Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Religion, Institutional, Organized and Otherwise
I'm weary of Christians trying to distance themselves from Religion. Christianity is a religion. Even at its best. That doesn't make it any less true or any less relational than it would be otherwise, in fact, it makes it a little more honest.
"Christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship..."
Maybe... sometimes at least, but isn't it both even at it's best? Aren't worship, prayer, pageantry and institutional structure all ordained religious practices within Christianity that will not cease after the Eschaton? So aren't they good things?
I wonder if most of the posturing that is done isn't for the sake of our own shame. We often distance ourselves from our family and our hometowns for the same reason, but we can't change who we are and where we come from. Acts 17 tells us that these are things that God himself chose for us, and that they were part of his plan to help us find him. Isn't the Church the same way?
And doesn't Jesus love the Church through all her heresy, her whoring (as well as her triumphs, her tenderness and her glory?) Don't we owe her our love too?
"Christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship..."
Maybe... sometimes at least, but isn't it both even at it's best? Aren't worship, prayer, pageantry and institutional structure all ordained religious practices within Christianity that will not cease after the Eschaton? So aren't they good things?
I wonder if most of the posturing that is done isn't for the sake of our own shame. We often distance ourselves from our family and our hometowns for the same reason, but we can't change who we are and where we come from. Acts 17 tells us that these are things that God himself chose for us, and that they were part of his plan to help us find him. Isn't the Church the same way?
And doesn't Jesus love the Church through all her heresy, her whoring (as well as her triumphs, her tenderness and her glory?) Don't we owe her our love too?
Friday, July 4, 2008
Gracie's Prayer
Gracie is pretty passionate about prayer right now. ANY public prayer is liable to be interrupted by her insisting: "NO! I'll say it. I'LL SAY IT." Sometimes we cave at dinner time.
It's important to me that Gracie grow up thinking of Jesus as a King--as the current ultimate authority. I've always to address him thus and spoken of him as King Jesus to her.
Here's Gracie's prayer:
King Jesus
Thank you for the people
In Jesus name, Amen.
I think she might have made it up. I like it a lot.
It's important to me that Gracie grow up thinking of Jesus as a King--as the current ultimate authority. I've always to address him thus and spoken of him as King Jesus to her.
Here's Gracie's prayer:
King Jesus
Thank you for the people
In Jesus name, Amen.
I think she might have made it up. I like it a lot.
Monday, November 19, 2007
I told Gracie the Christmas story tonight. (This might have been a first.) It was wonderful to see her eyes light up at certain points. She's really excited about Jesus being born in a place where there were cows and sheep. She's also excited that Christmas is his BIRTHDAY. I asked her if she new what an angel was. She whispered 'pretty... '
When I told her that Jesus was in his mommies tummy, she said KING almost as if to correct me.
Amen, Gracie. Amen.
When I told her that Jesus was in his mommies tummy, she said KING almost as if to correct me.
Amen, Gracie. Amen.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
on your right...
In the shared items on the right you'll see a link to an NPR article about Mavis Staples latest CD. I bought the CD after hearing this interview. It is just wonderful. Check it out.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
This weekend found us digging through the flower beds that flank the walkway to our porch. I don't garden much at all, but I hope that's going to change. I had no idea how much life there was below the surface. In my digging I disturbed cities of tiny ants that scurried about with their larvae. I felt for them. I pulled my hand back in surprise several times when as large beetles stumbled, stunned from their holes. I saw gestating beetle larvae, and unintentionally hacked up more than a few fat, blood-red earthworms. I tried to help their writhing, bisected bodies find safe new homes.
We dug because the narrow beds were extremely full of daffodils and hyacinths. We love both flowers, but want something longer-lived for that spot. Hostas will be the new tenants. We're moving the daffodils and hyacinths to the back yard in the fall. In the meantime they'll hang in bulb form in a pair of stockings under the basement stairs.
The daffodils were likely planted around the time our house was built—1916. In many places the bulbs were three or four levels deep and had very little soil between them. They were choking each other out. Many had stopped blooming. We hope they'll be happier out back.
Tonight I taught Gracie to say 'oh no!' I showed her how to put her hands on both sides of her face and say it with a little flair. We were reading Bear Hunt. (We're going on a Bear hunt, We're going to catch a big one, What a beautiful day! We're not scared! OH NO, Grass, long wavy grass... and on and on.) There's an OH NO! on every other page. It's good times.
I also told Gracie that there's a baby in her mommie's tummy. She got it. She tried to get the baby out. I asked her where the baby was and she pointed at Kim's belly. I felt like a herald angel.
I enjoyed a podcast from Speaking of Faith (American Public Media) where Vigan Gueroian talked about Eastern Orthodox theology and gardening. I especially liked what he had to say about our longing for Eden and how people have been leaving paradise and trying to re-plant it elsewhere ever since the beginning. It made me think of Israel in exile—trying to remain Israel. I think that we all find ourselves in a similar situation. How do we remain ourselves in a place that so often tears at who we are? For me the answer part of the anwer seems to be spending time with my family and the people of God, reading, music, bread, coffee and maybe gardening.
We dug because the narrow beds were extremely full of daffodils and hyacinths. We love both flowers, but want something longer-lived for that spot. Hostas will be the new tenants. We're moving the daffodils and hyacinths to the back yard in the fall. In the meantime they'll hang in bulb form in a pair of stockings under the basement stairs.
The daffodils were likely planted around the time our house was built—1916. In many places the bulbs were three or four levels deep and had very little soil between them. They were choking each other out. Many had stopped blooming. We hope they'll be happier out back.
Tonight I taught Gracie to say 'oh no!' I showed her how to put her hands on both sides of her face and say it with a little flair. We were reading Bear Hunt. (We're going on a Bear hunt, We're going to catch a big one, What a beautiful day! We're not scared! OH NO, Grass, long wavy grass... and on and on.) There's an OH NO! on every other page. It's good times.
I also told Gracie that there's a baby in her mommie's tummy. She got it. She tried to get the baby out. I asked her where the baby was and she pointed at Kim's belly. I felt like a herald angel.
I enjoyed a podcast from Speaking of Faith (American Public Media) where Vigan Gueroian talked about Eastern Orthodox theology and gardening. I especially liked what he had to say about our longing for Eden and how people have been leaving paradise and trying to re-plant it elsewhere ever since the beginning. It made me think of Israel in exile—trying to remain Israel. I think that we all find ourselves in a similar situation. How do we remain ourselves in a place that so often tears at who we are? For me the answer part of the anwer seems to be spending time with my family and the people of God, reading, music, bread, coffee and maybe gardening.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Some dear friends moved back to town this weekend. It was wonderful to see them and begin the process of sharing and catching up. It really feels like a gift.
Saturday was sweet. We spent the morning gardening with our friends and then shared tacos. After that we dropped our little girl off at at Grammy's then went home and napped for a little while before going to help our friends unpack. We got a call in the afternoon from Grammy (fit to bust with pride) that Gracie had “tee-teed in the big potty.” Since then she's had several other accomplishments including a turd.
I'm trying to paint the room we plan to sleep in. It might be a good nursery for a little boy... It's powder blue. I used three gallons of paint—we're using a technique where you mix joint compound with the paint and smear it on the wall then roll it to give it a plaster texture. I'm just shy of being done and completely out of paint. I'm tired and sweaty... I think I'd sleep better after a shower.
Saturday was sweet. We spent the morning gardening with our friends and then shared tacos. After that we dropped our little girl off at at Grammy's then went home and napped for a little while before going to help our friends unpack. We got a call in the afternoon from Grammy (fit to bust with pride) that Gracie had “tee-teed in the big potty.” Since then she's had several other accomplishments including a turd.
I'm trying to paint the room we plan to sleep in. It might be a good nursery for a little boy... It's powder blue. I used three gallons of paint—we're using a technique where you mix joint compound with the paint and smear it on the wall then roll it to give it a plaster texture. I'm just shy of being done and completely out of paint. I'm tired and sweaty... I think I'd sleep better after a shower.
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