MORGAN'S MOMENT...
He’s a scientist…
     trained in fisheries…
     paid to keep them swimming.
It wounds his soul…
     having his knowledge bottled
     by government policies.
His latest “scientific duty”
     sent him out to a river
     to count dead fish.
“They don’t really like science…
     and don’t fund research
     and don’t care about fish.”
His wish for a new era
     is for scientists to do
     what they are trained to do.
“How can they put science
     into hands of politicians
     who believe in creationism?”
He had more questions
     than I had answers
     so I mostly listened.
Religion is perceived an enemy
     to science even today
     which is embarrassing.
If religion is only a gap filler
     for what is not understood
     its days are surely past.
— Art Morgan 

BOOK CORNER
I defer to Jean in this issue of the blue sheet. Jean gets more response from her reading lists than I do with mine. She reads many more books than those listed. She starts each morning reading in her office before I’m out of bed. She has books for morning time that are not included in this list. She frequents libraries and used book stores.
•
MOMENT MINISTRIES
– November 7, 2008 –
    A MOMENT MINISTRIES production – Art Morgan a-morgan@peak.org

JEAN’S READING

The Body has a Mind of its Own                     Sandra Blakemore
When Organization isn’t Enough:
   Shed your Stuff and Change your Life            Julie Morgenstern
Ten Zen Seconds                                                     Eric Maisal
Just Who Will You Be?                                          Maria Shriver
The Splendid Tables How to Eat Supper                 Lynne Kasper
Apartment Therapy – The Eight Step Home Cure
                                                          Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan
My Last Supper                                                  Melanie Dunea
Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways                  Debra Prinzing
The Comfort of Color                                            Susan Sargent
To do List – from buying milk to finding a soul mate –
                          What our lists reveal about us      Sasha Cagen
Two Sweaters for my Father                                      Perri Klass
The Spiritual Art of Being Organized                      Claire Josefine
Practically Perfect                                                   Katie Fforde
The Penderwicks on Garden Street                      Jeanne Birdsall
The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square                        Rosina Lippi
Mighty Old Bones                                                  Mary Saums
Mrs Malory and the Only Good Lawyer                        Hazel Holt
Murder Makes the Wheels go ‘Round                     Emma Lathan
Knitting Bones                                                      Monica Ferris
Turkey Flambe                                                   Nancy Fairchild
The Cat Who Had 6 Whiskers                                  Lillian Braun


THURSDAY NIGHT MOMENT

Gather from 5:30 and share potluck at 6 or so.
We’ll sing up our personal hopes and dreams
for a new administration.
We’ll reflect a bit on “Biblical Proportions” (see back page)

NOVEMBER 13, 2008
•
 
                                                                                     (back page)

BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS

      At Christmas time we use an ancient coronation hymn from Isaiah. Every time a new king ascends to power the people hope that this time he will do what is good for the people.
      The hymn goes like this:
              “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
              those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness, on them has the light shined.”
      Election times often occur in times of darkness. The people hope for someone to lead them into the light. So a new leader appears:
               For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
               And the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called
               ‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’
      Lofty hopes are raised and there is usually a “honeymoon” before a time when people begin to realize that the new king is not the Messiah after all. But the hope is expressed, nevertheless, that campaign promises will come to pass:
               “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end…
               with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forever more.” (Isaiah 9)
      Though the hymn has been sung as every leader rises to office, and though the people have been disappointed, they dare to lift their hopes again.
      We saw tears of those whose dreams were coming to fruition in what one commentator called an election with “biblical proportions.” I don’t know whether he was thinking of Moses who was born of a slave and hidden in the bulrushes rising to be leader of his people, or David the youthful warrior who dare to challenge Goliath. He made his point that Obama’s rise was improbable and flew against reasonable possibility. It’s the stuff that ends up in biblical story.
      Those of us who were awake (and awakened) during the Civil Rights movement of the 60’s and who were fortunate enough to know some heroic African-Americans, this election was monumental. During that period some won the right to vote. That was a treasured victory. Others won the right to attend public schools and universities. That was a treasured victory as well. It was more of a victory when those who barred the entrances to major universities found themselves in basketball arenas and football stadiums cheering for “our boys.” None imagined that such a one would be elected President of the United States. The whole story is one of “biblical proportions.”
      Not everyone shared tears of joy in this election. The last I heard California was passing Proposition 8. I was reminded by our eldest daughter, Linda, who sent me a one sentence email. I’ll shape it into my “moment” format to allow space for contemplation:
              It seems ironic(?)…sad at least
                        on the day that we celebrate
                        a demonstration of the rights/possibilities
                        of Americans of color
             that California would take away
                        the rights of others.
      Our California readers know about Proposition 8. Millions of Californians are embarrassed that fellow citizens would take away existing civil rights of other citizens.
      It is always a surprise to be a witness to events of biblical proportion. I don’t think I have quite registered what an event this election was. Some students in town who voted for Senator McCain admitted that the election of an African American was a “wow” moment in American history.
      Someday there should be such a moment granted to a huge number of our friends and neighbors and fellow citizens who do not presently experience equity under the law in our society. Why does it take an event of “biblical proportions” to show us what should have been done from the beginning?
─ Art Morgan, November 5, 2008

Martin Luther King lamented the fact that clergy and the churches were not the engine pulling the civil rights train, but more often were the caboose. The progressive Christians and others who opposed Proposition 8 were opposed by other Christians still bound by a very few biblical verses regarding an issue so remote to biblical thinking that Jesus says nothing about it. This same so-called “biblical view” found scripture to support “Afro-phobia” well into the ‘60’s just as they do to support “homo-phobia” now.