(D. Ed. Hoggatt)
"If you are talking when everyone else is talking, you probably don't much to say."
(D. Ed. Hoggatt)
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It's hard to believe that my great uncle has been gone for 10 years. I was honored to see this man transform from a sinful and dirty man into the Godly man that he became. The following are my written thoughts just after his passing. My Great Uncle Donald was a man. That's all. Just a man. Donald was a man. That's true. But, like all men, there were events in his life that made him unique. Indeed, there were people in his life that made him special.
When I was a kid, this red-haired man was more of an encounter and less of a man. He was more of a dread and less of an uncle. I recall standing in my great grandmother's kitchen. Alone with my great uncle. Looking up at him as he recounted some dirty joke. It was inappropriate at any age, but especially so considering mine. To my credit, I did not understand and cannot remember what he said - only that he said it. Afterwards, he balled up his fist, stuck out his middle knuckle, and ground it into the top of my head, all the while trapping me within the crook of his opposite elbow. I suppose giving "noogies" a way of showing affection. Uncle Donald was the man who constantly "stole my nose" and wouldn't give it back! As silly as that seems, I took it personally, and I was clearly upset, but he was relentless. I guess to understand the man is to know his history. To a little boy those things - the wartime experience and the failing marriage - don't mean much, and they don't excuse any sort of abuse, but they do help a grown man to understand. Uncle Donald was a tough guy, and the whole of the thing is this: I didn't like him very much. A few years later, a new Christian wife, his own life transformed by an obedient relationship with Christ, and even a new responsibility of preaching in a small congregation in rural Oklahoma, another part of this ordinary man was made obvious. Not only was he tough, but he was also sensitive and gentle. The crusty exterior fell away to reveal a soft filling. In her battle with Alzheimer's, Donald's wife was never alone. He doted over her, perhaps too much, waiting on her hand and foot, long after she became bedridden and incoherent. It was both painful and endearing to witness. One of his last great acts was to preside over my parents' renewal of vows for their 50th anniversary. Uncle Donald was able to express his own love for my family in the midst of their enduring love for each other. Nearly completely blind for several years, he was still just a man. But he was a man made great through his reaching out to express love to me, almost embarrassingly at times, perhaps making up for those old days when he bullied me. I think he felt the guilt of mistreating me, though I easily forgave him and understood the tremendous changes he made to improve. He embraced my wife, and he made a special connection with my daughter, when she finally got to spend an extended time with him, this past summer. In his last days, in the throes of suffering, he would often call out to her with their catch phrase: "I'm OK." Before 5:30, Wednesday morning, my great uncle peacefully passed from this life. Donald Warren Ellis was just a man, but he became so much more as his time on earth matured. Bully no more. Inappropriate no more. Loved and missed forever. One thing I regret about retiring from teaching is that I don't receive notes like this one from five years ago. It's always heartwarming to receive notes like the one below. This one, written by a high school student, was passed on by one of the teachers at Joplin High. [Mr.] Hoggatt was the teacher that helped me become the person I am today, "Failure is not an option;
Making mistakes is an option, but failure is not." (D. Ed. Hoggatt) My sermon begins at 22:10 in the following video: Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Hear Ye! In Joplin, Missouri, on this magnificent Groundhoggatt Day, February 2nd, 2024, when "the seer of seers, the prognosticator of all prognosticators" is summoned from his borrow in the old oak stump, will he see his shadow and proclaim six more weeks of winter, or will he declare spring just around the corner?
Learned helplessness runs rampant among people of all ages. it is especially potent in children. Take a few minutes to watch this video: Now for some questions:
"Teach history; influence the future."
(D. Ed. Hoggatt)
If we want to show someone that the church of Christ is in the Bible, or if we want to say anything about greeting, we automatically go to Romans 16:16: “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.” In fact, turn to Romans 16 and we’ll take a closer look. Don’t you think the church building should be a welcoming place? The building can be as warm and pretty as we want to make it…but it isn’t until we have a warm and friendly church (the people) that people will feel accepted. I imagine that every one of us has visited a church service or Bible class where we did not feel accepted. It didn’t feel like you belonged there. It didn’t feel like the regulars knew you were a visitor. That church was cold and unwelcoming, and you felt distant and ignored. As members of the Lord’s church, we must not allow that to be the case. We are familiar with one another passages in Scripture. In fact, the command to “love one another” is the most frequently written. Plus, believe it or not, “Greet one another with a holy kiss” comes in second as far as the number of times it is repeated. Two apostles write in five letters to “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” Hopefully, by now, you understand that this is simply a way to tell us to greet each other with warmth. The word holy emphasizes that this kiss (or handshake or hug) has no sexual overtones, but that it is a pure and meaningful greeting. What we need to see, however, is that it is an imperative. Through inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we are commanded by Paul and Peter to take initiative and approach people. Don’t wait for somebody to make the first move. A friendly person acts first. Too often, we make it into a game. We test our friends. We say to ourselves, I’m not talking to anyone until they talk to me first. We test them. And that’s a game we will lose every time! Follow along with Paul in Romans 16 (because the 16th verse doesn’t stand alone). If you are good at counting, you may find as many as 16 times that the apostle uses the word greet in just the first 15 verses. In fact, he greets by name a total of 26 individuals or groups. But let’s not become so rigid. It is a command, but that’s not the only reason we should each become greeters. We should never think, The only reason I’m being friendly to these people is because Paul says I have to. We could easily create a list of practical methods by which we can improve our greeting skills, but there are some great reasons for the command. Let’s see four of them in action. First of all, when we greet people, it is because we want to acknowledge them. I don’t care how introverted or extroverted a person is, no one wants to be ignored or unnoticed. It’s interesting to break down Paul’s list of 26 people and groups in Romans sixteen. In verses 3-7, Paul extends his hand to break all kinds of cultural barriers. Half of the people on his list are either slaves or women. They have very little to offer in regards to their status - very little influence or power, but Paul reaches out to them. Some are Gentiles. Some are Jews. Some are even Romans (since we’re in the letter that is written to Romans), but Paul acknowledges them all. Every person on that list is important and needs to realize that Paul cares enough to mention them by name. Next, when we greet people, we commend them. The example for this is in the first two verses of Romans 16. Just look at how the apostle treats Phoebe when he recommends her. It is the kind of behavior from us that turns someone’s bad day into a good one. You know from experience that a friendly smile or a cheerful greeting can brighten your day and make it easier to bear. How does it feel to know that somebody is genuinely happy to see you? No one should feel lonely, neglected, or overlooked in the church of Christ. Thirdly, this is how we express affection. A holy kiss, as in verse 16, is more than a dead-fish handshake or a robotic greeting. Just as a kiss is an intimate exchange, our greeting should be more than a routine that we go through just because it’s a command and we have to do it in order to comply. Human touch is valuable to people. Shaking hands, hugs, pats on the shoulders - all are desirable for human interaction. Jesus reached out to people who were otherwise untouchable. Physically, lepers were contagious, but that didn’t stop Jesus. Kids were annoying to some, but Jesus wanted them close by. He even ate with tax collectors and treated them like friends. If you were visiting a congregation who welcomed you and made you feel special - perhaps even like a member of the family - wouldn’t you be more inclined to return? And finally, related to the first three reasons, in our greetings, we help others (as well as ourselves) overcome isolation. The church took a hit when COVID swept the world into quarantine, and some people never returned, preferring instead the perceived peace that comes with a quiet Sunday morning at home. There are so many ways to communicate with people today, but some of those things that we might think keep us connected may actually contribute to isolation. Instant messages, social media, cell phones, smart watches, virtual meetings are all ways that keep us connected to other people 24 hours a day, yet they have kept us away from each other. Some of us are more isolated and disconnected than we’ve ever been. We need to be the ones to overcome the temptation to stay away from people - especially people in our church family - in such a way, opting to send a digital message through the cloud instead of establishing a direct contact in person. Those are the reasons, but now for some practical suggestions to wrap things up:
“He that thinketh by the inch,
but talketh by the yard, deserveth to be kicketh by the foot.” (unknown) After 50 years, our beloved Fire in the Hole, the original indoor roller coaster, has been shuttered. Due to mold and decay, it became easier and more cost-efficient to shutter the ride and rebuild it with new tech on the other side of the park. It was my favorite ride at Silver Dollar City in the Ozark Mountains. And only now do we finally get an idea of what it was like with the lights on. Don't get me wrong: I like the mystery of not knowing all of the inner workings of things, and I don't want all of the mystery to be revealed...but now that the ride is shut down, it seems appropriate to finally get this video. This July, I will facilitate and present for a teacher seminar with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. The title of the seminar is American Environmental History. I guess I'll have to do some preparatory studying. I am the master teacher for this session, and I will work with scholar and author Dr. Catherine McNeur of Portland State University. What a privilege and honor! Dr. McNeur has already recorded 12 lectures on the subject, but in July, she will present live virtually. Following her presentation, I will interview her and relay questions from participants. Once the first hour is finished, I will present a second hour specifically for pedagogy. In other words, she will teach the history, and I will relay methods for teaching environmental history. Right now, I am beginning to look for GLI lessons that might fit with this topic. The first three below were suggested as possibilities:
I can relate to the hurricane topic by sharing photos from the 2011 EF5 tornado that swept through our hometown of Joplin, Missouri. I can also speak to earthquakes by talking about my own Earthquake! simulation unit. Additionally, I've identified four more possible lessons that might fit. Depending on the contents of these, they may also be applied:
I really only need a couple of lessons to present to teachers in July, so I need to get started in finding something that fits comfortably. “Language, like clothing, is best when it is clean.”
(unknown) My sermon begins at 24:45 in this video: |
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