The Greatest Generation
Stories
Object:
Contents
"The Greatest Generation" by John Fitzgerald
"Dumb Questions" by C. David McKirachan
* * * * * * *
The Greatest Generation
by John Fitzgerald
Haggai 1:15b--2:9
Tomorrow (November 11) we remember the tremendous sacrifice to our nation that countless men and women have made. Veteran's Day is an annual recognition that we would not enjoy freedom and liberty in the United States without those who have worn a military uniform.
My father served in the infantry during World War II. Dad served as part of that large group of men who fought back Nazi Germany and stared down Imperial Japan. My father passed away a decade ago. His death is a reminder that our citizens from World War II are rapidly fading away.
Journalist, Tom Brokaw, wrote a best-selling book about those who served in World War II titled, The Greatest Generation. The book detailed life stories of an entire generation of American men and women who as young people saw our nation though a terrible upheaval. Those who were fortunate enough to survive the great war returned home to help maintain and build a strong nation.
World War II folks who made it through conflict in one piece were ready to settle down and work on construction of good marriages, prosperous jobs, and growing communities. The church stood at heart of this rebirth of nation. Americans saw God as crucial in creation of loving families and thriving places to live.
The nation of Israel received a message from God through Haggai to return back home just as World War II Veterans honored this call. The temple in Jerusalem became a symbol of national pride just at Christ's church remained central for our greatest generation. Jews were returning to a homeland in the time of Haggai just as American soldiers came home after World War II.
The circumstances from our era compared to Haggai's are different in some respects. Servicemen returning to the United States after war already had established homes and had no experience of being slaves. Jews coming back to Israel after captivity were forced to rebuild an entire nation. Yet, the message of freedom and hope under God remained similar for both groups of people.
The proclamation of freedom and hope became foundational to Haggai and his prophecy. Our scripture lesson instructs that God used Haggai to reassure two leaders of the Jewish people. We are informed in the Bible that Zerubbabel served as governor for Israel (v. 2). Joshua had been chosen by the Lord to be high priest (v. 2). The authority of church and state resided in these two leaders. Haggai prophesied that God would use the gifts of this leadership team.
Haggai places the task of these two men within a framework of cosmic importance. God says through Haggai, "I will shake all the nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory" (v. 7). The temple would not only serve Israel but be a beacon of light to every nation. With such a wonderful proclamation, it is little wonder that Zerubbabel and Joshua combined their efforts toward reconstruction of this holy place.
Zerubbabel and Joshua are examples of inspired leaders who got the job done. We wish that our current leaders in America could learn from them. Our government remains hopelessly dysfunctional. The church is divided and uninspired. To be fair, church and state are only a reflection of people who comprise them. Which raises a question of what happened to people of my age (60) who followed the greatest generation?
Children and grandchildren of World War II Veterans can only wonder how the United States came to such a state these past sixty years. Everywhere there is chaos in family, school, and work. Our parents and grandparents who witnessed an ethic of responsibility and dedication have seen it tossed to the side in 21st-century America.
Haggai also lived in a time when the moral foundations of his people were under assault. Israel had only pagan examples stemming from Persian culture to emulate. There were no outward signs of Israel's God in Persia. The call for a new temple in Jerusalem required people of faith to turn toward God.
A source of spiritual renewal such as building the temple as described in the Bible would benefit greatly these United States. However, the scriptural promise of construction never could have been accomplished without Haggai's words of reassurance. Divine encouragement in the form of prophecy from Haggai allowed Joshua and Zerubbabel to continue their work even when some were saying a temple would not come to pass.
Haggai does not mention it, but we know from the books of Nehemiah and Ezra that threats of personal harm had been placed upon those who worked on Jerusalem's temple. Obstacles and dangers accompany any large God-given task. It requires personal courage and hope from above to complete the job.
Who will God rise up in America to be like Joshua and Zerubbabel? What word of prophetic encouragement such as Haggai's will the Lord bring forth? How do we follow in the footsteps of our greatest generation? Next time you see a Veteran thank him or her for service to the nation.
John Fitzgerald lives in Leesburg, Ohio, with his wife Carolyn and has served as pastor at the Leesburg Friends Meeting for the past 27 years. Cornfield Cathedral (Fairway Press, 2013) is the second book authored by Pastor Fitzgerald. John has earned a Master's of Ministry Degree from the Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana.
Dumb Questions
by C. David McKirachan
Luke 20:27-38
Usually, when I tell people I have an advanced degree in Metaphysical Philosophy their eyes glaze over and they look at me with an interested look plastered to their face that means, "O I hope he doesn't start talking about that, because I asked and now I'll have to stand here and seem to actually listen to whatever it is he'll say, which will mean absolutely nothing to anyone who actually has a life."
My chosen field of study is not common. It seems a bit esoteric. It asks a lot of questions. What most people, who have a life, would consider dumb questions. Questions like: Why, what is the nature of reality, and what is time? Yup, dumb questions. The questions about how and when and how much don't figure into metaphysics. When people ask about these things they are asking engineering and science questions, questions about cause and effect, questions about understanding the cogs in the machine and how they make the hands of the clock move. Metaphysics asks, is the watch real? See what I mean. You just glazed over, I can tell.
An awful lot of religion is hung up on the science and engineering questions. The whole debate about how the world was created is exactly that. The Bible doesn't really care how the world was created. It focuses on who created it. But that's no fun because it's not a question about cogs and cause and effect relationships. Those are things we can understand without much thinking, without much reaching. Once we get outside stuff, we're out of our element. We're in an area that demands we let go of what we can touch and deal with realities and entities beyond our immediate experience and perhaps beyond our understanding.
The religious rulers of Jesus' day loved to consider the cog questions. They'd argue about them 'til the cows came home. They'd back up their positions with jots and tittles they found in scripture, cross reference them, shuffle them, and deal cards that gave them the winning hands in debates about what we should and shouldn't believe and thus what we should be doing and how we should be living. It's amazing how little things change.
Many of them would challenge the teacher from Nazareth with complicated and complex questions. As any teacher worth their salt knows, many students are looking to impress their classmates or their teacher with their sophomoric knowledge. They hope to win a debate that uses a fly rod to capture a whale. Jesus was a good teacher. He knew his stuff. Many times he would tell a story, a parable to invite the listener to reconsider the actual agenda of the question. Sometimes he would confront the question with its own inadequacy.
When they asked Jesus if people were married after death, he upped the ante and insisted they deal with differences between God's approach to time and ours. Glazed over yet? His genius rests in his ability to tell the truth, real truth without seeming pedantic or defensive. He wasn't in this to win a debate. He was there to bring good news with every word and action and moment of his life. Why? Well, now we're back in metaphysics.
You better watch it; you don't want to start asking dumb questions. It might seem you don't have a life.
C. David McKirachan is pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Shrewsbury in central New Jersey. He also teaches at Monmouth University. McKirachan is the author of I Happened Upon a Miracle and A Year of Wonder (Westminster John Knox).
*****************************************
StoryShare, November 10, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"The Greatest Generation" by John Fitzgerald
"Dumb Questions" by C. David McKirachan
* * * * * * *
The Greatest Generation
by John Fitzgerald
Haggai 1:15b--2:9
Tomorrow (November 11) we remember the tremendous sacrifice to our nation that countless men and women have made. Veteran's Day is an annual recognition that we would not enjoy freedom and liberty in the United States without those who have worn a military uniform.
My father served in the infantry during World War II. Dad served as part of that large group of men who fought back Nazi Germany and stared down Imperial Japan. My father passed away a decade ago. His death is a reminder that our citizens from World War II are rapidly fading away.
Journalist, Tom Brokaw, wrote a best-selling book about those who served in World War II titled, The Greatest Generation. The book detailed life stories of an entire generation of American men and women who as young people saw our nation though a terrible upheaval. Those who were fortunate enough to survive the great war returned home to help maintain and build a strong nation.
World War II folks who made it through conflict in one piece were ready to settle down and work on construction of good marriages, prosperous jobs, and growing communities. The church stood at heart of this rebirth of nation. Americans saw God as crucial in creation of loving families and thriving places to live.
The nation of Israel received a message from God through Haggai to return back home just as World War II Veterans honored this call. The temple in Jerusalem became a symbol of national pride just at Christ's church remained central for our greatest generation. Jews were returning to a homeland in the time of Haggai just as American soldiers came home after World War II.
The circumstances from our era compared to Haggai's are different in some respects. Servicemen returning to the United States after war already had established homes and had no experience of being slaves. Jews coming back to Israel after captivity were forced to rebuild an entire nation. Yet, the message of freedom and hope under God remained similar for both groups of people.
The proclamation of freedom and hope became foundational to Haggai and his prophecy. Our scripture lesson instructs that God used Haggai to reassure two leaders of the Jewish people. We are informed in the Bible that Zerubbabel served as governor for Israel (v. 2). Joshua had been chosen by the Lord to be high priest (v. 2). The authority of church and state resided in these two leaders. Haggai prophesied that God would use the gifts of this leadership team.
Haggai places the task of these two men within a framework of cosmic importance. God says through Haggai, "I will shake all the nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory" (v. 7). The temple would not only serve Israel but be a beacon of light to every nation. With such a wonderful proclamation, it is little wonder that Zerubbabel and Joshua combined their efforts toward reconstruction of this holy place.
Zerubbabel and Joshua are examples of inspired leaders who got the job done. We wish that our current leaders in America could learn from them. Our government remains hopelessly dysfunctional. The church is divided and uninspired. To be fair, church and state are only a reflection of people who comprise them. Which raises a question of what happened to people of my age (60) who followed the greatest generation?
Children and grandchildren of World War II Veterans can only wonder how the United States came to such a state these past sixty years. Everywhere there is chaos in family, school, and work. Our parents and grandparents who witnessed an ethic of responsibility and dedication have seen it tossed to the side in 21st-century America.
Haggai also lived in a time when the moral foundations of his people were under assault. Israel had only pagan examples stemming from Persian culture to emulate. There were no outward signs of Israel's God in Persia. The call for a new temple in Jerusalem required people of faith to turn toward God.
A source of spiritual renewal such as building the temple as described in the Bible would benefit greatly these United States. However, the scriptural promise of construction never could have been accomplished without Haggai's words of reassurance. Divine encouragement in the form of prophecy from Haggai allowed Joshua and Zerubbabel to continue their work even when some were saying a temple would not come to pass.
Haggai does not mention it, but we know from the books of Nehemiah and Ezra that threats of personal harm had been placed upon those who worked on Jerusalem's temple. Obstacles and dangers accompany any large God-given task. It requires personal courage and hope from above to complete the job.
Who will God rise up in America to be like Joshua and Zerubbabel? What word of prophetic encouragement such as Haggai's will the Lord bring forth? How do we follow in the footsteps of our greatest generation? Next time you see a Veteran thank him or her for service to the nation.
John Fitzgerald lives in Leesburg, Ohio, with his wife Carolyn and has served as pastor at the Leesburg Friends Meeting for the past 27 years. Cornfield Cathedral (Fairway Press, 2013) is the second book authored by Pastor Fitzgerald. John has earned a Master's of Ministry Degree from the Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana.
Dumb Questions
by C. David McKirachan
Luke 20:27-38
Usually, when I tell people I have an advanced degree in Metaphysical Philosophy their eyes glaze over and they look at me with an interested look plastered to their face that means, "O I hope he doesn't start talking about that, because I asked and now I'll have to stand here and seem to actually listen to whatever it is he'll say, which will mean absolutely nothing to anyone who actually has a life."
My chosen field of study is not common. It seems a bit esoteric. It asks a lot of questions. What most people, who have a life, would consider dumb questions. Questions like: Why, what is the nature of reality, and what is time? Yup, dumb questions. The questions about how and when and how much don't figure into metaphysics. When people ask about these things they are asking engineering and science questions, questions about cause and effect, questions about understanding the cogs in the machine and how they make the hands of the clock move. Metaphysics asks, is the watch real? See what I mean. You just glazed over, I can tell.
An awful lot of religion is hung up on the science and engineering questions. The whole debate about how the world was created is exactly that. The Bible doesn't really care how the world was created. It focuses on who created it. But that's no fun because it's not a question about cogs and cause and effect relationships. Those are things we can understand without much thinking, without much reaching. Once we get outside stuff, we're out of our element. We're in an area that demands we let go of what we can touch and deal with realities and entities beyond our immediate experience and perhaps beyond our understanding.
The religious rulers of Jesus' day loved to consider the cog questions. They'd argue about them 'til the cows came home. They'd back up their positions with jots and tittles they found in scripture, cross reference them, shuffle them, and deal cards that gave them the winning hands in debates about what we should and shouldn't believe and thus what we should be doing and how we should be living. It's amazing how little things change.
Many of them would challenge the teacher from Nazareth with complicated and complex questions. As any teacher worth their salt knows, many students are looking to impress their classmates or their teacher with their sophomoric knowledge. They hope to win a debate that uses a fly rod to capture a whale. Jesus was a good teacher. He knew his stuff. Many times he would tell a story, a parable to invite the listener to reconsider the actual agenda of the question. Sometimes he would confront the question with its own inadequacy.
When they asked Jesus if people were married after death, he upped the ante and insisted they deal with differences between God's approach to time and ours. Glazed over yet? His genius rests in his ability to tell the truth, real truth without seeming pedantic or defensive. He wasn't in this to win a debate. He was there to bring good news with every word and action and moment of his life. Why? Well, now we're back in metaphysics.
You better watch it; you don't want to start asking dumb questions. It might seem you don't have a life.
C. David McKirachan is pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Shrewsbury in central New Jersey. He also teaches at Monmouth University. McKirachan is the author of I Happened Upon a Miracle and A Year of Wonder (Westminster John Knox).
*****************************************
StoryShare, November 10, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
