July 2021 Ministerial Musings Oh Say Can You See? I have the fondest memories of the 4 th of July. It was a day teeming with all sorts of fun activities. For starters, nobody had to work. Given that it was summer and usually quite warm plus nobody had air conditioning back then, people were outside interacting with each other. I lived catty-corner from Echardt Park. All day long there were baseball and softball games. The park pool was open and jampacked. In the evening the park was the cite for unauthorized fireworks. For thirty cents, which meant going into my “savings,” I would get a hot dog with fries from Al’s hot dog stand across the park. More than any other day of the year, the neighborhood was vibrant. Of course, as children we looked for mischief. We each had our stash of firecrackers. A few had cherry bombs. We would roam the streets and the alleys looking for neat things to explode. This would include cans, bottles and various fruits including on occasion a watermelon. As I look back, it is a wonder I still have enough fingers left to count to ten. The next day we would comb the streets for the metal remnants of sparklers. We would fold over the tips and shoot them with rubber bands. It is also a wonder I still have enough eyes to count to two. If you asked people what all the partying was all about, most everybody would be able to tell you, “We are celebrating our country’s independence.” If you were to ask anybody if they thought about that while having a beer or lighting a firecracker, I doubt that even a single person would answer, “Yes.” It is fascinating how the essence and the sacred can become lost in and to the very rituals created to commemorate and celebrate them. We have to squeeze in those Christmas and birthday parties. We do so without much thought of the miracles of the Word
Transcript
July 2021
Ministerial Musings
Oh Say Can You See?
I have the fondest memories of the 4th of July. It was a day teeming with all sorts of fun
activities. For starters, nobody had to work. Given that it was summer and usually quite
warm plus nobody had air conditioning back then, people were outside interacting with
each other. I lived catty-corner from Echardt Park. All day long there were baseball and
softball games. The park pool was open and jampacked. In the evening the park was the
cite for unauthorized fireworks. For thirty cents, which meant going into my “savings,” I
would get a hot dog with fries from Al’s hot dog stand across the park. More than any
other day of the year, the neighborhood was vibrant.
Of course, as children we looked for mischief. We each had our stash of firecrackers. A
few had cherry bombs. We would roam the streets and the alleys looking for neat things
to explode. This would include cans, bottles and various fruits including on occasion a
watermelon. As I look back, it is a wonder I still have enough fingers left to count to ten.
The next day we would comb the streets for the metal remnants of sparklers. We would
fold over the tips and shoot them with rubber bands. It is also a wonder I still have enough
eyes to count to two.
If you asked people what all the partying was all about, most everybody would be able to
tell you, “We are celebrating our country’s independence.” If you were to ask anybody if
they thought about that while having a beer or lighting a firecracker, I doubt that even a
single person would answer, “Yes.”
It is fascinating how the essence and the sacred can become lost in and to the very rituals
created to commemorate and celebrate them. We have to squeeze in those Christmas
and birthday parties. We do so without much thought of the miracles of the Word
becoming flesh, which by the way, applies both to Christmas and our own births. How
often do we do things because it always has been done, or we do not know anything
different?
There are dead rituals and there are vibrant rituals. The distinction between the two is
that vibrant rituals are done with a mindfulness of what we are celebrating. In that case
the activities transcend going through the motions into yet another transformation. This
applies to singing Happy Birthday, singing a song, lighting a candle, lighting a firecracker,
a hug or a kiss, and even a simple smile shared.
What we always are celebrating is that it is all God, all the
time. If we look at our freedom in this knowing this
Independence Day, we will come to realize that we are even
much freer than we had thought. As we sing the words, “Oh
say can you see?”, let’s allow this to be our focus. If you do,
you will not need a firecracker to get a bang out of this holiday.
This prayer, by Ernest Holmes ofCenters for Spiritual Living and offeredby Wanda Faye Holmes, is a good oneto support us as we call on ourinherent spiritual gift ofunderstanding…
“When you become confused, stop and
listen to your inner calm. Turn from the
confusion to that deeper something
within, and say:
I am submerged in peace.
I am surrounded in peace.
I am immersed in peace.
There is nothing but peace.
Peace-deep, calm, undisturbed.”
Volunteer Ministry
A very big SHOUT OUT to all the volunteers that
helped make the Ice Cream Social such a fun event.
We couldn't have done it without you. . . . Mike & Mary
Nowroozi, Kathleen & Galen Malick, Dawn Staszak,
Mickey Koziol, Rick & Marsha McKay, Carl Strang,
Alex Christensen, Maria Cosentino, Joey Nelson,
Donna Beichel, Pam O'Brien, and Wanda Faye. And special mention to Rev Mike, who
had the best job of all on that hot hot day!! All of you worked through a pretty hot and
humid day and you never waivered!! You are what makes it possible to hold these fun-
filled events. It was so nice to see familiar faces and catch up with what has been going
on in our lives besides COVID. And we had extra treats when Perry showed up with Cup
Cakes to celebrate his birthday!!!
Thank you to all of you that showed up to help clean the church in preparation for our re-
entry!! We got the job done in short order with all the wonderful volunteers that we had.
You can come back with peace of mind knowing that everything upstairs has been wiped
down, polished, and vacuumed!! We are ready for YOU!!
We lost one of our most ardent Volunteers, Mickey Cowles. As most of you know she
made her transition June 17th. If anything needed to be done, you can rest assured that
Mickey would be one of the first to volunteer. She loved her monthly game nights and
weekly Women's luncheons where you would always find them in a fierce game of
something, usually Mexican Train Dominoes. So in joyful celebration of Mickey and her
many years of dedication to our church family, we will be hosting a Game Night on
Friday, July 16th. We hope you can join us for this special night in her honor. So mark
your calendars and watch for more details to come!!
Blessings and have a wonderful and safe 4th of July!!
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Unity of Fox Valley benefits in more ways that just the cost of
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