Things have been a bit crazy and emotional recently (don't worry, I'm ok) - when I get into that kind of place I generally retreat into cooking. Here is what is bubbling away on the stove right now :) It takes a bit of time, but it is sooo good!
[Courtesy of the wonderful folks at Cook's Illustrated who's cookbooks I adore!]
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pounds country-style pork ribs (trimmed of excess fat)
salt and black pepper (freshly ground of course!)
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
1 pound Penne or Ziti
Freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
1. Heat oil in skillet till shimmering. Season the ribs with salt and black pepper and then brown on all sides, turning occasionally (8-10 minutes)
2. Transfer the ribs to a plate and drain off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from the skillet. Add the onions and saute till softened - about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the wine and simmer, scraping all the yummy bits off the bottom of the skillet, until the wine reduces to a glaze - about 2 minutes.
4. Return the ribs (and juices) to the pan and then add the tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer at a low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Turn the ribs several times during this process. The meat should become very tender and practically fall off the bone.
5. Put the ribs on a clean plate. When they are cool enough to handle remove the meat from the bone and shred it with your fingers (discarding the fat and bones). Add the meat back to the skillet and bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste.
6. Cook your pasta until al dente. Drain and then toss the pasta with the sauce and serve topped with the cheese.
Yummm!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The Desire to Climb Trees
(Random thoughts for Sunday's Contemplative Service)
Luke 19:1-10
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
My excitement was triggered by an email from my friend Paul - 'Nigella Lawson has a new cookbook out and is doing a book signing in town.' You have to understand that I have every cookbook Nigella has written and I frequently make her culinary delights. A new cookbook was exciting enough, but to actually see her in real life? That would be pure ecstasy. Plans were made, maps were printed. Routes were rehearsed. She was appearing somewhere I'd never been before, so I made a preliminary trip just to make sure there would be no problems on the day. (See blog entry here)
I know comparing my culinary 'savior' to the Savior of the Universe might be in bad taste (taste? Get it? GROAN), but when you consider somebody important enough that you want to meet them, you make preparations. I printed maps and drove to a neighborhood I had never been too before, Zacchaeus climbed trees. When you value you someone enough to want to see them you don't let a little thing like unfamiliarity with the territory or the size of a crowd get in your way.
All of us desire an encounter with God - I think the fact that we are sitting here in the Contemplative Service is evidence of that. There is a deep underground current that flows within each one of us that desires that holy connection. We get little nudges of its existence from time to time, a conversation, a poster for a Retreat, the title of a book on a shelf. All little prompts, invitations to go tree climbing.
We can also discount our tree climbing desires easily. We label them as embarrassing, not what respectable people do, immature, inappropriate. We may discount them, bury them or become numb to them but they don't go away because God wired us that way...
...and so, at just the right time, you'll see an employee of the IRS in a sycamore tree.
We celebrate Zacchaeus climbing, his desire to just see Jesus. He doesn't climb the tree because he's heard that Jesus will stay at the home of someone sitting on a tree limb. He doesn't climb the tree because of the consequences; he climbs simply so he can get a better view of Jesus...
...and if we look carefully, and are willing to acknowledge it when we find it, we discover there is something of Zacchaeus in all of us.
How is the desire to climb trees showing itself in your life at the moment?
Luke 19:1-10
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
My excitement was triggered by an email from my friend Paul - 'Nigella Lawson has a new cookbook out and is doing a book signing in town.' You have to understand that I have every cookbook Nigella has written and I frequently make her culinary delights. A new cookbook was exciting enough, but to actually see her in real life? That would be pure ecstasy. Plans were made, maps were printed. Routes were rehearsed. She was appearing somewhere I'd never been before, so I made a preliminary trip just to make sure there would be no problems on the day. (See blog entry here)
I know comparing my culinary 'savior' to the Savior of the Universe might be in bad taste (taste? Get it? GROAN), but when you consider somebody important enough that you want to meet them, you make preparations. I printed maps and drove to a neighborhood I had never been too before, Zacchaeus climbed trees. When you value you someone enough to want to see them you don't let a little thing like unfamiliarity with the territory or the size of a crowd get in your way.
All of us desire an encounter with God - I think the fact that we are sitting here in the Contemplative Service is evidence of that. There is a deep underground current that flows within each one of us that desires that holy connection. We get little nudges of its existence from time to time, a conversation, a poster for a Retreat, the title of a book on a shelf. All little prompts, invitations to go tree climbing.
We can also discount our tree climbing desires easily. We label them as embarrassing, not what respectable people do, immature, inappropriate. We may discount them, bury them or become numb to them but they don't go away because God wired us that way...
...and so, at just the right time, you'll see an employee of the IRS in a sycamore tree.
We celebrate Zacchaeus climbing, his desire to just see Jesus. He doesn't climb the tree because he's heard that Jesus will stay at the home of someone sitting on a tree limb. He doesn't climb the tree because of the consequences; he climbs simply so he can get a better view of Jesus...
...and if we look carefully, and are willing to acknowledge it when we find it, we discover there is something of Zacchaeus in all of us.
How is the desire to climb trees showing itself in your life at the moment?
Friday, February 19, 2010
Poetry for the Soul
Li Po and the Moon - Mary Oliver*
There is the story of the old Chinese poet:
at night alone in his boat he went drinking and dreaming
and singing,
then drowned as he reached for the moon's reflection.
Well, probably each of us, at some time, has been
just as desperate.
Not the moon, though.
In those times when your defences are down what do you reach for?
How is what you reach for merely a reflection of what you actually desire?
*Published in Parabola Summer 2008
There is the story of the old Chinese poet:
at night alone in his boat he went drinking and dreaming
and singing,
then drowned as he reached for the moon's reflection.
Well, probably each of us, at some time, has been
just as desperate.
Not the moon, though.
In those times when your defences are down what do you reach for?
How is what you reach for merely a reflection of what you actually desire?
*Published in Parabola Summer 2008
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
A Trial Separation
Dear Dr.
You have been a part of my life for many years now. When I am feeling run down you are the first thing I reach for. When I want to celebrate you are there, and when I need to comfort myself you are my first thought. I seek you out no matter wherever I am in the world, I even managed to locate you in Cambodia! My friends know that I will always be happy if they bring you with them to a party I'm organizing.
Lately though I've been reconsidering our relationship. I've begun to see that what once was just an enjoyment of you has become something more unpleasant. At times I find myself thinking that I can't get by without you, that somehow life will be less if you are not by my side. Rather than getting the rest I need I turn to you for stimulation. Everything is good in moderation, but lately I think I am around you too much and I worry about the effect you are having on me. I don't blame you completely for my recent weight gain, but you are a contributing factor.
Therefore Dr., I've decided that we should spend some time apart for a while. I know that will be tough, because you are everywhere I look. It is difficult for me to even sit down at a restaurant without wishing you were with me, but if our relationship is to become healthy then I know I need to get some separation from you so I can gain clarity.
Please don't expect me to look for you until Easter, and even after that time, I fully anticipate our relationship will be far more casual than it has been the last few months, at times it has felt so consuming that I've felt twinges of doubt. This trial separation is my way of honoring those 'twinges' within me.
So, dear, sweet Dr. Pepper, I'll see you in a few months. Know that I will miss you, but I'll survive.
Peter
You have been a part of my life for many years now. When I am feeling run down you are the first thing I reach for. When I want to celebrate you are there, and when I need to comfort myself you are my first thought. I seek you out no matter wherever I am in the world, I even managed to locate you in Cambodia! My friends know that I will always be happy if they bring you with them to a party I'm organizing.
Lately though I've been reconsidering our relationship. I've begun to see that what once was just an enjoyment of you has become something more unpleasant. At times I find myself thinking that I can't get by without you, that somehow life will be less if you are not by my side. Rather than getting the rest I need I turn to you for stimulation. Everything is good in moderation, but lately I think I am around you too much and I worry about the effect you are having on me. I don't blame you completely for my recent weight gain, but you are a contributing factor.
Therefore Dr., I've decided that we should spend some time apart for a while. I know that will be tough, because you are everywhere I look. It is difficult for me to even sit down at a restaurant without wishing you were with me, but if our relationship is to become healthy then I know I need to get some separation from you so I can gain clarity.
Please don't expect me to look for you until Easter, and even after that time, I fully anticipate our relationship will be far more casual than it has been the last few months, at times it has felt so consuming that I've felt twinges of doubt. This trial separation is my way of honoring those 'twinges' within me.
So, dear, sweet Dr. Pepper, I'll see you in a few months. Know that I will miss you, but I'll survive.
Peter
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Tending the Garden of the Soul
I am not a gardener. I do not have a green thumb. My Mum was an avid gardener, she wo
uld spend hours digging, weeding, planting, mulching and whatever else you do to a garden. She had rosebushes scheduled to bloom throughout the summer, I never really realized that until she pointed it out to me. How she achieved that I have no idea, but I have many memories of looking out the windows into the back garden to see mum in her gardening gloves hunched over the ground knees resting on her foam flowery kneeler rooting through soil.
Mum knew that different seasons of the year meant different jobs to be done. The tasks of Autumn are very different to the tasks of Spring, do the wrong job at the wrong time and nothing blooms, in fact, you can even harm the garden by pruning when you should be feeding or sowing when you should be reaping. Every Season makes its own demands on the Gardener and every plant needs its own special care.
I was in a discussion this morning on Spiritual Disciplines. We talked about what Disciplines we should take up for the season of Lent. It is so easy for groups like this to covenant to all do similar things. I remember when I first started interning at the Wesley Foundation in Lubbock, all the interns decided we would meet together an hour earlier than work started so that we could worship and pray together...I think we managed about 2 weeks before the agreement fell apart. It wasn't that we weren't committed, it was just that we were trying a 'one size fits all' approach to Spiritual Formation. Those of you who have seen me in the morning know that I am only partially human until I've shaved, showered and had a cup of tea and gotten to at least 9am. I am not one of those bright shiny happy morning people - in fact I usually want to do bodily harm to people who are perky at 7am!
My aim is to be intentional this Lent about tending the garden of my soul, but to do it with respect for the garden itself, not forcing it into activities that I think would be beneficial but would actually be harmful.
What Season are you in right now? What actions do you need to take to tend the garden of your soul? Should you be planting, pruning, resting?
uld spend hours digging, weeding, planting, mulching and whatever else you do to a garden. She had rosebushes scheduled to bloom throughout the summer, I never really realized that until she pointed it out to me. How she achieved that I have no idea, but I have many memories of looking out the windows into the back garden to see mum in her gardening gloves hunched over the ground knees resting on her foam flowery kneeler rooting through soil. Mum knew that different seasons of the year meant different jobs to be done. The tasks of Autumn are very different to the tasks of Spring, do the wrong job at the wrong time and nothing blooms, in fact, you can even harm the garden by pruning when you should be feeding or sowing when you should be reaping. Every Season makes its own demands on the Gardener and every plant needs its own special care.
I was in a discussion this morning on Spiritual Disciplines. We talked about what Disciplines we should take up for the season of Lent. It is so easy for groups like this to covenant to all do similar things. I remember when I first started interning at the Wesley Foundation in Lubbock, all the interns decided we would meet together an hour earlier than work started so that we could worship and pray together...I think we managed about 2 weeks before the agreement fell apart. It wasn't that we weren't committed, it was just that we were trying a 'one size fits all' approach to Spiritual Formation. Those of you who have seen me in the morning know that I am only partially human until I've shaved, showered and had a cup of tea and gotten to at least 9am. I am not one of those bright shiny happy morning people - in fact I usually want to do bodily harm to people who are perky at 7am!
What was great about this morning was we first asked 'What Season am I in?' The answer to that question became the lens through which we decided what Disciplines to take on for Lent.
My answer to that question was 'It's the depth of winter and I'm beginning to get cabin fever from being snowed up so long.'
All of the Seasons are necessary for growth. I've had some experiences in the last week that hint at the coming of Spring, but I'm not quite there yet. If I try and take on the Disciplines of Spring I will fail, get discouraged and feel guilty (one of my favorite emotions SIGH). If I try to impose my winter disciplines on my friend who is experiencing Spring then he will feel held back, restricted and frustrated where he wants to be bursting with new life.
My aim is to be intentional this Lent about tending the garden of my soul, but to do it with respect for the garden itself, not forcing it into activities that I think would be beneficial but would actually be harmful.
What Season are you in right now? What actions do you need to take to tend the garden of your soul? Should you be planting, pruning, resting?
Sunday, February 14, 2010
January Board Games
O.k. so I'm slightly behind the Calendar this month as I should have posted this by now, but better late than never :)
Bucket King and Werewolf with 4 plays each.
I managed 37 plays of 27 different games in January.
It's a tie for the top spot!
Bucket King and Werewolf with 4 plays each.
I love playing (and facilitating) Werewolf with large groups. It's such a different game to play and it's wonderful to see people get tied into knots as they try and follow someone else's logic or go with their heart. It would be very interesting playing it with a group of people who are used to swaying others with their opinions and oratory!
Bucket King is a simple card game, but has some interesting depth to it as you try and protect your pyramid of buckets from being overturned while at the same time trying to destroy your opponents!
I fully expect this game to be around for quite a while, we're still playing the basic game most of the time and loving it. We do have an expansion on the shelf, and with other expansions available I see this remaining a fixture of game night for some time to come.
Other games that stood out for me this month include:
Wits and Wagers - It's a trivia game where you don't need to know the answers. I led a large version of this game on our Choir retreat with 6 teams of about 10 people. We had a blast and it was a close game. Fun times!
Taj Mahal - I picked up the german edition of this game, from a local thrift score. Somebody had been kind enough to print out the english rules, but everything else inside was still in shrink. It is a seemingly complex game, but once it clicks it is great fun. It had been a long time since I'd played this and I'm very glad it hit the table again.
Code 777 Deduction and logic at its most painful. Everyone has 3 cards infront of them that they cannot see that they are trying to deduce from the other players cards and answers to different questions. I seriously think my brain overheats when I try and play this game, but there is such a rush when you realize you actually worked it out!!!
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Monday, February 08, 2010
Poetry to Reflect Upon
The Vacation
Wendell Berry
Once there was a man who filmed his vacation.
He went flying down the river in his boat
with his video camera to his eye, making
a moving picture of the moving river
upon which his sleek boat moved swiftly
toward the end of his vacation. He showed
his vacation to his camera, which pictured it,
preserving it forever: the river, the trees,
the sky, the light, the bow of his rushing boat
behind which he stood with his camera
preserving his vacation even as he was having it
so that after he had had it he would still
have it. It would be there. With a flick
of a switch there it would be. But he
would not be in it. He would never be in it.
from The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry (Washington D.C.: Counterpoint, 1998), 157.
Wendell Berry
Once there was a man who filmed his vacation.
He went flying down the river in his boat
with his video camera to his eye, making
a moving picture of the moving river
upon which his sleek boat moved swiftly
toward the end of his vacation. He showed
his vacation to his camera, which pictured it,
preserving it forever: the river, the trees,
the sky, the light, the bow of his rushing boat
behind which he stood with his camera
preserving his vacation even as he was having it
so that after he had had it he would still
have it. It would be there. With a flick
of a switch there it would be. But he
would not be in it. He would never be in it.
from The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry (Washington D.C.: Counterpoint, 1998), 157.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Jesus Hates Me - Just to clear up some confusion!
Apparently during the Children's sermon this morning at Chapelwood, Jim invoked my name and mentioned a song I'd written called 'Jesus Hates Me'. He then proceeded to tell the children how that isn't true.
Unfortunately there wasn't time in the children's sermon for Jim to explain the full context and history behind the song, so I was given some very strange looks by church members as I walked into the sanctuary after the service.
Back when I lived in Lubbock I was running a contemporary service with my good friend Sean. One Sunday he told me he was preaching on Spiritual Abuse and did I know any songs on the subject I could sing. I couldn't think of one so I sat down at the piano and improvised the following:
Jesus loves me this I know,
For the bible tells me so,
Little ones to Him belong
Except when we do something wrong.
Then Jesus hates me,
Then Jesus hates me,
Then Jesus hates me,
My Pastor told me so!
If I recall correctly we used the song in the service as a comical way to illustrate how spiritual abuse can happen when the word of God is unintentionally or deliberately misinterpreted.
Just for the record - I DON'T BELIEVE JESUS HATES ME OR ANYONE ELSE....
...and in case you wondered, I created the Church sign using this website.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Thank you Mark Bittman!
Who is Mark Bittman? He's a food writer who writes for the NY Times (and other places)
This is a slight adaptation of one of his recipes that has been very popular but for some reason I'm only just getting around to posting.
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Black Beans and Chili Dressing.
The recipe is wonderfully easy, and if you throw some chicken breasts in to cook at the same time as the sweet potato, you've got instant meal - though I could just devour the salad by itself without the meat, it's that good!!!!
In this pan is 4 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks.
One red onion, sliced.
It's all tossed with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkled in salt and pepper. You'll also notice some chicken breasts and some sliced mushrooms (both optional)
Put that pan in the oven and let it roast at 400F for 40 minutes, turning the potatoes and the chicken occ.
In a bowl (photographed under low light) - put 2 red pepper, chopped, 1 can of black beans (drained) and 1 cup of fresh chopped cilantro.
Meanwhile in the bowl of a mini chopper or in a blender put 1 -2 tablespoons of minced Jalapeno (I normally throw in a full chili), 1 clove of garlic, juice of 2 limes and just under 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Blitz it together.
Here is everything (except the chicken) mixed together with the dressing poured over the top. Words and pictures can't describe how comforting this warm salad is.
This is a slight adaptation of one of his recipes that has been very popular but for some reason I'm only just getting around to posting.
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Black Beans and Chili Dressing.
The recipe is wonderfully easy, and if you throw some chicken breasts in to cook at the same time as the sweet potato, you've got instant meal - though I could just devour the salad by itself without the meat, it's that good!!!!
In this pan is 4 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks.One red onion, sliced.
It's all tossed with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkled in salt and pepper. You'll also notice some chicken breasts and some sliced mushrooms (both optional)
Put that pan in the oven and let it roast at 400F for 40 minutes, turning the potatoes and the chicken occ.
In a bowl (photographed under low light) - put 2 red pepper, chopped, 1 can of black beans (drained) and 1 cup of fresh chopped cilantro.Meanwhile in the bowl of a mini chopper or in a blender put 1 -2 tablespoons of minced Jalapeno (I normally throw in a full chili), 1 clove of garlic, juice of 2 limes and just under 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Blitz it together.Here is everything (except the chicken) mixed together with the dressing poured over the top. Words and pictures can't describe how comforting this warm salad is.And if you serve it with the chicken - it's a complete meal.
Now. Go. Shopping.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Ikea, Lego and Christianity
This is actually a repeat of an old post from January 2007, but as I spent the last 24 hours assembling a new piece of Ikea furniture it came to mind so I thought I would repost it. I've come along way in terms of 'rebuilding my life' over the past 3 years. Life has taken turns I didn't expect when I wrote this post, and I'm so glad that I took the turns that life offered me!
I'm speaking in the Contemplative Service this Sunday and I'm struggling to get my thoughts together. The central theme is an illustration that I read in the book 'Post Evangelical' by Dave Tomlinson that resonated with me and I will attempt to put into my own words here.
The Christianity I embraced in my teenage years was one that is very similar to 'Flat Pack Furniture' that you can purchase at Ikea and many other stores. You receive a set of parts (hopefully complete) and a list of instructions. There is a distinct right and wrong way to put the pieces together. It doesn't matter who is building the furniture, or where it is going, everyone builds the same and you can easily judge how successful the person has been by the appearance and sturdiness of the construction and whether they have any extraneous pieces left over.
But what if Christianity is more like a bag of Legos? Everyone receives the same blocks, but each person is free to build them into a model that is their own unique creative expression of their relationship with Jesus.
I wonder what are the blocks that would have to be included for a person to be called 'Christian'?
In my 20s I often used phrases like '....ask Jesus to be your own personal savior...' a phrase that interestingly enough exists nowhere in the bible! For much of my life I judged a person's faith by whether they agreed with a set of Propositional Truths that I carried around in my head. I cared more about right doctrine than right living, more about what you said you believed than how you lived.
It was all about how well you built the flat pack furniture.
I'm at a turning point in my life. I am planning on tearing down the flat pack and rebuilding my Legos in a way that to some people would seem as if I have become 'Luke Warm' or 'Back Slidden', or even 'Straying from the Fold'.
This isn't a spur of the moment decision however. I've changed considerably over the past 6 years and every change has been agonizingly prayed over. So please don't judge in 2 minutes what has taken me years - I'm worth more than that.
Wow, I seem to have strayed from what I was going to originally type!
I will share the illustration of the Furniture and the Legos in the service, but I will not share how it intersects with my life. My silence is not out of fear, but out of a desire for everyone to find themselves in the illustration without me imposing my interpretation on them.
I am under construction - watch this space for more building information :)
I'm speaking in the Contemplative Service this Sunday and I'm struggling to get my thoughts together. The central theme is an illustration that I read in the book 'Post Evangelical' by Dave Tomlinson that resonated with me and I will attempt to put into my own words here.
The Christianity I embraced in my teenage years was one that is very similar to 'Flat Pack Furniture' that you can purchase at Ikea and many other stores. You receive a set of parts (hopefully complete) and a list of instructions. There is a distinct right and wrong way to put the pieces together. It doesn't matter who is building the furniture, or where it is going, everyone builds the same and you can easily judge how successful the person has been by the appearance and sturdiness of the construction and whether they have any extraneous pieces left over.
But what if Christianity is more like a bag of Legos? Everyone receives the same blocks, but each person is free to build them into a model that is their own unique creative expression of their relationship with Jesus.
I wonder what are the blocks that would have to be included for a person to be called 'Christian'?
In my 20s I often used phrases like '....ask Jesus to be your own personal savior...' a phrase that interestingly enough exists nowhere in the bible! For much of my life I judged a person's faith by whether they agreed with a set of Propositional Truths that I carried around in my head. I cared more about right doctrine than right living, more about what you said you believed than how you lived.
It was all about how well you built the flat pack furniture.
I'm at a turning point in my life. I am planning on tearing down the flat pack and rebuilding my Legos in a way that to some people would seem as if I have become 'Luke Warm' or 'Back Slidden', or even 'Straying from the Fold'.
This isn't a spur of the moment decision however. I've changed considerably over the past 6 years and every change has been agonizingly prayed over. So please don't judge in 2 minutes what has taken me years - I'm worth more than that.
Wow, I seem to have strayed from what I was going to originally type!
I will share the illustration of the Furniture and the Legos in the service, but I will not share how it intersects with my life. My silence is not out of fear, but out of a desire for everyone to find themselves in the illustration without me imposing my interpretation on them.
I am under construction - watch this space for more building information :)
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Living between 'Extraordinary' and 'Heartbreaking'
Random thoughts for this Sunday's Contemplative Service.
For part 1 click here
When I stop and consider the question 'What has been holy ground for you this week?' my mind goes back to places where life seemed amplified above the normal. Those strange, unpredictable moments of transcendence where it feels like God peeks through the clouds. An unexpected conversation. a sudden 'aha' moment of understanding. A flash of creative inspiration. All of these are moments when life is elevated from Ordinary to Extraordinary.
When I answer the question 'What do you want prayed for this week?' my mind goes to the low points. Those stories and situations that seem overwhelming. Haiti. My good friend Jo who's 7 month old son is having open heart surgery on Monday. All my friends who are coping with their parent's health issues as they age.
Most of my life is spent in the gap between Extraordinary and Heartbreak. Surfing Facebook. Going to work. Playing Boardgames. Cooking. Watching t.v. etc. When I think of the mundane things of last week, I think of cleaning the stove top (never a fun task), answering emails. Building furniture from Ikea. Doing laundry etc.
If every moment is spent on holy ground and every moment is has the potential to be a God encounter what do I do with the Mundane? The majority of my life is spent in the Mundane, so how do I meet God there, rather than just in the Extraordinary or the Heartbreaking?
[I've sat with that question for the last 48 hours and had this post 'on hold' while I've attempted to formulate an answer]
I didn't encounter God when I was cleaning the stove, but the next morning when I stumbled downstairs to make a cup of tea and I saw how the cooker was clean I felt a little touch of unexpected joy. Building furniture was not my favorite task, but the memories that it brought up of my dad attempting flat pack furniture and cursing the instructions brought a smile to my face.
It's not the particulars of the event that are important, but my awareness in allowing that event to touch me and point me towards those little moments of reflection, joy, longing, and even loss, that have become signs for me of the presence of God.
When you look back over the last week, over the mundane, the ordinary, what memories arise for you? How were those events holy ground?
For part 1 click here
When I stop and consider the question 'What has been holy ground for you this week?' my mind goes back to places where life seemed amplified above the normal. Those strange, unpredictable moments of transcendence where it feels like God peeks through the clouds. An unexpected conversation. a sudden 'aha' moment of understanding. A flash of creative inspiration. All of these are moments when life is elevated from Ordinary to Extraordinary.
When I answer the question 'What do you want prayed for this week?' my mind goes to the low points. Those stories and situations that seem overwhelming. Haiti. My good friend Jo who's 7 month old son is having open heart surgery on Monday. All my friends who are coping with their parent's health issues as they age.
Most of my life is spent in the gap between Extraordinary and Heartbreak. Surfing Facebook. Going to work. Playing Boardgames. Cooking. Watching t.v. etc. When I think of the mundane things of last week, I think of cleaning the stove top (never a fun task), answering emails. Building furniture from Ikea. Doing laundry etc.
If every moment is spent on holy ground and every moment is has the potential to be a God encounter what do I do with the Mundane? The majority of my life is spent in the Mundane, so how do I meet God there, rather than just in the Extraordinary or the Heartbreaking?
[I've sat with that question for the last 48 hours and had this post 'on hold' while I've attempted to formulate an answer]
I didn't encounter God when I was cleaning the stove, but the next morning when I stumbled downstairs to make a cup of tea and I saw how the cooker was clean I felt a little touch of unexpected joy. Building furniture was not my favorite task, but the memories that it brought up of my dad attempting flat pack furniture and cursing the instructions brought a smile to my face.
It's not the particulars of the event that are important, but my awareness in allowing that event to touch me and point me towards those little moments of reflection, joy, longing, and even loss, that have become signs for me of the presence of God.
When you look back over the last week, over the mundane, the ordinary, what memories arise for you? How were those events holy ground?
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
2009 Board Game Five and Dimes!
I played a lot of games last year - 378 plays of 186 different games to be precise. So here are the games I played the most frequently. Most of the games on this list are lighter games, I do enjoy meatier games but they tend to take longer and consequently do not get so much repetition. I also introduce my gaming passion to lots of new groups and this list contains many games that are easy for people who are new to the hobby to learn and enjoy.
Dominion was played more than any other with a whopping 22 plays. The speed, tactics are variability of this game means it hits the table often. I enjoy it, and with more expansions coming out I don't see this one waning in popularity anytime soon.
Kakerlaken Poker (Cockroach Poker) (11 Plays) It's such a simple premise really. Pass a card to someone else and either lie about it or tell the truth. The opponent gets to either challenge the passer or pick the card up and see it for themselves. The card moves around the table being seen by various people until someone has to challenge it. It plays up to six people, is easy to teach and produces such delicious agony that I see this game staying as one of my 'Go to' games for new people. It is also responsible for one of my favorite gaming memories of 2009. Suffice to say my brother cannot lie and consequently this game was agony for him!
Alhambra (8 Plays) Building your own palace whilst trying to manage different currencies and corner the market on palace features. My brother and his wife loved this game when I introduced it to them years ago, so consequently we played a game every night whilst we were on vacation together. It's a great game, but I would never play it with more than 4 people as it slows down quite considerably.
Dice Town (7 Plays) Is a great game using poker dice. It is a wonderful feeling to watch your opponents face fall because you somehow managed to roll 4 Aces at one time.
Die Aufsteiger ~ The Climbers (6 Plays) I love this game. I went through a lot of trouble to import it from Germany. It looks wonderful and is a very interesting abstract game that involves racing to the top of a tower while stopping your opponents. It's a flashback to childhood because you get to play with blocks, but it's all very tactical :)
Chains of Fenrir (6 plays) is another game that is very easy to teach. Players build up chains of stones on the table and try to eliminate their own stones before their opponents. It plays quickly and is a good quick game (10 minutes) to teach new players.
The Hanging Gardens (6 plays) Another building game, this time constructing the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Tiles with various features are turned up and you get to try and combine them to create the longest areas of adjacent designs in your garden. It's an interesting mechanic as you are allowed to overlap cards, but the placement of the designs on the cards is such that a careful thought is required.
Snow Tails (6 plays) Every player has a dogsled that they are racing to the finish. Trees, snow falls, crevasses and other sleds all block your way and as your sled gets damaged it gets less manouverable. Fun!
Werewolf (6 plays) I love this game. It needs a Moderator and at least 8 people to play it so I don't get to play it often, and when I do I'm usually running it for others to experience. How many games do you get to lie through your teeth and try and sway a group over to your point of view? It's amazing how a skilled orator can manipulate a crowd and cause people to lay aside common sense. This game has become a staple of our church staff retreats...and it's curious how good preachers are at this!!!
Games with 5 plays
Dominion was played more than any other with a whopping 22 plays. The speed, tactics are variability of this game means it hits the table often. I enjoy it, and with more expansions coming out I don't see this one waning in popularity anytime soon. Kakerlaken Poker (Cockroach Poker) (11 Plays) It's such a simple premise really. Pass a card to someone else and either lie about it or tell the truth. The opponent gets to either challenge the passer or pick the card up and see it for themselves. The card moves around the table being seen by various people until someone has to challenge it. It plays up to six people, is easy to teach and produces such delicious agony that I see this game staying as one of my 'Go to' games for new people. It is also responsible for one of my favorite gaming memories of 2009. Suffice to say my brother cannot lie and consequently this game was agony for him!
Alhambra (8 Plays) Building your own palace whilst trying to manage different currencies and corner the market on palace features. My brother and his wife loved this game when I introduced it to them years ago, so consequently we played a game every night whilst we were on vacation together. It's a great game, but I would never play it with more than 4 people as it slows down quite considerably.Dice Town (7 Plays) Is a great game using poker dice. It is a wonderful feeling to watch your opponents face fall because you somehow managed to roll 4 Aces at one time.
Pass the Bomb (7 plays) is another game that can be taught quickly and accomodates a large crowd. A card is turned over that will have a sequence of letters on it (e.g. ent) and you have to name a word that has those letters in that exact order somewhere in the word (e.g. represent). The bomb is passed around as a variable timer and if you are holding it when it explodes then you get the card. The person with the least cards at the end of the game wins. Very simple and again creates agonising moments when the person before you in the circle names the exact word you were going to use and consequently you are stuck holding a ticking bomb wracking your brain trying to come up with an alternative.
Die Aufsteiger ~ The Climbers (6 Plays) I love this game. I went through a lot of trouble to import it from Germany. It looks wonderful and is a very interesting abstract game that involves racing to the top of a tower while stopping your opponents. It's a flashback to childhood because you get to play with blocks, but it's all very tactical :)Chains of Fenrir (6 plays) is another game that is very easy to teach. Players build up chains of stones on the table and try to eliminate their own stones before their opponents. It plays quickly and is a good quick game (10 minutes) to teach new players.
The Hanging Gardens (6 plays) Another building game, this time constructing the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Tiles with various features are turned up and you get to try and combine them to create the longest areas of adjacent designs in your garden. It's an interesting mechanic as you are allowed to overlap cards, but the placement of the designs on the cards is such that a careful thought is required.Snow Tails (6 plays) Every player has a dogsled that they are racing to the finish. Trees, snow falls, crevasses and other sleds all block your way and as your sled gets damaged it gets less manouverable. Fun!Werewolf (6 plays) I love this game. It needs a Moderator and at least 8 people to play it so I don't get to play it often, and when I do I'm usually running it for others to experience. How many games do you get to lie through your teeth and try and sway a group over to your point of view? It's amazing how a skilled orator can manipulate a crowd and cause people to lay aside common sense. This game has become a staple of our church staff retreats...and it's curious how good preachers are at this!!!Games with 5 plays
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Take off your shoes
(Random thoughts for this Sunday's Contemplative Service)
Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. The angel of God appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked. The bush was blazing away but it didn't burn up. Moses said, "What's going on here? I can't believe this! Amazing! Why doesn't the bush burn up?" God saw that he had stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush, "Moses! Moses!" He said, "Yes? I'm right here!" God said, "Don't come any closer. Remove your sandals from your feet. You're standing on holy ground."
Exodus 3: 1-5
I love being barefoot, I spend most of my time either with nothing on my feet, or with sandals. I wear shoes about once a week, on Sunday mornings when I come to worship. When I was travelling in Thailand I visited a number of temples that required you to remove your footwear before you could enter - imagine what Church would be like if we had that requirement, lines of shoes out in the hallway by the Registration table.
Imagine you were a visitor to a church and discovered shoe removal was a requirement for worship, would you still attend? I'd be worried about whether my socks had holes in and were they in fact clean this morning or did I just recycle them from last Sunday. Lori said her first thought would be 'How is my toenail polish?'
We wear shoes for protection, but they become a barrier between us and the world in which we live. We encounter the beach very differently when barefoot, we notice subtle changes in the terrain that we would miss if our feet were covered.
Moses is instructed to remove his sandals and is informed that he is standing on Holy Ground. He is told 'Don't come any closer'.The rabbis had two schools of thought about this passage. Some taught that Moses had to keep a distance from the burning bush out of fear, reverenceand sacred dread of the presence of God. But another Rabbinic tradition taught that Moses was instructed to not come closer because he did not need to come closer. He already had the full experience of God's presence, he just needed to remove his shoes and become alive to it.
The act of removing the sandals, laying aside the protective covering opens us up to the insight that God is already here, I am already in the presence of the Holy. I do not own many pairs of shoes, but I am aware of many protective coverings that I clothe myself in for my own safety.
Coverings like:
'If I am vulnerable I could get hurt, better to not risk it.'
'They don't want to hear my struggles.'
'Reject them before they reject me'
'My faith is not like _________ so I must be wrong somehow'
'If it is different to my way of thinking/doing, it must be wrong.'
Some of us have become so attached to our coverings, our 'shoes', that what was originally just for protection has become a defining characteristic.
As long as we wear our 'shoes' there is something dead between the live soles of our feet and the holy ground on which we stand. To take off this deadness means taking off that which familiarity breeds contempt and boredom: it means coming alive to the place where we are. ~ David Steindhal Rast
What shoes do you need to remove?
Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. The angel of God appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked. The bush was blazing away but it didn't burn up. Moses said, "What's going on here? I can't believe this! Amazing! Why doesn't the bush burn up?" God saw that he had stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush, "Moses! Moses!" He said, "Yes? I'm right here!" God said, "Don't come any closer. Remove your sandals from your feet. You're standing on holy ground."
Exodus 3: 1-5
I love being barefoot, I spend most of my time either with nothing on my feet, or with sandals. I wear shoes about once a week, on Sunday mornings when I come to worship. When I was travelling in Thailand I visited a number of temples that required you to remove your footwear before you could enter - imagine what Church would be like if we had that requirement, lines of shoes out in the hallway by the Registration table.
Imagine you were a visitor to a church and discovered shoe removal was a requirement for worship, would you still attend? I'd be worried about whether my socks had holes in and were they in fact clean this morning or did I just recycle them from last Sunday. Lori said her first thought would be 'How is my toenail polish?'
We wear shoes for protection, but they become a barrier between us and the world in which we live. We encounter the beach very differently when barefoot, we notice subtle changes in the terrain that we would miss if our feet were covered.
Moses is instructed to remove his sandals and is informed that he is standing on Holy Ground. He is told 'Don't come any closer'.The rabbis had two schools of thought about this passage. Some taught that Moses had to keep a distance from the burning bush out of fear, reverenceand sacred dread of the presence of God. But another Rabbinic tradition taught that Moses was instructed to not come closer because he did not need to come closer. He already had the full experience of God's presence, he just needed to remove his shoes and become alive to it.
The act of removing the sandals, laying aside the protective covering opens us up to the insight that God is already here, I am already in the presence of the Holy. I do not own many pairs of shoes, but I am aware of many protective coverings that I clothe myself in for my own safety.
Coverings like:
'If I am vulnerable I could get hurt, better to not risk it.'
'They don't want to hear my struggles.'
'Reject them before they reject me'
'My faith is not like _________ so I must be wrong somehow'
'If it is different to my way of thinking/doing, it must be wrong.'
Some of us have become so attached to our coverings, our 'shoes', that what was originally just for protection has become a defining characteristic.
As long as we wear our 'shoes' there is something dead between the live soles of our feet and the holy ground on which we stand. To take off this deadness means taking off that which familiarity breeds contempt and boredom: it means coming alive to the place where we are. ~ David Steindhal Rast
What shoes do you need to remove?
International Security Levels
Stereotype humor!
The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out.
Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588 when threatened by the Spanish Armada.
The Scots raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards" They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.
The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France 's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.
It's not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout loudly and excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."
The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose".
Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.
The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.
Americans meanwhile and as usual are carrying out pre-emptive strikes, on all of their allies, just in case.
And in the southern hemisphere...
New Zealand has also raised its security levels - from "baaa" to "BAAAA!". Due to continuing defence cutbacks (the air force being a squadron of spotty teenagers flying paper aeroplanes and the navy some toy boats in the Prime Minister's bath), New Zealand only has one more level of escalation, which is "I hope Australia will come and rescue us".
Australia , meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be right, mate". Three more escalation levels remain: "Crikey!', "I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend" and "The barbie is cancelled". So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.
The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out.
Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588 when threatened by the Spanish Armada.
The Scots raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards" They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.
The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France 's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.
It's not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout loudly and excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."
The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose".
Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.
The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.
Americans meanwhile and as usual are carrying out pre-emptive strikes, on all of their allies, just in case.
And in the southern hemisphere...
New Zealand has also raised its security levels - from "baaa" to "BAAAA!". Due to continuing defence cutbacks (the air force being a squadron of spotty teenagers flying paper aeroplanes and the navy some toy boats in the Prime Minister's bath), New Zealand only has one more level of escalation, which is "I hope Australia will come and rescue us".
Australia , meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be right, mate". Three more escalation levels remain: "Crikey!', "I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend" and "The barbie is cancelled". So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Quote of the Day
Truth always rests with the minority, and the minority is always stronger than the majority, because the minority is generally formed by those who really have an opinion, while the strength of a majority is illusory, formed by the gangs who have no opinion – and who, therefore, in the next instant (when it is evident that the minority is the stronger) assume its opinion … while Truth again reverts to a new minority.
~ Soren Kierkegaard
~ Soren Kierkegaard
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
What is in your cask?
Abba Ammonas came one day to eat in a place where there was a monk of evil repute. Now it happened that a woman came and entered the cell of the brother of evil reputation. The dwellers in that place, having learnt this, were troubled and gathered together to chase the brother from his cell. Knowing that Bishop Ammonas was in the place, they asked him to join them. When the brother in question learnt this, he hid the woman in a large cask.
The crowd of monks came to the place. Now Abba Ammonas saw the position clearly but for the sake of God he kept the secret; he entered, seated himself on the cask and commanded the cell to be searched. Then when the monks had searched everywhere without finding the woman, Abba Ammonas said, 'What is this? May God forgive you!' After praying, he made everyone go out, then taking the brother by the hand he said, 'Brother, be on your guard.' With these words, he withdrew.
from 'The Sayings of the Desert Fathers' ~ Benedicta Ward, SLG
I wrestled with this story when I read it this morning. I was right there with the monks wanting to denounce the 'evil monk', the behavior of Bishop Ammonas seemed at odds with the 'right thing' to do. I wanted the monk to have the woman brought into the light so he could be shamed, face his sin and find redemption.
As I sat more with it, I began to be aware of the things that I have stored away in casks, areas that could be the subject of a witch hunt, or a 'shame you into salvation' meeting. I don't know if Bishop Ammonas was 'right', but I do know that he was 'loving', and sometimes the two are not the same thing.
As I sat further I also asked the difficult question 'What are the activities that cause me to go looking through other people's cells for evidence of sin?' I was away on a silent retreat yesterday and as part of the preparation we were told to leave our cell phones in our cars. I found myself judging someone who didn't and placing myself higher in the mystical realms than them. We did three 20 minute sessions of Centering Prayer, again I found myself judging the people who left part of the way through for not being sufficiently 'Holy'.
'You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye so you can see clearly to take the speck out of your brothers' ~ Jesus
As I wrote that I could feel my old tapes of self-denigration starting to play. 'What a miserable christian I am........I'm such a failure'. somehow I think those thoughts are far more dangerous than anything else I could hide in my cask, sins of 'attitude' are far more deadly than sins of 'action'.
'As a man thinks in his heart, so is he' ~ Proverbs 23:7
I need the bishop's loving warning but I need his protection too.
The crowd of monks came to the place. Now Abba Ammonas saw the position clearly but for the sake of God he kept the secret; he entered, seated himself on the cask and commanded the cell to be searched. Then when the monks had searched everywhere without finding the woman, Abba Ammonas said, 'What is this? May God forgive you!' After praying, he made everyone go out, then taking the brother by the hand he said, 'Brother, be on your guard.' With these words, he withdrew.
from 'The Sayings of the Desert Fathers' ~ Benedicta Ward, SLG
I wrestled with this story when I read it this morning. I was right there with the monks wanting to denounce the 'evil monk', the behavior of Bishop Ammonas seemed at odds with the 'right thing' to do. I wanted the monk to have the woman brought into the light so he could be shamed, face his sin and find redemption.
As I sat more with it, I began to be aware of the things that I have stored away in casks, areas that could be the subject of a witch hunt, or a 'shame you into salvation' meeting. I don't know if Bishop Ammonas was 'right', but I do know that he was 'loving', and sometimes the two are not the same thing.
As I sat further I also asked the difficult question 'What are the activities that cause me to go looking through other people's cells for evidence of sin?' I was away on a silent retreat yesterday and as part of the preparation we were told to leave our cell phones in our cars. I found myself judging someone who didn't and placing myself higher in the mystical realms than them. We did three 20 minute sessions of Centering Prayer, again I found myself judging the people who left part of the way through for not being sufficiently 'Holy'.
'You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye so you can see clearly to take the speck out of your brothers' ~ Jesus
As I wrote that I could feel my old tapes of self-denigration starting to play. 'What a miserable christian I am........I'm such a failure'. somehow I think those thoughts are far more dangerous than anything else I could hide in my cask, sins of 'attitude' are far more deadly than sins of 'action'.
'As a man thinks in his heart, so is he' ~ Proverbs 23:7
I need the bishop's loving warning but I need his protection too.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Learning Theology at Disney World
I spent last week with Steve, Rima, Toby and Sophia at Disney World. As it was Sophia's 6th birthday we celebrated in style. We visited all 4 parks, ate at various Character dinners (Including eating inside Cinderella's castle!) and I saw more Princesses than I have at any other time in my life.
Useless trivia: Which Disney Adult Princess has the least amount of screen time?
Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) appears on screen for less than 18 minutes.
Everywhere we went Sophia was treated as a Princess, Disney definitely does a great job of making you feel welcome and important in their parks. We all had a wonderful time even though my motion sickness made an unwelcome return and caused me to skip a few of the rides.
Throughout the week I had a curious lyric pop into my brain that it took me a while to track down. It's from Gilbert and Sullivan's Comic Opera The Gondoliers.
"When everyone is somebody then no-one's anybody."
My brain was processing the fact that if every girl is a Princess then surely being a Princess is meaningless. Isn't being a Princess only important if it is exclusive? But I know this isn't true, I saw the delight in Sophia's eyes throughout the week. Being a Princess wasn't meaningless for her even when surrounded by all the Disney Princesses.
In my car this morning my brain did a little double flip of its own replacing 'Being a Princess' with 'Being God's Beloved'. Even though I believe that everyone is beloved of God that doesn't minimize God's love for me or the importance of His love in my life. It does make me think about people who fixate on who is 'in' or 'out' of God's Kingdom as if Heaven would somehow be diminished if 'the wrong sort' of person was let in or that their share of God's love would reduce if it was spread around to everyone.
It all sounds so selfish....."I don't want to go to Heaven if [blank] is allowed in". I minimize others to make myself feel important - 'Well at least I'm travelling First Class and not with the crowds in Coach'.
It took a trip to the Magic Kingdom to remind me how extravagantly God loves, and how extravagantly we should love too.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
A Wrinkle in Time?
In her wonderful book 'A Wrinkle in Time' author Madeline L'Engle describes Space and Time as a large blanket and suggests that if you can scrunch the fabric together you could jump from wrinkle to wrinkle to get directly to wherever and whenever you wanted.
The Liturgical Church Calendar jumped through a wrinkle this week. Last Sunday was Epiphany - the celebration of the visit of the Wise Men to baby Jesus. This week is Baptism of the Lord Sunday - when we remember 30 yr old Jesus being baptized in the Jordan river by John. That's 30 yrs jumped in the blink of an eye. To be fair though the gospels themselves do go into hyper-drive jumping from the birth narratives to the baptism with one brief stopping point with 12yr old Jesus at the Temple wandering away and giving Mary and Joseph a few extra grey hairs - as if being charged with the responsibility of raising the Son of God wasn't enough to turn your hair grey overnight!
Given the gospel accounts we could be forgiven that Jesus' life was one roller-coaster ride of high adventure, of miracles and teachings. It only takes one sentence for Jesus to get to the next town - even though the walking journey may have taken weeks. All the books we read and the movies we watch seem to jump from adventure to adventure, even so called Reality T.V. has the boring moments edited out - though I did discover a channel once where you could watch the Big Brother house mates live - very boring from 11pm to about 7am when they were all asleep.
We like our reality sped up. We want to wrinkle through the boring sections to get to the next adventure. What I want to learn this year is to find the presence of God in the boring stuff of life and to realize none of life is truly boring if you are awake to it. In the play Our Town by Thornton Wilder, the character of Emily goes back in time after her death and experiences her 12th. birthday again. The memory is too painful for her and she says
"I can't. I can't go on. It goes so fast. We don't have time to look at one another....oh, Earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you.....Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it!- every, every minute?"
the Stage Manager responds
"No........The saints and poets, maybe - they do some."
Maybe if we slowed down and savored life we would be overwhelmed by all that life has to offer, and so we speed up our existence and close our eyes.....and miss the flowers on the path.
Maybe this year I'll take the long way round.
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