Look into my world.
Sit in my time chair.
From here, the past, the
present, and the future can be’ seen.
Concentrate on your mind’s powers.
The chair disappears.
you go whenever you want.
Then you return and
awake in my time machine.
And you never left the room.
To read this poem in French, click here.
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S’envoler
Rechercher dans mon monde.
Asseyez-vous dans mon fauteuil temps.
De là, le passé, le
présent et l’avenir peut être «vu.
Concentrez-vous sur les pouvoirs de votre esprit.
Le président disparaît.
vous allez quand vous voulez.
Ensuite, vous revenez et
éveillé dans ma machine du temps.
Et vous n’avez jamais quitté la salle.
Pour lire ce poème en anglais, cliquez ici.
Do you have a start of a poem, but the words just aren’t right? Go for help at the Poetry First Aid.
A headline for an AP story was “Clergy need more than faith in God to retire.” This is not news to me.
I thank God for the calling He has brought to me, and I now am in a good financial position with a larger church congregation that has favorable compensation for an official retirement. I will never retire in my commitment, but there will come a time when my role as a youth minister will be given to someone else who can keep up the crowd of children who need to be taught God’s word their way.
The retirement of many ministers around the country is not as fortunate, almost like Father Mackenzie in the Beatle song, ”Eleanor Rigby.” Shrinking church attendance in some areas and denominations is causing problems for the retirement of clergy…
Father McKenzie writing the words of a sermon
That no one will hear - no one comes near
Look at him working, darning his socks in the night
When there’s nobody there - what does he care?
© 1966 EMI Records
According to that AP article, those clergy who are dedicated to help people live for today and the time when we are no longer on earth need to gain more control of their personal financial futures now. I would agree. The clergy around the country often lack home equity and a full pension, and they tend to stay on the job longer than other professionals who benefit from traditional retirement benefits. The financial meltdowns of the stock market in 2000 and 2008 hurt many people including ministers (and me), and recovery is still slow.
A senior minister at a small to medium-sized U.S. church gets on average $70,300 a year, according to a survey by the National Association of Church Business Administration. A small percentage of the group, 13 percent , do not get retirement benefits, and other churches are making very small contributions to the retirement plans of others.
I realize people who go into social services, especially ministers, are not expected for get rich for their years of education and dedication. Money issues, especially higher-than-normal salaries can be tempting, and these matters can become a problem for church administration. Major TV ministries, for example, have suffered from “Pass the loot” syndrome.
The article stressed that whatever a member of the clergy earns in a lifetime needs to be properly and professionally managed so when the time comes to step down from the pulpit, the minister won’t be going to others to ask for help after being a source for advice after all these years.
Peace be you with always,Rev. Paul Abernathy
“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” -2 Peter 1:2
Contact Paul Abernathy at paulabernathy@gmail.com.
Want to know more about the members of Lambda Sigma Chi? Click here to meet the members of the unofficial fraternity.
(Photo by Mike Hall)
A small group of tri-lobed violets appear in early Spring in Carmel, Indiana.
Do you have a start of a poem, but the words just aren’t right? Go for help at the Poetry First Aid.
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Brother Rufus McDougal continues his flirting with his words and his experiences.
Gravity
Mr. Newton figured out that what goes up
has to come down, but I don’t believe
that this law applies to my part of town.
Oh, it works when you want it to work,
but there are times when green is blue.
You can feel the magic in the air, if you
really believe the impossible comes true.
You can easily converse with the animals,
and listen to thoughts of all the old rocks.
You had better listen carefully to the stones,
since they have been through an awful lot.
The normal here is unnatural, and belief is
suspended, like gravity, by what you think.
However, all this can disappear in the
time it takes a normal person to blink.
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(Photo by Mike Hall)
Local Landmark
There is a local landmark on Dewhurst,
north of the intersection of 8th St,
that really can’t be beat …
the Grand Canyon of potholes.
It has to seen to be believed.
Earth’s elements of sand, stone,
concrete and asphalt have been ravaged
by centuries of rain and snow,
sunlight and cold nights,
showing several layers of the city’s
travel history in geological periods.
It’s an attraction which shouldn’t
be crossed by car, for more than just
a tire will probably be destroyed.
Calls to City Hall have been met
with promises to fix the dangers
that lurch in the depths of the canyons,
but a warning sign by the pothole
only serves more as an advertisement.
The mayor said a new road has to
be built since the hole is so deep,
but there are no funds for construction.
He said the sign is legal warning enough
so that the city is not responsible
for damage that occurs to any vehicle.
So when going north on Dewhurst,
take a detour onto 6th, and then north
on Maryland to 9th Street, just to be safe.
I wouldn’t want to be in the Mayor’s place.
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Para ver la versión original en inglés, haga click aquí.
Lo siento
No he leído el periódico
el domingo desde que estaba en la cama.
Tú no estabas allí, de nuevo,
por las palabras que he dicho.
No he leído el periódico
el lunes, ya que estaba toda mojada.
Las lágrimas de mi dolor mojado la
palabras como todo lo que pudieron conseguir.
Lo siento. Lo siento. Hice un
error. ¿Qué más puedo decir?
Yo no sólo wan que conmigo hoy,
mañana, para siempre.
La página de portada el fin de semana
es algo que debería haber leído.
No me he sentido tan mal, entonces
debido a lo que dijo el titular.
Las palabras de la primera página declaró:
“Usted es el hombre para mí”.
Usted quería volver a estar juntos
y esa es la forma en que tenía que ser.
Lo siento. Lo siento. Hice un
error. ¿Qué más puedo decir?
Yo no sólo wan que conmigo
hoy, mañana, forever.It ’s difícil para mí para disculparse,
ya que algunas de las veces tengo razón.
Los titulares dicen: “Lo siento”.
Espero que estés conmigo esta noche.
Lo siento. Lo siento. Hice un
error. ¿Qué más puedo decir?
Yo no sólo wan que conmigo
hoy, mañana, siempre.
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I didn’t read the newspaper
on Sunday since I was in bed.
You weren’t there, again,
because of the words I said.
I didn’t read the newspaper
on Monday since it was all wet.
Tears from my pain soaked the
words as much as they could get.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I made a
mistake. What more can I say?
I just wan t you back with me today,
tomorrow, forever.
The front page on the weekend
is something I should have read.
I wouldn’t have felt so bad then
because of what the headline said.
The words of the front page declared,
“You’re the man for me.”
You wanted to get back together
and that’s the way it had to be.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I made a
mistake. What more can I say?
I just wan t you back with me
today, tomorrow, forever.I
It’s hard for me to apologize,
since some of the time I’m right.
The headlines say, “I’m sorry.”
I hope you’re with me tonight.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I made a
mistake. What more can I say?
I just want you back with me
today, tomorrow, forever.
To read this poem in Spanish, click here.
Do you have a start of a poem, but the words just aren’t right? Go for help at the Poetry First Aid.
Vivre ensemble
Une crise conduit à une autre.
Nous n’avons pas soin de nos frères.
Nous devons aider les uns les autres
afin que nous puissions tous vivre ensemble.
Pour lire ce poème en anglais, cliquez ici.
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One crisis leads to another.
we don’t care for our brothers.
We have to help each other
so we can all live together.
To read this poem in French, click here.
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