A Shared Poem on Hope

"Hope" is the thing with feathers

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BY EMILY DICKINSON

“Hope” is the thing with feathers - 

That perches in the soul - 

And sings the tune without the words - 

And never stops - at all - 

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard - 

And sore must be the storm - 

That could abash the little Bird 

That kept so many warm - 

I’ve heard it in the chillest land - 

And on the strangest Sea - 

Yet - never - in Extremity, 

It asked a crumb - of me.

A Father's Love

A Father's Love -
In honor of Father's Day 2016

by George M Rossi
June 17, 2016

He puts God first.

He cares enough to want and expect the best of his kids.

He is soft-hearted and open to the tender moments of life.

He sets an example of working hard, earning his hire and wages.

He is well versed in the classics of economics, politics, religion, and civic duties and wants his kids to be and do the same.

He learns from the mistakes of his own father and works to do better; he expects his son to do better than he did if God allows him to be a father.

He lets his daughters know that they are highly loved, highly favored and worthy of the best care from others.

He knows how to enjoy life and recreate and he does that with his kids and family.

He knows that sacrifice is the calling of all fathers and much is required of those who have been given much.

He loves animals.

He is a warrior who can defend his family on a moment's notice and he can look evil in the eye and not flinch.

He believes in grace and mercy and tries to share those always.

He is not afraid to stop and help the stranded driver on the Interstate highway knowing that it could be him one day on that road.

He values tried and true traditions but he also moves with times.

He is a patriotic and knows that Freedom is never free and someone paid the price for his freedom which is cherished with reverence.

He shares his heart and wisdom with younger fathers who need guidance and help as they grow into fatherhood.

He knows the true Father:  The God of light and love who does not change and the One who is full of justice, love, grace and mercy.

Happy Father's Day Dad.
 

Religion, Politics, and Money: Maybe We Should Talk About Them

June 1, 2016

Taboo topics are learned.  Each of us learned from our families, parents, and communities which topics were off limits.  Growing up in suburban Philadelphia I was taught that the topics of religion, politics, and money were three topics to leave alone.  They were to be avoided so that one did not put his neighbor, co-worker, family member or friend in the bind of having to choose between “being right about one’s beliefs” and keeping a friendship intact.  It was a live a let live world in the 1970’s.

Today it is not as easy to avoid those subjects with Twitter, Facebook, and the cable 24/7 world giving so many of us the ability to share our values, opinions, and beliefs.  Yet, like most topics, good and civil conversation can always be enlightening and helpful.  It is the dose and amount that sometimes becomes unbearable.  Some people just have to “be right” or have the last word.  I have tried to move away from that approach to life and now work on defining my own beliefs and values so that I can grow and even change when needed.

So, as we continue forward into the 2016 election season that is steeped in an average economy and surrounded by many religions and spiritual beliefs let us move forward with the goal of having genuine heartfelt conversation.  If we do then the topics won’t be as “taboo” and maybe more people will engage the political, religious, and economic conversations of the day.

Finally, I want to say that I have decided to not let my friends and families political votes get in the way of me conversing with them and learning from them.    So, if you vote for Bernie, Hillary, Trump, or another yet unnamed person then more power to you.    I can only hope you will not judge me or let religion, politics, or money conversations be the only way we connect or not connect.  Surely, we are one great country and we all need each other more than we know or even admit.   We are one nation, indivisible and committed to the goal of liberty and justice to all, and “all” means “all people” regardless of their religious, political, and economic opinions.  May the conversations begin and continue!  

Music: Food for the Soul

Growing up in the 1970s was a great time for music.  Rock was king.  My musical ears were spoon-fed Genesis, Kansas, Yes, Led Zeppelin, Boston, Styx, Earth Wind and Fire, and Steely Dan to name just a few.  Music greatly influenced me then and continues to do so this day.  Since then I have become a Country Music fan, mostly the newer stuff that sounds like a blend of country, rock and pop.  Musicians like Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Rascal Flats are really good.  Their music touches the soul and lifts me up where I can be encouraged and even process the myriad of feelings that a hospital chaplain encounters on a daily basis.  Songs like “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry and “You Should Be Here” by Cole Swindell really give voice to feelings of sadness when death strikes or people go through hard times. 

June 12, 1981 was a great day.  I walked from the Upper Merion High School building in line right next to my twin brother Mark to the football field where the chairs were assembled for our high school graduation.  This year is our 35^th high school reunion which historically meets in the fall around Thanksgiving.  I don’t know if I am going to attend the reunion but I have not made one yet so time will tell.  I was reminiscing with some of my fellow 1981 graduates on Face Book about which songs would be our “1981 Theme Song.”  I proposed the following:  “All Good People” by Yes, “Carry On Wayward Son” by Kansas, “Ramble On” by Led Zeppelin, “Starship Trooper” by Yes, and “Solesbury Hill” by Peter Gabriel.  The post was well received and many enjoyed offering their song that would be their suggestion for “the Class song” for our 1981 class.  Talking about music from the past continues to be a very strong connection for the present and hopefully the future.  Feelings associated with past songs can find their way again into my life as I listen, with new and more aged ears, on You Tube. 

In 1977 I had a ticket in hand ready to see Led Zeppelin at 100 thousand seat JFK Stadium in Philadelphia.  That concert never happened when Robert Plant’s 5 year old daughter died unexpectedly from an illness.  I remember being very disappointed that the concert was cancelled but of course that was totally understandable given the tragic family event.  As it turned I never did see Zeppelin in concert.   Music has always been an important part of my life.  In my baccalaureate studies at Our Lady of the Lake I took a class with Dr. Sister Jule Adele who was a Ph.D. in music history from Indiana University.  The class was titled, “From Rock to Bach.”  I enjoyed it.  Yes, a music class with a Ph.D. nun as professor.    

Each Sunday I have the choice of attending the traditional worship service with hymns, anthems sung by the choir, and solos that are slower than the very contemporary 10 piece band that leads worship at 11:30am.  Both music programs in the service touch my heart.  Neither is better than the other.  Sometimes I just plain enjoy seeing the drummer in the 11:30am service. He can really play.  I find it inspirational for my soul and my emotions.  Both styles of music lead me to worship God.  That’s what music does for me.  It takes me back to God.  It allows me to feel and know emotions I may not know if the world was all spoken words without notes, guitar licks, drums beating, and electric keyboards harmonizing.  Music is truly food for my soul.   

Experiencing God's Presence: Creating Space for Others

Lately I have been spiritually and emotionally impacted by the fact that relationships with others and God are simple yet profound ways to grow spiritually.  Even more importantly I would venture that a deeper spiritual experience is sure to blossom as we converse, share thoughts and feelings, or even have a meal together.  Solitude and the inner journey have their place for sure, but so does the need for spiritual connectedness and that most easily happens when we create non-judgmental space for others and God to be with us and us with them.  Spiritual growth is an inner experience and an outer experience.  Today I am talking about the outer experience and the way in which others become catalysts and sparks for spiritual growth.  For example, just sitting and attending to another person allows me to know and to learn from others.  I need that.  I cherish the reality that another person’s presence and my interaction with them can be a point of trusting, spiritual connection.  In a mystical sense the whole (other, self, God) is greater than the sum of the parts.  God’s grace and essence are found in our midst as we create space for others.         

Doing Nothing

It all starts when I turn off my iPhone.  That right there is a feat unto itself, and it is almost life and death—not really but it feels that way since I am cutting off electronic input from the world outside of me.  I really am trying to learn how to "do nothing."  You all would not realize the difficulty of that specific spiritual practice for me.  It gets better.  I lay down, turn down the lights and just chill.  The darkness and quiet are my friends.  It is energizing, helpful and infuses my soul with quiet, peace, and calm, as the Spirit is at work.  It’s a good thing and there is so much progress that needs to be made.  Thankfully I am relearning that it is ok to do nothing.  Laying down and turning off the phone is acceptable to me.  I find rest and I find peace.  The stillness of the middle evening is welcomed as darkness, peace and calm become new friends again.   

Here Come the Baptists

I am convinced that there are inherent suppositions and presumptions that all of us make about religious groups.  No doubt you think of various ideas and images when I use the words Christian, Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, Sikh, Muslim, and Buddhist to name a few.  I have a background that is rooted in two streams of Christian groups and thought:  Catholicism and Baptist.   Those two groups share a common love and appreciation for loving God and neighbor, Scripture as having authority, Trinitarian theology (God as distinctly one yet expressed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and commitment to live a life of faith and good works.

In seminary I read and immensely enjoyed Dr. Leon McBeth’s book titled, “The Baptist Heritage:  Four Centuries of the Baptist Witness.”  It was a wonderful book for this 29 year old upstart, Baptist minister in training.   I do realize that the word “Baptist” carries a lot baggage with it just like other religious traditions.  It goes with the turf. 

Here are a few of the more interesting Baptist heritage historical notes and a few of my Top 5 favorites

The Middle Colonies of PA, MD, NJ, and DE were full of Baptist churches and ministers.  Many of them migrated down from New England where they first arrived to America.  They were great proponents of religious liberty and believers in the First Amendment. 

The First Baptist Church in Charleston, SC was founded and started by Baptists from Kittery, Maine.

The American Baptist Churches of the USA is headquartered in my hometown King of Prussia, PA, which is just 15 miles west of Philadelphia. 

The oldest Baptist Association in the USA was started in 1707 in Philadelphia.

Baptists have been champions of the first amendment and proponents of the no establishment of religion clause by the Government, otherwise known as “separation of church and state.”  That is the history and something that needs constant attention and discussion so that clear boundary lines are kept.  I still think that faith can and should influence culture and the public square where values and ideals are hashed out in everyday life.

So, what does it mean to be Baptist?  I can only answer that for me.  When I arrive at home, at work, at church, at the grocery store my goal and hope is to be a caring Christian who is thoughtful, tolerant, and faithful to God.  I want to be someone who can appreciate and understand the Holy Scriptures and also be someone who can dialogue with other people from all faiths.  I value the priesthood of all believers, the authority of the local church, and the separation of church and state.   To be Baptist means someone who is freely in contact with God in Christ needing no other intermediary.  There is soul freedom but it is always couched in an ethic that calls me and other Baptists to love God with all my heart, soul, and mind and to love my neighbor as myself.  Of course the old joke says, “Put 5 Baptists in a room and you will get 6 opinions.”  That is probably true.  So I present to you what I consider the strengths of the Baptist faith and how it is so diverse.  Surely it is more complicated and more diverse than maybe first assumed and I know that is a humbling thought as I think about some other belief systems and faiths such as Sikh, Muslim, and Buddhist. There is much yet to learn for sure.