Yes, we have no cable or dish

With HDTV just around the corner, it is really fun trying to fine-tune the antenna for existing HD broadcasts. Yes, we have no cable or dish.

The weak sister on my reception is KMOV – Channel 4. They have either moved their tower or are at reduced power. I am led to believe both may be true.

Well, one more trip to the roof so PBS isn’t screwed up, and I’ll just wait for KMOV to get things organized.

A good find on that morning run

Near the end of my running route, I come down a long hill with somewhat of a dip at the bottom. Anything loose on a construction vehicle heading up hill has a good chance of being bounced off. Over the years I have found an assortment of metal objects. Quite a pile had I ever thought to save them.

The jackpot was a few years ago when I found a 12-inch adjustable wrench. Nicely chromed, it has been hanging from a nail in the garage ever since. Until this morning, that is.

When the shower flow abruptly slowed in the guest bathroom, I had to dig out the brochure to see how to take the control valve apart so I could look for the culprit. What was needed was a large adjustable wrench to hold the outer body while the internals were unscrewed and removed. I cleaned and back flushed the filters. Back in business. No service call fee; no hourly plumber charge.

A good find on that morning run. It has occurred to me, however, that the police could have been summoned to check out the old man running down the street with that large wrench. But I am glad that I picked it up and brought it home.

But we’ll keep trying

This morning, I drove down to the prison holding the offender scheduled for execution next Wednesday, May 20. We met one-on-one in a small room, no handcuffs, no correctional officer standing at our shoulder.

For the past three Mondays, I have repeated the same trip. Today’s was my last. Our total of four hours together have been simply remarkable. If only everyone in the state could be there to see, hear, listen, understand. The death penalty wouldn’t be long for this world.

But that can’t be the case, and I’m afraid the myth of “closure” and our culture of revenge with no thought of nor attempt at forgiveness will prevail. Blind punishment regardless of obvious redemption … adding another death, another family’s loss, another loved one taken away …  that is the illogical impact  of  state-sanctioned killing.

But we’ll keep trying. I wrote to the Governor as another voice for clemency.

Politics are always involved

Tomorrow may be my last conversation with the Missouri offender who has an execution date this month. There is a chance, however, that his sentence will be commuted. How can I say that? Unless the whole clemency process is a charade, I don’t see how he … of all people … wouldn’t be commuted to life without parole.

But stranger things have happened, especially when politics are involved. And politics are always involved.

The company we keep

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch had a thoughtful editorial on the pending Missouri execution.

There are times when our country, along with the 36 states with the death penalty, is just plain embarrassing. We keep company with China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan as the world leaders in executing our own citizens. Simply wonderful! And we are the only developed nation in the western world having the death penalty. Is there a clue somewhere?

A blessing beyond measure

Last Saturday marked the eighth anniversary of my work as a volunteer chaplain at a maximum security prison. Eight years which have transformed my life.

How did all this unfold?

I retired at end of ‘96 from a career of engineering, manufacturing, and executive management.

Having retired, I went back to school to study theology.

Studying theology, I wanted a means to express what I learned.

To express what I learned, I majored in preaching.

Majoring in preaching required a venue for my internship

A venue for internship came to be a jail/prison environment

Working in a prison environment led to the lay chaplain role I am now in.

So, eight years of ministering to those in solitary confinement have given me the confidence to minster to those awaiting execution, have led to more impactful preaching at prison prayer services, have made me a more patient listener to those who struggle, have prepared me for a whole spectrum of emerging spiritualities, have been a blessing beyond measure.