Monday Music: Pencil Thin Mustache (Jimmy Buffet)

 

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Saturday Haiku: Wild Geese

wild geese from the north

     who ride the wind and weather

glide the lake with grace

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Photos: Canada geese relaxing at Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama
Credit: Charles Kinnaird  


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Thankful

 The Lincoln Project reminds us of the many things we can be thankful for this year.

 

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Monday Music: Rhiannon Giddens Talks about Southern Music

Rhiannon Giddens talks to David Holt about how Southern music came about from a convergence of music from the British Isles and Africa to make its distinctive mark on American music.

 

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Murder Most Foul (Dylan)

For those of us who remember where we were on November 22, 1963, this song by Bob Dylan is equivalent to Walt Whitman's elegy to Abraham Lincoln, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d."

A review in Tikkun Magazine gives a detailed perspective of the 17-minute song proferring that "In counting down ten consecutive POTUS from JFK to Trump, Bob Dylan sets to music the devolution of the American Dream from light to darkness, mirroring the ten characters in the Passover rhyme Chad Gadya."

The Guardian ran an article by Alex Petridis which speculates the role of art and music in a time of apocalyptic dread. 

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Saturday Haiku: Gravestones

 and the Joker stands
with the gravestones in autumn –
it's your wakeup call

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Friday Funnies: Feed the Cat

 

Psalm 23 (Bobby McFerrin)

Today's post is a repeat of one of my most popular posts since I began blogging -- over two-and-a-half thousand views.  You will see below how I first came to hear this remarkable piece and the effect that it had (and continues to have) on me. -- CK

Bobby McFerrin does something remarkable with Psalm 23. The music is lovely, but the most significant thing he does here is to use the feminine pronoun in reference to God. It is amazing what this shift does for the effect of the psalm. The first time my wife and I heard it was on a PBS telecast several years ago – I think it was with the Boston Pops concert series. We were both moved to tears as we listened. The song also appears on McFerrin's CD, Medicine Music. Here's a YouTube version, scroll down to read the lyrics. 

The 23^rd Psalm

By Bobby McFerrin

The Lord is my Shepard, I have all I need,
She makes me lie down in green meadows,
Beside the still waters, She will lead.

She restores my soul, She rights my wrongs,
She leads me in a path of good things,
And fills my heart with songs.

Even though I walk, through a dark & dreary land,
There is nothing that can shake me,
She has said She won't forsake me,
I'm in her hand.

She sets a table before me, in the presence of my foes,
She anoints my head with oil,
And my cup overflows.

Surely, surely goodness & kindness will follow me,
All the days of my life,
And I will live in her house,
Forever, forever & ever.

Glory be to our Mother, & Daughter,
And to the Holy of Holies,
As it was in the beginning, is now & ever shall be,
World, without end. Amen.



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You might be interested in:

A Jungian Appreciation of Mary


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Monday Music: I Can See Clearly Now

We lost the great Johnny Nash last month. He left us on October 6th at the age of 80. In November of 1972 his signature classic (written by Johnny himself) "I Can See Clearly Now" became a #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Nash was introduced to Bob Marley and The Wailers in Jamaica. Marley introduced Nash to reggae, and subsequently Nash introduced reggae and Bob Marley to the American music scene. We all benefitted from that creative encounter.  

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Saturday Haiku: November Mist

 

the November mist

dampening the countryside 

as hearts turn inward

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Photo: "Ely Cathedral on a misty November morning"

             by Sarah MacDonald, Director of Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir

Source: Ely Cathedral Facebook site

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Friday Funnies: Duck Season

 

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I believe in honoring our veterans who have put their lives on the line to serve a greater cause. I also believe that war is not an appropriate answer to our global conflicts and I often grieve over political leaders' cavalier use of our military troops. I found the following blog post by Mennonite pastor Joanna Harader to be a helpful way to frame the honoring of our military veterans. ~ CK

A Pacifist’s Dilemma on Veterans’ Day

Spacious Faith

I wrote this post in 2010, and it seemed appropriate to re-post this weekend.

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I hate war. But I do not hate soldiers.

I believe engaging in armed combat goes against the teachings of Jesus. But I respect the fact that war veterans have made incredible sacrifices for causes they believed to be noble.

I am generally in favor of cutting military spending. But I think we should increase spending on medical and psychological care for veterans. The high rates of mental illness, divorce, and suicide among military veterans causes me deep sorrow.

My first-grader came home from school earlier this week with a little newspaper that featured an Iraq war veteran who had lost his leg. She told me he was a hero because he killed the bad guys. “How do you know,” I asked, “who the bad guys are? Remember what Jesus said.”

"Love your enemies?”

Is there a way, on this day, for me to honor the spirit of sacrifice but not the acts of destruction; to give thanks for the selfless nature of our veterans without condoning the violence they committed; to advocate for better treatment of soldiers without supporting the work of the military-industrial complex?

I believe the best way to honor all veterans is to make sure there are as few new veterans as possible.

(View original post here)

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The Pets Who Shape our Lives

Our Patsy died today. It was unexpected. She was a rescue and we didn't know her age, but she was a wonderful cat.  We will miss her greatly. She liked people, did not suffer dogs gladly, and enjoyed creating her own meditative space in sunlit places.

"There is a cycle of love and death that shapes the lives of those who choose to travel in the company of animals. It is a cycle unlike any other.

To those who have never lived through its turnings and walked its rocky path, our willingness to give our hearts with full knowledge that they will be broken seems incomprehensible.

Only we know how small a price we pay for what we receive; our grief, no matter how powerful it may be, is an insufficient measure of the joy we have been given." 

                                                                                          ~ Suzanne Clothier

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Monday Music: Georgia on My Mind (Willie Nelson and Ray Charles)

 

 

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When Hope and History Rhyme

 

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Saturday Haiku: The Art of Painting

 

the artist may see

scenes of ordinary life

bathed in brilliant light

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Image: "The Art of Painting"  

Artist: Johannes Vermeer

Medium: Oil on canvas

Location: Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

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Friday Funnies: Farside Poetry Reading

 

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Favorite Recipes: Creamy Chickpea Pasta with Spinach

Here’s a new recipe I tried recently and it was another hit with the family. It comes from the NewYork Times Cooking site. I converted it to a vegan recipe by substituting heavy cream with coconut cream. (If you use the coconut cream, you just have to thicken it a little by mixing some flour and water and slowly adding while it’s cooking).

Creamy Chickpea Pasta With Spinach and Rosemary

By Alexa Weibel

New York Times photo

Luxurious and hearty, cheap and easy, this vegetarian pasta uses mostly pantry staples, requiring just a few fresh ingredients, like baby spinach, rosemary and heavy cream. Canned chickpeas form the foundation of the dish: They’re cooked until crisp and caramelized. Half are then saved as a garnish, while the rest are simmered until they break down and thicken the sauce. You can swap out your greens or beans, and if you want to experiment with flavor, raid your spice cabinet: Ground coriander, toasted fennel seeds, coarsely crumbled pink peppercorns or a sprinkle of smoked paprika perk up the dish.

INGREDIENTS

• Kosher salt
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
• ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
• Black pepper
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach (about
• 6 packed cups)
• 12 ounces spaghetti or bucatini
• ½ cup finely grated Parmesan
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Y I E L D 4 servings

T IME 30 minutes

PREPARATION

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.

Step 2

In a wide, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the chickpeas, rosemary and Aleppo pepper, if using. Season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas start to caramelize at their edges and pop, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer about half the chickpeas to a bowl. Reserve for garnish.

Step 3

Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallots and garlic to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 4

Add the pasta to the boiling water and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the pasta until a couple minutes short of al dente according to package instructions, about 5 minutes. Do not drain the pasta, but using tongs, transfer the pasta directly from the pot to the spinach and cream sauce. Add 1 cup pasta cooking water and the Parmesan, and cook over medium-high, stirring vigorously with the tongs, until the sauce is thickened and the noodles are al dente, about 2 minutes. Add a splash of pasta water to loosen sauce, if needed.

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A Spirited Anthem from Woody Guthrie (via Rhiannon Giddens)

Here is Riannon Giddens along with the Resistance Revival Chorus in a lively rendition of Woody Guthrie's "All You Fascists Bound to Lose." And it is bound to lift you spirits on this Election Day.

 

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Voting Your Faith and Values as a Citizen

 

Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching

I talked about the dangers of single-issue voting in my post on Sunday. To run with one issue to the exclusion of all others has resulted in many miscarriages of justice. For those who may not be familiar with the breadth of Catholic Social teaching, I have taken the following themes from the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. There follows a comparison with the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism.

Life and Dignity of the Human Person

The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching. In our society, human life is under direct attack from abortion and euthanasia. The value of human life is being threatened by cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death penalty. The intentional targeting of civilians in war or terrorist attacks is always wrong. Catholic teaching also calls on us to work to avoid war. Nations must protect the right to life by finding increasingly effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

Call to Family, Community, and Participation

The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society -- in economics and politics, in law and policy -- directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.

Rights and Responsibilities

The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities--to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.

The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers

The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God's creation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected--the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.

Solidarity

We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that if you want peace, work for justice.1 The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers. Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.

Care for God's Creation

We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.

A View from A Different Perspective

As a comparison, here is the witness from a different faith perspective, on the other end of the spectrum, so to speak:

The Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalists Association found on the UnitarianUniversalists Association website:

Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote seven Principles, which we hold as strong values and moral guides. We live out these Principles within a “living tradition” of wisdom and spirituality, drawn from sources as diverse as science, poetry, scripture, and personal experience.

As Rev. Barbara Wells ten Hove explains, “The Principles are not dogma or doctrine, but rather a guide for those of us who choose to join and participate in Unitarian Universalist religious communities.”

1.      1st Principle: The inherent worth and dignity of every person;

2.     2nd Principle: Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;

3.     3rd Principle: Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;

4.    4th Principle: A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;

5.     5th Principle: The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;

6.    6th Principle: The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;

7.     7th Principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

*   *   *   *

Most faith traditions have a holistic vision for a fair and equitable society. When you go to the polls to vote, consider how to best implement your values and hopes for a better world.

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Monday Music: The Sound of Silence (Dylan and Simon)

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The Perils of Single-Issue Voting

 In January of 2018, in an essay on The State of Our Nation, I wrote:

I understand that each person must make his or her own moral choice in civic matters when going to the polls. Unfortunately, voting on the single issue of abortion blinds many to the wider issues at stake…Through the years, I have seen my fellow Catholics vote for people who have no knowledge of, or interest in, Catholic social teaching and whose agendas are even counter to that teaching. The best way to support life is in our teaching, values, and actions. We can abide by the law of the land and still uphold our faith values without thinking we have to reverse legislation in order to live a moral life.

Recently I found this editorial cartoon* that succinctly illustrates what I was trying to say: 

Brian McLaren recently wrote about the origins of the Pro-Life Movement in "A Letter to my White Christian Pro-Life Friends, Part 2, My Misgivings." McLaren writes about how Randall Balmer’s Thy Kingdom Come (Basic Books, 2006) helped him understand the movement’s backstory:

In short, in the 1950’s and 60’s, reacting to school desegregation and civil rights legislation, large numbers of white Protestants and Catholics in both the South and the North transferred their children from integrated public schools to all-white private church-based schools. (These schools are often referred to as “segregation academies.”) During Jimmy Carter’s administration (1977-1981), a rumor spread that the government would soon remove tax exempt status from these segregated schools. Protestant and Catholic leaders came together in a series of conference calls to strategize how to defend their tax-exempt status while remaining racially segregated.

This created an opportunity that a fundraiser and conservative activist, Paul Weyrich, seized. A conservative Christian coalition couldn’t be based on overt segregation and the white supremacy that fueled it, he knew, so Weyrich convinced Protestants to rally with Catholics under the banner of opposing abortion to protect their tax-exempt status.

 Prior to reading McLaren’s article, I had seen the Pro-Life Movement, with their holding Roe v Wade above all other political considerations, as a group of people who are being misled. I saw many of the people, and even some of the leaders, being manipulated by politicians who primarily seek political power and give little more than lip service to morality. What I had not realized was the racial prejudice that helped fuel the beginning of the movement in the first place. Indeed, America’s original sin of slavery/white supremacy continues to influence our lifestyles, our values, and our choices.

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*The editorial cartoon originated on Facebook:

Tim Troxler

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"A pro-life friend made his own political cartoon which I think is a thought-provoking look at numerous election issues that are often glossed over for the sake of a pro-life platform."