Moving Right Along

Well, here it is, the first week of June already - time for our annual trip to Cape Cod, along with my mom. As always, we have rented Cottage #4 for her and Cottage #5 for us, at our usual spot, Gibson Cottages in Eastham. And of course, Miss Diva will be accompanying us, and Friend #2 will be taking care of Baxter. I'm sure he will be Disgruntled about being left home alone again!

While we're at the Cape I am determined to create a post for my long-neglected travel blog, Marvelous Meanderings. It is way overdue for another post, considering my last one was in March of 2007!

One of these days I need to leave my job at the Big Corporation and just blog and read blogs full time. Because right now I don't have time to read all the wonderful blogs that I enjoy. I hope to make up for some lost time next week, although it won't be all that easy - our cottage does not have wi fi! But there is always the library and a cute little cafe' in Orleans that has access.

Before I sign off for now, I do want to mention one politically-related thing.

What is UP with the pastors at that church Barack Obama attends? I support him and don't really care what kind of church he goes to as long as he doesn't let it interfere with governing. But I couldn't believe it when I heard the news that this priest, who was a guest speaker at the church, went off about Hillary Clinton and said she was crying because Obama was "stealing her show" and related it to race.

I haven't been to church in quite a few years, so maybe I'm out of date, but back in the day when I attended church, the pastor didn't talk all that much. He did one major prayer - which was about God and religion and that sort of thing - and then a sermon. And the sermon usually was a gentle tale, often opened with a humorous little anecdote that led into a spiritual lesson. There was no politics, no mocking, no hostility to anyone. The idea was to leave the parishioners with a sense of peace and a wish to be better people, fleeting though it may have been. It even worked on me for the time I was listening.

Now admittedly, we did tend to have activist ministers at that church, which happens to be the same denomination as Obama's. I believe the minister we had back in the early 70's organized those in the congregation who were interested, to participate in a protest at the local supermarket. The purpose was to boycott lettuce in support of the labor movement led by Cesar Chavez. I remember my parents both participated in the boycott and marched around outside our Pathmark.

I have no problem whatsoever with the leaders of a church getting involved in boycotts and social issues as part of its ministry. But politics should not be preached from the pulpit, especially with such a mean-spirited tone.

Hopefully Obama has realized that the type of religion practiced at this church is not consistent with his message of unity and peace. He needs to not only distance himself from the words of these preachers but from the church itself; not just for political reasons, but because the messages being preached there do not appear to be positive and uplifting. And I'm sure any candidate for President needs as much uplifting and positivity as they can get. Just my two cents.

I know this is probably once again one of those things that is blown up out of all proportion and not worthy to be "news." But given that the Trinity Church pastors (and their guest speakers) must know by now that the media will be all over anything they say, you would think they would be more careful with their words, especially if they support Obama and want him to succeed.