Many thanks to Randy, Wendy, Lucianne and her staff, and the various people who conspired behind the scenes to make this incredible event possible, Each and every one of you demonstrate what it looks like to be Love on Feet.

I want to express my profound gratitude, appreciation, and utter amazement at being asked to speak before this rather stellar group of people, for whom I have such high regard. I have gotten to know some of you via e-mail on a much deeper level than we can do in a 200 word post in a non-chatting environment. Some of you have credentials and experiences of which I stand in awe. Thus I feel profoundly humble to be standing here addressing you. The words I say might have a little bit of "preaching to the choir" about them, but that is your fault: By the lessons I have learned from you, I have become increasingly appreciative of the robust-yet-delicate blessing of Lucianne's salon. Insofar as I can, I want to protect, nourish, defend and encourage the growth of this august body. And sometimes that consists of just a reminder of some of the basics; naming some things that are true.

Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story (srvd 1811-1845) was one of the United States' most influential justices. His 1833 Commentaries on the Constitution, remains an influential treatise on constitutional law.  About this business of reminding ourselves and our children he says. . .

"Let the American youth never forget, that they possess a noble inheritance, bought by the toils, and sufferings, and blood of their ancestors; and capacity, if wisely improved, and faithfully guarded, of transmitting to their latest posterity all the substantial blessings of life, the peaceful enjoyment of liberty, property, religion, and independence."

And this from -- John Adams (Diary, 2 June 1778) "The foundation of national morality must be laid in private families. . . . How is it possible that Children can have any just Sense of the sacred Obligations of Morality or Religion if, from their earliest Infancy, they learn their Mothers live in habitual Infidelity to their fathers, and their fathers in as constant Infidelity to their Mothers?"

-- John Adams (letter to Zabdiel Adams, 21 June 1776) "Statesmen my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand....The only foundation of a free Constitution, is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People, in a greater Measure, than they have it now, They may change their Rulers, and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty." (WOW!! How pertinent for today!!)

Who are we, and why are we here?

Today I want to talk about a topic that is, as evidenced by your being seated here, dear to each of us, although we might not consciously think of it often or in detail. The topic is fellowship. I want to talk of three specific aspects of fellowship, give an application point, and then a summary. The three specific aspects are:
1) We were made for it:
2) It is vital
3) Without it we suffer-

1) We were made for it: as a seminary student and chaplain in training at the VA Hospital I have theological and psychological underpinnings for making this statement, as well as some empirical observations to support it. Theologically speaking the Judeo-Christian Scriptures describe a God in three persons in eternal community; Father, Son, Holy Spirit; with us being made in His image and likeness. If He is in eternal community with the three persons which constitute Himself, it logically flows that he wants us in eternal community; with each other and with Himself. Psychologically speaking all one has to do is observe the primary recommendation of almost every practicing psychologist, psychiatrist, family doctor, and treatment center: they urge their patients to enter into some sort of a recovery community based on affiliation of commonality of affliction (Cancer, heart-attack, loss of a child or spouse, alcoholism, etc) Almost all of those are founded on the principle of intentional community; an empathic fellowship of like-minded people. In the 12-step groups, the first tradition is, "our common welfare comes first; personal recovery depends upon group unity." This does not mean that our individual uniqueness’s are ignored or glossed over. But, in fact, in those communities one of the first things the newcomer is urged to do is to "look for the similarities, not the differences." Differences are good for distinction and for setting apart. Paradoxically, they are also useful for enhancing and promoting the body as an integral entity. The similarities are for cohesion and bringing/binding together. Both are mandatory for a full, successful, happy, fruitful life. Focusing on one to the exclusion of the other brings cultism on one extreme or discord, disharmony, and chaos on the other. (Acronym for chaos "can't have anybody over syndrome.")

2) It is vital -- in the original sense of the term, meaning it gives life; the French gave us the phrase esprit de corps: The spirit of the body or group. In early Americana we used the phrase "kindred spirits." In the Marine Corps, my tradition, the phrase Semper Fi resonates throughout the ages. It is shorthand for the Latin phrase Semper Fidelis which means always faithful: to God, to country, and to the Corps. It is a dedicated commitment to community cohesion. We do not leave our wounded on the battlefield. In peacetime and war we sponsor and actively develop programs such as toys for tots in order to enhance the well-being of our larger communities. You don’t have to explain that community is vital to any successful sports team. Their coach has hammered into them the idea that there is no such thing as a prima donna. The only recipe for success is teamwork. Teamwork. Teamwork.

3) Without Fellowship we suffer- There’s no such thing as a Lone Ranger. Even the Lone Ranger had a horse and a companion, and the companion had his own horse. Benjamin Franklin said “gentleman we must hang together or we shall certainly all hang separately.” Have you ever seen anyone hanging? It is the ultimate picture of isolation, despair, and dis-fellowship. I have seen two such instances in my life: the first was my second ex-wife, a very accomplished mid-level manager, gardener, and artist. The second was a very talented and promising 20-year-old son of a close friend. Each one of them chose to hang themselves in their garages, where they would be certain to be seen when their families came home. The subtext of their notes was their lack of feeling they were a part of any group, I can’t tell you how many patients I have seen as a chaplain, patients whose primary, award-winning, self-justifying phrase to support and defend their isolation is, “but you don’t understand – I’m all alone; I’m different.” (“Leav e me alone; I’m lonely”) Yes, we are all different, because God is not running a Xerox machine. We are each wonderfully gifted in many different and varied ways. But unless we’re using those unique attributes in cohesive and creative interdependence with each other, to support a common platform, a common goal, we will wind up isolated, alone, and useless.

The most fundamental building-block of any fellowship or society, especially the one in which we live, is the nuclear family. The family has been under intentional assault since Jean-Jacques Rousseau, grandfather of Socialism, serially ripped his four children from the breast of his mistress and laid them on the stoop of the state-run foundling home (he repented of this in his old age. . . when he was alone and without support; selfish to the bitter end). In our era the assault on children and families continues from the Left, with rampant abortions, state laws regarding child-care, and indoctrination in state-run schools. They are taking our children from us, with our consent, and destroying the very fabric of our fellowship; our society.

Having spoken about three distinct aspects of fellowship, I want to bring this all together in a conclusion. But first I want to tell you a little story. This one happens to be true. On the night of Monday, April 28, when Randy and I agreed that I would do this talk, I was serving in a divorce recovery Ministry which has been in business for 26 years, providing many wonderful stories of healed and restored relationships. Some of the graduates came back that Monday night to share some of the lessons they had learned in the group, and how those lessons had fueled their new growth as individuals and as members in their communities. The common thread was, you guessed it, community; small-group accountability and transparency. “Coincidentally,” just the day before that, I had had a rather in-depth conversation with my 18-year-old granddaughter who is going off to UC Santa Barbara next year. She described the three small groups she is in as a senior in high school; Drama club (President), photography club, and yearbook, where she is an editor. Many of her friends fit into at least one of those groups and some are in all of the groups. Thus the youngsters have plenty of accountability to each other across groups. They talk openly and honestly about their home lives, the struggles they are going through, and the problems they have with each other. I predict with that kind of fellowship-foundation they will each go far.

In conclusion I ask, what is our fellowship? I submit that we are a geographically, ethnically, vocationally, sexually, and educationally diverse fellowship of men and women who, for the most part—but certainly not all!!!-- honor God as defined by Judeo-Christian Scripture. We cherish the idea of a country built by His Grace, and where those Scriptures were considered part of the foundation; a foundation of law; a law extolling, defending, and supporting individual personal freedom. The same law for each and every person -- unlike any other country on the face of this planet! Most of us would like to conserve what our forefathers laid down before us, and sacrificed their very lives and fortunes to secure; "one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all." Which is why we call ourselves conservatives.

Yes, we have differences within our ranks but we must first focus upon that which unifies us-- the similarities--and build a solid foundation upon those, before we go adding on, or quarreling about, our differences. The overwhelming majority of us, though certainly not all of us, support the war in Iraq. Most of us, at least in theory, want smaller government, with some exceptions in the cases of certain people who have grown accustomed to their subsidies. Most of us firmly believe that the Second Amendment protects the First Amendment. And vice versa. Some are a bit timid about that. All seem to be against the Kelo decision and the recent Guantanamo decision. Some fear violations of the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 10th amendments in the case of the FLDS church vs the Texas CPS. Others are not so worried, but hold their fears for the children paramount. There is one similarity upon which we must certainly all agree: the moment this nation ceases being the home of the brave is the day that it will cease being the land of the free. And vice-versa. God Bless the troops, and their Commander-in-Chief! God Bless those who actively fight to protect our Second Amendment rights! And God Bless America!

(if time)
The picture of cohesion
Michelangelo and statue