The Greening of the Chicago River

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!

THE GREENING OF THE CHICAGO RIVER

     “I wonder if they’re going to color the Chicago River green this year.”

     The question arose in a conversation while my husband Monte and I were visiting Chicago between March 2 and March 7, 2011. Unfortunately, I cannot recall when the conversation occurred, nor can I remember with whom.

     We were in the Chicago area because my husband, Monte, had tickets to the Big Ten wrestling matches held during the weekend at his alma mater, Northwestern University. I had agreed to travel with him, taking advantage of the opportunity to meet my newly discovered sister, who lived near the University.

     I first saw the river while we explored downtown Chicago on March 7. While there, we walked over the bridge across the Chicago River. In light of the conversation about the greening of the river, I wondered if it would become green this St. Patrick’s Day.

     Upon our arrival home, while leafing through our newspapers, a headline leapt out at me: Chief Leprechaun. The subtitle was: Mike butler and crew green the Chicago River.

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     With bagpipes wailing Irish tunes and green-clad celebrants watching from the banks of the Chicago River in downtown Chicago, Mike Butler’s two-boat crew slams over the choppy waves, scattering a fine orange powder

Lenten Study: 7 Deadly Sins—Sloth #1: Failing to Learn and Politicizing Untruth

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

LENTEN STUDY: 7 DEADLY SINS

SLOTH #1: FAILING TO LEARN AND POLITICIZING UNTRUTH

MONTE W. HOLLAND

INTRODUCTION

     The following study is a journey through Lent, the forty-day pre-Easter season (which excludes Sundays).  Easter’s date, determined by the time of the first full moon after the Spring equinox, is very late this year.

     Traditionally, many Christians use Lent for self-examination and a renewal of their commitment to their faith.

     This year I  chose to do a devotional study on aspects of the Seven Deadly Sins, sins identified by very early Christians as key behaviors separating man from God and God’s will. The seven sins are not listed together in the Bible—each is, however, spoken about in various Scripture sites.

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS:

GREED, ENVY, ANGER, LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH and PRIDE.

THE ASPECTS OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ARE:

#1 Breaking the Mosaic Law

#2 Defying God or rebelling against God

#3 Acts of violence to others

#4 Failing to make proper sacrifices or worship

#5 Not living up to or reflecting God’s glory (not living as one created in God’s image)

 

SLOTH #1:

FAILING TO LEARN AND POLITICIZING UNTRUTH

SCRIPTURE:  ¹⁶ “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (NIV) (Exodus 20:16)

¹ Finally, my dear friends, since you belong to the Lord Jesus, we beg and urge you to live as we taught you. Then you will please God. You are already living that way, but try even harder. ² Remember the instructions we gave you as followers of the Lord Jesus. (CEV) (1 Thess. 4:1-2)

 ¹⁹ Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (KJV) (Matthew 5:19-20)

DEVOTION: Sloth is a word we rarely hear. Its definition is: Disinclination to exertion; habitual indolence; laziness. (Don’t you like definitions with words in them that you need to look up? Indolence is defined as the state of being indolent.  Indolent means averse to exertion or work; lazy; idle.)

     Sloth seems to be about being lazy, unwilling to put in any effort, being idle.

     Look at the scripture readings—I’ve highlighted part of the reading from 1 Thessalonians 4. God not only expects us to learn from teachers in the faith, he expects us to live out the teachings. When we choose to neither grow in our faith experience or to act on our faith, sloth has crept in, threatening our spiritual health.

     Today I want to examine one insidious aspect of sloth—dispersing untruths because too little effort was expended in gathering the truth.

     Much has been said lately about civil discourse by many lightning rods in the public sector. I don’t need to name names. Fill in the blanks with the wide range of names to choose from.

     This past fall we endured an onslaught of television and print ads that

Lenten Study: 7 Deadly Sins—Gluttony #1: I Want It All

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

LENTEN STUDY: 7 DEADLY SINS

GLUTTONY #1: I WANT IT ALL

MONTE W. HOLLAND

INTRODUCTION

     The following study is a journey through Lent, the forty-day pre-Easter season (which excludes Sundays).  Easter’s date, determined by the time of the first full moon after the Spring equinox, is very late this year.

     Traditionally, many Christians use Lent for self-examination and a renewal of their commitment to their faith.

     This year I  chose to do a devotional study on aspects of the Seven Deadly Sins, sins identified by very early Christians as key behaviors separating man from God and God’s will. The seven sins are not listed together in the Bible—each is, however, spoken about in various Scripture sites.

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS:

GREED, ENVY, ANGER, LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH and PRIDE.

THE ASPECTS OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ARE:

#1 Breaking the Mosaic Law

#2 Defying God or rebelling against God

#3 Acts of violence to others

#4 Failing to make proper sacrifices or worship

#5 Not living up to or reflecting God’s glory (not living as one created in God’s image)

 

GLUTTONY #1:

I WANT IT ALL

SCRIPTURE: ⁹ “ ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. ¹⁰ Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God. (NIV) (Leviticus 19:9-10)

     ¹⁰ The crowds asked John, “What should we do?” ¹¹ John told them, “If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn’t have any. If you have food, share it with someone else.” ¹² When tax collectors came to be baptized, they asked John, “Teacher, what should we do?” ¹³ John told them, “Don’t make people pay more than they owe.” ¹⁴ Some soldiers asked him, “And what about us? What do we have to do?”John told them, “Don’t force people to pay money to make you leave them alone. Be satisfied with your pay.” ¹⁵ Everyone became excited and wondered, “Could John be the Messiah?” ¹⁶ John said, “I am just baptizing with water. But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷ His threshing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks. He will store the wheat in his barn and burn the husks with a fire that never goes out.” (CEV) (Luke 3:10-17)

DEVOTION: After many products are used, they are passed on for someone else to use. I’ve purchased many used cars. The one I currently own was a stolen car that was salvaged and sold with a reconstructed title. The original owner only put about 15,000 miles on it.

     Many people are regulars at antique shops, thrift stores, and flea-markets, seeking to purchase items someone else finished using. In this way, God entrusts items into more than one set of hands.

     Food differs from reusable items. I can give or lend the reusable items. I cannot lend my food. Food is consumed.

     We consume food: it is one use only. The apple I eat will nourish only  one person: me. In that sense, the way we accumulate, handle, and dispose of food is most important.

     I tend to be a glutton. Just follow me in line at an all-you-can-eat buffet. God’s word from Leviticus sets the tone: Gather what you need. Let the grain field be of use to more than one user—especially the poor and foreigners that are in our midst. Pick the grape vines only once. The needy may need to gather some, too.

     Are we giving from our food supply? Contributors to food pantries and soup kitchens take one step. Makers of community gardens take another step. Large producers that open their fields to gleaning take yet another step.

     The antidote to gluttony is

Lenten Study: 7 Deadly Sins—Lust #1: Love Is Basic

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

LENTEN STUDY: 7 DEADLY SINS-

LUST #1: LOVE IS BASIC

MONTE W. HOLLAND

INTRODUCTION

     The following study is a journey through Lent, the forty-day pre-Easter season (which excludes Sundays).  Easter’s date, determined by the time of the first full moon after the Spring equinox, is very late this year.

     Traditionally, many Christians use Lent for self-examination and a renewal of their commitment to their faith.

     This year I  chose to do a devotional study on aspects of the Seven Deadly Sins, sins identified by very early Christians as key behaviors separating man from God and God’s will. The seven sins are not listed together in the Bible—each is, however, spoken about in various Scripture sites.

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS:

GREED, ENVY, ANGER, LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH and PRIDE.

 THE ASPECTS OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ARE:

#1 Breaking the Mosaic Law

#2 Defying God or rebelling against God

#3 Acts of violence to others

#4 Failing to make proper sacrifices or worship

#5 Not living up to or reflecting God’s glory (not living as one created in God’s image)

 

LUST #1:

LOVE IS BASIC

 SCRIPTURE:  ²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (NIV) (Matthew 5:27-28)

      ⁸ Let love be your only debt! If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands. ⁹ In the Law there are many commands, such as, “Be faithful in marriage. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not want what belongs to others.” But all of these are summed up in the command that says, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” ¹⁰ No one who loves others will harm them. So love is all that the Law demands. (CEV) (Romans 13:8-10)

(additional Scripture at end of devotion)

DEVOTION: Consider the two terms, lust and love. Are they related?

     Jesus put lust in its place. Lust ranks right up there with adultery, and adultery is on the Ten Commandment list supplied by God to Moses. Adultery has absolutely no place in the Christian life—neither does lust.

     Leviticus tells us that adultery is punishable by death. Where does that leave lust?

     Lust cannot be excused by such terms as But she is so lovely and loveable or I cannot help it because she is beautiful and has such a curvaceous body.

     Lust desires the body. It seeks one’s own satisfaction, disrespects the other person, disrespects his/her spouse and children, and disrespects the Ten Commandments.

     Love reveres the whole person. Love is basic. Jesus taught love of God, neighbor, and self—the Great Commandment. Love does no harm to others.

     It’s difficult to follow our listed scriptures—respect all persons equally, keep the Ten Commandments, truly love yourself, and honestly anticipate God’s judgment.

     Whereas the law of love honors all laws and honors the value of all other people, lust does

The Conestoga Wagons and Wagoners: Thomas Read

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

THE CONESTOGA WAGONS AND WAGONERS:

Thomas Buchanan Read

Thomas Buchanan Read, the revered 19th century poet and artist whose work forever captured the patriotic fever of his day, was born on March 12, 1822, in Corner Ketch, Pennsylvania… In 1841, Read moved to Boston and befriended famed poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and painter Washington Allston. The young artist was greatly influenced and encouraged by these two artists’ patriotic style and thematic content.. Throughout the late 1840s and 1850s, spending the bulk of his time in Italy, Read established himself as one of the world’s leading artistic and literary voices… “A New Pastoral,” one of Read’s more notable works, was completed in Florence in 1854. In this series of 37 textual illuminations, Read offers a romantic vision of Pennsylvania’s countryside, writing that “no lovelier landscape meets the traveller’s eye.” He couples his lyrical blank verse with a story of a family’s journey from middle Pennsylvania to the Mississippi river.* His poems, including “The Wagoner of the Alleghenies,” “The Oath,” and “The Defenders” were so popular in the United States that five of them were excerpted in the first volume of Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations…**

     My interest in this poem is threefold. First, On High Street in Philadelphia, between 4th and 5th streets, as early as in 1750, there was an inn called “The Conestoga Wagon Inn”, so the words

Lenten Study: 7 Deadly Sins—Anger #1: Brotherly Anger

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

LENTEN STUDY: 7 DEADLY SINS

ANGER #1: BROTHERLY ANGER

MONTE W. HOLLAND

INTRODUCTION

     The following study is a journey through Lent, the forty-day pre-Easter season (which excludes Sundays).  Easter’s date, determined by the time of the first full moon after the Spring equinox, is very late this year.

     Traditionally, many Christians use Lent for self-examination and a renewal of their commitment to their faith.

     This year I  chose to do a devotional study on aspects of the Seven Deadly Sins, sins identified by very early Christians as key behaviors separating man from God and God’s will. The seven sins are not listed together in the Bible—each is, however, spoken about in various Scripture sites.

 THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS:

GREED, ENVY, ANGER, LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH and PRIDE.

THE ASPECTS OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ARE:

#1 Breaking the Mosaic Law

#2 Defying God or rebelling against God

#3 Acts of violence to others

#4 Failing to make proper sacrifices or worship

#5 Not living up to or reflecting God’s glory (not living as one created in God’s image)

 

ANGER #1:

BROTHERLY ANGER

 SCRIPTURE:  ²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. ²³ “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. ²⁵ “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶ I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. (Matthew 5:21-26)

DEVOTION: Most of us, never having killed another human being, smugly lay aside Commandment Six.

     Jesus says, “Not so fast!” His reflection on this Ten Commandment prohibition of murder brings it into our neighborhood. What we may see as the easiest commandment to keep all of a sudden becomes one of the most difficult.

     There are few people that are cool as a cucumber all the time. It may only be a millisecond here and a millisecond there, but just about everybody rages inside a little when startled or provoked.

     We have our methods. We ignore the comment to ignore confrontation. We change the subject in a conversation. We reply with a slight barb, but one that is much less offensive.

     Raca, or Raka, in the Aramaic of the Talmad, means

Random Acts of Kindness: Pass Them Forward

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS: PASS THEM FORWARD

     Displays of “random acts of kindness” are making the news lately.

     In reviewing materials in my files when I found an article I’d written about children in a summer program doing random acts of kindness. They were participating in a Summer Fun Fest sponsored by the Jamestown (Pennsylvania) Family Support program in the mid-1990s. The program was designed around the theme of “giving,” the gift being something made by the child.

     The first week the children made something to give their parents.

     During the next three weeks, groups of children, accompanied by adult leaders, walked around town, stopping at randomly chosen houses, offering gifts.  They were learning to give gifts to people “just because you are

Lenten Study: 7 Deadly Sins—Envy #1: Envy or Love

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

LENTEN STUDY: 7 DEADLY SINS

ENVY #1: ENVY OR LOVE

MONTE W. HOLLAND

INTRODUCTION

     The following study is a journey through Lent, the forty-day pre-Easter season (which excludes Sundays).  Easter’s date, determined by the time of the first full moon after the Spring equinox, is very late this year.

     Traditionally, many Christians use Lent for self-examination and a renewal of their commitment to their faith.

     This year I  chose to do a devotional study on aspects of the Seven Deadly Sins, sins identified by very early Christians as key behaviors separating man from God and God’s will. The seven sins are not listed together in the Bible—each is, however, spoken about in various Scripture sites.

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS:

GREED, ENVY, ANGER, LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH and PRIDE.

THE ASPECTS OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ARE:

#1 Breaking the Mosaic Law

#2 Defying God or rebelling against God

#3 Acts of violence to others

#4 Failing to make proper sacrifices or worship

#5 Not living up to or reflecting God’s glory (not living as one created in God’s image)

 

ENVY #1:

ENVY OR LOVE

SCRIPTURE:  ⁴³You have heard people say, “Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.”  ⁴⁴But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. ⁴⁵Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. ⁴⁶If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for this? Even tax collectors love their friends. ⁴⁷ If you greet only your friends, what’s so great about this? Don’t even unbelievers do that? (Matthew 5:43-47)

DEVOTION:  Envy is defined as a feeling of resentment or discontent over another’s superior attainments, endowments, or possessions; a desire to possess the goods of others.

     Part of this definition sounds eerily like greed, yesterday’s focus.

     For today, let’s look at the first part—resentment or discontent over another’s superior attainments, endowments, or possessions. I really connect with that feeling of resentment and discontent with my neighbor. Don’t we all?

     Did I ever think as a pastor: Why did he or she get that pastoral appointment instead of me? Am I not more qualified?

     Did I ever think as a college professor: Why did that person get a promotion and I didn’t? or Why have I been assigned this horrible teaching assignment instead of my colleague?

     Notice that all of this thinking gives no space for

Lenten Study: 7 Deadly Sins—Greed #1: Greed or Generosity

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

LENTEN STUDY: 7 DEADLY SINS

GREED #1: GREED OR GENEROSITY

MONTE W. HOLLAND

INTRODUCTION

     The following study is a journey through Lent, the forty-day pre-Easter season (which excludes Sundays).  Easter’s date, determined by the time of the first full moon after the Spring equinox, is very late this year.

     Traditionally, many Christians use Lent for self-examination and a renewal of their commitment to their faith.

     This year I  chose to do a devotional study on aspects of the Seven Deadly Sins, sins identified by very early Christians as key behaviors separating man from God and God’s will. The seven sins are not listed together in the Bible—each is, however, spoken about in various Scripture sites.

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS:

GREED, ENVY, ANGER, LUST, GLUTTONY, SLOTH and PRIDE.

THE ASPECTS OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS ARE:

#1 Breaking the Mosaic Law

#2 Defying God or rebelling against God

#3 Acts of violence to others

#4 Failing to make proper sacrifices or worship

#5 Not living up to or reflecting God’s glory (not living as one created in God’s image)

 

 GREED #1:

GREED OR GENEROSITY

SCRIPTURE:  You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor’s. (Exodus 20:17)

DEVOTION: Greed is about accumulating. The dictionary definition is: selfish and grasping desire for possession, especially of wealth; avarice; covetousness. The last synonym, covetousness, leads us directly to our key verse, the tenth of the Ten Commandments.

     We all have a natural tendency to accumulate. I expect I’m worse than many, considering my Great Depression roots. Those of us from that era are concerned with saving for a rainy day. Unfortunately, the boundary between adequate preparation for hard times and excessive accumulation is narrow and easily crossed.

     I’ve yet to be able to follow the if you haven’t used it in a year,  you don’t need to keep it rule. It isn’t just financial records for the IRS that I keep beyond the seven year requirement—it’s other things too.

      Excessive accumulation is one aspect of greed that we don’t do well with—witness the growth of the storage shed industry.

     A second aspect of the unending pursuit of possessions is the limit of

I am Frustrated with Writing!!

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

I AM FRUSTRATED WITH WRITING!!

Nancy Briskay Cornell Lipsius

     I’m convinced that writing is a way of working things out, achieving growth and communication in ways that cannot be accomplished otherwise. I believe that ultimately, more knowledge is humbling, in that the more we know the more we recognize how little we know. Carolyn 

     The following writing was created by my late mother. She graduated from the University of Maine/Presque Isle in 1992, at the age of 70, with a B. A. degree in behavioral science/psychology degree. She spent one semester at Bangor Theological Seminary trying to earn her Master’s, but decided she was getting too old to spend all her time in school and left the Seminary to do volunteer work.

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     Why can’t I write anything that comes out of ME?

      I feel as though I don’t have any knowledge about ANYTHING. At least not enough to write more than a page or two. And even that seems