"You begin to do your part in the Life Pattern by doing all of the good things you feel motivated toward, even though they are just little good things at first. You give these priority in your life over all the superficial things that customarily clutter human lives."
                                                                                                               — Peace Pilgrim

If you would like to see what tech giants Steve Jobs and Bill Gates had to say about all this electronic technology and their kids, click on their names. 

If we saw people making things but denied the intelligent work of the people and studied only the things, others would think us foolish. 

— Tomorrow's World (March-April 2020, page 20)

I have never met a true atheist. Most of the people I know who claim there is no God are too intelligent to authentically be atheists. To validly hold in your heart, and brain, that there is no Creator, you would need to accept on blind faith that everything came from nothing, which would be considered scientifically impossible. Since science is what most avowed atheists I know use as their foundation, they would need to reject science also. Where would that leave them? Well, I have found most of the people claiming to be atheists have generally fallen into two categories. One is those who are angry with God, or with a person, or group, who professes belief in God. Declaring God does not exist, out of anger, might make someone feel better, but it does not answer why we exist. Not at all. The other category is the people who automatically equate God with religion, and think admitting a belief in God would mandate them giving up a particular lifestyle, everything they think is right, or especially fun. All you have to do is look at God's creation to know that He (and I only use the male pronoun out of Biblical tradition) is a God of diversity, not monotony. The Creator of all that is seen, and unseen, cannot be placed into anyone's nice little religious box. 

Our God has gifted us with both the ability to remember, and to look ahead. It is amazing when you consider the only moment we truly have to live in is what we call "now." Can you imagine what life would be like if you woke up every day not knowing something as basic as what a fork is, or especially who those other people around you are? Let alone such complex subjects as freedom. Those abilities are essential, yet we mostly just take it all for granted, without giving thanks for them.  

Of course, they also come with their down sides. Our hurts, angers, prejudices, plus a whole host of other emotions, traits, and difficulties can become lifelong companions. That is what attracted me to Jesus. He embodied forgiveness, acceptance, grace, and so much more, contrary to any typical human, and even beyond great spiritual leaders like Lao Tzu, or Peace Pilgrim in our time. 

"Seven Deadly Social Sins, according to Mahatma Gandhi: Politics without principle - Wealth without work - Commerce without morality - Pleasure without conscience - Education without character - Science without humanity - Worship without sacrifice. His grandson Arun Gandhi added an eighth: Rights without responsibility."

Whenever Gandhi was asked what he thought about Christianity, he responded with some variation of "I like your Christ, but am not much impressed by your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ." He was apparently drawn to Christianity as a young man, but was rejected because of the color of his skin at a church he visited. 

This brings me to why I have been saying our christian life programs branch has the most important mission statement in our entire country, maybe even the world. "To help Christians live what they say they believe." That is it. The whole mission is in that one sentence. Not to tell them what to believe. Not to challenge what they believe. Simply to help them live what they profess to believe as Christians. Especially as it pertains to Jesus. Even within each Christian's own parameters, if they were living their words, what a difference it would make. 

For example. Almost every church service I have been in at some point recites the Lord's Prayer. If you pay attention to the words, which include "forgive us our trespasses, AS WE FORGIVE those who trespass against us," WE are asking God to judge us the way we judge others, treat us the way we treat others, especially when it comes to forgiveness. I took those words very seriously when I began my journey, and still do. I have often said my absolute commitment to forgiving others is a self-centered decision. I wish to be judged by God from a perspective of forgiveness, so I had better be extending that forgiveness to others. 

And that brings me to the new In His Steps groups program, where the goal is to get into the habit of asking "what would Jesus have me do?" Not just once in a while, or on Sunday, but every day, in every circumstance, with every decision.  

A woman at work made a mistake.  A big mistake. A costly mistake. Then, her boss went to his boss and basically took the blame for her mistake.  He said he didn’t train her right, he didn’t follow up as he should have, etc.  He put his job on the line.  He lost credibility, he lost social capital so to speak. The woman afterwards, pressed him to tell her why he would do that.  She said, “I’ve had people blame me before, even when it wasn’t my fault, but I’ve never had someone take the blame for me.”  After pressing him some more, he responded, “OK, I’m only going to say this once.  I’m a Christian.  My whole life is based on a man who took the blame for me.”  The woman immediately responded, “Where do you go to church?” 

That story was part of a column in the July newsletter from Donna's church. To see the whole article by Jeanie BD, just click on her name. I found it interesting that it arrived at our house the week before I intended to announce the IHS program. It tells me that ours is not an isolated thing that God is doing. Speaking of which . . .

On Saturday June 27, the T&SC Board of Trustees decided I should continue the development of the program as a part of my missionary endeavors under the william's works branch for now, rather than moving the program into the christian life programs branch. This will give time for reorganizing efforts after the influx of new board members, resulting from some key long time trustees reaching their term limits in the last two years.

As has been the case since the beginning of this 26 year journey, william's works stocks a paperback size of the Peace Pilgrim and In His Steps books, along with Bibles, offered free to anyone who seriously wishes to journey beyond the shallow waters of materialism, and political games, in this life. Here, when I use the term political games, it refers to the private sector, and religious institutions, as well as the obvious public arena. A basic supply of support materials for the IHS groups have already been obtained. Plus, a time availability form, which doubles as a sign up and explanation sheet, has been designed and printed. 

I am not going to try to "sell" anyone on this program. God is going to need to call people to it through the Holy Spirit. I can make it known, and provide the structure. But, this is something a person needs to be ready for in their spiritual growth journey. Although, the structure does allow various levels to begin at, and growing through the program. Your level of proficiency with Scripture, and your level of commitment to Jesus, would guide you which level is best for you. If you do not think Jesus is relevant, that is your choice. But, just about everything I have read, or heard, about the Christian Church in America, whether it was a secular or religious source, has said the culture influences the church more than the church has influenced the culture. It seems to me we are due for a change. IHS groups could help make that happen. 

I would like to emphasize that I, the Teaching & Sharing Centers, and this program are available as a servant, not as a promoter. I am happy to speak with anyone who has interest. Or, even to a group of people who have questions about the 26 years of my journey after having read the In His Steps book written by Charles Sheldon in the late 1800s. It is up to you, who are nudged by the Holy Spirit, to make others aware of the existence of this program available to serve them at no cost. 

"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you,
 leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps."

— 1 Peter 2:21 NIV

I do not see abortion as just one issue among many. I see it as the issue. Everything else relates to how we treat life from the start. Much like certain animals are regarded as keystones to a healthy eco system, I see the right to life as a keystone to a healthy culture. Lack of respect for life at its beginning, will ultimately translate into abuse and disrespect in many varied forms. But being pro-life does not mean I am simply against abortion. It influences my attitude toward the death penalty, end of life issues, and war. I believe it pertains to how we treat people who are in a crisis pregnancy. Including how we help them provide for their baby with a healthy support system, or guide them through adoption if it is their choice. Being judgmental accomplishes nothing. Showing acceptance, love, and being supportive offers hope for everyone involved. That is followed by how we treat, and develop safety nets for, children in general. Especially those in circumstances with little means. Yet, it all starts with that first choice. Much like IHS groups, because of its importance, I am creating a separate set of pages regarding choosing life. Click below to access them. 

"No wonder the subject of judging is fraught with challenges. On the one hand
are the judgmental folks, quick to condemn and short on mercy;
on the other hand are the 'live and let live folks,'
who act as if nothing much matters to God."

— Erwin W Lutzig 

"We completely ignore God's instructions (even commands) on how to navigate life
 in this world as if we were not inviting disaster. Then we take God to task,
or say He must not exist, because of all the horrible things
that happen. Interesting logic."

"Democracy is found in the strength of its people, not the strength, or lack thereof, in its leaders."

I shared the above graphic in my St. Patrick's Day 2019 newsletter. But, I believe it bears repeating as we continue our journey with a new president (this section was added November 2020). During the last election, and throughout the election results news coverage, I cannot begin to tell you how many times I heard someone say the country has never been more divided. Or, simply used divisiveness as the descriptive word of our times. But, that is not true. Bigotry, deep seated anger, hatred, and a host of other things touted as evidence, simply do not happen overnight, or even develop in a few short years. As a culture, and as individuals, when our lives are running along on cruise control, it is easy to fall into believing all is well. However, when something, or someone, comes along and shakes things up, we discover there was always much that needed to be worked on that we simply ignored in our complacency. 

A basic review of our history will remind you this is nothing new. Starting right at the beginning with the Revolutionary War. Americans were vehemently divided between those who wished to remain loyal to the King of England, and those who felt it was time to give birth to a new nation, the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence was not a document of unity, but of discord. And, speaking of a new country, we need look less than a century later, when some of those united states broke away, and formed the Confederate States of America. I most certainly do not believe we are more divided today than in our Civil War. 

I was in college during the Vietnam War. I can personally remember how enormously divided we were during that era. There were protests all over the place, taking on a variety of forms, including college students being shot and killed by the National Guard at Kent State University. Add in half a dozen other wars, where disagreement flourished, in our first two hundred years, and it can make you wonder when the "united" part of our name actually applied. Plus, it did not take a war for us to disagree. Things like prohibition, and sanctioned segregation in the south, filled the gaps between wars. I was a teenager living in Downriver Detroit during the riots of the 1960s. If you truly studied our history, except for some key moments in time, we have mostly been a divided people. Often with great violence, and turmoil, bubbling out of that divisiveness. Yet, we still consider diversity as a hallmark, and strength, of our nation. That is because united and homogenous are not synonyms. We ignore our history at our own peril. A healthy perspective requires honest reflection. 

What has changed in the era of modern communication, and now social media, is how much that diversity, and divisiveness, is staring us in the face on a daily basis. You no longer need to be in the right place at the right time to see firsthand how much injustice, racism, and other prejudices, even atrocities we decry, have played out regularly in our history. Plus, add to those some of the Biblical caveats we have actually embraced historically, and still do, like greed. We are not more divided than ever. We are more aware. It was much easier in times past to hide our own flaws, and ignore those who saw things dramatically differently. Back in early America, you might not even hear about trouble for weeks. Most of our lives were localized. That is not the case anymore. The mobility of our culture started some big changes. Change has not slowed. It has skyrocketed. 

"The first step in any solution is the simple acknowledgment there is a problem."

Although, we can still hide our heads in the sand of our personal circles, and pretend ours is the only valid viewpoint on anything, it is hard to ignore the truth for long these days. That is why I like the above graphic so much. No finger pointing. No wringing our hands at how horrible we think things have become. Compared to when? Just owning up to what has been a part of our national personality for basically our entire history is a good start. That national personality grows out of our individual personalities. Can we change for the better? Of course we can. But, the goal is not to become homogenous. Perhaps, the first goal should be to develop some real humility, as we try to find the Truth in, and of, our lives as individuals, groups, a nation, a world, and God's creation. It would help. Of course, humility is not particularly seen as an American virtue. One can always hope. In the meantime we are still the United States of America. That matter was settled in 1865. We have that great time of divisiveness behind us. Today we simply continue with the rest of the work. For regardless of the prefix you put in front of it, we all end up as — Americans. 

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."  — Matthew 7:3-5

I was hoping this newsletter would be like the finale of a display of fireworks. A whole lot of everything all at once, but then it is done. Well, I did not make my deadline. As it turns out, the work on this last newsletter is going to last a lot longer than than I had hoped. I keep running across items I had set aside, both digitally, and in old fashioned regular file drawer folders. I decided to get what I had done to you because of the significance of Independence Day in our lives, and the importance of getting the ball rolling on the In His Steps groups offering. 

I am most likely going to leave this text, graphic, and list, in place permanently to acknowledge the progression which took place in the development of the newsletter. The list might change as things are added, and may be replaced by FINALLY DONE, or something similar when completed. 

   What's ahead? Here is a look at some things already set aside . . .

Original ending intended for this newsletter.

 

     

Last year, a friend visited the Center for the first time. After giving him a tour, he said it was still not clear to him what our goal was. I explained that my personal goal for the past twenty-six years has been to do whatever God asked me to do. But, I am now just one voice in a servant organization God is building. Later, I felt led to send him a note which read . . .

"If your big picture goal were to change an entire culture from a 'compete and compare' model of living to a 'teaching and sharing' practical application based philosophy of life, what would you establish as your immediate tangible goals?" 

If that question intrigues you, elicits a good challenge response within you, simply brings some things to mind, or just sounds like something that needs to be done, I would suggest it might be time for you to get involved here with the process God has already begun. 

This is the third Independence Day newsletter the below image and poem has graced. I was not going to keep it in this one, but the poem, complimented by the photo, is so iconic to what I believe, and have written here, I am leaving it in. 

"If you have something worthwhile to say, you can say it.
Otherwise, why in the world would you want to be speaking?"

— Peace Pilgrim

The above quote needs to be read in context. It is from a time when Peace Pilgrim was first being asked to speak publicly to groups. Many people do not realize they have something worthwhile to say. When I was participating in the Al-Anon program in the late 1980s, I remarked how a less than gifted speaker would often give me something more beneficial by telling the simple truth from a heart of pain, than any eloquent orator offering up knowledge found only in their head. 

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I saw for the first time the other day what my website looks like on a smart phone. Some new friends were trying to encourage me to enter the 21st century, by expanding my electronic horizons. When you take something designed on a twelve inch wide screen, then view it on a four inch screen, it was depressing to see the result. I am well aware I often use a lot of words to explain something very basic, but when that tiny screen scrunches everything together it really looks like nothing but a constant stream of text. They were explaining it did not have enough attention grabbing content to keep the electronic generations on the site. In the "olden days" the marketing people might have termed it as not being sexy enough. If I need to start trying to please a crowd that cannot pause long enough to read an entire paragraph, my website becomes too much work for too little pleasure. And, of course, why write if people cannot be bothered to read anything not written in the newest version of shorthand (messages on a phone where you guess what word a letter stands for in text abbreviations), with adequate emoticons for added visual stimulus. It is not my place to judge those addicted to social media, or who seem to have a cell phone permanently pasted to their head. But, neither do I need to cater to them. I do not see any of this making people happier, more at peace, or satisfied. To be honest, I would rather go release some stress chopping wood than enter the game with the fast and furious. I have always liked things that last, rather than rushing to get the newest whatever. Even as a person who is easily distracted, and likes to move between tasks to cut the tedium. But, each person gets to choose for themselves. The image that came to mind as I wrote those words was the old knight in the Indiana Jones Last Crusade movie admonishing to choose wisely. God grants each of us the right to choose. But choices always have consequences; some very good; some really disastrous. May we indeed choose wisely. 

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Also the third Independence Day newsletter the below image and poem has graced, I was not going to keep this one either. But, with everything that has been going on in our country lately, and the great amount of content I have written in this newsletter, I am leaving them as a reminder that I do not see myself as a person of answers. God has the answers. I am still trying to find my way. 

As you can see, I wrote the poem Full Circle in 1989. Its admonitions tend to show up quickly these days. When things start going wrong, in words directed at God, I might think or say, I take it I have been being judgmental, unforgiving, or started down some other negative path. I want to know, and be able to correct these. I believe everything is connected. So, our physical ailments, our mental or emotional issues, and our spiritual growth, or lack thereof, are all intertwined in where we find ourselves at any given moment, and especially in whatever challenges we might be facing. If all we do is go through life treating symptoms, little will improve. 

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I did actually revamp my opening home page with a link to an alternative. I did not like the way the site looked on a cell phone screen. So, images and links are all in the middle of the page in the less text home page version. 

Less Text Home Page Option