Richard Russo's most recent novel, Bridge of Sighs (2007) is marvelous. It's the first novel in a long, long time that I've finished and then immediately begun re-reading.

The book brings to mind the opening lines from T.S. Eliot's "Burnt Norton":

Time present and time past
Are both perhaps present in time future,
And time future contained in time past.

Although, Russo's story gives the lie to Eliot's next line:

If all time is eternally present
All time is unredeemable.

To think that I found Bridge of Sighs at the Williamsburg Library's used book sale; that someone had valued it so little that s/he'd given it away!

Living Thankfully

Last night, in my Ash Wednesday sermon, I suggested that Lent is an opportunity to respond in thankfulness to the gift of each day that God gives to us. (I just posted the sermon on the website. Go to www.saintstephenlutheran.net, click on "Our Pastor," and then click on sermons.)

Some examples of living thankfully --

I am thankful that I made excellent progress on this Sunday's sermon yesterday, so I wouldn't need to spend much time on it this morning. I am thankful that I woke up today at 5:00 AM, and I woke up healthy! I am thankful that I don't have to be in a particular place to do my work, so I got up and worked at home from 5:00 - 7:00 AM. I am thankful that the Book Mobile was scheduled to visit the Pre-School this morning, so I didn't have to be in at 9:45 to do chapel. I am thankful that the morning dawned with sunshine. Because of all those circumstances, which I received as pure gift ...

... I was able to take the time to ride on my bicycle to the Chickahominy River and back (20 miles) before coming into the office this morning.

On my way back from the river, I saw a cyclist up ahead cutting across one of the fallow fields and turning onto the bike path. I had an idea who it might be that time of morning, and I caught up with him, and -- yes! It was Randy Punchard of our congregation. We rode together and talked for five minutes or so. (Can I count that as a pastoral visit?) A few months ago Randy retired from his job (mostly because he had a new boss who specialized in tyranny), gave up the company car, and replaced it with a bicycle. These days, Randy works at the Jamestown Island Glass House, welcoming visitors, interpreting what's going on, and working in the gift shop. He commutes from his house by bicycle.

Speaking of bicycle commuting, the City of Williamsburg quarterly glossy newsletter has a feature on Reed Nester of our congregation, who commuted to work 100 times in 2008. There are a few paragraphs of text and a picture of Reed in his office, his commuting bike leaning up next to his desk!

Reed has inspired me. Today was the 20th time I commuted to the church building by bicycle -- so I'm on track for 100 commutes this year. Reed's goal is 120 bicycle commutes in 2009. Of course, Randy puts us both to shame. He commutes on two wheels every day!

Ya gotta love an editorial writer who, in his/her comment on President Obama's economic plan, not only refers to Thomas a Kempis, but also quotes from the liturgy for compline!

(Paste this into your browser: http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/editorials/article/EDSTATEOF_20090225-173207/215727/ )

While the owners of the Newport News Daily Press persist in dumbing down the paper (which they did, again, in a major way this past Monday with what they're calling a "format change"),the Richmond Times Dispatch elevates itself, by educating its readers with the classic expressions of western civilization. Nothing less.

I am so impressed with the "Book of Faith" initiative of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. (Check out www.bookoffaith.org)

This morning was Day 1 in Book of Faith Lenten Journey: 40 Days with the Lord's Prayer. Some excerpts --

(Referring to Matthew 6:9) "Jesus responds, 'Pray then in this way,' and then he teaches what we call the Lord's Prayer -- words repeated so often for so long that they may have lost their edge for us. Many of us have become numb to their meaning, insensitive to the radical nature of this ancient and yet modern prayer.

"'Pray then in this way...' These are not words of friendly advice from a gentle wisdom figure encouraging us to develop our own personal piety. Rather they are words of command spoken to people who have been chosen to follow Jesus in God's mission and who have freely accepted that remarkable calling. We lose the full force and effect of this prayer if we do not hear the words 'Pray then in this way' as marching orders for people chosen for the mission of God -- the mission of bringing justice and love, forgiveness and redemption into the world's sin and suffering and death....

"The reality encompassed in the Lord's Prayer is not a pretty picture but one of heavy conflict....The prayer that our Lord taught us cannot be prayed in just any way and with just any attitude. it presupposes a perception of this world's tragedy."

Great stuff, stimulating, provocative! This is going to be anything but an innocuous, boring devotional guide through the Lenten journey.

A blessed Ash Wednesday to you.

Are you staying healthy?

These are anxious, stressful times for many of us. Are you staying healthy?

There are three components to health:
Physical health
Spiritual health
Emotional health

When we are unhealthy in even one of those areas, that has a negative effect on our overall health. If you aren't feeling good, think of where you are unhealthy.

However, the reverse is also true! As we become healthier in any of those areas, that improves our overall health!

Our physical health improves when we get our bodies moving -- walking, walking the dog, cleaning the house, yard work, bicycling, using an aerobic machine at the Rec Center, etc. -- for at least 30 minutes, five days a week.

Our spiritual health improves when we pray. Let me suggest one type of prayer:

Sit straight in your chair, with a relaxed, alert posture. Both feet on the floor. Hands on your thighs, palms open and up.
Breath -- fully, evenly, slowly.
Spend five minutes repeating a short phrase from Scripture, as you slowly inhale and exhale. Then sit and listen for what comes to you from the Spirit. Examples of such Scripture are:

"Be still before the Lord /
Wait patiently." (Psalm 37:7)

or

"Be still /
and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

Our emotional health improves when we do something fun each day! Who do you enjoy? What do you enjoy? What makes you laugh?

My prayer is that you receive the healing Spirit of God.

Peace and joy to you --

Who says there aren't jobs available out there?

One member of St. Stephen found this "Help Wanted" ad in the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Evangelist - needed. 2 yrs exp reqd. Send resume to Abundant Life Church of Christ, 3300 Neal St, Richmond VA 23223.

There could not be a more succinct expression of the differences between Roman Catholic and Lutheran theology than this:

First, from a story in today's New York Times, entitled, "For Catholics, A Door To Absolution is Reopened":

"The announcement in church bulletins and on Web sites has been greeted with enthusiasm by some and wariness by others. But mainly, it has gone over the heads of a vast generation of Roman Catholics who have no idea what it means: 'Bishop Announces Plenary Indulgences.'

"In recent months, dioceses around the world have been offering Catholics a spiritual benefit that fell out of favor decades ago — the indulgence, a sort of amnesty from punishment in the afterlife — and reminding them of the church’s clout in mitigating the wages of sin....

"...According to church teaching, even after sinners are absolved in the confessional and say their Our Fathers or Hail Marys as penance, they still face punishment after death, in Purgatory, before they can enter heaven. In exchange for certain prayers, devotions or pilgrimages in special years, a Catholic can receive an indulgence, which reduces or erases that punishment instantly, with no formal ceremony or sacrament.

"There are partial indulgences, which reduce purgatorial time by a certain number of days or years, and plenary indulgences, which eliminate all of it, until another sin is committed. You can get one for yourself, or for someone who is dead. You cannot buy one — the church outlawed the sale of indulgences in 1567 — but charitable contributions, combined with other acts, can help you earn one. There is a limit of one plenary indulgence per sinner per day."

In comparison, read these words from the Order for Confession and Forgiveness in Evangelical Lutheran Worship:

First, these words of confession: "Most merciful God, we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone....For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen."

And then, these words of absolution: "God, who is rich in mercy, loved us even when we were dead in sin, and made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. Almighty God strengthen you with power through the Holy Spirit, that Christ may live in your hearts through faith. Amen."

Just bought tickets for Patty and me to see the new movie, "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29," at the Kimball Theater. The movie is about one of the most famous college football games ever played, when Yale had the longest winning streak in college football. The game was played in 1968, and the movie features interviews of the players, 40 years later. The movie has gotten great reviews. But the reason I want to see it is because St. Stephen member George Bass was the starting right offensive tackle for Yale! (As George says, "Number 78 in your program and #1 in your hearts.")

So I went to the Kimball box office. The good news is that, following Patty's and my most recent birthdays, we qualify for the senior citizen discount! So, instead of the tickets costing $7 each, they were only $5. The bad news? The woman in the ticket booth asked me about the discount.

So, I look my age. Sigh ...

(I stopped to buy the tickets near the end of a 28-mile bike ride. So at least I wasn't acting my age.)

Why is there such a thing as a senior citizen discount? I think it orginated in the era when seniors (then considered to be 65 and older) had to watch their pennies because their income was so much less than during their working years. Many survived on Social Security alone. Obviously, that doesn't describe my situation. So I'm thinking: I should keep track of the two dollars here and there that I save during a year and give that amount away to the United Way office that does its best to meet emergency needs for the poor.

New subject.

This morning the Richmond Times-Dispatch ran Garrison Keillor's wonderful tribute column to John Updike. I got a kick out of this sentence Keillor wrote of Updike: "He was the great American man of letters of the second half of the 20th century, critic, poet, novelist, master of the short story, and a man of Lutheran virtues, cheerful, hardworking, self-deprecating, ever grateful for oportunity."

"Lutheran virtues," huh? It's a pretty good compliment!