MORGAN'S MOMENT
I stood at the door and knocked…
     (a picture that will remind you
     of Jesus standing at the door.)
I was out in the night
     calling on a couple I’ll marry
     in a couple of weeks.
They welcomed me in out of the rain
     and eagerly took me on a tour
     of their new home.
It was an older mobile home…
     a singlewide model…
     costing $12,500 on payments.
The were so proud
     and happy to have a home
     that was their very own.
“You see, we’ve both lived
     on the streets…
     in cars and under bridges…
To us this is a castle…
     a mansion…
     It is our home and we are thankful.”
The wedding will celebrate
     their journey from being homeless
     to being at home.
— Art Morgan 
BOOK CORNER
   A few days by the fire at the cabin allowed me to finish my second book by Jonathon Kirsch. It could be thought of as a raunchy book, except for the fact that it all comes from the Bible. Can the Bible be raunchy? The title says it all—well, not quite—“The Harlot by the Side of the Road—Forbidden Tales of the Bible.” 
   The author is biblically literate, meaning that he has some scholarly background for his subject matter. He chooses some stories involving women that most preachers have carefully avoided. They are frankly quite sexual, since sex was one of the few power resources available to them. As property, women were used and abused. 
   What surprises the reader, I think, is the key part women play in the biblical story. Even harlots. At least two are named in Jesus’ genealogy. Where would Christianity be without them? If you want Bible stories like you never heard in Sunday School this is for you.
MOMENT MINISTRIES
March. 1, 2004
home address:  25921 SW Airport Ave.
Corvallis, OR 97333   541-753-3942
email at  a-morgan@peak.org
BLESSED COMMUNITY
I thought of those words a Tuesday night ago. I was on the 5th floor of the old Carlton Hotel in Tacoma where the American Cancer Society has offices and meeting rooms. When I am within range, on the last Tuesday of the month, I drive across the Narrows Bridge into downtown Tacoma to attend a meeting of “Man to Man.” 
“Man to Man” is an organization of men who have had prostate cancer. All are survivors. I’ve attended off and on for three years and only one has ever died. He was one of the unfortunate ones who did not get early treatment. Many of the men have been in that group for 10 or more years.
There are usually 20 or more present. We sit at a table, each with a name placard before us. I know all the regulars by now and they know that I’m from Oregon. There are usually a couple of guys who are recently diagnosed. Anyone who has ever been “recently diagnosed” knows the anxiety involved.
Each tells his personal history of symptom (rising PSA), biopsy or biopsies until cancer is discovered, then the search for a treatment choice. Since there are a number of choices the decisions are not easy.
After the telling of the story the guys in the group begin to offer response. They tell something of their own similar experience. They share sources of information, names of doctors, and varieties of treatment. Every treatment has at least several with experience. They share both good and bad.
There is frank language, lots of humor, sincere encouragement. You can see tension dissolve and hope rise in the newest men. 
At the end we stand in a circle, holding hands, while one of us (sometimes me) pronounces a blessing. I offered thanks for a blessed community of mutual care, support, laughter and hope. Good medicine for everyone.
 
COMNG THURSDAY NIGHT MOMENT
MARCH 19
This will be our last pre-Easter Moment. Maybe we’ll talk a bit about “The Passion.”

(back page)

 
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
      Wow! Amazing! This is a rather historic Ash Wednesday. This film, “The Passion of Christ” is being shown all across the country in over 4000 theaters.
      I can’t do a review of the film. It is most unlikely I will ever see it. I’m just not into movies. They say that a movie is never as good as the book. And I’ve read the book many times. Of course. if you don’t read books... My illiteracy is lack of knowledge of films.
      In fact, until this last week the last movie I saw was a black arid white silent Charlie Chaplin film. I don’t want to spoil the memory. The movie I sew last week was in a small theater on a small screen in which one of my lovely granddaughters played an important part. How could I not go? So you see, I’m not the best place to look for a review. As it turns out there will probably be more reviews of this film than of anything recent. If you care, you are in luck.
      But that doesn’t mean I don’t have an opinion.
      I have read some reviews and listened to some who actually saw the film. Since I am writing this from our cabin on Puget Sound, I am within radio reach of KlRO in Seattle where a guy named Dave Ross has a morning talk show. He’s fairly informed and wide thinking individual who happens to be an active Catholic. This gives him a bit more insight into the film than you might expect from a non-Catholic.
      His view of the film was that while graphic blood and gore of the crucifixion scenes is not pleasing, it is not surprising to one who has been raised to think about that dying during every Sunday Mass. His take is that the flashbacks away from the brutality of the last hours of Christ’ life carry the real message about Jesus. Like, why is he being treated this way? And what was he really like?
      Apparently the flashback scenes are the ones in which Jesus takes stands of non-violence, non-resistance, non-judgement, unqualified forgiveness of enemies and persecutors arid claiming oneness with God. He stood against the rigidity of his own religious tradition and was seen as a threat by the Roman occupation forces. He practiced non-flinching love toward all people.
      So, what does all that bloody movie get us? Dave Ross wonders whether it would make Christians go out and forgive their enemies, give living wages to their employees, fight for health care for the poor, pay for education of children, and so on. He wondered whether it would inspire Christians to act like—can you imagine—Christians?
      It is an unusual day when evangelical and fundamentalist Christians will celebrate a Catholic film. Some were surprised that the Catholics could be so true to the Bible. I suppose that most Protestants don’t quite get the fact that it was the Catholics that chose the books of the Bible. These books carried the version of “the gospel” that the church had decided to accept. Protestants inherited the Catholic Bible. Why shouldn’t the Catholic film sound “true to the Bible?
      Of course “true to the Bible” does not mean that it is history. The Gospel writers were like filmmakers, each imagining their own story.
      Those who want to dig deeper into this whole subject, especially into the historicity of the Whole Passion Story, might wish to read Raymond Brown’s “The Death of the Messiah.” As a Catholic scholar he couldn’t quite come right out and say that the Gospel Passion story was more story than history. He did say that the Passion story is more theology than history.
      The talk-show discussion has to do with the degree of bloody horror. Do we need it? Maybe the answer is “yes.” Those who remember the nightly news reports from the Vietnam War will remember graphic film footage of carnage and death. It took those pictures to bring our nation to say “enough.” Jesus is not the only human to have suffered the silence of God.
      The spin put on the film by different people will be interesting to follow. I’m more interested in the spin-out—whether some people might get a better Idea of what it means to be “Christian.” I would like to hear Christians discussing whether our present national “Christian leadership’ thinks, talks or behaves anything like Jesus who was crucified, or more like the Roman crucifiers? Heresy, of course, but just a thought. Remember, I didn’t see the movie. I just read the book. Have a happy Lent.
— Art Morgan, Ash Wednesday, 2004