A week after last November’s election, a friend in the Philadelphia area and I decided we would do something about it.  We set out on what became a nearly eleven-month journey through the Federalist, or as they are more commonly known, The Federalist Papers.  In case you have forgotten, the Federalist Papers are a series of 85 essays supporting the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.  Written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, the Federalist Papers appeared as columns in various New York City newspapers in 1787 and 1788.  They were meant to be read by ordinary citizens who might help persuade the state legislators to ratify the new constitution as it had been drafted in Philadelphia during the hot summer of 1787.

With breaks for vacations and family responsibilities, my friend and I met via Zoom once a week for an hour or so.  And, yes, our conversations included topics others than those related to the Constitution.

As it turned out, our reading project was well timed, reminding us in real time of the Constitution’s provisions for contested elections, the work of the Electoral College, the rules for the impeachment of a President, the Congress’ responsibility to create and pass a federal budget, the limits of executive power, civilian control of the military, and other topics touched on in the past ten months. Continue reading →

Grandkids love to hear their grandparents tell stories, especially stories from when their moms and dads were young.  Among the currently most popular stories for our grandkids is the long-ago story of finding a scorpion in their mommy’s sleeping bag. I come across more heroic than I may deserve, but I did, in fact, wallop the poor arachnid with my shoe and flush the carcass down the toilet. Papa saved the day!

Good stories well told nurture the imagination, widen horizons, and, especially family stories, tell us who we are.  Stories are important and telling them is one of a grandparent’s most important jobs.

Stories tell us who we are.  A nation’s story tells its people what it means to be a citizen of that nation.  One of the marks of the present age is the scarcity of common stories and disagreement as to what the few remaining stories are meant to teach us.  Are our nation’s founder heroes or are they scoundrels? Are the better angels of our nature really villains in disguise? Continue reading →

We will be heading to the shore of Lake Michigan today as at least some of our family will gather for a long weekend to celebrate my seventieth birthday, Monday being the actual day.

More than any other, this feels like a milestone birthday.  According to Psalm 90 (printed in full below), traditionally held to be a prayer of Moses, seventy years are what we might expect of life, perhaps eighty “by reason of strength.”  Improvement in medicine, nutrition, and technology may have nudged the scale slightly, but Moses’ truth still holds.

With the great day approaching, I have read, reread, and meditated on Psalm 90 each day for the past couple of weeks.  John Calvin and Charles Spurgeon were helpful guides as I made my way slowly through Moses’ words.  It has been a rewarding experience. Continue reading →

We will remember September 11, 2001, and we should.  From thoughtful analysis to social media memes, we are being reminded to remember that day twenty years ago tomorrow.  Young adults will remember their parents’ reactions to something awful and those of us middle age and older will recall exactly where we were when we first heard the news. The memories will be somber.

How will we remember 9/11 and what should we remember about it?

The President’s speech writers were already preparing for a remembrance that would no doubt honor victims and first responders, but which would also be a celebrative occasion for scoring political points.  We assume all first drafts have been shredded.

Among the things I will remember is a community service that same Tuesday evening in September when the pastors and the people of the churches and the town in Beaver, Pennsylvania, gathered for a hastily planned but profoundly moving time of prayers and hymns.  I remember how, having been in front of our television sets all day, we were hesitant to leave the company of friends and strangers. Long after the final benediction, people lingered in hushed conversation on the sidewalks outside the host church. No one wanted to go home.

Three years ago, one of the members of our pastors’ group in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, wondered if we should start planning a service to commemorate the Twentieth Anniversary of 9/11.  Back in 2001, they, too, had called the community together for a service of prayer and hymns.  But as we talked, it seemed as if we mostly wanted to celebrate the last time the church had anything to say to its community.  I am no longer in Langhorne or a part of that group, but it looks as if there will be no event. That is probably a good thing. Continue reading →

I don’t play cards much, though just this past week we got out the old UNO deck when our granddaughters spent the day with us.

I don’t play cards much, but I know cards teach us about life.  We learn to keep our cards close to the vest and that we must play the hand we were dealt. We should be on the watch for the person with an ace up the sleeve. We’ve got to be ready for a wildcard and aware that no matter how well we’re doing someone may play the (little t) trump card and end the game.

And, as Kenny Rogers taught us, we got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away.

The granddaughters got the basics of UNO pretty quickly but are still learning the best strategy for when to play the wild Draw Four card.  You don’t want to hold it too long, but neither do you want to use it too soon. Continue reading →