Perspectives: Zion tunnel and windows

Can you see the dark spot almost in the middle of the image? That is a window into the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel.  The tunnel was built from the late 1920's to 1930.  

From this site:  The arduous task of constructing the tunnel, undertaken by the men of the Nevada Contracting Company, along with crew bosses from around the country, began with blasting gallery windows into the cliff face above Pine Creek Canyon. From these windows the crews were able to then access the interior of the cliff and progressively bore their way through the rock, ever approaching opposite ends of the cliff where the tunnel would meet the new roads. The gallery windows also served as holes through which rock debris from carving the tunnel could be pushed out and cleared from the work area, as well as supplying much needed ventilation and lighting to crews working inside the tunnel.

Driving through the tunnel was great as was peaking out of the windows as we moved along.

Breaking Out

Why would it have been difficult to break out of the Aristotelian view of the universe? Can you think of any contemporary parallels?

Aristotle believed that the Earth was at the center of the universe. He described elegant spheres in a geocentric model where every component was perfect and unchanging with uniform motion. By the time the model was questioned and Copernicus’ model of sun-centric system was proposed, the Aristotle model had been accepted by both the Catholic Church and the Protestant Church.

I think this offers three reasons why it would have been difficult to break out of the Aristotelian view of the universe. First, we, as humans, are often satisfied (and even look for) systems that place us at the center. We want to be the most important; we want to be what everything else revolves around. Secondly, the idea of a perfect, elegant system means that we don’t need to make changes – in fact, we cannot make changes, and we like the comfort of that. Thirdly, it is hard to break away from a theory that is accepted by steadfast organizations like the church. Disagreement puts us on the outside of what is accepted.

 

This might be a stretch, but I think Christian Nationalism is a contemporary parallel. First, it places our own country at the center of not only the world, but also in the center of God’s love. Nationalism says that we are more accepted and loved by God – blessed by God beyond what other countries are. We are the most important in God’s eyes, and we place our country above our faith – our “centeredness” above our Christianity. We build the faith in the image we want it to be. Secondly, it creates a universe in which we as patriotic Christians are the best. To criticize those who are patriotic or to say another group might be better is rejected.  Thirdly, it’s hard to reject a belief when you are in the middle of it, because you are not only rejecting the nation but also the God that is part of the Christian National model. It makes you feel disloyal – to the God you have created and to the country you love.

 

Look What I Did

The lectionary reading for this week contains Scripture from 1 Kings 8 - the dedication of the temple.  As I was reading it this morning, I noticed that it is somewhat "Solomon-centric."  Solomon has the ark brought to the temple and then says a prayer to dedicate the new structure. 

In this prayer, he prays that God will keep God's promises to David, including that there will be a successor to David (Solomon).  Twice Solomon refers to the new temple as "the house that I have built."

Do we echo Solomon's prayers? Do we dwell on the work we have done ourselves rather than the work God has done? Solomon has completed something spectacular, no doubt, but I wonder if God's promise of a successor being connected to "if only your (David's) children look to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me" has anything to do with looking toward God rather than focusing on what we have done - what Solomon has done.

Maybe I've missed it, but does Solomon praise God for God's work in creating a temple?  I might have missed it, or it might be in verses that aren't included, but it does feel like this acknowledgement of God's work is missing.

Do we do that?

Perspectives

The following four images were in my blog drive, but I think I've used them before.  Parson me if they are re-run Perspective images, but now I know I've used the.

Bent Tree

Peace Sign

Christmas Tree through trees

Zion Cabin

 

Worldview

 To recognize the worldview each of us holds is important. How was your worldview formed? How is it different from the worldview of others whom you know?

My worldview was formed first by my family life, especially as I was raised by my mother. School played a role from early in my life as well.  There was a belief in God in my life early on, although we didn’t attend church on a regular basis.  Another factor . in my world view is where I grew up – I am a product of an Appalachian culture. When I was in high school, a friend invited me to her church – that invitation opened up a world for me that I hadn’t experience before – regular church attendance in a United Methodist Church.  Studying science in college and graduate school also shaped my worldview. As an adult, my family – husband and two sons – as well as friends continue to impact my worldview.

I think my worldview is different from many because I was raised by my mother after she and my father divorced.  One sees the role of women differently when there is rarely a man in one’s home – it is easier for me to see women as equal to men with everyone able to define their roles in life. Marrying a man who has this same outlook helps, too. I think people raises in my part of the county have a view of family and community  support that isn’t the same as everyone’s.  Studying and working in the field of science creates a different kind of worldview, too.  I look for facts and data before I come to a conclusion while others don’t need that kind of input, and yet, because of my faith, I have a mind open to the presence and action of God.

May God's Good Work be Known

The sun rises.

My heart rises in gratitude for the goodness of the Lord

May the congregation sing praises,

May God's good work be known.

God's work is full of wonder and divinity

God's goodness endures forever

Echoing through creation,

in the lives of all who know God.

God is gracious and merciful.

We open our hands for our daily bread,

We rejoice in promises kept

and witness steadfast loyalty.

We sing of God's powerful deeds,

and proclaim God's legacy across time.

What God does is faithful and just,

his law is trustworthy

through all the ages.

God redeemed the people,

commanded his covenant forever.

Holy and awesome is God.

Do you hear these words?

Do you fear the Lord?

Here is the beginning of wisdom;

here is the start of understanding.

Our song of praise lasts forever.

Inspired by Psalm 111

 

Perspectives: Sailboat

 How does your perspective change on the water?

National Relaxation Day

 According to my Facebook Planner page (that I use to schedule Facebook posts for my church) tomorrow, August 15, is National Relaxation Day.  It was originally proposed by a 9-year old from Ohio. As I planned the week for my church's Facebook page, I wondered if a post about this day would be appropriate.  I often post information graphics - like the week's schedule, invitations to events and worship, and opportunities for mission. Sometimes I post items that are just for fun, such as a National Relaxation Day post.

Each day, I list a few things for which I am grateful.  Often there are items that get repeated, such as an evening at home, a fun night out, or time to relax. I think our natural rhythm needs to include relaxation. I think Sabbath is confirmation of that.

So, tomorrow, take a few minutes (or a few hours) to relax. Renew. Recharge.  It will be a day the Lord has made; rejoice and be glad in it.

Forgiven

I preached this past Sunday, so I was in a church that is not my home church. When I arrived, the pastor was not there (I knew that he would not be there), and the lay people were organizing the service using the bulletin. The person who would be leading worship (and who found that out that morning) was working with me to determine who would do which parts of the worship service.  She asked me to do, in addition to the sermon, the Offertory Prayer, the Prayer of Confessions, and the Benediction (all fine).  She also asked if I played the piano because there pianist (along with much of the congregation) was on vacation.  Happy to read prayers - not a pianist.

So I was reading through the pre-printed prayers she wanted me to read, and when I got to the Prayer of Confession, I really didn't want to pray it.  The first half was fine - this is the second half:

Good Lod, extend your grace and mercy as we ask your forgiveness.  IN order to receive your forgiveness, we know that we need to forgive everyone who has offended us. Help us to hold nothing against anyone, for that may jeopardize our gift of forgiveness from you.  (Written by T Anne Daniel, The Africana Worship Book Year B)

I feel as if this is inspired by the Lord's Prayer, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." To me it is a misreading and misunderstanding of the prayer. How can a God who offers forgiveness as a form of grace - freely given - predicate the gift on something that is impossible for us to do. We can't possibly, in our sin, forgive everyone who has offended us. God knows this - knows our salvation cannot be dependent on us alone - because we can't do it alone.

Forgiveness from God is grace, freely given, not held back until our own forgiveness of others is perfect.

I do believe that our grudges and hatred against others can be obstacles to our receiving grace - but the gift is there, freely given, for us to accept. It is God's will for us to forgive; it is God's will for us to be forgiven and forgiving, but we are forgiven - already.

 

Perspectives: Flowers

 

At the Funeral

I attended a funeral today. In one of the family pews, there was what I imagine was a father, mother, young daughter and her older brother.  You know (and maybe you don't do this) how when you watch people in the park or the airport, you can make up stories about them? This is what I did at the funeral

I watch the mom and her two children.  The son (older child) was very upset, so she picked up her daughter, who was sitting between them, and put her on her lap so that she could move next to the son to comfort him.  The daughter didn't like that, and moved off her mom's lap to sit in the space in the pew where the mom had been.  When the mom tried to put her arms around both of the kids, the daughter picked up her mom's arm and moved out from under it.  This continued for a while with the mom hugging the daughter, the daughter hugging back, and then moving away (and looking away) from her mom. 

It reminded me of the story of the older son in the prodigal son parable.  The mother was trying to provide comfort for both children, but one of them seemed to be resentful to share the mom's attention with the other sibling.

Please remember, I know what I thought about the family isn't real - it's a story in my mind. 

 

Right from Wrong

In Francis Collins book, The Language of God, one of the underlying supports for his work is that we all are created with a Moral Law - and understanding of right and wrong.  This is a theory that C.S. Lewis discusses in Mere Christianity, the book that led Collins to this theory.

Later in the book, Collins discusses four ethical principles that T.L. Beauchamp and J. F Childress argue undergird much of bioethics, and are "common to virtually all cultures and societies."  They are:

• Respect for autonomy - people should have freedom for person decision making
• Justice - requirement for fair, moral and impartial treatment of everyone
• Beneficence - treat others in their best interest
• Nonmaleficense - do no harm

As I read about the innate moral law and these ethical principles, I started thinking about how we treat each other in society.

We believe that the moral law and ethical principles are part of everyone's creation because of God, but the presence of them, and our adherence to them, isn't dependent on faith - it's part of who we are. 

For me, as I see how we fight each other (thinking about politics), and how we judge each other (thinking about politics), I react in disbelief. This is not how we were created; this is not how we are to live. We know this, and yet we do it anyway.

This is why I believe character matters in an election. This is why I an disgusted with congress. I see a lack of honor and a lack of ethics. It's not that some politicians aren't behaving as I think they should, but that they are ignoring the moral law that makes us human. We all do that, but we don't all do it in such consistent "me first" actions.

They need to do much better.

 

Perspectives: Statue

 Umm.