Am I enlightened?

This is my long answer to a high school friend who asked if I "was always enlightened or was it a product of adulthood?" He's an airline pilot now, which is one career I could never fathom.

I always went to church, and always had lots of questions about creation, science, God, etc, but in Maryville, it's easy to hide who you are behind what is expected. In high school, everyone is trying to feel accepted, and very few folks are true to themselves so that they can fit in with some crowd or clique. It's group think. Our college age years are when we really find our footing as individuals. When I left Maryville, I left. I never expected to be back in East Tennessee. I studied Church Music in Illinois, got married, lived in Europe, came back to DC, went to seminary, and eventually came back "home" to serve as a United Methodist pastor.

Folks at my home church, (1st UMC - Maryville) never seem surprised by my vocation, because they saw that side of me. The band geeks/ chess club crowd never did, because it wasn't part of that group's mindset. I wanted to fit in, so I hid that part of who I am. Nobody in Maryville knew how much I enjoyed D&D, Magic: The Gathering, and LOTRs. Come to think of it, most of my church members don't know that either!

I think what happens as we grow is we become more comfortable in blending together our different personality aspects - our likes, dislikes, proclivities, and gifts - into a unique image of our true self. Most of us have tried a couple of different phases, and now we are ready to just be ourselves.

I don't think of myself as "enlightened," but I deal with spiritual issues every day. My life centers around helping people understand life, death, our world, our connection to each other, and, from my perspective, our connection to the Divine. I just came in the door from burying a 89-year-old man who was a huge piece of welcoming me and my family into the local community. Life and death and suffering and joy and the meaning of it all is just part of what I do, as surely as flying several tons of metal 5 miles in the air is part of your life. I'm very blessed to do something I love and that I'm pretty good at as a living. It seems that we have a good amount in common in that aspect of our lives.

So in a longer answer to a long question... I don't know. I don't think I've changed that much, but it's been a twenty year journey. Lots of little steps over two decades moves you a long way in life. I guess I'm like Bilbo Baggins, and my feet got away from me!

Sometimes, I hear about our friends from school and think the same thing: Wow! Look at that: Two members of Disciple were in the Jazz band with me; the owner of the largest Chevy dealers in the South was in my youth group; my ex-girlfriend (and yours) has her own freakin' lab full of biophysicists! What is biophysics!?!

If you think I've changed, look up Shane Claiborne! Shane was part of the Young Republicans, and now is a national leading voice in advocacy for the poor. He found out who he really was, and has lived into that person. Some of us are lucky enough to figure that out in High School, some in college, and some folks wrestle with it for most of their lives. I'm just feeling a lot more comfortable with that now than I ever did in school.

Oh, and thanks. Calling as pastor "enlightened" is probably equivalent to calling a pilot "level-headed." It's makes my ego feel good! But I'm not really. I'm just plugging along on my journey, and making notes along the way to anyone who might be interested. I'm always surprised when someone actually is!

Rapturous?

Just a thought for today: Eschatological escapism allows you to dodge the obligation to love your neighbor, avoid your created purpose to care for creation, and deny your fear of dying into new life.

Saint Nicholas versus Santa Claus

Discover the difference between a imprisoned saint and a commercial juggernaut.

Go to the Saint Nicholas Center page of between now and December 25th.

As a teaser, find out why he was thrown into jail for slapping someone at the Council of Nicaea.

Keeping the X in Christmas

Just for reference for hypersensitive Christians: the "X" in Xmas is actually the Greek letter "chi." It's the first letter of Christ in Greek, and has been used as an monogram for Jesus for well over a millennium.

If you check out a Chrismon tree, you'll probably see several on there, as well as on paraments, vestments, stone carvings, chancel furniture, ancient cathedrals, and some 6th century tombstones.

A Brief History of Two and a Half Men

Back in 1849, during the Reconstruction era, Two and a Half Men was created to journal the ongoing struggles of Confederate soldiers trying to move west as part of the California Gold rush. Three brothers, Ike, Zeke, and Jebediah Taylor, were the central characters (Zeke had the left side of his body blow off at Anteitam, hence the half man of the title). 2&1/2 was a touching, yet poignant reflection about a country trying to heal.

Once the original brothers died, the show floundered. Different combinations of men were tried in a desperate attempt to remain true to the title. Actors included Cneng and Eng Bunker (the "origninal" Siamese twins) who worked with Charlie Chaplin: Al Jolsen with Abbot and Costello (Jolsen worked in blackface, hoping that people would still consider an African-American on 2/3 of a person); and retired US President William Taft with a young George Burns (Taft counting for 1 1/2 men). As different members of the vaudeville life entered into the equation, 2 & 1/2 Men increasing relied on slapstick and comedy instead of it's original documentary feel.

Eventually, the stars aligned with the Depression era cast of Francisco Carlos Alberto St. Julian Estevez (Great-grandfather of current cast member Charlie Sheen), Ray Bolger (most noted for his role as the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz), and Bonzo the Chimpanzee (the ape as 1/2 man being a popular adage since the Scopes-Monkey Trail). Families still fondly remember listing around the radio during those sad days, laughing to the antics of these 2 & 1/2 Men.

The role played by Francisco "Charlie" Estevez has been passed down with the family ever since those golden days by Juan Estevez (1934-1941), Mary Ann Phelan (1941-1945, mother of Ramon Estevez), Jorge Estevez (1945-1958), Ramon Gerardo Antonio Estevz (1958-1978, who better known as Martin Sheen), and of course Charlie Sheen (1978- present, born Carlos Irwin Estevez).

John Crier took over the role of "Alan" under a mysterious cloud in 1986, just after starring in Pretty in Pink. Crier had been working on an episode of Amazing Stories deep in the Amazon, when rumors started that he had discovered an ancient tribe of Mayan shamans. At the same time, the actor playing Alan, Geroge Harrison, contracted a rare disease where his skin slowly turned transparent, ruining his on camera appearance. Harrison would eventually overcome his disease through daily massive doses of UV light, and Crier moved easily into the role.

The most elusive cast member continued to be the "1/2 man." After the strides taken in the civil rights era and following the Supreme Court ruling on Equal Rights, it seemed inconsiderate to cast the part with either women or minorities. The network turned to the only citizens left in American without clearly identified rights: children. Starting in the early 70s, the role of Jake has been played by a "who's who" of childhood actors: Gary Coleman, George Clooney, John Stamos, Mccauley Culkin ( a rare non-tubbby actor), and current star, Angus Jones (now 34 years old).

In all those years on the air, and in our hearts, Two and Half Men has continued to borrow and mix together elements of popular comedic styling: slapstick, punnery, observation humor, fart jokes, gender stereotypes, and, of course, casual sexual relationships with big-boobed women. What a wonderful and touching example of the finest American tradition to milk every cash cow down to the last drop.

Thank you, Two and Half Men for 167 years of laughs.