Two burials

Two burials this week. One had 5 people at a graveside; the other had a standing-room-only church. Both were remarkably the same: love, grief, a serene if sober hope in the words of faith from the Book of Common Prayer, and even some laughter in the tears of thankful remembrances of lives perceived as gifts from God. Only some externals differed; both services were the same.

The rough edge of Christian blogging

"Accordingly the spiritual director should be discerning in his silence and profitable in his speech, otherwise he might say something that should have been suppressed or suppress something that should have been said. For just as reckless speaking leads someone into error, so indiscreet silence leaves in error those who might have been instructed. For often, reckless directors, who fear to lose human favor, are afraid to speak freely about what is right. And, according to the voice of the Truth, they fail to attend to the care of their flock as shepherds and instead act as mercenaries. This is because they flee and hide themselves in silence whenever a wolf approaches. Thus, the Lord scolds them through the prophet, saying: 'Dumb dogs, who cannot bark' (Isaiah 56:10). Again he complains, saying: 'You have not gone up against the enemy nor have you built a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the Lord' (Ezekiel 13:5). Indeed, to 'go up against the enemy' is to oppose worldly powers in the defense of the flock. And to 'stand in battle on the day of the Lord' is to resist, out of love of justice, evil persons who oppose us. For if a shepherd fears to say what is right, what else is it but to turn his back in silence? But certainly, if he puts himself before the flock [so as to protect them], he 'builds a wall for the house of Israel' against its enemies." Gregory the Great, The Book of Pastoral Rule, II.4

Winter Sundown

I seldom get home in time to catch any of the setting sun lighting up the snow, and even these pics are a few minutes too late to do justice.

Special Needs Families: chance to be heard in Sioux Falls

An announcement rec'd by email, followed by a few personal comments:

There is a 9:00 am meeting being set up for this Saturday, Feb 5, at the SF Holiday Inn City Center in the Burgundy Room for our local legislators to talk with area providers and families of people with disabilities (or developmental disabilities). It would be good to arrive between 8:30 and 8:45.

It would be great if parents, family members or self-advocates could come and be a part of this discussion/show support to show how much a 10% cut would affect us and our families.

We need to be a strong presence in the legislators minds this year more than most or we will have consequences beyond repair.
We need to tell our stories and we NEED to be HEARD in Pierre!

11 provider agencies will be addressing the legislators. I also believe Parent-Connection is involved.
I believe Districts 9, 11 and 12 will be the main panel, but in the previous Cracker-Barrels, other legislators attended as spectators.

Personal comments: Services that help special needs kids, adults and their families are more precious than I can say. I know we are in a tough budget time, and self-reliance is the watchword, but if I might try to open just a bit of a window on our lives:

We are not lazy or irresponsible people. We are often exhausted people and our looks show it.

Self-reliance means coming up with the income to support our loved ones, then coming home and trying to run what amounts to a clinic. Few if any people have the mix of high paying job and high medical/therapeutic skill to pull that off without help.

Moralizing about our efforts can sound like a curse. Most of us, when our kids first began to act "different," heard comments like, "You just need to get that kid in line. I would have fixed that with a swat across the butt." Believe me, if something that easy would fix our lives, we would have been swattin' years ago.

We truly, truly appreciate the sacrificial generosity of others, given privately or through public programs. None of it "solves" our struggle, but it sure makes it easier to pull off.

So anything, absolutely anything that can be preserved in the way of special needs funding in this state will be a blessing to many hard working, responsible families.

"Accepted, respectable and legitimate" are not all they seem

Theological Theology: Theses for a new reformation in the Anglican Communion

"A longstanding temptation facing the churches has been a longing for acceptance, a sense of respectability, and an acknowledgement by those with power or influence that they have a legitimate place in contemporary society. Such a temptation has often led to an accommodation to elements of the contemporary secular agenda. In all of this the words of Jesus are easily forgotten: '... because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you' (Jn 15:19; 17:14). The church will always be a despised minority in a world arraigned against God. Nevertheless, despite such opposition, even the power of death will not prevail against the church that Christ is building (Mtt. 16:18). Though we ought not to seek the animosity of the world, or indeed provoke it by our own arrogance or folly, we need to remember that vindication and legitimization will only come on the day we are invited to 'enter the joy of our master' (Mtt. 25:21, 23)."