Living in coronavirusworld 217: Thanksgiving Shabbat

 

11/27

Thanksgiving 

supporting Black business

every day

just observing

I’m finishing a walk in Morningside  Park when I  hear a voice over a bull horn.  I walk out to see what’s going on. A small procession is marching up Columbus. They turn at 110 and stop at Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread. They are honoring Black owned businesses. Chanting “Support Black business, not just Black Friday, but every day.”  There are almost as many “security people”..may white women…on bikes as there are marchers. And an equal number of motorcycle cops at the end of the street observing. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, so named because businesses have so many sales they go in the black. People who drive there in the middle of the night  to be there when the shops opened. My own family always made it the official opening of the Christmas shopping season with a trip to the big suburban South Hills Village Mall and lunch at Ernie’s Deli. Malls were these wondrous places. Suburban “main streets” as a minister friend of mine called them. But not his year. Black Friday promotions stretched out for weeks. Numbers way down.  Same  prices online. Still some hardy souls venture out.  The marchers  head down 110th. I head home.

Tonight my friend Steve asked me to preach his Thanksgiving Shabbat sermon, Here’s what I had to say:

Happy Thanksgiving!  And this was truly a Thanksgiving like no others. Wednesday night before, we would gather at friends who live right above 77th street where they blow up the parade  balloons and go out on the balcony and see Snoopy and company come to life.  Not this year. No balloon blow up.A minimalist wisp of a parade.  And a party on ZOOM.  Our usual big family gathering turned into my core four and phone calls to my quarantined mom and an extended family ZOOM. Which can seem like a TV show if you’re back from the screen a bit. Like Hollywood Squares or Laugh In. 

Last year, when you gathered together, in your wildest dreams could you imagine a Thanksgiving like this? Unimaginably different. But one thing isn’t different ….we have much to be thankful for.  Even in this craziest of years, with Covid 19 and marches and an election that is …or isn’t? Finally over, we have so much to be thankful for. And gratitude is where it begins.

 One year in a two week period, I lost my job and my father died on the day of my sister’s wedding rehearsal. When the dust  settled, I fell into a depression. Felt totally alone. And then a friend said, when you wake up in the morning, think of all the things you have to be thankful for. And then I realized, I had my family. A roof over my head. Food to eat. Friends. I was not alone at all. Nahum Ward-Lev in his book on the prophets recommends before you go to sleep, look back over the day to think of all that happened that you are thankful for.  Theologian Walter Breuggeman says “Resistance begins with gratitude (doxology).” 

When I was first trained to be a consultant to churches, they taught us how to do “needs assessments.” The problem is, when you do that in small churches, the list of needs grows so big, the people get overwhelmed and want to give up. So we decided to flip that and begin  with assets assessment, What do you already have? What can you do with what you already have? That becomes a very different conversation.  Gratitude is where it begins. 

The Torah portion for this Shabbat is Vayetzei. It’s a long look at Jacob’s journey to get wives and children and his dealings with a very wily father named Laban. But at the very beginning is the first of Jacob’s dreams. It’s the ladder dream, with a ladder between earth and heaven and angels going up and down. So what’s going on here? Some commentators have said that Jacob himself is the ladder. That we are the ladders that connect heaven and earth. That makes us different from other living things. And Jacob has a powerful revelation:  “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” 17 And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” He realized that where he was standing was holy ground. 

Look down at your feet a minute. See where they are. Right now, at this very moment, you are standing  on holy ground. How often did we  not realize that the Lord is in this place?And where we are is Holy because the Holy One is there…and that, in spite of everything, is worth being thankful for.

A vaccine may be right around the corner, but this isn’t over yet.  Not by a long shot. And hard times of various sorts will be with us for the foreseeable future. But we can get through  this.  Together. And it begins with gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

10 Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. 11 He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. 12 And he dreamed that there was a ladder[a] set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And the Lord stood beside him[b] and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; 14 and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed[c] in you and in your offspring. 15 Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” 17 And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

I open up the door to the virtual open mic. Welcome a newcomer who has given up refusing to perform virtually who is tired of waiting to perform live again.  Slowly our companerismo gathers. Sings out songs. Tells our stories. And parts again.

Shabbat shalom. 

Living in coronavirusword 216: Thanksgiving

 

11/26

First trees

Thanksgiving.

I enjoy cooking. Especially for a family shared meal. This morning , I’m doing a homemade sweet potato pie, starting from raw potatoes.  And I’m also making my own guacamole. 

Under normal circumstances, there’s that phrase again, I would have headed to my sister’s in the Trenton suburbs  for a dinner with her family and my mom and in many years, my New York boys. But not this year.  It will just be my core four, me, my boys and their mom. I’m happy that she’s invited us to make a day of it, starting with pancakes and ending with dinner. 

This would also be a day for football. But at least 9 of the Steelers’ arch rivals Ravens are positive for Covid, including the quarterback, so the game is postponed until Sunday.That’s a disappointment. 

It’s a weird year with most of the country observing strict protocols to avoid Covid and millions of others running around like hey, why not?  That vaccine can’t come soon enough. This country is unable to control it any other way. 

In a normal year, my neighbor church First Corinthian would be hosting a sit down dinner for any neighborhood hungry. But in coronavirusworld, volunteers are passing out bagged dinners. Turkey breast, rice and beans, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce and sweet potato pie. They are alway there when needed.

As we finish breakfast, we call my mom, quarantined and alone in her assisted living facility.  Each of us taking a turn.Our frail elderly are all but incarcerated.  I can imagine the pain of being alone in lockdown circumstances.

My boys have made macaroni and cheese. Their mom chicken thighs and breasts with Italian sausage and bacon, Brussel sprout salad, cranberry relish and apple crisp. And I brought wine, too. This was a true feast.  

Late in the day, ZOOM with extended family. Sitting at the far end of the table, it feels almost like a  tv show. 

It wasn’t usual. But it was what we needed it to be. Even in the coronavirusworld, there is much to be thankful for.

On the way home, I see my first Christmas tree stand. 

Living in coronavirusworld 215: of Steelers and cosmic theory

 

11/25

see the signs....

Steelers

Today I greet the Underground repping the Pittsburgh Steelers. Because that’s my hometown.  And they are undefeated. And tomorrow night, Thanksgiving, they play the  primetime game against the arch rival Baltimore Ravens. (One must respect a team named for an Edgar Allan Poe poem.) Because every Sunday all across the country people put on back and gold and wave yellow towels and root for the Steelers. Because they rose to power as the steel industry collapsed and people needed something to  feel good about. And hundreds of thousands left the city and created a diaspora that celebrates these games as a way of connecting to a home they never wanted to leave. Because in 1933 Art Rooney, Sr. took his race track winnings and bought a team. And even when the North Side changed from Irish Catholic to African American he never left the family home there because it was, well, home And how he worked to bring a stadium to the North Side so he could walk to work. And the neighborhood’s revitalization began. And when his son Dan took over he left tawny suburban Mt.Lebanon and moved to the North Side. And how the Rooney box was never fancy but alway simple so a dozen or so neighborhood kids could see the game there every week. With hot dogs and hamburgers. And how he fought for the rule now known as the Rooney rule requiring every team with a head coaching vacancy to do a serious interview with at least one person of color. How Mike Tomlin, African American and head coach, has been coach for 14 season and never had a losing season. Youngest man to ever coach a Super Bowl winner. Because when. I watch here in New York City my oldest son is watching in Berlin. And because. Steelers.

Today we are discussing  a controversial podcast featuring  Dr. Zach Bush who argues we chose the wrong model to understand the world around us. And that viruses are essential to evolution. (https://www.lukestorey.com/lifestylistpodcast/dont-fear-the-virus-your-bodys-immunity-blueprint-humanitys-awakening-w/-dr-zach-bush-304.)  Clyde sees his idea as potentiallyn as  important as Galileo’s global insight. That we need to move from geocentric to cosmic centered. That we need to reexamine our understanding  of germs. And Pasteur. Terracentric to solar centric. Earth or universe. We live on edge of an unfashionable backwater of the universe. Part of a bione. Perhaps some day currency systems based on viruses? Their use as a  means of communication? In particular, Bush sees the urban loci of virus hotpspots as related to the base line pollution that already exists.  SteveP counters with the examples of new hotspots North Dakota and Kansas that are not urban.  And that life expectancy has grown by 1/3. We are living longer. (Except for non-college educated working lcass white men.) 

I share the well used quote, source uncertain, …which several have not heard before….if you’re not living on the edge, you’re just taking up space

It is true that global agribusiness and the effort to protect against disease has destroyed sustainable and drought hardy seed legacies…The effort to force baby formula onto Third world mothers moved them away from natural breast feeding and into disaster. And by the way, where are the bees?  Terran theory vs. germ theory. The signifcance of agency. 

Steve P brings up our Calvinist perspective. That the son of God is in control of everything. There is no decision for good not inspired by God. And any act separate from God is sin. This not a Manichean universe. Prevenient grace is there before we ask for it.

I speak of our responsibility of stewardship, tending creation. And within this responsibility, there is agency. Joel reminds me of my statement that Nazis are humans, not demons, and we are not separable from them as humans. 

 

our own part

Steve H believes that action outweighs argument. That doing and being outweighs debate. That Jesus refuses the temptation to win the argument. We need to stop arguing. Stop debating.  Just build the world we feel good to be part of. 

Steve P reminds us that people who agree to dialogue are already mature. We need to resist being drawn into  arguments that cannot be won. In systemic issues, we are either victim, abuser or rescuer. Listening or fighting can both be appropriate at different times. Remember Paul in Corinthians, each of us doing our job is how we heal the world. 

A lively exploration as always. 

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

Living in coronavirusworld 214: Another night

 11/24

may it be so...

on the way

I need a Thanksgiving haircut. And beard trim. So I head across town to my favorite shop.  My favorite barber is undegoing surgery and is unavailable. So I choose another. He trims my hair. Same with my goatee. In a normal November I would be doing the Movember event…not shaving for a month or growing only a mustache for a month to raise awareness (and funds)  for prostate and testicular cancer. I am continuing my beard as a form of marking coronavirustime. 

East Side windows

East Side Windows

 It's been  months.  As we talk, my barber tells me that their business is down by about 50%. They’re worried that they will be shut down again.  He gives me his card in case I want to arrange an “outcall” haircut in a hallway or other venue. They’ve gone as far as the Hamptons out in Long Island to cut hair for their patrons. Much like the driveway hair cut my sister arranged for my mom at her suburban New Jersey house.  

East Side Windows

Its the season

On the way home, I notice the various  messages in the windows  of the East Side. And yet more Christmas decorations. 

Mike Geffner once again hosts his“world”open mic drawing artists from across the country. After 30 years as a journalist, Mike has become the premiere impresario of open mics in the city hosting events across the boroughs The quality of performance  is very high, the most diverse I know including both musicians and spoken word artists. I’m excited to find longtime West Park improv artist  Joel Gold on the lineup  for the night. And honored when Mike invites me to headline his first "virtual" showcase event in January. We play our songs, recite our poems and encourage each other throughout another night. Mike closes with another mini tutorial on marketing. And we have survived  another night in coronavirusworld.

Living in coronavirusworld 213: People get ready

 11/23

yes, keep wearing  your  mask

Another week begins.

The young woman is still missing. 

The General Services Administration has said that it will start a “transition”process with President elect Biden…with Trump’s acquiescence…though he maintains he will still “prevail.” I’m beginning to relax. A bit,

Tonight we shift our study into Advent, With a reading from Mark 13: 24-37. . Mark’s “Little apocalypse.”  Mark grabbing lines and images from Isaiah (13:10, 50:2-3), Ezekiel 32: 7-8), and Joel 12: 10. 31).  It’s the parousia…coming…we’ve been building towards the last few weeks.The coming of the son of man, the human one. 

Marsha likes the emphasis on being prepared. Wondering what’s he going to do? Who is he?What’s going to change? 

Amber Lee likes the image of the fig tree, and remembers the other  times Jesus talks about fig trees. Like  the cursing of the barren fig tree, 12: 11-25, drawing on Old Testament metaphors (Hosea 9:10, Jeremiah 24), or a fig tree that bears no fruit (Jeremiah 8:13), and in Micah 4:4) where the fig tree represents Israel. 

Russ says it’s a call to stay woke.

We think of music like Bach’s “Sleepers Awake” or the carol “Watchman tell us of the night.” Or even “People Get Ready” by Curtis Mayfield. 

There is the cryptic discussion of the ingathering. What is that about? There is Mark’s use of the master/slave story (34) which probably underlies the lengthier parables in Matthew and Luke we have been studying these last few weeks. We are called to vigilance, because there will be an accounting. Marsha wonders what that actually means. I recall an old friend’s saying “Time wound all heels.” And we realize our younger friends don't know the word “heel” for jerk. 

We ponder that at the beginning of Advent, we are taken right onto the heart of the Passion story. Right between the triumphant entry and the Last Supper. Our Advent is about this years’s Christmas, the historic birth of Jesus and his final coming. All at once. It's as if  to say with this Jesus we follow, his birth and death are inseparable. 

Amber Lee wondered what Jesus knew. I tell her that if we believe as our theology states, that Jesus was fully human, then he didn’t know everything. If his story is to mean anything, then he had to have that Gethsemane moment of Let this cup pass…as the Rolling Stones sang, 

And I was 'round when Jesus Christ

Had his moment of doubt and pain

He was as we are. We don’t know, and yet we must act.

Mark's story was written in the midst of suffering. The revolt had been crushed. Perhaps as many as a million Jews had died. Signs point to all predictability gone. Nothing left to trust. And we realize that it's not the end of the world that is being predicted, it’s the end  of suffering. 

God knows we have suffered. What all have we been through the last eight months?  Last four years? What have we suffered?  Each of us can write our own litany. 

Today I was called and told that my friend Rachel had died in her sleep. Her suffering is over. I am so glad I got to see her and say goodbye. To tell her there is nothing more she had to do.

Probably people in any age can see their own day as apocalyptic. My friend Father John always said we needed nothing more than this, that we all die. We area all going to come to an end. And that’s all the apocalypse we need. 

Marsha, from  Texas, recalls that it’s the tradition at Texas A&M for the “corps” to stand throughout the whole game. It goes back to a story from the early days of A&M football when the team was down a player and one of the”corps” came down from the stands onto the field and ran for the winning touchdown. The standing is a symbol of being ready to step in at any time when you are needed. To be ready to play your part.

Not a bad metaphor. We don’t know, and yet we must act. 

People, get ready.

Mark 13:24-37

New Revised Standard Version

The Coming of the Son of Man

24 “But in those days, after that suffering,

the sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will not give its light,

25 

and the stars will be falling from heaven,
    and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

26 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. 27 Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he[a] is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

The Necessity for Watchfulness

32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Beware, keep alert;[b] for you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35 Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36 or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

1. Mark 13:29 Or it
2. Mark 13:33 Other ancient authorities add and pray

Liivng in coronavirusworld 212: approaching Thanksgiving

 11/21

on Central Park West

All throughout the neighborhood, on lampposts, windows, walls, are posters with a photo of a missing teen age girl. “Save our daughter/Black lives matter” the posters say. I can feel the sense of anguish. 

what we did in the past, we can't do now

Long line waiting to get in the grocery store. Pre-Thanksgiving shopping I’m sure. It will be a strange holiday. All the usual events I would go to are not happening. Most of my New York City friends staying close to home and not anting to have people  in their homes. Even true in families.  And yet….the news reports a high time of travel..apparently many willing to say “the hell with it” even as we hit record highs. 

My friends Hot Glue & The Gun have their Thanksgiving show. Even in Covid time it is important to give thanks. Their musical performance art has grown sharer during the pandemic, aa always commenting indirectly though clearly on what’s going on. Happy to hear them put on a piece of mine during the “pre-show.”

11/22

A raw day.  Haven’t done a 5K in awhile so decide to do the "New Orleans Saints virtual race.”  Imagining myself in New Orleans. Its familiar streets. Sounds, yes Lord, sounds. And smells. Only I’m doing a loop in upper Manhattan on the edge of Central Park. Not traveling  anywhere anytime soon except in my head.

a taste of Venezuela

The Monkey Cup owner knows I want a latte I settle in for my Sunday morning routine wit the Times. I love that they have created a little taste of Venezuela here in Harlem. 

yes,we are worthy of greatness

With three teachers in the family, the Sunday conversation is once again dominated by Covid related talk. No one really understands why schools close and bars stay open. The remote teaching is doing teachers in and none even feels it’s real. This goes on until someone realize that for eight months our talk is either Covid or Trump. So w talk about movies and shows we are watching. My oldest son and I  tracking the Steelers as they move towards 10-0. 

first Christmas lights

I make my way to Bar 9. Kind of cold and wet. See my first Christmas lights on a side street. The earlier curfew has pushed everything earlier, We’ve now got to be done by 7:30PM. I’m distracted and unfriendly. Too many things, no, too many people on my mind. So I miss people right in front of me. Can’t do that. Other people’s all that keeps us going.