You'd have laughed, too!

OK, another sermon. I'm sorry, but I like to share them and besides, it's easier than writing a new blog post! The Scripture was in Genesis 18 about how Sarah and Abraham, at ages 90 and 100, were going to have a baby!!

In the early 50’s, when I was a little girl, “Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries” was a very popular song. Its basic theme was not to worry, to hold lightly to life’s challenges, to “live, love and laugh at it all.” My father ranted and raved about that song and the evils of its philosophy. “That’s the trouble with people these days,” he would roar, “they don’t take life seriously. They don’t work hard enough”, etc, etc, etc. Ironically, by the way, a few years later he bought a cherry orchard, so “a bowl of cherries” became pretty significant to him.

Why did that song upset him so much? He came from a family of stoic Scots-Irish people--poor, puritanical, pious. He told how his father berated him and his brother for tossing a football after the day’s work was done as just a waste of time. There was little laughter in that home. And, though my Dad was somewhat “looser”, there was precious little laughter in our home either. Fortunately for him, and my mother, in later years he allowed his natural exuberance to come forth and his deep belly laugh was loud and contagious.

Laughter is one of the amazing things about the human species. Perhaps other species laugh, too. I hope so. Dogs and cats definitely smile. But there is nothing quite like the pure joy of a hearty laugh. On lovely summer days, I revel in the exuberant giggles of the two small children who live next door.

Christianity, however, doesn’t say a lot about laughter. We read that Jesus wept, but not that Jesus laughed. A strange detail to leave out, don’t you think? Especially when you consider all the wild parties he liked to attend. Perhaps you’ve seen the pictures of Jesus laughing. If you Google that phrase on your computer you come up with an amazing number of articles and pictures.

So getting back to Sarah and Abraham, the father and mother of the Hebrew people, it’s interesting that laughter was a focus of this story. You may remember that God has promised Abraham he will be the father of countless people and now three strangers appear in the yard and somehow Abraham senses their significance, for he jumps up in the hottest part of the day and can’t wait to provide them with food and gracious hospitality.
So Sarah hears one of the men, presumably the Lord, saying she will have a baby and she laughs. Can’t you just hear her? HA! Me? At age 90? Have pleasure with that 100 year old husband of mine? HA! You’d have laughed, too. Interestingly, when God tells Abraham the same thing one chapter earlier, he, too, laughs, but God doesn’t seem to mind. Why then, do you suppose God is annoyed with Sarah for laughing? Might say something about how the story-teller saw women. Apparently, she wasn’t supposed to laugh at God. Maybe that’s part of how we learned it was wrong to laugh in church or any holy setting.

I have several friends who became parents at an older age (not THAT old) and they laugh, too, sometimes to keep from crying. We laugh at that which we both understand and don’t understand. We laugh at absurdity. We laugh when we can do nothing else. (I told here of the "Chuckle's Funeral" episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Ted Cohen’s book Jokes: Philosophical Thoughts on Joking Matters was reviewed in The Christian Century a few years ago.
“The peculiar capacity of jokes to absorb absurdity is theologically significant, Cohen suggests. To laugh at the world’s absurdities implies an "acceptance of incomprehensibility," and this acceptance is a kind of religious affirmation. Such jokes offer a way of being reconciled to the creation and the Creator even as one expresses anger or despair at God’s world. Cohen finds such laughter in the passage in Genesis where Abraham and Sarah laugh upon learning that Sarah at age 90 will bear a child (to be named Isaac, "he laughs"). If the patriarch and matriarch of the faith can laugh at God’s incomprehensible ways, argues Cohen, then surely such laughter has a theological warrant.

Of course laughter can come from all kinds of sources—fear, embarrassment, nervousness, hatred, abuse of power, etc. But I hope to bring some laughter, or at least a chuckle or grin to your spirit, by sharing a few things that just coincidentally showed up in my email this week. You’ll need to be wide awake now!

The first set is from a comedian named Stephen Wright, who is zany, creative and a bit outside the box. Here are a few of his one-liners:

82.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?
Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread.
There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.

Then there are the ubiquitous church bulletin mistakes, such as:

• The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
• The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.
• Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
• Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
• Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
• Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

Humorists can do much to help us find commonality and community, perhaps when we least expect it. I believe Bill Cosby’s ability to show how similar his experiences were to that of people of all backgrounds went a long way in teaching Americans to be more tolerant. We know, too, that laughter is healing, physically and every other way. Norman Cousins, who laughed his way to healing, says, “Laughter is inner jogging.”

God has a sense of humor, obviously. Else why would life be so wild and crazy and rich and wonderful? I was blessed to marry a man who believed that; a man who said we could survive anything if we could keep our sense of humor. Our home knew laughter even in the hardest times. In my email signature I quote, I don’t know who, “Blessed are those who laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.”

I will close with a prayer from Bridget Mary Meehan’s book Praying with the Women of the Bible:

Promise us, O God of Sarah, that you will be faithful forever
especially in the times we experience discouragement and emptiness.
O God of the Unexpected, teach us to laugh heartily at life’s inconsistencies and at our own silly pretenses.
Surprise us, as you did Sarah, with new life, fresh hope, and energetic love.
Then, like Sarah, we will praise you with glad hearts and grateful laughter all the days of our lives.
Amen.

Bearing Burdens

This is an adapted version of a sermon I preached on the 4th of July.

Sometimes I wonder how humanity can bear so many burdens, of such unimaginable weight. In a sense, the weight of the world really is on our shoulders—war upon war, society’s institutions crumbling, the earth raped and wasted, living beings destroyed because of human greed and apathy, fears of unemployment, illiteracy, disease, religious antagonism. And that doesn’t include the specific concerns we have for those close-in to our lives—disastrous relationships, illnesses, mental and physical addictions, financial worries. A rather depressing recitation, wouldn’t you say?

How do we bear these burdens? First, our own. Here are two ways, both simple and profound. One is solitude; the other is community. In order to bear the burdens of our lives, we need to spend a portion of our time alone in a quiet, peaceful and safe place, in order to listen to the wisdom hidden deep within our souls. Yes, thinking is involved; but, from a place deeper than the mind, impulses, intuitions, surprising revelations can spring forth out of the silence. Wow! Where did that come from—an idea, a possible solution, a feeling of utter peace, a sudden knowing that all shall be well.

And we need community, the presence and love of others. Where two or three are gathered there I will be, Jesus said. This is one reason why people seek a spiritual director—to have at least one person, one place, where they feel they can be safe, where they can say anything, where they can trust. Of course that is why we gather in congregations, as well. Sometimes an experience during worship or otherwise, can be the very gift we need to keep going, to feel reassured of God’s love and care. We hear a particular piece of music, someone gives us a squeeze or a beautiful smile, the readings touches in some deep place, the beautiful space feels safe, sacred, promising. Community happens in an infinite variety of settings, religious and otherwise. But we must have it; else we perish in a dark hole of isolation and despair.

How do we help others bear their burdens? This phrase from Parker Palmer helps me remember: Don’t evade and don’t invade. Perhaps this sounds a bit negative, but bear with me.

If we know someone is hurting, say a loved one died, do we evade talking with them? We say, I’m not good at funeral homes or hospitals. I don’t like nursing homes. I don’t know what to say. I didn’t know him/her that well. I’ve heard myself say all these things from time to time. Well, tell me, who DOES like hospitals, nursing homes, funeral parlors? Who DOES know what to say? We are called to be present, to trust that no matter what we do or don’t say, the Holy Spirit will operate and the hurting one will be helped.

At the same time, and this is done all too frequently, we must not invade, asking questions mostly out of curiosity, giving platitudes which only serve to add fuel to the fire burning within the other, "taking over" and deciding for someone what is best for them. Adult children are especially good at doing this to/for their elderly parents.

So we need to allow people space and time to be alone with themselves and their wounds. AND, we need to be available, humbly listening, when that is what is needed. We need to look people directly in the eyes, to show our own emotions openly, to hug more than to lecture.

During one of his bouts of clinical depression, Parker Palmer said that when he was at his lowest, the only person who was able to help him was a man who came over every afternoon, quietly massaged his feet for ½ hour, then left. There was something in the faithfulness, the respect, and the human touch which helped Parker come up out of the extreme abyss.

Our country could learn from these two stances, as well—evasion and invasion. We have been far too good at not looking at what we don’t want to see, especially about ourselves as a nation. And we have been far too good at invading the space, culture and religious beliefs of others, thinking we were being helpful. We have born a great burden, even though much of our action has been well meaning.

Finally, we bear the burden of this planet. This one is particularly difficult. What on earth, so to speak, can any of us do? We respond to the destruction of this earth somewhere on a spectrum from being totally oblivious to changing our entire life styles. I more and more believe that Mother Earth is more powerful than we presume. She will survive; she will take care of herself. At what cost to the human species, I’m not at all sure.

Ultimately, God does and will bear the burdens of us all. May it be so!

The Word from Fenner is GOOD!!!

I believe this will inspire you and if you're in this area, you might feel "called" to get involved. The first is a letter from the President of the Fenner Board; the second from our new Executive Director, Jason Meyer.

There have been so many good things happening at Fenner Nature Center lately that I did not want to wait until the Fall newsletter to reach you. Our new Executive Director, Jason Meyer, has hit the ground running and there is an aura of enthusiasm and optimism that energizes all of us who are involved. Daily visitors are increasing and our summer day programs all have waiting lists. Our new summer staff is doing a great job. We have received some grant money to improve the facilities at the Nature Center and the city has arranged to have our paved trails repaired. A few weeks ago, Jason sent me and the Board a message describing one day on the job, and I found it so informative and inspiring that I wanted to share it with you. Please see that message below. As you read about the new things that are going on, I urge you to think of ways that you can pitch in and add to the momentum. You can provide your time as a volunteer (we need people to spread the word about Fenner; we need volunteer committee members and Board members as well). We also need your financial support. At a reception for Jason to meet some of our key volunteers, one person wrote us a check for $500 as a sign of her support. We need more people to do that.

Ron Eggleston, President Friends of Fenner Nature Center

A Day on the Job of the Executive Director: June 16, 2010

It's been about a month-and-a-half now that I've been here at Fenner. It really seems like yesterday that I interviewed for this job. I wanted to take a few minutes and jot down some of my reflections just today. When I got to Fenner this morning, I stopped and checked the mail -- in it was a continuation of the stream of donations to the Friends of Fenner Nature Center in memory of Mrs. Beverly Decker, a former volunteer with us. Several of these had handwritten notes about how much Mrs. Decker loved this place. In the past week, these memorials have raised over $500. I called Mrs. Decker's daughter Susan, and conveyed our appreciation and condolences. She told me that Fenner was a special place and that after the estate is settled, they may be able to contribute more to our efforts so that others can continue to appreciate the place that her mother loved.

Shortly after my arrival, staff started to get here. Francine Clark came in this morning with her typical smile, "good morning," and off to work she went, always putting her nose to the grindstone be-fore I even get a chance to say "good morning" back! Megan Berry came in next, beaming the smile that she always has, even though she had to get up even earlier for the long drive from Lapeer thanks to our summer camp starting today. I love the way that Megan comes in and starts every day with a question about how somebody's night was the night before -- she shows a real interest in the lives of her co-workers, and it makes us all feel great. Our crack summer staff was right on their heels -- not once since their training began about two weeks ago have any of them been late or shown anything other than a great sense of responsibility for their work here -- Sarah, our recent teaching graduate is already showing her leadership potential; Meghan, our dancer has a vitality for life and a right-brain approach that the kids will love, and Samantha, probably the (seemingly) youngest camp staffer to be hired, has an absolutely brilliant personality that the little kids will love (plus, like me, she knows a good Slurpee when she sees one).

Today launched our summer camp programs with "Roots and Shoots." Sarah took the lead with our four participants, and every time I checked up on them, they were not only having fun, but learning at the same time. Tomorrow, the kids will work with Joanne Foy and Clara on the start of a native plant garden that will grow to be the entryway to the Nature Center.

While enrollment for this session is low, throughout the day the phones were ringing off the hooks. Megan and Francine had their hands full getting kids registered at the last minute for our other camps, and I even heard that we had a waiting list starting to form. This is all great news for the future of our camp program -- the staff has worked hard to provide the absolute best programming, and the participants will surely tell their friends to join us next year!

I had the honor of sharing coffee with Carol Ingells today -- what a beautiful soul. We discussed her role as our webmaster, including how we may be changing things up a bit with the website. After showing her some of the alternatives to our current setup, she and I spent some time talking about her late husband, Norris. Of all of us who knew Norris, I bet we'd have a hard time finding someone who didn't think he was a pretty special person. His legacy will live on at Fenner through the Norris Ingells Fund. If you haven't been to the Nature Center lately, one of our displays showcases his photography, and causes people to stop in their tracks and take a closer look at nature through his lens.

Carol Miller was next -- Carol has been here a lot over the past few weeks, helping out with just about everything -- popping popcorn, moving top soil, working with me on the official formation of the Fund Development and Sustainability Committee for Fenner, staffing the front desk so that we could have a staff meeting, and much more. All of the staff here appreciate Carol's willingness to step up and fill the gaps. I saw Clara around, too, although I didn't have much time to interact with her today -- I will say that I really appreciate having her around to bounce ideas off of -- her institutional knowledge is key to implementing some of the things I'd like to see here, such as the entryway native plant garden, among 1,000 other things.

We had approximately 50 visitors in the Center to-day -- that doesn't count the folks who utilized the trails and picnic areas but didn't come inside. They were from all walks of life, all ages, and all abilities. Our staff and facility are welcoming to everyone, and that's something to be proud of. I spent some time at the windows today as the workers poured new concrete outside of the basement to repair the sinkholes and cracks -- this work will continue for the next few days.

I worked on revisiting some of the documents produced through a strategic planning workshop that was held prior to my arrival -- it's time to get that updated and approved by the Board so that we have a set of shared goals to reach toward. I worked on making sure that several items were ready to be addressed at tomorrow night's Board meeting -- we have a new facility rental policy that will be discussed, MC Rothhorn has taken the lead on our Board Development Committee and I have offered him my assistance in preparing for tomorrow if he needs it, and Carol Miller and I coordinated our discussion points related to the Fund Development and Sustainability Committee. I spent some time exploring the documents related to the Association of Nature Center Administrator's consultation that they conducted prior to my arrival -- lots of good stuff there.

Finally, I set up a meeting with Dan Zay, the consultant that helped us with our prescribed burn. Dan and I graduated from the same program in college, and were professionally trained by some of the same fire gurus. We have a lot in common, and he is hoping to work with us on developing a management plan for the resources here at Fenner -- including prairie restoration, forest health projects, and more. Most of that was before lunch.

One thing that I wanted to describe about today, was my difficulty in completing one important task. I spent more time on this than any of the other things because I wanted to get it perfect. It was Francine's Exit Interview and Performance Review. Francine has been Fenner's anchor through some pretty turbulent times over the past few years. While her review is confidential, I can share a few of the things in it with this larger audience because it wouldn't be right to not thank her in this forum. All of the staff, my-self included, have been lucky to have her leadership and guidance during this transition period. To an outsider, it might look like she's running the place. That's because she is, or was, anyway. Tomorrow is her last day, so I hope she doesn't work too hard and takes some time to enjoy Fenner for what it is. Her commitment to this organization and facility is obvious and as an employee, I couldn't ask for much better. She has been my guide for the past 45 days or so -- often overwhelming me with information -- but my guide nonetheless. She knows our repeat clients by name, is able to handle problems before they even arise (I don't even think I know about half of them), and demonstrates leadership through her honesty, integrity, and ability to lead by example. She will be sorely missed by all of us. Francine, thank you for your service to Fenner Nature Center.

While Francine's departure will leave a void, her re-placement is in training and will soon be telling me how to do things, just like Francine did. I'd like to make the official announcement now that Megan Berry has promoted internally to our Office Assistant/Naturalist Aide position, where her duties have become somewhat more administrative, and involves much more responsibility and leadership. She is already demonstrating to me that our efforts to keep her here, rather than watching her go somewhere crazy like the Detroit Zoo, will pay off.

Fenner is really a fantastic place, and the current agreement with the City (which I found out today will be extended for another four years) allows us a ton of flexibility, and opportunities to do things differently. It's an exciting time here, and my reflections on today show how much happens in just a few hours. That's all for now. I'm going home.

Jason

Now how is that for an enthusiastic, informed, and sensitive leader? Please give Fenner some thought and maybe even some prayer. Lansing, especially in these tough times, needs this jewel to continue. Maybe there is some way you can help. Thanks!

Thinking about the earthquake

Yesterday there was a moderate sized earthquake in Ontario, not that you'd know that by listening to American media outlets. I wonder how dramatic it would have to be before the news of it superceded the long, long tennis match in England.

Anyway, as Tessa and I walked the earth yesterday, in the vicinity of our home, I was thinking about the difference between surface and depth. Whether we're contemplating cosmic dimensions or human connections, there is often a huge difference, isn't there?

The earth appears perfectly placid, maybe a little wind and rain, but pretty peaceful. Yet down under, the earth needed to change positions--maybe she gets a bit uncomfortable at times. And so the surface shook, even here in Michigan. I live probably 500-600 miles from Ottawa, where my niece was picking up broken glass from pictures that fell off the walls. Though I didn't notice the motion, many in this area did and even as far away as Chicago. When Mother Earth's bulk changes position, we better be prepared to shake!!

In the kind of ministry I do, people often reveal the turmoil in their depths. Usually they are people who on the surface appear to be all together. I, too, give off that appearance much of the time. And so do you. Calm surface; deep inner pain, turmoil, guilt, doubt, confusion, fear--you name it. When I serve wine at Eucharist in my church, I am often in awe of the outer strength and self-possession of people whom I know are carrying tremendous burdens--physical, mental, emotional, spiritual burdens.

The reverse is also true. Think of the ocean or one of our beloved Great Lakes. The surface can be highly roiled by winds, yet deep within the waters, things are calm and unmovable. When life's storms have us flailing about, not sure how to get through the next 10 minutes, let alone the next 10 years, we can trust that somewhere deep within, our souls are OK and are pouring out energy and strength to keep us from capsizing. The Divine is residing within, loving us whether we notice it or not.

And speaking of water, please pray daily for the Gulf of Mexico and all who are involved in this catastrophe, human and otherwise. Our concentrated prayers in that direction can make a difference. That is what we are called to do. Prayer will assist in bringing both the surface and the depths into an integrated place of peace and healing.

And so, with loving thoughts of Canada and Canadians, I close this strange little reflection.