SNOW DELAY

So last week my nuclear stress test was canceled because of an inch of snow.  This week we expect somewhere between 8 - 14 inches here in Philly with sleet and blizzard conditions on Wednesday.  I have a small suspicion that my stress test will be canceled again.  I hope I live long enough to have a stress test.  Maybe in July?

WINTER WONDERLAND

Well, we are canceling worship for the second time this winter.  Part of the reason is that most of the congregation is over 75 and most of the rest are African Immigrants with little experience with snow.  The rest is that we have 28+ inches on the ground and no hope of snow and ice melting on the streets.  We already had a few 1 inch dustings but we had another 20 inch snow a few weeks ago.  And we are expecting more on Tuesday and Wednesday.  If we get 8 more inches before the end of the winter there will be an all time record.

Philly just doesn't have the equipment and the drivers don't have the skill to deal with a lot of snow.  It isn't llike upstate NY where a couple of feet of snow are no big deal.  So I think I'm saving the sermon and Sunday School lessons for the 14th.  

It will be nice to sleep in on a Sunday.

SILLY SEASON IN WASHINGTON

In the past week two different issues have come up about President Obama and his administration:

He made a remark about saving money for college instead of going to Vegas.

His Head of Staff responded to what he thought was a stupid comment by some congressional Democrats saying "That is F_____g retarded."

The press, politicians in and from Nevada, Sarah Palin and Tim Shriver (CEO of the Speical Olympics have jumped all over these comments.

My response to the president's comment about saving money for college instead of going to Vegas is, "Well, Duh!"  Of course samving money so your children can go to college is more important than any vacation, including and especially going to Vegas.  Vegas is not my idea of a great place to go for a family vacation.  A trip to a national park where the kids can breathe fresh air and see the wonders of creation is a much better choice.  My further remark is that anyone who does a little math can see that gambling is a good way to lose money.  And the little stickers in the bathrooms in casinos that you need a magnifying glass to read that tells you what to do if you have a gambling addiction are ridiculous.  That's like putting a tiny sticker in a liquor store that tells an alcoholic how to get a hold of AA.

As to Rahm Emanuel's remark I would have preferred that he had said that it was stupid instead of retarded (and that he had left out the F____g but those of us who think swearing is wrong are a shrinking group).  But the fact that someone leaked a remark from a private meeting and Sarah Palin in particular is getting all politically correct (Sarah Palin politically correct?) is more than a bit over the top. 

I know this is terribly idealistic of me but could we please get back to real business and real news?

STAYING WARM AND SAVING OIL

Want to limit your use of petroleum in the middle of a cold winter? Try the latest ecologically friendly method. Turn your heat down to 62 degrees and wear a sweater!

CHOLESTOROL, NUCLEAR STRESS TEST REDUX

Yep, I stuck to the cardiac diet (or at least I thought I did) and my cholesterol levels went up.  Dramatically.  The Doc says I have tachycardia.  So Wednesday I have a nuclear stress test.  And if I pass it I go on cholesterol drugs.  If I fail I think it’s back to the hospital for another cardiac cath and maybe a stent or two. 

So today I’m upset.  I skipped beef for nine months for this?  I WANT A STEAK! 

Tomorrow I’ll be happy that I live in a time of cholesterol drugs and stents.  Life could be much worse. 

I covet your prayers.

MUSIC AND MOOD

“You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant.”  Or so Arlo Guthrie tells us.  But if you want to hear music and watch a concert you can get anything you want on youtube. 

I had an eclectic evening on youtube.  I don’t stick to Christian music as I used to do.  Not that there isn’t good Christian music on youtube.  You can hear and see Keith Green.  But today I was interested in something else.

I started and ended with Jethro Tull.  Hearing Jethro Tull is wonderful.  Watching them is well over the border into amazing.  The lead man, Ian Anderson, who sings, plays acoustic guitar and the flute has a stage presence all his own.  The music is raw, the singer looks crazy and the music is free.  Don’t take my word for it.  Take a look at “Thick as a Brick.”  It took me back but it also put me in one of those wild moods that only Jethro Tull can produce.

Then I switched over to Blood, Sweat and Tears, at least for a bit.  I was looking for their old version of “God Bless the Child".  During my search I listened to Billie Holiday, Diana Ross and Blood, Sweat and Tears.  I thought Diana Ross sang it best but the instrumentals were best by Blood Sweat and Tears.  Who knew back in the late sixties and early seventies that Jazz could be so popular?  And such a big sound too with all the brass and saxophone.  I dropped in on an old version of “When I die” as well.  I felt joy and hit by a wall of music.

I listened to the great Louis Armstrong, my favorite by him “What a Wonderful World.”  The great Satchmo gives me hope for humanity and makes me think that there really is a way to peace.

I couldn’t skip The Who.  My favorite, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” informs my opinion of politicians, the human predicament and good and evil.  Political leaders, after all, are human.  They can do some good.  They can fail miserably.  But when it all ends they never fulfill their campaign promises because there are all those other politicians trying to stop them and humans can’t achieve miracles.  “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”  Still, I love Pete Townsend on guitar, doing his act. But I don’t approve of destroying perfectly good instruments.

And then to Celtic, Christian (sometimes), rock, jazz fusion: Iona.  Who else combines rock guitars, bass, drums of various sorts, (including old Irish and Scottish drums), keyboards, flute, sax and, of course, bagpipes.  For something completely different listen to their “Dancing on the Wall” and “Catslerigg.”  Yup, that guy is playing the bagpipes.  The Irish/Scottish mix fills me with joy and their hope in Christ gives me hope.

And back to the beginning, Arlo Guthrie.  Arlo’s getting old but he still tells a great story and 

sings great ballads.  His introduction to “Flying to Los Angeles” is hilarious in a folk doper

 kind of way.  Oh, and the song itself. 

But my favorite is by Arlo is still “Alice’s Restaurant.”  Ten minutes into talking about Alice, the

 dump closed on Thanksgiving and a trial before a blind judge he tells us, “And we was fined 

$50 and had to pick up the garbage in the snow, but that’s not what I came to tell you about.  

Came to talk about the draft.”  Huh?  And then that great line about the physical, “They got a 

building down New York City, it's called Whitehall Street, where you walk in, you get injected, 

inspected, detected, infected, neglected and selected.”  Arlo reminds me of my not so 

innocent youth and the horrors of Vietnam (and therefore also of Iraq and Afghanistan).  

Joy, anger and sorrow mixed.  

Music does wonders in catching us up to heaven, getting us down and dirty, and speaking 

about real problems for real people.  

And just in case you think it can’t wretch your heart and put you in tears, listen to Arlo singing 

about old trains and deportees.

Thank God for the gift of music.  It makes life more real.

A LITTLE SOMETHING FROM ST. PATRICK BY WAY OF IONA

This is probably my favorite song by Iona. That may be because it comes from a prayer by St. Patrick. It also has something to do with the combination of Celtic mysticism, rock and jazz. But most of all it is my prayer for myself each day. Along with the rest of the prayer.

This is the whole prayer:

The Lorica, or, St. Patrick’s Breastplate
(the version from the Book of Daily Prayer, PCUSA)

I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.

I bind this day to me forever,
by power of faith, Christ’s Incarnation;
his baptism in the Jordan river;
his death on cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spiced tomb;
his riding up he heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom:
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself today
the virtues of the starlit heaven,
the glorious sun’s life-giving ray,
the whiteness of the moon at even,
the flashing of the lightning free,
the whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
the stable earth, the deep salt sea,
around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay,
his ear to hearken to my need;
the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
the word of God to give me speech,
his heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.
Of whom all nature hath creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
praise to the Lord of my salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord.