Christmas Eve Devotional: The Gift

“The Gift Has Already Been Given:  Have You Received It?”
By
Rev. Chaplain George M. Rossi
December 24, 2014
Christmas Eve

Titus 2:11-14
2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all,
2:12 training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly,
2:13 while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
2:14 He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

Christmas Eve surely speaks to the preparation “to give” and “to receive” good gifts tomorrow.  Yet, the Gift (Jesus Christ-fully God, fully Human) has already been given.  In Titus 2:11 the writer declares that the “charis” (grace) of God has appeared (root word for epiphany).  I don’t know about you but God in the flesh certainly still challenges me.  How can that be?  Is it true?  Did the fullness of God come in human form and in the body and bones of Jesus Christ?   It is true.  Jesus has come in the flesh.  Initially, he came as a baby in the manger.  That’s the essence of the Christmas story.  Salvation has appeared and we can either see it or look away.  We can receive the gift humbly or we avoid it.  The God of the Bible became incarnate (pitched a tent with us) and dwelled among the people of Palestine so that He would bring salvation.  That’s not the end of the story though.  The other half of the story is the fact that the grace of God has been brought to ALL people.  The entire world is being called to call on the LORD to receive salvation.  When salvation is received one is given the Gift of God.  It is spiritual wholeness, spiritual safety, spiritual healing from the Savior, Jesus Christ, himself. 

 The name Christian means and assumes that Christ has indwelled the hearts and soul and minds of God’s people.  It is the LORD who has come to live on this earth, but more importantly, it is the LORD who has come to help us to live.  The Christian is called to move away from impurity and worldly passions.  I think the easiest way to understand this calling is in terms of putting God first and following God according to the law of the Spirit and law of Love.   As followers of Jesus the Christ (anointed one of God) we are called to live lives that are self-controlled, upright and godly.  Those are challenging words:  self-controlled, upright and godly (followers of what God endorses).  In the last two verses (vv. 13-14) the writer says that the second appearing of Jesus will eventually happen.  It’s amazing how the writer talks of the advent and coming of Christ, describes the goals of Christian living and then says that Jesus will bring the final redemption and cleansing when he appears the Second Time.  We don’t know the time of that reappearing and until then we are called to live a life of good deeds. 

So, living for God means being an energized and zealous worker that shows and brings God’s love through actions, helping, caring, confronting, challenging, and forgiving others.  We live amidst our own and others imperfections yet others know when the Gift has been received in our lives.  Others can tell when Christians want the best for others and give their best to others.  So, have you received the Gift from the Gift Giver?  If so, let us press on to living a life that shines brightly amidst a sometimes dark world. 

Dear God:  Thank you for the Gift of salvation, wholeness and peace during Christmas.  They are truly priceless.    Amen.

High Cotton: Celebrating Good News

 

Above is a picture of large field of cotton very close to Exit 139 on I-26 near St Matthews and Orangeburg, South Carolina.  I have been watching this field grow during the summer and early fall.  Thankfully I was able to take the picture before the farmer could harvest this beautiful, snow-like field of t-shirts!   I am almost certain that most of us take cotton and maybe even our faithful farmers for granted.   Yet, a field of “high cotton” is something to celebrate.  It marks a moment in time where hard work has paid its dividend.  Clothing of all sorts will probably be made from this field of crops.  I imagine the farmer is thankful to God and to the good sandy soil in the midlands of South Carolina.  Just like farmers we too can celebrate the dividends of hard work and overcoming the trials of life.  Sometimes people go through chemotherapy, radiation, and long weeks in the hospital that eventually produce a good report from the doctor.  People love to hear the words, “you have been cured” and “you are in remission.”  It’s all good news just like the cotton crop that has blossomed and become a good harvest.  Thank God for good news and good harvests.  I hope you will experience “high cotton” moments this week.  Wait on God.  Usually, the waiting is worth it all.

 



Morning Coffee

The coffee mug is a small token of appreciation given to members of the South Carolina Society of Chaplains members. Our new president, Tamara Flinchum, recommended the idea and it seems that the membership has enjoyed the thoughtful gift--me too! I had my morning coffee in it today and it was a bit celebratory given the fact I just finished my third and final year as president for the Society. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve, yet a bit grateful that my time is up. It’s like having a part-time job without pay in some respects. The “pay” is having the opportunity to lead and to share in the friendship and collegiality of some of the best chaplains in the United States. I kid you not!

After our fall meeting last Friday I had a celebratory meal and drink with my good friend Rev Paul Hamilton. He is the director of pastoral care at The Regional Medical Center in Orangeburg. The meal and drink at Chili’s in Lexington were great. Even better yet was sharing a meal with a friend. Serving as president of the Society has allowed me the opportunity to make deeper friendships with other chaplains from across the Palmetto State. It has also allowed me to attend meetings where excellent speakers have presented and shared their ideas and pastoral care expertise. The friendship and education events are twice a year: spring and fall and usually at the offices of the South Carolina Hospital Association in Columbia. The Society is one of many professional membership groups. Dues are 80 dollars a year and worth the money in my humble opinion.

This week (October 19-25) is Pastoral Care Week in the USA. It is a week where chaplains, pastoral caregivers, and spiritual caregivers (same idea…different words) celebrate the spiritual and pastoral care given to people in times of need. The work is unending but an occasional celebration is always good. This year’s theme is titled, “Spiritual Well-Being,” which is certainly a noble goal for all. I hope you are able to give yourself time to enjoy life and work on your spiritual well-being this week too.
　
　

"Back Home: Still the Same Yet Filled With New Challenges"

My plane landed in Philadelphia about 30 minutes before the expected time. The first real cool front had dipped into the South and the tailwind was a real kick in the tail so to speak. I was happy and don’t remember too many airline flights in my life where I landed 30 minutes early. It was only 8:00am so the City of Brotherly Love was barely stirring. There was a cool, crisp feel in the air and my Columbia brand black fleece was the ticket for staying comfortable. I got my rental car in a fairly uneventful manner and even tried to sell my two tickets to the Eagles game that mom and I had planned to attend but were now unable to attend. The Enterprise car rental guy took my number and I told him I would sell both for 125 total. He said it was still early and he would do his best. I thought, “Early! It’s 8:30 on game day and the game starts at 1:00pm, really?!?!” More on the tickets later.

The ride from the Philadelphia Airport to my mom’s apartment in Willow Grove is one that I will long remember. Knowing the area very well left me wondering if I would take the Schuylkill Expressway to the Turnpike or just take the Blue Route to the Turnpike or even instead, make a leisurely ride through Philadelphia. I chose the latter. If nothing else I was able to save a few dollars on tolls but more importantly I was able to take the Schuylkill Expressway, cross the historic river and then reminisce over the fond memories of growing up on the edge of the city in the town called King of Prussia.

The ride from the airport along the river was amazing. It was clear, blue sky. The famous Boathouse Row universities (Penn, Drexel, etc) houses looking as colorful and beautiful as I always remembered them. Then, I took the bridge across the river and traversed the hills of Manyunk and then made my way through Wissahickon, Wyndmoor, Philadelphia neighborhoods and even into the gas station where they told me there was no public restroom. I thought to myself, “Really?” I got over that and held it in until I could get to a gas station that had one.

Along the way I passed recreational football teams of young kids actually playing football on Sunday morning. I don’t remember my team (King of Prussia (KOP) Indians) ever playing on Sunday morning. Anyway, they were playing and it was a great sight to see. I passed our KOP rivals of Wissahickon, Roxborough, Wyndmoor, Cheltenham, Roslyn and then Glenside. I know that mom reminisces about those days too. Dad would as well if he were still alive. The memories of sticky buns, pizza, weigh-ins, and being my with siblings (Mark played and Wendy and Linda cheered) are good.

Now, back to the Eagles game and time with mom. Well, I had lots of people contact me about buying the tickets for the Eagles/Rams game but no one took the plunge. 9:30am rolled around and I decided to check with my nephews and sure enough one of them could use the tickets. As it turned out it was his first ever Eagles game. I could not have hoped for a better outcome if mom and I could not make the game. Mom and I watched the game and I know that it was easier for her to do so than trek the parking lot and stairs of Lincoln Financial Field. Even better yet the Birds beat the Rams 34-28 but not before almost giving the game away, ala the USC Gamecocks (that’s another story!).

So, life is all about making memories, building and sustaining relationships with family and doing one’s part to help people deal with life’s transitions and challenges. I am far from perfect and most certainly, just trying to be a good son and a good brother to my siblings. I will let all of them decide on that.

Finally, the rolling hills and historic homes and even the messy, sometimes dirty city of Philadelphia is full of life. It is in the heart of the once Middle Colonies, rooted in deeply held religious traditions like The Friends (Quakers), Judaism, and Catholism for the most part with an occasional Bible church and Presbyterian church sprinkled into the neighborhoods. It is rich in history where people stay and never move away just like mom who has been there her entire 75 years. It is home to her and my former home. It is filled with great pizza shops and Tastykakes galore. There are rabid sports talk radio shows (WIP 94 FM) and even historic rock and roll stations (93.3 WMMR) that are still working.

The new part is mom’s transition to senior care and transitioning to a new apartment closer to my sister. Eventually it will be all good. Mom is happy. Mom is slowing down yet the best of Philadelphia and her life is held deep in our hearts. Hopefully, some good days are ahead for her and for us as her family. As people say down south, “Can’t complain!”

A Prayer: Dear God: Thank you for family. Help me to be a blessing and to do my best to help. Amen.

Emma - Irmo High School Class of 2014

Congratulations Heather! Wofford College Class of 2014 - BS/Biology

“No, I Don’t Color My Hair and Neither Do I Use the Tanning Salon!”

Two very good minister-chaplain friends of mine recently commented on my hair. One asked me if I dyed my hair and the other made a sidebar reference to his own receding hair line by mentioning my full head of hair. I am not accustomed to people commenting on my hair color or its length. I can say that I prefer the “low maintenance” approach to hair management. I buy shampoo that literally costs $1.49 a bottle and I can comb my hair in about 30 seconds as I get ready for work and the day after showering. My hair management quotient is low!

Then, recently one of my daughters got a part-time job at a tanning booth. One disclaimer first—I have never used a tanning bed before and I am not sure I would admit it if I had! One day recently I was at the tanning salon picking up my daughter from work and had opportunity to walk in and sit down as she finished her tasks. Then something amazing happened. I noticed that about one-third of the customers who walked in were actually men. I was shocked. I never imagined that so many guys used the tanning salon. Their ages seemed to be in the 20-40 range so I would say they were relatively young.

All right, so what does hair coloring and tanning salons have to do with me? Well, not too much other than it is something I find interesting. I have already decided I will live with what the good Lord gives me—brown and slowly greying hair and skin that is pinkish that tans easy. I guess the hair color and tanning phenomena is a matter of “keeping one’s youth” and/or living life in a way that makes one happy. Regarding hair coloring and tanning salons I am trying to practice a “live and let live” or if you prefer the religious approach, “don’t judge your neighbor!” approach to life. But I must say that being asked if I dyed my hair and seeing men in tanning salons is really challenging that ethic. Just bear with me. I live a pretty simple life!

I try to be a “live and let live” person. I trust that I and others know what they need and want in life. So what if a guy colors his hair or uses the tanning booth. Does it really matter? I don’t think so. Instead those cultural phenomenons are just that—they are part of the culture of staying young and looking good. It’s big business in the USA for sure. As for me I am trying to gracefully age or is it age gracefully. Either way the important word for me is “grace-fully” and less so the word “age.”

Dear God: Help me to be a "live and let live person" who "judges not his neighbor." Amen.

Easter Sunday 2014

“I Saw God Today”
By Chaplain George M. Rossi BCC MA MDiv
Easter Sunday 2014

Just walked down the street to the coffee shop Had to take a break I'd been by her side for 18 hours straight Saw a flower growin' in the middle of the sidewalk Pushin' up through the concrete Like it was planted right there for me to see The flashin' lights The honkin' horns All seemed to fade away In the shadow of that hospital at 5:08 I saw God today
Above you will find the beginning lyrics of the country song, “I Saw God Today,” by singer and songwriter George Strait. This is one of my favorite songs. It talks about “spiritual eyesight” that lets hearers see God in ordinary life. Surely the high and holy days of religion such as Easter and Passover are anything but ordinary. Yet, Mr Strait talks about seeing the face of God as he peered into the new baby unit of the hospital where his baby girl had just been born. For me, it is a matter of “been there, cried those tears and got the hospital bill!” among other things. So, where do you see God? In the song George Strait says he sees God in the flower that is growing up through the concrete. In the hard times of life he still found time to experience God and know the beauty and love of God through nature and people--the flower in the concrete and the baby in the newborn nursery. Easter is a perplexing reality. Jesus is raised from the dead. If that is not radical then let me know what else qualifies! Just recently I did a wedding where the groom told me that his bride (second marriage) helped him to regain the ability to love again. What a powerful word he shared. I was deeply touched that he had been given the gift of love but even more importantly he had allowed himself to feel and experience it. I am not sure where you will experience and feel God in this time of religious holy days but I hope is often and meaningful. Let us open our eyes and see God. He may even be looking at us in the mirror. After all, we are all created in the image and likeness of God. That is a sight to behold and reality to ponder for a lifetime.

Craig and Kevin Stadler: Father and Son Make History at the Masters

My son called me last night and said, "Dad, do you have the Masters app?" I quickly and proudly said, "Yes." Last month I was able to get an iPhone and I really like it and find it helpful for my professional and personal needs. The Masters app is one of my favorite apps and it is really nice that my son asked me if I had it. Dads need their sons to look after them occasionally! I am a big golf fan. Some of you know that. I have been watching Craig Stadler since he won his first and only Masters in about 1982. He is affectionately known as "The Walrus." His mustache and size give that easily away. I could think of kinder nicknames but his name fits and he seems to not mind. Papa Stadler's son Kevin won his first PGA tournament this year and he thus qualified for the Masters this year. In his interview with his father on April 9 a few days ago he referred to it as "being inside the ropes." That is golfer lingo for playing and gaining access to quite possibly the prettiest and most hallowed 18 holes of golf in the world. Augusta National is just plain sweet. I live in the metro Columbia area which is about 80 miles from where the Masters is played. Our azaleas, dogwoods, flowers, and grass are growing and blooming at the same time and pace as those in Augusta. So when our azaleas and trees bloom and the centipede grass becomes more green than brown then that means the Masters is getting ready to tee off. It is nice to be close and to feel the excitement and see similar visual spring reminders. Yet, this post is about a father and son making history. In it's almost 80 years there has never been a Father-Son to play together in the tournament until Craig and Kevin teed it up on Thursday. Kevin is playing well and made the cut and dad is going to be watching the final two rounds! Here is the link to their interview where they talk about making history: http://www.augusta.com/masters/story/news/latest-news/masters-interview-craig-and-kevin-stadler What a great story. I have already added Kevin to "my favorite" on my Masters app. He has not disappointed and I hope he wins it all. In my opinion, he and his dad have already won it all by making history and playing together as the first ever Father-Son to play in the Masters.

"Just Win Baby!"

The famous quote, “Just Win Baby” by the infamous Oakland Raiders (you can say Raydaahs if you want) deceased owner Al Davis is an often used mantra for sports teams. That’s exactly what both Coastal Carolina University and Wofford College did this week to earn births to the NCAA Men’s basketball championship called “The Big Dance.” For the smaller and mid-major colleges it is a great accomplishment to just get to the tournament and have the chance of slaying the basketball Goliaths like Duke, Syracuse, and Florida to name a few. I watched last night and listened on the radio as Wofford unexpectedly won it’s Southern Conference tournament and earned the birth to the Big Dance. It was exciting to see them compete as if their own lives depended on it. Here is a link to the celebration: http://athletics.wofford.edu/news/2014/3/10/MBB_0310141741.aspx Back to the mantra and gut check call “Just Win Baby.” Is that all that matters in life? I say no but winning sure does make the coach look good, make the fans feel good, and eventually lead to increased sales in team apparel and ESPN’s willingness to show a teams’ game on television. How about another mantra--“winning is contagious.” I agree that winning is contagious. For a great example take a look at the USC Lady Gamecocks who won the SEC championship outright this year. Coach Dawn Staley was a big fan of the Gamecocks as they won back to back national championships in baseball. She talked about winning the SEC about seven years ago when she was hired and the Lady G’s were at the bottom of the SEC in women’s basketball. That is no longer the case. The Lady G’s will probably be a number 2 seed in the NCAA Women’s championships and make a run for the championship. How a team wins and how a team plays is important. Do the ends justify the means, I.e. win at all costs? I say no. Instead boys and girls and then men and women are learning lessons of life on the fields of competition. I certainly learned many lessons as I played football, baseball, and wrestling. Losing taught me as much as winning. That is for sure. Yet, the adrenalin rush of winning can be downright intoxicating. Just ask the 34-0 undefeated Wichita State Shockers men’s basketball team. Winning produces winning. So, I say go ahead and use the mantra “Just Win Baby” if you need to do so. Sometimes winning is a matter of mental toughness and outright will. If that’s what we mean by “Just win,” then that may be a good thing. Learning mental toughness and emotional fortitude are good products of life for the fields of athletic competition and the fields of real life living. If you mean, “Just Win” at all costs without any regard to “the way” one wins then that approach is lacking. It’s lacking because it misses the necessary internal checks that guide our moral compasses as former and current athletes. Most people are fierce competitors and love winning. People like to win and people like their favorite teams to win. May the rallying cry, “Just Win Baby” be something that causes athletes, weekend warriors, and the over 50 crowd to give their best and to reach new heights in mental toughness and emotional strength. In my opinion, the mantra “Just Win” is best when it becomes rooted in morale courage, strength amidst adversity, and a chance to learn from losses in life. So, I say to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, Wofford Terriers, and Lady Gamecocks, “Just Win Baby!”

The Friendship from Animals: A True Gift from God

"...he will be our friend for always and always and always." ~ Rudyard Kipling "Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ Anatole France The above two quotes are taken from a Animal Sanctuary called “HowlMore” in the Columbia area. Here is their website: http://www.howlmore.org. The website and mission is connected with a former chaplain supervisor of mine. I really admire the work they do at HowlMore. It is so needed since every living creature, including humans, need a warm house, regular meals and good friendship. The first quote above talks about friendship never ending: it is always in existence and never goes away, maybe not even in death. The second quote talks about the awakening of one’s soul when one has loved a pet. Has your soul been awakened by the love of a pet animal? No doubt many of us can tell stories about our first pet dog or first pet cat or pet hamster. They are loving memories for many of us. Today I hope this short meditational thought harkens you back to your favorite pet who has gone on to “dog or cat heaven” or maybe the pet is alive and you will be seeing him or her today. Surely their friendship is a gift from God. Psalm 8 says that humanity is made a little lower than angels and we as humans have the custodial task of caring for the animals of our world as we are able to do so. May we do that well, afterall, they usually take good care of us! Dear God: Thank you for my past and present pets. They are all gifts who share friendship, love and presence. Help me and the rest of the human community to look out for them as they look out for all of us. Amen.

The Call: X 5

The Call: Times Five By Rev. George M. Rossi BCC M.A. M.Div. February 23, 2014 For the past six months or more I have been focusing on my newest focus and calling: seeking licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor. Thankfully two professional colleagues of mine met with me to help mentor and guide me in the complicated process. This calling of serving as a pastoral counselor and LPC is not something new and it is something that is built upon my previous callings. My first call was the call to salvation. That salvation came to me in 1982 while I was serving in the US Air Force at Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo, TX. My life changed for the good and from the inside out. The Lord Jesus Christ came to live in my heart as I placed my faith in him and his work on the cross. It was that time in my life, more than 32 years ago where I heard the first call on my life--the call of salvation and the call to follow Jesus Christ as his disciple. That next call happened in about 1983 or 1984. I cannot pinpoint the exact time but I know it was one of those two years. It was my call to serve in the work of Christian missions. That call found it’s beginning in 1983/4 and would find its fulfillment in 1988 when I was called to serve as a US-2 Home Missionary for the Southern Baptist Convention in the Greater Philadelphia Baptist Association and Emmanuel Baptist Church in West Chester, PA. I served as baptist campus ministry director and also as a catalyst for the development of church social ministries. In Philadelphia I heard my next call of God. The call to serve his church in the pastoral ministry. That would take me to seminary (Southwestern Baptist Theo Seminary in Ft Worth, TX). The third call (call within the call within the call) was fulfilled as I was “called” to the pastoral ministry as associate pastor to Oakbrook Baptist Church in Summerville where I worked in the areas of education and evangelism with all ages. It was a great five years--challenging and times of great growth and learning. At Oakbrook I heard the next call to serve in the work of full time chaplaincy and pastoral care. This happened as I took my first extended unit of CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) with a hospice agency in Summerville and while serving Oakbrook Church. That fourth call (chaplaincy) lead me to earn my Master of Divinity at Gardner-Webb University and then to earn 4 CPE units at Palmetto Health Richalnd Hospital in Columbia. Following CPE I have worked as a correctional chaplain for one year and hospital chaplain for the last 12 years at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston where I currently work. The fifth call was my call to pastoral counseling. Pastoral Counseling is the logical next step for me. I know that God has been at work in my life and God is using all of my education, work experiences, life experience and church ministry to help me counsel persons who need sound emotional and psychological guidance that is rooted in a deep faith and grounded in my seminary training and education. This call has been at work in my life since at least 1999 when a pastoral counselor first introduced the idea to me about serving as a pastoral counselor. Truly the gospel and sound educational theory can help people to find peace, liberty, change, new direction and healing. It is an exciting time for me. I will continue in my work as a chaplain at MUSC and hopefully one day attain licensure as an LPC. This call to pastoral counseling is “the Call” times five. The LORD has lead me this far and I look forward to the days and years ahead.

Pax Carolina

As I write this devotional thought it is both snowing and sleeting outside my house in suburban Columbia where I live. I am home alone with our pup Lucy. My wife is working at a local hospital and my two middle kids are away at college in Spartanburg and Conway, and our high school senior daughter is at some friends probably eating oatmeal and having hot chocolate. Our oldest and newly married daughter is probably making sure her new Boykin Sage is having fun in the snow. The Winter Storm Pax is barreling through South Carolina bringing ice, sleet, rain, and snow. It just depends where you are located and the temperatures which are hovering around that mythical 32 degree mark where sleet changes to snow and driving becomes flat out dangerous. My good colleague chaplains are covering the hospital at this time. I had my turn during the last storm and my turn will come again tomorrow when I head back to work. For me it is ironic that the winter storm is called Pax. That word is from the Latin and it literally means “Peace.” Snow can be peaceful to watch fall form the sky but watching ice and sleet accumulate on the roads and power lines is anything but peaceful. Yet, having good friends and family gives me peace. Knowing God’s love and presence also gives me a great amount of peace. I also have peaceful thoughts and good thoughts about the hard working power and electric men and women who will be working overtime to make sure our homes have electricity so we can stay in contact via text messages, emails and phone calls. Already this morning I have called and texted family and friends to check on them and let them know I am thinking of them. On top of this snow event some people even have family members in the hospital. It is an extra burden and difficult time and I am praying for them too. Thankfully our hospital staff is very dedicated and committed to taking care of patients as a first priority. It is good to be part of something so meaningful. The health care industry and clinicians work through ice storms and hurricanes. They are like the postal persons who deliver mail--they just get the job done. So, as Winter Storm Pax traverses the Palmetto State be sure to call your family and friends and to say a prayer for those who are hospitalized during such trying weather emergencies. Times like this help us to draw closer to care even more for those whom we love. Most of all, I know that God is the greatest source of peace and that is something available to us through prayers, sacred scriptures and even things like a good meal and an encouraging conversation. Prayer: Dear God, may you be the Peace that passes all understanding amidst my medical challenges and the other challenges of life like weather emergencies and unexpected hospital admissions. Thank you for your peace and may I share it today with those who need it--me included.