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(Or, It is time to scrap the label “Representative” from the elected officials in Congress)

Contrary to what the vocal left wingers would have you believe, most people agree that we need major reforms in our health care system. Opposing the bill that just passed last night is not a call for the status quo except maybe in one respect: We want an honest, representative government back.

Obama, Reid, Pelosi & company had over a year to make their case to the American public. Several months ago, President Obama said that the lack of public support was a result of his failing to properly explain the bill; he went out to correct that problem. He failed again. The America that he is supposed to be leading said they did not want the bill. Sadly, as we have seen, that doesn’t seem to matter.

We still don’t know exactly what is in the bill. Even the President has both called it “his” bill and said he does not know exactly what is in or out of it. OK, so let’s look at it as we would a black hole; let’s see what happened around it to get some idea of what it is.

This bill was not good enough to garner enough support within the Democrat controlled Congress to pass without special deals and enticements to individual Senators and “Representatives”. If it is so wonderful, why didn’t the Democrats just jump at the chance to use their power to enact legislation that would benefit every American? Maybe Obama didn’t explain it properly to them either?

Well, it is funny how understanding comes when mixed with special incentives for certain states and rides on Air Force One; and keep in mind that those special enticements are being paid for by the people in the states that didn’t get them. Oh yes, don’t forget the personal sweeteners. Keep an eye on the private fortunes of those who decided to back the bill at the last minute.

At best the health care bill was naïve. In a time when we need fundamental economic stimulus, only the ignorant and the “hired guns” would say that the bill would do anything but further slowdown re-employment and derail our recovery. However, worse than that is the arrogance of the people who are supposed to represent their constituencies. Our system failed. For a short period we taste what it is like to live in a place more like Russia where the voice of the people is just a bothersome noise. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like it.

It is time to take back our government. Here in New Hampshire, I am supporting Kelly Ayotte for Senate, Frank Guinta for the 1^st Congressional district and Jennifer Horn for the 2^nd Congressional district. In or out of New Hampshire, find and support candidates who will represent you and your views. Get involved. There is a great deal at stake.

• Bloomberg News - Obama Seeks to Rally Senate Democrats on Final Health-Care Plan [/caption] Dec. 6 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama plans to head to the U.S. Capitol to press Senate Democrats to agree on health legislation as lawmakers struggle to resolve disputes over issues including a proposed government-run insurance plan. Democrats met throughout yesterday to seek an alternative to Senate Majority Harry......
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Has anyone stopped to wonder why the federal government seems so rife with dirty side deals? In great part, it's because it was never set up to preside over internal state affairs; it was to deal with national issues.

Take my home state, New Hampshire, as an example. We have 2 out of the 100 Senators. That means that at most 2% of the people voting on bills have the specific welfare of New Hampshire (or any other state) in mind. In the House of Representatives, we also have 2 Congressmen, but out of 435 this time. That means that less than ½ of one percent might have a stake in the good of New Hampshire residents. So, if we want something for my state, we are almost compelled to make deals with other states; I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine.

The reach of Federal power into state internal affairs also promotes state specific deals in exchange for the support of national legislation. The reason that such deals (read “bribes”) are so effective is because Washington has mutated its role to be inconsistent with the structure of government established by our constitution in 1787. In other words, if the Federal government could not get involved in internal state business or craft its legislation that treated some states differently than others, deals and bribes for votes would be much less effective and frequent.

Our Congress is intended to provide fair representation to each state for the discussion and passage of legislation affecting all the states; it is not intended to provide fair representation for the discussion and passage of legislation affecting one or a few states. This goes to the heart of the call for “limited” government. It is a call to once again align the role of the Federal government with its form and original duties.

It is time to get Washington back to its original purpose and let the states get back to theirs. In this way, each level of government will provide the truest representation of the people for the people.

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Hannah McGuire was my aunt and my god-mother.

Even though she was over 101 years old, I am still surprised that Aunt Hannah is gone. She must have decided, or at least agreed with God, that it was time to go. I believe that she could have gone on for years if that is what she decided. In life, Hannah McGuire was a force on the world; she did not take life lying down. She was not a victim; she would not allow that. This attitude was from her family and most, if not all, of her siblings shared this trait. She was a cold, hard realist without being a cold, hard person. On the contrary, she was a very warm, caring and generous person most certainly to her family.

The fact is that Hannah McGuire was frugal and interested in value. She would drive across town to save a few cents on a roll of paper towels and would stock up when she found a good deal. When she could, she would go out early to get fresh berries during the summer; if we were staying with her, she would serve us up bowls with sour cream and a little sugar. She spent her money carefully getting the best for the least. She was frugal and maybe even cheap when it came to her own needs. One of the reasons she was cheap with herself was so that she had more to give to her family; this was important to her and was a continuous theme in our discussions.

Hannah McGuire was a man’s woman. She enjoyed playing cards (for a little bit of money). She loved going to Finger Lakes race track and attended a Kentucky Derby with Uncle Mac. They vacationed in Cuba when you could still go there. One of her very favorite drinks was rum, coke and lime, and she taught me to fix it just right. She also enjoyed good Champaign, Crown Royal, Asti Spumante, cheap cold duck and Miller High Life. While she enjoyed all kinds of food, I think her favorites were Ukrainian dishes which she could make superbly, and when she found it more difficult to cook would obtain at her church. Aunt Hannah was a great cook, though; the precision with which she moved through the kitchen was something to see.

To a great extent, Hannah McGuire was a self-made woman. As far as I know, she was not involved in Uncle Mac’s businesses before he died. He was a man of great presence and was the leader of his partnerships. When he died, his partners thought that Aunt Hannah was going to be a lamb and a timid woman. No such luck. Instead, she quickly learned the business and was a force to be contended with in her own right. All her life, she had constantly been learning starting with reading the dictionary. She had training in nursing and bookkeeping early on. Those more formal studies came to an end when she was needed by her family, but she kept studing and learning on her own. Her knowledge was very broad and her ability to reason was excellent. On a related point, I put her in the class of my Father: She was not always right, but if you went against her judgment and advice, you needed to tread carefully so as not to hurt yourself.

Hannah was also a woman with a great sense of humor. Her humor was never mean and she would laugh at herself easily. That is one of the reasons that being with her was so enjoyable. More often than not, you would find yourself laughing almost hysterically with her and whoever else was around. I’ll always remember that she liked to get clobbered fish every Friday. She much preferred that to traditional battered fish

Aunt Hannah was not perfect. She felt hurt at times, sometimes because of things that happened and sometimes through misunderstandings. She felt like she was being used for her money at times and she was; other times she had issues with her family. Occasionally, in response, she could be less than charitable; But, this was not often and tended to be short lived. When all was said and done, when she was still herself, her primary concern was to not be thought of badly after her death. Her family was important to her. Above all else, she both wanted to take care of her family, and to be loved and remembered fondly by those same people after she was gone.

I know that she is and will be remembered fondly and with love by my sons, Alex and Max. She was a big part of their lives and they are fortunate to have many memories of her.

I know that I loved my Aunt Hannah and have a lifetime of recollections. Even during these last few years when she thought I was my father, was confused over who was living and who was dead, and no longer was the person who had taught me so much and always believed in me, it was impossible not to love and respect this remarkable woman. So, without any doubt on my part, I believe she was successful in life and successful in death.

I will never forget her.

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We were watching “The Raven in the Foregate” (a Cadfael mystery) last night and something struck me as insightful. The head monk said (paraphrase) that when the letter of Christianity and the spirit of Christianity clash, we rely on Christian compassion to resolve the conflict. It is something to think about.

This takes me to the role of Christ’s love in the whole scheme of things;. maybe we need to start further back.

Before one can deal with the letter of the “law,” one must know it. I have met people who in essence are very legalistic about their religion, yet have not read the whole Bible. How can someone claim to speak for the letter of the law when they do not really know all of it and the interactions, contexts and perspectives the entire Bible provides? Without the foundation of the entire Word, how can anyone claim to be an expert or authority particularly with respect to the subtler or more sensitive issues of theology? I am not saying that these people cannot be correct. I am asking how can they be sure if they do not have firsthand knowledge of all that God has said? Examples of these issues might include the role or necessity of baptism and the potential for losing salvation.

Moving past that point, how is the genuine theology intended to be delivered? Is it to be with an iron fist, or, is it to be with love and compassion? Obviously the latter, but it is more than that. Love and compassion are part and parcel of the theology. It is not like taking a bitter medicine and adding sugar to make it more pleasant. Its sweetness comes from inside Christianity itself. There are hard truths contained in some of its messages, but even these hard truths cannot be divorced from His love.

We are told not to add or subtract from what He has told us. When we do, it is not of Him. Paul made it unambiguously clear that no matter what else he had, if he did not have love, he was nothing. When the love is missing from His Word, it is no longer His Word.

The Bible teaches us to test everything we hear and see against what His Word says. If there is a conflict, we know it to be false. When we see the “letter” of the law raised without the love of Christ, the Spirit is absent and the law is just human words.

Sometimes churches forget this. It is up to each one of us to be vigilant. OK. That’s it for this morning, and…”Hey, let’s be careful out there.” (Sergeant Phil Esterhaus)

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Rev. Richard W. Gray
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
Manchester, NH

June 21, 2009

Do you ever get confused by the use of medical terms? Some are hard to understand. Here are some definitions of some medical terms.

     Artery – The study of fine paintings
     Barium – What you do when CPR fails
     Caesarean Section – A district in Rome
     Colic – A sheep dog
     Dilate – To live long
     Fester – Quicker
     G I Series – Baseball games between teams of soldiers
     Grippe – A suitcase
     Hangnail – A coat hook
     Medical Staff – A doctor’s cane
     Morbid – A higher offer
     Nitrate – Lower than day rate
     Organic – Church musician
     Outpatient – A person who has fainted
     Post-Operative – A letter carrier
     Secretion – Hiding anything
     Serology – Study of English knighthood
     Tablet – A small table
     Tumor – An extra pair
     Varicose Veins – Veins that are very close together
     Benign – What you are after you be eight

     I have been doing a little series of messages on the will of God and what it is. We have seen that God’s will is that everyone have a personal relationship with Him through Christ. We have seen that God wants us to so live our lives that when people look at us, they will see how God behaves.

     Our Scripture text finds Jesus traveling from Judea to Galilee. His ministry had already been successful and had caused some problems for His enemies in Judea because of His popularity and His teaching.

     What is God’s will for us? That we worship Him, and not in just any way. We are to worship Him with sincerity and only through Christ. The priority of every Christian and of every church is the worship of God. Then comes bringing other people into a worshipping relationship with God. Then comes meeting the needs of a hurting world. The ultimate priority is right worship.

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Do you want your relationships to be stronger? Do you want people close to you and even casual acquaintances to be open and happy to chat? Do you want to be a positive influence on those you love and care about? Then one of the things you need to remove from your “style” is sarcasm. This is especially true for sarcasm directed at those around us and especially true when our conversations are about tough situations.

Sarcasm in general banter can quickly get old. Sarcasm in serious conversation is often used to put barbs into otherwise honest dialog. It is used to “rub it in” and hurt. Like the use of profanity, it can indicate insensitivity or disrespect for people, an inadequacy of language skills or laziness in using them.

Merriam-Webster defines sarcasm is as follows:

1: a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain2 a: a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual b: the use or language of sarcasm

Similarly from Wikipedia:

Sarcasm is the use of sharp, cutting remarks or language intended to mock, wound, or subject to contempt or ridicule.^[1]

 Even when the intention is good, like trying to shock your daughter into realizing how bad her grades are or how irresponsible she is, sarcasm is always substituting for a better and more effective way to communicate. Say what you need to say with love; say no more than is necessary, but say what is necessary. Adding sarcasm to the delivery introduces a great risk.

Especially when dealing with children and teens, sarcasm can deliver subtle and dangerous messages. This can cause much more damage than is visible on the surface. Attacks on self-worth and ability are easily launched by the use of such “wit”. We are always communicating and consistent, subtle jabs can be screaming much louder than the occasional affirmation. Sarcasm combined with an affirmation obviously discounts the positive message; it may more than wipe it out.

Our children may be the most susceptible, but all our relationships can be hurt by our sarcasm and improved by its elimination. That also includes our relationship with ourselves. Having an inner dialog or running sarcastic narrative on our own thoughts and actions is lighting the match to burn our own house down. It is hard to see because the damage occurs so slowly; but it accumulates.

Long ago, our pastor during high school told us,

You aren’t who you think you are. You aren’t who other people think you are. You are who you think other people think you are.

What he was saying is that we tend to become who we think other people, whom we respect, think we are. We live up to expectations as we perceive them. Sarcasm lays down a subtle, negative expectation wherever it is directed. We have enough negative messages hitting us all the time. Eliminating this source makes everyone better off starting with ourselves.

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Dishonesty between word and deed will eventually get people more angry than if you had the courage to be honest with them in the first place.

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“The meek shall inherit the earth” is from what is known as The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:5). For the longest time, this made little sense to me. Our common understanding of “meek” suggests that we are talking about a cowering milquetoast. How or why should someone like that inherit the earth? In fact, once we understand what “meek” actually means in this use, it makes total sense and is an extremely practical concept.

Meek, as used in the quote, refers to someone who does the right thing, at the right time and in the proper amount. It connotes self-control or strength under control. It is getting angry in the proper circumstances, not too much and not too little, and for the proper amount of time. It means not over or under reacting. There is a gentleness here that comes of strength, not weakness. Being meek is a choice and choice comes only from the availability of options. In order to not react too strongly or roughly, you must have the power to react with more power than you need. Without the ability to do otherwise, you don’t need self-control. Being meek is a choice.

 Choosing to be meek has a number of benefits. One is that by only reacting with as much force as necessary, you conserve your strength and resources. You also probably get the job done with as little collateral damage as possible. There are fewer hurt feelings and you don’t have to look back with regret or wish you had handled something differently. You are not likely to say something that you will want to take back. Your effectiveness is maximized and you set a great example for others. Not bad for being meek.

Sometimes it’s not easy to regulate our thoughts and reactions. We might avoid a contentious confrontation because we don’t want to feel uncomfortable. Sometimes we feel like revenge or hurting someone who has wounded us. Both these inclinations hurt us in the long run. The first postpones resolving a problem and lets the problem grow even larger. The second weakens our spirit and our bonds with our communities. The perfect response is to respond with meekness.

The meek shall inherit the earth. Doesn’t this seem more reasonable now? If it asks for a sacrifice, it is a sacrifice of the selfish and foolish use of our power. It asks us to sacrifice our disrespect for others. It tells us to be grateful for what gifts we have and use them wisely to their greatest effect. So be meek. Inherit the earth. He promised.

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Donna McCoy, CLS
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
Manchester, NH

June 14, 2009 

 

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to climb mountains. I live in a condo and pay someone else to mow the lawn, so I can clean hiking trails in the White Mountains. Our own White Mountains are unusual in that they’ve had their tops lopped off by a glacier moving over their peaks. Because of this action, climbing mountains in New Hampshire is like climbing a big rock pile. Actually, that’s Mount Washington’s nickname. If you’ve ever been to Pawtuckaway State park, you can see enormous boulders in the middle of the woods, and seemingly far away from any mountain. But that is all that is left of the mountain that used to be there. These boulders are called ‘erratic’ and they are remarkable.

 

If the mountain is treeless, you have a marvelous view. I have stood on many mountaintops in awe of the power of creation. The Osceola’s, a group of New Hampshire Mountains, if viewed from above, appear to have at one time been an ancient volcano. So, not only do we have an example of the power of land being pushed upward to heights of 10,000 feet or more, we also have the power of the glacier knocking down the volcano to 3-4,000 feet

 

Certainly, when we speak of natural power and beauty, we speak of what God has created for us and left in our care. Yet I wondered, why are mountains mentioned so often in the Holy Bible?

 

From Moses to Ezekiel and Joshua to Jesus, mountains play an important part in prayer and worship. Then again, why was this true? I have researched and found several viable explanations. The primary mention of worship on a mountain is Genesis 22 where Abraham was tested by God. He went to Moriah to sacrifice his son. After an angel stopped the slaughter, a ram was provided and sacrificed in the boy’s place. According to verse 14, Abraham called the place, “The Lord will provide,” and to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” Moriah is also the place where God spoke to King David, and where the House of God was to be built by Solomon. This early text may have prompted many worshipers to the mountaintops for prayer and praise.

 

Another interesting suggestion originates from the Garden of Eden. An article written by Gregg Strawbridge, Ph.D. points out that Eden was the meeting place of God and man. “Worship environments were designed after the model of heaven into which man could ascend to the presence of God.” Thus, temples on mountains raised man closer to God’s level. If you couldn’t climb a mountain to worship; a higher elevation, or things of nature would do: for example, a mountain-shaped altar of uncut stone, trees, water, or the sky. Dr. Strawbridge states that, “Eden was a high place, apparently on a mountain,” and he gives Ezekiel 28:13 as an example. “You were in Eden, the Garden of God…you were on the holy mount of God.” Another example can be found in the ‘Mosque of Omar,’ there is a rock 60’ long and 50’ wide. It has been intact since Solomon’s temple was built, and has been the site of worship for many millennia.

 

Altars were also built beside trees, as in Genesis 13:18; “So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the lord. Trees also play an important part in the Bible. I will not go into detail here, but for ancient peoples trees project the image of reaching up to heaven.

 

Water also plays a part in Biblical imagery. Water provides refreshment and cleansing. I can tell you first hand, that there is nothing more refreshing on a hot summers day, than an ice-cold mountain stream.

 

We usually don’t consider the sky as part of our praise and worship as much as the ancients did. Today, lights from the city make viewing the stars difficult if not impossible, and space exploration has diminished much of our awe. Yet Abram looked to the starry sky as the symbol of God’s covenant to him

 

In summery to Eden’s place in worship, Dr Strawbridge refers to Ezekiel’s vision. “This place where God was enthroned was called ‘chariot’. Since the earthly tabernacle and temple were a copy of the heavenly reality. Ezekiel’s vision was of the actual throne-chariot of God borne by cherubim…Thus, these old covenant environments of worship in the Bible, [mountains, trees, water, and sky], ‘pattern, model, or copy’ the heavenly sanctuary wherein God the judge of all is seated.

 

God also acknowledges the importance of mountains as a place of worship in Ezekiel 36, where Ezekiel was told to prophesy to the mountains. The chosen people of Israel began to worship idols of other religions and not their sovereign Lord. After berating the adulterers, God renewed his promise to Israel in verse 8. “But you, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home.” God will find favor for those who return and worship him.

 

Anyone who has climbed a mountain knows the work involved and the dedication needed to summit. Did anyone stop to consider the sacrifice poor old Moses made to bring us the Ten Commandments? I know EMS didn’t exist back then. He couldn’t just go down and buy supplies. Can you imagine climbing a mountain in sandals and a robe? Moses did have that fantastic staff, however, and I’m sure he needed it.

 

Before writing my sermon, I looked at some of the mountains of Biblical times. For the most part they look dry, with vegetation that grows low to the ground. At the base the soil appears gravelly, which is difficult to walk on; you know, one-step forward then you slide two steps back. As you climb higher, the rocks become larger, and the higher summits are comprised of steep cliffs. Sometimes there is a path between them, other times they appear impassable.

 

The Bible states that Mosses simply ‘went up’ the mountain, but Mount Sinai is 6,888 feet. To give you an idea what that looks like, our own Mount Washington is 6,288 feet, so Sinai is 600 feet higher. “Went up” is an understatement. Climbing in sandals, Mosses probably stubbed his toes many times. He would have caught his robe in the low-growing shrubs and torn his garments.

 

Hiding in the shrubs were poisonous snakes, here’s where the staff comes in handy, he could use it to stamp the ground and scare them away or beat the heads of the more aggressive individuals. The second time Mosses was to ascend the mountain, the Lord stated that anything, man or animal that touched the mountain would not live. So, that took care of one problem.

 

Still, what did Moses do for food and water? I climbed a 3,000-foot mountain once without food and lost three pounds. Rain in the mountaintops certainly provides water, and the Bible states that, “on the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain…” I’m sure the storm provided mountain streams with cool, clean water, but we know there was little food. Moses ascended Sinai several times under these conditions. Only with the miraculous strength of God could he have succeeded. It makes his descent from the mountain with two stone tablets even more amazing, and his ire at the people below worshiping an idol, justifiable

 

Since Jesus reminded us of God’s omniscience, and that genuine worship is spiritual and does not rely on location, we no longer think of the sky as heaven and the dwelling place of God.People in Biblical times climbed mountains to get closer to heaven, but this notion is archaic in modern times. If God is everywhere, why did Jesus climb mountains to pray? What is the significance of his actions?

 

In the tradition of the prophets before him, Jesus also sought lofty places to pray. Yet this action may seem in direct contradiction to what Jesus professes in John 4 where he speaks to the woman at the well. She tells Jesus that her ancestors worshipped on the mountain, but the Jews insist she worship in the temple. He answered, “God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.

 

This being said, Jesus had just explained the difference between well water, and ‘living water’ at the beginning of chapter four, using the ancient tradition of relating elements of nature to God and the Garden of Eden. This is further evidence that Jesus did not come to change the meaning of the Old Testament, but to fulfill it.

 

Jesus may have climbed smaller elevations to be seen and heard when he preached to a large crowd. Climbing a higher mountain would guarantee his solitude when in prayer or during special meetings such as the transfiguration. The higher one climbs, the more likely fewer people will follow. This would also be a testament to the disciple’s willingness to trust and follow Jesus.

 

In closing, I’d like to innumerate the benefits of climbing a mountain as an act of worship. It is primarily a pilgrimage, and those who reach the summit, feel a sense of accomplishment and well-being. It is a perfect time to survey God’s creation, and marvel at all he has done. You can stand in the sun at the top of one mountain and see a rainstorm caught on the summit of a distant peak. Some days are hot and still, yet other days the wind is strong and threatening. I have trod through gravel, mud, rock and snow, and know that the Creator has entrusted this to me.

 

Let us pray:

 

Lord, we know that you are spirit, and through the Holy Spirit, you may dwell in us. Let us use the things in nature, water, trees, mountains, and the starry sky, as a reminder of your promise of life everlasting, until the day when we may return to you through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

 © 2009 Donna McCoy

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