Loar's Log

Work and activity have become dominating in our culture. Job security. Sufficient income. A sense of worth. These three seem to be driving many of us to the limits of our mental and emotional capacities. Physical health is also something that drives us to the limits of our mental and emotional capacities. There does not seem to be any “rock” of our life beyond our work, our incomes, and our health.

We come to church expecting to be healed or at least find comfort and soothing from this driveness. Life has sped up so much that we are like a marathon runner expecting to be fully restored to our highest level of strength after simply one hour of nourishment. Or it’s like the electrical grid and the blackout. Our emotional, physical and spiritual systems are shutting down due to overload. And there are no quick church fixes that will give us the energy and vision to be able to face the overloaded demands of our life even though we have developed that expectation.

God has looked down upon a drained humanity for ages. God has spoken to a drained humanity for ages.

“Get some sleep! Don’t cut short your physical rest!”

“Take time for prayer and quiet with me! How are you going to know who I am if you never talk with me and spend time with me?”

“Remember, I made you as a worthy being when I created you. You are not like a piece of stock. Your worth does not increase by any value that you can add to it.”

“Care for yourself! Your body is a holy place (temple). Treat it as a sanctuary. You will never know how to honor my sanctuary (worship setting) if you don’t honor the sanctuary I gave you as your body.”

“Obey the 10 Commandments. Quit forgetting the first four! Don’t talk about how the 10 Commandments are at the foundation of your society, when you don’t honor me and you don’t take a weekly Sabbath. Those two are the first ones I listed. They are as important as the ones about killing and stealing. Have you allowed those first four to be at the foundation of your life?! If not, don’t expect your society to honor the last six which are more oriented to your legal system.”

“Stop allowing all your distress and anxiety to control my community. LISTEN to ME more than your distress and anxiety.”

What do you imagine God is saying to our overworked, overstressed lives?

"back to normal"

I guess life is back to normal. School has started and the carpool becomes the fixed time of my weekly schedule. I wonder if this is "wasted time." I shouldn't be taking my time to do this. I should be doing more "important" minister stuff and someone else should do this "less important" stuff.

Its interesting how value and worth are part of our consciousness. That's what's at play for me around the time spent every other week picking up the carpool of six girls (including my two daughters) from Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts. Why is the time spent in this matter of safety, secruity and relationship less important?

I think the main thing is their age. I should be "pastoring" more responsible adults, who are also offering paying members of the church. (I write this with tongue in cheek. That's why I am using so many quotation marks in this piece.) The ordering of daily life is not easy. It involves choices. And ultimately I am responsible for those choices. I have chosen to participate in the carpool with three other families. It is a different world to hear the conversations of these fifth through eighth graders. It is a unique experience to engage with all of them in a time of observation and conversation. It is of high value in God's eyes.

home in the dark

This has been the week of the big electrical blackout. We didn't have it bad. Only 5 hours out. It is looking like now it is our energy company headquartered here in Akron that allowed the whole thing to get started. But then, we all allowed it to happen. Our lifestyle in this country demands so much of the world's resources to keep it thriving. We have 5% of the world's population, but we use 25% of the world's resources. Check out the site for the Penn State Center for Sustainability.

Fri morning in Tucson at recovery meeting

I went to an early morning 12 Step Recovery meeting today. It was good. Then went to breakfast with some of those at the meeting. It is so good to be able to be this far from home and to find a setting where without knowing anybody before you can find such a sharing and trusting gathering. I find that all the time I travel and visit 12 Step meetings. It is as I imagine the church was and may be in some settings. All the time is focused on healing and sharing instead of judging and complaining. As people share, they also receive help. What a gift from God! And it got started in Akron!

this week in Tucson

I arrived here in Tucson last night after 10 pacific time which was 1 am back home. Then I got up this morning at 5:30 am to go with my step-father Bob Ellis to deliver water for Humane Borders. What an experience. HB provides water in the desert where so many immigrants who are trying to get into the US illegally. Last year over 130 died due to dehydration. Most have no idea how hot the desert is nor how far they really have to go. They follow the power lines or the mountains or the lights of the big copper mine west of Tucson. HB has 4-wheel drive trucks that have water tanks. In the desert they have tall poles with blue flags on top. At the bottom are old Coca-Cola syrup barrels full of water. Saw foot prints. Saw clothing discarded. Saw a shrine some folks have come back to put up at a spot one person had died. Saw a jackrabbit. All of this was in sight of the western edge of Tucson! Bob said at one point twenty miles into AZ from Mexico a baby stroller was found left in the desert. They were tired of pushing their child in it. Again, probably expecting that the walk was shorter. As Bob keeps saying, "Imagine what these people must be leaving to be willing to go through this." Mom and Bob were in Chiapas province of Mexico last year which is at the very south of the country. It is run by European Mexicans, but mainly populated by indigenous Mayan Indians who are very poor. Many of the folks walking north are from this area, but also from other areas of Mexico as well as Central America.

I am fortunate. After a week at my in-laws describe in the previous post, I can wake up early in the morning here in Tucson at Mom and Bob's and watch the sun rise around Mount Lemmon and the Santa Catalina Mountains in their wonderful back sun room. Then a brisk walk and job in the cool morning non-humid air.