The Post-Gazette this morning was filled with references to Senator Phil Gramm's statement that America is in a mental economic recession. In short, there is nothing wrong with our economy, Gramm implied. Americans are just "whiny" and have negative attitude. Apparently, a vibrant economy needs the positive attitude of Oprah and those who talk to their flowers and vegetable plants. The famous statement of the early 90's, "it's the economy, stupid," is turned upside down: "it's me, not the economy." I'm still waiting for someone to rent my house in Indianapolis, so I may join the whiny throngs soon if I don't fine one with a decent credit history (oops, I think I just "whined").
We all know whiners. Present company excepted of course. Apparently there were no whiners before 1530 when the word first appears in language, according to "Etymology.com." The word evolved from "hwinsian 'to whine' (of dogs). The dictionary states that "whining" can also mean a high shrill nasal sound. Are you old enough to remember the SNL skit, "The Whiners"? The Whiner Family parodied American complaining with high nasal pitched "whines". Kids do it. Adults don't, of course.
I whined in a sermon once. Once. I kept a soapbox in the pulpit for my pet peeve topics - after all, I was 32 years old and knew everything. I climbed on my soap box one Sunday morning and railed about the sin of divorce. I whined. Then I saw my Uncle in the congregation. It was the first time he had been to church in decades. He came because he respected me. Loved me. Uncle Dick was a university professor of mathematics, bright, brainy, liberal, an agnostic with his words, and a Christian in his heart (I believed, though my mom feared for his soul). I saw his face. Calm, non-judgmental, thoughtful. Everything I wasn't. I stopped whining in the pulpit from that day on. I realized that I was dumping on God's people my own gunny sack of personal denial about my own difficult and painful stage of married life. I figured that if everyone "just kept the rules" in the Bible, all would be well. I discovered that "rules" aren't the easy answer I thought. I needed the wonder of grace.
My grace was the discovery of Job, psalms of lament, Jeremiah and others who railed and whined at God in prayer. Somehow whining to God in prayer puts "whining" in perspective. Instead of acting like neighbor's baying dog, my whines get lost in eternity's Spirit wind. My whines bounce off God's faithful promises and abundance returning to me as sharp arrows reminding me that I am but a "flower that droops under the afternoon sun".
So, maybe Senator Gramm and Oprah are both right. Maybe I need to "whine" a bit more in lamenting prayers to God about our world economy, poverty, consumerism, racism, pollution, my wanting more "stuff". Maybe we need to whine to God about what we don't like about the church and in so doing discover the "logs" in our own eyes. Maybe if I whine to God about the recalcitrant, difficult leader in my congregation, I'll discover my own complicity.
We all know whiners. Present company excepted of course. Apparently there were no whiners before 1530 when the word first appears in language, according to "Etymology.com." The word evolved from "hwinsian 'to whine' (of dogs). The dictionary states that "whining" can also mean a high shrill nasal sound. Are you old enough to remember the SNL skit, "The Whiners"? The Whiner Family parodied American complaining with high nasal pitched "whines". Kids do it. Adults don't, of course.
I whined in a sermon once. Once. I kept a soapbox in the pulpit for my pet peeve topics - after all, I was 32 years old and knew everything. I climbed on my soap box one Sunday morning and railed about the sin of divorce. I whined. Then I saw my Uncle in the congregation. It was the first time he had been to church in decades. He came because he respected me. Loved me. Uncle Dick was a university professor of mathematics, bright, brainy, liberal, an agnostic with his words, and a Christian in his heart (I believed, though my mom feared for his soul). I saw his face. Calm, non-judgmental, thoughtful. Everything I wasn't. I stopped whining in the pulpit from that day on. I realized that I was dumping on God's people my own gunny sack of personal denial about my own difficult and painful stage of married life. I figured that if everyone "just kept the rules" in the Bible, all would be well. I discovered that "rules" aren't the easy answer I thought. I needed the wonder of grace.
My grace was the discovery of Job, psalms of lament, Jeremiah and others who railed and whined at God in prayer. Somehow whining to God in prayer puts "whining" in perspective. Instead of acting like neighbor's baying dog, my whines get lost in eternity's Spirit wind. My whines bounce off God's faithful promises and abundance returning to me as sharp arrows reminding me that I am but a "flower that droops under the afternoon sun".
So, maybe Senator Gramm and Oprah are both right. Maybe I need to "whine" a bit more in lamenting prayers to God about our world economy, poverty, consumerism, racism, pollution, my wanting more "stuff". Maybe we need to whine to God about what we don't like about the church and in so doing discover the "logs" in our own eyes. Maybe if I whine to God about the recalcitrant, difficult leader in my congregation, I'll discover my own complicity.
Whining is my way of expressing that I want to be God, to recreate my world, spouse, child, pastor, the PCUSA, my neighbor, in my image so I can be comfortable. Hmmm.. so maybe "lamentful" whining is a form of confession of sin, forgiveness, and the dawning of new hope?
In Everlasting Hope,
Bob Anderson
In Everlasting Hope,
Bob Anderson
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