Thoughts on Corporate Confession

 Thoughts on Corporate Confession

This morning’s devotion was about the act of confession. I must confess (see what I did there?) that it is a part of Christian practice to which  I haven’t given an overly large amount of thought over the years. I would guess that this may be the case for many. We tend to often fall into going through the motions in our worship services and increasingly my experience has been that many services either omit a corporate confession (and absolution) or the wording has been changed from the traditional so that, although it is there, while the worshiper is “on auto pilot” it may be missed. In recent years, I have been finding more and more meaning in the familiar rhythms of the liturgy, probably something to do with getting older, although I’d hate to admit that, and corporate confession and absolution has become one of the more meaningful things.

Over the past month, this devotion marks the third time I have encountered the topic. I am helping a granddaughter work through the catechism, and we recently covered confession. Then, our pastor asked me to help out for a week with confirmation class and the topic to be covered, confession. Then, today, came this devotion. 

In the formal act of corporate confession, we are often confronted with acknowledging not only those things we have done but also those things that we have left undone, and it is this category that the devotion dealt with. The act of confession shows us the importance of acknowledging our sin. It is easier to identify the things that we have done wrong, but sometimes we tend to gloss over the things that we have omitted to do. The author of the devotion put it this way. “…the act of confessing it puts a box [ ] next to all of the things we’ve left undone”. It forces us to be honest about ourselves. I think that it is this honesty, and including myself right along with all the others as a sinner, that enables the individual, me, to actually then “hear” the words of forgiveness in the absolution (something we don’t hear spoken in our private confession to God) and experience what the author calls “that moment of grace”. It encourages us and gives us confidence as we ,”enter the next moment, the next week” in our work of living for God and for others.  

Second Growth

 February 16, 2021

On Thoreau’s Journals:

#1 Second Growth

I am just beginning to read The Journal 1837-1861, Henry David Thoreau (Edited by Damion Searls, 2009)

I am struck by part of Thoreau’s initial entry which is subtitled “The Mould Our Deeds Leave”. Moralistic aphorisms abound which exhort us to consider our current actions in light of the future. While generally true, they are often spouted without context or explanation and thus have the tendency to ring hollow and are often written off as trite. Thoreau chooses to begin his journalling life with one such thought which we’ve all heard often enough, “As I live now so also  I reap.” It is not the uniqueness of this expression by which I am struck; rather, it is the context within which he applies it, that of nature. It is his brief explanation of this idea that has made me pause to consider it in a fresh light.

    “Every part of nature teaches that the passing away of one life is the making room for
     another. The oak dies down to the ground, leaving within its rind a rich virgin mould,
     which will impart a vigorous life to an infant forest. The pine leaves a sandy and sterile
     soil, the harder woods a strong and fruitful mould.”  

I’m not sure of the science of this, but I think that the illustration is clear which Thoreau then applies to the human condition.

    “So this constant abrasion and decay makes the soil of my future growth” (emphasis
     added)

And then, he continues with the familiar aphorism.

    “As I live now so shall I reap”

Enlightened further through this explanation.

    “If I grow pines and birches, my virgin mould will not sustain the oak; but pines and
     birches, or, perchance, weeds and brambles, will constitute my second growth.”

My current thoughts, actions, interactions with myself, with others, with nature…continue to impact as a kind of mulch or growth agent (or growth inhibitor) for thoughts and actions to come. It strikes me also that this doesn’t just apply to my own growth. The “mould” that is left from what I produce also impacts the world around me. It is not only my “second growth” that is impacted but also that of the world around me.

And so, the question; how do the actions in which I engage through thought or deed impact both my future growth and the growth of the world around me?

As I begin reading and annotating some almost 700 pages of Thoreau’s Journal, I wonder how what I read here will contribute to my second growth and to that of the people and nature with which I come in contact. Here we go off on another adventure.

Every Now and Then...

Every now and then, good things do come around unexpectedly.  It was early Sunday morning and I was getting a jump start on the day by washing the pool cover out on the driveway. As I was setting up, a jogger went past and we exchanged greetings. (One always has to acknowledge and encourage a jogger).

About 45 minutes later, he stopped on his return trip just to say thank you to both Claudia and I. It turned out that we had been his teachers in middle school and early high school. He must be in his 40s by now, has a wife and three children, and lives in our neighborhood. We caught up briefly and then he shared that both Claudia and I had been “true inspirations” for him as a student. And with that, he was off again on his run. My day just got a little better.

Has there been someone who has made a difference in your life? Take 5 min. and find a way to share that with them. I think both your day and theirs will be just a little better.

Gleanings from Meacham’s, The Soul of America, The Battle for Our Better Angels

If you find yourself concerned on any level about our political tensions in the US today, you will find something in this book to bring you hope for our national condition, but with that hope you will also find a challenge.  Wherever you find yourself on the political spectrum, left to right; or wherever you find yourself on the scale of involvement in our political process; from participant to subject to parochial, you will be able to take away something from Meacham’s book.

There are so many well developed examples in this book, I could discuss any number of them. It would, however, be better to let Meacham’s words speak for themselves. Here, then, is a compilation of quotes directly from his concluding chapter which, at least in my opinion, capture the core of what he attempted to communicate in this engaging book.

So what can we, in our time learn from the past,…?
That the perfect should not be the enemy of the good. That compromise is the oxygen of democracy.
Which brings us to the moral utility of history. When we condemn posterity…, we ought to pause and think: what injustices are we perpetuating even now that will one day face the harshest verdicts by those who came after us?
How is it that men who want certain things done by brute force can so often depend upon the mob?
The better presidents do not cater to such forces: they conquer them with a breadth of vision that speaks to the best parts of our soul.
“The country has to awaken every now and then to the fact that the people are responsible for the government they get” (Harry Truman)
In our own moment, fears of American decline are pervasive.

How then, in an hour of anxiety about the future of the country…, can those with deep concerns about the nation’s future enlist on the side of angels?

Enter the Arena:
“The first duty of an American citizen, then, is that he shall work in politics” (Theodore Roosevelt)
One need not become a candidate or a political addict…But the paying of attention, the expressing of opinion, and the casting of ballots are foundational to living up to the obligations of citizenship in a republic.

Resist Tribalism:
“We know instinctively, that as we grow contemptuous of our fellows and consciously limit our intercourse to certain kinds of people whom we have previously decided to respect, we not only tremendously circumscribe our range of life, but limit the scope of our ethics.” (Jane Addams)
If we are to cop intelligently with a changing world, we must be flexible and willing to relinquish opinions that no longer have any bearing on existing conditions.

Respect Facts and Deploy Reason:
“Wherever people are well informed they can be trusted with their own government.” (Thomas Jefferson)
Being informed is more than knowing the details and arguments. It also entails being humble enough to recognize that only on the rarest occasions does any single camp have a monopoly on virtue or on wisdom.


Keep History in Mind:
A grasp of the past can be orientating. The past and the present tell us, too that demagogues can only thrive when a substantial portion of the demos-the people- want him to.
The cheering news is that hope is not lost.
“The people have often made mistakes but given time and the facts, they will make the corrections.” (Harry Truman)

Reflection on 41 years

41 years is not a particular milestone for a career. 40 years would be a more appropriate time to stop and reflect, but quite honestly, I just now did the the mental math and realized this term ends 41 years. The time has slipped by quite quickly, so if that indicates anything, it likely suggests that I have enjoyed a “good” career to date. So, what have these last 41 years teaching meant for me? Why have I continued in a career that many would never consider? Did I just never get over the idealized view that “teachers can change the world”? Did I just not feel prepared to take on any other career? Was it just easier to stay with the known, “don’t rock the boat”?

For me, it has been something deeper than those over-trivialized questions we tend to ask ourselves about careers. So what was it that drew me to teaching and has kept me in it? How have the last 41 years been?

To be honest, the initial draw was probably the safety of doing something I knew and something that was approved of by my immediate family. Lutheran teaching, what could be more safe than that? It didn’t take long for me to realized that there was nothing more magical about teaching in a parochial school than anywhere else. There were parent issues, “problem” students, and even issues within faculties and between pastors and teachers, and the pay was not great in the beginning. But…no matter what those other issues might bring, when I walked into my classroom, 99% of the time they all were forgotten. Here, it was just the kids and me. Here, I got to exchange ideas with my students, I got to expose them to new ideas, watch them as they confronted those new ideas and made them their own. I got to watch them grow in ways their parents might never get to see.

To be honest, there have been times when I thought of getting out of the classroom, but those feelings never lasted for long and I always came back to it, not with a sense that I had nowhere else to go, but rather with a renewed energy. At the end of the day, I have loved the challenge of working with kids, teaching them academics but also how to be in this world with each other, how to be their better selves. Many look for education to simply be an avenue for a good job. I see education being an avenue for having a good life, for growing an individual into someone who will make the world he or she inhabits into a better place, someone who will advance humanity just by being there.

So…I guess I have never gotten over the idea that good educators can change the world. And, as I look towards the end of my career, whenever that may be, I think that is what I will have the hardest time giving up. Working with kids and ideas and helping them to be their better selves so they can make a better world.

Thoughts on Emerson's "The Poet"

From Emerson, “The Poet”

I am thoroughly enjoying Emerson’s writings. I wish I had read him sooner, but maybe you have to come to a point in life to be able to appreciate certain things. In any case, I have found all of his essays to be very thought provoking, and then I came to “The Poet” in Essays: Second Series. I almost put it down, but decided to just keep reading and I am so glad I did. About two-thirds through, I came across this gem. It’s long so be forewarned and it is in the context of the poet, but Emerson suggests earlier that the poet is simply the one who has the ability to put to words that which he experiences in nature. Anyone, he would argue, can relate to the deep experiences of nature which is what he also writes about here. (At least that’s how I read him)  I also don’t think he is saying that technology, cities, etc are bad things (he traveled himself) but rather he warns against finding our happiness in things. This passage is loaded with thought provoking ideas, glean from it what you will. 

For me; it brought to mind my mother and the simple life she followed; early marriage when we couldn’t even afford to travel home, but with each other for company and a few simple ingredients, our Christmas Eve feast was born; my daughters playing in our back yard or at a campsite on a lake; my grandchildren playing as the tree limbs taken down in their back yard became a make-believe wonderland; my granddaughter as she hunted bears in our vineyard with her bow and arrows made from a pear tree branch and store string; my own times growing up and wandering along the creek or now spending time among the vines. As I read this passage, Thoreau’s words rang in the background, “simplify, simplify, simplify”

“…The sublime vision comes to the pure and simple soul in a clean and chaste body. That is not an inspiration, which we owe to narcotics, but (which is but) some counterfeit excitement and fury. Milton says that the lyric poet may drink wine and live generously, but the epic poet, he who shall sing of the gods and their descent unto men, must drink water out of a wooden bowl. For poetry is not ‘Devil’s wine,’ but God’s wine. It is with this as it is with toys. We fill the hands and nurseries of our children with all manner of dolls, drums and horses; withdrawing their eyes from the plain face and sufficing objects of nature, the sun and moon, the animals, the water and stones, which should be their toys. So the poet’s habit of living should be set on a key so low that the common influences should delight him. His cheerfulness should be the gift of the sunlight; the air should suffice for his inspiration, and he should be tipsy with water. That spirit which suffices quiet hearts, which seems to come forth to such from every dry knoll of sere grass, from every pine stump and half-imbedded stone on which the dull March sun shines, comes forth to the poor and hungry, and such as are of simple taste. If thou fill thy brain with Boston and New York, with fashion and covetousness, and wilt stimulate thy jaded senses with wine and French coffee, thou shalt find no radiance of wisdom in the lonely waste of the pine woods.” (Emerson, “The Poet”)

Thoughts on Term Limits

In recent weeks there seems to have been a rise in the calls for consideration of term limits for our public servants elected to serve in Washington. These calls invariably come from the people who don’t like the way things are going. However, when things are going their way, we seldom hear from them. I happen to live in a state, Missouri, which over 20 years ago decided to implement this idea for our state legislators. I believe it was in 1992 that the people voted to make this change, so we have been living with it for some time. Although I am a Missouri transplant, I have lived here since well before the change and the entire time since.

So how has it worked? From my perspective, it has been a disaster. In fact, folks here are starting to talk about how to “tweak” the law so some of its negative effects will be mitigated. In our case, as some readers know, we allow individuals to serve a total of eight years in the House and another eight years in the Senate. The result has produced a series of what I will call legislative greenhorns. I am not a legislator, but as I look at what they are supposed to be doing, it looks to be a position, when approached with knowledge, wisdom and good judgement, that has a steep learning curve. One that may take a couple of years to get a handle on. So, just as a legislator hits her stride, our law says, “Sorry, you’ve got to move on.”  What if the individual is doing a good job? The voters of our state don’t get to make that decision. After eight years, it’s time to move on to someone else.

Obviously, one result of term limits is that we are not allowing ourselves to benefit from the experience these seasoned lawmakers can bring to their positions.  Another problem is that since there is so much opportunity for mandatory change, people with little experience or knowledge of statesmanship line up to take their shot. It seems, at least to me, that in order to get noticed, they have to be more outrageous than their opponent and, of course, that first occurs within the party. This can have the deleterious effect of pushing the parties further to the extremes and further apart from each other. The art of compromise is then not only lost but becomes a four letter word.  Additionally, we have seen that those who wish to continue in the public sphere have found ways to get job offers near the end of their terms and we have experienced a number of individuals who, knowing they could not run again, have resigned before the end of their final term to accept another offer, thus leaving their respective party and constituency with a vacuum of leadership.

The reality is that in a democracy we have built in term limits. It is simply called the “vote”. If citizens exercise their right and responsibility to vote and to vote intelligently, they don’t need additional voting measures to protect their democracy.

But what about “rigged” elections and voter fraud?  The facts are quite clear. These are basically nonexistent in our system. Calls for closer monitoring of elections through photo IDs are quite simply fear mongering. This is a solution for a problem which is statistically insignificant in our voting culture; and, recent federal court rulings have taken steps to keep voter restriction laws in some states from adversely affecting the vote. As far as rigged elections, Bernie Sanders was making reference to the Democratic Party’s use of super delegates and to some states’ laws which mandate party declaration in primary elections. While these may be issues that need to be addressed, they do not rise to the level of the charges of rigged national elections candidate Trump is alluding to in some of his statements.

I do think that we have to keep an eye out for candidate and election manipulation, but my concern is more over the effects of big dollar and nameless donors as well as the impact of well funded lobbyists and PACs. These cannot be regulated by term limits, but they can and do exist even while we impose term limits on qualified individuals who want to serve.