I got on the bike and rode around town counting signs since it was a pleasant afternoon, I needed the exercise and the weather was cooperative. If anyone cares, riding most of the streets of Wellman is about 8 miles, according to the little odometer I put on the bike.
The totals three days before the election were President Obama 19 and Mitt Romney 11. The surprising thing was the guys who had left their Ron Paul signs on display finally took them down. Neither replaced them with a sign for another candidate. When I started, Romney signs predominated and jumped to an early 10 to 4 lead. It seems a bit ironic to see Romney signs in front of a trailer house or the little shotgun house which could use a coat of paint. I'm sure Romney would feel right at home in either of them.
When I made it to the north side of town, I began to see more Obama signs with several scattered on 8th and 9th avenues and a couple on Highway 22. There weren't as many signs in the "nicer" parts of town - Circle Drive(1) and the new area behind the nursing home (0). Finishing my ride I went through the trailer park near our house where there were three Obama signs.
It will be interesting to see if the signs reflect the actual vote. Washington County as a whole usually votes Republican so the goal of the local Democrats is to try and get as close as possible. Four years ago McCain won the county by 77 votes which was a "win" for Democrats since registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by quite a bit more than 77 voters. The local election results will be close again this year.
Saturday, November 03, 2012
Sunday, October 07, 2012
campaign signs
I took a bicycle tour of Wellman this afternoon after realizing I had seen two Ron Paul yard signs and no Mitt Romney signs on display in town. To confirm my observation and to get some exercise, I pulled on some warm cloths and jumped on the bike. The two Ron Paul signs were on a busy street and I see them nearly every day. When I made my way to the Daytonville neighborhood I found a Romney sign in the entrance to a lane. The second Romney sign was in the "little Italy" neighborhood behind the feed mill. Again it was in an area which doesn't get much traffic. I thought there was another Ron Paul sign still being displayed but I couldn't find it. Paul won the Wellman caucus and some of his supporters are irritated at how the Republican party treated him. From what I hear some of these folks plan to either sit out the election or to vote for Gary Johnson the Libertarian candidate.
As I made my way through the central part of Wellman I began to find the Obama signs. One was along the highway which runs through Wellman, two were on main streets and two were a little more out of the way.
All the signs were outnumbered by the "Home for sale" signs. There were at least 12 of these signs which I suppose means the economy is still slow since a couple of them have been on the market for several months.
The lack of signs may mean that folks aren't that interested in the election, at least not yet. Or perhaps it means folks have already made up their minds. One difference, at least for Democrats is that this year the campaign headquarters are asking for donations before handing over a sign. Four years ago, especially before the caucus, candidates were happy to hand over the signs so I ended up with several.
As I made my way through the central part of Wellman I began to find the Obama signs. One was along the highway which runs through Wellman, two were on main streets and two were a little more out of the way.
All the signs were outnumbered by the "Home for sale" signs. There were at least 12 of these signs which I suppose means the economy is still slow since a couple of them have been on the market for several months.
The lack of signs may mean that folks aren't that interested in the election, at least not yet. Or perhaps it means folks have already made up their minds. One difference, at least for Democrats is that this year the campaign headquarters are asking for donations before handing over a sign. Four years ago, especially before the caucus, candidates were happy to hand over the signs so I ended up with several.
Friday, August 17, 2012
I was asked to share in chapel the other day on the topic, "How the Bible speaks to me?" They gave me approximately 5 minutes
I grew up hearing the stories of the Bible. David and Goliath, Samson, the Exodus, and my favorite as a kid, Daniel in the Lions Den along with Meschak, Shadrack and Abendigo. They were certainly more entertaining than the Dick and Jane books which were available to read.
One of the problems of growing up in a Christian home is that after awhile the stories become so familiar that it is easy to skip over them, read the first verse and then tune out, “because I’ve already read that story.” It was difficult to find fresh meaning and so it was tempting to skip reading the stories or the Bible all together.
In high school or college I heard a quote attributed to the theologian Karl Barth who was supposed to have said “you should read with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.”
http://libweb.ptsem.edu/collections/barth/faq/quotes.aspx?menu=296&subText=468
In a similar way Billy Graham, said July 2, 1962
“World events are moving very rapidly now. I pick up the Bible in one hand, and I pick up the newspaper in the other. And I read almost the same words in the newspaper as I read in the Bible." ― Billy Graham
http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/40328.Billy_Graham
For many years it has been easier for me to read the newspaper than it was the Bible. Somewhere along the way I have found that reading the news, understanding our culture and society can give new meaning to many of the stories in the Bible. Life experience also shapes this as now when I hear or read some stories I can't read them without thinking of person who explained something, a situation I was in and so forth.
An example of this is a story found in Mark 5, Luke 8:26 and in Matthew 8:26 though the Matthew version of the story has some significant differences.
This is the story where Jesus crosses the Galilee to the country of the Gerasenes. Here Jesus is confronted by a man who wore no clothes and lived in the tombs. He could break his chains when shackled, and when freed he spent his time running, howling and bruising himself. When Jesus confronts him, the demons speak and ask to be sent into a group of nearby pigs. Jesus grants the request and the pigs, filled with the demons rush over a cliff and into the sea where they drown.
Everytime I hear or read this story I picture an Egyptian Christian, Farid Wissa who preached a sermon based on this story when we were at Germantown Mennonite. Farid was a bit odd and I can still see him rocking back and forth, with part of his shirt tail sticking out through his zipper. In spite of this, Farid pointed out that the owners of the pigs, and likely the man filled with demons were not Jewish. I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of that before but I hadn’t. So in addition to a story about pigs, demons and the power of Jesus, it became a story which shared God’s love for all peoples, not just the Jewish residents of Palestine.
More recently I happened to read Shane Claiborne’s book, “Jesus for President.” who pointed out some details of the story which, for me gives it more meaning. To summarize, the area Jesus traveled to was the location of ten cities called the Decapolis. The cities had been built on land conquered and occupied by the Roman military. Many of the residents of the Decapolis were current or former members of the Roman Legion. Can we assume that the man described as filled with Demons might have been a former Roman soldier? What does it mean when the demon says to Jesus, “my name is Legion?”
About the same time I read this, I ran across an article in Rolling Stone magazine which explored the lives of four young Americans who had returned to the Denver area after serving in the US army and marines in Iraq. The four suffered from PTSD’s and as a result they began to engage in behaviors which were destructive to themselves and to others. If I remember correctly one of the men profiled by Rolling Stone died in an accident and two were convicted of murder after going on a drug and alcohol induced rampage in their neighborhood. William Tecumsah Sherman, the Civil War general said, “War is hell.” Were these men filled with the demons of war? Could the Geresene man filled with demons have been a Roman soldier suffering from PTSD’s? The Roman wars of conquest could be brutal and often involved bloody hand to hand combat. Those of you who have Gladiator will have seen this. So, at least for me, the story from scripture and the story from Rolling Stone combined to give me more meaning to the Biblical story but also to events surrounding me today.
In the story, Jesus heals the man who then begins telling his friends about Jesus.
If we, the church, are to be the representatives of Jesus here on earth, are we offering healing to those who suffer from PTSD’s. Are we offering healing and hope to returning soldiers suffering from the traumas of war? Where do I fit in the story? Am I one of the townspeople who is scared by what the pigs did and so I ask Jesus to leave? or am I one of those who perhaps asks Jesus to stay? How do I respond today?
I’m sure there are other ways this story can be interpreted and there are other questions which can be asked. But in doing as Bart and Graham suggest, reading the Bible along with the news, helps me to understand and interpret current events, at the same time, it keeps the Scriptures, written 2000 years ago, relevant and worth reading.
ASking where I fit in the story makes it personally relevant, and this is how the Bible, along with the news speaks to me.
I grew up hearing the stories of the Bible. David and Goliath, Samson, the Exodus, and my favorite as a kid, Daniel in the Lions Den along with Meschak, Shadrack and Abendigo. They were certainly more entertaining than the Dick and Jane books which were available to read.
One of the problems of growing up in a Christian home is that after awhile the stories become so familiar that it is easy to skip over them, read the first verse and then tune out, “because I’ve already read that story.” It was difficult to find fresh meaning and so it was tempting to skip reading the stories or the Bible all together.
In high school or college I heard a quote attributed to the theologian Karl Barth who was supposed to have said “you should read with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.”
http://libweb.ptsem.edu/collections/barth/faq/quotes.aspx?menu=296&subText=468
In a similar way Billy Graham, said July 2, 1962
“World events are moving very rapidly now. I pick up the Bible in one hand, and I pick up the newspaper in the other. And I read almost the same words in the newspaper as I read in the Bible." ― Billy Graham
http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/40328.Billy_Graham
For many years it has been easier for me to read the newspaper than it was the Bible. Somewhere along the way I have found that reading the news, understanding our culture and society can give new meaning to many of the stories in the Bible. Life experience also shapes this as now when I hear or read some stories I can't read them without thinking of person who explained something, a situation I was in and so forth.
An example of this is a story found in Mark 5, Luke 8:26 and in Matthew 8:26 though the Matthew version of the story has some significant differences.
This is the story where Jesus crosses the Galilee to the country of the Gerasenes. Here Jesus is confronted by a man who wore no clothes and lived in the tombs. He could break his chains when shackled, and when freed he spent his time running, howling and bruising himself. When Jesus confronts him, the demons speak and ask to be sent into a group of nearby pigs. Jesus grants the request and the pigs, filled with the demons rush over a cliff and into the sea where they drown.
Everytime I hear or read this story I picture an Egyptian Christian, Farid Wissa who preached a sermon based on this story when we were at Germantown Mennonite. Farid was a bit odd and I can still see him rocking back and forth, with part of his shirt tail sticking out through his zipper. In spite of this, Farid pointed out that the owners of the pigs, and likely the man filled with demons were not Jewish. I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of that before but I hadn’t. So in addition to a story about pigs, demons and the power of Jesus, it became a story which shared God’s love for all peoples, not just the Jewish residents of Palestine.
More recently I happened to read Shane Claiborne’s book, “Jesus for President.” who pointed out some details of the story which, for me gives it more meaning. To summarize, the area Jesus traveled to was the location of ten cities called the Decapolis. The cities had been built on land conquered and occupied by the Roman military. Many of the residents of the Decapolis were current or former members of the Roman Legion. Can we assume that the man described as filled with Demons might have been a former Roman soldier? What does it mean when the demon says to Jesus, “my name is Legion?”
About the same time I read this, I ran across an article in Rolling Stone magazine which explored the lives of four young Americans who had returned to the Denver area after serving in the US army and marines in Iraq. The four suffered from PTSD’s and as a result they began to engage in behaviors which were destructive to themselves and to others. If I remember correctly one of the men profiled by Rolling Stone died in an accident and two were convicted of murder after going on a drug and alcohol induced rampage in their neighborhood. William Tecumsah Sherman, the Civil War general said, “War is hell.” Were these men filled with the demons of war? Could the Geresene man filled with demons have been a Roman soldier suffering from PTSD’s? The Roman wars of conquest could be brutal and often involved bloody hand to hand combat. Those of you who have Gladiator will have seen this. So, at least for me, the story from scripture and the story from Rolling Stone combined to give me more meaning to the Biblical story but also to events surrounding me today.
In the story, Jesus heals the man who then begins telling his friends about Jesus.
If we, the church, are to be the representatives of Jesus here on earth, are we offering healing to those who suffer from PTSD’s. Are we offering healing and hope to returning soldiers suffering from the traumas of war? Where do I fit in the story? Am I one of the townspeople who is scared by what the pigs did and so I ask Jesus to leave? or am I one of those who perhaps asks Jesus to stay? How do I respond today?
I’m sure there are other ways this story can be interpreted and there are other questions which can be asked. But in doing as Bart and Graham suggest, reading the Bible along with the news, helps me to understand and interpret current events, at the same time, it keeps the Scriptures, written 2000 years ago, relevant and worth reading.
ASking where I fit in the story makes it personally relevant, and this is how the Bible, along with the news speaks to me.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
An Iowa Cornfield
Since I call this "from the middle of a corn field" it seemed appropriate to include a picture of a cornfield. The corn is a bit behind schedule this year primarily because of a wet April which slowed planting. The month of June has been dry in our area which has also limited the growth of the corn.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
catching up
It has been awhile. Since I last wrote, Romney and Obama have captured their party's nominations to run for president, school has ended, the soccer season came and went and summer is under way.
The main excuse is that I got busy. About the time of my last post, way back in January, I had surgery on my Achilles tendon and heel. There was a trip to the Mennonite Educators conference in suburban DC, where I hobbled around on crutches. That same weekend the co-pastor at my church and his wife were killed in a car wreck leaving behind four children between the ages of 13 and 20 or so. I'm on one of the leadership teams at church(they call it an Elder) so we had to scramble to figure out what to do next. We discovered there really isn't a good map for how to deal with such a tragedy so we have been muddling our way through with the help of our conference leadership and the advice of others. Since they worked with the youth we had to scramble to find people to fill their spots and to piece things together. On top of this we tried to make sure their family members, including the extended family, were being cared for.
Fortunately people have been cooperative and supportive. We now have some interim people in place which will allow us to take our time in figuring out what to do next.
Soccer season came and went. We finished 15-5 so overall it was a good season. The end was disappointing as we lost in the second round of state playoffs in overtime. A week after the season ended I was able to travel to Costa Rica with the Spanish class. I learned some Spanish and it was interesting to see the changes which had taken place in the last twelve years.
This week I am taking a class at Mid-Prairie titled "Learning for the 21st Century" It has been helpful for the most part. The first two days we were led by Brian Mull. He introduced us to ways to use Twitter, Diigo, Google Docs and its various apps, Jinga, Screenr, EasyPoll and a couple other tools I may have missed. Today, Angela Maier, led us in a session titled "Passion Driven Learning." She was quite passionate but half a day might have been enough. Instead we were blessed with her passion for the whole day. Tomorrow we have someone else leading our activities.
The main excuse is that I got busy. About the time of my last post, way back in January, I had surgery on my Achilles tendon and heel. There was a trip to the Mennonite Educators conference in suburban DC, where I hobbled around on crutches. That same weekend the co-pastor at my church and his wife were killed in a car wreck leaving behind four children between the ages of 13 and 20 or so. I'm on one of the leadership teams at church(they call it an Elder) so we had to scramble to figure out what to do next. We discovered there really isn't a good map for how to deal with such a tragedy so we have been muddling our way through with the help of our conference leadership and the advice of others. Since they worked with the youth we had to scramble to find people to fill their spots and to piece things together. On top of this we tried to make sure their family members, including the extended family, were being cared for.
Fortunately people have been cooperative and supportive. We now have some interim people in place which will allow us to take our time in figuring out what to do next.
Soccer season came and went. We finished 15-5 so overall it was a good season. The end was disappointing as we lost in the second round of state playoffs in overtime. A week after the season ended I was able to travel to Costa Rica with the Spanish class. I learned some Spanish and it was interesting to see the changes which had taken place in the last twelve years.
This week I am taking a class at Mid-Prairie titled "Learning for the 21st Century" It has been helpful for the most part. The first two days we were led by Brian Mull. He introduced us to ways to use Twitter, Diigo, Google Docs and its various apps, Jinga, Screenr, EasyPoll and a couple other tools I may have missed. Today, Angela Maier, led us in a session titled "Passion Driven Learning." She was quite passionate but half a day might have been enough. Instead we were blessed with her passion for the whole day. Tomorrow we have someone else leading our activities.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Iowa Republican Caucus
The Iowa Republicans finally certified the results of the Iowa caucus this week. Rick Santorum won the state by 30 plus votes overturning the previous totals which showed Romney winning by 8 votes. The results in Wellman were, Ron Paul 46, Santorum 33, Gingrich 28, Perry 14, Romney 12, and Bachmann 11. Kalona finished in much the same order with Paul at 36, Santorum 20, Gingrich 19, Bachman 11 and Romney 11. Washington County was one of the few counties in the state won by Paul, partly because he had the best organization in the county.
As best as I can tell from talking with some folks who went to the caucus, local Mennonites split their votes between Ron Paul, Santorum, and Perry. The ones who voted for Paul tended to be younger and were attracted by his foreign policy positions. The Menno's who focused on abortion, gay marriage and homeschooling split their votes between Santorum and Perry with perhaps a couple throwing a vote towards Bachmann.
The confusion around the results raises a couple of questions. One is the status of the Iowa caucus as the first in the nation. The second is about the qualifications of the Republican party to run anything. The criticisms of Obama for his community organizing seem a bit laughable when they couldn't pull off an accurate vote total. The Democratic party may not always be the most organized group either but four years ago, the major candidates - Obaman, Clinton, and Edwards all had strong organizations. This included recruiting volunteers and people to serve as precinct captains and to serve as the precinct chair. At least a couple of training sessions for these were held to either make sure that you knew what you were doing, or that you could make sure the precinct chair knew what he or she was doing. I was given a copy of the rules long before the actual caucus night and at one of the training sessions we reviewed a variety of scenarios and the way they should be handled.
In any case, the process continues though the attention has shifted from Iowa and it feels a bit like your girlfriend dumping you. For six months we were bombarded with commercials, phone calls, emails or text messages. Candidates came and groveled in front of us at diners, library meeting rooms or coffee shops, these guys would never step into in their normal lives. Then one day, no more commercials, no phone calls, and a lot fewer emails. If you call the numbers they gave out for more information you hear, "this number is no longer in service." Somehow we will survive. For those who like the attention, they can look forward to September and October when we figure the candidates will be back. Iowa is a swing state so the candidates will be back. President Obama is getting a head start, flying into Cedar Rapids next week. In the meantime we will look forward to spring and warmer weather.
As best as I can tell from talking with some folks who went to the caucus, local Mennonites split their votes between Ron Paul, Santorum, and Perry. The ones who voted for Paul tended to be younger and were attracted by his foreign policy positions. The Menno's who focused on abortion, gay marriage and homeschooling split their votes between Santorum and Perry with perhaps a couple throwing a vote towards Bachmann.
The confusion around the results raises a couple of questions. One is the status of the Iowa caucus as the first in the nation. The second is about the qualifications of the Republican party to run anything. The criticisms of Obama for his community organizing seem a bit laughable when they couldn't pull off an accurate vote total. The Democratic party may not always be the most organized group either but four years ago, the major candidates - Obaman, Clinton, and Edwards all had strong organizations. This included recruiting volunteers and people to serve as precinct captains and to serve as the precinct chair. At least a couple of training sessions for these were held to either make sure that you knew what you were doing, or that you could make sure the precinct chair knew what he or she was doing. I was given a copy of the rules long before the actual caucus night and at one of the training sessions we reviewed a variety of scenarios and the way they should be handled.
In any case, the process continues though the attention has shifted from Iowa and it feels a bit like your girlfriend dumping you. For six months we were bombarded with commercials, phone calls, emails or text messages. Candidates came and groveled in front of us at diners, library meeting rooms or coffee shops, these guys would never step into in their normal lives. Then one day, no more commercials, no phone calls, and a lot fewer emails. If you call the numbers they gave out for more information you hear, "this number is no longer in service." Somehow we will survive. For those who like the attention, they can look forward to September and October when we figure the candidates will be back. Iowa is a swing state so the candidates will be back. President Obama is getting a head start, flying into Cedar Rapids next week. In the meantime we will look forward to spring and warmer weather.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
"unconformity" Non-conformity
Recent chapels have reflected on the theme “unconformed.” Students were introduced to the concept of non-conformity and the idea of living a transformed life as described in Romans 12:1-2. Students were asked to think about the values of today’s society and to compare them to the fruits of the spirit described in Galations. Kindness, gentleness, self-control, humility and peacemaking are not often the characteristics celebrated by our contemporary culture.
The theme of “unconformed” fit well with the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. On Monday students watched Invictus, which tells the story of Nelson Mandella’s use of rugby to reach across racial lines and bring some healing to the nation of South Africa. Though he had been imprisoned for years by the apartheid government, Mandella did not seek revenge when he was elected President. Rather he sought to find ways to bring his country together.
Susan See, shared in chapel about Martin Luther King Jr. and focused on the role children played in overturning the racist structures of Birmingham, Alabama. Susan talked about the preparation and work which went into maintaining the nonviolent calls for change. The nonviolent witness was maintained in spite of mass arrests, beatings, and persecution. King called for the United States to live up to the best of its ideals arguing that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
King’s words have the ability to provoke us today. His observation that “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom,” is certainly relevant to our discussions about the country’s future. When we reflect on our recent past we would do well to remember “that wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows.” As an educator I am challenged by his thought that “Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.” If that was true in the early 1960’s it is certainly more true now.
It is our hope that students will leave IMS knowing how to think. In refusing to accept “easy answers and half-baked solutions,” we also hope students will show evidence of the fruits of the spirit, sharing their transformed lives as they go into the world. As translated in The Message Romans says, “Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out.” King adds to the challenge of personal change by asking us to work to better our society. In doing so may we all by “unconformed” to this world.
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