Vasquez Rocks

The day after Thanksgiving found my family and my sister's family climbing around at Vasquez Rocks. Does it look familiar? You've probably seen this place before even if you've never been here, as numerous movies and TV shows have been filmed here. Often it is used to portray another planet (as in Star Trek), and there are many camera angles that do not include green foliage as in my photo above, giving the rocks a desolate, other-worldly appearance.  (Look closely, and you can see someone standing near the top of the rock formation.)

Hiking Zuma Canyon

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, an official holiday to remember all the blessings we have and to give thanks. There will be parades, football, and family gatherings. We will feast on turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie.

And then we will realize that all the blessings we have aren't enough, and we will rush to the stores to start shopping for Christmas. (There's a sermon there for sure, but you can be thankful that I'll save it for another day.)

Being thankful is an act rooted in the present. Living in the present can be a challenge. Our minds are filled with memories and regrets of the past, as well as hopes and anxieties for the future.

This is a challenge for me just as it is for most people. One of the best ways I know to overcome this challenge is to go for a walk, preferably in nature.

Last Saturday my friend David and I went hiking in Zuma Canyon, near Malibu. Turning inland at Zuma Beach, we quickly arrived at the trailhead parking lot. Surprisingly, it was almost empty.

The trail we followed was a sinuous loop, meandering clockwise (more or less), in and out like the outline of an amoeba or an oak leaf. As a crow flies, we didn't go very far, and only at the end did we rise above the canyon floor to reach a low ridge. This was fine with me, as I have learned to appreciate the beauty of a riparian woodland, and have outgrown the need to climb to the top of a mountain just so that I can say I made it to the top. I still hike to the tops of mountains once in a while, but for me it's the journey that matters more than the destination.

Hiking through Zuma Canyon, I am at times nearly overwhelmed by the abundance around me. (Zuma is a Chumash word that means "abundance.") My thoughts remain in the present as I notice the sounds of crickets, birds, and the soft whisper of the gentle breeze. I see green grass and green leaves, new growth now appearing as the vegetation revives following its summer dormancy. I feel the soft leaves of various types of sage, velvety smooth, then smell their wonderful aroma. It's the best smell in the world. I could live off that smell.

At times, in sycamore groves, yellow and brown leaves rain down on us. Unlike the scrub plants at the edges of the canyon, sycamore roots go deep to a year-round water source, and they lose their leaves in fall/winter. And at the "end of the trail," (so designated by a trail sign), there is even a trickle of water flowing over the rocks and sand.

At the trailhead there are picnic tables nestled in a grove of towering sycamores, diffused and dappled sunlight giving the area an open, friendly feel. Sitting here at the end of the hike provides the perfect opportunity to give thanks for the present moment and its blessings.

Thanks to ADKinLA whose trip to Zuma Canyon a week earlier inspired my own visit. More info about Zuma Canyon can be found here.

Green Hearts


This photo was taken on a hike in Zuma Canyon this past weekend. 
I'll share more photos and a description of the hike later this week.

Authentic Living

As a child, I worked hard to please my parents and my teachers.  As an adult, I find that I am still working hard to please others.  And as a pastor, I often feel that the way to do that is to make sure I live within the expectations of how a pastor is supposed to think and live.

On the one hand, living to please others and meet their expectations can have social benefits.  I'm currently reading the biography of Steve Jobs, a man who, despite his greatness, didn't give a shit (to use his language) about what other people thought.  Thus, he was often rude, tactless, and offensive.

On the other hand, always living to please others and meet their expectations can be incredibly confining.  It can lead one to feel trapped, captive.

A few weeks ago, I sat down and wrote a few paragraphs that reflected the real me - not the me that I feel compelled to present to the world.  I found it to be a liberating experience.  I was able to be authentic and real.  Here is some of what I wrote:

I eat, sleep, fart, feel lazy, dream, stare too long in the mirror, relieve myself, have sex.  I have questions regarding God that I doubt will ever be answered; questions about eternity, questions about sex and sexuality, questions about meaning and purpose and good and evil.  I have questions about the existence and nature of God.

I find exploring these questions to be fascinating.  The questions always lead to more questions, and yet I feel that simply by asking them, I learn more about God and more about myself.

Pastors are supposed to be better, holier, and more spiritual, but I do not feel that I am a better person than anyone else.  I am happily married, but I'd be lying if I told you that beautiful women don't cause my head to turn; or even, sometimes, beautiful men.

I'm not sure what is good or moral 100% of the time.  I sometimes recognize that both sides of an ethical debate are valid.  However, most of the time, I think I do have a pretty good idea what is good or moral.  Faith helps.  Scripture helps.  But even when I do know what is good and moral, there are times when I'm not sure I want to be good and moral....

If these words strike a chord with you, then welcome to the conversation.  Together, let us continue asking questions and exploring what it means to be human.

If what I've written here offends you or disturbs you, then I invite you to take some time to explore who you really are, deep down, and to ask some questions that you probably have never dared to ask yourself before.  And why haven't you?  Are you afraid of the answers?  Are you afraid of discovering who you really are? 

Join the journey.  It may be risky.  But that's what living is all about.

Baptism Walk

Some youth in my church had been asking me about baptism. I needed to schedule a class to talk with them about this, and what better classroom than the outdoors? So invited them to go on a walk with me, at one of my favorite places: El Dorado Nature Center.

We arrived, and two of the youth (who happened to be brothers) looked at the spot at the edge of the parking lot where the pavement ended and a dirt trail disappeared into the woods.  "Are there bears in there?"

"No.  I don't think there are any bears anywhere in Long Beach.  The biggest thing in there might be a coyote."

"Will it hurt us?"

"No.  We probably won't even see a coyote.  But if you're quiet, there is a good chance of seeing a rabbit or a turtle."

Almost immediately after starting our walk, the kids spotted a squirrel. Then the path crossed a bridge over a pond, and they eagerly pointed to some ducks.  We also saw egrets, turtles, butterflies, and a hawk.  We even saw some trees with orange leaves, surrounded by a forest of leaves that prefer to remain green.  (Yeah, that's how nature does fall here in southern California.)

But for me, the best sight of all was watching the kids get so excited over spending a few hours in nature. 

Stop. Breathe. Be Aware.

I was in a foul mood, but unsure why.  There was an uneasiness that had settled in the center of my chest.  I found many reasons to be discouraged, but few reasons to be optimistic or hopeful.

Finally, a voice inside my head said, "Stop." 

I did stop, and took notice of my foul mood.  I hadn't even realized I was in a foul mood, but now I realized that it had been hovering over me for hours, like a cloud casting a dark shadow over my day.

I'm not normally in a foul mood (at least, that's what I like to think), and so I began to wonder what was going on.  Why was I in a foul mood now?  Where did this particular foul mood come from?

For the first time that day, I paid attention to my state of mind.  I examined it carefully and gently, much like I once examined my crying baby, searching for the cause of his discomfort.  After a few minutes of searching, I found the source of my discomfort.

I had started my day checking email and facebook.  Someone had posted a link to a video of a race car crash in which a driver was killed.  I rarely click on such links, but I did this time, and watched the video.

The video showed a horrific scene of carnage and destruction, but at the time I didn't realize how disturbed it had left me.  Hours later, when I finally stopped and took notice of my mood, I discovered its cause.  This made it easier to deal with.  With new understanding, I was able to treat myself and the mood I was in with kindness, which in turn eaased my suffering and helped lift my mood; and this, I'm sure, helped make me more pleasant to be around, bringing joy not only to my day, but to the day of those around me.

Are you in a foul mood?  Is your fuse short today, for some reason that you can't quite figure out?  Are you feeling on edge?

Stop.

Take a breath.

Acknowledge the mood you are in.  Gently examine it and seek to understand without judging.  Treat yourself with kindness, and allow your foul mood to slowly melt away into contentment.

Buddhist Drums, Lutheran Church

One of the most surprising and exciting activities I'm involved in is serving on the board of directors for the South Coast Interfaith Council. Last Sunday, the Council held its annual Music Festival, which this year took place in an old Lutheran Church near downtown Long Beach. Before the concert began, I snapped this photo of the sanctuary, with taiko drums set up for one of the acts.

Be a Blessing, Not a Complainer

People who use social media like facebook, twitter, etc. know that it can be a mixed blessing. This is true for a number of reasons; one of them is that social media can be a tool for positive blessings, and it can be used as a tool for negative whining and complaints.

Not long ago, I noticed that the posts and status updates of some of my social media friends were really bringing me down. Every post seemed to be a complaint about life, about the government, about society. Eventually, I began to "hide" the updates from the most consistently negative of my friends, as they were starting to make me depressed.

Then there are those friends whose social media updates are a breath of fresh air. Postive. Uplifting. A blessing to the world wide web. Occasionally there would be a prayer request for a hospitalized family member or for getting through a particularly difficult situation (which is certainly fine), but generally speaking, they were free of complaints.

Politicians and government in general get a lot of the complaints. We sure do like to criticize and ridicule our elected officials! The elected officials, likewise, like to criticize and ridicule each other. I wonder, though: are the politicians following our lead, or is it the other way around? We complain about the partisanship and bickering in government; we complain about anyone who thinks differently than we do. If elected officials are there to represent the people, then perhaps their partisanship and bickering are an appropriate reflection of the people they represent.

What I'm saying is that if I want my representatives in government to act more civil toward those with whom they disagree, maybe such behavior needs to start with me.

Last week I spent a little time in downtown Long Beach, and in walking the streets I passed by the Occupy Long Beach camp. A part of me really wanted to engage these folks in conversation, and let them know that I think a lot of the stuff they are trying to bring to society's attention are the same things that God wants brought to our attention.

However, they seem more "anti" than "pro." There is a certain level of anger and even animosity that made me slightly uncomfortable as I passed by. So I smiled and said hello, and kept walking.

It's similar to the situation of the lobster protesters I've written about before.

I know, some things are worth getting angry about. I just think the ratio of positive thoughts and constructive action to complaints and snarkiness needs to be greater than it is. Starting with me.

Update: Here's a news article about a local Long Beach resident who, I think, exemplifies what I'm talking about here.

Breakers at Dawn

I kind of took a little break from blogging, but I'm back now.
Here's a photo I took on an early morning walk in downtown Long Beach the other day.