Jack’s Winning Words  8/30/22

“We should not be afraid to go into a new era, to leave the old behind.”  (Zach Wamp)  Zach was a Tennessee politician who prided himself in being bi-partisan.  He wanted to get things done without caring who got the credit.  I like his thought, too, of trying new things.  I recall how apprehensive I was when first learning to use the computer.  Now…a piece of cake (not).  Last week I saw a video of the coming robot-age.  Problems?  Yes.  Fear?  No  A hymn has this line: “New occasions teach new duties”  I like that.  Face the future, trusting that you have God as a friend who goes with us.  We need more Wamps in this world and fewer wimps.  ;-)  Jack. 

FROM WOODWINDS:  What is WAMP (Beginners Friendly Guide) (hostinger.com)  You got me curious as to what exactly a "Wamp" is.... is this what you had in mind?  🤔  ===JACK:  As far as I know, Wamp is the last name of a man from Tennessee who was an admired politician.

FROM ST PAUL:  certainly our years at SLLC were wonderful in soo many ways.  good friends and a loving congregation of God's people to be serving for 8 1/2  years.===JACK:  Compared to SOTV?  Each of my ministries was special in its own way.  Someone recently asked her sibling: "Which of your children do you like the best?"  It was taken as an inappropriate question.===SP:  Good point.  SLLC was such a great training ground for me to practice my skills.  and a very caring and forgiving congregation.    perhaps preparing me for  sotv?    i like to think so.  Good point.  SLLC was such a great training ground for me to practice my skills.  and a very caring and forgiving congregation.    perhaps preparing me for  sotv?    i like to think so.  ===JACK:  Perhaps in the eyes of God, "the least shall be first."  I sometimes feel that way about my calling.   

FROM EMT SINGS IN TC:  I really treasure all of your WW. I do not respond nearly often enough, but know that my days are brightened every time I read them! ===JACK:  Responses are fun to read, but remembering past experiences that we've had is the best.

FROM SHALOM JAN:  "Once to every (one) and nation . . ."  slightly updated, is still a good poem/hymn . . . for we each have decisions to make that will determine our future.  Thanks, Wamp and thanks, Jack.===JACK:  "Once to every person and nation comes the moment to decide."  Think about the decisions you've had to make in your lifetime....life altering, but God has been with you all the way.

 

 

 

Jack’s Winning Words  8/31/22 “Then I have a new worry. If God dies, who will run the world? I hope it’s not the Nazis”  (Jennifer Roy – from the book, Yellow Star )  I plan to visit our local Holcaust museum soon. I want….no, I need…. to see the tree grown from a sprig of the Anne Frank tree, a railroad car used to send Jews to killing centers, and one of the yellow 6-pointed stars used as a humiliating mark of identification of Jews by the Nazis.  I’ve talked with survivors.  It is hard to believe that anyone would want to live under a dictatorship with freedom taken away. I have chosen to “preach” about a God of love who tells us to love one another as He has loved us. Have you found a way to show love to other human beings?  ;-)  Jack.  FROM EMT SINGS IN TC:  The Bible Study group that I was in (and still am a part of via zoom) visited the Holocaust Museum years ago. You will never regret going or will not be the same after seeing it! ===JACK:  Some museums are for entertainment.  The Holocaust one is for education. FROM JOE ANN:  My husband loves me when I stop chattering . I must love him because chattering is my favorite thing to do! Have a sunny day Jack ===JACK:  I'm trying to remember the song, Chatterbox.  Do you know it?. FROM SK IN SJ:  I saw Anne Frank’s house. Very small space for them. Also, so very bad for the Jews in that Dictatorship. We need to be better than that! Let God make the choices. Our America is too greedy. Can’t take money and possessions with you when you die. It’s just stuff. Hope you trip was good. Hope to see you again soon! ===JACK: I never thought I'd see the day when a large number of Americans were willing to risk voting for a dictatorship...but I have. FROM DANDI SANDI:  Good morning. We just had another visit to the Holocaust Museum here with a group of friends, mostly non-Jews who wanted to participate in the experience with us. Our docent was a retired local prosecutor named Michael, who guided us with knowledge and stories. He was amazing. An adult child of a now-deceased survivor spoke with us at the end of our tour. Always an emotionally moving experience, especially horrific in the midst of our current political scene. No words.  ===JACK:  Do you know any of Jewish heritage that are deniers of the Holocaust? FROM COPPER COUNTRY BOB:  Amen!    I've been at the museum.  We've taken our kids and grandkids to the museum.  But America is sure tottering on the edge of authoritarianism.  God have mercy.===JACK:  As the song goes..."When will they ever learn?" FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  you do remember what can happen when freedoms are revoked! hope you vote accordingly this time ===JACK:  I've been satisfied with Brandon. FROM WOODWIND JACKIE:  This is the day that the Lord has made,  Let us rejoice and be glad in it!===JACK:  The Hour of Power always began with those words. FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I've been there and it is devastating, yet a mindful reminder of what can happen if we are indifferent or unconcerned!!!===JACK:  Several generations have not known the horror of Nazism, except for what they read in history books...if indeed they read history books.  And now, if we're forbidden to teach history, where are we headed?

 

Jack’s Winning Words 8/29/22 “What God intended for you goes far beyond anything you can imagine.”  (Oprah Winfrey)  As I think about God’s intention for my life, I think of the song, “The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell etc.”  Have you seen God active in your life…through some experience, or because of some person who has changed the direction in which you were heading?  When you stop to think about it, life is mysterious.  As you go about your day, don’t hold back your imagination.  Try to see what God sees in you.;-)  Jack FROM ST PAUL:  well said, Jack.  thanks.   and yes,  the older i get, i see more and more wonderful mysteries to my life and to others too.   like yours, for example.===JACK:  The point that I wanted to make is that we each have a life to live.  The mistake is to compare it with others instead of focusing on how to make it match  what God sees as possible.  Did you  (or I) live up to God's expectations for us?  FROM JOE ANN:   I knew my parents did not have the money to send any of their children to college. I thought my dream of becoming a teacher was just a dream. In seventh grade a teacher told me she believed I could get all A’s if I believed that too. The story ends with my dream coming true. That teacher and God are good!===JACK:  What an inspiring story.  Thanks.  It jus shows what can happen with encouragment and desire of your part.  God had in mind for you to be a teacher... and you became a good one. FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  Have you seen the movie "I Can Only Imagine."   Great story related to your post.  I Can Only Imagine https://a.co/d/0zYl0zO  Have a great day...===JACK:  So many movies, so little time.  ...but this one sounds like watching.     f

 Jack’s Winning Words 8/26/22

“Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.”  (Mark Twain)  Recently I heard of a blind man who could tell things about people by feeling their face.  He could sense laugh lines, signs of worry and stress…all without the use of eyes.  What would he to be able to tell about you?  If someone will allow you, touch that person’s face.  Any wrinkles?  Try to create some future wrinkles today by smiling at everyone you see. BTW, do you remember the name of the wrinkled man in the Dick Tracy comic strip?  I was raised not to comment about the looks of people.  ;-)  Jack 

FROM JU IN NC:  I understand that our eyes reveal the depths of our souls.  Many people avoid looking directly into their eyes in front of a mirror because they do not feel good about what they see.  Take a few moments and stare directly into the reflection of your eyes. Is the image soft and comfortable or hard and troubling?  The more of the Bible we read and spend time in the peaceful presence of God, will soften our presentation.===JACK:  I asked my eye doctor if she could see my soul by looking into my eyes.  She didn't have an answer for that.  Maybe she was never required to take a class in philosophy.===JU:  Allow me to share a true story.  A lady received news that her father had 3 months to live due to a terminal Illness.  She became deeply depressed and prayed for comfort.  A bright ball of light came up beside her.  This light remained by her for the duration of the last days of her father's life.  When he passed, the ball of light left.  She again started to become depressed.  But she had told some of her christian friends about this light earlier.  One day they asked if she would share her experience with the Christian circle they were part of?  At first she resisted but agreed.  As she stood before the group, she suddenly began to sob uncontrollably.  Then told them about the ball of light, and explained when she stood in front of them that looking at their faces the same light of the ball shone from their eyes.===JACK:  I, too, have seen the LIGHT.  I'll have to tell you about it sometime.

FROM ST PAUL:  i always felt sooo badly for Chuck L and his rare skin condition.  but he did not let that slow him down very much from what i could tell.  a really nice guy by all measures.===JACK:  His wife, Martha, was a saint.  She saw beyond the skin condition.  In a way, I'm glad that you had to remind me on that situation.  In a way, it means that it is not a high priority in my memory bank. ===SP:  and that says a lot about you too!

FROM SR RD:  Right now, my face is sad and a bit angry!!! We had a disagreement!!!  Pray for us, Jack!===JACK:  "All sunshine makes a desert."  Even the disciples had their disagreements.  I will pray for "understanding" and for "a willingness to forgive."  Thank you for your friendship.  You are a saint !  

 

 

 Jack’s Winning Words 8/25/22

“If our god is not big enough to be the God of all, even of those who deny God, then our god is not God.”  (Anant Ranbachan)  With this quote Anant has given me something to think about today.  A favorite book of mine is titled, Your God Is Too Small by J B Phillips.  Anant and J.B. have helped me to understand that GOD is bigger than my concept of God.  I was led to believe that the God of the Bible is the one true God.  But, GOD is bigger than my concept of Him.  He is that…and more.  What do you think?  Is there room in our thought process for a “God of all?”  The book, “Your God Is Too Small,” is one I recommend for “thinkers.”  ;-)  Jack

FROM MAGGIE:  Good morning. Homer Hutto read “Your God is too Small” as he journeyed his life of faith. I have that copy. A visualization I often share with people to try and help them break free from their limited concept of G-D is this: Picture traveling into our atmosphere and then out into space. Continue the visual to the edge of our solar system and then the edge of our galaxy. The creator has made all of that and myriads more. We are now blessed with telescope images that help us with our visualization. This practice I hope helps some to remove the Lord from the carefully constructed box we have placed “him” into. Thank you, ===JACK:  Your God Is Too Small and his translation of the New Testament into modern English are two of the most helpful books in my library.

FROM THE SCIENTIST:  The other day, my daughter was explaining how she saw the Hindu trimurti relating to the Christian trinity; father=creator, spirit=preserver, son=destroyer. We had just heard the lesson of Jesus coming to shake things up, even bringing discord within families. I confessed I was not familiar with the trimurti but saw that as an interesting connection. She said she had been waiting for me to disagree and show her how she was wrong. It sparked a “one God” conversation ===JACK:  Like mother, like daughter.  It 's beautiful to "see" how the mind works.  I'd lover to have her as on of my confirmation students.

FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  Been reflecting on the profoundness of your WW and realizing that I struggle with is the Bible tells me that the God that is portrayed there is the one true God, have spent money and time and energy reading all sorts of commentaries and perspectives—my God this is insane, too complicated, too BIG!!!!!  Then I reflected that the saving thing for my poor addled mind and, in fact, the well-being of my whole being and social being in this world is those Sacraments, that my formation includes God’s being Present to me in the washing of my body and the nourishing of my body through my digestive tract—universal needs of every human body though these I guess are regulated by faith institutional means.  In my thought process there is room for a God of all but He becomes mysteriously small enough for me to eat, as well as so big I can’t even wrap my mind around Him or maybe Her or maybe They, so much I don’t deeply understand yet.  Profound WW and it’s easy for me to believe a merciful loving God is probably compassionate towards those who deny G-d.  I have it in me to be compassionate and sympathetic too.  Have a blessed day,===JACK:  Stay tuned.  I have a WWs coming up about a GOD who is sooooo BUG that He encompasses ALL Gods of every religion.  A God so big that we are unable to humanly imagine.  One of the reasons "for Jesus" is that God wants us to understand Him from a human point of view.

FRO ST PAUL:  when talking about other world religions,  here is my quote:   Does God reveal himself in all religions of the world?  i surely hope so and i believe that he does.  but never so clearly as in the person of Jesus Christ.   if you want the clearest picture of what God is really like,  look at the life of Jesus Christ.    and seldom has anyone really challenged me on this statement===JACK:  God is Jesus...and more!===SP:  and therein lies the BIG difference.   

FROM SR RD:  Thanks, Jack! Yes, I agree with you on this and our conversation at lunch yesterday! Our "concept" of God is too SMALL!===JACK:  Through prayer and conversation we have been able to see a BIGGER God, a God of ultimate love.  "Love one another as I have loved you."

FROM ANANT:  Greetings my friend. I trust that all continues well with you.  You honor me by quoting these words for your reflection.  Thank you.  I look forward to seeing you again.===JACK:   It is you that I should be thanking for helping me to see a bigger  God.

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  every religion the world over is convinced theirs is right...===JACK:  I don't believe that.

FROM PROUD MARY:  I believe in the God of All. Many Prophets…many Cultures…one Goal===JACK:  .....all of that....and more.  We continue to seek to know the unknowable.  

FROM WEB:  Whether stories are factual or allegorical is not essential; it is the truth within the lesson that matters. Both contextualists and literalists have a place; however this view is not shared by literalists.===JACK:  Keep on thinking in this way....and you will approach the truth.

FROM SHALOM JAN:  Check out an article in the NY Times about the Oberammergau Passion Play being "on" for this year after a two-year COVID delay.  There are two Muslim residents (Turkish immigrant families) who are attached to the play -- one a main character, one a more minor character and assistant director.  The old rules restricted participation in so many ways; they are gradually being updated by the Town Council at the instigation of the directors over the years.  Changes in the play are also carefully discussed by a group of Catholic clergy.  Still GOD is bigger than any person can imagine. It's a good article and makes me want to go again -- my husband and I went in 2000.  I'm preaching on Jesus as the rude guest (Luke 14:1, 7-14) this coming Sunday.  Jesus' characteristics far exceeded most of our cramped imaginations and tightly polite images.  While increasing our images of God, we need to expand our ideas about Jesus, and what he wanted to tell us, too!===JACK:  By Jove, I think that she's got it!   "Change and decay in all around I see.  O Thou, who changest not, abide with me."  That's one of my favorite hymn passages.

FROM DAZ IN COLORADO:   Interesting. I can't conceive a trillion of anything and yet to know that God is much bigger/more than that.===JACK:  If you can't thinkl that BIG, neither can I.  I admire your mind.===DAZ:  I can handle star sightings on the way to the moon, the thrust of Saturn V, and take comfort in the bigness of God but some numbers are just numbers. ===JACK:  The vastness of space is in comprehensible...as is GOD.

FROM JENS R:  Got mit.===JACK:  I'm not surprised.  You were one of my "thinking" sudents.

 

Jack’s Winning Words 8/24/22 “You can close your eyes to the things you don’t want to see, but you can’t close your heart to the things you don’t want to feel.”  (Johnny Depp)  Julia Andrews said that the song, Feelings, is one of the hardest for her to sing, not only because of the tune, but also because of what the lyrics are trying to express, the feeling of love.  How do you put love into words?  “Say it with flowers,” say the florists.  8 billion candy hearts have “love words” written on them.  Perhaps best is to simply say, “I love you,” to someone you care about.  Maybe it’s not Valentine’s Day today, but every day is a good day to open your heart and tell someone in in your life…”I love you!”  Try it!  It doesn’t have to be hard.  ;-)  Jack  FROM JOE ANN:    Jack today your WW touched my soul. Thank you.===JACK:  God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. FROM MY LAWYER:  Jack, you’ve been my friend for 50 years; and I love you. ===JACK:  Over 50 years....We share so many fond memories.  You have helped me to understand that G-d is bigger than any one particular religion. FROM SMILIN' TERI:  Thanks…going to use this in one of my trainings.  For I tell groups “Feelings Just Are; there are no good feelings or bad.”  We just have to process them. Your quote fits perfectly===JACK:  Many of this world's problems could be faced and solved if people would simply share feelings.  FROM BEE CEE:  Good quote by Johnny Depp. ===JACK:  I wasn't too pleased to read news reports about his personal life...but sometimes the news gets it mixed up.

Jack’s Winning Words 8/23/22
“Everybody’d be nice to you if they knew you were dying.”  (Bruce – Robert DeNiro – in Bang the Drum Slowly)  I never knew that this DiNiro film was about life and death and baseball until last week when CPA M referred to it in an e-mail.  Now, I can’t wait to see it.  I’m thinking…..When I know that someone’s days are numbered, do I treat them differently?  I guess that I do.  I make the phone call, just to say, “Hi!”  I try to say positive things.  I don’t talk about dying, unless the other one brings it up first.  I’m a pastor, and I’m conflicted.  Perhaps you are too.  In my heart of hearts I ask God to intervene and that His will might be done in this situation.  Life sometimes is difficult, isn’t it?  ;-)  Jack.  www.jackswinningwords.blogspot.com to see my blog

FROM SR RD:  YES, Jack, it surely is. .===JACK:  ...yes, but God is good and does not abandon us.

FROM CPA MD:  :   .  I often wondered why we pray for the sick and wounded such as part of church services. It seems that your belief in God and life ever after would comfort you in knowing that He is going to do the right thing. Perhaps we pray so there is no suffering or we pray to help ourselves through the loss of a loved one.===JACK:  I don't think that praying is so much asking for a miracle as it is communicating with "the source of all that is, and asking that "God's will" (which is ultimately good and perfect) be done of us and those we pray for.  "I place Mike (or whoever) in your hands, o Lord, because then the outcome will be for the best.

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  what on earth does this have to do with me?===JACK:  I believe that you've been a caregiver.  Have you ever offered a prayer on behalf of the person entrusted to your care?  Or, have you ever prayed?  even recited the "Our Father?"  In your mind, is prayer useful or useless?===L:  prayer helps the person who prays, if they believe in prayer. not sure it changes god's mind abt anything...===JACK:  I don't nbelieve that prayer is meant to change God's mind.  We prayr: "Thy will be done!===FL:  a fb friend in maryland is a born-again catholic. i am an episcopalian... we both question and believe. i always pray for you, btw===JACK:  Believe and question is a good way to approach religion.  You've told me several times that you are an Episcopalian.  Evidently that brand of religion is important to you.  What is it that appeals to you?    Many church changes have been begun by that church.  There have also been bumps in the road because of the changes.  The ELCA has always worked closely with the more moern Episcopals...in fact in our community an ELCA and Episcopal congregation share the same pastor and the same building.  Thje worship service is a hy-brid one.  It is called,  Spirit of Grace Church.===FL:  my german grandfather's dad was a sea captain. he dropped my 8 yo grandpa off at jesuit school in san francisco. my grandpa said the priests committed "unspeakable acts," and he ran away at 16 to join the merchant marines, never to return to his german family. he became an episcopalian by choice bc of the freedom of thought afforded its members. no one ever mentioned hell or any of that damnation stuff the rest of the organized religions scare you with... we encourage dissent and discourse. we think for ourselves.  ===JACK:  I find it interesting that if you ask the right questions, you are able to hear "the rest of the story" and understand each other better.  Thanks for sharing.  I had a German background on my mother's side, but her father never talked about how and why he came to America.  It was mysteruous.

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