The Ghost Army Revisited (a Steve Orr Lent reflection)

They were playing “make believe” in the middle of a war!

When word began to spread that the army was seeking recruits with skills in the areas of drawing, painting, stage craft, theatrical lighting, sound production, and the like, several people were interested. It was the height of World War II. Many who wanted to serve had been rejected on various grounds, usually for failing the entrance physical. Upon discovering they might be allowed to serve in a newly created unit, while doing the very things they were already skilled at, sounded almost too good to be true.

And maybe it was.

Admission was strictly at the option of the Army. Applicants had to write a letter explaining why they wanted to serve in the unit. Once admitted, they could tell no one what they were assigned to do ... and that injunction lasted for over forty years after the war (some parts are still top secret).

But that’s only the beginning of the strangeness. Several people, already serving in combat roles, received mysterious visitors who told them they were being reassigned to this new unit, 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. To the consternation of these soldiers and their immediate supervisors, these visitors refused to answer any questions about their new duties.

Eventually, over 1,100 able-bodied soldiers, people who were otherwise capable of combat roles, were transferred into the 23rd, a non-combat unit.

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"All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near."

Sun Tzu
The Art of War
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During the last year and a half of that war, the 23rd had one of the strangest jobs in the military: they had to pretend to be an army. Their job was to bring to life Sun Tzu's precept on deception.

They became a Ghost Army.

Using sound trucks with loud-speakers, fictional radio scripts, and deceptive visuals (like inflatable rubber tanks & jeeps), these men delivered a false understanding to the enemy. At times, command needed the enemy to believe invasion forces were massing a hundred miles south of the actual location: the 23rd took care of that. At other times, command needed the enemy to think the army was closer than it actually was. The 23rd took care of that.

By playing specially made recordings, at night over loud speakers, the enemy could "hear" entire battalions entering an area, the sounds of pontoon bridge construction along with cursing sergeants, even the sounds of tanks clanking over those bridges: all of it nothing more than sound. Using scripts, the men would engage in radio chatter, exactly like that used by actual combat units, to mislead the enemy into thinking deployments were moving in one direction, toward one objective, when something completely different was being executed elsewhere.

The enemy was listening ... and acting on what they heard. But the pinnacle was what they did with fake vehicles. Rubber tanks, weighing less than 100 pounds when inflated, and could easily be moved about by four men. Tanks, jeeps, gun emplacements, and "motor pools" were just a few of the magicks in their bag of tricks. They were incredibly successful.

Our enemy uses deception on us, too.

The enemy sometimes makes us believe God is further away than He actually is. Our enemy wants us to believe: “God cannot possibly love me!” And he employs deception to convince us of it. He "shows" us the big guns pointed at us and makes us worry about the impact such things will have on our lives. It is all designed to look and sound like assaults we cannot survive, to distract us from our true ally, God, and to defeat us by any means.

In this week's Lectionary selection from Psalm 51, there are many negatives. Satan would be very pleased if we became dispirited by such things as being sinners, God's judgment, and us having done evil. Instead, we need to recall that Satan wages a war for our souls, that he wishes to mislead us and distract us from truth, and specifically this truth: even then, even under the Law, the Psalmist knew that God possessed steadfast love, could have mercy, could forgive, and could "blot out my transgressions."

In a system where the Law taught that the nation’s sins could only be rolled forward each year (and never completely eliminated), the idea that sins could be "blotted out" was radical.

The Psalmist uses his sin to emphasize God's boundless love. The Psalmist somehow knows that, should God choose to do so, He could actually create a clean heart in a living human, place a new and right spirit within that person, actually restore a person to the joy of salvation.

It has, of course, always been true: God can forgive our sins.

God can make us new and whole, can completely ignore what we've done. And then on top of that, continually energize our newly installed spirit, teaching us wisdom in our most secret inner being, so we grow to be willing to continue in a state of grace-filled forgiveness.

Oh, Satan would never want us to know that ... and he will use his ghost army to try to keep us from remembering that God is greater than our failings, draws near to us when we seek Him, and loves us more than we can even love ourselves.


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A somewhat different version of this reflection appeared during Lent 2015

GHOST ARMY PHOTO and story: http://www.messynessychic.com/2015/05/14/the-ghost-army-of-wwii-that-duped-hitler/

MORE ABOUT THE GHOST ARMY (a PBS Special, a book, and a possible movie): http://www.ghostarmy.org/
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Fifth Sunday in Lent (March 18, 2018)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//

Jeremiah 31:31-34
Psalm 51:1-12 or Psalm 119:9-16
Hebrews 5:5-10
John 12:20-33
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Join us if you can on Friday morning for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We always start at 8:00-ish, sharp. And we wind things up right on the dot of 9:00-ish. Come for the food, the prayer, the scriptures, and the provocative discussions that flow. But stay for the laughter.

Blessings,
Steve

My So-Called Retirement (a Steve Orr Reverie)

“I’m busier than I’ve ever been!”

Almost every retired person I know has said something like that to me.

It’s just one of the things I promised myself would not be part of my retirement. I spent an entire lifetime being busy, fighting against being busy, and promising myself that, if I ever had the opportunity, I would not be busy. Or maybe I really mean overly busy ... idle hands and all that stuff.

In any case, I decided quite some time ago to plan for my retirement rather than letting it just happen to me. And so, based on my experiences, both leading to and now living in retirement, I have a few thoughts I want to share with you.

1. MAKE A PLAN: None of these plan steps can stand alone: they all affect each other ... thus the need to make a plan as far in advance as you can. Everyone is different. We all have different resources, personalities, family situations, etc. So that’s why I say, “Your plan has to be your plan.” You can get a lot of useful input from many sources on what others think is a good plan for the retirement years. Just Google “retirement” and you will have an overwhelming supply of recommendations ... OR, you could just use some version of this simple one.

A. Be honest with yourself about your resources, especially your money situation. Food, housing, healthcare, recreation, travel ... all these things can cost you money (Medicare doesn’t kick in until you turn 65, and there are often premiums to pay). You can offset some expenses (walk instead of drive; spend more time at home, garden some of your food, etc.). However, don’t despair if you only have a small amount of money on which to retire. I watched my in-laws successfully retire on very little money. My father-in-law had been a machinist almost all of his adult life. He had no company sponsored retirement, nor did he have any company sponsored health coverage. My mother-in-law was blind from birth. Suffice to say, they were not “rolling in the dough.” And yet, with careful planning, they found a way to enter their retirement years with enough. And that’s the watchword: enough. It takes a little thought (and maybe a calculator), but you can project how much you are going to need to live on. Once you have that number, that becomes your money goal.

B. Decide where you will live. Where you will live will shape every other decision. If you are planning to relocate, you need to include that cost in your money plan. But it also affects how much and what kind of clothing you will need, and even what foods will be available to you at different times of year. If you want to retire in the north, you need to take winter into consideration. If you want to live south, near the ocean or gulf (or in the desert), air conditioning and humidity are major factors. Also, some locations are just more costly on a day-to-day basis than others. Research what current retirees are paying for housing, food, etc., in your preferred location. Luckily, all of this is out there on the internet. Another consideration: will you live with family, or communally, or in a care facility? All of these need to be planned for ... as much as they can be.

C. Decide what you want to do in retirement. I have often heard, “Retire to something, not from something.” There is some truth in there. If your whole plan is to just get out of the workforce, you will not be happy in retirement. I recall my grandfather just leaving the house every morning and walking for most of the day. He didn’t want to just be a home, but he didn’t really have anywhere to go and he had nothing to do. The sadness of that has been seared into my brain. Luckily, there are a couple of fairly easy things you can do to make this part go well for you. First, take a little time to think about (and write down) the things, actions, travels, etc., you’ve “always wanted to do.” Most of us have some idea, already, about matters that we have had to push aside, put on hold, etc., because of the time constraints of working, raising families, caring for loved ones with health concerns ... you know all of this. In that list, you will find that there are some that call to you more than others. Have you wanted to do (or do more) community service? Put that in your plan. Does your garden call to you? Put that in your plan. What about travel? If you’ve got places on your bucket list, put that in your plan. Once you have begun your list, try to divide it into two broad sections: one for day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month kinds of activities ... the kinds of things that will fill your days at home (or close to home). The other section is for things like travel desires, running for political office, post-retirement employment, and the like. Once you have some of these things on paper, revisit A and B, above, so you can match up resources and locations. The more realistic your plan, the more likely you will actually get to do it.

D. Plan for a “Gap Year.” Among some really excellent advice I received prior to actually retiring was this gem. Give yourself an entire year in which you make no new commitments. Does that sound strange to you? Does it sound like something you could not actually do? Let me share with you how not only I, but also my spouse, employed this lovely tool to significantly increase the joy of our retirement. When I retired, I already knew I wanted to become more involved in my community. However, beyond some broad ideas, I had no real specifics. I wanted to “be useful” and to “be helpful” and “to be of service” in some way. I wanted my involvements, whatever they turned out to be, “to have an impact” on my community. But, by making a covenant with myself to wait for a year before making any significant commitments, I found I had time to do some other, very significant, things. After about three months of careful, thoughtful consideration, I decided to enter a local community volunteer training program (LeadershipPlenty, for those who are interested. Designed by the Pew Foundation, it has a unique philosophy and approach that works with folks who are already present in local communities.). Because I waited, and had a relatively free calendar, I could take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to explore our community and learn about our true needs. As a result, by the time my “gap year” was coming to a close, I knew how I wanted to redeem my time. I was invited onto the board of a local nonprofit that works with unaccompanied homeless high school students to facilitate their graduation and next life-step. In the following year, I added just a couple more activities (joined the League of Women Voters; sought an appointment to the local public library advisory commission). My spouse has had a similar experience. Following retirement, she continued to serve on the board of our local public radio station, but turned down every other “opportunity” that came calling (and they do come calling ... nature abhors a vacuum). Now, as she approaches the end of her “gap year,” she has begun to see the shape of what she might actually want to do with her life in the coming years. In the meantime, we have used her gap year for travel, family connections, time with the grands, reading, writing, spiritual development, etc.

2. WORK YOUR PLAN: Before we explore this, let me share with you something that often surprises people about planning: no plan survives actual implementation. Yes, you need to plan. No, you don’t have to do things that no longer make sense. Between the time you make your plan and the time when you might actually retire, lots of things will change. Part of working your plan is that you will, from time to time, need to amend it so that it always reflects reality. Remember: a dream is what you desire; a plan is how you make those dreams come true. To put it bluntly: some of our dreams may be beyond our ability to make come true. You will have to choose, so take the time to determine what matters most to you. Reviewing, amending, and working your plan will help you to choose what most matters to you and then help you match your resources, location, etc., to trying to fulfill those dreams.

3. ENJOY YOUR RETIREMENT: Because we are all different, have different resources and different situations, what makes for an enjoyable retirement will be different for each of us. Planning will help. But, truthfully, your own attitude and approach to your daily life in retirement will be the most important factor. For me, focusing on how I use my time has been key to my happiness; time with my spouse, time with my family (in-laws, outlaws ... I get to define who makes up my family), reading, writing, spiritual journey. All of these are precious to me —the most important aspects of my life— and are the real reasons I got out of the “rat race” to begin with.


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There is a lot more that can be (and has been) written about retirement. My objective, here, was to try to keep it simple. As mentioned, there is a lot of information out on the Internet, and it is easily searched for on Google or some other search engine. Feel free to do some research. The more you make it your plan, the better.

PHOTO: https://allwording.com/retirement-party-invitation-wording/

Training Wheels Revisited (a Steve Orr Lent reflection)

My first bike, a Sears 26-inch JC Higgins, was so much bigger than me. I had to bring it to the end of our walkway (which was a full twelve inches above the sidewalk) in order to get on it. But, once on it, I could not keep it upright. That didn't keep me from trying, but I fell ... a lot. In fact, every single time I pedaled a couple of turns, I started to tumble. This kept me close to home. That way I could always tumble unto our slightly raised lawn.

Into this problem stepped my Dad.

One Saturday, he called me to come out front to show me that he had installed training wheels on my bike. This was great! I still had to climb on at the end of the walkway, but this time the bike stayed upright. My Dad gave me only one rule: whenever I got off the bike, I had to use the kickstand. He said that would keep the training wheels from wearing out (he intended to use them for my sister at some point). For the first few minutes, I just sat there, luxuriating in the realization that I was not going to topple over.

And then I took off.

I rode all over the neighborhood on that bike. For days —and then weeks— I soared, my confidence placed firmly in those training wheels to keep me aloft. Oh, I still had some dismount problems due to that center bar, but on the whole it was the freedom I had dreamed of. This was more than happiness.

This was joy.

One morning, after having come back from a ride, I carefully climbed off the bike, hooked the kickstand down with my sneaker, and turned to find my Dad standing in my path.

He said, "How was the ride?"

"Great!" I replied.

"So, no problems riding without the training wheels?"

I whipped around and saw, to my horror, that there were no training wheels on my bike! I was almost overcome with the shock. I could have fallen!

"You took off the training wheels!" I accused.

"A week ago," he replied.

More shock! I had been riding without them for a week! But that was not all. Dad had never intended for me to rely on those training wheels. Like Stephen Covey wrote decades later, Dad "began with the end in mind." Every two or three days, he raised those training wheels ever so slightly. Finally, at some point, they never touched the ground while I rode the bike. And, because he had insisted I always use the kickstand, I never noticed that the bike could no longer stand on its own.

It is like this with God and us.

God began a work within each of us "with the end in mind." God knows we have to make the journey. God knows we will encounter things that, initially, we just cannot do without assistance. And God ensures we get that assistance. But the objective is that we outgrow the need for that help; that, in fact, we grow to the point where, not only do we not need help with that challenge, but we become so skilled at it, we become someone else's assistance.

So, don’t be surprised to find in Ephesians 2:10 that long ago God prepared good deeds for each of us to do; that God crafted positive actions specific to you, for you to do. Be encouraged: it means God thinks you're ready.

And be curious. Start looking around. Someone needs their training wheels ... and you’re up!


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A slightly different version of this reflection appeared during Lent 2012.

Photo (and an interesting story):
http://omahamagazine.com/articles/taking-off-the-training-wheels/
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Fourth Sunday in Lent (March 11, 2018)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//

Numbers 21:4-9
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Ephesians 2:1-10
John 3:14-21
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Join us Friday morning for the DaySpring Lectionary Breakfast. We gather at 8:00 for good food, prayer, fellowship, and a truly fine time in the scriptures. We still meet at the Waco “Egg and I” restaurant. We’re in the back.

Don’t expect some dry, dull study. While we delve into the scripture, we share our lives and our laughter.

Blessings,
Steve

What If This Was Easy? (a Steve Orr Lent reflection)

Sometimes I get stuck.

From time to time, I find myself stumped, unable to resolve a problem. I may have spent several minutes (hours!) attempting to master a means to fix, correct, open, understand, etc. ... and then I recall my “magic” question. I’ve been amazed how just that one change of perspective can produce a happy outcome.

I use it to unjam the logs, to break the impasse of my thoughts. What I am really asking myself is this: am I over-complicating this? Am I subconsciously attempting some complicated approach when a simple one will do (and do better)? Have I gotten in my own way?

Am I making it harder than it needs to be?

Let me be clear: this is not a question about effort. Some things require effort to be done correctly, effectively, successfully ... sometimes, a lot of effort. And I’m not talking about those things in this life that are actually complicated. Rocket science is still well beyond the ken of most of us. But, among those matters with which most of us must deal in our daily lives, it’s been my experience that we tend to over-complicate them.

Often, to our own detriment.

This week’s Lectionary scriptures illustrate the point. The Ten Commandments are anything but complicated. Sure, if we want to, we can make them complicated ... but why do that? Simple commands, straight forward directives. Love and revere God, and no other “gods.” Don’t steal. Don’t murder. Don’t lie. Don’t cheat. Don’t covet. Take a day off. Honor your parents. In fact, they are so uncomplicated, Jesus sums them up in just a few sentences at Matthew 22:35-40.

What if this was easy?

The Psalm passage continues the thought that God’s directives for our lives are not only straight forward and actually good for us, but are easily perceived in creation; so obvious that not even words are needed.

What if this was easy?

And the 1st Corinthians passage aims right for heart of the matter. When we rely on the “wisdom” of this world, we over-complicate the truth: God’s wisdom is so simple it appears foolish to people on the outside looking in.

We sometimes find that we are stuck, don’t we? Can’t seem to move forward, can’t seem to back out; can’t resolve that problem; can’t open that pickle jar. Or, maybe a lot more than stuck? Overwhelmed even? Sometimes life appears to be so difficult and so complicated, and no resolution in sight, we want to just throw up your hands and yell, “God, I can’t do this!”

Maybe we’re just asking the wrong question.

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Third Sunday in Lent (March 4, 2018)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//

Exodus 20:1-17
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
John 2:13-22

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DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast is still meeting Friday mornings at the Waco “egg and I” restaurant. Look for us in the back. We start at 8:00, and then enjoy an hour of great food, fellowship, scripture, and prayer.

Couldn’t be easier.

Blessings,
Steve

Giant Arrows on the Earth (a Steve Orr Lent reflection)

They’re still out there, you know ... those giant concrete arrows. You can still see them, even though they are quite old.

No, they’re not remnants of some ancient civilization, nor do they point the way to Superman's Fortress of Solitude, and they aren’t evidence of extra-terrestrial landing sites.

These concrete arrows were first placed on the Earth in the 1920's. They were the most visible part of the Transcontinental Airway System, designed to aid Air-mail pilots as they traveled across the United States. Lacking the level of technology we enjoy, today, these pilots could easily get lost. At the time, it was a perfectly reasonable approach to providing a useful navigation aid.

The arrows were painted bright yellow. At the center of each was a tall tower with a rotating beacon boasting a million-candlepower light. So, even though it was possible to see them from the ground, they were designed to be seen, and were best seen, from the air.

At their peak, there were over 1,500 of these "ground beacons" stretching from New York to San Francisco. Day or night, pilots could find their way across the country and back. Their makers intended these arrows to serve as a kind of covenant between themselves and those who had to depend on the arrows for essential, maybe even vital, information.

Today, though, they seem a little simple.

Kind of like rainbows.

After a rain, we see a rainbow arcing across a portion of the sky and feel a little jump of elation, an appreciation of its beauty. Few of us stop to reflect on an essential truth: rainbows are anything but simple.

Without the rain, no amount of sunlight striking our atmosphere could produce a rainbow. For a rainbow to appear high up in the sky, there has to be a brilliant light source and there has to be millions upon millions of rain drops to reflect/refract that light.

To Noah and his family (in this week’s Genesis passage), the appearance of a rainbow was brand new. Before the Flood there had been no rain. Whatever mechanism God used to change our atmospheric composition to bring about that first rain, it remained in place when the flood subsided. And it produced, for the first time, the conditions necessary for a rainbow.

Technically, you can see a rainbow from the air, but it doesn't look quite the same; it can even appear as a circle from certain angles. Where you need to be to see the phenomenon as a bow is on the ground, with rain before you and the sun behind you.

God placed His bow "in the clouds" so that, for all generations, we could be assured that God would never again destroy all flesh by means of a flood.

The rainbow is just one of the covenants God has set between Himself and us ... signs we can see as we travel this spiritual journey on our way to where we are reunited, pointing the way so we don't become lost.

Whether it's bows or arrows, the intent is the same. If you want a successful journey, look for the signs along the way.

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A somewhat different version of this reflection appeared in February 2015.

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If you want to read more on the giant concrete arrows, some of which can still be seen, you could Google them or you could try http://www.citylab.com/work/2015/02/why-is-america-dotted-with-giant-concrete-arrows/385472/?utmsource=GristFB&utm_content=buffere1847&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
First Sunday in Lent (February 18, 2018)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=71

Genesis 9:8-17
Psalm 25:1-10
1 Peter 3:18-22
Mark 1:9-15
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Lectionary Breakfast meets most Friday mornings at 8:00. We gather at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant (Franklin and New Road, near Outback. Look for us at the back.) We read the week’s scriptures and then dig in for the sustenance.

The food's good, too.

Enjoy the week!
Steve

HUMPTY DUMPTY [ actually ] SAT ON A WALL (a Steve Orr Lectionary reflection)

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King's horses and all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again!

Just a nursery rhyme ... right?

Egg shell and yolk at the base of a stone wall, soldiers standing around looking puzzled?

But what if it really happened?

Turns out there was very large canon mounted high on a town wall in 17th century England. During the (then famous) Siege of Colchester, those seeking Parliamentary rule attacked the walled city because it was a haven for Royalist (those who believed rule should remain with the royals, only).

That canon’s name? Humpty Dumpty.

Apparently, Humpty Dumpty was quite effective as weaponry goes, keeping the Parliamentarians at bay for about a month. Effective, that is, until some clever Parliamentarian thought to fire on the wall just below the canon ... and when the wall caved in, Humpty Dumpty "had a great fall."

There was an attempt by the Royalists ("the King's men") to put HD back into commission, but the damage from the fall was too great. Still, the Royalists held out for another six weeks. But in the end, without that big boy high up on the wall to drive them away, the Parliamentarians prevailed. And I think you know how all that ended up.

Maybe knowing the true story of Humpty Dumpty will make it a bit easier to understand a strange phrase from this week's 2 Kings scripture selection.

Stop and read it, then come back.

You saw it, right? Elisha cries out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" right after Elijah is swept away by the chariot of fire? The "father" part I get: likely Elisha had come to regard Elijah as a father. Their separation by the emissaries of God was sudden, so shouting out "father!" certainly fits in the shock of the moment. Elisha suddenly realized just how valuable Elijah was to him, personally.

But what is this business about Israel's chariots and horsemen?

Most scholars believe Elisha's use of this phrase means he had suddenly realized just how vulnerable the nation of Israel was without Elijah. What Elijah had done to protect and save Israel from its enemies, both within and without —by being God's faithful prophet in such a tumultuous time— was greater than even the great armies of the King.

Nothing, not even "all the King's horses and all the King's men" were enough to equal Elijah’s value to Israel.

Look about you. Any Humpty Dumpty's nearby? Are there men and women you know who so faithfully serve the Lord that our fellowship will be significantly diminished by their passing?

Now is the time to be with them. Don't wait until they've gone home to be with the Lord to suddenly realize just how valuable they are, especially to you.

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A different version of this reflection appeared in 2015 as "All the King's Horses and all the King's Men.”

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Transfiguration Sunday (February 11, 2018)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//

2 Kings 2:1-12
Psalm 50:1-6
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Mark 9:2-9

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Can you join us Friday morning for Lectionary Breakfast? As usual, we meet at 8:00 at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant (Meeting room just off the main dining room). Our time together is both fun and precious.

If you can't be with us —maybe you're so far away that joining us is impractical— maybe it's time you started your own group like this.

Something to think about.

Enjoy the week!
Steve

The Bogard House Revisited (a Steve Orr Epiphany reflection)

Moonshiners, Al Capone, Prohibition ... A mansion situated deep in the land between the rivers where only the shacks of poor farmers should have been. We'd all heard the stories about the long lost “Bogard House” ... not much more than rumors, really.

Then, one day, we actually found it.

It’s a longish story that I will spare you. Suffice to say that, by the time one of our group found it, “between the rivers” had become The Land Between the Lakes, a modern recreational playground. Long gone were the moonshiners and poor farmers; though some of the shacks still stood along nearly impassable dirt tracks far from the modern highway that traversed it.

It was along those dirt tracks that we traveled that day, dodging pitfalls and uprooted trees, following our friend, wondering which, or if any, of the rumors were true.

And then we came over a rise and suddenly found ourselves staring at a large, multi-story home situated on the banks of the Lake Barkley. It had seen better days, but even then it was impressive. In an area that, before TVA, was known for its poverty, this house would certainly have been a mansion. Someone with some money had lived there.

But, why? Why would someone with money want to live all the way out there in the boonies? As it turned out, many of the stories we had heard were true. Joe Bogard, revered among his neighbors as the "King of Moonshiners," had lived there with his family. Moonshine was produced there and was sold all over the Midwest, including to certain folk up Chicago way. The rumor that airplanes landed on a strip in front of the house, loaded up with hooch, and flew it back to Al Capone? Well, we could never find any evidence of that.

But we did find four secret rooms.

As I say, though, the story of that day is longish. So we will step away for the moment, pausing only to note this: we had heard of that house, stories of other peoples from other times, and then we came to know it ourselves.

Much like the questions in this week's Isaiah selection:

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV)

None of this was news to the people of Israel. They had been hearing of God all their lives. There was a long, documented history of God doing amazing things among their nation. And yet, they had let what they heard cease to be what they knew. They had become theological amnesiacs. God had become more of a rumor to them than a reality.

God's prophets spoke the message He gave them. Those words from Isaiah? Those are the words of God, spoken to His people. They are about His kingdom and they are not rumor. You can put your faith in them. So, seek it, ask for it, knock doors until you gain entry.

Because, one day, you will come over a rise and there it will be.


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A version of this reflection appeared in February 2015.

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For more of my memory about that day at The Bogard House, there is an incomplete memoir at: http://write-craft.blogspot.com/2011/05/in-development-bogard-house-by-steve.html

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Photo: Sadly, that’s not a photo of the Bogard House. Maybe there’s one out there, somewhere, but I’ve not yet found it. This house, situated on Lake Winnipesaukee, looks a lot like it, though. See more of it at https://www.nhlakesrealty.com/newest-listings-on-lake-winnipesaukee/

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (February 4, 2018)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=64

Isaiah 40:21-31
Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Mark 1:29-39
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Friday mornings are times of exploration and discovery at Lectionary Breakfast. We delve into God’s word to find out for ourselves just what is real. Join us at 8:00 at the Waco “Egg and I” restaurant for an hour like no other.

Blessings,
Steve