Author Archives: scott

Rant Warning

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I went to get a prescription refilled for my son today. I didn’t get it filled because of the Insurance Company — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. They have him listed as a her and wouldn’t fill the prescription. (There are further complications but that’s the gist of it.) I called customer service, which, if you aren’t angry before calling by the time you get through the voice message menu selection tree, you are by the time you can actually speak to a human. The customer service rep was friendly and told me that they had updated their error. He also explained that it would not be updated in the computer until tomorrow so he gave me a number to have the pharmacist call to have them override the error. The pharmacist was helpful, the BC/BS pharmacy help line was not. The folks at Blue Cross refused to do what their customer service rep told me they would and would not even discuss it but kept trying to get off the phone before the pharmacist could explain the situation. She wouldn’t speak to me, she doesn’t talk to cardholders.

Reminds me of an old Saturday Night Live skit with Lily Tomlin playing Ernestine the operator doing a commercial for the phone company, the slogan was ‘We don’t care. We don’t have to. We’re the Phone Company.’

Other folks are angry too.

Road Trip

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We had a nice weekend.  I took this Sunday off and we went down to Tuscaloosa yesterday.

I needed to do some research at the University of Alabama library, so we took Keelyn and Graeme to Moundville after worshiping at the First Presbyterian Church of Tuscaloosa this morning.  We stopped by Natural Bridge on the way home this afternoon.

Moundville is really neat, amazing to think of the extensive civilization that once thrived over such a large expanse of land.

Here’s some pics of Keelyn at the President’s house with Denny Chimes in the background, Moundville and Natural Bridge.

CHAP. XXX. The Parson’s Consideration of Providence.

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Can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve posted anything… Here’s Chapter 30 from George Herbert’s The Country Parson.

THe Countrey Parson considering the great aptnesse if Countrey people have to think that all things come by a kind of naturall course; and that if they sow and soyle their grounds, they must have corn; if they keep and fodder well their cattel, they must have milk, and Calves; labours to reduce them to see Gods hand in all things. and to beleeve. that things are not set in such an inevitable order, but that God often changeth it according as he sees fit, either for reward or punishment. To this end he represents to his flock, that God hath and exerciseth a threefold power in every thing which concernes man. The first is a sustaining power; the second a governing power; the third a spirituall power. By his sustaining power he preserves and actuates every thing in his being; so that corne doth not grow by any other vertue, then by that which he continually supplies, as the corn needs it; without which supply the corne would instantly dry up, as a river would if the fountain were stopped. And it is observable, that if anything could presume of an inevitable course, and constancy in its operations, certainly it should be either the sun in heaven, or the fire on earth, by reason of their fierce, strong, and violent natures: yet when God pleased, the sun stood stil, the fire burned not. By Gods governing power he preserves and orders the references of things one to the other, so that though the corn do grow, and be preserved in that act by his sustaining power, yet if he suite not other things to the growth, as seasons, and weather, and other accidents by his governing power, the fairest harvests come to nothing. And it is observeable, that God delights to have men feel, and acknowledg, and reverence his power, and therefore he often overturnes things, when they are thought past danger; that is his time of interposing: As when a Merchant hath a ship come home after many a storme, which it hath escaped, he destroyes it sometimes in the very Haven; or if the goods be housed, a fire hath broken forth, and suddenly consumed them. Now this he doth, that men should perpetuate, and not break off their acts of dependance, how faire soever the opportunities present themselves. So that if a farmer should depend upon God all the yeer, and being ready to put hand to sickle, shall then secure himself, and think all cock-sure; then God sends such weather, as lays the corn, and destroys it: or if he depend on God further, even till he imbarn his corn, and then think all sure; God sends a fire, and consumes all that he hath: For that he ought not to break off, but to continue his dependance on God, not onely before the corne is inned, but after also; and indeed, to depend, and fear continually. The third power is spirituall, by which God turnes all outward blessings to inward advantages. So that if a Farmer hath both a faire harvest, and that also well inned, and imbarned, and continuing safe there; yet if God give him not the Grace to use, and utter this well, all his advantages are to his losse. Better were his corne burnt, then not spiritually improved. And it is observable in this, how Gods goodnesse strives with mans refractorinesse; Man would sit down at this world, God bids him sell it, and purchase a better: Just as a Father, who hath in his hand an apple, and a piece of Gold under it; the Child comes, and with pulling, gets the apple out of his Fathers hand: his Father bids him throw it away, and he will give him the gold for it, which the Child utterly refusing, eats it, and is troubled with wormes: So is the carnall and wilfull man with the worm of the grave in this world, and the worm of Conscience in the next.

One thing I find interesting about this chapter is that Herbert clearly shows an understanding of Providence as working through the natural order. I think we have a tendency to think that the doctrine of Providence is difficult for us because we are on this side of the Scientific Revolution. The amount of knowledge we have of the workings of the natural world, and the way we are raised to understand these causes from our earliest education (my daughter in 1st grade brought a picture she had drawn of the water cycle home from school the other day) might lead us to think that the belief in a God who provides rain or guides those ‘chance’ meetings is especially difficult for the modern world. What I find interesting in this passage is that Herbert, who died ten years before Newton was born, found an understanding of providence to be a problem for English villagers. They too saw a cause and effect world and had to be reminded that God was the ultimate cause of the gifts of creation which they labored for and enjoyed.

Note also that the vision of God’s providence is not, as might be supposed of an early 17th Century Divine, one of a God acting directly or supernaturally, but as guiding natural events to work out His purposes — ‘if he suite not other things to the growth, as seasons, and weather, and other accidents by his governing power, the fairest harvests come to nothing’.

(image The Storm Cloud by rachel_r)

CHAP. XXIX. The Parson with his Church-Wardens.

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THe Countrey Parson doth often, both publickly, and
privately instruct his Church-Wardens, what a great
Charge lyes upon them, and that indeed the whole order and
discipline of the Parish is put into their hands. If himselfe
reforme any thing, it is out of the overflowing of his Con-
science, whereas they are to do it by Command, and by Oath.
Neither hath the place its dignity from the Ecclesiasticall
Laws only, since even by the Common Statute-Law they are
taken for a kinde of Corporation, as being persons enabled
by that Name to take moveable goods, or chattels, and to sue,
and to be sued at the Law concerning such goods for the use
and profit of their Parish: and by the same Law they are to
levy penalties for negligence in resorting to church, or for
disorderly carriage in time of divine service. Wherefore the
Parson suffers not the place to be vilified or debased, by being
cast on the lower ranke of people; but invites and urges the
best unto it, shewing that they do not loose, or go lesse, but
gaine by it; it being the greatest honor of this world, to do
God and his chosen service; or as David says, to be even a
door-keeper in the house of God. Now the Canons being the
Church-wardens rule, the Parson adviseth them to read, or
hear them read often, as also the visitation Articles, which
are grounded upon the Canons, that so they may know their
duty, and keep their oath the better; in which regard, con-
sidering the great Consequence of their place, and more of
their oath, he wisheth them by no means to spare any, though
never so great; but if after gentle, and neighbourly admoni-
tions they still persist in ill, to present them; yea though they
be tenants, or otherwise ingaged to the delinquent: for their
obligation to God, and their own soul, is above any temporall
tye. Do well, and right, and let the world sinke.

For more on the office of Churchwarden see this wikipedia entry.

A wise minister encourages and builds up the congregation’s lay officers. I believe that for most congregations the strength of the Church is in the lay leadership. Granted, the minister plays a large role in developing those leaders, but for the long term health of a congregation, the people who make decisions about finances, building and calling a pastor are crucial. It might be different in other contexts and polities, but from what I’ve seen presbyterian congregations can easily survive an incompetent pastorate, but a lack of leadership from the elders is fatal.

Herbert’s advice to instruct the wardens in public might seem counter-intuitive. But when we remind the lay officers of their duty from the pulpit we also remind the congregation of their importance and responsibilities. When we are greeted after the service every Sunday and given pastor appreciation celebrations, we need to remind everyone publicly of the crucial ministry of lay officers and express appreciation for their work.

Some questions for thought: Do you make prayers for you church officers a part of the church’s prayer concerns? Do you express the respect due to their office as you would expect for the office of minister? Do you preach or teach about the responsibilities of your officers? If your church has a special way to show appreciation for elders, deacons, wardens, lay leader etc… let us know.

(Image: Church Doors by pehedeges: click image for flickr page)

Quote for Today:

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Let  us remember, then, that every time we abuse these terms [love and beauty], or use them too lightly , we are draining them of their power; every time a society journalist or a film producer exploits this vast suggestiveness to tickle a vanity or dignify a lust, he is squandering a great pile of spiritual capital which has been laid up by centuries of weary effort.

-Owen Barfield, History in English Words