HEY CRANKY REVEREND…..

Cranky Reverend (CR) is trying to find some sanity in this world of accusations, fake news, hate thy neighbor television and cancerous conversations….whatever happened to civility and my mother’s advice “If you have nothing nice to say, then stuff a doughnut in your mouth.”

CR needed some time to review the meaning of life and death these past few days — you see, life has been very distracting. The day to day mundane living in 21st century America can become quite distracting — wait, hold on, CR has to check the cell phone, tablet and Apple Watch before CR moves on. Sorry, false alarm — CR doesn’t even have an Apple Watch — besides, there hasn’t been a new episode of “Expedition Unknown” with Josh Gates lately, so CR has had nothing to watch on television. And if Josh Gates isn’t failing to find something, somewhere where it is rumored that something or someone was buried, or thrown into a lake, or hidden in a cave, then CR has no reason to live. Maybe that is a question CR should try to answer: “Hey Cranky Reverend, why doesn’t Josh Gates ever find buried treasure?” The answer: “Because he is looking in the wrong place, duh.”

Anyway, let’s get to a question we might be able to answer: “Hey Cranky Reverend, Pantheists believe that G-d is in everything — so where did you see G-d today?”

Well, as a Cranky Reverend, or should I say as a Cranky Lutheran Reverend, we believe that G-d created all things, but G-d is distinct from all things. G-d is known in the Trinity, as G-d has revealed G-d’s self to the world — Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Yet all things are created by G-d — so everything comes from G-d as a gift. Now yes, some days it is more difficult for CR to open the eyes of CR’s mind and heart to see G-d in the midst of CR’s day. You see, G-d is all around — but so are the mean people, the rude, the distracted and angry people — in other words we allow others, including our thoughts and experiences to get in between us and G-d. Life is distracting. Just look at the story of Mary and Martha. Wait, is that Josh Gates…..

“But CR, if Josh Gates is looking in the wrong places, then why do they make a show about Josh Gates not finding anything?”

Because it is great television, CR guesses. After all, people will want to watch to see if this might be the episode he might find buried treasure…which is not likely because he is always looking in the wrong places. But even a blind skunk gets lucky and sprays a person once in a while.

But back to seeing G-d — and the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus rebukes (gently) the sister Martha for being distracted — while Jesus praises Mary for sitting and listening. The word translated from the Greek as distracted, “Periespato” literally means to be pulled or dragged in different directions. This is what life does to us — forces many distractions upon us — pulling us this way and that. CR believes for every G-d moment we have, there are 9 or 99 or 999 distractions that pull us away from those G-d moments. And as ADD as CR is, it doesn’t take that much to distract CR. So we must be more intentional if we are to see how G-d intervenes in our lives on a daily basis. In other words, we must be more intentional to focus on….

“But CR, couldn’t the producers of Josh Gates’ seven shows actually bury something without telling him and then point him in the right direction so he might actually find something that would make us all feel just a little better about the fact he never finds anything, huh?”

Look, CR thinks G-d needs to intervene in Josh’s life so Josh would be grateful and thankful that even though he doesn’t ever find anything — he still gets that large paycheck.

Anyway, what does it mean to be more intentional about seeing G-d intervening in our lives? Well this is what CR thinks:

1. Be more mindful — not to sound too Buddhist but mindfulness is important in all aspects of our lives. When we can stop, drop and roll around in the idea of all of the ways G-d has gifted us with things, including G-d’s presence, then we might actually find we have uncovered some real buried treasure — even if it is only five minutes of intimacy with G-d.

2. Be purposeful — look, even Jesus spent time in prayer, listening to His Father — which requires intentionality. Carve out the time, like five minutes, every day — not just once in a while when life is really sticking it to you — but every day.

3. Be focused — distractions are everywhere. Silence the room, silence your thoughts, silence your brain, and silence the dog. And for Jesus’ sake, turn off the cell phone. And be in the moment — if you are praying, don’t keep checking your messages — and if you are at dinner with your spouse, or children, put the d*** phone down and talk to one another. And stop checking your “FaceCrook” page while driving….urg. And finally,

4. B – 7…………….Bingo.

Anyway, that is what CR thinks about “seeing” the presence of G-d in our lives — now leave CR alone, Cranky Reverend needs to pray for Josh Gates — now where did CR put the remote?