Spring’s Around the Corner

One of the biggest adjustments I have had since moving to Montana nearly five years ago is predicting the shift from winter to spring.  Someone told me that it occurs about the time the Beartooth Pass is cleared off in early June . . . but, that isn’t quite true . . . close, but not true.  Since moving to Montana I have tried in vain to predict when winter ends and spring begins.

In Nebraska, where I lived prior to coming to Big Sky Country, the transition from winter to spring was not that difficult to predict.  I had two major indicators . . . Sandhill Cranes and road kill.  Typically the migration of the Sandhill Cranes was an indicator that spring was not too far off.  With the arrival of the cranes for refueling along the Platte River it meant that we had one more big storm and then spring.  Though we do have Sandhill Cranes in Montana, usually the ones that do not want to summer in Canada, there is no major migration . . . thus no signs to help me prepare for spring.

Road kill . . . well, Montana has a lot of road kill because Montana has lots of critters.  In Nebraska when the road kill was populated with dead skunks and raccoons, you knew that sprig was not that far off.  Lately, I have seen dead skunks all over the road . . . but, I have also seen a lot dead deer.  No raccoons, though.  So, I am not sure I am dealing with a bunch of insomniac skunks who woke up early and me their demise, or if spring is just around the corner.

I wonder . . . the weather has gotten the point where we are getting more rain and snow storms than snow storms.  The temperatures have been in the upper thirties and lower forties, but the nights have still been in the teens . . . is spring around the corner? 

I don’t know.  But, what I do know is that I am learning that one of the signs of spring for the Keener household is when the backyard begins to thaw.  The backyard is a no-man land when it comes to thawing.  We typically get snow in late October and the backyard stays covered until spring begins to show up . . . and, that varies from year to year.  Well, the backyard is almost devoid of snow as of today . . . oh, yeah, there are spots here and there, but for the most part the snow has melted.  Unfortunately the thawing of the backyard is becoming one of the signs—or should I say smells—that spring is not too far off.

Four months of not being able to clean up the dog’s bathroom creates quite a mess and smell . . . poop stinks!  It is amazing how much poop a medium sized Boxer and a Dachshund can produce in a four-month period.  It is a good thing that the wind seems to blow all of the time here in Montana.  

But the thaw is on and the dogs are not happy that their “bathroom” hasn’t been cleaned in four months.  I guess I would be a little upset too . . . so, today was the day that the “bathroom” got cleaned.  Today I raked the yard.  I was tired of sharing my bathroom with the dogs—who, about a month ago, had taught themselves to use the toilets in the house.  The raking was no fun . . .

Though the snow had melted, the ground had not.  The melted snow turned into water . . . water that could not be absorbed into the ground . . . water and poop is not a good combination.  Needless to say, I was not a happy camper.  After an hour I wondered where in the world these two could come up with so much . . . well, I also thought that it might be time to cut back on feeding the dogs to about once a week!  But, I persevered, raked up the whole yard, made it presentable to the dogs, and rid the neighborhood of any shifts in the wind.

Now, I am not sure that I would consider the thawing of the Keener’s backyard as a sign that spring is just around the corner, but it is a start.  I am not sure that dead skunks in the middle of the road constitute the start of spring.  Teenagers wearing shorts to school . . . nope, they do that year-round here in Montana.  The state legislature actually passing a bill . . . nope, it would never happen and if it did it would be more a sign that the rapture is about to occur.  Tulips popping up . . . nope, appetizers for the deer.  That is the problem, there are no definite signs that spring is just around the corner here in Montana.  But I do want to know because I sure as heck don’t want to miss the week that it occurs.  Spring happens in the blink of an eye here in Montana, but it is a glorious week when it happens . . . I just don’t want to miss it.  Right now, all I know is that the dogs are happy to get their yard back.

Somebody out there want to help me?  Give me a clue?  Is spring really around the corner?

Daylight Saving Time . . . Sucks

Someone told me that Daylight Saving Time was a prank pulled by a bunch of farmers in 1918 to punish city dwellers for gloating about their indoor toilets.  Someone else told me it had something to do with train schedules in Europe.  Another person told me it was just plain stupid . . . and, I have to agree.  It is plain ol’ stupid.

I kind of think of myself as a logical and educated individual.  I understand that there are 24 hours in a day . . . that never changes . . . 24 hours is 24 hours.  But we are told that we are getting more day with daylight saving time . . . and yet, the reality of the situation is that we are not.  Nothing changes except this mind game we play with ourselves.  We just think that we are.

This perception of time . . . a time shift with the clock . . . actually messes up everyone.  It is an evil plot that we will all feel tomorrow morning.  We will shock our brains, bodies and souls by hauling ourselves out of bed an hour earlier than they are prepared for.  Every March we put ourselves through the same thing.  It is a Twilight Zone situation where the clocks say 6:00AM, but our bodies and mind know that it is really 5:00AM!  It is a cruel hoax!

I almost bought into the hoax once . . . but it didn’t quite make sense.  For example, I got a little concerned about babies born during Daylight Saving Time . . . what happens to them if they live a full life but die when it isn’t Daylight Saving Time?  Did they actually live an hour less than they originally thought?  Or what if they were born when there was no Daylight Saving Time and then died when it was Daylight Saving Time . . . did they live an hour longer than they really did?  Hey!  If we think that we are getting a longer day because we set our clocks ahead an hour before going to bed once a year, then how is my reasoning any different?  Did you ever think about that?

I have heard that the reason for this time change is because farmers and ranchers wanted more daylight in which to work.  I’d buy that but most of the farmers and ranchers I know and have known get to work before the sun rises whether there is a time change or not.  They realize that they have more work than there is daylight for no matter what the clock says.  They also tell me not to blame them for this government policy.

I was told that it was so that the children could go to school when the sun is out . . . so, why do we wait until springtime to make the change?  Why do we send kids to school all winter long when it is dark and then take them home after the sun sets?  The schools say don’t blame them.

All I know is that this is typically the most popular worship service of the year at most churches as everyone usually shows up just as the service is winding down.  Missed the main event, but made it for the coffee fellowship . . . how much better can religion get than that!  Happens every year, and research shows that it ranks up there with the Sermon on the Mount for popularity.

So . . . who do we blame?  I guess the government gets credit for this one.  For whatever reason the government made this choice oh so long ago, it was a choice that was forced upon all of us.  Well, I take that back . . . Hawaii and Arizona do not observe Daylight Saving Time.  Seems they have a little common sense where the rest of us blindly follow what our government tells us to do in order to have more daylight.  Changing the time on the clock does not create more daylight . . . it is an illusion . . . a crummy one at that!

I guess I shouldn’t complain . . . the wife says that I get up before the butt crack of dawn . . . and, I do.  I enjoy getting up before the day is inundated with the noise and activity of people.  I enjoy the quietness of that time of the day . . . it is the best time of the day.  I doubt if Daylight Saving Time messes me up too much . . . except I was born during Daylight Saving Time and I worry about dying during those months where we do not have Daylight Saving Time . . . I’d get screwed out of an hour of life . . . or, would I?  This time change really sucks!  And, imagine, it was just because some farmers were upset that they didn’t have indoor plumbing!

Whoa! Can’t Escape the Dude!

MSN.com has an article about Jesus this weekend . . . it seems that Jesus is keeping pretty busy these days.  Apparently his face is popping up everywhere people look . . . a banana . . . the kitchen cabinet . . . a candy bar . . . and, even a ultrasound!  It seems that Jesus is showing up everywhere . . . you can’t escape the dude!

Pareidolia . . . that is the explanation that is often given for the various sightings of Jesus in common everyday items.  Pareidolia is humankind’s knack of seeing faces in objects.  The faithful don’t buy it . . . Jesus is showing up in the morning Cream of Wheat . . . and in the burnt toast.  I understand that the Vatican is looking into these phenomena and that once they find a pope they are going to give it the “thumbs up” as miraculous.  Me, well, I am still out on this one.

Jesus, the dude, is everywhere . . . at least that is my understanding of the scriptures and what I was taught in seminary.  Jesus is everywhere . . . like the air that we breathe.  If we want to see Jesus it is a matter of making ourselves conscious of his presence.  The problem is most of us aren’t too conscious of the presence of anything but ourselves.  Because of that we often miss the presence of Jesus with us.  At the same time, I haven’t seen him in any of the food that I eat or the objects that I own . . . but, I believe he is there!

That doesn’t mean that I am not looking.  I heard that the person who saw Jesus in a piece of toast made hundreds of thousands of dollars off that burnt stale bread.  I might be a follower of Jesus, but I am also a good American . . . a good capitalist . . . and, a dollar is a dollar!  Have you seen the salaries that ministers are paid?  If I can make a few bucks off a picture of Jesus in my beer foam . . . I don’t think the American version of Jesus would complain.  It would be a blessing!

Blessing or not, I am still looking.  Haven’t quite found the Jesus that everyone else is seeing in everything from the clouds in the sky to the kitchen sink . . . but, I keep looking.  I have found images of Bob Dylan, Pee Wee Herman, and the Trix Rabbit . . . but, no Jesus.  At least not yet.  I think that the wife is getting tired of me searching for Jesus . . . especially when I ask her to whip the scrambled eggs to the right instead of the left in hopes that she can create a little holy magic.  The result?  A pretty angry wife and a pile of scrambled eggs which I am not real fond of!  No piece of bread . . . no candy bar . . . pizza . . . shower stain . . . or bug smashed on the windshield goes unexamined.  Jesus is out there and I have got to find him!

Mickey Gilley used to sing about looking for love in all the wrong places . . . I think I am looking for Jesus in all the wrong places.  First of all, because there were no cameras when Jesus was alive, and because he never posed for an official portrait, we have no pictures of Jesus.  No Instagrams of him . . . nothing!  We really do not know what he looks like . . . and, it is pretty certain that he is not some blonde Adonis like Brad Pitt!  We really do not know what Jesus looks like.  Second of all, I don’t think that Jesus needs a marketing plan that puts his face on every conceivable object humanity has ever made.  Jesus doesn’t need product placement.  So, why in the world do any of us think that we see his image in anything . . . especially the food that we eat!

Simply, I believe in what the Book of Genesis states when it says that we are all created in the image of God.  Because of that I believe that in order to see Jesus I would need to get pictures of every living person, past and present, combine them into one humongous collage in order to see an image of the living Jesus.  You have seen what I am talking about . . . millions of individual pictures put together to create one picture.  From a distance you see one thing, up close you see the many images that are combined to make one big picture.  As simplistic as that seems, that is what I believe.

Because of that, I have seen and encountered Jesus many, many times.  I have seen Jesus in the depressed individual who struggles to make it through the day.  I have seen Jesus in the person who has run the race, grabbed the prize, and known victory.  I have seen Jesus in the mother who is struggling with a baby who is cranky and uncooperative, and she is ready to through the towel in.  I have seen him in the person who mourns the death of his or her spouse, still trying to figure out how in the world he or she is going to make it to the next day.  I have seen him in the brokenness of humanity . . . in the glory of success . . . and, in everything in-between.

In the church there used to be a greeting that was used in worship . . . the Christ in me greets the Christ in you.  Can you see the image of Jesus in that?  Can you see the eyes of Jesus staring back at you as you embrace that individual across the pew or aisle? 

Yes, there is no escape from the dude . . . he is everywhere.  The problem is we are looking in all the wrong places.  We just need to open our eyes . . . Jesus is everywhere.   

The Wind Speaks . . . Are We Listening?

“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”

(Jimmy Dean)

The wind always seems to blow between Big Timber and Livingston—it is Montana’s wind tunnel.  At times it blows hard enough that the semi-trucks on the interstate are blown over and the road is closed.  The locals in Big Timber joke that living in a wind tunnel is no big deal as long as you learn to lean into the wind . . . and, that you can tell when the wind has quit blowing—all the cows are lying on their sides in the pastures.  There is a lot of truth to their words . . . I just spent a day and a half in Big Timber . . . the wind never quit howling the whole time I was there.

Now Big Timber is not a usual place that someone picks to spend a couple of days for the fun of it, and I was not in Big Timber for the fun of it.  I was in Big Timber for a church meeting . . . in fact, I was there to attend the partnership meeting of the Northern Wyoming/Montana United Church of Christ Conference and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Montana joint board meeting.  We have been doing this sort of meeting officially now for a little over a year now.  This happens to be the weekend that I blew into town for the big event . . . and, the wind blew the whole time.

At the end of our meeting the regional minister for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) wanted to spend some time reflecting on the presence of God . . . in particular, she wanted us to name those times that we saw or felt the presence of God in our gathering.  Of course, there were the typical answers one expects to hear at a gathering of the faithful . . . around the communion table . . . in the worship service . . . in conversations with others . . . in the work that was achieved.  All good answers, but my answer to her question was possibly a Freudian slip or a wisecrack.  I simply stated that I don’t know if I saw God anywhere, but I sure heard God all weekend in the wind.  Of course, it got a good laugh.

Honestly, I was not trying to be funny.  It is just a curse . . . I open my mouth and funny things come out.  I really wasn’t trying to make a joke.

In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as “wind” or “like the wind”.  Those writers of the Bible made a good attempt when they attempted to describe the Holy Spirit—to describe God—as the “wind” or “like the wind” . . . because, it is like the wind.  Wind is a mysterious force . . . we are not really sure from where it comes . . . we cannot see it . . . it is mighty and powerful (Come on, it can blow semi-trucks and cows over!) . . . we can see its effects, yet we cannot see it . . . it is invisible.  We can feel it, but we cannot see it.  It is a powerful force.  Isn’t that the way God seems to work?  Like the wind?

The wind was blowing this weekend in the gathering of the faithful who joined together to form this partnership between two small denominations out in the middle of the Great American Frontier.  The question is: Were we listening?

For several years the two denominations discerned the idea of a partnership to bring together two similar, but difference groups of the faithful.  A little over a year ago, we made the decision to be partners.  Ever since, I content, the wind has been howling.  As with any decision, there were those who were against it, those who were for it, and everything in-between.  There has been rejoicing, and there has been lamenting.  Through it all, the wind has been blowing . . . and we stand in the wind . . . and, I think that we are learning . . . we are learning, learning to adjust our sails to reach for that destination we feel God is calling us to.

I think that we are listening to the wind.  I heard it in the statements of those who mentioned God’s presence in the ability to be the body of Christ where the different parts come together to be the whole.  I heard it in the statement of receiving the broken bread and the wine as we gathered around the table to share in Holy Communion.  I heard it in the harmony of voices joined together to sing in worship . . . many voices, one sound of praise.  I heard it in the tiredness of those leaving to return to their homes around the state; the work was hard, but the potential was great.  There was hope . . . there was opportunity . . . there was the kingdom to come.  Yeah, we were listening to the wind.  It was biblical . . . how can you beat that for weekend entertainment.  The wind blew . . . and we listened.  Our sails are set . . .