Elliott's Muses

Advent is just around the corner...it's as the song writer declared:  "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year."  Growing up as a child in the 1950's my world was small.  Fox Lake had the basics, but it was Beaver Dam, a few miles away, that was the "big" shopping city.  Our town was dressed with lighted decorations on the light posts, the stores decorated with Christmas trees in the window displays, and swags of greenery across the walls and doorways.   The village held a Christmas gathering for all kids at the community building.  Santa arrived on a Fire truck, and distributed bags of candy, popcorn balls, and other treats.    Television was relatively new at the time and yet old versions of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus coming to town, and other shows created even more anticipation for Christmas eve, and day. We had a Christmas program at the church and we were rehearsed to sing and speak a verse of Scripture acc...

As the Apostle Paul opens his letter to the Corinthians, he is obviously troubled.  He's heard about their divisions, which seemingly are all based on a cult of person:  some adherents to Paul, some Apollos, some Peter, and some so bold to say they only follow Christ.  What was clear was that they had an incorrect concept of what it meant to be a leader. I was 16 years old when I got a job working at the local Green Giant canning company.  I started in the Warehouse, driving a fork lift.  At age 16 driving anything was a thrill.  I learned how to wiz around the warehouse with the greatest of ease, and had a few races with other guys I worked with.  Yes, not very wise, but when you're 16 stupidity is just around the corner of almost every thought.  I worked there for about three weeks when one day the night plant manager, Frank stopped me and asked: " I am looking for a night canning foreman.  You would be in charge of sending the vegetables...

I am a Christian and have been a committed one since the Fall of 1970.  Growing up in my small town, everyone seemed to be connected to one church or another.  My best friend, Larry, was a Catholic altar boy.  The girl I had an early crush on was Presbyterian.  The Catholic church was "kitty-corner" from the Lutheran church my family belonged to.  The Congregational church was nearby on the same street, and the Presbyterian church was just a block to the west. Being a Christian was to be identified with a church. There was no such thing as "I'm a Christian, but I don't belong to any church." - at least none that I ever knew. I have little memory of any one growing up whose faith was an influence to me.  I'm not saying there were no faithful people, because I'm sure there were.  I remember delivering papers to one household - the Ipsens.  Lloyd was a guy who told jokes, smiled and laughed, and did the unexpected things...but was really nice guy....