"The dangerous idea that the democratic accountability of national governments should simply be dispensed with in favour of "global agreements" reached after closed negotiations between world leaders never, so far as I recall, entered into the arena of public discussion. Except in the United States, where it became a very contentious talking point, the US still holding firmly to the 18th-century idea that power should lie with the will of the people." Read more
An "18th century idea". My, aren't we backward here.
Thursday
Help us serve a family in need
When we met her 11 years ago she was a single mom who had escaped an abusive ex-husband. She's lived a hard life but was finding strength to rise above the circumstances of her past. Life is still challenging but she in walking in faith. Yesterday her house and all its contents burned to the ground. She and her teenaged kids lost everything including 2 pets.
Help us redeem this tragedy. Make a paypal donation to rlindholtz@yahoo.com or write to us at that address if you can help in other ways. Details are still coming in. The kids are a boy, 18-19, and a daughter, 15-16. Donations can also be made to Christ the King Lutheran Church designated for the "Christensen Fire". Donations made in that way are fully tax deductible.
Help us redeem this tragedy. Make a paypal donation to rlindholtz@yahoo.com or write to us at that address if you can help in other ways. Details are still coming in. The kids are a boy, 18-19, and a daughter, 15-16. Donations can also be made to Christ the King Lutheran Church designated for the "Christensen Fire". Donations made in that way are fully tax deductible.
Saturday
Tuesday
If you need a passport...
In advance of my trip to Canada I sought to get a passport. Online I learned that there is a Passport BOOK and a CARD. I phoned to learn the difference and I was told, nearly verbatim, “The passport card is being phased in and is currently only good for Canada and Mexico”.
The person I spoke with left out one important detail: that it is useless for air travel. That would have helped me make a better choice.
Foolishly I decided based on their input to get the card. Of course, when I got to the airport on Sunday I learned I could not get on the flight nor make it to my meetings that day.
I had to get an expedited passport the next day. I also had airline fees related to my changed flight plans. My out of pocket expense due to this inconvenience is almost $300 in total.
The person I spoke with left out one important detail: that it is useless for air travel. That would have helped me make a better choice.
Foolishly I decided based on their input to get the card. Of course, when I got to the airport on Sunday I learned I could not get on the flight nor make it to my meetings that day.
I had to get an expedited passport the next day. I also had airline fees related to my changed flight plans. My out of pocket expense due to this inconvenience is almost $300 in total.
Yes, after the fact, I discovered that there is one page on the State Department website that alrets you to this issue. It ought to be clearly stated on any page that references the passport card.
I am only posting this to caution potential future travellers. If you need a passport, get the passport BOOK unless a) you live near the border and will be driving across, or b) you will be on a cruise.
Friday
Re-Visioning
I have the privilege of attending the Re-Visioning Retreat, September 20-25 in Cochrane, AB.
Sponsored by my ordaining body, The Evangelical Covenant Church, and underwritten by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, the retreat is designed for those in ministry who are seeking to renew their friendship with God, reignite their pastoral imagination and explore their call in a deeper way. Each retreat is limited to 10 applicants, so I feel very blessed to have this opportunity.
Wednesday
EC hospitalized
To my blog-reading and facebook-reading friends,
Please pray for our family and especially for EC who is hospitalized again. Pray that the delicate balancing of medications can be accomplished; pray that other therapies can have their intended results; pray that God's own hand reaches and touches her heart and mind in a real and healing way. We do not know at this time how long this in-patient experience may last.
Pray also for Alicia and me, and pray for Miles, who worries about his sister whom he loves so much.
A Creed - the God who reigns
I wrote this affirmation of faith for this weekend's services. It was written around the theme of "reign" and will follow Lincoln Brewster's song "God, you Reign".
I believe in God,
the God,
the only God,
who created everything
and reigns as King
over earth, sky, and water,
Sovereign and Holy,
and yet revealing Himself
in the intimacy of the name
“Father”.
He reigns over the nations; He is seated on his holy throne.
Psalm 47:8
And I believe in Jesus Christ,
the Son,
the only-begotten Son
whose reign began
in the weakness of a manger-bed,
conceived by the Spirit
and born of a virgin,
who reigned
even while nailed to a cross of wood;
who died and rose again, ascended and will come again.
He will reign forever; and his kingdom will never end.
Luke 1:33
And I believe in the Spirit,
the Holy Spirit,
the Spirit of God
who as God Himself
brings the presence of God
and extends the reign of God
in every believer and throughout the world,
who ever directs hearts
to our Lord and Savior,
so that grace might reign … to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:21
© 2009 Rick Lindholtz
I believe in God,
the God,
the only God,
who created everything
and reigns as King
over earth, sky, and water,
Sovereign and Holy,
and yet revealing Himself
in the intimacy of the name
“Father”.
He reigns over the nations; He is seated on his holy throne.
Psalm 47:8
And I believe in Jesus Christ,
the Son,
the only-begotten Son
whose reign began
in the weakness of a manger-bed,
conceived by the Spirit
and born of a virgin,
who reigned
even while nailed to a cross of wood;
who died and rose again, ascended and will come again.
He will reign forever; and his kingdom will never end.
Luke 1:33
And I believe in the Spirit,
the Holy Spirit,
the Spirit of God
who as God Himself
brings the presence of God
and extends the reign of God
in every believer and throughout the world,
who ever directs hearts
to our Lord and Savior,
so that grace might reign … to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:21
© 2009 Rick Lindholtz
Friday
Thursday
Lancelot Andrewes 1555 - 1626
I am a few pages into a project of paraphrasing The Private Devotions of Bishop Lancelot Andrewes, who was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and who headed one of the translation teams for the King James Version.
Remember that I am called by Your name,
and look on me with your eyes of compassion,
eyes that looked on Mary Magdalene at the feast,
on Peter in the hall of denial,
on the thief upon the wood.
With the thief , let me cry out to you in humility,
“Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom”.
With Peter, let me weep bitterly and say
“O the my eyes were a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night”.
With Mary, let me hear You say
“Your sins are forgiven”,
and with her, may I love you deeply,
because many sins have been forgiven me.
and look on me with your eyes of compassion,
eyes that looked on Mary Magdalene at the feast,
on Peter in the hall of denial,
on the thief upon the wood.
With the thief , let me cry out to you in humility,
“Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom”.
With Peter, let me weep bitterly and say
“O the my eyes were a fountain of tears,
That I might weep day and night”.
With Mary, let me hear You say
“Your sins are forgiven”,
and with her, may I love you deeply,
because many sins have been forgiven me.
paraphrase ©2009 Rick Lindholtz
Monday
July 27
• What a weekend. Astros baseball with ElenaClaire; Gilbert and Sullivan Sunday afternoon with Alicia. I was in "Pirates" over 36 years ago with a lot of friends of whom I was thinking as I heard and remembered anew all those great songs.
• Several people have remarked privately or on Facebook their appreciation for the video from the service. I'm glad. Some have said that it reminded them of how important it is to use your own influence, just as Mom used hers. Some who knew her were reminded of her influence in their own lives. Some who did not felt challenged and affirmed in their own service to Jesus. Mom would be pleased to know - is pleased to know that even after her earthly race is finished, she continues to mentor and bless others.
• I was thinking about the way music is such a powerful tool. I thought of the 3 songs that were selected for congregational singing at her service ("Day by Day and with each Passing Moment"; "Children of the Heavenly Father"; "Great is Thy Faithfulness") and how those songs (which are probably the same three that were sung at her own mother's service in 1984) will never be mere songs to me. They will convey all the blessings her life channeled to me. Then I recalled the song that I sang to her on May 23, the next to last day I saw her:
"I have a friend who loveth me,
He gave His life on Calvary.
Upon the cross my sins He bore,
and I am saved forevermore."
and to my great and never to be forgotten delight, Mom joined me on the chorus:
"Oh Hallelujah, He's my friend!
He guides me to the journey's end.
He walks beside me all the way,
and will bestow a crown some day."
Then I remembered the end of yesterday's service, when we sang Chris Tomlin's setting of "All the Way My Savior Leads me". Mom never sang that melody, but she certainly sang those verse and would declare their truth even today.
• Several people have remarked privately or on Facebook their appreciation for the video from the service. I'm glad. Some have said that it reminded them of how important it is to use your own influence, just as Mom used hers. Some who knew her were reminded of her influence in their own lives. Some who did not felt challenged and affirmed in their own service to Jesus. Mom would be pleased to know - is pleased to know that even after her earthly race is finished, she continues to mentor and bless others.
• I was thinking about the way music is such a powerful tool. I thought of the 3 songs that were selected for congregational singing at her service ("Day by Day and with each Passing Moment"; "Children of the Heavenly Father"; "Great is Thy Faithfulness") and how those songs (which are probably the same three that were sung at her own mother's service in 1984) will never be mere songs to me. They will convey all the blessings her life channeled to me. Then I recalled the song that I sang to her on May 23, the next to last day I saw her:
"I have a friend who loveth me,
He gave His life on Calvary.
Upon the cross my sins He bore,
and I am saved forevermore."
and to my great and never to be forgotten delight, Mom joined me on the chorus:
"Oh Hallelujah, He's my friend!
He guides me to the journey's end.
He walks beside me all the way,
and will bestow a crown some day."
Then I remembered the end of yesterday's service, when we sang Chris Tomlin's setting of "All the Way My Savior Leads me". Mom never sang that melody, but she certainly sang those verse and would declare their truth even today.
Sunday
Our Mom's Legacy - a Conversation
This is an excerpt from Mom's Memorial Service, held at University Covenant Church on July 18. A lot of people have commented on how meaningful they found it. Tom, Karin and I are glad to share it with you here.
Barbara's Legacy - a Conversation from Rick Lindholtz on Vimeo.
Friday
Playing for Change: "Stand by Me"
The musical concept: singers and players from all over the world, making music together. I like it. The idea that world peace can be obtained through people singing - OK, that's a little naive at best. But the music is great. Watch and listen to the original track, "Stand by Me".
NASA and Paul - two flashes back to the 60s
Nasa admits that it erased and recorded over the original footage of the first footsteps on the moon. But copies are being digitally remastered - samples are online. Pretty impressive!
While I was flying to California, Paul was performing on top of the Ed Sullivan Theatre marquee. What a sailor's life. Wish I could work it out to catch the Dallas show.
While I was flying to California, Paul was performing on top of the Ed Sullivan Theatre marquee. What a sailor's life. Wish I could work it out to catch the Dallas show.
Friday, July 17
We arrived in Davis late Wednesday night. Yesterday was day of seeing Dad and the gathering family at Tom's home in Elk Grove. While we did all that, Miles bonded with Michael, 11 year old son of Joe. We are staying at Joe's childhood home, with Joe, his son, Mom, sister and brother in law. Their home is next door to my childhood home, and this family is like a second family to me. The only one missing from their family is Ben, my buddy for all those growing up years.
Today is the day of Mom's service of committal - the graveside service committing her body to its final resting place - in sure and certain hope of resurrection to life eternal, as the service says. It is a brief service - no more than about 9 minutes - attended, in this case, only by family. We'll spend much of the remainder of the day at Tom and Lorie's home. Lorie, incidentally, seems to be recovering well from her eye surgery.
Tomorrow is the Memorial Service at University Covenant Church, the ministry founded by my parents and 4 other couples in the early 1960s.
Have you heard of neurotheology? A fascinating piece about experiencing God, from the pages of USA Today. I was particularly impressed with the analogy of the brain as a CD player or a Radio.
Today is the day of Mom's service of committal - the graveside service committing her body to its final resting place - in sure and certain hope of resurrection to life eternal, as the service says. It is a brief service - no more than about 9 minutes - attended, in this case, only by family. We'll spend much of the remainder of the day at Tom and Lorie's home. Lorie, incidentally, seems to be recovering well from her eye surgery.
Tomorrow is the Memorial Service at University Covenant Church, the ministry founded by my parents and 4 other couples in the early 1960s.
Have you heard of neurotheology? A fascinating piece about experiencing God, from the pages of USA Today. I was particularly impressed with the analogy of the brain as a CD player or a Radio.
Wednesday
Dad's email last night - July 7
The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
I went over after dinner this evening, planning on staying until 8:00 and taking care of her needs before coming home. When I went into the room at abouut 6:15, Mom's respiration was real fast--about 45/min vs the normal 24. She was totally unresponsive, so I thought the end was very near.
Her respiration continued to be rapid, so I just stayed and held her hand. For the first time, I was able to pray that the Lord would take her home. Unrealistically, I had kept hoping that somehow she'd come back, I guess, but it wasn't to be. Things went on like that until just before 8, and I started to care for her personal needs. Just as I was finishing up, I became aware that the respiration had ceased, so I hunted up a nurse to verify it. Actually, two nurses came and both agreed.
I kissed her good night, and told her that I'd see her in the morning. And I felt good that in her last moments, I was serving her in an act of love. I'll always love her, and I'll miss her terribly, but I know I'll see her again.
Love you all,
Dad
I went over after dinner this evening, planning on staying until 8:00 and taking care of her needs before coming home. When I went into the room at abouut 6:15, Mom's respiration was real fast--about 45/min vs the normal 24. She was totally unresponsive, so I thought the end was very near.
Her respiration continued to be rapid, so I just stayed and held her hand. For the first time, I was able to pray that the Lord would take her home. Unrealistically, I had kept hoping that somehow she'd come back, I guess, but it wasn't to be. Things went on like that until just before 8, and I started to care for her personal needs. Just as I was finishing up, I became aware that the respiration had ceased, so I hunted up a nurse to verify it. Actually, two nurses came and both agreed.
I kissed her good night, and told her that I'd see her in the morning. And I felt good that in her last moments, I was serving her in an act of love. I'll always love her, and I'll miss her terribly, but I know I'll see her again.
Love you all,
Dad
Tuesday
My letter to the Kingwood Tea Party Committee
Hello,
Let me set out my credentials first. I am a registered Republican all of my adult life. I have voted Republican in every Presidential election since 1976 and in every Senatorial, House, and state office election. I believe Ronald Reagan was the greatest President of my lifetime, I proudly introduced to 12 year old son to George HW Bush this past spring as they shook hands, and like you I have serious concerns about the direction the nation is headed.
Having said that, I found it troubling to see the tone of your presence at the Independance Day parade in Kingwood, and in particular the yellow sign one of your members was holding that encouraged "Revolt".
It seems to me that Independance Day ought to be one day in the year that we set aside our political differences and celebrate America's founding and common values, rather than making it a divisive day that separates American from American on the basis of political perspectives, as your member's sign did.
My political and economic leanings are with yours; but it disturbs me to see the way America is becoming increasingly a nation of sore losers and whiners. That sign bothered me every bit as much as signs urging "revolt" against the policies of George Bush have bothered me at any time in the previous 8 years of Independance parades.
I am not challenging your right to freedom of speech. I am simply expressing my own to say that I thought it was in poor taste. I had the impression that your people were feeling some negative feedback from the crowd, because less than a half mile from the parade's start, they were already sounding defensive in their remarks to the crowd.
But I took the opportunity to educate my children about the call upon every American to support their government when they can, and to respectfully and responsibly work for change when they cannot support it.
I hope you will evaluate how to present your message in a positive rather than a negative light, so that your message of limited government (with which I agree) will not be lost in the angry and petulant tone of your presentation.
Let me set out my credentials first. I am a registered Republican all of my adult life. I have voted Republican in every Presidential election since 1976 and in every Senatorial, House, and state office election. I believe Ronald Reagan was the greatest President of my lifetime, I proudly introduced to 12 year old son to George HW Bush this past spring as they shook hands, and like you I have serious concerns about the direction the nation is headed.
Having said that, I found it troubling to see the tone of your presence at the Independance Day parade in Kingwood, and in particular the yellow sign one of your members was holding that encouraged "Revolt".
It seems to me that Independance Day ought to be one day in the year that we set aside our political differences and celebrate America's founding and common values, rather than making it a divisive day that separates American from American on the basis of political perspectives, as your member's sign did.
My political and economic leanings are with yours; but it disturbs me to see the way America is becoming increasingly a nation of sore losers and whiners. That sign bothered me every bit as much as signs urging "revolt" against the policies of George Bush have bothered me at any time in the previous 8 years of Independance parades.
I am not challenging your right to freedom of speech. I am simply expressing my own to say that I thought it was in poor taste. I had the impression that your people were feeling some negative feedback from the crowd, because less than a half mile from the parade's start, they were already sounding defensive in their remarks to the crowd.
But I took the opportunity to educate my children about the call upon every American to support their government when they can, and to respectfully and responsibly work for change when they cannot support it.
I hope you will evaluate how to present your message in a positive rather than a negative light, so that your message of limited government (with which I agree) will not be lost in the angry and petulant tone of your presentation.
Friday
Tom's Latest report on Mom
I've been making daily trips to see Dad & Mom since my last note. I haven't written sooner because there hasn't been a lot to report. Physically, Mom continues to decline, slowly. When I got there today she was dressed and sitting up in her wheelchair. Dad had taken her out to the patio for some sun and fresh air. But that seemed to have taken a toll on her energy reserves, and her eyes gave the appearance of someone completely fatigued.
Mentally and emotionally she seems still fully aware of what is going on and responsive. When I walk around the corner into her room, she inevitably smiles and her demeanor brightens. When I kiss her hello she always responds, "I love you, too." Today, as I was leaning over her bed, adjusting and fluffing her pillow, she reached up with her right arm and placed her arm around my back very tenderly, and said, "I love you." So the tender mother-love is still alive and well.
Dad continues to be strong and well by any measure I can see. His attitude remains positive. His humor is intact. We speak openly and candidly. He is going through some very difficult days. But he seems to be doing so in as good a way as I could hope. He continues to set such an amazing role model for me. And one of the great blessings -- and there have been many -- is that Dad & I have bonded ever more strongly through this experience. For years I have considered that I was fortunate to have a remarkably strong relationship with my Dad. But walking through this time together has strengthened and deepened those bonds.
Thank you all for your continued love and prayers for Mom, Dad, and our family. Your prayers have been answered in many wonderful ways. As I told someone recently, If you want to know how God cares for His children in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, you have to walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. And though the cost is high, the lessons learned, as is always the case with God, are worth the price of admission.
Love from all of us,
Tom
Tom Lindholtz
Mentally and emotionally she seems still fully aware of what is going on and responsive. When I walk around the corner into her room, she inevitably smiles and her demeanor brightens. When I kiss her hello she always responds, "I love you, too." Today, as I was leaning over her bed, adjusting and fluffing her pillow, she reached up with her right arm and placed her arm around my back very tenderly, and said, "I love you." So the tender mother-love is still alive and well.
Dad continues to be strong and well by any measure I can see. His attitude remains positive. His humor is intact. We speak openly and candidly. He is going through some very difficult days. But he seems to be doing so in as good a way as I could hope. He continues to set such an amazing role model for me. And one of the great blessings -- and there have been many -- is that Dad & I have bonded ever more strongly through this experience. For years I have considered that I was fortunate to have a remarkably strong relationship with my Dad. But walking through this time together has strengthened and deepened those bonds.
Thank you all for your continued love and prayers for Mom, Dad, and our family. Your prayers have been answered in many wonderful ways. As I told someone recently, If you want to know how God cares for His children in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, you have to walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. And though the cost is high, the lessons learned, as is always the case with God, are worth the price of admission.
Love from all of us,
Tom
Tom Lindholtz
Tuesday
Michael Jackson World Exclusive
FACING A MASSIVE TOUR HE WAS ILL-PREPARED FOR, A DESPERATE MICHAEL JACKSON REACHED OUT TO GOSPEL SUPERSTAR ANDRAE CROUCH AND HIS MINISTER SISTER SANDRA FOR SOLACE IN HIS LAST DAYS
Los Angeles, California, (Bully! Pulpit News)---Facing a grueling concert schedule, Michael Jackson, the self-proclaimed King of Pop reached out to two old friends-legendary Gospel singer Andrae Crouch and his twin sister, singer and minister, Sandra, desperately seeking inspiration for a tour he was ill-prepared for, a few weeks before his tragic death.
(details at Bully! Pulpit News)
Los Angeles, California, (Bully! Pulpit News)---Facing a grueling concert schedule, Michael Jackson, the self-proclaimed King of Pop reached out to two old friends-legendary Gospel singer Andrae Crouch and his twin sister, singer and minister, Sandra, desperately seeking inspiration for a tour he was ill-prepared for, a few weeks before his tragic death.
(details at Bully! Pulpit News)
Thursday
Where Life is real
Late Tuesday night, after lengthy conversation with Tom and Karin, each of us wrote a letter to my Dad, which Tom will give to Dad today as they discuss how to give my Mom the gift of release, of permission to turn her eyes homeward. Here is the letter I wrote.
- - - - - - - - - -
Dear Dad,
As Tom, Karin and I talked last night, we knew that you would need the support and agreement of all your kids, and since I cannot be there, I am writing to express my heart for you and Mom.
I look over my life with awe and amazement. You and Mom gave us a gift we can never repay, that we can only receive with thanks and seek to pass on to our own children. You loved each other, you loved us, and you loved God. You introduced us to our Lord and Savior.
When I left Davis on May 24, I felt sure that I would not see Mom’s face again until the blessed reunion of Heaven. In love, gratitude and trust, I released her into the tender care of God. Today, I became aware that this release, this entrustment to God, is a gift I need to give Mom. My desire is to communicate this message: “I love you, Mom; I trust in God and His care for you, just as you taught me to do; and I want you to know that if you cannot keep fighting for life and health, that I entrust you to God, and to His grace and mercy”.
Dad, these are surely the most challenging and demanding days you have ever faced. It is important that you know you do not face them alone – even in those moments of seeming isolation, you have the hearts of your three children, and the life partners we have chosen, along with the families God has entrusted to us. You have our enormous respect, undying admiration, and deep love, but not only ours – also of people around the world, who probably number in the thousands. And above all, you have Him who said “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you”.
I am proud to be your son. I am proud to carry your name. I strive daily, and always will, to follow my Master as faithfully as you have modeled for me all of my life.
I love you Dad. May God’s grace, mercy and peace surround you now and always.
Alicia joins me in sending our love, prayer and support.
Your son,
Rick
- - - - - - - - - -
Here is Tom's report on how Wednesday went:
Today was a big day. It was yet another day in which it was apparent that God is going before us as we walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. The way things happened showed God's fingerprints all over it.
It started last night. I got home to find an e-mail from Dad, two e-mails from the URC social worker, and an e-mail from Rick. Over the past few days it has become increasingly clear that we were bearing down upon that day when we would reach a fork in the road that would require a decision. All of those e-mails addressed the need to make a decision from one perspective or another. So I arranged a conference call that included all of us kids and spouses. We talked at some length and all agreed that we had come to a point where we were ready to tell God that He could have her back, and ready to tell Mom that she had our permission to turn her eyes homeward. And so, as the one who is here, Karin & Rick gave me permission to speak for them to Dad & Mom, and each of us wrote a letter.
Today I awoke to another e-mail from Dad, and then a phone call saying that Dr. DaSilva wanted to talk to us. Nice timing since I had planned on Monday to come over again today to see Dad & Mom.
When I got to Dad & Mom's apartment, Dad immediately raised the subject of the e-mails and the decisions. The question of how to raise the subject vanished; Dad threw the door open wide. He raised the issues the doctor had that required a decision. So I recounted the phone conversation with Karin & Rick. Dad was as close to the same place as it is possible for him to be given that it is his wife.
We walked over to the skilled nursing facility, got Mom and went to a private room where we could talk. The doctor told Mom, and us, that her blood chemistry over the last few weeks has been deteriorating and has been a matter of concern to him. However, this morning's latest results were shocking to him. She showed clear and pronounced signs of malnutrition and dehydration. So, from a medical perspective, there is only one way to arrest this and that is to place a feeding tube; nasally at first, and then surgically. The only other alternative, continuing on as she has, will result in slipping into a coma, probably within a week, and then death would follow in three weeks or less as body systems break down.
I wasn't sure how well Mom was tracking this, so I moved around so I was directly in front of her, holding her hands, and I described her choices again, and then I asked her what she wanted to do. This time Mom really did seem to be tracking. So I turned to Dad and asked him if this would be a good time for me to tell Mom what Karin and Rick and I had spoken of the night before. Dad nodded yes.
So I gently, loving looked into her eyes and told her of our conversation; that we loved her so much, that we were so proud of her and the way that she had lived her life to serve her Lord and to serve us. But, I said, if you are to tired to fight any longer, if you are too weary to continue, we want you to know that you have our permission to turn your eyes toward your heavenly home. We are ready to let God have you back, and we want you to know that it is okay to go if you are ready.
I should say, this wasn't a monologue. Mom responded back and forth with me. Now reaching up with her hand to cradle my face, then smiling and saying "I love you". When I spoke again of the certainty of death if she didn't accept the feeding tube, she asked, "Does Keith (her brother, who visited last weekend) realize this?" I assured her that he does, that he did not expect her to return home. And then, after listening and thinking for a moment, Mom said, "Well, it's quicker than I thought it would be....but I am ready to go." It was the most amazing conversation I have ever been a part of.
The doctor accepted Mom's answer and turned and asked if we wanted him to call the hospice organization. We said, yes. Then he turned to Mom and said that if she changed her mind there was still a little time before it would be too late.
Then Dad & Mom and I went to lunch at the deli. Mom was very quiet, seemed lost in thought, didn't eat much. And after lunch Dad & I went back to the apartment to schedule a meeting with hospice for Friday morning.
It was a most amazing day.
At this point, according to the doctor, it looks like Mom may have three days to a week of awareness with significantly increasing tiredness. One day she will slip into a coma and not wake up. From that point the doctor said it could be anywhere from one day to a maximum of 21 days before death will occur. The doctor said it should be pretty painless, but hospice will be able to provide anything she may need for comfort.
The main prayer point for Mom seems to be for comfort in coming days. The main prayer points for Dad are for continued support and strength especially emotionally and spiritually. Although he continues to amaze me, still he is losing a beloved wife of 65 years. And though I have no doubt of his faith, this kind of loss cannot help but bring an attack at the very foundations of his faith.
Finally, thanks to all of you for walking through this with us.
Tom
- - - - - - - - - -
Dear Dad,
As Tom, Karin and I talked last night, we knew that you would need the support and agreement of all your kids, and since I cannot be there, I am writing to express my heart for you and Mom.
I look over my life with awe and amazement. You and Mom gave us a gift we can never repay, that we can only receive with thanks and seek to pass on to our own children. You loved each other, you loved us, and you loved God. You introduced us to our Lord and Savior.
When I left Davis on May 24, I felt sure that I would not see Mom’s face again until the blessed reunion of Heaven. In love, gratitude and trust, I released her into the tender care of God. Today, I became aware that this release, this entrustment to God, is a gift I need to give Mom. My desire is to communicate this message: “I love you, Mom; I trust in God and His care for you, just as you taught me to do; and I want you to know that if you cannot keep fighting for life and health, that I entrust you to God, and to His grace and mercy”.
Dad, these are surely the most challenging and demanding days you have ever faced. It is important that you know you do not face them alone – even in those moments of seeming isolation, you have the hearts of your three children, and the life partners we have chosen, along with the families God has entrusted to us. You have our enormous respect, undying admiration, and deep love, but not only ours – also of people around the world, who probably number in the thousands. And above all, you have Him who said “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you”.
I am proud to be your son. I am proud to carry your name. I strive daily, and always will, to follow my Master as faithfully as you have modeled for me all of my life.
I love you Dad. May God’s grace, mercy and peace surround you now and always.
Alicia joins me in sending our love, prayer and support.
Your son,
Rick
- - - - - - - - - -
Here is Tom's report on how Wednesday went:
Today was a big day. It was yet another day in which it was apparent that God is going before us as we walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. The way things happened showed God's fingerprints all over it.
It started last night. I got home to find an e-mail from Dad, two e-mails from the URC social worker, and an e-mail from Rick. Over the past few days it has become increasingly clear that we were bearing down upon that day when we would reach a fork in the road that would require a decision. All of those e-mails addressed the need to make a decision from one perspective or another. So I arranged a conference call that included all of us kids and spouses. We talked at some length and all agreed that we had come to a point where we were ready to tell God that He could have her back, and ready to tell Mom that she had our permission to turn her eyes homeward. And so, as the one who is here, Karin & Rick gave me permission to speak for them to Dad & Mom, and each of us wrote a letter.
Today I awoke to another e-mail from Dad, and then a phone call saying that Dr. DaSilva wanted to talk to us. Nice timing since I had planned on Monday to come over again today to see Dad & Mom.
When I got to Dad & Mom's apartment, Dad immediately raised the subject of the e-mails and the decisions. The question of how to raise the subject vanished; Dad threw the door open wide. He raised the issues the doctor had that required a decision. So I recounted the phone conversation with Karin & Rick. Dad was as close to the same place as it is possible for him to be given that it is his wife.
We walked over to the skilled nursing facility, got Mom and went to a private room where we could talk. The doctor told Mom, and us, that her blood chemistry over the last few weeks has been deteriorating and has been a matter of concern to him. However, this morning's latest results were shocking to him. She showed clear and pronounced signs of malnutrition and dehydration. So, from a medical perspective, there is only one way to arrest this and that is to place a feeding tube; nasally at first, and then surgically. The only other alternative, continuing on as she has, will result in slipping into a coma, probably within a week, and then death would follow in three weeks or less as body systems break down.
I wasn't sure how well Mom was tracking this, so I moved around so I was directly in front of her, holding her hands, and I described her choices again, and then I asked her what she wanted to do. This time Mom really did seem to be tracking. So I turned to Dad and asked him if this would be a good time for me to tell Mom what Karin and Rick and I had spoken of the night before. Dad nodded yes.
So I gently, loving looked into her eyes and told her of our conversation; that we loved her so much, that we were so proud of her and the way that she had lived her life to serve her Lord and to serve us. But, I said, if you are to tired to fight any longer, if you are too weary to continue, we want you to know that you have our permission to turn your eyes toward your heavenly home. We are ready to let God have you back, and we want you to know that it is okay to go if you are ready.
I should say, this wasn't a monologue. Mom responded back and forth with me. Now reaching up with her hand to cradle my face, then smiling and saying "I love you". When I spoke again of the certainty of death if she didn't accept the feeding tube, she asked, "Does Keith (her brother, who visited last weekend) realize this?" I assured her that he does, that he did not expect her to return home. And then, after listening and thinking for a moment, Mom said, "Well, it's quicker than I thought it would be....but I am ready to go." It was the most amazing conversation I have ever been a part of.
The doctor accepted Mom's answer and turned and asked if we wanted him to call the hospice organization. We said, yes. Then he turned to Mom and said that if she changed her mind there was still a little time before it would be too late.
Then Dad & Mom and I went to lunch at the deli. Mom was very quiet, seemed lost in thought, didn't eat much. And after lunch Dad & I went back to the apartment to schedule a meeting with hospice for Friday morning.
It was a most amazing day.
At this point, according to the doctor, it looks like Mom may have three days to a week of awareness with significantly increasing tiredness. One day she will slip into a coma and not wake up. From that point the doctor said it could be anywhere from one day to a maximum of 21 days before death will occur. The doctor said it should be pretty painless, but hospice will be able to provide anything she may need for comfort.
The main prayer point for Mom seems to be for comfort in coming days. The main prayer points for Dad are for continued support and strength especially emotionally and spiritually. Although he continues to amaze me, still he is losing a beloved wife of 65 years. And though I have no doubt of his faith, this kind of loss cannot help but bring an attack at the very foundations of his faith.
Finally, thanks to all of you for walking through this with us.
Tom
Monday
How I got here
Sometimes I think about how I wound up where I am, in the very satisfying role I presently occupy on the ministry staff of a large Lutheran Church. Me, the pastor who was ordained in The Evangelical Covenant Church and never expected to minister outside of that body. On the staff of a Lutheran Church and loving the church, the co-workers, and the people as much as I have loved any church in my life.
Fall, 2000. My disappointment was huge. I had come to a new church only 2 years previously and was certain that good things lay ahead. But several factors had caused me to admit that I had stepped into a dysfunctional climate that I would be unable to successfully lead as pastor. It had become obvious that the final good act of leadership, the last loving gift I could give to that church, was the hope that in my departure, they would find what they needed in order to turn a corner and move towards God's vision for their future. On my last Sunday, I concluded by saying,
"Just a word about what lies before us:
"Next Sunday I will not be here, because my family and I will be participating in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes.
"Starting the week after that, I will be...
"...on special assignment.
"I don't know yet what that means, but I have faith that God knows, and will guide me in each step."
The truth of the matter is, I was not sure that what I had could be called faith. Hope might be a better word. I hoped my faith would be restored. But my life was a mass of uncertainty and confusion.
I remember saying to Alicia, "You know how I've taken one vacation Sunday in each of the past couple years, not to go on vacation, but just to visit area churches to see what else God was doing? Now we can do that all the time; we can visit a different church every Sunday!"
Alicia's response was wise beyond all telling. "You can do that if you want, and that's OK if you do. But the kids and I need a church...one church. And ElenaClaire and I have been thinking about Christ the King".
We had visited CTK the previous summer on the 4th of July weekend, at the invitation of our friend Catherine, whom we knew because of our shared journey as parents of diabetic sons. We had all enjoyed it and had noticed how much it resembled the healthiest of Covenant Churches.
I admitted to Alicia that I probably needed a church too - that wandering from church to church wasn't much of an idea. We made plans to attend CTK the next Sunday.
But I was still angry, hurting, wounded, and not a little distrustful. I told Alicia that I wanted no one to know of my career background - that I was a pastor without a church. I felt like a failure. I was diving into how I felt.
I quit shaving on Wednesday. I got up Sunday morning and pulled on a dirty black turtleneck and a pair of dirty jeans with holes in the knees. We went to church and I wanted to sit near the front.
I was a walking invitation to someone, anyone, to reject me. And when they did, I would walk away feeling justified in concluding that church wasn't part of my life any more.
But I remember sitting there, believing against all odds that there was a God who loved me, even though I was not feeling that love. Knowing I needed to feel His love, hear His voice, taste His forgiveness and grace.
Yet all the while thinking to myself, "What am I doing here? This isn't my church, these are not people I know, I'm not a Lutheran. What am I doing here?"
Then the service began. And the Lutheran Worship leader had selected among his choices for the day's songs, a Covenant song. A song by a writer from my tiny little denomination, a church body all but unknown to most of the world. But known by God, who had directed Mark to select Bob Stromberg's "As the East is from the west".
I thought about that song, which I first encountered after it had been used at a Covenant youth gathering called CHIC. I thought about Bob, whom I had met casually through a friend named Marlene - and how we'd hosted him for dessert one night when he'd been in Lansing. I felt connected to my family of faith.
And I heard something else in my heart - the voice of God saying "This song is here for you. That leader up there doesn't know Bob's Covenant roots or yours. But I do. And I led him to this song for you. Don't worry, you are where you are supposed to be." And I felt peace.
We planned to attend again the following Sunday. But my doubt and my pain had overtaken me by Tuesday.
I quit shaving on Wednesday. I got up Sunday morning and pulled on a dirty black turtleneck and a pair of dirty jeans with holes in the knees... again. We went to church and I wanted to sit near the front.
I was, again, a walking invitation to someone, anyone, to reject me. And when they did, I would walk away feeling justified in concluding that church wasn't part of my life any more.
But I remember sitting there, again, believing against all odds that there was a God who loved me, even though I was not feeling that love. Knowing I needed to feel His love, hear His voice, taste His forgiveness and grace.
Yet all the while thinking to myself again, "What am I doing here? This isn't my church, these are not people I know, I'm not a Lutheran. What am I doing here?"
Then the service began. And the Lutheran Worship leader had again selected among his choices for the day's songs, a Covenant song. A song by a writer from my tiny little denomination, a church body all but unknown to most of the world. But known by God, who had directed Mark to select Lina Sandell's "Children of the Heavenly Father".
I thought about that song with roots that reach deeply back to my childhood. I thought about Lina, who is honored in statuary on the campus of the seminary I attended in Chicago. I felt connected to my family of faith.
And I heard something else in my heart - again - the voice of God saying "This song is here for you. That leader up there doesn't know Lina's Covenant roots or yours. But I do. And I led him to this song for you. Don't worry, you are where you are supposed to be."
And one more thing. I sensed that God said something else as well. "Rick, do I have to do this every week? Or can we settle this right now, between the two of us? You are where you are supposed to be. Be at peace. Stay here until I tell you otherwise."
And I felt peace.
At the time, I imagined that CTK would be my temporary home, my lifeboat until God opened the door to return to my Covenant home. I never remotely anticipated that I would be invited to join the ministry staff and would still be there nearly 9 years later.
I've wrestled over and over with God about this. I've watched for possibilities of returning to The Covenant. I still do. But in the meantime, I remember what I sensed God saying to me: "Be at peace. Stay here until I tell you otherwise."
Father's Day, 2009. I had the privilege of conducting the Men's Choir in worship at all three services. It was very well-received, and many kind words were spoken. But one remark stands out. One of my closest friends, who knows more intimately than almost anyone my wrestlings, placed an arm around my shoulder and said "Never doubt that you are where you are supposed to be".
Fall, 2000. My disappointment was huge. I had come to a new church only 2 years previously and was certain that good things lay ahead. But several factors had caused me to admit that I had stepped into a dysfunctional climate that I would be unable to successfully lead as pastor. It had become obvious that the final good act of leadership, the last loving gift I could give to that church, was the hope that in my departure, they would find what they needed in order to turn a corner and move towards God's vision for their future. On my last Sunday, I concluded by saying,
"Just a word about what lies before us:
"Next Sunday I will not be here, because my family and I will be participating in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes.
"Starting the week after that, I will be...
"...on special assignment.
"I don't know yet what that means, but I have faith that God knows, and will guide me in each step."
The truth of the matter is, I was not sure that what I had could be called faith. Hope might be a better word. I hoped my faith would be restored. But my life was a mass of uncertainty and confusion.
I remember saying to Alicia, "You know how I've taken one vacation Sunday in each of the past couple years, not to go on vacation, but just to visit area churches to see what else God was doing? Now we can do that all the time; we can visit a different church every Sunday!"
Alicia's response was wise beyond all telling. "You can do that if you want, and that's OK if you do. But the kids and I need a church...one church. And ElenaClaire and I have been thinking about Christ the King".
We had visited CTK the previous summer on the 4th of July weekend, at the invitation of our friend Catherine, whom we knew because of our shared journey as parents of diabetic sons. We had all enjoyed it and had noticed how much it resembled the healthiest of Covenant Churches.
I admitted to Alicia that I probably needed a church too - that wandering from church to church wasn't much of an idea. We made plans to attend CTK the next Sunday.
But I was still angry, hurting, wounded, and not a little distrustful. I told Alicia that I wanted no one to know of my career background - that I was a pastor without a church. I felt like a failure. I was diving into how I felt.
I quit shaving on Wednesday. I got up Sunday morning and pulled on a dirty black turtleneck and a pair of dirty jeans with holes in the knees. We went to church and I wanted to sit near the front.
I was a walking invitation to someone, anyone, to reject me. And when they did, I would walk away feeling justified in concluding that church wasn't part of my life any more.
But I remember sitting there, believing against all odds that there was a God who loved me, even though I was not feeling that love. Knowing I needed to feel His love, hear His voice, taste His forgiveness and grace.
Yet all the while thinking to myself, "What am I doing here? This isn't my church, these are not people I know, I'm not a Lutheran. What am I doing here?"
Then the service began. And the Lutheran Worship leader had selected among his choices for the day's songs, a Covenant song. A song by a writer from my tiny little denomination, a church body all but unknown to most of the world. But known by God, who had directed Mark to select Bob Stromberg's "As the East is from the west".
"As the east is from the west, so far has He removed
our transgressions
from us, Alleluia
Mercy high as the sky, reaching deep as the sea..."
I thought about that song, which I first encountered after it had been used at a Covenant youth gathering called CHIC. I thought about Bob, whom I had met casually through a friend named Marlene - and how we'd hosted him for dessert one night when he'd been in Lansing. I felt connected to my family of faith.
And I heard something else in my heart - the voice of God saying "This song is here for you. That leader up there doesn't know Bob's Covenant roots or yours. But I do. And I led him to this song for you. Don't worry, you are where you are supposed to be." And I felt peace.
We planned to attend again the following Sunday. But my doubt and my pain had overtaken me by Tuesday.
I quit shaving on Wednesday. I got up Sunday morning and pulled on a dirty black turtleneck and a pair of dirty jeans with holes in the knees... again. We went to church and I wanted to sit near the front.
I was, again, a walking invitation to someone, anyone, to reject me. And when they did, I would walk away feeling justified in concluding that church wasn't part of my life any more.
But I remember sitting there, again, believing against all odds that there was a God who loved me, even though I was not feeling that love. Knowing I needed to feel His love, hear His voice, taste His forgiveness and grace.
Yet all the while thinking to myself again, "What am I doing here? This isn't my church, these are not people I know, I'm not a Lutheran. What am I doing here?"
Then the service began. And the Lutheran Worship leader had again selected among his choices for the day's songs, a Covenant song. A song by a writer from my tiny little denomination, a church body all but unknown to most of the world. But known by God, who had directed Mark to select Lina Sandell's "Children of the Heavenly Father".
"Children of the Heavenly Father, safely in His bosom gather,
nestling bird nor star in Heaven such a refuge e'er was given.
"God His own doth tend and noursih, in His holy courts they flourish,
from all evil things He spares them, in His mighty arms he bears them..."
I thought about that song with roots that reach deeply back to my childhood. I thought about Lina, who is honored in statuary on the campus of the seminary I attended in Chicago. I felt connected to my family of faith.
And I heard something else in my heart - again - the voice of God saying "This song is here for you. That leader up there doesn't know Lina's Covenant roots or yours. But I do. And I led him to this song for you. Don't worry, you are where you are supposed to be."
And one more thing. I sensed that God said something else as well. "Rick, do I have to do this every week? Or can we settle this right now, between the two of us? You are where you are supposed to be. Be at peace. Stay here until I tell you otherwise."
And I felt peace.
At the time, I imagined that CTK would be my temporary home, my lifeboat until God opened the door to return to my Covenant home. I never remotely anticipated that I would be invited to join the ministry staff and would still be there nearly 9 years later.
I've wrestled over and over with God about this. I've watched for possibilities of returning to The Covenant. I still do. But in the meantime, I remember what I sensed God saying to me: "Be at peace. Stay here until I tell you otherwise."
Father's Day, 2009. I had the privilege of conducting the Men's Choir in worship at all three services. It was very well-received, and many kind words were spoken. But one remark stands out. One of my closest friends, who knows more intimately than almost anyone my wrestlings, placed an arm around my shoulder and said "Never doubt that you are where you are supposed to be".
Saturday
Prothero on Post Christian America
USA Today
Post-Christian? Not even close.
A high-profile ‘religious landscape’ survey is said to show that America is rapidly losing its faith in Christianity. One problem: It’s not so.
By Stephen Prothero
In the endless debate over whether the United States is a Christian nation, the "ayes" no longer seem to have it.
The "ayes" might have the 1892 Supreme Court ruling describing the United States as a "Christian nation," but the "nays" have the Treaty of Tripoli of 1797, which affirmed that "the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion."
Now comes President Obama, who in January in his inaugural address spoke of this country as "a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers." On April 6 in Turkey, Obama added that the United States "does not consider itself a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation" but "a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values."
One week later, in a mournful black-and-red cover reminiscent of Time magazine's 1966 "Is God Dead?" cover, Newsweek proclaimed "The Decline and Fall of Christian America." Setting off this alarm was the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS), released in March by researchers at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. This survey of more than 50,000 American adults contains all sorts of interesting tidbits about the rapid growth of Islam in America, and the relative strength of new religious movements such as Wicca. It tells us that Pentecostals are more likely to be divorced than the average American, and that Mormons are far more likely to be married. But almost all the news coverage this survey has garnered, both at home and abroad, speaks of the gains of the religiously unattached (or "nones" as they are often called) at the expense of Christianity.
Prior ARIS surveys were conducted in 1990 and 2001, and according to the co-authors of this report — Barry Kosmin and Ariela Keysar of Trinity College's Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture — the trend line for Christians looks disturbingly like the Dow Jones of recent memory. From 1990 to 2008, the portion of American adults who self-identify as Christians has dropped 10 percentage points (from 86% to 76%), while the portion of those who report no religious affiliation has almost doubled — from 8% to 15%. The "nones," it seems, are routing the nuns.
But are they?
Rhetoric vs. analysis
What makes this secularization angle plausible is the fact that it aligns quite well with the desires of atheists and evangelicals alike. The so-called new atheists want to see Christianity on the retreat because to them, religion is poisonous idiocy. But born-again Christians like the faith-on-the-run story, too, because it makes their centuries-old call to re-Christianize the country only more urgent.
Newsweek editor Jon Meacham begins his cover story with a series of quotations from R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, who offers the same sad story of Christian declension that American Christians have been telling since roughly the moment the Pilgrims first clambered over Plymouth Rock. "The most basic contours of American culture have been radically altered," Mohler says. "The so-called Judeo-Christian consensus of the last millennium has given way to a post-modern, post-Christian, post-Western cultural crisis which threatens the very heart of our culture."
Unfortunately, many who have written on the new ARIS survey have mistaken such timeless rhetoric for timely analysis. The fact of the matter is that only a small portion of the "nones" is truly secular. This information isn't in the ARIS report, but when I called Keysar in an effort to dig deeper into the beliefs and behaviors of the religiously unattached, she told me that when asked about God, 23% of the "nones" said they believed in a higher power and 21% pledged their allegiance to a personal God. A parallel survey released in 2006 by Baylor University found that almost two-thirds (63%) of Americans who claim no religious affiliation believe in God, and another third (36%) said they prayed at least occasionally. Finally, a 2008 Pew Forum study found that 41% of the religiously unaffiliated nonetheless describe religion as either very important or somewhat important in their lives. "Nones" are by no means non-believers.
What the rise of the "nones" shows us is not how American Christianity is declining but how it is changing. The data tell us that Christians are increasingly likely to describe themselves as spiritual rather than religious, that they are increasingly wary of labels and institutions, and that they identify their faith less and less with "organized religion" and more and more with the personal power of Jesus himself.
What the data do not tell us is that the United States is becoming "post-Christian." If you meet a random American walking down the street, the odds are only one in 62 that he or she will self-identify as atheist or agnostic. And even if we accept the ARIS survey as gospel, the United States today has more Christians than any other country in human history. The current U.S. population is more Christian than Israel is Jewish and Utah is Mormon. Meanwhile, Christianity remains, for good or for ill, a vital political force, not just on the right but also on the left, and the Christian Bible remains the scripture of American politics, invoked thousands of times a year on the floor of the U.S. Congress.
In the classroom
Over the past two decades, I have taught the "Christian America" debate to hundreds of students in my Religious Studies courses. When we finish our discussion, I call the question. My Christian students almost invariably describe the United States as a multicultural nation of religions, but my Jewish students tell me you have to be blind (or Christian) not to see that this is a Christian country. Here Christmas, not Passover, is a national holiday, and the only question about our presidents' religious affiliation seems to be from which Christian denomination they will come.
Mark Silk, who runs Trinity College's Program on Public Values, which released the latest ARIS report, agrees that the news media were napping when they spun secularization straw out of the gold in this report. For him, the rise of the "nones" is old news. From 1990 to 2001, the portion of those who said "none" when asked, "What is your religion, if any?" jumped from 8.2% to 14.1%. Over the past seven years, that figure basically flatlined, rising less than a percentage point to 15.0%.
The real news in this data, Silk says, is a shift in the center of gravity of U.S. Catholicism from the Northeast to the Southwest, and in the process from whites to Hispanics. The other big story, he told me, is the continued displacement of mainline Protestants by born-again Christians, who now constitute 34% of the U.S. population. The "non-denominational Christian" category that populates U.S. megachurches has exploded from under 200,000 in 1990 to 2.5 million in 2001 to in excess of 8 million today.
When I remarked that this hardly looks like a picture of a post-Christian country, Silk, who edits a newsletter called "Religion and the News," agreed, but warned me not to be too hopeful about diverting this story midstream. "You can tell the truth," he said, "just don't expect anybody to pay attention."
Stephen Prothero is the chair of the Department of Religion at Boston University and the author of Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know — And Doesn't.
Post-Christian? Not even close.
A high-profile ‘religious landscape’ survey is said to show that America is rapidly losing its faith in Christianity. One problem: It’s not so.
By Stephen Prothero
In the endless debate over whether the United States is a Christian nation, the "ayes" no longer seem to have it.
The "ayes" might have the 1892 Supreme Court ruling describing the United States as a "Christian nation," but the "nays" have the Treaty of Tripoli of 1797, which affirmed that "the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion."
Now comes President Obama, who in January in his inaugural address spoke of this country as "a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers." On April 6 in Turkey, Obama added that the United States "does not consider itself a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation" but "a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values."
One week later, in a mournful black-and-red cover reminiscent of Time magazine's 1966 "Is God Dead?" cover, Newsweek proclaimed "The Decline and Fall of Christian America." Setting off this alarm was the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS), released in March by researchers at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. This survey of more than 50,000 American adults contains all sorts of interesting tidbits about the rapid growth of Islam in America, and the relative strength of new religious movements such as Wicca. It tells us that Pentecostals are more likely to be divorced than the average American, and that Mormons are far more likely to be married. But almost all the news coverage this survey has garnered, both at home and abroad, speaks of the gains of the religiously unattached (or "nones" as they are often called) at the expense of Christianity.
Prior ARIS surveys were conducted in 1990 and 2001, and according to the co-authors of this report — Barry Kosmin and Ariela Keysar of Trinity College's Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture — the trend line for Christians looks disturbingly like the Dow Jones of recent memory. From 1990 to 2008, the portion of American adults who self-identify as Christians has dropped 10 percentage points (from 86% to 76%), while the portion of those who report no religious affiliation has almost doubled — from 8% to 15%. The "nones," it seems, are routing the nuns.
But are they?
Rhetoric vs. analysis
What makes this secularization angle plausible is the fact that it aligns quite well with the desires of atheists and evangelicals alike. The so-called new atheists want to see Christianity on the retreat because to them, religion is poisonous idiocy. But born-again Christians like the faith-on-the-run story, too, because it makes their centuries-old call to re-Christianize the country only more urgent.
Newsweek editor Jon Meacham begins his cover story with a series of quotations from R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, who offers the same sad story of Christian declension that American Christians have been telling since roughly the moment the Pilgrims first clambered over Plymouth Rock. "The most basic contours of American culture have been radically altered," Mohler says. "The so-called Judeo-Christian consensus of the last millennium has given way to a post-modern, post-Christian, post-Western cultural crisis which threatens the very heart of our culture."
Unfortunately, many who have written on the new ARIS survey have mistaken such timeless rhetoric for timely analysis. The fact of the matter is that only a small portion of the "nones" is truly secular. This information isn't in the ARIS report, but when I called Keysar in an effort to dig deeper into the beliefs and behaviors of the religiously unattached, she told me that when asked about God, 23% of the "nones" said they believed in a higher power and 21% pledged their allegiance to a personal God. A parallel survey released in 2006 by Baylor University found that almost two-thirds (63%) of Americans who claim no religious affiliation believe in God, and another third (36%) said they prayed at least occasionally. Finally, a 2008 Pew Forum study found that 41% of the religiously unaffiliated nonetheless describe religion as either very important or somewhat important in their lives. "Nones" are by no means non-believers.
What the rise of the "nones" shows us is not how American Christianity is declining but how it is changing. The data tell us that Christians are increasingly likely to describe themselves as spiritual rather than religious, that they are increasingly wary of labels and institutions, and that they identify their faith less and less with "organized religion" and more and more with the personal power of Jesus himself.
What the data do not tell us is that the United States is becoming "post-Christian." If you meet a random American walking down the street, the odds are only one in 62 that he or she will self-identify as atheist or agnostic. And even if we accept the ARIS survey as gospel, the United States today has more Christians than any other country in human history. The current U.S. population is more Christian than Israel is Jewish and Utah is Mormon. Meanwhile, Christianity remains, for good or for ill, a vital political force, not just on the right but also on the left, and the Christian Bible remains the scripture of American politics, invoked thousands of times a year on the floor of the U.S. Congress.
In the classroom
Over the past two decades, I have taught the "Christian America" debate to hundreds of students in my Religious Studies courses. When we finish our discussion, I call the question. My Christian students almost invariably describe the United States as a multicultural nation of religions, but my Jewish students tell me you have to be blind (or Christian) not to see that this is a Christian country. Here Christmas, not Passover, is a national holiday, and the only question about our presidents' religious affiliation seems to be from which Christian denomination they will come.
Mark Silk, who runs Trinity College's Program on Public Values, which released the latest ARIS report, agrees that the news media were napping when they spun secularization straw out of the gold in this report. For him, the rise of the "nones" is old news. From 1990 to 2001, the portion of those who said "none" when asked, "What is your religion, if any?" jumped from 8.2% to 14.1%. Over the past seven years, that figure basically flatlined, rising less than a percentage point to 15.0%.
The real news in this data, Silk says, is a shift in the center of gravity of U.S. Catholicism from the Northeast to the Southwest, and in the process from whites to Hispanics. The other big story, he told me, is the continued displacement of mainline Protestants by born-again Christians, who now constitute 34% of the U.S. population. The "non-denominational Christian" category that populates U.S. megachurches has exploded from under 200,000 in 1990 to 2.5 million in 2001 to in excess of 8 million today.
When I remarked that this hardly looks like a picture of a post-Christian country, Silk, who edits a newsletter called "Religion and the News," agreed, but warned me not to be too hopeful about diverting this story midstream. "You can tell the truth," he said, "just don't expect anybody to pay attention."
Stephen Prothero is the chair of the Department of Religion at Boston University and the author of Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know — And Doesn't.
Thursday
First the news from Kingwood: ElenaClaire has been released today. Her first stop was at IHOP where she is right now with her Mom and Kristin Geistkemper, who drove Alicia over this morning. Treatments and therapies will continue on an outpatient basis.
Now from Davis and Elk Grove, California. Mom's surgery went very well. However she is quite weak and not real responsive. She is not eating or drinking much. Her alertness level seems only about 50%. If she does not "snap out of it", this will probably directly lead to a bad outcome.
Dad, however, is doing very well and seems strong and sharp physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. He continues to inspire all of us with his tender devotion and service to Mom which has been in evidence all of our lives. He said he admitted with shame that this was actually a relief, because of the burden he has been carrying for the past months, and we assured him that this is no cause for shame. He is potentially facing the greatest challenge and loss of his life but is stepping up to the plate with courage and determination. At 85 years old, he is still setting the bar for what it means to follow Christ faithfully. "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance". Ps 16:6
In all of this we have seen extraordinary demonstrations of God's goodness. Expressions of love and support from friends, circumstances falling into perfect alignment regarding travel and my presence when needed Tuesday morning to handle a medical need for Miles when Alicia was incommunicado at the hospital (what if I had made it onto that plane the night before and was not available to be there for Miles?), my absence on Wednesday morning which made it so natural for Pastor Al to accompany Alicia to a family conference at the hospital where his presence was so significant and helpful. 2 Cor 1:5 has proven itself profoundly true this week:
"Just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."
The time with Tom and Karin and their spouses is so rich. In some ways I sense that we are all wearing training wheels, learning in the earliest stages how to "ride life" without Mom - and eventually, without Dad. It's sad, of course, but greater than the sadness is the confidence of God's presence.
Continuing prayers are greatly appreciated.
Rick - at Tom's house in Elk Grove
Now from Davis and Elk Grove, California. Mom's surgery went very well. However she is quite weak and not real responsive. She is not eating or drinking much. Her alertness level seems only about 50%. If she does not "snap out of it", this will probably directly lead to a bad outcome.
Dad, however, is doing very well and seems strong and sharp physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. He continues to inspire all of us with his tender devotion and service to Mom which has been in evidence all of our lives. He said he admitted with shame that this was actually a relief, because of the burden he has been carrying for the past months, and we assured him that this is no cause for shame. He is potentially facing the greatest challenge and loss of his life but is stepping up to the plate with courage and determination. At 85 years old, he is still setting the bar for what it means to follow Christ faithfully. "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance". Ps 16:6
In all of this we have seen extraordinary demonstrations of God's goodness. Expressions of love and support from friends, circumstances falling into perfect alignment regarding travel and my presence when needed Tuesday morning to handle a medical need for Miles when Alicia was incommunicado at the hospital (what if I had made it onto that plane the night before and was not available to be there for Miles?), my absence on Wednesday morning which made it so natural for Pastor Al to accompany Alicia to a family conference at the hospital where his presence was so significant and helpful. 2 Cor 1:5 has proven itself profoundly true this week:
"Just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."
The time with Tom and Karin and their spouses is so rich. In some ways I sense that we are all wearing training wheels, learning in the earliest stages how to "ride life" without Mom - and eventually, without Dad. It's sad, of course, but greater than the sadness is the confidence of God's presence.
Continuing prayers are greatly appreciated.
Rick - at Tom's house in Elk Grove
Wednesday
University Covenant, Davis CA - 030109
I had the pleasure of preaching at 3 services Sunday morning in my home church, at the invitation of Pastor Jamie Crook, a great guy and pastor of University Covenant for over 10 years. Because a blog reader requested it, here for Marilyn and anyone else interested is my sermon from Sunday.
Sunday
Sunday 3/1
Broadcasting pioneer Paul Harvey dies at age of 90
Great times with family and friends in Davis this weekend.
Preaching three services today at University Covenant, my home congregation.
Great times with family and friends in Davis this weekend.
Preaching three services today at University Covenant, my home congregation.
Thursday
How much is a trillion?
Congress passed a $787 billion stimulus package. The news media are calling it "almost a trillion", a number that will surely be passed by as interest rates are accrued to the amount.
Bypass, for the moment, the fact that the national debt, at 65.5 trillion dollars, now exceeds the Gross Domestic Product of the Entire World. Let's just think about the roughly trillion dollars.
Trillion ...Billion ... Million ... these are just big numbers. Infathomably large. And they sound the same. They rhyme. So it's hard to comprehend just how much money we're talking about.
But we all know what a second is. Go ahead, snap your fingers about a second apart. That was a second.
How long is a million seconds? A million seconds ago was about 12 days ago. 11.574 days ago to be exact. Saturday, February 7, 2009 was a million seconds ago.
How long is a billion seconds? A Billion seconds ago was June 12, 1977. Were you born yet? That was more than half my lifetime ago. Jimmy Carter was President. Barack Obama was in High School. A Billion (32 years) is quite a lot more than a million (11.5 days).
How long is a trillion seconds? Fasten your seatbelt. It's not World War 1 or the Civil War or the Declaration of Independence. It's not the reformation or the birth of Christ or the Exodus.
A Trillion seconds ago was 31,688 years ago. There is no archaeological evidence of humans standing upright that far back.
And that's how long it would take the US to pay for the stimulus bill, if we paid a dollar a second (or $31.536 million a year). And that's if we borrow the money at 0% interest...
Bypass, for the moment, the fact that the national debt, at 65.5 trillion dollars, now exceeds the Gross Domestic Product of the Entire World. Let's just think about the roughly trillion dollars.
Trillion ...Billion ... Million ... these are just big numbers. Infathomably large. And they sound the same. They rhyme. So it's hard to comprehend just how much money we're talking about.
But we all know what a second is. Go ahead, snap your fingers about a second apart. That was a second.
How long is a million seconds? A million seconds ago was about 12 days ago. 11.574 days ago to be exact. Saturday, February 7, 2009 was a million seconds ago.
How long is a billion seconds? A Billion seconds ago was June 12, 1977. Were you born yet? That was more than half my lifetime ago. Jimmy Carter was President. Barack Obama was in High School. A Billion (32 years) is quite a lot more than a million (11.5 days).
How long is a trillion seconds? Fasten your seatbelt. It's not World War 1 or the Civil War or the Declaration of Independence. It's not the reformation or the birth of Christ or the Exodus.
A Trillion seconds ago was 31,688 years ago. There is no archaeological evidence of humans standing upright that far back.
And that's how long it would take the US to pay for the stimulus bill, if we paid a dollar a second (or $31.536 million a year). And that's if we borrow the money at 0% interest...
Wednesday
EC Update, Weds 1/14 pm
We were told that the minimum stay at the hospital was 5 days and that we should plan on 5 to 7, sometimes 10 days.
EC was admitted Monday 5 pm.
She was told today that she will be discharged tomorrow evening. She is doing VERY well – responding to the adjustments in medication extremely well – there had been side effects from receiving too much of both meds. They cut her dose of one to about 1/6th, the other to about ¼ of what she’d been receiving. The meds had been helping, but the help was being sabotaged by the side effects. I theorize that the bioidentical progesterone therapy was actually working, but it was being covered up by these side effects. Now that the dosing has been adjusted, it is evident that the progesterone therapy and thyroid therapy is working well.
Behaviorally the Dr. said she needs to eat three normal meals a day plus 3 Ensure protein drinks plus a couple Gatorades daily to rebuild her strength and stamina and she should be OK. And she’s been getting coaching about how to respond to stressors in ways other than allowing anxiety to rule her life.
She sounded so happy on the phone today.
EC was admitted Monday 5 pm.
She was told today that she will be discharged tomorrow evening. She is doing VERY well – responding to the adjustments in medication extremely well – there had been side effects from receiving too much of both meds. They cut her dose of one to about 1/6th, the other to about ¼ of what she’d been receiving. The meds had been helping, but the help was being sabotaged by the side effects. I theorize that the bioidentical progesterone therapy was actually working, but it was being covered up by these side effects. Now that the dosing has been adjusted, it is evident that the progesterone therapy and thyroid therapy is working well.
Behaviorally the Dr. said she needs to eat three normal meals a day plus 3 Ensure protein drinks plus a couple Gatorades daily to rebuild her strength and stamina and she should be OK. And she’s been getting coaching about how to respond to stressors in ways other than allowing anxiety to rule her life.
She sounded so happy on the phone today.
Tuesday
Tuesday, Jan 13
This is an update for those who have expressed concern about ElenaClaire. Yesterday she was admitted to Kingwood Pines Hospital. We expect that she will be there for 5-10 days. We have great confidence that this was the right step and our anticipation is that she will begin an accelerated move towards greater health. I'll keep you updated as there is news to report.
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