This was so fun—I found it on Sally's blog, Eternal Echoes. And readers, since you probably imagine I'm a theologian, these results assure you I also know Scripture well. And about that theologian piece, check out this one: I'm 99% Lutheran! This is most certainly true!
"Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!"
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Saturday, February 10, 2007
River on Fire!
River on Fire? Not the Cuyahoga, with its notorious history of a dozen or more detectable fires, and not the San Diego River's more recent fire. Not the River Charles, either. Although I'm telling my readers this blog isn't about those rivers, I'll still ask what makes rivers catch on fire? It seems as if I blog and talk about the sacraments almost incessantly, and yes, this is yet another sacrament blog!
In Scripture, "River" often is boundary, border or barrier, and for Israel, the Jordan was all three, just as the surging, life-bestowing waters of baptism form the boundary between life, death and our new lives in community and in full-time ministry, a border differentiating us from the not-yet-baptized and sometimes a barrier to others' understanding and perceptions of our lives in Christ. Maybe baptism needs to be a barrier to our participation in many of the world's most common ways? Parallel to the Exodus from Egypt, the event that formed the identity of God's primal people Israel, baptism is a mighty Act of God, but beyond the Exodus, Jürgen Moltmann describes baptism as "sign, witness, representation and illumination of the Christ Event." In addition, the witness of scripture reveals that baptism bestows the Holy Spirit, bringer of renewing, redeeming, reforming wind and fire, bringer of the Gifts of the Spirit the apostle Paul loves talking about.
That same Paul says we're baptized into Jesus' death and resurrection, marked with the sign of the cross and the sign of the empty tomb. But living in Christ means we constantly live with paradox, and paradoxically, the Christ Event is both finished and not yet completely fulfilled. I've written about the Eucharist as commemoration, realization and anticipation, and baptism can be described in the same way. In baptism, God names us anew; we share our new name in common with our sisters and brothers. Now we claim all the separations, distinctions and distractions that once were barriers as the boundary and border of our new life together, as baptism's waters carry us home, to a place, an attitude and a condition of safety and embrace, where "I" and "me" become we and us. Because we baptize within the context of the assembly, representing the whole People of God, theoretically we can find a home anywhere we find God's people, but that theory often doesn't play out in reality.
See, the dark night has come down on us,Of late I've been thinking so much about the fire of the Presence of God we find throughout scripture, and in our lives today. Pentecostal fire? On Advent 3 I challenged, "Today I'm asking you if the waters of baptism quench the Holy Spirit's Pentecostal fires? Think about it!" Tomorrow the choir (I get to accompany again) will sing, "You have put on Christ; in Christ you have been baptized! Alleluia, alleluia!" a festive round that's often and best sung with handbell accompaniment.
The world is living in its dream,
But now we know that we can wake up from this sleep,
And set out on the journey...
We'll take the road that leads down to the waterside...
We'll meet out on the water,
Where all strangers are known...
"The Ark," from Gerry Rafferty's City to City, (1978)
You have been baptized!
Feel that River on Fire!
That's the end of this blog for now! This is abrupt, but I'm behind in a ton of necessary stuff (though of course I make the excuse blogging prepares me for doing theology in non-blog contexts). Back to work...
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Celebrating Barbaro
Yesterday, January 29th, was a deep blue Monday as we found out that Barbaro had been euthanized. Not only sports and racing enthusiasts, but virtually everyone had been following the story of the brave colt, the full-hearted winner by close to seven lengths of the 2006 Kentucky Derby>, the 132nd Run for the Roses. For the past eight months Barbaro had experienced near-countless ups and downs while struggling fully to recover from the injury he sustained last May 20th at the start the Preakness, second of the Triple Crown races.
Like a lot of animal lovers, I'm ambivalent about many aspects of horse racing, though one of my great-grandfathers was a jockey and I've been known to attend live meets at Suffolk Downs when I lived in Massachusetts and more locally at Del Mar, mainly to see the horses. But this is a theology blog, and I'm blogging to say with what unassailable spirit, what invincible heart and what indomitable life Barbaro inspired us! Heart and life and spirit are attributes of Divinity, and without a doubt, a spark of the Divine indwelt this magnificent Barbaro.
And we have glimpsed the face of God, of the Divine in the compassion, care, love and willingness to suffer for the Beloved in Barbaro's owners, trainer, jockey, stable hands, veterinary team, and plain everyday fans as they wished and willed the very best for their Beloved, their champion winner-horse. Our glances of God frequently are fleeting and ephemeral, but this one will stay with me, for one, and probably with many more. Martin Luther was very correct when he insisted the Risen and Ascended Christ indwells all creation, so let us all Celebrate Barbaro, who now runs free—Celebrate Life!
Post-blog: I completely concur with the statement from Churchill Downs, which included words from Churchill Downs' President and CEO, Robert L. Evans:
We salute the Jacksons, Dr. Richardson and the entire staff at the New Bolton Center for the love, dedication and compassion they displayed in their long battle to nurse Barbaro back to health. It is our hope that the incredible effort to save Barbaro's life, and the lessons learned and discoveries made during that work, will lead to greater understanding and new treatments for ailments such as laminitis and major injuries to the leg and foot. It is our fondest hope that in years to come many other horses will benefit from the work performed at the New Bolton Center during Barbaro's fight to recover. That would be a wonderful addition to the legacy of a brilliant horse that was at his best on Kentucky Derby Day, when the entire world was watching him on racing's biggest and brightest stage.
A reflective obit from NPR, "Legendary Racehorse..."
Preakness Day in May 2007 at Pimlico also will feature the first running of the Barbaro Stakes—the Barbaro actually will be the Sir Barton Stakes renamed. Sir Barton was the first horse ever to win racing's Triple Crown of Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes—in 1919; the Sir Barton Stakes debuted at Pimlico in 1993.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
What is this Place?
About an hour ago I got back from the Evangelical Lutheran Worship – ELW – event. My North Park contingent split early, right after dinner and in fact, maybe an hour into the 7-hour long presentation I'd said to Maria, "This [presentation] is really terrible" and she agreed. I live about a 2-minute walk from the church that hosted us and the catered dinner was wonderful, so it amounted to nothing lost and a little gained.
Besides getting my very own copy of the book, which features a gracefully dynamic cross on its Reformation Red cover, I discovered at least one of the new to me hymns is a winner, #524, "What Is This Place." One of the presenters told us the song long has been popular in Mennonite and Brethren churches. The tune, from Nederlandtsch Gedenckclanck (1626) is Kömt nu met Zang, with Huub Oosterhuis' text translated by David Smith.
-
What is this place where we are meeting?
Only a house, the earth its floor.
Walls and a roof sheltering people,
windows for light, an open door.
Yet it becomes a body that lives when we are gathered here,
and know our God is near. -
Words from afar, stars that are falling,
sparks that are sown in us like seed:
names for our God, dreams, signs and wonders
sent from the past are all we need.
We in this place remember and speak again what we have heard:
God's free redeeming word. -
And we receive bread at this table,
broken and shared, a living sign.
Here in this world, dying and living,
we are each other's bread and wine.
This is the place where we can receive what we need to increase:
our justice and God's peace.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Friday 5: Countdown Edition
Today again I'm Friday Fiving on my theology blog, and here's today's challenge:
5. The pastor of my first "home church," who also was executive director of the neighborhood center connected and integrated with it. His hospitality to me, someone new to the church (because my grandmother had seen to it, I'd been baptized as a young child as fire insurance, but had no clue as to who Church was or what Church did), his social and political activism, his skill as spiritual director, his ecumenical spirit in a neighborhood mostly Roman Catholic...one of the times a group of us went on a weekend retreat and planned to pray the Canonical Hours (as well as observing periods of silence—aarrgghh!), I visited the discalced Franciscans who lived a few doors down from the church/agency complex to borrow the Office books. That American Baptist congregation was in the Free Church tradition, but sometimes we'd have Book of Common Prayer worship! This pastor advised one of my friends who enjoyed liturgy to check out Old North Church around the corner. He suggested I attend University Lutheran in Cambridge because of my emerging interest in theology. I could go on and on about that community; in fact I've mentioned it in my formal faith journey and in several blogs.
4. Michael Mountain, former director and one of the founders of Best Friends Animal Society (formerly "Sanctuary") in Kanab, Utah. When I lived in Salt Lake City I started donating to Best Friends, and among other things, I've seen the organization's magazine change from 2-color to a full-color glossy. I've visited BF only once, and for only one day, but the hospitality of the staff as they lunched with the guests reminded me of the way God calls the Church to be. And that I've far too rarely experienced in the church...
3. Walter Brueggemann. This name needs no introduction or much detail, since I know most folks in this group are very familiar with his writing. I've read many of his books, and many of them more than once. I've never met or heard WB in person, but I know he has influenced my work as an ecological theologian in countless ways. I also appreciate that in some ways he is more bible scholar than theologian, and I need to rely on people with that background and perspective.
2. How can I not mention Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? Even if his official day wasn't right on the horizon, this prophet and preacher to the world, this Renewer and Transformer of Society is one of my Big Five.
1. I'll conclude with someone from the bible (remember, no particular order), so I'll choose the author of the deutero-Pauline book of Colossians! I love the Cosmic Christ and the glorious image of a reconciled world. I also admire the way this author picked up on some of Paul's themes and began expanding and enlarging them.
PS Just now I noticed this was supposed to be only LIVING people! I'll keep this list, anyway.
Please count down five living people you admire and tell us a little something about why they make your list. These could be famous people or people you know personally.Here's my Five, not necessarily in any order.
5...4...3...2...1
5. The pastor of my first "home church," who also was executive director of the neighborhood center connected and integrated with it. His hospitality to me, someone new to the church (because my grandmother had seen to it, I'd been baptized as a young child as fire insurance, but had no clue as to who Church was or what Church did), his social and political activism, his skill as spiritual director, his ecumenical spirit in a neighborhood mostly Roman Catholic...one of the times a group of us went on a weekend retreat and planned to pray the Canonical Hours (as well as observing periods of silence—aarrgghh!), I visited the discalced Franciscans who lived a few doors down from the church/agency complex to borrow the Office books. That American Baptist congregation was in the Free Church tradition, but sometimes we'd have Book of Common Prayer worship! This pastor advised one of my friends who enjoyed liturgy to check out Old North Church around the corner. He suggested I attend University Lutheran in Cambridge because of my emerging interest in theology. I could go on and on about that community; in fact I've mentioned it in my formal faith journey and in several blogs.
4. Michael Mountain, former director and one of the founders of Best Friends Animal Society (formerly "Sanctuary") in Kanab, Utah. When I lived in Salt Lake City I started donating to Best Friends, and among other things, I've seen the organization's magazine change from 2-color to a full-color glossy. I've visited BF only once, and for only one day, but the hospitality of the staff as they lunched with the guests reminded me of the way God calls the Church to be. And that I've far too rarely experienced in the church...
3. Walter Brueggemann. This name needs no introduction or much detail, since I know most folks in this group are very familiar with his writing. I've read many of his books, and many of them more than once. I've never met or heard WB in person, but I know he has influenced my work as an ecological theologian in countless ways. I also appreciate that in some ways he is more bible scholar than theologian, and I need to rely on people with that background and perspective.
2. How can I not mention Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? Even if his official day wasn't right on the horizon, this prophet and preacher to the world, this Renewer and Transformer of Society is one of my Big Five.
1. I'll conclude with someone from the bible (remember, no particular order), so I'll choose the author of the deutero-Pauline book of Colossians! I love the Cosmic Christ and the glorious image of a reconciled world. I also admire the way this author picked up on some of Paul's themes and began expanding and enlarging them.
PS Just now I noticed this was supposed to be only LIVING people! I'll keep this list, anyway.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Christmas 2006 Blog
(...finally...)
Oh, I'd sort of been working through a few blog ideas for Christmas but ultimately gave up, so on this early New Year's Eve afternoon these three amazing texts win, rather than my own imaginings. Maybe you know Martin Luther loved the letter to Titus? All texts NRSV
Christmas Eve: Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
Christmas Dawn: Titus 3:4-7
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Christmas Day: Hebrews 1:1-4
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
A Very Blessed Nativity to All Creation!
Oh, I'd sort of been working through a few blog ideas for Christmas but ultimately gave up, so on this early New Year's Eve afternoon these three amazing texts win, rather than my own imaginings. Maybe you know Martin Luther loved the letter to Titus? All texts NRSV
Christmas Eve: Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.Christmas Dawn: Titus 3:4-7
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.Christmas Day: Hebrews 1:1-4
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Friday Five: Adventually
As this Fourth Sunday of Advent moves into Christmas Eve afternoon I'm posting playing Rev Gal Blog Pals Friday Five for Advent 2006. On that Friday either I wasn't quite on board or wasn't checking the site regularly, but I wanted to complete my own collection of Advent Friday Fives.
From Friday, 01 December 2006:
Here are five questions about Advent for this first of December:
1) Do you observe Advent in your church?
Yes, and during my years in the Church (meaning late teens into adulthood, since I didn't grow up in the church) I always have; the congregation where I first became involved was liberal American Baptist that was beginning to adventure into a somewhat liturgical lifestyle. One of the earliest recreational activities I attended there was an Advent Wreath (and Candle) workshop.
2) How about at home?
Yes, but not intensely or intently.
3) Do you have a favorite Advent text or hymn?
BOTH!!!!! The first lesson from Year B, Isaiah 64 (RCL, of course):
A pastor I served with always described pink as "a diminutive of purple"—the feminist in me dislikes almost anything "ette" or "ita" meaning smaller and less significant than the larger, but I'll draw on my mixed memories about serving that church, because my experience there convinced me to go to seminary. Okay, "The Mary Candle," or "Mary's Candle," one of the usual explanations, still has currency.
5) What's the funniest/kitschiest Advent calendar you've ever seen?
It's not especially funny or kitschy, but I like the one with orange cats I got a few years ago at the on-campus bookstore of one of the local churches.
From Friday, 01 December 2006:
Here are five questions about Advent for this first of December:
1) Do you observe Advent in your church?
Yes, and during my years in the Church (meaning late teens into adulthood, since I didn't grow up in the church) I always have; the congregation where I first became involved was liberal American Baptist that was beginning to adventure into a somewhat liturgical lifestyle. One of the earliest recreational activities I attended there was an Advent Wreath (and Candle) workshop.
2) How about at home?
Yes, but not intensely or intently.
3) Do you have a favorite Advent text or hymn?
BOTH!!!!! The first lesson from Year B, Isaiah 64 (RCL, of course):
1 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence—2 as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! 3 When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4 From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. 5 You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed. ...Lots of hymns, but for now I'll mention «Macht hoch die Tür»—"Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates." From Volume I, Erste Teil (of course, Christmas and Advent) of his Großes Orgelbuch I love Ernst Pepping's big organ version of the hymn with cantus in the pedal; the hymn is lots of fun to play on the organ accompanying congregational singing, though I haven't done so for a long, long time. By Georg Weissel; here's Catherine Winkworth's elegant translation:
1. Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates!4) Why is one of the candles in the Advent wreath pink? (You may tell the truth, but I'll like your answer better if it's funny.)
Behold, the King of Glory waits;
The King of kings is drawing near,
The Savior of the world is here.
Life and salvation He doth bring,
Wherefore rejoice and gladly sing:
We praise Thee, Father, now,
Creator, wise art Thou!
2. A Helper just He comes to thee,
His chariot is humility,
His kingly crown is holiness,
His scepter, pity in distress,
The end of all our woe He brings;
Wherefore the earth is glad and sings:
We praise Thee, Savior, now,
Mighty in deed art Thou!
3. O blest the land, the city blest,
Where Christ the Ruler is confessed!
O happy hearts and happy homes
To whom this King in triumph comes!
The cloudless Sun of joy He is,
Who bringeth pure delight and bliss.
We praise Thee, Spirit, now,
Our Comforter art Thou!
4. Fling wide the portals of your heart;
Make it a temple set apart
From earthly use for Heaven's employ,
Adorned with prayer and love and joy.
So shall your Sovereign enter in
And new and nobler life begin.
To Thee, O God, be praise
For word and deed and grace!
5. Redeemer, come! I open wide
My heart to Thee; here, Lord, abide!
Let me Thy inner presence feel,
Thy grace and love in me reveal;
Thy Holy Spirit guide us on
Until our glorious goal is won.
Eternal praise and fame
We offer to Thy name.
A pastor I served with always described pink as "a diminutive of purple"—the feminist in me dislikes almost anything "ette" or "ita" meaning smaller and less significant than the larger, but I'll draw on my mixed memories about serving that church, because my experience there convinced me to go to seminary. Okay, "The Mary Candle," or "Mary's Candle," one of the usual explanations, still has currency.
5) What's the funniest/kitschiest Advent calendar you've ever seen?
It's not especially funny or kitschy, but I like the one with orange cats I got a few years ago at the on-campus bookstore of one of the local churches.
Traveling to Tucson Again
Originally I had a reservation on Southwest for Wednesday evening, the TV pics from Lindbergh totally horrified me plus no way could I get packed and ready in time to leave to get to the airport three hours before flight time (and possibly still miss the flight), so I cancelled my SW rez and decided to go by dog – Greyhound – again. In the past I've traveled by dog at least once in each direction and found it relatively relaxing. In addition, this time I saved close to $60 by taking the low road rather than the high skies!
Here's my chronology:
Friday evening I arrived at the downtown San Diego Gr*yh**nd Station (notice that as a cat person, I'm using a convention of treating dog stuff as an *obsc*n*ty). Talk about security—none whatsoever! I'd made my reservation online and paid for it with a credit card. I gave the reservation # to the clerk, and asked if he needed the actual credit card or my ID, but he said no, although my ticket had my name all over it. So I sauntered to the line of folks waiting to board at gate 6.
As we traveled through the dark night, the blanket of stars in the sky was wondrous; for a long time we traveled alongside the Big Dipper:
I need to quote one of my favorite old-time groups, Spanky and Our Gang's
However, it wasn't any day for any picnic!
Midway through the journey, the border patrol (USBP) always storms on the bus, checks papers, asks country of citizenship, and this time they called very blonde and Anglo-appearing) "Melissa Thompson" off the bus regarding some concern, though she re-boarded and continued through to Tucson.
When I used to go to Tucson on Southwest's now-nonexistent late afternoon flight out of San Diego, flying into the Southwester sunset was a supreme treat, esp since Tucson is an astronomer's Dark Sky area. Yesterday's sunrise was pretty special though, bringing up memories of getting into Prescott AZ around the same time of day, also during the winter.
We left Phoenix a half-hour late, at 9:30, and on a Harrah's casino bus rather than Greyhound equipment! Funny, esp given my feelings about casinos.
# # #
Here's my chronology:
Friday evening I arrived at the downtown San Diego Gr*yh**nd Station (notice that as a cat person, I'm using a convention of treating dog stuff as an *obsc*n*ty). Talk about security—none whatsoever! I'd made my reservation online and paid for it with a credit card. I gave the reservation # to the clerk, and asked if he needed the actual credit card or my ID, but he said no, although my ticket had my name all over it. So I sauntered to the line of folks waiting to board at gate 6.
As we traveled through the dark night, the blanket of stars in the sky was wondrous; for a long time we traveled alongside the Big Dipper:
I need to quote one of my favorite old-time groups, Spanky and Our Gang's
Lazy Day
Blue sky, sunshine
What a day to take a walk in the park
Ice cream, daydream
Till the sky becomes a blanket of stars
What a day for a picnic
Daisies and lots of red balloons
And what a day for holdin' hands
And bein' with you
However, it wasn't any day for any picnic!
Midway through the journey, the border patrol (USBP) always storms on the bus, checks papers, asks country of citizenship, and this time they called very blonde and Anglo-appearing) "Melissa Thompson" off the bus regarding some concern, though she re-boarded and continued through to Tucson.
When I used to go to Tucson on Southwest's now-nonexistent late afternoon flight out of San Diego, flying into the Southwester sunset was a supreme treat, esp since Tucson is an astronomer's Dark Sky area. Yesterday's sunrise was pretty special though, bringing up memories of getting into Prescott AZ around the same time of day, also during the winter.
We left Phoenix a half-hour late, at 9:30, and on a Harrah's casino bus rather than Greyhound equipment! Funny, esp given my feelings about casinos.
# # #
Friday, December 22, 2006
Festive Foods Friday 5
Another Friday 5 meme from RevGalBlogPals.
Today's Festive Foods features a tamely serious selection of questions and answers.
1. Favorite cookie/candy/baked good without which, it's just not Christmas.
In general I'm not into sweets, though I do enjoy pie (sometimes I tell people I like my fruit inside a crust with ice cream on top); having said that, Richard's mince pie comes closest—he trained as a pastry chef in Germany and his crust is even better than my Midwestern grandmother's!
2. Do you do a fancy dinner on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, both, or neither? (Optional: with whom will you gather around the table this year?)
These days, neither—I'm not formally serving a church and I don't have family in town, so for the past few years I've celebrated Christmas in Tucson, where we'll be having traditional turkey, etc. I'm anticipating a dozen or more of us will gather around the table.
3. Evaluate one or more of the holiday beverage trifecta: hot chocolate, wassail, egg nog.
Not so much into eating the candy canes as into using them to decorate, so any flavor or color works for me, though you need to have at least a few traditional red-and-white striped.
5. Have you ever actually had figgy pudding? And is it really so good that people will refuse to leave until they are served it?
Yes, many times I've had it served with hard sauce, which I don't like, but I love FP with lemon sauce, which I'm willing to make myself.
Is it really all that wonderful?
I've never experienced anyone refusing to leave before being served FP, but don't most legends develop out of fact?
An additional note from moi: since I wasn't on board for the Advent Friday Five, I'm planning to answer it anyway at some point (maybe not until after Christmas) in order to make a quadrivium.
Today's Festive Foods features a tamely serious selection of questions and answers.
1. Favorite cookie/candy/baked good without which, it's just not Christmas.
In general I'm not into sweets, though I do enjoy pie (sometimes I tell people I like my fruit inside a crust with ice cream on top); having said that, Richard's mince pie comes closest—he trained as a pastry chef in Germany and his crust is even better than my Midwestern grandmother's!
2. Do you do a fancy dinner on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, both, or neither? (Optional: with whom will you gather around the table this year?)
These days, neither—I'm not formally serving a church and I don't have family in town, so for the past few years I've celebrated Christmas in Tucson, where we'll be having traditional turkey, etc. I'm anticipating a dozen or more of us will gather around the table.
3. Evaluate one or more of the holiday beverage trifecta: hot chocolate, wassail, egg nog.
- Hot Chocolate: I've sworn off both HC (not Holy Communion, though) and its analog, Hot Cocoa, due to memories of waking up the morning after the evening before with a migraine.
- Wassail: to my knowledge I've never had it.
- Eggnog: Yes, yes, amen! Ideally the real thing, homemade, but with only vanilla flavoring—no rum and no rum flavoring, either.
- Glögg or Glugg: great memories! I discovered it when I was musician for a Lutheran congregation of Swedish origins. The senior pastor gave everyone on staff bottles of glögg plus a portion of the fruits that'd been soaked in the spirits.
Not so much into eating the candy canes as into using them to decorate, so any flavor or color works for me, though you need to have at least a few traditional red-and-white striped.
5. Have you ever actually had figgy pudding? And is it really so good that people will refuse to leave until they are served it?
Yes, many times I've had it served with hard sauce, which I don't like, but I love FP with lemon sauce, which I'm willing to make myself.
Is it really all that wonderful?
I've never experienced anyone refusing to leave before being served FP, but don't most legends develop out of fact?
Edited to add: Well, I am APPALLED with myself that I forgot to include a question about the crown prince of holiday foods—the fruitcake. Feel free to add your thoughts on this most polarizing holiday confection.It's been years since I've had any fruitcake, but I do like the kind that's mostly cake batter - either light or dark - with just a few fruits. I detest the kind loaded with fruit.
An additional note from moi: since I wasn't on board for the Advent Friday Five, I'm planning to answer it anyway at some point (maybe not until after Christmas) in order to make a quadrivium.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Advent 3: Holy in our Midst
Zephaniah 3:14-20 | Isaiah 12:2-6 | Philippians 4:4-7 | Luke 3:7-18
Holy in our Midst
Prayer:
God of all creation, as again we anticipate your Holy Presence among us not only in the Bethlehem manger but also in our neighbor next door, the homeless family in the park, the clerk at the convenience store and the conflict across the world, may we bring to all of these the joy of the Bethlehem baby; in the name of the Bringer of hope and Author of peace, amen!
May grace, peace and joy be multiplied to you, from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ!
It is an immense joy for me to be here worshiping with you once more. In some ways it seems only last week that we were together, but in reality it was late last winter during another of the church's typically more somber seasons, the season of Lent. The popular view of Advent sees it as solemn and reserved, but during the past couple decades the liturgical color for Advent has switched from purple, both a penitential color and a royal one, to blue, the color of hope. Every one of the lectionary texts today talks about joy—in fact, historically this third Sunday in Advent has been called Gaudete, after the entrance antiphon telling us to "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice!" Because "The Lord is near."
I'd like to read from several of the lections—first, from Zephaniah, one of the Book of the Twelve found in the Hebrew Bible. Likely you know Zephaniah is one of those prophets sometimes called "minor," but only because we don't have extensive material from them—their words to us are anything but unimportant!
And you know Paul's own joy in the churches he knew and visited:
This time Luke's lectionary year again is upon us, but I'm too aware of something else, and that's my own need to halt all the compulsive, restless activity on the inside and out, at least for a while, and to take in the gracious gifts around me so I can be filled by receiving and become ready to be a gift-giver again. Recently in more than one conversation, I've mentioned wanting to make the soon-upon-us winter a time of near-hibernation, and on a basic level I feel far too depleted to risk much giving or much reaching out.
Give gifts? That was for 2003; for this Third Advent Sunday of 2006 let's try "receive a gift" or "receive gifts."
Here's more from Luke's account of John the Baptist by the riverside:
Many non-church people know something about baptism as a kind of religious ritual; in fact, many who don't regularly attend worship have had their own babies baptized or blessed or dedicated, due to pressure or strong suggestions from relatives, nostalgia or whatever. John the Baptist tells us the Coming One will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire, which sounds like anything but a perfunctory social ritual! In the same sentence we hear about the wind of the Spirit and fire: around these parts we know a lot about winds that stir embers into flames that in turn generate their own breezes and currents. John baptized with water and we still baptize with water. Today I'm asking you if the waters of baptism quench the Holy Spirit's pentecostal fires? Think about it!
On its first Pentecost, the Church first received the Fire and Spirit promised by John; that Day of Pentecost we read about in the book of Acts was the same day the synagogue commemorated and celebrated Moses' receiving the Ten Commandments, the Sinai Covenant with visible signs of fire and smoke.
Spirit and fire both are able to insinuate their way into the tightest spaces – even into our own too-often resistant bodies, minds and spirits. But then the Fire and Spirit of Life radiates outward from us, again making its way into other tight, cold spaces and places. The Fire and Spirit of Pentecost that inspired the nascent Church still longs to in-Breathe, to in-Spire us, the Church of the 21st Century. This Pentecostal Spirit still is able to Breathe new life and inspiration into us!
Give a gift? Give gifts? Yes, of course, just as in any other year, let us give gifts, and particularly to our nearby neighbors let us especially give the gift of gracious, un-condemning presence showing them that we, the People of God, do not consider ourselves "holier than they are," showing them we are an inclusive rather than an exclusive community, reborn of water and fire – yes! - yet reborn into the biography of the Bethlehem baby, Jesus, Who baptizes with Spirit and with Fire, bringing hope and new life to all the world. We're moving up to the Feast of the Nativity, Christmas Day; one week from today will be the Fourth Sunday of Advent in the morning and Christmas Eve in the evening. For just a word in anticipation of the coming observances of Lent and Easter, being acquainted with the paradox of the God Who fills heaven and earth starting life among us in the winsomeness, the inevitable powerlessness and other finite limitations of a human baby helps prepare us to recognize the scandal of a crucified God on Calvary's cross.
Be givers of gifts? First, before we can be gifts or give gifts to another, we need to receive the astonishing gift of God's amazing unconditional gracious love that both blazes and insinuates its way into the world and into our lives in Spirit and in Fire, re-creating, re-forming and re-filling each of us so we can become the joy-filled Presence of the Holy in our communities and in our churches and families, bringing the same hope the Bethlehem Babe brings to us, so like Jesus of Nazareth, we can be givers of gifts. May we become and may we be bringers of hope carrying the Spirit and Fire of new life to others—
Amen
Holy in our Midst
Prayer:
God of all creation, as again we anticipate your Holy Presence among us not only in the Bethlehem manger but also in our neighbor next door, the homeless family in the park, the clerk at the convenience store and the conflict across the world, may we bring to all of these the joy of the Bethlehem baby; in the name of the Bringer of hope and Author of peace, amen!
May grace, peace and joy be multiplied to you, from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ!
It is an immense joy for me to be here worshiping with you once more. In some ways it seems only last week that we were together, but in reality it was late last winter during another of the church's typically more somber seasons, the season of Lent. The popular view of Advent sees it as solemn and reserved, but during the past couple decades the liturgical color for Advent has switched from purple, both a penitential color and a royal one, to blue, the color of hope. Every one of the lectionary texts today talks about joy—in fact, historically this third Sunday in Advent has been called Gaudete, after the entrance antiphon telling us to "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice!" Because "The Lord is near."
I'd like to read from several of the lections—first, from Zephaniah, one of the Book of the Twelve found in the Hebrew Bible. Likely you know Zephaniah is one of those prophets sometimes called "minor," but only because we don't have extensive material from them—their words to us are anything but unimportant!
Zephaniah 3:14-18aThen, in place of the Psalm there's an option for a passage that's been included with the writings of Isaiah of Jerusalem:
Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.
Isaiah 12:2-6In a word for us today, Zephaniah tells us our Lord, Royal Sovereign, even Warrior - to embarrass those of us who flinch at militant descriptions of God - is right here with us, giving the victory to us, renewing us in love and rejoicing over us, the people called to rejoice in the Lord! And now, not only need we not fear disaster: we shall not fear disaster any more.
You will say in that day: I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, and you comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
And you know Paul's own joy in the churches he knew and visited:
Philippians 4:4-7In reconsidering today's texts, I was very aware that three years ago I preached about Luke's telling us to become givers of gifts and to practice justice and righteousness in order to prepare for the approaching reign of heaven on earth. As recorded in chapter 3 of Luke's gospel, the crowds asked John the Baptist what they should do in order to prepare for the forthcoming reign of heaven, and John answered: "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." He said to the tax collectors who came to him for baptism, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." To the soldiers, John instructed, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This time Luke's lectionary year again is upon us, but I'm too aware of something else, and that's my own need to halt all the compulsive, restless activity on the inside and out, at least for a while, and to take in the gracious gifts around me so I can be filled by receiving and become ready to be a gift-giver again. Recently in more than one conversation, I've mentioned wanting to make the soon-upon-us winter a time of near-hibernation, and on a basic level I feel far too depleted to risk much giving or much reaching out.
Give gifts? That was for 2003; for this Third Advent Sunday of 2006 let's try "receive a gift" or "receive gifts."
Here's more from Luke's account of John the Baptist by the riverside:
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."So we hear about a threefold immersion: baptism in water, in Spirit and in fire. In the process of becoming God's people, whether by John's wilderness surroundings or here in this city, it looks as if we need to receive gifts water, of Spirit and of fire in order fully to be received into the Reign of God. We began with two prophets from the Hebrew Bible telling of the nature of Salvation among us: this God here with us rejoices over us, gives the victory to us, in love renews and restores us. This God brings saving waters and healing to us. But on another level, what does the world expect, what do our nearby neighbors expect from people they see going to worship and various church activities? After all, presumably people who attend church are somehow connected to heaven, are insiders to the Divine?! Do our neighbors and does the world out there expect to meet a baptized people?
Many non-church people know something about baptism as a kind of religious ritual; in fact, many who don't regularly attend worship have had their own babies baptized or blessed or dedicated, due to pressure or strong suggestions from relatives, nostalgia or whatever. John the Baptist tells us the Coming One will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire, which sounds like anything but a perfunctory social ritual! In the same sentence we hear about the wind of the Spirit and fire: around these parts we know a lot about winds that stir embers into flames that in turn generate their own breezes and currents. John baptized with water and we still baptize with water. Today I'm asking you if the waters of baptism quench the Holy Spirit's pentecostal fires? Think about it!
On its first Pentecost, the Church first received the Fire and Spirit promised by John; that Day of Pentecost we read about in the book of Acts was the same day the synagogue commemorated and celebrated Moses' receiving the Ten Commandments, the Sinai Covenant with visible signs of fire and smoke.
Spirit and fire both are able to insinuate their way into the tightest spaces – even into our own too-often resistant bodies, minds and spirits. But then the Fire and Spirit of Life radiates outward from us, again making its way into other tight, cold spaces and places. The Fire and Spirit of Pentecost that inspired the nascent Church still longs to in-Breathe, to in-Spire us, the Church of the 21st Century. This Pentecostal Spirit still is able to Breathe new life and inspiration into us!
Give a gift? Give gifts? Yes, of course, just as in any other year, let us give gifts, and particularly to our nearby neighbors let us especially give the gift of gracious, un-condemning presence showing them that we, the People of God, do not consider ourselves "holier than they are," showing them we are an inclusive rather than an exclusive community, reborn of water and fire – yes! - yet reborn into the biography of the Bethlehem baby, Jesus, Who baptizes with Spirit and with Fire, bringing hope and new life to all the world. We're moving up to the Feast of the Nativity, Christmas Day; one week from today will be the Fourth Sunday of Advent in the morning and Christmas Eve in the evening. For just a word in anticipation of the coming observances of Lent and Easter, being acquainted with the paradox of the God Who fills heaven and earth starting life among us in the winsomeness, the inevitable powerlessness and other finite limitations of a human baby helps prepare us to recognize the scandal of a crucified God on Calvary's cross.
Be givers of gifts? First, before we can be gifts or give gifts to another, we need to receive the astonishing gift of God's amazing unconditional gracious love that both blazes and insinuates its way into the world and into our lives in Spirit and in Fire, re-creating, re-forming and re-filling each of us so we can become the joy-filled Presence of the Holy in our communities and in our churches and families, bringing the same hope the Bethlehem Babe brings to us, so like Jesus of Nazareth, we can be givers of gifts. May we become and may we be bringers of hope carrying the Spirit and Fire of new life to others—
Amen
Friday, December 15, 2006
desert spirit's fire logo
In process and progress—I'm designing a new letterhead, etc.—identity package (old one is for my designing identity...); I did these in Illustrator (sort of, and partly in Photoshop) and made png versions to blog; currently I'm working on the final product plus title page in InDesign—Go Adobe?!
Friday Five: Yuletide Favorites
Friday, December 15, 2006
Friday Five: Yuletide Favorites
This week's RevGalBlogPals Friday Five asks about our Yuletide faves:
After jumping in with both feet for my first play last week, this time is a washout.
For this mid-December Friday Five, let's explore some Yuletide favorites.
1) It's a Wonderful Life—Is it? Do you remember seeing it for the first time?
I've never seen it either first or subsequent times (not a movie fan)
2) Miracle on 34th Street—old version or new?
I saw a scratchy version of the old one as a little kid or maybe that was in junior high, but wasn't aware of an updated one.
3) Do you have a favorite incarnation of Mr. Scrooge?
Don't know who you're referring to...
4) Why should it be a problem for an elf to be a dentist? I've been watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for years now, and I still don't get it.
Another one I've never seen, but I'll attempt a lame logical answer by suggesting any elf's being vertically challenged means they'd have lots of problems reaching the patient.
5) Who's the scariest character in Christmas specials/movies?
Not familiar with any of the above...sob, sob, sigh!
The only Christmas special I know (and yes, make a point of watching it every year and really love) is Charlie Brown Christmas. No one scary there!
I cannot believe I'm posting this on my theology blog!
Friday Five: Yuletide Favorites
This week's RevGalBlogPals Friday Five asks about our Yuletide faves:
After jumping in with both feet for my first play last week, this time is a washout.
For this mid-December Friday Five, let's explore some Yuletide favorites.
1) It's a Wonderful Life—Is it? Do you remember seeing it for the first time?
I've never seen it either first or subsequent times (not a movie fan)
2) Miracle on 34th Street—old version or new?
I saw a scratchy version of the old one as a little kid or maybe that was in junior high, but wasn't aware of an updated one.
3) Do you have a favorite incarnation of Mr. Scrooge?
Don't know who you're referring to...
4) Why should it be a problem for an elf to be a dentist? I've been watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for years now, and I still don't get it.
Another one I've never seen, but I'll attempt a lame logical answer by suggesting any elf's being vertically challenged means they'd have lots of problems reaching the patient.
5) Who's the scariest character in Christmas specials/movies?
- The Bumble
- The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Muppet Version
- That Mean Magician Who Tries to Melt Frosty
Not familiar with any of the above...sob, sob, sigh!
The only Christmas special I know (and yes, make a point of watching it every year and really love) is Charlie Brown Christmas. No one scary there!
I cannot believe I'm posting this on my theology blog!
Friday, December 08, 2006
Friday Five: Christmas Music
Friday Five | 8 December 2006
As you can see from my sidebar, recently I joined a bunch of blogrings, and here's My First Friday Five. Friday Five is a regular feature of the intentional online community at RevGalBlogPals. This is so exciting!!!!!!!!
1. A favorite 'secular' Christmas song.
"Celebrate Me Home" – Kenny Loggins
2. Christmas song that chokes you up (maybe even in spite of yourself—the cheesier the better)
"Do You Hear What I Hear?" by Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne.
3. Christmas song that makes you want to stuff your ears with chestnuts roasted on an open fire.
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" – I didn't know about the "artiste" my original linked to,
although I thought s/he needed to be nuked off the planet, but my search for the lyrics revealed such favorites as James Taylor, Coldplay and Carly Simon have recorded it! Aaaccckkk
4. The Twelve Days of Christmas: is there *any* redeeming value to that song? Discuss.
The dramatic performance of the song with occasional piano semi-accompaniment at the party I attended last Saturday at a friend's church redeemed it somewhat. No time to blog more about it at the moment.
5. A favorite Christmas album
Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration – Quincy Jones, Take 6, Tevin Campbell et al.
PS I've kept the song titles, though I've been deleting all YT links from this blog because of the way YT vids come and go.
As you can see from my sidebar, recently I joined a bunch of blogrings, and here's My First Friday Five. Friday Five is a regular feature of the intentional online community at RevGalBlogPals. This is so exciting!!!!!!!!
1. A favorite 'secular' Christmas song.
"Celebrate Me Home" – Kenny Loggins
2. Christmas song that chokes you up (maybe even in spite of yourself—the cheesier the better)
"Do You Hear What I Hear?" by Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne.
3. Christmas song that makes you want to stuff your ears with chestnuts roasted on an open fire.
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" – I didn't know about the "artiste" my original linked to,
although I thought s/he needed to be nuked off the planet, but my search for the lyrics revealed such favorites as James Taylor, Coldplay and Carly Simon have recorded it! Aaaccckkk 4. The Twelve Days of Christmas: is there *any* redeeming value to that song? Discuss.
The dramatic performance of the song with occasional piano semi-accompaniment at the party I attended last Saturday at a friend's church redeemed it somewhat. No time to blog more about it at the moment.
5. A favorite Christmas album
Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration – Quincy Jones, Take 6, Tevin Campbell et al.
PS I've kept the song titles, though I've been deleting all YT links from this blog because of the way YT vids come and go.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Advent 1 C
- Jeremiah 33:14-16
- Psalm 25:1-10
- 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
- Luke 21:25-36
It's Luke's lectionary year again! I love Luke—probably my favorite gospel, but I'm beginning to appreciate Mark, mostly from reading Say to This Mountain straight through and using Binding the Strong Man as a commentary and resource the last couple of Year Bs (or is that Years B?!).
Signs in the skies, the sun and the moon and the stars; excitements on earth, with roaring seas and splashing waves—after all, the Lord of the planets, the moon, and galaxies, mountains, hills and rivers, Creation's Sovereign draws close to us, so let's stand up, look up and take notice! Our redemption and creation's salvation, Righteous Branch of David's root appears in grace, dwelling among us and living as one of us while performing justice and righteousness right here, on earth, in this land, while his righteousness, heaven's holiness, becomes ours!
This amazing hymn is part of my email sig—not that I'm writing many emails these days:
Zion hears the watchmen singing,Of course I'm hearing JS Bach's Cantata 140, Wachet auf, as well as his Schübler-Chorale version; Paul Manz wrote at least two wonderful settings, so right now in my imagination I'm playing all of those on an organ of my dreams—possibly Haarlem's St. Bavo, or maybe a newer instrument?!
And all her heart with joy is springing;
She wakes, she rises from her gloom;
For her Lord comes down all glorious,
The strong in grace, in truth victorious.
Her Star is risen, her Light is come.
Ah come, Thou blessed One, God’s own beloved Son:
Alleluia! We follow till the halls we see
Where Thou hast bid us sup with Thee.
–Philipp Nicolai, 1597
Originally I'd planned to reflect on last Sunday's pericopes, but on Sunday Pastor George S. Johnson gave me a copy of his book, Beyond Guilt: Christian Response to Suffering and inscribed it:
Isaiah 58:10-11That may be one of Pastor George's default inscriptions, but whatever, it exactly fits where I am right now and it goes perfectly with this Advent 1's RCL, too, but I don't need to belabor the obvious. These passages remind me of days bygone when I sometimes sort of hung out with a group that included some anti-Lordites. I was born opinionated and besides, I'm an ENFJ without a single shy or reticent cell in my body, which can make me seem assertive, plus I've been known to inform people "I crave an audience like an addict craves cocaine." Nonetheless, I did my level best calmly to try explaining to the group nothing substitutes for "Lord"—it's the heavy, solid and substantial theological and political word as well as forming continuity between the Hebrew Bible and the New Covenant scriptures. So what have we here, for the first Sunday of a new liturgical year? Ownership, mastery, presence, authorship and authority; power to designate, to control and to delegate. A unique relationship to creation and to creation's stewards (us). This Lord has formed us, has bought us back, and literally owns us. We answer to this Lord, to this One we soon will meet again, strong in grace and victorious in truth, the apparently power-less newborn infant in the Judean manger! In faith and in baptism this Lord's biography - from cradle to cross to grave to Easter dawn - becomes our life story. Now what?
And if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, and like springs of living waters that never fail.
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