The Saturday Morning Post: This Land is God’s Land

 October 3, 2020

 

Good Morning, God and All! Most High and glorious God, enlighten the darkness of our hearts and give us a true faith, a certain hope and a perfect love. Give us a sense of the divine and knowledge of yourself, so that we may do everything in fulfillment of your holy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Prayer of Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226)

 

By The Numbers:

It’s the 277^th day of the year, with 89 days remaining.

Days 'til voting in the 2020 election ends: 31

Drop in GDP during the 2nd quarter of 2020: -31.4%

Number of nurses in the world: 28 million

Percent chance that a new UCSF study suggests "intermittent fasting," in which eating is restricted to a specific window of time, doesn’t help you lose weight: 100%

 

Start Your Day With A Song:

This Land Is Your Land (1940) Woody Guthrie; 1975 cover performance by Bruce Springsteen

 

Holy Guardian Angels, Guide, Guard, and Pray For Us!

One of the most consoling truths of the Christian faith is that God’s providence does not only govern the universe from afar; He shows an intimate concern for the welfare of each person. A touching sign of this is that God gave us angels to serve as protectors and guides throughout our life. Our guardian angels’ mission is to conduct us safely through the perils of our earthly life, so we can be assured of their powerful help in all things when we seek to win the joys of heaven. “Specially love and revere the Guardian Angel of the diocese in which you live, those of the friends who surround you, and your own. Commune with them frequently, join in their songs of praise, and seek their protection and help in all you do, spiritual or temporal” (Quote from St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), as found in the current issue of Magnificat)

The memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels is celebrated on October 2.

 

But It’s A Protest Song (the Message):

I hope you’ve taken the opportunity each week to “Start Your Day With A Song”. It’s a weekly feature of the Post; during December I’ve done this daily to feature some seasonal music you may not hear so much. (At least I wait a bit. The holiday hype starts ‘way too soon on the Hallmark Channel. If anyone finds anything they’re showing to actually have a meaningful reference to the birth of Jesus Christ, let me know.)

But before I protest too much myself, I must point out that many things in sparkling packages lose their luster once they’re opened.

"This Land Is Your Land" is one of the United States' most famous folk songs. Its lyrics were written by American folk singer Woody Guthrie in 1940. (Guthrie died on this date in 1967.) The first time I heard it in my childhood, I was captivated by the lyrics I heard. The first verse paints a majestic panorama of the landscape. As I was walking that ribbon of highway/I saw above me that endless skyway/I saw below me that golden valley… It ranked right up there with Katherine Bates’ spacious skies, amber waves of grain, and purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain. “America the Beautiful” appears in nearly every hymnal I have. For some reason it’s not in my 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship but one should not construe this to mean Lutherans are not patriotic. Irving Berlin wrote another very patriotic song, “God Bless America”, in 1918 and it’s not in any of the hymnals I have, though it’s performed in churches and sporting venues across the nation regularly to this day.

Guthrie’s lyrics have been covered by many musicians over the years. Glen Campbell; Peter, Paul and Mary; Tennessee Ernie Ford; Connie Francis; Bing Crosby; Raffi; and Bruce Springsteen (featured today) are among the performances. Still, there’s more to all of this than meets the eye and ear. Sometimes our acceptance of something at surface value poses a potential problem or two.

Guthrie wrote “This Land Is Your Land” as a critical response to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” which had become Kate Smith’s signature song in the 1930s and with the newly found success of broadcast radio, got lots and lots of airplay. When Guthrie got tired of hearing it, he originally called his song “God Blessed America For Me” before renaming it. In fact, by the time he had finished penning the lyrics, God had been effectively scratched out of the song. Not only that, two verses were written that obscured the picturesque landscape of the first verse.

Yes, what many of us see as part of our patriotic repertoire actually started as a protest song. Guthrie grew up in Oklahoma and Texas during the Dust Bowl era, and in his late teens joined the thousands of Okies and others who migrated to California to look for work, leaving his wife and children in Texas. Many of his songs are concerned with the conditions faced by working-class people. Two very little known verses of “This Land is Your Land” referred to protesting against the vast income inequalities that exist in the United States, and against the sufferings of millions during the Great Depression. America, Guthrie insists, was made—and could still be made—for you and me. This interpretation is consistent with Guthrie's lifelong struggle for social justice.

Changing a word or two here and there (and dropping a verse or two when necessary) put the song in a list of patriotic favorites. For me, it’s one reason to be careful about grand displays of patriotism. Maybe we’re too quick with the chest-thumping in being proud of our country…rather, proud of our humanity, and how quickly that pride becomes nothing more than self- (as in the nation as a whole) serving. Our faith points us in a different direction. In the New Testament letter of James, we are reminded to humble ourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you (James 4:10). That verse alone was set to music in the late 1970s.

This land is God’s land, blessed for you and me.

Now if I can just get the old beer commercial out of my head…the one claiming that western Wisconsin is “God’s Country”…and that older polka song, “In Heaven There is No Beer.”

 

Memorable Moments:

1789 – George Washington proclaims a Thanksgiving Day for that year.

1863 – The last Thursday in November is declared as Thanksgiving Day by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

1919 – Cincinnati Reds pitcher Adolfo Luque becomes the first Latin player to appear in a World Series.

1949 – WERD, the first black-owned radio station in the United States, opens in Atlanta.

1952 – The United Kingdom successfully tests a nuclear weapon to become the world's third nuclear power.

1957 – The California State Superior Court rules that the book Howl and Other Poems is not obscene.

1962 – Project Mercury: Wally Schirra in Sigma 7 launched from Cape Canaveral for a six-orbit flight.

1985 – The Space Shuttle Atlantis makes its maiden flight.

1990 – The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) is abolished and becomes part of the Federal Republic of Germany.

1993 – An American attack against a warlord in Mogadishu fails; eighteen US soldiers and over 350 Somalis die.

1995 – The O. J. Simpson murder case ended with a verdict of not guilty.

2008 – The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 for the U.S. financial system is signed by President George W. Bush.

2013 – At least 360 migrants are killed when their boat sinks near the Italian island of Lampedusa.

 

Happy Birthday!!!

1925 – Gore Vidal, American novelist, screenwriter, and critic (d. 2012)

1940 – Alan O'Day, American singer-songwriter (d. 2013)

1941 – Chubby Checker, American singer-songwriter

1947 – Fred DeLuca, American businessman (d. 2015)

1949 – Lindsey Buckingham, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

1954 – Dennis Eckersley, American baseball player and sportscaster

1954 – Al Sharpton, American minister, talk show host, and political activist

1954 – Stevie Ray Vaughan, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 1990)

1955 – Allen Woody, American bass player and songwriter (d. 2000)

1959 – Greg Proops, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter

1969 – Gwen Stefani, American singer-songwriter, actress, and fashion designer

1973 – Neve Campbell, Canadian actress and producer

1979 – John Morrison, American wrestler and actor

1984 – Ashlee Simpson, American singer-songwriter and actress

1988 – ASAP Rocky, American rapper and songwriter

1995 – Lil Tracy, American rapper

 

We Remember:

1838 – Black Hawk, American tribal leader (b. 1767)

1867 – Elias Howe, American engineer, invented the sewing machine (b. 1819)

1967 – Woody Guthrie, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1912)

1998 – Roddy McDowall, English-American actor (b. 1928)

1999 – Akio Morita, Japanese businessman, co-founded Sony (b. 1921)

2000 – Benjamin Orr, American singer-songwriter and bass player (b. 1947)

2004 – Janet Leigh, American actress (b. 1927)

2014 – Benedict Groeschel, American priest, psychologist, and talk show host (b. 1933)

…and 1970s pop singers Helen Reddy and Mac Davis, who both died Wednesday and both at age 78;

…and Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Bob (“Gibby”) Gibson, who passed away Friday at age 84.

 

Parting Words:

Now that the President and First Lady have tested positive for the coronavirus, I hope all of us will take this a bit more seriously than we might have taken it before. This does not mean we have to panic, but do what we can how best we can to mitigate its spread, while continuing to pray that God will guide scientists and researchers to an effective remedy.

“Someday we’ll look back on 2020 and laugh.” --A Guy I Just Punched (per Conan O’Brien)

 Until we meet again, may God be with you; and may God have mercy on us all…

+the Phoenix

The Saturday Morning Post: “The Only Thing We Have To Fear”

 September 26, 2020

 Good Morning, God and All! How did that quote end, anyway? The only thing we have to fear is who gets elected in five weeks? No, that’s not it…

 By The Numbers:

It’s the 270^th day of the year, with 96 days remaining.

Days 'til voting in the 2020 election ends: 38

Percent of the U.S. population that "remains susceptible" to the coronavirus, according to the giant throbbing head in a glass jar at the CDC: 90%

Minimum number of Americans who say they used marijuana in the past year: 37 million

 

Start Your Day With A Song:

God Is In Control (1993) Twila Paris (the GMA Dove Award winning “Song of the Year” in ‘95) In 2012, Paris released a patriotic-themed project that includes two new cuts ("God of Our Fathers" and "America the Beautiful") and ten cuts that Paris hand-picked from other projects. The purpose of the project is to inspire patriots with themes of God's protection and love, even in difficult times.

 

Saints Cosmas & Damian, Pray For Us!

Cosmas and Damian, said to have been brothers and physicians, were martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian in the late 3^rd and early 4^th centuries. Since ancient times they have been widely venerated in both the Eastern and Western Churches. The magnificent murals of the church that Pope Felix VI dedicated to them are still to be seen in Rome. In Venice, the great early Renaissance artist Fra Angelico painted a series of murals featuring the saints in their traditional roles as doctors who provided for their patients free of charge, and as stalwart martyrs who withstood all manner of tortures for the love of Christ. (Source: Magnificat)

 

Breaking News: The Numbers Are In, And God Is Still In Control (the Message):

You’d think that, after the sobering reflections of the last few weeks, that the world is following Sir Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin off the edge of the proverbial cliff. Or at least, they’ve got a finger on our collective pulse in pronouncing that some of us are “falling apart at the seams” (Social Disease, 1972). Yeah, a rewrite has popped in and out of my thoughts. So I was surprised to see this headline across my screen on Monday: Latest Numbers On Coronavirus: 100% Of World Still Under God's Control.

The headline and article linked from it is from The Babylon Bee, a parody site. It’s about as real as Thomas Dewey defeating Harry Truman in 1948 (as the Chicago Tribune erroneously reported) or Hillary Clinton defeating Donald Trump four years ago (modern reporting and publishing technology managed to stop a printing error, while what really happened shocked the nation and the world).

One could easily believe that we’ve reached the prophetic ‘end times’. From the beginning it has been a year unlike most, and there are still just under one hundred days to go. Yet, believe it or not, God remains in control.

Saint Paul reminds us that when all seemed lost, and Jesus died on that cross, he fulfilled what was prophesied long before. God greatly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bend…and every tongue (proclaim) that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11). It’s a passage central to the Christian faith. The Catholic Church proclaims this passage on Palm Sunday, again on this 26^th Sunday in Cycle A of Ordinary Time, and in the weekday cycle of daily readings when the letter to the Philippians is read. It also appears every week in the Divine Office, at first vespers of the coming Sunday (a vigil, if you will, on Saturday evening). It was certainly one of the darkest times of souls everywhere. God was in control then. Why wouldn’t God be now? The evidence is undeniable at this point.

From the Bee’s article: Remarkably, this data is very similar to researchers' findings during the Fall of Rome, Black Plague, Holocaust, Spanish flu, swine flu, bird flu, and every other time of turmoil humanity has faced. No matter what the specific plague or time of suffering, research has always pointed to the fact that God is sovereign and bends the thread of history to His will for His glory. No natural disaster, not even war or the threat thereof, can change this. Change only comes if we allow it to take a place in our hearts which should be reserved for God alone.

A connection was also found between placing your faith in Christ and not having to worry about death by coronavirus or any other kind of death, as we are destined for another world. Maybe we’ve thought too much - or too little in the proper context - about what the politicians, the pundits, and the ‘experts’ say, or who the next justice of the SCOTUS will be or how quickly the appointment is announced and confirmed. After all, we know none of them are God. This does not mean throwing all caution aside. Rather, it means we should not panic. We’re now in the seventh month of coping with the pandemic. Some feel it will miraculously end in about 40 days. Some feel it will get worse, depending on the outcome in about 40 days or so. Jesus says, do not be afraid. We believe that God’s children will not be forsaken; let us choose to remember and never be shaken. There is no power above or beside Him; we know, oh we know, God is in control!

And seriously, stop over-buying the disinfectants, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper.

 

Memorable Moments:

1212 – The Golden Bull of Sicily is issued to confirm the hereditary royal title in Bohemia for the Přemyslid dynasty.

1493 – Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia) issues the papal bull Dudum siquidem to the Spanish, extending the grant of new lands he made them in Inter caetera.

1688 – The city council of Amsterdam (“Amster! Amster!…) votes to support William of Orange's invasion of England, which became the Glorious Revolution.

1777 – American Revolution: British troops occupy Philadelphia.

1789 – George Washington appoints Thomas Jefferson the first United States Secretary of State.

1933 – As gangster (not the rapper) Machine Gun Kelly surrenders to the FBI, he shouts out, "Don't shoot, G-Men!", which becomes a nickname for FBI agents.

1934 – The ocean liner RMS Queen Mary is launched.

1953 – Rationing of sugar in the United Kingdom ends.

1960 – In Chicago, the first televised debate takes place between presidential candidates Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy.

1969 – Abbey Road, the last recorded album by The Beatles, is released.

1973 – Concorde makes its first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic in record-breaking time.

1980 – At the Oktoberfest terror attack in Munich 13 people die and 211 are injured.

1981 – Nolan Ryan sets a Major League record by throwing his fifth no-hitter.

1997 – An earthquake strikes the Italian regions of Umbria and the Marche, causing part of the Basilica of St. Francis at Assisi to collapse.

2005 – The PBS Kids Channel is shut down and replaced by a joint network with Comcast called Sprout.

 

Happy Birthday!!!

1774 – Johnny Appleseed, American gardener and environmentalist (d. 1845)

1888 – T. S. Eliot, English poet, playwright, critic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965)

1897 – Pope (Saint) Paul VI (d. 1978)

1898 – George Gershwin, American pianist and composer (d. 1937)

1914 – Jack LaLanne, American fitness expert (d. 2011)

1922 – Nicholas Romanov, Prince of Russia (d. 2014)

1932 – Donna Douglas, American actress (d. 2015)

1944 – Anne Robinson, English journalist and game show host (Weakest Link; a coming reboot will feature Jane Lynch as host)

1972 – Beto O'Rourke, American politician

1981 – Serena Williams, American tennis player

 

We Remember:

1820 – Daniel Boone, American hunter and explorer (b. 1734)

1902 – Levi Strauss, German-American businessman, founded Levi Strauss & Co. (b. 1829)

2000 – Richard Mulligan, American actor (b. 1932)

2007 – Bill Wirtz, American businessman (b. 1929)

2008 – Paul Newman, American actor, director, producer, and businessman (b. 1925)

 

Parting Words:

Oh, yeah… “The only thing we have to fear…is fear itself” (Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1^st Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933).

Until we meet again, may God be with you - and may God have mercy on us all…

+the Phoenix

I Am A Friend of God

Who am I that You are mindful of me
That You hear me
When I call
Is it true that You are thinking of me
How You love me
It's amazing

I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend...
-Israel Houghton

In my last episode - er, post, dear reader, I reminisced a little bit about friendships that were in my life 40 years ago, how they happened then and how the electronic media has rekindled them (some for the first time). I was definitely not the most popular person in high school, yet a lot of classmates knew me at least by name. In my naiveté I desperately looked to cultivate friendships, and admittedly longed to fit in. In the end, though, I realized that I had been blessed with just enough. God did not leave me friendless. He gave me enough discernment at the time to know who I could count on as companions. More importantly, though, God revealed His own friendship; and it's truly amazing.

This isn't some personal privilege I have; God desires everyone to befriend Him. I believe that God goes out of His creative way to reach out gently to each and every person. Some flatly refuse, which is really sad. Still others will claim that God is a part of their life, yet continue to place trust in tangible, worldly people and institutions. That too is sad; but because a relationship exists - because God gave you life through the love your parents shared - there is always the hope that divine friendship will be fully realized and cultivated.

One of the signs of true friendship is that a true friend will stand up for you. Such a friend will defend what you say and what you stand for; and if some incredible change of position happens, a true friend wants to know why, as a gesture of support. A true friend trusts you. A true friend will sit down with you, act as a good listener and talk you through difficulties. God has been all of that and more to me.

What's more, God rises above all challenges, all hurt. It can take time and require a great deal of patience and perseverance. Institutions, even the Church, are managed by men and women - and men and women will fail you. It happened to me. I even tried to run away for a time, to reinvent or repackage my concept of God; but He never left me. He stood up for me. He took the bullet. He drank the poison. He died on the cross, so that I could believe that there's someplace and someone bigger than this world. He gently called me back, and I came.

Jesus is my friend. God is my friend. (Yes, it's redundant because Jesus is God, I just like saying it!)

Jesus, and those who faithfully follow him, are under attack. This is familiar territory for us, for this friendship instills a sense of peace that others don't understand. They want this peace of mind but can't for some reason put Jesus in the center of their life. This leaves them longing, questioning, and open to jealousy and temptation. I reflected a couple of days ago on Matthew 22:37-40:


“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law (aka the Ten Commandments) and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” 

And I wrote:
"A lot to ponder there. At the tip of the iceberg: whether all our present foibles come from a lack of loving God, neighbor, and/or self."

Yes, our present troubles. How to cope with our brokenness. How to experience the love of a friend when it would seem nobody would befriend us. How to truly play the cards life deals you; the loss of a child, the death of parents and loved ones. The incessant struggles and hype and background noise that constantly distract us and draw us away from the ability to even enter true friendship, let alone maintain it.

I am a friend of God. I am not ashamed to declare it. I, too, get distracted; of that I am ashamed.

I am a friend of God. I will take a stand and defend that which God defines and defends as good. I place my trust in Him; I therefore trust those to whom He has entrusted the mantle of leadership; the good 'shepherds of his flock'. I stand behind those who unashamedly declare their beliefs in the marketplace. I will show my support for them in such ways as I am capable.

I am a friend of God. Jesus said that being his friend won't spare us from trouble, but that He would always be there with us, and He is indeed; transcending, permeating, imparting that sense of peace that others want but don't understand and can't have because they don't want to stand up for the things He does. 

I am a friend of God. I will lose some friendships in life because it is perceived that I am old-fashioned, or perhaps even bigoted. I assure you I am not. I give you leave to pursue happiness, and I pray that God ultimately finds you receptive to the true peace and happiness only He can give - and does to all he calls His friends.