Gunfighter: A Modern Warrior's Life

Christmas!

 

Animated or not, Linus gets right to the core of the apple, encapsulating the story of Christmas, from 2nd Luke, verses 8 through 14.

Lesson over... it is Christmas!

Merry Christmas to one and all! 

Let's sing, shall we? 

"“Yea, Lord, we greet thee!,

 born this happy morning;

Jesus, to thee be all glory given!

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.”

 

God's blessing on you, your families, and everyone you klnow.

Advent is Ending, Christmas Is Nearly Here

Tomorrow is Christmas.

It's time for Ho Ho Ho (Must. Resist. Tiger. Woods. Joke), Santa Claus, Reindeer, and George Bailey.  It is time for family and friends.  It is time for The Polar Express, Red Ryder BB guns, and The Grinch.  It is time for really good things to eat.  It is time for songs, cookies, and gifts.  It is a time for over-indulgence.  It is a time for insane shopping centers, and working your credit card until it screams.  It is a time for fun.  It is a time for peace.  Christmas is all of that, indeed... but there is so much more, and it doesn't start and end with shredding brightly wrapped packages.

For another twenty one hours, we will still be in the season of Advent.   For many Christians, this is where the Christmas season truly begins.  You see, four weeks ago, we entered that part of the liturgical year where we began a time of waiting.  A time of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.  The season of Advent is, for many... certainly for me, the beginning of Christmas.

Everyone in my home is asleep... even Charlie.  I should be asleep, too... but this is a special time for me.  A time to think about what tomorrow means.  The birth of Christ is no small matter... indeed, few things can be considered more important from where I sit. 

I don't really have the words tonight.  You know me, I'm usually too wordy by half... but not now.  For now, I'll just sit and wait.  I think that's enough.

Join me, won' t you?

 

 

 

Happy Hanukkah!

In the second century BCE, during the Maccabean revolt, Hebrew rebels  ousted the forces of Antiochus IV from the Temple, but discovered that there was only one container of oil that was still sealed by the High Priest. 

There wasn't much oil, and it was expected that there would only be enough to keep the Temple lamp lit for one day. 

Miraculously, that oil lasted eight days.

A Modern Warrior's Life extends best Hanukkah wishes to all of our Jewish brothers and sisters.

(and what would Hanukkah be for a Goy like me, without this)

 

 

 

 

Hannukah Giveaway From Hatchette Books

I am pleased to announce, that, once again, the fine folks at Hachette Books have asked me to host a holiday giveaway.  As a matter of fact, this giveaway is especially cool in that it has three parts.   Hachette Books is giving away three sets of holiday-specific books for Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.

The first part will be a five book giveaway for Hanukkah ,since it begins tomorrow.  This giveaway begins today and will run through Monday, December 14th.  All you need to do is to click HERE, at The Great Gunfighter Giveawayand leave a comment about your favorite Hanukkah songs and traditions.  That's it.  You'll be entered.... and here is the kicker, you don't even have to be Jewish to win, because you know that your Holiday-loving pal Gunfighter is all about equal opportunity.

The books in the prize pack are:

Start-up Nation By Dan Senor, Saul Singer

The Monuments Men By Robert M. Edsel , Bret Witter

Sex, Drugs & Gefilte Fish By Shana Liebman

The Woman Who Named God By Charlotte Gordon

 A Lucky Child By Thomas Buergenthal , Elie Wiesel

 

I will announce the winner on Tuesday, the 15th.

Many thanks to the folks at Hachette for asking me to host for them... anything that I can do to put more books into someone's hands is a double blessing.

Now, get busy and click that mouse, because comments are closed, here.

All Are Welcome... Finally!

You know me, right? You know that I am a Christian. You also probably know that along with my family I practice and worship in the Lutheran tradition. I am almost certain that most of you know what that means...

You remember Martin Luther, right? Sure you do. That great reformer that paved the way for all modern Protestant denominations... that awesome fellow who entreated people to live and worship by Christ alone, faith alone, grace alone, scripture alone, and the glory of God alone. Heck of a guy, wasn't he?

Recently, the Evangelical Church in America, the national church body to which I belong, voted to on a policy that would, among other things, allow for the ordination of homosexual clergy, and allow pastors to bless committed same-sex unions (I'm not going to semanticize about "Unions" v. "Marriage" today). I applaud the decision of the more than two thirds of the voting members who approved this policy at our Synod Assembly.

I'm not writing this note today to be a cheerleader for the assembly as much as I want to talk about why I think that the success of this vote is good for us. Good for us as a church... good for us as the body of Christ.

Since the adaptation of this policy, there have been some people who have left our congregation because they disagree with it, based on their own discernment of scripture. As much as I will miss most of them, I understand their feelings and wish them well. They will always be my brothers and sisters in Christ. Unfortunately, some of those folks chose to leave in bitterness, and I am truly sorry about that.

In departing, some folks (well, two people, anyway) decided that they had to take parting shots at the Pastor as they took their leave. Now, I don't need to defend the Pastor, who is his own man and can take care of himself, but I am rather irritated by this kind of behavior. When I decided to write this post, I was really angry, which is why I decided not to post this until I had cooled off, lest I say anything as insensitive as some others already have.

I'm never going to condemn the way anyone else discerns scripture. Rather, I am going to talk about my own discernment. I believe that at the appropriate time, I am going to be judged by the Lord. My beliefs... my thoughts... what is in my heart... all of my actions will be laid bare before Him. Rather than pretend to any level of perfection, it is my fervent prayer that when I am judged, it will be seen that I tried to live a life filled with love... Love for God, family, friends, strangers, and for my enemies (not that I have any... I mean, really, who wouldn't love ME!?). I hope that in judgment, it will be found that when I erred, I erred on the side of love in trying to keep in step with Christ's ministry. I hope that in judgment, if I am found to be in error over my acceptance of all of God's people, not just the straight ones, that I will be forgiven for having loved too much, instead of not enough.

I take heart in the text of Romans 3:19-24

"19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. 21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

If I am guilty of sin in my failure to observe the law, I am still justified by faith. You know what? I'll take that all day long! So rather than fling barbs, and attempt to sow conflict, as some have, I will do as I always have, and continue to extend the hand of fellowship and welcome all of God's children. All of them.

So, I believe that our Synod Assembly was not in error concerning this policy. I believe that we are doing God's will and God's work by living up to what we profess in Lutheran churches across the breadth of our country, when we say that "All Are Welcome"... we finally, really, mean it

What Is a Warrior?

You know me, right? Good ol' Gunfighter… your pal who tells that odd funny story, loves to talk about his family, good time guy who is more passionate about progressive politics than he is about Rugby.

I've blabbed to pretty much all who will listen, about my thoughts on just about everything… but today, I'm going to tell you about my core beliefs. You probably already know much of what makes me tick, but I am going to give you the whole enchilada today.

I'm a Warrior.  Battle is not only my trade, it is my profession.  I am trained to it. I am indoctrinated in it. It is why I draw breath every day.

Do you know what that means? I'll tell you what it doesn't mean… it doesn't mean that I spend my days looking for a fight. It doesn't mean that I welcome or relish violence. It doesn't mean that I am an unthinking berserker that would just as soon shoot you as talk to you. No. Not at all. I'd like to talk… and probably will ramble on a bit… but I am writing this without a script, and am unlikely to edit it. Buckle up. I'd like to talk about my own personal warrior ethos.

In my world, everyone feels safer when a warrior is around, because a warrior is honor-bound to help those that might not be able to help themselves so much. In my view, a warrior opposes injustice, whether it is physical or moral injustice, a warrior doesn't stand silent. In my view, a warrior avoids conflict, but having entered a conflict, is unswerving in achieving his goal. A warrior is kind. A warrior is tender. A warrior is God's man above all things. A warrior seeks guidance and wisdom from those around him, and will share those things with others when asked of him. A warrior is aware of his own mortality. A warrior is the friend and guardian of all children, not just his own. A warrior is unselfish. A warrior is victorious over pain, discomfort, and the elements. A warrior respects nature. A warrior despises corruption. A warrior is well-read. A warrior can never be accused of being lazy or not hard-working.

Like most warriors, I have my own role models who have shaped the warrior that I have become. Some of those models were military men. Men who fought with honor, skill and intrepidity like Audie Murphy, Salah ad-Din; "Mad" Anthony Wayne, Nathaniel Greene, George Washington, John Ripley, and the Entire 54^th Massachusetts volunteer Infantry regiment; Miyamoto Musashi; and Jean De La Valette.

Some of those warriors were fictitious, Brave Horatious, The Captain of The Gate; Lazarus Long; Richard Sharpe; Stephen Maturin; and Jack Aubrey; John Dean; William "Wild Bill" Fogarty; and Captain Ted Lenahan.

Not all of my role models were warriors or soldiers. Some of those models were scholars, people who taught me the importance of knowledge and of history, and of the joy of learning for learning's sake:  My wife, Susan; Mrs Ruth Deusinger (she was my high-school history teacher, and she was the BEST); John Murphy; Thomas Tsirikos; Ron Martino; and Joseph Caliguire.

Still other role models were members of my family: My mother's mother, a tireless servant of God, and nurturer of a troubled boy who became, to all reports, a decent man, despite the odds; my mother's father, a professional linguist and educator, from whom I inherited the gift of languages.

Many of my role models were men and women of faith: Martin Luther; Saints Cyril & Methodius; Saint Martin of Tours; Saint Martin DePorres; Martin Luther King; Saint Paul The Apostle; and of course, Jesus of Nazareth whom we call The Christ.

I strive, and fail, daily, to emulate what is good in all of these people, and others, believing that if I can, I will be the warrior that I am called to be: The defender of truth, justice, children, women, knowledge, and of the faith.

As one of those role models once said: "Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me, Amen."

Children in Church

Heather's post from yesterday generated quite a bit of interest, if my email box is any indicator, and I thought that I would post this piece from my brother-in-Christ, Mick, who had a lot to say on the subject.

Heather,

I'm a Seminarian (read: pastor-in-training) up here in the sticks with
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.  I too have a young family
-- my eldest is three and the youngest is 18 months.

When one was two years and the other four months, I went to a large
church in Calgary Alberta to be their intern pastor for a year.  It
was an absolutely fantastic experience, save for one thing: the
elderly people who would complain about my children in worship.  One
person, after I picked up my youngest at the end of the service when
he came toddling up to me, actually told me that "no one else gets to
bring their children to work."

My response to this was actually pretty simple: their kind and loving
Vicar became as nasty as they were being with an added twist: I asked
them if they had, as one person suggested, beaten their children to
get them to be quiet.  Receiving a 'yes' response, I then asked if
their child (now grown) was still in church, and to that the response
was always -- always -- 'no'.

Then I would look them in the eye and ask them how they could excuse
their way as being better.

The point is, Heather, that young families need the church, but not to
be segregated or forced to conform to an earlier generations' ideals.
I've seen this before with other churches: younger families are
desirable, but only if they look, dress, and act circa 1955.  Churches
have dealt with problems like this before; they deal with them again.

But a word of caution to you, and others who have had similar
experiences -- do NOT turn this issue to your pastor to fix.  He or
she simply can't.  More to the point, the church only has one Messiah;
you (and other families in your church with similar experiences) need
to address the issue yourselves.

For waaaaaaaay too long the manufactured ideal of "arguments don't
happen in church" has been enforced as a means of a)keeping status
quo; and b)allowing passive aggressive people to build and maintain a
power base.  This needs to stop, and the only way it will is through
confrontation.  When someone says something hateful to you, look back
and them and tell them behaviour is deplorable for a playground, let
alone a place of worship.

What distinguishes Christianity from other traditions is that Jesus
LOVED little children.  There are numerous accounts of the disciples
wanting to send the children off to somewhere else but Jesus
correcting them, and gathering the little ones in closer.  This should
be what distinguishes Christian churches from other ones; nothing
annoys me more (with due respect to lilacspecs) than funereal silence
at a joyous occasion such as baptisms.  'Respectful silence' is an
oxymoron at these times.  The point of Christian worship -- I would
argue -- is celebration, as we give thanks for our lives (as many
traditions celebrate the 'Eucharist' from the Greek word meaning 'to
give thanks').  This is what makes Christianity different from other
religions -- we do not go through prescribed motions to appease a
deity, or chant texts to remember the teachers of an ancient, but we
should be celebrating Christ in our midst continually, at this very
moment.

But Kathleen is right when she says that churches that are populated
by a generation that demands conformity should plan on dying out --
put simply, and as I pointed out to another person who tried to tell
me that my children weren't behaving as 'pastor's children' should,
those churches are already dead.  They just don't know it yet.

I think there's a blog posting about this percolating over in my neck

of the woods....

Can I get an Amen?

Thanks so much for jumping in, Mick!  For those of you who haven't done it, yet, please visit Mick's blog , you'll be glad you did.

In Case You Were Wondering.

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum
The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum is the motto of the Lutheran Reformation, a confident expression of the enduring power and authority of God’s Word. The motto is based on 1 Peter 1:24-25 (also Isaiah 40:8). It first appeared in the court of Frederick the Wise in 1522. He had it sewn onto the right sleeve of the court’s official clothing, which was worn by prince and servant alike. It was used by Frederick’s successors, his brother John the Steadfast, and his nephew John Frederick the Magnanimous. It became the official motto of the Schmalcaldic League and was used on flags, banners, swords, and uniforms as a symbol of the unity of the Lutheran laity who struggled to defend their beliefs, communities, families and lives against those who were intent on destroying them.

Church, Carcinogens, & Iron Eyes Cody

Dear Pastor J,

Yesterday's outdoor church service and church picnic were great!  We really enjoyed the beautiful setting of the state park and were glad about having the opportunity to spend a few hours in fellowship with so many people from the congregation and their guests.

The thing that I thought was really great was the fact that the kids of the congregation had a good chance to play together and solidify as a self-identified group.  How can you get any better than that?

As I am typing this at 0415 on Monday morning, with my stomach doing the acid reflux gurgle, it comes to me that there might have been a few things better than than watching the kids play... as far-fetched as this might seem.  One of those things happened during the service.  You might have noticed, during one of the hymns, that I was shaking and had my hand over my face.  Just so you know, it wasn't because I was overcome by the solemnity of the song... no, it was because a certain member of the church council, known to my other readers as Mrs Gunfighter, picked that moment in the service, which was all about renewal and respect for the environment which God has given us, to start cracking wise.

I suppose I should be truthful here and say that I started it when I told my dear wife that one of the hymns reminded me the old "Woodsy The Owl" commercials (you know... Give a hoot, don't pollute). While you started the sermon and admonished us to care for God's creation, Mrs Gunfighter (whom I suspect wasn't enjoying the sermon) leaned over and said to me "look!   Over there!  (pointing out to the beautiful Potomac river) It's that indian in the canoe... from the old commercial, and HE'S CRYING!").

You know... I try to maintain my composure at church, even though funny things happen from time to time... but, this was too much.  I hadn't thought of the old Iron Eyes Cody commercial in years, and at that moment all I could think of was that old public service announcement from the 1970's, and I lost it.  I had to cover my face, and it was really hard to hide the heaving of my shoulders.  Even now, with my gut feeling like I have been knifed, I can't help but laugh about it.

Anyway, back to the picnic... another funny moment came during the "cooking of the hamburgers."  Dude, next time we have a cookout, you need to step away from the lighter fluid... I could have sworn we were going to have a major fire, respect for God's creation or no.  Apparently, and I got this from one of the congregants at the END of the burger line, that whole rack of burgers tasted like they were cooked on a flame from a refinery fire!  From where Mrs GF and I were sitting, all we could see was you, P, and J, looking at the charcoal and squirting lighter fluid on it every 30 seconds or so.  I know it doesn't sound funny, but trust me on this... it was.

Anyway, Iron Eyes Cody, and Refinery Burgers notwithstanding, we had a fine old time yesterday.  Soccer Girl was nearly beside herself from playing at the playground, throwing the Frisbee, fishing, chatting with the young women, and getting to play with your daughter, to whom, if you hadn't already noticed, she is particularly attached.  By the time she went to bed last night she was absolutely bushed.

Good times.  Good times.

****NOTE**** Don't worry, neither the park nor the river look anything like the one in the commercial. The natural beauty of the place is stunning.****

The Lutheran-Mormon Green Jell-O Smackdown!

I suppose it had to happen eventually.  I suppose that here, even in blog-world where people often have really profound thins to say, or teach, or display, things would eventually take a slide downhill.

I can hardly bring myself to tell you all, because you may think less of your favorite Gunfighter... but I fear that I must.

For as long as I can remember, I have always been a middle of the road to slightly right of center (the center isn't what it used to be, just remember that), and I had little use for the world of pop culture.  I couldn't have cared less about what was happening in the music business.  I didn't care about the East Coast-West Coast rap war.  I didn't take sides, because I had no dog in the fight.  Who really cared that some rappers had a "beef" with other rappers?  I was a go-it-alone sort of man who seldom got into a beef with anyone.

All that has changed.

I have become embroiled in an on-line beef with some chick in Indiana who has had the temerity to tell ME, a good Lutheran boy, that green Jell-O and it's attendant midwerstern recipes are somehow "property" of the Church of Latter Day Saints!

Well, you just knew that I wasn't going to lay down and take that, being a Modern Lutheran Warrior.

Moosh In Indy has called me out... and woe, I say, WOE unto her for that.

Look, we don't need to get nasty about this, but let's be clear on something, ever since that first of reformers, the rockin' German monk, Martin Luther, nailed his 95 theses to the church door, we Lutherans have been kicking butt and taking names.  This beef with that mormon-chick-with-a-tattoo-on-her-back doesn't know what she is getting herself into!

It's on, Moosh.

Some of the earliest permanent settlers in the Midwest were originally from Germany, Sweden, and Norway, and because they were from these countries (all of which had state churches which were LUTHERAN), they were already used to eating unusual food, like Lefsa and Lutefisk.  Going one step further, they were already used to sharing their foot at church gatherings... which led to the development of the "hot dish" (which you might think of as a casserole... but only if you ain't a Lutheran).

These hearty pioneers, used to cold climates (and you have to have cold to make Jell-O!), settled the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri, and were there long before any Brighams-come-lately in Utah.  As a matter of fact, their descendants still make up the geographic core of Lutheranism in The United States (stand up and salute.  NOW!)

So it should be clear to anyone that green Jell-o salad is a very midwestern thing... and since the mid-western states are the most Lutheran places in the country, that by dint of longevity, AND the number of counties that are predominantly Lutheran (250 v. the paltry 80 counties where the Latter Day Saints hold sway).

The math is irrefutable, my friends.  Green Jell-O in general, and green Jell-O salad in particular, was, is, and always will be Lutheran!  Mind you, I'd never eat the stuff either, but I am seriously down with my peeps, yo!

Look, if green Jell-O wasn't a Lutheran thing, there wouldn't be a book/DVD entitled:  If There were no Lutherans, would there still be Green Jell-O?

 

Now, my friend in Indiana thinks quite highly of the fact that Salt Lake City, Utah is something special because of the fact that the people there eat more Jell-O, than anywhere else in the world.  To her I say: phshaw!  That's only because SLC is the most toothless place in America (unless, of course, the Osmonds are in town!).

My learned opponent is also pleased to show us some sort of Jell-O superiority because of some puny, concoted Jell-O pin.  Well, all I can say about us Lutherans, is that WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' BADGES.

We have the numbers.

We have the cookbooks.

We even have Lutheran Jell-O jokes!

We even have a whole slew of Lutheran celebrities that would agree with me:  Green Jell-O is Lutheran.

Mind the boot-print on your backside... It isn't personal.

Anybody else want a piece of me? (or a piece of green Jell-O?)