25/01: Here's To You, Rabbie Burns
Category: From the Heart
Posted by: an okie gardener
Tonight, Scots around the world are drinking, eating haggis, feeling proud of the tartans and the land of heather, and toasting the lasses and the poet Robert Burns. You have to love a land whose chief holiday is held on a poet's birthday.
My first year of seminary, 1980-81, I served as youth pastor of Knox Presbyterian Church, Kearny, New Jersey, a Scots and Irish working-class town in sight of the Manhattan skyline. Of our congregation of about 110 on Sunday mornings, roughly 80% had been born across the water, either in Scotland or Northern Ireland. The pastor was a Scot himself, educated at New College, Edinburgh. Sunday morning my wife and I were greeted with the accents of Scotland. There is not one Scottish accent, but several regional ones. I never did learn to understand dear old Mrs. Barclay, from way in the north of Scotland whose English included some sort of Gaelic. When we took our three-week old daughter to church for the first time, Mrs. Barclay looked at her and said with a smile, "What a wee looney!" (What a small baby!)
In Kearny we learned to love fish-and-chips, meat pies, soup for Sunday dinner (made the day before so as not to break the Sabbath), and the people. And Robert Burns. The night of his birthday was "party night" for all people Scottish, or who wished they were. Singing, fellowship, whiskey, and haggis. The Sunday nearest Burns' birthday was "Scottish Heritage Sunday" in church. Standing room only with people coming from all over the New York metropolitan area. Pipers, kilts, and a traditional Scottish Presbyterian service.
One time the Apostle Peter asked Jesus what was in it for him. "Look, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age--houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions--and in the age to come eternal life.
In Kearny, New Jersey, a long way from Sullivan County, Missouri, or Wayne, County, Iowa, my wife and I received Scottish and Scots-Irish brothers and sisters. The fellowship of those who toast and quote Robert Burns this night.
AULD LANG SYNE (from Hogmanay.net)
Words adapated from a traditional song
by Rabbie Burns (1759-96)
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!
And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!
We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine,
But we've wander'd monie a weary fit,
Sin auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidl'd in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.
And there's a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o thine,
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne
Meanings
auld lang syne - times gone by
be - pay for
braes - hills
braid - broad
burn - stream
dine - dinner time
fiere - friend
fit - foot
gowans - daisies
guid-willie waught - goodwill drink
monie - many
morning sun - noon
paidl't - paddled
pint-stowp - pint tankard
pou'd - pulled
twa - two
Robert Burns Night from Brits At Their Best
The official Robert Burns site from Scotsweb
The Burns' poem, Address to a Haggis
My first year of seminary, 1980-81, I served as youth pastor of Knox Presbyterian Church, Kearny, New Jersey, a Scots and Irish working-class town in sight of the Manhattan skyline. Of our congregation of about 110 on Sunday mornings, roughly 80% had been born across the water, either in Scotland or Northern Ireland. The pastor was a Scot himself, educated at New College, Edinburgh. Sunday morning my wife and I were greeted with the accents of Scotland. There is not one Scottish accent, but several regional ones. I never did learn to understand dear old Mrs. Barclay, from way in the north of Scotland whose English included some sort of Gaelic. When we took our three-week old daughter to church for the first time, Mrs. Barclay looked at her and said with a smile, "What a wee looney!" (What a small baby!)
In Kearny we learned to love fish-and-chips, meat pies, soup for Sunday dinner (made the day before so as not to break the Sabbath), and the people. And Robert Burns. The night of his birthday was "party night" for all people Scottish, or who wished they were. Singing, fellowship, whiskey, and haggis. The Sunday nearest Burns' birthday was "Scottish Heritage Sunday" in church. Standing room only with people coming from all over the New York metropolitan area. Pipers, kilts, and a traditional Scottish Presbyterian service.
One time the Apostle Peter asked Jesus what was in it for him. "Look, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age--houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions--and in the age to come eternal life.
In Kearny, New Jersey, a long way from Sullivan County, Missouri, or Wayne, County, Iowa, my wife and I received Scottish and Scots-Irish brothers and sisters. The fellowship of those who toast and quote Robert Burns this night.
AULD LANG SYNE (from Hogmanay.net)
Words adapated from a traditional song
by Rabbie Burns (1759-96)
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!
And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!
We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine,
But we've wander'd monie a weary fit,
Sin auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidl'd in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.
And there's a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o thine,
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne
Meanings
auld lang syne - times gone by
be - pay for
braes - hills
braid - broad
burn - stream
dine - dinner time
fiere - friend
fit - foot
gowans - daisies
guid-willie waught - goodwill drink
monie - many
morning sun - noon
paidl't - paddled
pint-stowp - pint tankard
pou'd - pulled
twa - two
Robert Burns Night from Brits At Their Best
The official Robert Burns site from Scotsweb
The Burns' poem, Address to a Haggis
23/01: Relationships and Faith
Category: From the Heart
Posted by: an okie gardener
Martian Mariner draws our attention to this essay by Michael Brendan Dougherty.
Category: From the Heart
Posted by: an okie gardener
Why I am committed to local church ministry.
Lou Lotz says it better than I could: Click on the link below, then on the toolbar that appears click CONTENTS, then on the pull-down menu click SIGNS OF THE KINGDOM.
Ordinary Time
Lou Lotz says it better than I could: Click on the link below, then on the toolbar that appears click CONTENTS, then on the pull-down menu click SIGNS OF THE KINGDOM.
Ordinary Time
06/12: Buy American
Category: From the Heart
Posted by: an okie gardener
My new winter coat arrived this morning. It is a well-made brown "barn coat," or "chore coat" as we call it up home. Warm and lightweight, a cotton-duck shell and blanket liner, it looks good and is sturdy, And it was made in America, in Bristol, Tennessee. Customer service was great. Looking at the web site, I could not tell the chest size and arm length of the XL, 2XL, etc. So I called the 800 number. A very nice lady told me the chest measurements off the top of her head; when she could not remember the arm length, she had me wait while she sent and got one my size and measured the sleeves. One of the nicest retail encounters I've had in a while.
The internet is a great way to shop if you are looking for "Made in the USA" items. For many things, a search will turn up something you can use. My coat is a Pointer Brand.
And it cost me $65 with shipping. If I didn't need an X size it would have been a few dollars less.
Buy American. We have workplace safety rules. Environmental regulations. Right to organize. Child labor laws. Minimum wage. All hard-won accomplishments that give us a good quality of life.
For American Union Made, see All American Clothing.
This site lists many sources of American made products.
And right here in Apache, Oklahoma, we have Mo Betta, a small business that makes western shirts right here to custom order. There customers include pro-rodeo cowboys and country singers (including Garth Brooks), but you can get a fairly simple shirt made for about $55.
And, of course, if you buy food grown outside the United States, you do not know what kinds of pesticides or herbicides were used, or how near to harvest they were used. Many, many countries have little pesticide or herbicide regulation.
The internet is a great way to shop if you are looking for "Made in the USA" items. For many things, a search will turn up something you can use. My coat is a Pointer Brand.
And it cost me $65 with shipping. If I didn't need an X size it would have been a few dollars less.
Buy American. We have workplace safety rules. Environmental regulations. Right to organize. Child labor laws. Minimum wage. All hard-won accomplishments that give us a good quality of life.
For American Union Made, see All American Clothing.
This site lists many sources of American made products.
And right here in Apache, Oklahoma, we have Mo Betta, a small business that makes western shirts right here to custom order. There customers include pro-rodeo cowboys and country singers (including Garth Brooks), but you can get a fairly simple shirt made for about $55.
And, of course, if you buy food grown outside the United States, you do not know what kinds of pesticides or herbicides were used, or how near to harvest they were used. Many, many countries have little pesticide or herbicide regulation.
Category: From the Heart
Posted by: an okie gardener
Thomas F. Torrance has died. One of the theological giants of the latter half of the 20th century. In constructive theology, he will be remembered for his writings on the Trinity, and on the relationship of science and Christianity. He was a minister of the Church of Scotland, a Reformed theologian, a Barthian, a scholar.
A remembrance here on the Faith and Theology blog.
Here is the Widipedia entry; the first paragraph of which reads:
Thomas Forsyth Torrance (30 August 1913 - 2 December 2007) was a 20th century Protestant Christian theologian who served for 27 years as Professor of Christian Dogmatics at New College, Edinburgh in the University of Edinburgh, during which time he was a leader in Protestant Christian theology. While he wrote many books and articles advancing his own study of theology, he also translated several hundred theological writings into English from other languages. Torrance edited the English translation of the thirteen-volume, six-million-word Church Dogmatics (germ. "Die Kirchliche Dogmatik") of celebrated Swiss theologian Karl Barth. Torrance's work has been influential in the paleo-orthodox movement, and he is widely considered to be one of the most important Reformed theologians of his era.
This scholarly organization studies his work, and does constructive theological reflection in dialogue with Professor Torrance's writings. The Torrance biography on that site does a very good job of presenting his contributions in theology.
Professor Torrance was a hero of mine, the kind of person I want to be like when I grow up. He was a churchman, the son of missionaries in China who himself served two parishes in the Church of Scotland; he had courage and a sense of duty, as war threatened in Europe in 1939 he left the United States, walking away from a job offer at Princeton University, in order to serve as a military chaplain with the British Army in the Middle East and Italy; he was a family man, married with three children whose welfare he valued, turning down an offer to serve as Karl Barth's handpicked successor at Basel because he did not want to uproot his children and transplant them into a foreign culture and language; he was an academic of amazing productivity, rigorous thought, who did theology not to impress other academics, but to help the Church understand its beliefs; he was a man of faith, a devout Christian. Brother Torrance, R.I.P.
A remembrance here on the Faith and Theology blog.
Here is the Widipedia entry; the first paragraph of which reads:
Thomas Forsyth Torrance (30 August 1913 - 2 December 2007) was a 20th century Protestant Christian theologian who served for 27 years as Professor of Christian Dogmatics at New College, Edinburgh in the University of Edinburgh, during which time he was a leader in Protestant Christian theology. While he wrote many books and articles advancing his own study of theology, he also translated several hundred theological writings into English from other languages. Torrance edited the English translation of the thirteen-volume, six-million-word Church Dogmatics (germ. "Die Kirchliche Dogmatik") of celebrated Swiss theologian Karl Barth. Torrance's work has been influential in the paleo-orthodox movement, and he is widely considered to be one of the most important Reformed theologians of his era.
This scholarly organization studies his work, and does constructive theological reflection in dialogue with Professor Torrance's writings. The Torrance biography on that site does a very good job of presenting his contributions in theology.
Professor Torrance was a hero of mine, the kind of person I want to be like when I grow up. He was a churchman, the son of missionaries in China who himself served two parishes in the Church of Scotland; he had courage and a sense of duty, as war threatened in Europe in 1939 he left the United States, walking away from a job offer at Princeton University, in order to serve as a military chaplain with the British Army in the Middle East and Italy; he was a family man, married with three children whose welfare he valued, turning down an offer to serve as Karl Barth's handpicked successor at Basel because he did not want to uproot his children and transplant them into a foreign culture and language; he was an academic of amazing productivity, rigorous thought, who did theology not to impress other academics, but to help the Church understand its beliefs; he was a man of faith, a devout Christian. Brother Torrance, R.I.P.
15/11: Material Possession Lust
Category: From the Heart
Posted by: an okie gardener
Ohhhh yeah. Muscle cars. I know lust is wrong, but man oh man what beauties. And if I were a rich man, duh duh dee dee dee dee duh, I'd have this baby, a '56 T-Bird. Or, maybe this one, a Jaguar XJ12 (the 12 means 12 cylinders.) And I want this one too, a 1954 GMC pickup.
08/11: The Future Is Unpredictable
Category: From the Heart
Posted by: an okie gardener
Wednesday night little Gardner-Webb college beat the winningest Division 1 basketball program in history, Kentucky. In Rupp Arena. By a wide margin. On paper it never should have happened, but it did. Story here.
In honor of this event, I repeat a post from early in the life of this blog: Life Is Unpredictable.
A couple of weeks ago I had to be out and about in my car for a few evenings. Listening to a geezer rock station I heard a nationally syndicated program hosted by Alice Cooper. What a trip! Rock music, anecdotes, Bible lessons, and occasional libertarian/conservative political commentary. In the 1970s who could have imagined Alice Cooper on the radio explaining the context of a New Testament story? Or warning against the dangers of excessive drinking? Life is totally unpredictable.
For much of my life, from childhood until about fifteen years ago, I had a recurring dream: I was standing in the back yard of my paternal grandparents. I looked to the southwest and saw the top of a nuclear mushroom cloud (the direction of Kansas City), then I looked to the southeast and saw the top of another mushroom cloud (in the direction of St. Louis). I assumed, given the talk of those days, and later given my own analysis of the world's political situation, that nuclear war between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. was inevitable. (Boy did I feel that in the early 80s). I also recall, growing up in the 60s, having the feeling that America was doomed by enemies without, and by problems within. The same thoughts recurred in the late 70s with oil shortages, strong inflation, and the hostages in Iran. But, the U.S.S.R. is no more, the United States is still here, and my premonitions/predictions did not come to pass. The future is unpredictable.
For me this unpredictability gives me hope. Traditionally Christianity has regarded Despair (not to be equated with depression) as a sin. Despair is the rejection of hope. It is a sin because it is a form of pride, an assumption of omniscience. The person who chooses to despair assumes that he/she knows all the facts of the present, and knows what will happen in the future. We never know enough to declare that life is hopeless.
In honor of this event, I repeat a post from early in the life of this blog: Life Is Unpredictable.
A couple of weeks ago I had to be out and about in my car for a few evenings. Listening to a geezer rock station I heard a nationally syndicated program hosted by Alice Cooper. What a trip! Rock music, anecdotes, Bible lessons, and occasional libertarian/conservative political commentary. In the 1970s who could have imagined Alice Cooper on the radio explaining the context of a New Testament story? Or warning against the dangers of excessive drinking? Life is totally unpredictable.
For much of my life, from childhood until about fifteen years ago, I had a recurring dream: I was standing in the back yard of my paternal grandparents. I looked to the southwest and saw the top of a nuclear mushroom cloud (the direction of Kansas City), then I looked to the southeast and saw the top of another mushroom cloud (in the direction of St. Louis). I assumed, given the talk of those days, and later given my own analysis of the world's political situation, that nuclear war between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. was inevitable. (Boy did I feel that in the early 80s). I also recall, growing up in the 60s, having the feeling that America was doomed by enemies without, and by problems within. The same thoughts recurred in the late 70s with oil shortages, strong inflation, and the hostages in Iran. But, the U.S.S.R. is no more, the United States is still here, and my premonitions/predictions did not come to pass. The future is unpredictable.
For me this unpredictability gives me hope. Traditionally Christianity has regarded Despair (not to be equated with depression) as a sin. Despair is the rejection of hope. It is a sin because it is a form of pride, an assumption of omniscience. The person who chooses to despair assumes that he/she knows all the facts of the present, and knows what will happen in the future. We never know enough to declare that life is hopeless.
12/09: A Christian Hero Dies
Category: From the Heart
Posted by: an okie gardener
Bishop Han Dingxiang, a Chinese bishop who maintained loyalty to the Pope even through 19 years in labor camps and more years of house arrest and jail. He died in police custody. His cremated body was buried within 6 hours of death with little notice given. Newsmax has the story.
Though I myself am Protestant, I stand to honor one whose loyalty and faithfulness to his Christian beliefs shames my easy circumstances.
Brother Han, RIP.
Though I myself am Protestant, I stand to honor one whose loyalty and faithfulness to his Christian beliefs shames my easy circumstances.
Brother Han, RIP.
17/07: I Love Kansas City
In June our family spent a few days together in Kansas City, staying at the home of my sister and her husband.
I love Kansas City. We all went to a Royals baseball game in beautiful Kaufman stadium. (Pictures here.) While both the baseball and football (Chiefs) stadiums ( pictures ) were built in an era when tacky was in, they instead have graceful lines, eye-pleasing features, and have held up very well.
My Dad and I toured the Liberty Memorial, which I had not seen since the mammoth renovation project. The Liberty Memorial is a museum and memorial honoring those who fought in World War 1, and is our nation's official World War One museum. Well worth a visit.
We also listened to some good jazz music. Kansas City has a great jazz tradition, honored in the American Jazz Museum (which I have yet to visit). Have I mentioned that Kansas City is a great jazz town? Even the happy-hour live music in the hotel lobbies is good.
We also had to eat: Kansas City is a great place for steaks, barbeque, and chili.
Not on this summer's list, but also in the metropolitan area are: The Harry Truman Presidential Library and The Steamboat Arabia Museum and The Nelson Art Gallery.
Throw in the amusement park and water park and it's a great vacation city.
Also in and around Kansas City are historical sites dealing with Westward Expansion (the Santa Fe and other trails started here), Mormons, Jesse James, and north in St. Joseph the Pony Express Museum.
I love Kansas City. We all went to a Royals baseball game in beautiful Kaufman stadium. (Pictures here.) While both the baseball and football (Chiefs) stadiums ( pictures ) were built in an era when tacky was in, they instead have graceful lines, eye-pleasing features, and have held up very well.
My Dad and I toured the Liberty Memorial, which I had not seen since the mammoth renovation project. The Liberty Memorial is a museum and memorial honoring those who fought in World War 1, and is our nation's official World War One museum. Well worth a visit.
We also listened to some good jazz music. Kansas City has a great jazz tradition, honored in the American Jazz Museum (which I have yet to visit). Have I mentioned that Kansas City is a great jazz town? Even the happy-hour live music in the hotel lobbies is good.
We also had to eat: Kansas City is a great place for steaks, barbeque, and chili.
Not on this summer's list, but also in the metropolitan area are: The Harry Truman Presidential Library and The Steamboat Arabia Museum and The Nelson Art Gallery.
Throw in the amusement park and water park and it's a great vacation city.
Also in and around Kansas City are historical sites dealing with Westward Expansion (the Santa Fe and other trails started here), Mormons, Jesse James, and north in St. Joseph the Pony Express Museum.
15/06: I Love America, part 1
Category: From the Heart
Posted by: an okie gardener
Last week Wednesday afternoon my wife and I headed north out of Apache for a week and a half. We had not needed to get our "papers" in order nor go to the local government functionary for permission to travel.
Near sundown that evening we drove through the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve in north Oklahoma. Beautiful. We have altered much of our landscape, but, at least have the wisdom to preserve parts of it.
That night we stayed in a motel in Chanute, Kansas. A couple obviously born in India checked us in. We still keep the doors open for legal immigrants, they are a boon to our culture, our economy, our nation.
We ate supper the first night and breakfast the next morning in small-town cafes. The people, staff and customers, were friendly. The food was good. Along the way the wheat was turning, the line of harvest somewhere behind us advancing north.
The roads, overall, were excellent. Even the 30 plus miles of gravel in and around the Tall-Grass prairie were servicable. And no one checked our travel documents at the Kansas line.
Near sundown that evening we drove through the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve in north Oklahoma. Beautiful. We have altered much of our landscape, but, at least have the wisdom to preserve parts of it.
That night we stayed in a motel in Chanute, Kansas. A couple obviously born in India checked us in. We still keep the doors open for legal immigrants, they are a boon to our culture, our economy, our nation.
We ate supper the first night and breakfast the next morning in small-town cafes. The people, staff and customers, were friendly. The food was good. Along the way the wheat was turning, the line of harvest somewhere behind us advancing north.
The roads, overall, were excellent. Even the 30 plus miles of gravel in and around the Tall-Grass prairie were servicable. And no one checked our travel documents at the Kansas line.
