Author: rkcdlitt

The term mend brings many ideas to life. The obvious thought is to repair, or when speaking of people, to heal. However, if we go a little further outside the lines of conformity, we can think of mending as rejuvenating, putting on something new. One of the readings from James reminds me that when a person was suffering in biblical times, people would gather around, pray over the one who was sick, then anoint him with oil, purifying him with the presence of the Lord.

This is an interesting custom that we no longer practice. It could be that we no longer have the time to gather when a person is suffering, or it could be that it being a Jewish practice, the Christian community rejects this practice. Or, it could be that we lack the faith to travel down this ancient road; we no longer have the faith that God heals. All too often, we run to a clinic to get a magic pill to heal us, overlooking God’s plans for us.

I am pointing my fingers at me. At my age, and after all that has happened to my body, I rush to my family GP to be cured, when I know that the cure I receive is only for my physical side . . . only!

One thing that certain Christian faiths do is the practice of laying on of hands. I have been the recipient of a laying on of hands ceremony. The first time was a prayer by the congregation at our church in New Jersey as we said goodbye to them after being a part of the congregation for 34 years. The experience was very moving, but I was not in the frame of mind to appreciate the true meaning behind it. I merely accepted their wishes for a safe future.

The second time was orchestrated by my wife and my personal trainer. They suckered me into attending a prayer service at a church in Spotsylvania County; it was a Wednesday evening prayer service. After the regular participants shared their needs and were prayed over, my trainer spoke, announcing a guest who needed prayers . . . me. Not wanting to embarrass anyone, I agreed. And was brought to tears.

Since then, I have become a prayer minister at my church, laying on of hands to those who join my prayer circle Sunday mornings. The presence of God in the prayer corner, when we are praying together for grace, is always apparent. We can feel God’s presence, as we turn our attention from ourselves to reflect on the Goodness, Love, and Compassion of our Lord. In a word, we are both healed; we are both mended in the presence of God. It is a most enchanted moment for both of us. It is not new; it just seems that way.

Renewal during Advent

I had an interesting experience yesterday; I had carpal tunnel surgery on my right wrist. If that’s not bad enough four days before Christmas, the I had to be at the hospitably 6:00 AM.

I thought I was handling the situation perfectly, until the nurse took my blood pressure. I normally have a blood pressure near 115/65; yes, I do exercise regularly. I am normally a very relaxed person, who does not allow the day-to-day annoyances to bother me. Well, when she took my blood pressure, the reading was 152/98. Very high! She explained that just the fact that I was having surgery will increase the rate, due to anticipation. Oh! How cool a customer I am.

From check-in through the time when I finally was wheeled into the operating room, my faith in humanity, jaded as it sometimes is, was fully renewed. Linda and I were greeted by smiling faces and warm greetings. The nursing staff was totally professional, very pleasant, and desired only to make me as comfortable as possible. The anesthesiologist and the surgeon were pleasant and efficient, and the surgery went as planned. During the recovery and discharge, I was treated with the greatest respect, competence, and above all gentleness and smiles galore.

It is a wonder how a concept, such as renewal, appears and becomes a most important factor in our lives.

I have had a wonderful life! I have experienced business failure and many medical issues, but I have always had people around me who were supportive, loving, and understanding. It is the greatest gift that a person can receive. As I ponder the life I have had, I can see many times when my faith was shattered (temporarily) only to by those around me, even if faith was not the issue.

My wife, Linda, who always says that she finds it difficult to pray, is a living prayer. Daily, she renews my faith in the Love and Goodness that God graces our lives with. What she has done for me for the fifty years we have been married, she is now doing for those struggling with their lives in Fredericksburg. Through her kindness and loving nature, she helps renew the faith and lives of others.

I stress this, because what Linda offers, what the nurses and profession staff and Spotsy hospital give on a daily basis is what we all endeavor to find. We need the love and support of all the people we meet, and when we experience it, we discover that our lives have been renewed, allowing us to continue our journeys, maybe not with ease, but definitely made easier by those around us.

This renewal is one of the many gifts God gives us. I pray that I can keep my experiences in mind, allowing me to offer this same blessing to others . . . continuously.

Embracing during Advent

A question arises: how can we embrace the true meaning of Advent without alienating those who believe in a different manner as us. We sometimes find it difficult to embrace what Desmond Tutu says: “Ubuntu … speaks of the very essence of being human. … It is to say, ‘My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in yours.’ We belong in a bundle of life. We say, ‘A person is a person through other persons.’” 

We cannot accept the Love of God if we try to prevent others from experiencing this same Love, no matter what our official name for God is. This is the time of year when we must embrace this idea, embrace others, and move forward to a position of acceptance. This is what the message of Jesus is; this is what the message of Advent is.

If our faith cannot lead us into embracing each other, then our faith is paper thin. It is merely a testimonial to our lifeless beliefs. If God is truly Love, then we must love each other as He loves us. I am a hugger; I believe that as God hugs us, we must hug each other to give each other comfort. And, yes, I do hug other men. Why not? Women hug each other without people sneering; men should be able to do the same. If people object to men hugging, we, that’s their problem.

I thank God for giving us this time of year, this time of Advent, to remind us how close we really are. I don’t worry about how a person looks, what religion he practices, how intelligent he is, or how much money he has. God certainly doesn’t care; so, it is so wrong for me to care. What I care about is that the person in front of me is on a path, a journey of his own, facing sometimes insurmountable difficulties. Perhaps if he does not return my happy greeting, he may be in a period of personal trauma. My kind words, my hug, could make all the difference to him at this particular moment, this particular time.

God is where we come from, and God is where we will end up. By extension, the following is also true. If Love is where we are from, and Love is where we are going to end up, then why should we not express that love in our everyday lives.

I have had three different encounters over the last two days. I had a fireplace technician come to my home yesterday to clean my gas fireplace. It is the original fireplace, probable 10 – 15 years old. No parts available. I agreed to buy a new one, and the workmen installed it yesterday; no appointment a month or two away. Really, six days before Christmas. Expensive, but a nice Christmas gift. We also got to know each other as the work was proceeding. When the men were finished, I had three new friends.

Later in the day, I had a service clean my leaf-filled gutters. It took if a very short time to clean them; he reduced the price, and we spoke of power washing the house in the spring. As we were speaking, I brought coffee outside (a nice 55 degrees) and I gained a new friend.

The last visit was me to one of my doctors. It was more of a chat than an examination. We shared grandchildren photos and spoke of our family plans for Christmas. I told him how bless my wife and I are, since our son will be home for Christmas for the first time in about eight years, maybe longer. He is no longer my doctor; he is my friend.

In all three instances, we embraced each other, figuratively, and enjoyed being together as equals. Financially we are not; but that does not matter. We are in this life together, and we must embrace each other.

We cannot embrace God and Heaven, without allowing others to do the same.

Happy Christmas to all.

In the 1970s, Debby Boone sang a song called “You Light up my Life.” Shortly after, stars, such as Johnny Mathis and Kenny Rogers followed suit; Rogers’ version is my personal favorite.

As we approach Christmas, we are again nearing the light; only this light is much more brilliant than anything a songwriter could compose. Christian liturgy teaches us that a candle is a gift consuming itself, reminding us of the prayer of faith. We have vigils imploring intercession. The Paschal Candle is symbolism of the risen Christ Jesus. The biblical readings and prayers at the Easter Vigil reminds us of God’s presence.

Light is very important to us a people of faith. It is our duty to keep this light burning within us, showing our true nature to those we meet, as we progress through our daily drudgery. We must turn this daily drudgery into a walk of faithful gratitude. Gratitude for those around us, no matter how cranky they may seem on a particular morning.

As we project this light to our friends, family, and coworkers, we not only lighten our lives, we lighten theirs also. The kindness projected by this inner light awakens a similar light within those we meet. We may not realize it immediate, and for that fact, others may not appreciate it immediately. As we continue to offer this light to others, the aura, the eminence of this light grows in importance. People look forward to greeting you, because they know that they will be received in kindness.

Advent is so much more than preparing for Christmas. It is a time to remember who we are, who our fellow men and women are, and how we stand together in our Love for God, ourselves, and all others . . . family, friends, and strangers.

Trust is a word that we rarely hear or speak of in our labyrinthine society. There is no room for trust, when most people around us are concerned more with outward appearance than inward sincerity.

In Matthew, Jesus promises us the following: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” This is a major leap of faith for us to take. It is very challenging, and sometimes seems absolutely incredulous, to think that a promise made 2000 years ago remains plausible in the midst of today’s societal corruption.

It will and does take time to comprehend what this means to us in 2017: perhaps, it takes prayer, or for those who do not pray, meditation, to have the faith to find the truth. In my case, this is God’s Truth. I cannot have survived the physical and psychological episodes in my life without accepting this Truth.

I am very concerned about the path we, as Americans, are taking; and, I am not just speaking about the last twelve months. I refer to the last 20-plus years. I look back over this time, only to be appalled at how far we have strayed from our Christian commandments. I want to expand this to include those offered by the ancient Hebrews and the traditional Muslims. All people of faith offer similar, if not identical, commandments. Primary in these three religions is the duty, THE DUTY, to help one another, to welcome the stranger in our midst.

When we welcome the stranger, he becomes a permanent part of our lives, even if we only meet him for a short period. We are now in the holy days of Hanukah, and the Christian Advent period, leading to our celebration of Jesus’s birth. We will invite friends and families into our homes, exchange gifts, and call ourselves people of faith, only to put these feelings on the top shelf in the pantry until next year. We are the hypocrites we accuse others of being.

I pray that we can change. We need a social revolution . . . hopefully, non-violent. If we accept the challenge, we will face hardships much worse than violence. We must accept the fact that our struggle to change is a struggle against all the institutions that we are . . . inside. We must take a philosophical, or spiritual leap, to become more human. If we can reconstruct ourselves, we will rehabilitate the world.

Preparing ourselves is one way of awaiting what returns to us this during this season. We must open our minds and hearts to receive that which is stolen from us throughout the year.

We are continuously bombarded by just about everything negative over the course of our 21^st century year, so much so that as Christmas approaches, we add the duties we feel are pressures to us to prepare for the great coming day. In a word, we are exhausted from all the preparations that we do to have a successful Christmas.

It would be phenomenal if we would take this time to step back, step back from all that tears us from what truly matters. My wife and I contracted to have our kitchen refinished. We began planning this project in September with the idea that we would have a completely new kitchen to show off during the holiday season. Watch is that old maxim? God loves it when we plan ahead, or make plans for the future. We are 14 days from Christmas day, and word has it that our new counter tops will not be ready until sometime in January. Disappointing? Yes, but not destructive for the upcoming Christmas day.

When looking at what truly matters, not having finished countertops doesn’t come anyway near what truly matters. This Christmas day, this December 25^th, 2017 is going to be beyond question a God-given gift for the Carter family. For the first time in several years, our son will be with us on this blessed day. He works for the government, and with his specialty, he is deployed once a year to the Middle East. For the last several years, he has been out of the country from November through February. He does this to allow those with families, who work with him, can be with their families at Christmas. This year, he will be with us. This is, second to none, the most joyful Christmas present that anyone can give Linda and me.

What will make this Christmas great is our family being together again for the holidays. We do not have to go buy anything, nor do we have to prepare anything special for this, absolutely, one of the greatest gifts a parent can receive. We have prayed for this, and this year it will happen. We didn’t do anything special to receive this gift, except wait in Love, praying for the best.

This is a little like what Christmas should be . . . always. I would like to take this family promise and extend it to a much broader, a much more important, yet much less demanding situation. As we prepare for this Christmas, let us step back from our daily man-made pressures and rejoice in what is rapidly approaching. The renewal of the Christmas story is a beautiful annual treasure for us . . . if we open our hearts and minds to what is truly important.

God gives us every gift we receive; we do not have to ask for it. If it is important, we receive it from God, because he Loves us. As our son is our child, we are children of God. We rejoice when our love for our children is returned in kind. We glory over how well our children have matured into responsible adults with families of their own. In our case, our son’s family, at least one that is very important to him, is those family men and women who work with him. He gives freely of his love for his family, just as we do for our family.

This is exactly what God does and feels for us. His gifts come freely, because He loves us; because She Loves.

As we prepare during this season of Advent, can step away from our everyday self-inflicted tensions to realize that we have already received the greatest gift of all, and this greatest story ever told as repeated to us during Advent? I pray that my friends near and far, my friends whom I cherish,  and those I have yet to meet, will all take the time to open our hearts and our minds to the gift that genuinely matters . . . and share this gift with all.

Focus in Advent – 12-9-17

One of the more difficult tasks we face on a daily basis is focusing on who we are and what we are doing. During Advent, while we await the renewal of our faith in Jesus, our ability to focus is challenged more than any other time of the year. We are distracted by year-end duties at work; I am busy grading final essays.

As we think about all society calls us to do, we lose focus as to what we really must do. We must take time from each day to reach our inner persona, the one that belongs to God. If we are trying to live a life faithful to what Jesus taught us, we have to put all mundane chores aside and meditate; focus on who we are and what our spiritual relationship to all aspects of God truly is.

Over millennia ago, God gave us Peace on Earth; we immediately lost it. We are overly primed by society’s rules to prepare for battle, be it war, or conflicts at work, or in the family. It does not have to be this way. When Jesus offers peace, he is referring to eternal peace, peace in our relationship with God, ourselves, and our neighbors. When Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is with you,” he is assuring us that God is with us, no matter where we are, or what we are doing. Perhaps if we put our unnecessary conflicts behind us, focus on the fact that God promises Heaven on Earth for all, not just us, we will be able to truly enjoy and be enriched by this Advent season.

Since this is the season for giving, we have to determine what we must give. I always find it difficult to find the correct gift, when I possess the best gift of all: Love. This takes focus; this take intent; this takes nerve. If we are truly interested in giving a gift that will last, that means the most to its recipients, then Love is the answer. We must focus on why we are giving this gift, realizing that our intent is to improve the eternal lives of our loved ones.

Our gift need not be something of monetary value. Instead of a gift card, or an ugly sweater, or a Christmas tie, our gift should be something that we know will be truly appreciated and accepted by those to whom we give. For example, before my sister died, we exchanged gifts of donations to our favorite charities. By doing things as these, we give Love to our loved ones and Love to those we do not know.

By God’s Grace, we are here; we are here together, needing to boost each other when needed. When we give of ourselves, and not some trinket of marginal monetary value, we spread the Joy of God to all. Our gift creates ripples, ripples that can spread throughout humanity.

Jesus said that when two or more gather in his name, He will always be with us. This is a very comforting thought. I know as a prayer minister, there are times when we can feel His presence around us. I have many thoughts on why this is not always the case. After serious consideration, I can only assume that those times that Christ’s presence is with us in our prayers is when we are present in the moment, not thinking of this past or things to come. As we all know, this is a very difficult task.

One of my most joyful times is when I am praying with others. I feel that I am sharing God’s Love the only way I know how, to be understanding, patient, and present in the time with my prayer partner. As a reader of Proverbs, I take heart in the message that God wants us to be givers, cheerful givers in the expression used.

I always search my heart when giving to the operations of or church. Am I giving enough? Am I giving too much? After all, I am retired with a reduced income. But then I think on what Proverbs is offering. God gives us Grace; it is our duty to chare his Grace with others. When we offer our brothers and sisters Grace, we are giving something far more valuable than silver or gold, dollars or Euros. We are giving of ourselves, the part of ourselves that truly does not belong to us. It belongs to God; therefor, it is not ours to give or to share. We are merely opening the part of us that belongs to God and offering it to our brother or sister.

When we gather is His name, we lift ourselves to a standard that God desires for us. We are restoring our relationship with Him, not for our benefit, but for the benefit of those around us. Jesus said that we must love God, love ourselves, and love our neighbor.

When we gather is His name, we are doing just that.

Journey through Advent

There are times in my life when I just feel like quitting, giving up, letting others do for me.

This fall has been challenging to me, both physically and spiritually. I do not recover from mishaps as I did when younger. This is very debilitating, especially on a spiritual or psychological level.

Last evening during our church’s Lectio Divina prayer group, I spoke of how we rejoice when in the presence of God. I ask then why can I not rejoice always; because, I know that God is with me, God is within me always, during good times or bad. I know that during group sessions, such as last night, my prayers become stronger, because I am with other like-minded children of God. The Gospel assures us always that when we bond together in prayer, we create transformational relationships with each other and with God.

On Sunday, I attended church, knowing that I would not be comfortable physically; I was praying to God, hoping beyond hope that spiritually I would improve, while being with others. It was not working; my mind and soul was closed to God’s Love and Compassion. Through the prayers, which I silently recited, the excellent sermon by Gay Rahn, and the wonderful music, I remained spiritually destitute.

I then noticed that the scheduled healing prayer minister was not in church. I ask the liturgical coordinator if I could step in. He agreed. I reluctantly joined other servers at the Table to celebrate communion. I was not sure if I was spiritually capable of truly passing God’s Blessings to others. After receiving the Sacraments, I positioned myself in the prayer corner, not expecting anyone to stop and pray.

How wrong I was; two parishioners joined me asking for communal prayers to God. I spoke from the heart; I have no idea what the words were that I used. What I do know is that by the time the service was over, my spiritual condition had changed dramatically. The power of two of us praying for God to touch our lives is a wonderful experience.

When we pray, no matter how dire the situation seems, God listens. When we pray, the bond between us, and between God and us strengthens to such a point as to change our very lives. When we ask God for anything, thanksgiving is increased innumerably. When we give thanks to God, something within ourselves returns to its natural state and returns our world to the way God meant for it to be.

In our journey, in our awaiting for the renewal of Christ in our lives this Advent season, may you experience all of the love and understanding offered freely by God.   

Caretakers

One of the more impressive protests over the past years was done by the indigenous people at Standing Rock to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline. These brave people stood against government and corporate power to oppose the wanton raping of planet Earth. They spoke for all who are concerned about the fate of our planet. All too often, people take from the earth without giving back to the earth. This is risky business. I am 74 years of age; my life will be drawing to a close before the final effects of our pillaging come to fruition. But my 15-year-old grandson will suffer. Do we realize that the ozone hole over Antarctica is over 9 million square miles? That, my friends, is huge. We are not taking care of our home; you know, the one God entrusted us with. All good things come from God; and She is a most compassionate and caring God. She is also very patient with us. When things finally begin to fall apart on Earth, men will pray to God to be more compassionate, which is impossible, when we consider that God is all compassionate now.

We are the stars in the night sky; all of eternity is watching us. Our message is being read by every village in the world, by every city and nation; what is that message, one that we don’t care about future generations.

If my understanding of science is correct, we are in the 15 millionth millennium of the universe, the 4.5 millionth millennium of earth, the 4 millionth millennium of life on earth, the 2600^th millennium of humans, and finally, the 4th millennium of written history. Is our written history doomed due to our incompetence?

Jesus says, “Only one thing is necessary; if you are present, you will be able to know what you need to know.” Are we present. According to the Bible, Adam and Eve committed the original sin by betraying God; we are ignoring God. Whose crime is greater?

As a part of Mankind, we are one; we are one man, one earth, one universe. Our betrayal of the greatest gift, life, will condemn us for the remainder of man’s time on Earth.

If we are one man, one earth, one universe, there are ways that we can and should react. One is storytelling. We are a storytelling creation. If we are in fact the latest in a 2600 millennial line of development, then we must continue by telling stories. If the written word is only 4000 years old, then we must realize that any history prior to that time was passed through the spoken word. After all, the written Bible is only about 2600 years old, although others think it may be slightly older.

We have to tell our children and grandchildren the stories of the past. My father was born in 1890; he did not share much of his life with my sister and I. However, since he died, I have read his letters to his parents, while he was in college and while serving in the United States Cavalry. I also have several pictures of him and his brothers growing up in northwestern Connecticut. From these I am able to construct a story of what life was like before radios and cars, and even cell phones.

I look back to these times and say that life was tougher, but easier. Tougher, because I cannot imagine myself having to walk wherever I go. Living in the Fredericksburg area, I find it necessary to drive everywhere because the distances are too great for my 74-year-old body to navigate on a daily basis. Easier, because in the 1890s, we lacked the distractions that modern life offers us. As much as I love reading, and I teach English, I sometimes find it difficult to deny my addiction to the TV set and sit down to read.

When I was in grammar school in East Orange, New Jersey, I read all the time. In my 4^th-grade year, I read every biography that was available in Columbian Grammar School. Guess what? We did not have a TV.

I love my radio, my television, my cellphone, and my SUV. But I also love the fact that I can tell stories, and I do. I have been chided by those around me to use lean of speech. Do I talk too much? Yes, but then again, I am a college professor and that is my job, at times. I talk for a living, and I encourage my students to talk. But they don’t; their noses are buried in their cellphones.

As a part of Mankind, we are one; we are one man, one earth, one universe. Let’s act like it.