the day the Lord had made!  Let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

So lets rejoice and enjoy what God has given to us... in my case?  A wonderful son, a beautiful fiancee, a church family and city I love dearly, and a house that will be ALL MINE in 14 years and 4 months!

Grace and Peace!

Michael

The First...

So... what am I going to do now?  Reading the blogs of friends whom I have rediscovered and of friends who are new acquaintances... what's a Retired Air Force Chaplain who lives in the country where his neighbors are donkeys and goats (thus the profile picture... one of my seven neighbors)...  Will see how all of this unfolds as I write... share... muse... comment... rant... and hopefully offer something of use to any who might find themselves on this page... in any event, I do wish any who visit the richest of blessings as we wander the countryside...