Monday (Wednesday Really) Rant 20

With apologies to those who faithfully read the blog to see what I’m upset about this time, I plead family responsibilities and travel as an excuse. I was in Lisle, Illinois to attend the memorial service for my recently deceased brother.

I’ll not dwell on it excessively but simply say that the outpouring of condolences from those assembled was overwhelming. They came from all over the United States and represented major appliance manufacturers, rent to own centers, builders, and those who ski, bike, and golf. The most emotional moment came as the military unit assigned from the Navy presented the flag to the widow in acknowledgement of his service aboard the USS Mansfield during the Viet Nam era. Our family appreciated all those who attended, sent regrets and otherwise celebrated a very exuberant and successful life.

Although I was not with those who share my specific beliefs, I felt a good spirit was present and enjoyed exchanging views with others about the nature of the afterlife. Sometimes it’s good to stop and listen to those whose spiritual credentials are not on their sleeves. Their opinions were not all that different from mine. All in all, I came away with the notion that the teaching of Jesus Christ is alive in the hearts of many fellow believers.
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Before we left Friday for the memorial service we experienced another loss which affected each and every life in our little Ozarks paradise. My faithful companion, a yellow lab named Ashley, died while lying at my feet Thursday evening. She went without a whimper or any sign of protest. As ever, she lay near me as I typed on my keyboard. Always the lady, she never sought attention while I was working.

What has provoked so much thought is the role she played among the other animals. Our smallest dog, Gus, was far more dependent upon Ashley as a friend and more important, protector. He has spent an inordinate amount of time on the chair by the window looking for the return of his buddy from one of her occasional forays into the neighborhood. We were aware they had a strong relationship but not aware of how dependent he had become. Although our newest resident, Maggie, is friendly, she is young, exuberant and four times as large as Gus. Without the restraint which Ashley provided, we are now concerned about accidental incidents during play.

The cats have freaked. They are nowhere to be easily seen. Without Ashley’s moderating influence, they are fair game for Maggie’s boisterous play style. If we ever see the three of them again, we shall report on their activities.
Although I am not a fan of humanizing pets, I do see parallels in their behavior. In this case it is the outstanding example Ashley set for the rest. In her dignity and calm demeanor, she set the example and provided the discipline for the rest. It has only been since we lost her that we realized it fully. This then provokes some reflection for all of us.

Do we set that example as a guidepost to others? Do the behaviors of those around us appear to be influenced by our manner and attitudes? God has given us intellect and an indwelling spirit far in excess of the beasts. One can only pray that we are using them for His purposes and as a good example to others.
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We shall attempt to get the postings to Zion Beckons back on track and regular as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience, prayers, and kind thoughts.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Craig R. Moon (1945-2008)

April 1945 marked two momentous events. Franklin Delano Roosevelt died of a cerebral hemorrhage and my brother Craig was born. He weighed 2 lbs, 9 oz at birth and spent his first three months in an incubator at Ellis Memorial Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa. His survival was truly miraculous. He was the only child of Phyllis (Hoopes) Moon and Dr. Cecil L. Moon, Sr..

Upon graduating from high school he joined the US Navy and served aboard the USS Mansfield during the Vietnam War. Honorably discharged as a first class petty officer after four years, he used his acquired skills in engineering and refrigeration as a basis for a lifetime career with various segments of the appliance industry. Most recently he was a national account manager for Bosch-Siemens.

His avocational interests were mostly athletic including off-road biking, cycling, handball, and skiing, his first love. As current president of IBEX, a leading Chicago ski club, he led the group to many mountain top (and downhill) experiences. An accomplished double black diamond skier he skied nearly every major and minor slope in North America and some in Europe.

He succumbed peacefully to cancer this morning at 1:30 am. He is survived by his wife Lynne, his brother, a nephew Martin Moon, a niece Jennifer Koch, 17 grand nieces and nephews, and three great grand nieces and nephews. Preceding him in death were his parents, his first wife Karla, and his nephew Cecil Moon, III. He is also survived by countless friends and business associates he made so readily over the years.

To those who have prayed earnestly for his recovery we ask for your further prayers that God will direct him over the shoals to his new encounter with the afterlife. A special thank you is directed to those who prayed for a painless peaceful departure.

Craig Richard Moon, rest in peace.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Monday Morning Rant 19

I have enjoyed the benefits of total immersion. I am not referring to that blessed moment when I took on the name of Jesus Christ by the good offices of our elders. I have been at my brother’s bedside in Illinois and met many of his friends who were previously unknown to me. The immersion consisted of exposure to levels of faith with a wider intensity and interpretation than I ever dreamed imaginable.

As a regular attendee at my local congregation I have become used to worshiping with those who are roughly on the same page in doctrine and appreciation of the works of the Master. I had come to believe that most folks felt pretty much the same as I did on the general nature of faith. This is in no way critical of the concern and caring demonstrated towards my brother and his perilous condition by his friends. Many have come a long way to lift his spirits and show support.

I noticed that when I mentioned belief that the many prayers offered on his behalf would soon reveal the will of God for his disposition I noticed a wide variety of reactions. Some just looked at me—open mouthed with incredulity—as though waiting for the punch line. Others kindly shook their heads, gave me that 1000 yard stare and looked for an escape route. One actually accused me of being a preacher. Thanks, but I claim no such office. No one could clearly grasp that I was sincere in my gratitude for those good and faithful friends who had joined me and my family’s requests for supplications to God. The absolute necessity of involving God in his care and keeping seemed somehow distant from their experience.

My brother, with a high level corporate job, has a collection of very sophisticated friends. His room is frequently peopled with witty, responsible individuals, bright and articulate, and delightful conversationalists. They fully understand his condition. They also seem unaware that God, in His majesty, has the power to make the essential changes to restore his body to full health if He so pleases. The concept that healing is for the here and now is alien to them. The fact that I choose to pray for His will in the matter is also alien. My testimony of personal healing is treated as a delusional fantasy.

As a consequence, my prayer calendar is pretty full. Obviously my brother is the most frequent subject of my pleas. I have now added many of those new found acquaintances to the list. I guess when you “know everything” it’s possible to ignore the most important thing.
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I notice that the holidays, now gone by, have essentially shuttered the discussion boards. It has been a blessed relief. A good, open discussion of issues facing the body of Saints is healthy but all too often it has disintegrated into factionalism and strife. Maybe we can make a clean start for the New Year.
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Probably the most abused word in the language currently is Nazi. Following closely is “cult.” So called journalists bandy it about with little knowledge of what it means and assume the full range of its pejorative implications. If you don’t understand a particular faith and refuse to do any research, it provides a convenient descriptive. Cults are most often easily identified by the presence of a charismatic leader.

We find two highly ranked candidates for president professing a deep commitment to their church which drives the press nuts. The balance of most of the primary competitors is content just to drag Bibles to mandatory Sunday services for show. It’s possible that the upside is a renewed emphasis on religion as important to character and honesty, both allegedly requirements for a successful candidate. Well, duh! Is it possible that faith forms behavior?

I suspect the voter’s interest in the matter stems from the proliferation of TV evangelists who bring a superficial message of salvation accompanied by endless appeals for cash. You have heard the pitch, “love God, get rich, and send money.” I find it very difficult to associate a man wearing a perfectly fitted $1000 suit, sporting a $100 haircut and a complete retinue of back-up singers with viable solutions to answer the questions of wavering faith and life’s spiritual challenges. Their diction is clear but the message is cloudy. You might accuse me of being jealous. I’m not.

Going back to the candidates, I sympathize with their plight. If they advertise their faith, they are damned. If they don’t, they are held suspect. If their religion is not part of the World Council of Churches, they are considered a cult. If they oppose abortion (if you think I should have said “choice” you are reading the wrong blog) and endorse the death penalty they are accused of duplicity. In the end, it seems, the real villain is the reporter.

One last thought, in this endless faith fest, one candidate has been conspicuously ignored. Could it possibly be because he had a Muslim upbringing?

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Update

For those hangers-on who have been so faithful to this blog, I feel the need to update you in Cec's absence. He is still in Lisle, IL, with his brother Craig and wife, Lynne. The situation is very grave and it is now just a matter of time. Having been a hospice nurse I know exactly what is going on there. Constant monitoring, turning, repositioning, cleaning, dealing with agitation, restlessness, pain, medication through a dropper, trying to urge water down his throat without choking him, wondering if he should have water at all. It's one thing to do it when you're a nurse. When it's your loved one it's agonizing. I did it with my father when he opted for home hospice instead of yet one more test. My constant prayer is that Cec and Lynne will have the strength to do what has to be done and that God will use this situation to bring us all closer to Him. When you're in the middle of it, the light at the end of the tunnel does look like an oncoming train. Someone once said, "Don't doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light."

Thank you for your continued prayers and may God's light shine upon you.

Jan

Monday Morning Rant 18

Ah, New Years Eve! Zion Beckons wishes a Happy New Year to you all. As I look back upon 2007 I have to admit that if nothing else, it was interesting. We started with an ice storm which tested everyone’s mettle. It also revealed much Christian goodness and neighborly love. The old saw is that anything which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I tend to agree. I find we are far better prepared today to meet an emergency than we were on January 10th. I sincerely hope that is the case for you as well, regardless of where you live.

When we became reduced in services, we became aware that our Amish neighbors must be made of sterner stuff. They certainly didn’t notice that the electricity was interrupted. About the only difficulties we had in common were downed trees. They even had us there. They used the wood piles which accrued for fuel. For them little changed; livestock got fed, the wash hung out to dry and the little ones went to school as if nothing had happened. Good people and wonderful neighbors are no doubt, a gift from God.

As winter turned to spring we received an inordinate amount of rain and enjoyed plant growth of exceptional measure. Our little patch here in the Ozarks bloomed, recovered, and delighted us. Our farmer neighbors stopped worrying about yields stunted by drought and enjoyed the bounty. We also didn’t have any cares about the well keeping up with the laundry and the dishwashing – not to mention the showers.

Also in the spring, Jan’s book (The Book of Mark) was published and we had the opportunity to share it with many in the Restoration. Yes, it’s available on Amazon. The teens love it. Editor's note: They do?

As summer came, so did the heat, but the flowers seemed to like it so all was well. The summer also brought continued discontent with the hierarchy and concern over the future of the Restoration. Over the next few months we cemented our relationships with many Saints of a more orthodox persuasion. It was in July when we launched “Zion Beckons.” As a result, we enlarged our contacts even more and were constantly amazed at how many good and faithful people there were. When we looked at the details of who is looking at the blog we find people from all over the country log on and many spend a great deal of time reading.

As the year moved on there was an Orthodox Saints Reunion at Odessa Campground which was one of the spiritual highlights of the year. It was invaluable for the purpose of furthering existing relationships and forming new ones as we met for praise and worship. The good spirit present at Odessa was felt by all, and hopefully taken home and shared with others. Given the opportunity next year, it is a must.

In the fall the spirit of reunion was still in my heart so I visited half of my twenty grandchildren in Las Vegas and Tucson. To be with them and also to visit with old friends is yet more evidence of the great goodness of having God at one’s side. They all provide overwhelming evidence of understanding and eagerness to do His will. His message must be powerful to reach so many.

If you have read the previous post, you are well aware of what the balance of the fall entailed. While a matter of great concern, the center of attention in our lives still is abiding by the will of our Master. Despite personal matters, it is not an appropriate time to ignore His concerns. Rather, it is a period which should involve much prayer and contemplation on the power of God and how to utilize that power in our lives.

What does 2008 hold for us all? God knows and will share it with us as required. I do know that He will not require us to face anything for which we do not have the strength. I think of the great prophets and disciples of earlier times and marvel at how much they were able to endure to preach and teach and do the will of the Master. I firmly believe that these qualities exist in men and women today. They will need our support in the coming year. If we don’t readily recognize them, ask God, He will point them out.

While I don’t pretend to be an able prognosticator, there are a few things which I believe you can count on in the coming year. If we hold fast to the scriptures, we will have our plans for doing His will in our grasp. If we can offer our opinions in a spirit of love for the hearer, we will become more persuasive. If we can love our God with all our might and mind and will, all will be well.

Happy New Year,

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

A Test of Faith

As you might suspect, I have quite few blogs on my morning reading list. I used to get very impatient when they failed to offer me a full dose of their profound wisdom on a daily basis. Oh sure, they sometimes mentioned (in advance) that they would be on vacation, getting married, or actually doing some paying work on a (ugh!) job. Even then I felt somewhat deprived. After all, didn’t they appreciate that I had clicked in to read their offerings? Did they not know, as we at Zion Beckons are so aware, that the reader is the life blood of any on line journal? Well, yes, they do know and they also have a life. A life, which by its very nature, is chock full of the unexpected.

The imprecise nature of the rhythm of life is all too apparent around our house these days. With no close relatives near at hand our daily existence is not really disturbed by the holidays. Since we awake every day praising God for the morning and thinking of Him and His gifts, each day is in essence, Christmas. As far as seeing the old year out with a huge drunken splurge, no thanks, “Been there, done that!”

Now the exceptional has proven to be the rule. We are suddenly made aware that no matter how stable life seems to be, it can unexpectedly be disturbed. We suddenly see that rather than being humdrum and ordinary, it has taken on a new and frightening dimension. At our age – mine especially – it is reasonable to assume the presence of life-altering happenings. We have recently seen changes which blow the mind.

At Thanksgiving, my brother Craig was ill, sitting in a chair, walking with difficulty and hearing poorly. Before Christmas, he was bedridden, deaf and it required great effort to get him into the bath. Now, nearing New Years, his care is supervised by hospice personnel, his speech has become slurred and he is obviously in vital peril. It is very difficult to grasp.

At the age of 62, having lived a successful and extremely athletic life, we find him facing one of life’s defining moments. He fully understands this and has no desire to be the burden to his wife and caretakers which he has become. I salute his reason and his courage. As his closest living blood relative – he has no children – I feel compelled to be with him every moment I possibly can. Unless we have an intervention from Almighty God, I see little possibility of recovery from either his cancer or the incumbent symptoms.

In this circumstance I am fully acquainted with the necessity to realize that my plans and desires are not always in concert with the mind of God. In my life, I have attended to the burial of my parents, one son, my uncles and aunts, and numerous friends of long standing, and confess that in each case I questioned God. Selfishly, it is my wish to retain them all in my circle for my own reasons. Apparently what I can’t seem to fully understand is they are not “mine” but rather are His, to do with as His will directs. Faith is easy when it has a positive result for me. It is not so easy when it has what I determine is a negative outcome.

All that having been said; I will continue to pray earnestly for him and beg you to do so as well. This is a test of faith for your host. Please join me in a prayer to the Almighty for a fuller, richer understanding of His will.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Monday Morning Rant 17

Cecil has been in Lisle, IL with his brother and doesn't have access to a computer on which he can doodle about with the blog, so I'm filling in for him. For those of you who still like me: greetings. For those of you who think I've gone to the Dark Side: deal with it.

On this blog it's still all right to say things like "Christmas" and "God" and "Jesus Christ" and even "salvation'" without fear of censure or censor. For the past several days I have been thinking about sacrifice. Merriam-Webster defines sacrifice as: an act of offering to deity something precious: esp: the killing of a victim on an altar 2: something offered in sacrifice 3: destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else: something given up or lost. The Hebrew and the Greek translations, according to Strong, center around the slaughter of an animal, as Old Testament priests were wont to do.

William Jefferson Clinton had it nailed when he sacrificed the sanctity of the Oval Office, the honor and dignity of the office of President of the United States and the respect of the American people on the altar of a cocktail dress. Sadly, this country apparently "got over it" and as a result diminished herself in her own eyes and in the eyes of the rest of the world.

Men and women have been sacrificing themselves for our nation in times of peace and war since the first shot was fired at Lexington. They have proudly put themselves in harm's way for God and country (the sake of something else) keeping their eyes on the greater good and not minding the loss. It's an innate quality which contributes to the survival of the species. It's also, I believe, a noble trait that sets us apart from the void.

This past week Cecil sacrificed his comfort, his status quo, and his Christmas preparations to drive to Lisle and be with his brother Craig. He will continue to make himself available any time for as long as necessary. It may involve frequent commutes between Verona, Missouri and Lisle, Illinois at inopportune times, but he will do whatever it takes to be available to him and his wife Lynne.

The common thread that runs through the above items is, of course, love. Love of self, love of country, and love of family. There's another love that is unfathomable to us meager humans. It's the supernatural, agape love that God has for us. The love He had, and still has for the world that caused Him to sacrifice His only begotten son. (John 3:16) I don't know about you but I have trouble wrapping my brain around that kind of love. A love that knows the outcome, that knows the stakes, that knows the pain, and does it anyway. What an ungrateful world we are. As I look around at this time of year I see a lot of love: love of shopping, love of decorating, love of wrapping, baking, entertaining, and love of complaining about the things that were just mentioned. When did it become that way? When did we sacrifice the love for our fellow man on the altar of commerce? When did we allow a few mean spirited and ill intended groups to take the Christ Child out of the season?

I've had lots of time to reflect on this while Cec has been gone. The strange thing is that while I've been here in the house except for a haircut on Saturday and church yesterday, I have felt more in tune with the season than ever before. Our Sunday School teacher Sunday morning said that his wife had asked him if he was going to teach a lesson about Christmas. He replied, "Christmas is always with us." My prayer for all of us is that we can keep a Christmas attitude until He comes again. Merry Christmas to you all.

In His love

Jan