I remember when my family got our first answering machine. It had two, full-size, cassette tapes. One tape was for the outgoing message, the other tape to record incoming messages. All my friends had similar answering machines. We realized that the tapes also fit into regular stereo systems. It didn’t take long for us to figure out how to record better sounding outgoing messages and put the new tape into our answering machine. At home, we played the Star Wars soundtrack and recorded our outgoing message over the top. And, of course, we ended the message with, “May the Force be with you.” We also figured out that we could play the incoming message tape on our home stereo really loud. We could bring the tape to school and share with our friends. And, in one rare and very sad case, someone figured out how to play part of a recorded voice message over the sound system in the choir room.
My friend, Geoff, had an answering machine that would not cut off the incoming message at two minutes. One night, at a sleep-over, we called his machine and read from one of our history books. We figured we read for over 20 minutes. Another night, we called the machine and then set the phone down in front of the stereo playing the entire two album set of Saturday Night Fever. What we didn’t know is that they were waiting for someone else to leave a message. So, the unexpected outcome of our prank was that they had to listen to the entire tape to see if there was another message on it. To this day, hearing the Bee Gees reminds that family of our joke which I’m thankful they find funny. Answering machines have come a long way. Yet, I kind-of miss those fun days of playing tapes and making fun (“far out”) recordings. I’d like to listen to one of them just to hear the voices of my friends back when we were eleven years old. I have a daily desk calendar of church signs. Today’s sign read, “When the past calls, let it go to voicemail. It has nothing new to say.” There are times when we let things from our past call us up. Unlike the happy thoughts of my friends and me pranking one another, calls from the past can be negative. Sometimes they remind us of our shortcomings, things we failed at, or things we never even tried. At our Annual Meeting this past Sunday, we didn’t allow negative phone calls from the past to interrupt our progress and our joy of being together. We talked about the past but showed how we are stronger now and are certainly moving forward. Saint Paul had to deal with his past calling him. After all, before his conversion, he persecuted Christians. In his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul writes, “I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (3:13-14) And, in his second letter to the Church in Corinth, he writes, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (5:17) Paul is talking about letting go of the past and moving into new life in Christ. I think he’d agree that when the past calls we should let it go to voicemail. I would suggest that when the past leaves an unwelcome message, delete it and move on in your new life. -Fr. Marshall A Time to Laugh
The Rev. Tom Morelli was our facilitator at a recent School Board of Trustees three-year strategic planning retreat. Prior to the weekend meeting, Deacon Morelli had us complete a Myers-Briggs personality profile, an ice-breaking exercise designed to help us see ourselves and each other through the lens of personality traits. Although it doesn’t appear on this exercise, one of my favorite personality traits is the ability to laugh. And, not just laugh, but to be able to laugh at myself. A friend of mine, after completely messing up a solo in our high school jazz band, sat down, chuckled, and said, “Boy, I really blew that one.” Two songs later, he nailed a much harder and more technical solo. I think laughing at his missed opportunity likely helped him to excel on the next one that came his way. Last week on “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” a son and his father from Hawaii were featured. The son was behind the camera and his dad was center screen. The son said, “For the fifth time, Y-E-S spells yes.” The dad nods and says, “Yes.” The son says, “E-Y-E-S spells?” The dad says, “I don’t know. I have no idea. I’ve never heard of such a word.” In the next clip, the son says, “For the seventh time…” and they go through the same routine as before. The dad tries to pronounce the word, “e-Yes” but it doesn’t work which makes the son laugh even more. They try a few more times and the son, and others, laugh even more as the dad gets more frustrated. Finally, they hand him a piece of paper. He spells out E Y E S, and says, “Oh, eyes!” and gives out a belly laugh for at least half a minute as did everyone else in the room. When my dad taught biology, for a time he was also the cheerleader faculty member. To celebrate the end of the football season, my parents invited the 14 member squad for dinner. Mom cooked all day, we borrowed tables from church, and made it so 18 people could eat in the dining and living rooms. Saturday night at 5 pm came and went. No cheerleaders. 5:30, still no cheerleaders. Dad called one of the cheer moms to find out if everyone had our address. As it turns out the captain was supposed to talk to dad about rescheduling but didn’t. The bottom line – no one came. Dad hung up the phone and told mom the news. My brother and I watched to see her reaction. She thought for a moment and then started laughing. And laughing and laughing. We invited friends over for an instant party and the fellowship time after church the following day got a lot of really good leftovers. I think Jesus has a sense of humor. He said, “Why is it you can see the speck in your neighbor’s eye but you can’t see the log in your own eye!” (Mt 7:3) This, I believe, is not condemning or judgmental, but rather a funny over-exaggeration of what we choose to see and ignore. I also think Jesus talks with large hand movements. The “speck” he would show with his index finger pressed against his thumb and the “log” with outstretched hands for emphasis. I think it made people laugh and also see the silliness of their own ways. The Book of Ecclesiastes tells us there is a time to laugh and a time to cry. As Christians, we’re doing a lot of crying lately. Let us also remember there is a time to laugh. And maybe laughing at ourselves is a good place to start. -Fr. Marshall A friend of mine passed away last week and I’ve been thinking a lot about him. His name is Dave Otto. He was the senior warden at the first parish I served after seminary, the extraordinary St. Luke’s in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Dave and his wonderful wife, Marilyn, welcomed us to the church and helped my family and me get our feet on the ground. In addition to being senior warden, Dave was an active and energizing member of the men’s group and Marilyn was, and probably still is, very active in the altar guild. Both cared for me, my family, and my budding ministry in ways that I could never repay.
Do you remember when the U.S. Navy shot a missile at the moon? Frankly, I thought the moon deserved it because it’s been taunting us for years; but seriously, that project was a part of what Dave did for the Navy. He and his team developed a system to track objects in the sky and to launch stuff at those things. Another of his projects was protecting our ground forces in Kuwait from SCUD missiles. I asked him how. He replied it’s pretty simple because they didn’t have to cover the entire country of Kuwait. Instead, they created a few circles in the sky and anything that entered those circles would be immediately shot down. He also spent time on the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) while it was being finished. They took her out on a full speed run (completely empty) but for classified reasons he couldn’t tell me how fast they went. Dave had a contagious energy about things. He evangelized for two annual events, the Men’s Chili Feed and an annual fishing expedition. The Chili Feed is a fundraiser. The men make huge pots of chili and then fill the Parish Hall with folks who pay to get in. The money raised helps to fund his other favorite project, the fishing expedition. Every year, the men partner with the local homeless shelter to give kids fishing equipment and take them to a near-by fishing hole for a day of fishing, food and fun. On those days Dave was the most alive. I asked him why we bombed the moon. His response was in his usual dry sense of humor – because it is there, and because we can do it. Oh, and also for science to see if there are water particles on the moon. I asked how we did it and he said simple, you draw a circle in the sky, get a Navy ship as close as you can under that circle, and give it everything you’ve got. The Chili Feed doesn’t underwrite the entire budget of St. Luke’s. The fishing expedition won’t solve the homeless problem in north Idaho. But, as Dave would say, they don’t have to. The men draw a few circles in the sky that will help the community, in this case, serving chili and helping children. They park as close as they can to those circles and then they give it everything they’ve got. I am lucky and honored to have known this man and to be placed in one of his circles. My life and ministry are better because of him. I wonder how many other circles he made in the sky; probably a lot because I know that I am not alone in my thankfulness for his life. I am sure that Jesus made a circle in the sky for Dave who is now part of the cloud of witnesses who are preparing the Great Chili Feed in heaven for all of God’s children. -Fr. Marshall |