Two Left and Two Returned - A Poem

Jacob and Naomi both left the Promised Land and both returned years later:  Jacob left on the run from his twin brother Esau's murderous wrath; Naomi with her family in search of greener pastures.  The Promised Land of course is a picture of God's will for the believer -- living the victorious Christian life of overcoming the world by faith.  An interesting comparison and contrast can be found in their two stories.

(For those unfamiliar, you can read of Jacob's departure in Genesis 27 and 28, his return in Genesis 32 and 33.  Naomi's departure and return are in Ruth 1.)

Two Left and Two Returned

Jacob left the Promised Land with nothing to lose.

Naomi left the Promised Land and lost everything.

Jacob left the Promised Land with his father's blessing.

Naomi left the Promised Land despite the Father's blessing.

Jacob left the Promised Land before it was yet promised him.

Naomi left the Promised Land forgetting what was already promised her.

Jacob left the Promised Land and met God along the way.

Naomi left the Promised Land and left God a long way away.

Jacob left as just unsaved.

Naomi left just as the unsaved.

Jacob left empty and returned full.

Naomi left full and returned empty.

Jacob compelled others to return with him to his God.

Naomi compelled others to turn back to their old gods.

Jacob returned with the family he hadn't had when he left.

Naomi returned with the only family she had left.

Naomi returned seeking redemption after all those years.

Jacob returned thankfully redeemed all those years ago.

Naomi returned longing for rest.

Jacob returned offering restitution.

Jacob returned and was given a new name by God.

Naomi returned and took a new name for herself.

Jacob the schemer left.  Israel the prevailer returned.

Naomi the pleasant left.  Marah the sour returned.

Jacob returned better.

Naomi returned bitter.

Jacob returned and found God faithful.

Naomi returned and found God faithful.

God is always faithful.

God never left.

VM

04-24-2021

Johnny Cash Family Again Outraged at President Trump

November 13, 2020 - WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump, speaking publicly for the first time since his apparent election loss, took to the podium this morning with a song, declaring in a deep baritone voice, "I won everywhere, Man!  I won everywhere, Man!"  His denial of election results went further, naming in a rapid-fire, monotone voice all of the polling places he believed he'd won.  "I won in Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota, Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota, Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma..." the president trailed on for several minutes.  It did not appear that he was aware certain places he named are not part of the United States and do not vote for President.  In all, the president named ninety-one locations where he believed he had prevailed in the election, some perhaps large enough cities to sway the results, others tiny hamlets with insubstantial vote totals.  Several Canadian locations and foreign countries made his list; it was not clear if the president was referring to absentee ballots mailed from those locations or if he truly believed there were US elections held there, which he had won.

On the heels of Trump's press conference, members of Johnny Cash's family spoke out claiming the president had plagiarized the late entertainer's words.  "Just look at the list of places where Trump claims he won," said Johnny's son Green Cash on Twitter.  "He lifted all those right from my father's famous song, word for word!  La Paloma?  Opelika?  Is he serious?  Did he really think we wouldn't notice?"

The singer's daughter Outta Cash threatened a lawsuit.  In a Twitter reply to her brother, she stated, "You know, I've been out of cash my entire life.  So if I could sue a rich man like Donald Trump and win, I might be able to change my name to Lotsa Cash."  She said she did not inherit any riches from her father, as Johnny Cash donated his entire fortune to his foundation, Understand Your Man, which "helps women in struggling relationships learn to keep their big mouths shut," according to the organization's mission statement.

The president's defenders quickly pointed out that the election results have not yet been certified in Joe Biden's favor in the places where Trump is claiming victory.  Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) stated, "You know, in Costa Rica they just found a bunch of ballots that were never counted.  So until this all gets sorted out, President Trump has every right to continue his challenge."  When it was pointed out that Costa Rica is not in the United States, Cornyn responded, "Costa Rica?  Puerta Rica?  What's the difference?"  When it was also pointed out that Puerto Rico does not vote for President, Cornyn frustratedly threw up his hands and said, "Well there you have it.  If their votes were counted, Trump would have won."

As reported here, the Cash family has previously expressed outrage at Donald Trump over his claims that his super powers to change the weather and the course of rivers were unique to him.  Johnny's mother remarked today, "That bum!  Once again he's riding on the coat-tails of my good boy.  I bet when nobody else is looking, he probably plays with guns.  What a loser!"

After his statement, the president took questions from the assembled press corps, but only responded to each question with a chorus of "I won everywhere, Man!  I won everywhere, Man!"  Among the questions: "What does 'breathing the mountain air' or 'crossing the deserts bare' have to do with the election results?"  After multiple repeated choruses in response to each question, the gathered reporters seemed to give up delving any deeper into the president's claims of victory in specific locations.  "Mr. Trump, as awesome as he is in almost every other way, is not a very good singer," admitted Fox News correspondent John Roberts rather sheepishly.  "I don't know how much more we could take.  So we just stopped asking."

Legal challenges in several states have revealed some evidence of several fraudulent ballots.   The president's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, echoed the president's words that a handful of dead people had voted in "Hennessey, Chicopee, Spirit Lake, Grand Lake, Devil's Lake, Crater Lake, for Pete's sake."  The small number of disputed ballots falls very short of the 5 million votes by which Joe Biden carried the election.  Nevertheless, the Trump team holds out hope of victory.

One victory the president can claim which is not in dispute is his success at making lifelong Democrats out of millions of American voters who have been turned off to the entire Republican party, due to Trump's demeanor and GOP leaders' appeasement of him.  Only time will tell if the Republican party can recover from the four-year Trump experiment and ever again regain the White House or solid congressional majorities.  It may be a very long wait.  Fiscal conservatives fear their message of lower spending and a balanced budget falls on deaf ears, since their party was bullied by the White House in recent years to increase debt levels beyond all prior records.  Moral and religious conservatives have long been aware that "family values" is a dead message as long as they support the most pro-gay US President in history.  With true conservatives struggling for any defining message other than "Trump!" it will be difficult to change undecided minds that the Republican party deserves their vote.  The real impact of Trumpism on America is sure to last much longer than the four or eight years of a presidential tenure.

(C) Copyright 2020.  Reporting by Victor E. Mowery, Vaugan E. McAllory and Virgil E. Melanoma.

Book Review: American Gun: A History of the US in Ten Firearms, by Chris Kyle

I just posted this review over at my LibraryThing account, where I catalog all the books in my library.  I bought this book at the thrift store on Saturday afternoon and finished reading it on Monday morning, with two church services and chores in between.  That fact in itself is a positive review for a 320 page hardback.

Excellent.  I paid 75 cents for it used; I would have paid more than full price for it new if I had known it would be well worth it.

This is more of a history book than it is a technical treatise on arms.  Any technical discussion of gun details is on a level of explanation for the layman while brief enough to not tire a seasoned aficionado.  Where the book really shines is the historical story-telling.  Chief Kyle is able to seamlessly weave the advancement of our republic and its ideals together with advancements in firearms design, along with the tactics and histories behind them of military, law enforcement and even the bad guys.  One is left with the strong impression that our great nation and the values we hold dear would have been shaped quite differently without men like Colt, Browning and even the unnamed smith working a frontier forge beside a winding creek.

Nearly every chapter starts with vibrant story-telling of an event that could be a simple historical footnote, a mere Trivial Pursuit question, but turns out to be a pivotal moment showcasing the weapon that soon comes under discussion.  Each gun in the list of ten is treated as a springboard for discussion of other guns - advancements along the way and competitors - as well as relevant social, military and economic history that surrounds the gun's development and need.  For example, the story of the .38 Special police revolver would not be told without a brief history of American police departments and their weapons needs, and even the later guns that replaced the .38, like the Glock 17 and others.  That is one example of how each chapter delves into telling the story of America, centered on the gun.  The gun is not the point - the American way of life that the gun helped secure is.  Hence, I recommend this book to anyone interested in what it means to be an American, whether or not they are familiar with or even interested in guns.

The book could be slighted by some for the author occasionally (and especially in the latter chapters) interjecting himself and his experience into the story.  I do not find this a detriment.  Rather, it gives the book an authentic feel, more like stories told by a warm veteran uncle than a cold historian academic.  And after all, who would read a book by a celebrated warrior and expect him not to share his experience?

My only minor (very minor) complaint is a matter of personal preference.  I wish the references, footnotes and explanatory remarks were at the bottom of each page or at the least, at the end of each chapter.  I prefer to read them along with the text, and in a way easy to cross-reference with the text.  Instead, they are relegated to a back page without a really decent system of reference to the text.  There are no superscript numerals, asterisks or other referencing to make reading the footnotes easy.  But alas, maybe that book would read more like the cold academic in the musty library and less like the fun uncle telling stories on the back porch.

VM
05-25-2020

Coronavirus Fake News

Here are some fake news headlines and snippets I totally made up about Coronavirus.  You can rest assured that all of these are completely false.

TRUMP DECLARES NATIONAL DAY OF FASTING, PRAYER AND REPENTANCE TO STEM TIDE OF COVID-19
In response to the Coronavirus crisis, as other great US presidents have done through history, the greatest president Evangelical Christians ever supported has declared next Monday as a day for Americans to fast, pray, repent and seek Almighty God's favor once again.  Said Mr. Trump, "Our hopes must never rest in any government bail-outs, or what the government can do to help.  This problem is beyond the reach of government.  This problem may even be the result of the sins of government, provoking God as American Christians have done by relying on me to solve their problems."  The President's modesty was on quiet display once again as he knelt behind his podium and began to invoke God's mercy upon the nation that he leads by such pious example.

TRUMP PROVES HIS COMMITMENT TO CONSTITUTION
In a time that has tried no US president as intensely as since perhaps Lincoln, Donald Trump proved once again he is as much a Constitutionalist as those who voted for him.  Resisting the urge to spend, to give away money blindly to people who may or may not need it, and to generally act like the Democrat he used to be, the President stood his ground.  "Times of crisis," he said, "are exactly the times to stand firm on principle.  It is in those times that we truly see how well our Founders designed our system, and how wise they were in providing a resilient Constitution that works in any situation government may face.  I am amazed at how much wiser and smarter those guys were than me.  Aw, shucks!"  Mr. Trump can count on sturdy support for his position against unnecessary spending from the Republican-controlled Senate and a sizable caucus of principled conservatives in the House of Representatives.  Even this crisis will not increase the national debt one penny beyond the record level it has already soared to under Trump's first term, despite his stance.

CHRISTIAN LEADERS ADMIT THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN WRONG TO SUPPORT TRUMP
"Well, all the Trump gains in the stock market have now completely tanked due to the virus.  Crud.  We thought he was going to make America great again.  I guess we briefly forgot that God is in control, after all."  Speaking alongside many evangelical leaders, these words of Jerry Falwell, Jr. were sheepishly agreed upon by the silent nods of others in attendance.  "Look, we knew what we were getting with Trump.  We knew he was a rascal, down to his core.  It just didn't matter to us because he agreed with our politics.  At least he claimed to, anyway.  But we totally forgot some of those Bible verses about not exalting men of vile character, and stuff like that.  I even have some of those highlighted in an old Bible... I usually just read the Bible on my smart phone app nowadays, so I miss my old notes."  The mood was somber as the gathered preachers and radio hosts discussed what other kinds of gains under the Trump administration might be rolled back if the nation has truly lost the blessings of God.  "Our position in the world as a superpower, our military readiness against invasion, even our food and crop production might take a turn for the worse.  Or worst."  So went a lot of the talk.  Continuing his sad screed, Falwell said, "We thought we had it figured out.  Trump was doing a fantastic job, just like we hoped for when we held our noses and pulled the levers at the ballot box.  But wham!  Along comes a stupid virus pandemic!  Almost as if God was saying, 'Not so fast, Buddy!'  Almost as if it was another Tower of Babel we were trying to build!"  A few fundamentalist preachers (very few) stood by with silent "I tried to tell you" looks, but still nobody wanted to hear from them.  The prophet Jeremiah had a better reception in his day.

-VM, 3/27/2020

Will You Keep Supporting a Maniac Right to the Brink?

Read article here.

This guy is capable of anything.  Anything!  There are no boundaries he will not cross.  There are no self-imposed limitations he will stick to.  There are no standards of behavior he feels bound by.  There is no limit to the number and class of people he will use, misuse and abuse to get what he wants.

If he has been accused (by Democrats or Congress or others) of something he did not actually do, it is only because he never thought of doing it, or did not find a way to make it work to his ends.

A man that has the full weight and power of the United States at his disposal, and is willing to misuse it simply to try to save face or recover from embarrassment is a man that is capable of any crime.

That's not even the worst part.  That's not even the saddest part.  That's not even the heartbreaking part.

The worst part is that the vast majority of people who should be speaking up the loudest against this are going to continue to keep silent, or even support it.  They are going to rationalize for "the greater good" or some such.  But the real reason they are going to continue to support Trump's deeds and even vote for him again is this:  They want to save face and avoid embarrassment as much as he does.  They made their decision and they won't admit they were wrong.  Just like him!

Too many voters bought non-refundable tickets on the Trump train well before they ever considered the long-term effects of taking such a ride.  So now they are going to stay on the train regardless of whether they like the scenery out the window right now.  Is there a bridge out up ahead?  Is a fiery crash in the works?  Do the train tracks even lead where you were promised to end up?

Check the map here.  We're not headed where you thought.  And the continuing silence or even tacit approval of Trump supporters only makes him more bold; only makes him more committed to the direction he's headed.

The train is picking up even more speed.  How far are you willing to ride it?

VM

What Is a Church Ministry For?

While reflecting upon numerous personal conversations, church meetings, men's meetings, ministry meetings, pastors' meetings and the like, I believe I am finally able to put into words something which has been in my heart for years about the nature and purpose of church ministries.  This concept of ministry philosophy was instilled in me by my former pastor, whom God used very greatly to shape my understanding of the function of the church.  It was reiterated to my heart through the experience of my own pastoral ministry.  And it has been nurtured and sustained by the large ministry-heart of my current pastor.  I am talking about the fundamental function, or reason for existence of any ministry the church engages in for its members: ultimately, to "bear one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2).

I think we can all see, in a general sense, that ministries provided for church members are burden-bearing by their nature.  But what I've been reflecting on is the practical side of it, not just the general sense of it.  Specifically, I've been wrestling with how to answer various objections, such as "Why have this ministry or that ministry?"  A church having a Christian day school comes to mind as a perfect example, but we could name any number of example ministries.  I need to pick an example that we can put into practicalities, so I will use that one.

Here is a question: "Why might a church that endorses home-schooling as the ideal have a Christian day school for families who don't home-school?"  It is an excellent question, with a lot of thought behind it.  And it seems like a paradox or enigma.  We could extend the same question to any number of other ministries: "Why might a church that recommends families being together in church services as the ideal offer children's ministries?"  We could ask a lot of questions about a lot of ministries along these same lines.  "If this is the ideal, why do we do that?"  But the answer would be the same.

Here is why: Because we don't minister in the "ideal" situation.  In fact, if we were in the ideal situation, there would be NO NEED for any ministry!

We do not structure church ministries around where Christians ought to be!  Get that!  It is vitally important!  If you want to understand anything about church ministries, read that sentence three times again, out loud if necessary.  If Christians were where they ought to be spiritually, there would be no need for any ministry!  There would be no need for preaching, teaching, exhorting or anything else a church does!

Rather, we structure church ministries around where Christians ARE.  It is ministry where the rubber meets the road.  We certainly want to help them move along closer to where they ought to be (and ourselves as well).  But we cannot hold up the spiritual ideal, in any area, and say, "If you're not here, we won't minister to you in that area!"  That is not burden-bearing, it is refusing the burden.

Now let me try to put it in a practical, concrete-example sense.  I have been a committed home-schooling father for two decades.  I believe every Christian parent, at least in America (and probably most elsewhere), should home-school in this day and age.  I believe every parent is capable of making it work if they will commit, do the hard work, make the sacrifices, seek help when needed (Hello, grandparents!  Hello church family!), and stick to it.  I believe every problem or objection encountered by home-schooling parents can be worked around, whether logistical, financial, or otherwise.  It can be done!

But I also have to be practical, in the real world, not the world of ideals.  Whether or not every parent should, or can home-school is not the question.  Whether or not they even share my opinion, conviction or preference about it is not the question.  The fact of the matter is, not every parent will, not every parent is willing, and not every parent is convinced like I am.  And yet they don't want their children in public school.  And neither does the church.  Providing a Christian day school is a part of bearing their burdens.  And we are commanded to bear their burdens too, by the way, not just the burdens of those who hold to our preferences.

No, it is not ideal.  But it is also not unbiblical.  You can say home-schooling is the ideal (and I believe it is), but you can't point to the Bible and say home-schooling is the only way.  If you say that, you are convicting most Christians for hundreds of years, up until home-schooling became vogue rather recently.  You are claiming to live by new revelation that our forefathers lacked.  Christians who have chosen to home-school have not done so on biblical grounds, but on practical grounds - largely out of preference over the godless public schools in America today.  A church-run school solves the exact same problem, without violating any scriptural principles (regardless of whether it violates anybody's preferences, or ideas of ideal).

I use this example because it is possibly the easiest to put in concrete terms, but any church ministry can be evaluated in the same terms.  It is designed to bear one another's burdens.  It is designed to "support the weak" (Acts 20:35; I Thessalonians 5:14).  It may even be designed to "comfort the feebleminded" (I Thessalonians 5:14 again).  It is not designed for the person who already has it all together in that area of their life.  Where would be the opportunity to minister there?

The types of questions or objections, raised above, to certain ministries are not such a paradox or enigma after you think rightly about ministry as a burden-bearing, weak-supporting endeavor.  Yes, a church that preaches abstinence from alcohol can still minister to drunkards!  Yes, a church that stands against divorce and remarriage can still help a remarried couple have a great marriage!  Yes, a church that opposes sin can still help sinners!  That thought should be kind of a "Duh!" moment.  It's not an oxymoron, it's reality.  When every church member reaches the spiritual ideal that the church targets, it's time to close the church!

We do not minister in the ideal, because the ideal requires no ministry.  Unfortunately, some Christians seem like they only want the church to minister to those who really would need no ministry!  That is the real paradox or enigma.

That oxymoron is worse than the old financial dilemma: "You can only be approved for a bank loan if you can show you have enough money to not need the loan."  Well, I don't want a church that's ran like a bank!  I don't want to be involved in ministries approved with a loan-officer's checklist, "Prove that you're worthy of our help."  Rather, I want to sweat, give, labor and spend myself (II Corinthians 12:15) in real ministry, to real people in the real world who really need it.  Like somebody did for me!

VM

06-15-2019

Johnny Cash Family Fumes At "Outrageous" Trump Claims

WASHINGTON (04/04/2019) - The family of late music entertainer and eminent climate scientist Johnny Cash went to Twitter this week to express dismay with recent claims made by President Donald Trump.  "We are outraged," noted Johnny's son Spendin Cash.

The feud was kicked off when the United States President spoke at a recent rally of farmers in the northeast of the midwest.  Responding in Ohio Tuesday to questions about the federal government's response to global warming, President Trump assured farmers that keeping crops viable was well within his super powers.  "After all," he quipped, "I taught the weeping willow how to cry... cry... cry."  Mr. Trump did not elaborate on how that claim, if true, could assist crops.  Trump went on to say that global warming was not much of a concern because, if necessary, he'd "tell the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky" in order to keep temperatures down.

The identical twin sister of Mr. Cash, Johnita, said she felt like the President was taking a swipe at her deceased brother.  "Johnny did all those amazing things, and Donald Trump ignores that and acts like this ability of his is something new.  It's not new!  My brother could do these things forty, fifty years ago.  Granted, Johnny used science to accomplish this, and the President is using his super powers, but in the end it is the same result."  Johnita said she would like to remind everyone that her brother won multiple Nobel Prizes in scientific fields, in addition to his many Grammy awards.  "Most people only remember the music," she added.  "But our family feels that Johnny's real accomplishments were scientific, especially in controlling the weather, trees and river patterns."

In discussing river patterns, Mr. Trump also took a swipe at the Democrat-controlled congress at the rally.  He said that if they do not approve the funds for his proposed border wall, he would protect at least the eastern half of the country from the "illegal alien surge" by flooding the Mississippi River as a barrier to immigration.  He said he could accomplish this by using "the tears I shed for that woman."  It was not clear at press time who "that woman" referred to, or where the tears have been stored in the meantime.  Many believe "that woman" could be the President's first wife, Ivana.  Others think "that woman" refers to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who has accused the President of watching "Shark Week" with her in a hotel room in 2007 and then paying her off with campaign cash to keep quiet about his being terrified of sharks.

Allusions to "that woman" have long been a part of presidential parlance, according to Stu Pidhead with the Presidential Parlance Partnership, a Washington think-tank.  "This goes back to Bill Clinton," he said.  "The famous 'that woman' line at his press conference, where he denied ever being intimate with - 'that woman' - pointing, but leaving out her name.  Most people think he was pointing at Hillary."  Other presidents have used the term with less ambiguity, said Stu.  "Whenever George W. Bush said 'that woman,' everybody knew he was talking about his lovely sainted mother Barbara, the salt of the earth.  God bless that woman!"  Still, there is room for doubt about the way President Obama used the phrase, even when clearly meaning his wife.  "Every time Obama said 'that woman' publicly, his brother would later tweet out, 'Michelle?  Or is it really MICHAEL?'  This really disturbed the President, but emboldened the LGBTQ-RSTUV crowd to think about the possibilities."

Remarking on President Trump's claims, Johnny Cash's mother stated, "That bum is always taking credit for the things my little good boy done.  Back during the 2016 campaign, Trump said he shot a man in Reno just to watch him die, and all the evangelical Christians overlooked it and still support him, because he recently started believing like they did about abortion."  Mrs. Cash was referring to her son's famous murder spree, for which he served three concert tours in Folsom Prison and two-hundred hours of community service cleaning up flood damage along the Mississippi valley.  The Cash family has never commented on allegations that Johnny caused that flood in the first place after sitting beside the river and attempting to weep there until his death, which would have set a new world record.  The record attempt was stopped short when the singer was swept away by flooding.  He claimed to have been dragged beneath the Gulf of Mexico by a whirlpool that took him into an underwater volcano.  His claims have never been verified, but he always stuck to his story that he "fell into a burnin' ring o' fire."  The singer never explained how he escaped the ring of fire, but it is assumed his abilities to "turn the tide" and "walk the line" helped.  He showed up back on the mainland weeks later, but his clothes and hat were permanently charred black from the flames.  Mr. Trump has repeatedly said that he can flood the Mississippi with much more effectiveness than Mr. Cash.  "It'll be HUGE!" he exclaimed at the rally, to thunderous applause.

"I suppose next Donald Trump is going to claim he was named Sue at birth," noted Mr. Cash's widow.  "This could be his strategy to get the vote of the LGBTQ-WXYZ crowd."  Stu Pidhead agreed, noting that the President is scheduled this weekend for a rally in San Francisco, featuring his outspoken supporter Bruce "Caitlyn" Jenner as a speaker.  "They've never backed him, even though he constantly reminds them he is the best thing that ever happened to them."

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckleberry Sanders said the President had no further comment for this article, but she said that speaking for herself, "I'm your huckleberry."  She frequently uses that line when responding to gunfight challenges from the press corps.  None have taken her up on it yet, since nobody knows what it actually means.

(C) Copyright 2019.  Reporting by Victor E. Mowery, Vincent E. Malloy and Vernon E. Maltodextrose.