Signing the Register



A group of boy scouts sign theirt name in the register at the top of Mt. Baden-Powell.  Tristan, at left, was the youngest scout on the trip, and although he was tempted to give up on the 4-mile, 3,000' climb, he was happy to be on top.



Twilight Tower

This weekend our boy scout troop joined dozens of other scouting units for the annual Scoutorama.  Our troop builds a tower for this event every year, using large wooden poles lashed together with rope.  Scoutorama begins early on Saturday morning; since it takes several hours to construct the tower, the scouts gathered the night before to build.

After the event, the tower came down much quicker than it went up.

A Good Turn Results in a Good Picture

The boy scout camp where I spent last weekend is a beautiful place.  Located 6500 feet above sea level, it is a cool refuge from the cities and deserts below. 

One downside, though, is that a highway runs through the camp property.  At the camporee this past weekend, scouts had to cross the road in order to reach several of the activities. 

After lunch on Saturday, I and another leader were abruptly given reflective vests and  bright flags, and told to go to the crossing to assist scouts crossing the road.  Scouts were already on their way to activities, so unfortunately this meant we had no time to grab a book, a lawn chair, or anything else to pass the time in those periods when we were waiting for scouts to assist across the road.

Fortunately, though, I did have my camera.  After assisting a number of scouts across the highway, I had some time to look around and see if there was anything picture-worthy.  I noticed to the west, set back a short ways from the road, a wooden fence meandering across a small grassy meadow, around some ponderosa pines.  I took several pictures, experimenting to get the right balance of light between the sun and the shadows.  The best one is posted below.

It's May ... Right?

The view from my tent Saturday morning, before the events of the scout camporee I was at got underway.  Fortunately, there was no snow on the ground where we were camping, below the peaks of the San Gorgonio wilderness.  However, we did see a few flurries before we left Sunday, and from what I hear, it's snowing up there again today, on the 10,000 foot peaks as well as at the camp (elevation 6500').

Hiking to the Stars

Went on a great hike the day before Easter. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera.

A few days later, however, I organized a short hike for my son's boy scout troop.  There are a lot of new, younger scouts in the troop, and it was decided to go on an outing to the world famous Griffith Observatory.  We began at Ferndell Park in Hollywood, and hiked one mile up the hill to the observatory.  We explored the exhibits, saw the plantarium show, then hiked back down ... all on a postcard-perfect day.

Fiesta Flowers

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For the 2nd year in a row, my youngest son's cub scout pack had their spring campout on Fiesta Island in Mission Bay.  The island is covered with flowers in the spring, more flowers growing wildly than anywhere else I've ever seen. 

The older I get, the more I appreciate such beauty in nature.  The kids were content to build sandcastles and forts in the sand, knocking down any flowers that stood in their way, which makes the annual proliferation of such displays at a camp that is used exclusively by youth groups all the more amazing.

Work Crew

I am both the parent of a boy scout and the pastor of the church that is this particular troop's sponsoring organization.  The troop is becoming quite well known in the community for its service projects, which have brought quite a bit of landscaping to the streets of our neighborhood.  Last weekend, another one of the scouts organized a project to fulfill one of the requirements for Eagle Scout.

Before Sunrise

The moon is still above our campsite last Saturday morning at Will J. Ried scout camp in Long Beach.  It was chilly, but a warm day followed.

Caroling

A couple dozen cub scouts, along with a few siblings and friends, went caroling last night. Tristan, our youngest, is in the cub scout pack. "Why do I have to go?" I explained how much joy it brings to the people who live at the care facility where the caroling would take place. His older brother Ethan got excited and wanted to go, so it became a whole family affair.

When it was over, we had a school chorus concert to attend; Ethan another performance of the play he's in; and we had a neighbor's birthday gathering to attend. This followed a day that included a doctor's appointment, a school awards assembly, and watching a neighbor kid for a couple of hours. No wonder I didn't have time to write a decent blog post.

Being Present

In my life, I have hiked thousands of miles and spent hundreds of nights sleeping in a tent or even outside.  I will admit that, sometimes, when I'm preparing for another venture into the wilderness, I wonder if perhaps I'm a little crazy for leaving the comforts of home:  soft bed, warm shower, a roof to keep me dry if it rains.

I never wonder this when I'm in the wilderness.

So what compels me to spend so many days outdoors, in nature?  This is a question that has come to me every so often, and the answer wasn't always clear.  But I think I'm starting to figure it out.

Being in the wilderness allows me to be "present" in a way that is difficult under normal circumstances.

At home, the calendar shows events for months to come.  I'm always anxious about money.  Usually the anxiety is not about meeting today's needs, but tomorrow's.  My mind is often fixated on things that are days, weeks, months, or even years away.

As a pastor, I've been thinking about Christmas for many weeks now.  Indeed, I've moved beyond Christmas, and am already anticipating programs and ministries for 2011.

Planning ahead is necessary and important, of course.  However, too often it takes place at the expense of being present.  Hours go by, and we're not even aware of their passing, because our thoughts are elsewhere.  What did you have for breakfast this morning?  What did you do last evening?  Sometimes it's hard to remember such simple details, because while we were eating breakfast, our mind was somewhere else; while we played a board game or had a conversation last evening, our mind wasn't really present.

The weekend before Thanksgiving, I went camping with Troop 29 (my church's boy scout troop, which my son is in) to Joshua Tree National Park.  While there, I found myself watching the clouds, and watching the rocky cliffs change color as the clouds passed in front of the sun.  Climbing (well, "bouldering," actually) one of those rocky peaks, my thoughts were fully present as I contemplated how to safely navigate to the top, where to put my hands and feet, feeling the rough texture of the rocks on my hands, feeling the cool breeze and warm sun on my face, and keeping alert lest I surprise a rattlesnake as I climbed.

With thoughts like these, there is no room in one's mind for worrying about the future.  One cannot always live in the present, of course, but most of us hardly ever live in the present.  We need to find some balance.

Some call it mindfulness.  It is, I think, an overlooked spiritual practice, at least in the West.  I've been told that meditation involves shutting out sights, sounds, and distractions, and emptying one's mind.  I'm not so sure.  For me, meditation is more about opening the mind to the world around me, and recognizing the sacredness of it all.

The view from the top of my climb.

Changing Rocks

Last weekend, I went with my son's boy scout troop on a camping trip to Joshua Tree National Park. I knew that I'd have some free time, so I packed some reading material, but I couldn't take my eyes off the rocks and cliffs, which seemed to change moment by moment. The view, from my tent:

Saturday, early morning

Saturday, midday; climbers can be seen on the rock.

Saturday, early afternoon

Saturday, two minutes later

Saturday, late afternoon

Saturday evening

Sunday, before sunrise

Sunday, after sunrise

Sunday, mid-morning

Morning Mist and Glow Sticks

It rained during the night, but by sunrise, all that was left was a mist that quickly disappeared and gave way to a beautiful day.  It was an overnight for 400 cub scouts and parents at Will J. Reid scout park in Long Beach.... The night before, at the campfire, it was all about the glow sticks...

9000 Feet Up

On Saturday, Boy Scout Troop 29 of Long Beach hiked to the top of Mt. Baden-Powell.  This is one of my favorite mountain hikes, and I've done it about four or five times.  At about 9000 feet up, a number of large lodgepole pines frame views of the Mojave Desert beyond.  It's perhaps my favorite spot on the hike, although the 360-degree view from the top is certainly amazing, too.

This view of the Mojave Desert is looking northwest.  To the south, one can look down (from the summit) upon the San Gabriel Valley and the Los Angeles Basin ... except that on this particular day, low clouds covered the basin like a white, fluffy blanket.  We enjoyed sunshine and blue skies, while the millions of people living in L.A. spent the day in a dreary drizzle.  It's good to head up to the mountains now and then!

A Day in the Community

One thing I am learning about ministry in Bixby Knolls:  it's good to be involved in the community.  Unfortunately, making connections with the community isn't something I learned in seminary.  I'm not even sure it's something that can be learned in seminary, which means it's "learn as you go."

My day yesterday began early at It's a Grind, a coffee shop "born and raised in Long Beach" (as it says on the door).  I placed my reusable mug on the counter and ordered a green tea.  They like it when I bring my own mug, although they're not always sure what size it should be rung up as.  Today I lucked out:  I was charged for a small.

I settled into a chair and began reading a book by Diana Butler Bass, which I bought after hearing her speak last week in San Diego.  I also re-read parts of a book on Tithing by Douglas LeBlanc that I thought might be useful for an upcoming sermon.  Thanks to my Kindle, I can carry many books at once with ease.

At one point, I heard a voice say "Good morning."  I looked up, saw Blair Cohn (who runs the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association), and returned the greeting.  My church's boy scout troop has worked with Blair and the BKBIA on several occasions when scouts have organized Eagle service projects that involved landscaping public space in the community.

At 9:15 I left It's a Grind, hopped on my bike and rode down to Staples to purchase some church supplies.  then I headed back to Bixby Towers to visit a church member.  Following that, I rode around the corner to the boy scout council office, to talk with one of the district executives, Marc Bonner, about placing an ad in the program book for the South Coast Interfaith Council benefit concert and unity dinner.  The council wants more boys to become scouts, and also wants to promote itself as an interfaith organization, while SCIC promotes peace and understanding among different faiths; as an SCIC board member as well as a registered scouter, connecting the two organizations seemed natural.

Leaving the council office, I rode one block to Bella Cosa, one of my favorite stores in town, to see if they would like to donate an item to the silent auction that will take place at the SCIC Unity Dinner.  Unfortunately they had to decline, but I did get to meet and have a nice conversation with Christy, the owner, which I enjoyed.

Walking out of Bella Cosa, my stomach told me it was time for lunch, so I stopped at Georgie's Place for a gyro before heading to church.

On Friday, I'll be back on Atlantic Avenue, this time at Averyboo Arts.  Natalie, the owner, has again invited Troop 29 to sell popcorn outside during First Fridays.  This time, in addition to selling popcorn, I'm going to show some slides highlighting the various service projects Troop 29 has done in Bixby Knolls.

Being the introvert that I am, I don't know how I ever managed to begin making these types of connections; and I say "begin" because I expect that these connections will grow stronger and more numerous in the future.  I'm not a social person, and am surprised at how much I am enjoying making these connections.

I don't know how I've made these connections, but I do know why.  As a pastor of a church taht identifies itself as "a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world," I recognize that the world begins in one's own community, and strong connections and relationships help bring wholeness to that community.  As an introverted person in an introverted church, it would be very easy to remain isolated from those around me.  But without connections and relationships, none of us are whole.

Tales of a Popcorn Colonel

Today is the final day of a clergy conference I've been attending in San Diego.  I've not been in my office much this week, which is just as well:  it's gotten a little crowded in there, due to boxes of popcorn stacked against one wall.  It's there because, for the second year in a row, I am the popcorn "colonel" for boy scout troop 29.

It's a task none of the other parents seem to want. Admittedly, it is "yet another fundraiser," although it is the only one of its type for troop 29.  However, since I'm not able to attend many of the troop's weekend outings (due to my Sunday morning commitments), organizing the popcorn sale is something I can do.

And so, at a recent troop 29 parents meeting, I stood to explain why I thought selling popcorn is actually a good thing.  Seventy percent of the money, I said, goes to scouting.  Of that seventy percent, half goes to the council office, and half goes directly into the individual scout's account, which he can use to pay for outings.  (Each troop decides how it wants to use its half of the 70%; this is how troop 29 does it.)  In addition, each scout who sells popcorn gets a gift card which he can use to purchase camping gear, which, in essence, increases the percentage he gets for himself.

Then I told the parents that if their sons hope to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, each one will be required to plan and implement a major service project.  A part of that planning and implementation will involve raising the money necessary to fund the project.  In addition, as adults they may find themselves in situations where they are required to ask for money.

It just so happens that, in addition to organizing the popcorn sale, I am currently helping to guide my congregation through its annual stewardship campaign, which involves asking people to commit their money to the ministry of the church.  Raising funds for a cause you believe in, I told those parents, is an essential life skill.

I concluded by telling the parents that we're not really selling popcorn.  When public radio or TV stations conduct pledge drives, they give out mugs and tote bags and other paraphernalia, but they're not really selling mugs and tote bags; the mugs and tote bags are "thank-you gifts" given to their supporters.  What we're doing, I said, is asking people to invest in scouting, to help scouts go to camp and develop leadership skills ... and the popcorn is more of a thank-you gift.  Granted, it's a great gift -- this popcorn is delicious, especially the chocolatey-caramel popcorn! -- but what we're selling is scouting.

I finished talking and took my seat.  As I did, I was startled by the applause.  It was the only time during the meeting that anyone clapped their hands.  Clearly, the applause means that when it comes to being popcorn colonel, I have an incredibly high level of job security.

So anyway, I now have boxes of popcorn to be sold.  We'll be selling popcorn on Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach on October 1, in front of Averyboo Arts during "First Fridays."  Most likely, we'll be in front of a grocery store the following week.  If you see us, please buy some.  It will help send scouts to camp.  It will help them develop some important life skills.  But most importantly, it will help me get my office back.

Canoeing the Lagoon

All of a sudden I seem to have a lot of photos, and if I don't post one today, they'll get backlogged...

Last Saturday was Scout-O-Rama. Most of the pictures I took were close-up shots of scouts, or the tower that Troop 29 built out of wooden poles lashed together. But late in the day, after the fog/clouds returned and while the booths were coming down, I walked around the saltwater lagoon and took this photo of some scouts experiencing a quiet canoe ride. I wonder how many times canoes have been seen in Rainbow Lagoon. Usually, it's paddle boats.

Difficult Decisions

Will J. Reid Scout Camp is located right in the middle of Long Beach, and is a place that, at times, has seemed like a second home to me and many in scouting families.  I've been there for cub scout events, boy scout events, adult leader training, and we've even had our annual church picnic there.

Well, the Long Beach Area Council now wants to sell the camp. Like many non-profits, the scouts are hurting for money. Will J. Reid, covering some 11 acres, is worth quite a lot of money, but it also costs quite a bit to maintain, and the council believes that it could make better use of its money.

This is disappointing to many in the Long Beach scouting community. However, as one who has been the pastor of several smaller churches, I can't criticize. I know that the decision (has it already been made? I'm not sure) won't be easy. And I know from experience that it's too tempting to place too high a priority on things like buildings and property. At a former church of mine, when struggling with finances, I had one cantankerous church member say to me that if finances forced him to choose between a building and a pastor, he'd choose the building. I looked right at him and said, "Well, then, when you face a spiritual crisis in your life, or when you find yourself in intensive care, I'll be sure to rip up one of the floorboards and mail it to you."

OK, I didn't really say that. At least not out loud.

I think of the difficult decisions that the Long Beach School Board has had to make regarding layoffs and furloughs. Surely, making those decisions couldn't have been easy. I'm glad I'm not the one who had to make those decisions.

I heard on NPR this morning that the economy is turning around. Well, that sounds like good news, but I know that for many of us, we will still be faced with difficult decisions for some time to come. I don't know if selling Will J. Reid is the right thing to do. But I have compassion and understanding for those who have to make the decision.

Photo:  Tristan at last fall's "Cub-o-ree" event at Will J. Reid Scout Camp

Looking Toward Atlantis

A photograph taken during a cub scout camping trip last weekend at Fiesta Island in Mission Bay, San Diego.  The island was covered by purple and yellow flowers - I'd never seen so many wildflowers!  This view is looking south; you can see Sea World's "Journey to Atlantis" ride in the background.

Conservative Values, Liberal Values, and Social Justice

Rarely do I allow myself to get involved in political debates.  Even more rare are the times when I get engaged in such debates online, through email and social networks.  Almost always, my involvement in such conversations can be summed up in two words:  "delete" and "ignore."

However, I found it hard to ignore one such conversation that took place last week.  It took place on the Facebook page for the Boy Scouts of America.  It began with a "status update" in which the BSA mentioned that several scouts presented the BSA's annual report to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.  (BSA operates under a congressional charter.)

The comments that followed were mixed.  Many were negative, expressing condolances for the scouts who had to interact with someone who, in the commenter's opinions, stood against Scouting's values.  Others were even more harsh; had it been a court of law rather than a facebook page, some of the statements would have been deemed libelous and slanderous.

Meanwhile, other comments appeared, insisting that the presentation of the report wasn't about politics, that politics don't even belong in Scouting, and that the values Scouting teaches are neither conservative nor liberal values;  they're Scouting values.

This led to a comment by someone named Tony who said that of course Scouting is, and always has been, based on conservative values.  As proof of this, he cited the fact that "duty to God" has always been a part of the Scout Oath.

I probably should have ignored this comment and the debate as a whole, but I've become tired of having voices I don't agree with speak for me on issues of faith.  So I posted my own comment in which I said that, as a Christian pastor, I believe that it is insulting to God to define God as either conservative or liberal.  God is neither.

Tony then posted another comment, accusing me of insulting him, and arguing against my statement that God is a liberal.

I looked back at what I had written.  Nowhere did I insult Tony.  Nowhere did I say that God is a liberal.

See why I usually try to stay out of these debates?

Meanwhile, in Washington, Congress is currently debating health care.  It seems that one of the sticking points in coming to an agreement over health care is abortion.  Conservatives, generally, will not vote for any health care plan that provides coverage for abortions, because doing so would violate their pro-life values.

I admire their pro-life values.  But I wonder:  Do they realize that the lowest abortion rates in the world are found in countries that provide access to health care and social services to all their citizens?  Do they not know that outlawing or restricting legal abortions does little to affect abortion rates, that the highest abortion rates are actually found in countries where abortion is against the law?

Unfortunately, not everyone is willing to listen to or consider facts like these.  If you try to understand the issue at a deeper level, they accuse you of complicating things.  If you advocate improving social services for the poor, even if it's an effort to lower abortion rates, they might go so far as to accuse you of being a Nazi or Communist, as Glenn Beck did this week.

Improving social services and providing health care will reduce abortions.  But what kind of value is it that uses a "liberal" method to achieve a "conservative" goal?  Some people just have to see it defined as one or the other, rather than engaging in a conversation that can lead to us accepting it as a common value.

I have no problem calling myself a "social justice" pastor.  I have no problem referring to my church as a "social justice" church.  Maybe I'll even put that on my church's new website!  And I would love to have a conversation about what that means.  I have, in fact, been able to have many such conversations over the years, with both "liberals" and "conservatives."

Fortunately, not everyone is a Tony or a Glenn.  Most are, in fact, willing to be reasonable, to listen, and to share their views without name-calling or misrepresenting the views of others.  I have found these conversations to be among the most meaningful in my life.

If we are to make any progress on addressing some of the most important issues we face today, these are the types of conversations we must have.

What About the Trash?

Alright, here's the real reason I wrote about scouting last week. In my son's boy scout troop, there is an expectation that every parent will be involved somehow, an expectation that I appreciate and respect. It didn't take much persuasion for me to sign-up as a committee member. (I'm also the popcorn fundraising chair for the troop; want to buy some popcorn?) I know how important scouting was for me, how it helped form my character, how it instilled in me many of the values that have helped shape my life.

Two weeks ago, I attended the first 3-day session of a training program called Wood Badge. Wood Badge is the premier training program for adult scouters, and it takes place in one form or another around the world, in many of the countries where there are boy scouts.

At Wood Badge, adults are organized into patrols, just as scouts are organized within their troops. I'm in the Beaver Patrol. We have a second 3-day training session in a few weeks. For this second session, we will camp as a patrol, hiking a short distance to our mountain campsite.

We will cook our own meals. Last Sunday, our patrol met to plan, among other things, the menu for our upcoming trip. One patrol member said he had a really good chili recipe that we could use for our first night's dinner. Of course, my preference would be a vegetarian black bean chili, not the beef chili with bacon that he suggested, but wanting to be agreeable, I, uh, agreed. Then he mentioned that he'd cook it ahead of time, freeze it in plastic bags, and all we'd have to do on our camping trip is drop the bags into some boiling water. Or something like that.

As we continued discussing our menu, I pointed out that we'd need to make sure we had some pots or basins big enough for dishwashing. One of the other members pointed out that, even though we would be camping, the Wood Badge staff had promised us trash service. "We can all bring enough disposable plates and utensils for the three days, and throw them away. They'll get rid of our trash for us, and won't have to do dishes."

Our patrol guide, an advisor to our group, spoke up. "Remember, the idea is to implement 'Leave No Trace' while you're camping."

There was a moment's silence. Then another member of the patrol said, "So... we all bring disposable plates and utensils for three days, and just throw them away. Sounds good to me."

Am I missing something?

The guys in my patrol are all good guys (the "Yes on 8" bumper sticker on one of their cars notwithstanding). They would never think of leaving their trash behind in the camp. They agree that the "Leave No Trace" guidelines are good, as far as they apply to camping, and I'm sure we'll leave our campsite looking even better than we find it.

However, if it's so important to "leave no trace" in the campsite, it doesn't seem too much of a stretch to me to insist that we at least try to limit the impact we have on the world beyond the campsite. Is it really such a good thing to keep our trash out of the campsite if we're just going to have it shipped across the mountain to a landfill that is overtaking another part of the wilderness? Wouldn't it be better to reduce the amount of trash we create in the first place?

I thought about these things as I rode my bike home after the meeting (we met in my office at church). I was starting to feel a little smug and self-righteous, until I realized that I could have spoken out a little more than I did. I am sometimes too quiet when it comes to speaking out.

I also realized that, when it comes to speaking out on producing trash, I don't have much ground to stand on. A few days earlier, I took the boys out for pizza. There were two pieces left over, so I asked for a box in which to take the leftovers home. I certainly wasn't about to waste two pieces of pizza.

But what about the pizza box? Used once, to get the two slices of pizza from the restaurant to home, then thrown away. Grease-stained cardboard isn't even recyclable. And a pizza box is no small piece of trash.

The trash and recycling containers are in the alley behind the house. I never see the trucks come empty them. Sometimes, though, I hear them, just before dawn, and I curse them for the noise they make, waking me a half hour before I had planned to wake up. And I get even more upset when I consider that, already, before sunrise, those trucks are out and about, polluting the already smoggy air.

Rarely does it occur to me in those early mornings that perhaps my best response is simply to produce less trash, and do my best to leave no trace.

Update: The Beaver Patrol has since decided that using disposable plates & utensils is a bad idea. We'll be using our own washable camp mess kits instead.