RELISHING WEATHER, REAL THEOLOGIANS, GETTYSBURG, UNBELIEVABLE, FAILURE, UNDERWATER

Reading "The Wisdom of Each Other" by Eugene Peterson, a special Christmas gift from my daughter (Melody) 11 years ago.  Two excerpts; Relishing Weather and Real Theologians.

JOHN MUIR - The year was 1874.  Muir visited a friend who had a cabin, snug in a valley in the Sierra Mountains - a place from which to venture into the wilderness and then return for a comforting cup of tea. 

One December day a storm moved in from the Pacific - a fierce storm that bent the junipers and pines as if they were so many blades of grass.  It was for just such times this cabin had been built; cozy protection from the harsh elements.  We easily imagine Muir and his host wrapped in sheepskins, safe and secure in his tightly caulked cabin, a fire blazing against the cruel assault of the elements. But our imaginations betray us.  For Muir, instead of retreating to the coziness of the cabin, pulling the door tight, and throwing another stick of wood on the fire, strode out of the cabin into the storm, climbed a high ridge, picked a giant Douglas fir as the best perch for experiencing the kaleidoscope of color and sound, scent and motion, scrambled his way to the top and rode out the storm, lashed by the wind, holding on for dear life, relishing weather: taking it all in  - its rich sensuality, its primal energy.

Throughout its many retellings, the story of John Muir, storm whipped at the top of the Douglas fir in the Yuba River valley, gradually took shape as a kind of icon of Christian spirituality for our family.  The icon has been a standing rebuke against becoming a mere spectator to life, preferring creature comforts to Creator confrontations.  For spirituality has to do with life, lived life.

REAL THEOLOGIANS don't make God more complicated but less.  They clear the ground.  They simplify our lives, not clutter them.  I thought about this during the service this morning in church, when our pastor lead the congregation in a simple song.  It went like this:

In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus

When I am alone
When I am alone
When I am alone, give me Jesus

When I come to die
When I come to die
When I come to die, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,

But give me Jesus

Guess that just about says it all.  Guess just about anyone can understand this simple but profound message. 

GETTYSBURG 150th - Seven landmarks to visit to commemorate the Gettysburg Address  Click HERE

UNBELIEVABLE - Wish all accidents would end this way.  Click HERE

NIKE put out a Michael Jordon video called "failure" a number of years ago.  In fact, I used this at a sales meeting in 2005.  Great Message!  Check out this 30 second video by clicking HERE.

UNDERWATER - "And a place where we thought there was no life at all, we find more life, and more diversity and density than the tropical rain forest, which tells us that we don’t know much about this planet at all. There’s still 97% left to explore, and either that 97% is empty or just full of surprises"  Click HERE for another TED talk called "Underwater Astonishments" by David Gallo. (5 min.) (If you don't have time watch the entire video, skip to the last 2 minutes)