This was a sermon for the Easter season written and delivered by David A. Brigham (my father) sometime between 2000-2002.
BEHOLD YOUR SON
David A. Brigham
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdelene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, 'Dear woman, here is your son,' and to the disciple, 'Here is your mother.' From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
"Mom, can I go out and play now?"
"No, Jesus, you promised me you'd do your school work before you went outside."
"Mom, Mom, can I have a piece of fruit?"
"No, Jesus, that fruit is for our dinner and besides, you promised you'd sweep your Father's workshop before dinner."
It's not easy to imagine those types of real life scenes playing out in the life of Jesus and his mother. Did you ever stop to think about Jesus the Christ having those kinds of talks with "Mom"? Isn't it hard to picture the real Jesus as a child, as a teenager? Isn't it hard to see Him in real life episodes,in family settings, in conflict and uncertainty? Isn't it hard to think about the daily dialogue he had with his mother and father, his siblings, his friends?
After all, this is the Savior, the Messiah, the Son of God!
But the essence of our faith is that God gave his Son to this life for us--subjecting Him to the real world, and all its relationships, all its reality, all its ups and downs, all its pain.
The story of Jesus begins with his mother. Through Mary, the mother, we come to understand Jesus--the loving child, the dedicated son. The gospel story finds the real life Mary, not a story book figure, there for her Son, from childbirth in a stable, to death on a cross, and the incredible joy of resurrection. Loving always, faithful always--Mary was there, always.
Not every mother and son relationship is perfect. Some are failures. Occasionally we hear of a mother who abandons or mistreats a child, or cares little for her children. But this is rare. A mother's love is, generally, an extraordinary thing--and there is undoubtedly as special bond between mother and son.
I have always been very close to my own Mother. But I never understood the powerful bond of Mother and Son so clearly until I hear my own Dad's last words to me as he prepared for death's passage. Those last words: "Take care of Mom."
I was prepared to do that anyway. After all my Mother and I were close; I was the oldest living child; and I was her neighbor. But, at that moment, my obligation to her become so real, so personal, so spiritual. The Father passed the care of the Mother to the Son. "Take care of Mom."
Mary, the loving Mother, supported her Son throughout his life, and suffered unmercifully at his death. We can hardly imaging the physical pain of the crucifixion. Equally, there is no way to know the pain of heart which Mary felt as she stood at the foot of the cross and saw her Son.
Jesus, the loving Son, felt the special bond between Mother and Son, never waivered in his respect and compassion for Mary, and reached out to her at his death, seeking to make sure that she was cared for emotionally and materially. He gave her care over to others and acknowledged her special place in the history of the Christian faith.
This was Mary, the mother of God's Son. What an exalted title! This was Mary, the loving mother of Jesus. What an exalted role! "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear... Blessed is she who has believed what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
There is no doubt that Mary was a tower of strength for all around her. There is no doubt that she knew exactly the role that Jesus would have to fulfill. There is no doubt that she loved him as deeply as any mother could ever love a son, and more.
Washington Irving captured Mary and all who would be like her when he wrote, "There is an enduring tenderness in the love of a mother to a son that transcends all other affection of the heart! It is neither to be chilled by selfishness, nor daunted by danger, nor weakened by worthlessness, nor stifled by ingratitude. She will sacrifice every comfort to his convenience; she will surrender every pleasure to his enjoyment, she will glory in his fame, and exult in his prosperity--and if misfortune overtake him, he will be the dearer to her from misfortune...and if all the world beside cast him off, she will be all the world to him."
Equally, while Jesus would preach the importance of putting God's work above even our family, no son ever loved a mother more than he loved Mary. She was a constant in his life. She was there for him. He was there for her.
The words at the cross are so few. We are left trying to imagine what it was all really like, to sense the overwhelming tragedy, to wonder how it could possibly be. In Jesus' few words, though, he speaks volumes.
As Mary stands at the foot of the cross looking up at her son, I think she is saying this: "Jesus, my Son, I love you dearly. I cannot bear to see you suffer like this. If I could, I would take your place right now. I have loved you since the moment God place you in my womb. I have understood my special role and responsibility. I know you are the Messiah. I can't understand why all this is happening. My heart is breaking. But I will never stop loving you."
Jesus hangs on the nails that pierce his hands. He can hardly speak, but he looks down and sees his mother. I believe he is saying to all of us: "My beloved friends, no matter what happens, we must love each other and take care of each other. I'm sorry you have to see me in such pain, an sorry this all has to happen this way. But it does! I ask you to look after my mother. I ask all of you to help your mothers and fathers and friends, to have special care for the elderly and the infirm, to reach out and lend a hand, to feed others spiritually and physically. I love you."
Jesus left us a sermon, a hundred sermons, a thousand sermons, in just a few words.
On Calvary, Jesus gave his mother over to the care of his friends, and gave all people in need over to the care of others. Her strength and her example help us to come to God, just as God came to us through her.
Notwithstanding the torture and pain, there is time and ability to take care of things that matter, to tie up the loose ends, to look after others, to pour out a heart, to show unending love...
"Take care of Mom."
April 4, 2010
January 15, 2010
Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery
My father, David Arthur Brigham, is buried in Flintstone, Maryland, in the Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery just down the road from Rocky Gap State Park. He died seven years ago today at Glyndon in Ashton, Maryland, at the age of fifty-nine after a prolonged battle with metastatic prostate cancer.
January 13, 2010
October/November 1971
Some wag has said, "For God so loved the world that He did not send a committee." Another has dealth with the peculiar construction of the camel and expressed the conviction this was a horse designed by a committee.
The great American game has become service on committees. If we want something lost in the shuffle, buried and forgotten, with only a little backwash, we turn it over to a committee. If we want others to share responsibility in the decision or a criticism, we spread the base by assigning a committee to take the matter under advisement.
Conversely, we can focus the best talent and dedication on a worthy objective by carefully selecting those who will relate to all the angles and come in with the answer.
Don't frighten and frustrate yourself by thinking out the number of hours in each month you spend on committees, sub-committees, and committee related activities. When someone calls or taps you on the shoulder and says, "Will you serve on the committee to...," is the your mouth always set to say YES?
Is you family proud of your committee involvement? Do they ever see you at home? Are they just as glad it is this way? Or, are they constantly upset and nagging because you are never home.
There is always a reason for dealing with a subject. The trigger which fired this shot was a mention of the hours and hours given by individuals serving as committee members in the interest of the League of Federal Recreation Associations, all 62 of the agency members, and the 150,000 individual federal employees who are known as participants.
Committee members are always subject to the judgement of those who do not like the conclusions, wish they had been asked to serve, or who know they could have done a better job. So, who can you please and why do you agree to serve? Probably it's because you care, you have pride, and you know that someone must do or nothing is done.
Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, "A man should share the action and passion of his times at the peril of being judged not to have lived." Each generation has an obligation to make whatever sacrifices are necessary to preserve the great privileges which were given us.
We now know that a Constitution to be followed must first be written, a Prayer to be answered must be given, and to be gained Membership must first be sought.
Now you have the inspiration and you are ready to reach out for your challenge and opportunity. You want to serve on a committee.
Fine, we have just the spot for you. To be successful as a committee member, you must be a man of vision and ambition: a diplomat, after-dinner speaker, after-dinner guzzler and a night-owl.
You must continue to work all day, take phone calls all night, and be on the job next morning early.
Oh yes, you must be able to please all organizations and auxiliaries. You must be both a Democrat and a Republican, be a man's man and a ladies man, a model husband and father, a devoted son-in-law, a good provider, psychiatrist, manager, and magician.
You must attend all meetings, tournaments, union sessions, funerals and visit jails, hospitals and credit unions. In you spare time you will be expected to review the constitution, by-laws and organizations structure of LFRA.
When you have related to your committee assignment, given it the best you have, there will be those whose soft tones will credit you with sincerity of purpose. Your loyalty will be cited and friends will recognize that some pretty ordinary persons have become very substantial leaders because you had the uncanny ability to get teamwork out of the group.
But you are not unique. There have been many committeemen. Historically, each one has been caught up in the ageless pattern of freedom, which is always revolutionary. Freedom is always alive, marching on many fronts... The ferment of freedom never ends.
David L. Brigham
Committeeman Extraordinary
The great American game has become service on committees. If we want something lost in the shuffle, buried and forgotten, with only a little backwash, we turn it over to a committee. If we want others to share responsibility in the decision or a criticism, we spread the base by assigning a committee to take the matter under advisement.
Conversely, we can focus the best talent and dedication on a worthy objective by carefully selecting those who will relate to all the angles and come in with the answer.
Don't frighten and frustrate yourself by thinking out the number of hours in each month you spend on committees, sub-committees, and committee related activities. When someone calls or taps you on the shoulder and says, "Will you serve on the committee to...," is the your mouth always set to say YES?
Is you family proud of your committee involvement? Do they ever see you at home? Are they just as glad it is this way? Or, are they constantly upset and nagging because you are never home.
There is always a reason for dealing with a subject. The trigger which fired this shot was a mention of the hours and hours given by individuals serving as committee members in the interest of the League of Federal Recreation Associations, all 62 of the agency members, and the 150,000 individual federal employees who are known as participants.
Committee members are always subject to the judgement of those who do not like the conclusions, wish they had been asked to serve, or who know they could have done a better job. So, who can you please and why do you agree to serve? Probably it's because you care, you have pride, and you know that someone must do or nothing is done.
Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, "A man should share the action and passion of his times at the peril of being judged not to have lived." Each generation has an obligation to make whatever sacrifices are necessary to preserve the great privileges which were given us.
We now know that a Constitution to be followed must first be written, a Prayer to be answered must be given, and to be gained Membership must first be sought.
Now you have the inspiration and you are ready to reach out for your challenge and opportunity. You want to serve on a committee.
Fine, we have just the spot for you. To be successful as a committee member, you must be a man of vision and ambition: a diplomat, after-dinner speaker, after-dinner guzzler and a night-owl.
You must continue to work all day, take phone calls all night, and be on the job next morning early.
Oh yes, you must be able to please all organizations and auxiliaries. You must be both a Democrat and a Republican, be a man's man and a ladies man, a model husband and father, a devoted son-in-law, a good provider, psychiatrist, manager, and magician.
You must attend all meetings, tournaments, union sessions, funerals and visit jails, hospitals and credit unions. In you spare time you will be expected to review the constitution, by-laws and organizations structure of LFRA.
When you have related to your committee assignment, given it the best you have, there will be those whose soft tones will credit you with sincerity of purpose. Your loyalty will be cited and friends will recognize that some pretty ordinary persons have become very substantial leaders because you had the uncanny ability to get teamwork out of the group.
But you are not unique. There have been many committeemen. Historically, each one has been caught up in the ageless pattern of freedom, which is always revolutionary. Freedom is always alive, marching on many fronts... The ferment of freedom never ends.
David L. Brigham
Committeeman Extraordinary
January 5, 2010
September 1971
The Water Witch was novel to some who reviewed this spot last month. It caught Jim's eye and he traced the Executive Witch to his den. If you don't believe in coincidence you can hop off right here.
It all began back in Iowa. A young Maryland lad had just gone to the tall corn State to do some broadcasting, some news reporting and some public relations. He wound up with the old AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Administration) and met Jim of the AP (Associated Press). Who could forget the battered felt hat, the crisp verbiage and the urgency of effort fostered by hungry days as a stringer and cub reporter. We related like a magnet and he was soon with USDA and AAA also.
Both boys moved from Iowa at the request of Uncle Sam. One found a home in Missouri and the other in Minnesota. They kept in close touch and crossed paths with some frequency. Then came the big events. Two baby girls arrived within days of each other. Both struggled for life and lost. The two families were drawn even closer together.
The surprise was a little understandable when the two wives compared notes. Yes, indeed they were. So within a few weeks of each other a couple of young men saw the light of day. They were worth waiting for! Within ten days of the even the Missouri Dad was heading for infantry service in World War II. Before leaving he called Jim to tell him of the "Greeting from the President."
You guessed it... Jim had just enlisted in the Seabees. Both wound up in the Pacific until it was over there. And who do you think made it home fro Christmas in 1945? Both did!
Next the Christmas card from Jim to Dave in 1946. Mine's due in April, when's yours? A hurry up reply informed Jim the other arrival had been scheduled for May. And so the two girls began their almost joint journey.
No one would expect you to believe there was a girl apiece the following summer. There were other similarities like the wives being sick at the same time and the work changes which sent both to the Washington area a few days apart. Then, as the years and activities have a way of doing such relationships in, the two families lost contact.
There was a call last week. Jim wanted to speak to Dave. He had read a column in a thing called the Recreation Register. It was about a witch or something. Was this the same Dave? Well... Well, if it is... Well, Jim, how old is your Grandson? Well, how did you know I only had one grandchild and it is a boy? Well, that's easy. I have a grandson myself and my oldest daughter is the Mother... Same with you I'm sure? Exactly the same!
It was country talk about finding water and digging a well that brought us back together. We began our renewed visit with well... And when he asked something about LFRA and my interest in the future of this association of and for federal employees, it was easy to use the same thought collecting delay, well...
I had to begin with the deep well of despair some of us have battled hard to overcome. There was the shortage of interest, the limited funding and the primary responsibility of willing horses to their own agency associations rather than to an overall League.
It made you feel like the frog in the bottom of the well who thought the entire world was the patch of sky he could see when he looked up. We didn't get the full view and begin to realize the potential until we looked over the top edge of the well.
Then, there was a the bucket of cream lowered par way down into the well to keep cool. Two frogs fell in. One pushed the panic button, folded up and sank to the bottom. The other kicked, scrambled and struggled. He churned the cream, created a pat of butter, hopped upon it, gave a great leap from this floating perch and escaped the well.
Is there any word we use more? This is the most convenient and versatile of the four-letter words. How do we begin when the boss says, "Why haven't you...?" Perhaps the wife would like to know what kept you at the office? Or, the preacher why you missed services? What's the reason payment is a little slow this month? Did you get a check-up? There's a problem with your kid and we'd like to know... The first thing to come to mind as we stall for the answer to meet the situation is WELL... Well eh!
There was Jacob's Well..the Well of Bethlehem, Abraham, Issac and the "well of living water." There is the Artesian well form which water flows of its own pressure. Some are purported to go to the well once too often and find only disappointment.
There are tales of those who bought an interest in a dry well. Others invested in prospecting for a productive oil well. Some made it with a well and some lost it. There's been many sunk in or drawn from a well.
Well, how are you feeling? Well, I hope!
There are other "wells" like Fargo and Wellington and wellsweep, wellbeing, well meaning, welldoer, welldisposed, well born, and well head. The last supplies water to a spring or well and the flow begins the circuit.
Why dwell upon the well? Jim started it and I want to tell him why I pursued it. You see, even before we heard of each other, I found the right girl and gave her a ring. She ran through the big farm house to the back porch where her Dad was taking off his boots. The skinny college lad followed...at a most reasonable distance.
"Look Daddy, look!" I guess he saw the little diamond. The response drifted back into the kitchen, "My Lord child, that boy's not dry behind the ears yet!"
Then you know who came on the scene and gulped..."Well...Sir...ah...eh...mmmm...."
And the 230 pound, six foot plus recognition followed:
"WELL...That's a deep subject when you get to the bottom of it."
David L. Brigham
Executive Director
It all began back in Iowa. A young Maryland lad had just gone to the tall corn State to do some broadcasting, some news reporting and some public relations. He wound up with the old AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Administration) and met Jim of the AP (Associated Press). Who could forget the battered felt hat, the crisp verbiage and the urgency of effort fostered by hungry days as a stringer and cub reporter. We related like a magnet and he was soon with USDA and AAA also.
Both boys moved from Iowa at the request of Uncle Sam. One found a home in Missouri and the other in Minnesota. They kept in close touch and crossed paths with some frequency. Then came the big events. Two baby girls arrived within days of each other. Both struggled for life and lost. The two families were drawn even closer together.
The surprise was a little understandable when the two wives compared notes. Yes, indeed they were. So within a few weeks of each other a couple of young men saw the light of day. They were worth waiting for! Within ten days of the even the Missouri Dad was heading for infantry service in World War II. Before leaving he called Jim to tell him of the "Greeting from the President."
You guessed it... Jim had just enlisted in the Seabees. Both wound up in the Pacific until it was over there. And who do you think made it home fro Christmas in 1945? Both did!
Next the Christmas card from Jim to Dave in 1946. Mine's due in April, when's yours? A hurry up reply informed Jim the other arrival had been scheduled for May. And so the two girls began their almost joint journey.
No one would expect you to believe there was a girl apiece the following summer. There were other similarities like the wives being sick at the same time and the work changes which sent both to the Washington area a few days apart. Then, as the years and activities have a way of doing such relationships in, the two families lost contact.
There was a call last week. Jim wanted to speak to Dave. He had read a column in a thing called the Recreation Register. It was about a witch or something. Was this the same Dave? Well... Well, if it is... Well, Jim, how old is your Grandson? Well, how did you know I only had one grandchild and it is a boy? Well, that's easy. I have a grandson myself and my oldest daughter is the Mother... Same with you I'm sure? Exactly the same!
It was country talk about finding water and digging a well that brought us back together. We began our renewed visit with well... And when he asked something about LFRA and my interest in the future of this association of and for federal employees, it was easy to use the same thought collecting delay, well...
I had to begin with the deep well of despair some of us have battled hard to overcome. There was the shortage of interest, the limited funding and the primary responsibility of willing horses to their own agency associations rather than to an overall League.
It made you feel like the frog in the bottom of the well who thought the entire world was the patch of sky he could see when he looked up. We didn't get the full view and begin to realize the potential until we looked over the top edge of the well.
Then, there was a the bucket of cream lowered par way down into the well to keep cool. Two frogs fell in. One pushed the panic button, folded up and sank to the bottom. The other kicked, scrambled and struggled. He churned the cream, created a pat of butter, hopped upon it, gave a great leap from this floating perch and escaped the well.
Is there any word we use more? This is the most convenient and versatile of the four-letter words. How do we begin when the boss says, "Why haven't you...?" Perhaps the wife would like to know what kept you at the office? Or, the preacher why you missed services? What's the reason payment is a little slow this month? Did you get a check-up? There's a problem with your kid and we'd like to know... The first thing to come to mind as we stall for the answer to meet the situation is WELL... Well eh!
There was Jacob's Well..the Well of Bethlehem, Abraham, Issac and the "well of living water." There is the Artesian well form which water flows of its own pressure. Some are purported to go to the well once too often and find only disappointment.
There are tales of those who bought an interest in a dry well. Others invested in prospecting for a productive oil well. Some made it with a well and some lost it. There's been many sunk in or drawn from a well.
Well, how are you feeling? Well, I hope!
There are other "wells" like Fargo and Wellington and wellsweep, wellbeing, well meaning, welldoer, welldisposed, well born, and well head. The last supplies water to a spring or well and the flow begins the circuit.
Why dwell upon the well? Jim started it and I want to tell him why I pursued it. You see, even before we heard of each other, I found the right girl and gave her a ring. She ran through the big farm house to the back porch where her Dad was taking off his boots. The skinny college lad followed...at a most reasonable distance.
"Look Daddy, look!" I guess he saw the little diamond. The response drifted back into the kitchen, "My Lord child, that boy's not dry behind the ears yet!"
Then you know who came on the scene and gulped..."Well...Sir...ah...eh...mmmm...."
And the 230 pound, six foot plus recognition followed:
"WELL...That's a deep subject when you get to the bottom of it."
David L. Brigham
Executive Director
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