An Aspidistra Flying

I love my daughter.

2008-11-30T20:39:00.000-08:00

Religion, Institutional, Organized and Otherwise

2008-07-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

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?

Gracie's Prayer

2008-07-04T20:51:00.001-07:00

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.

2007-11-19T21:00:00.000-08:00

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.

on your right...

2007-07-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-06-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-05-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

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.

General Update

2007-05-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

Kim and I are having another baby. We're adjusting to the news--feeling excitment, wonder and a little apprehension. Not sure about gender yet.

We're also (yet again) hoping to hear news on our home--this time on both homes.

I'm working at the same place, but in a new department that has offered a welcome break from the frantic pace and constant scrutiny that has characterized work there. This position is much more creative and peaceful--yet it still offers a number of challenges that will take me some time to master.

I miss by brothers-in-arms from Orlando. There's no shortcut to the intimacy of friendship forged in times of great adversity. I wish I could be nearer to them.

I'm reading _The New Testament and the People of God_ by Wright. It's very good. I'm just in the beginnings of the book. I'm going to forgo discussing it because I don't want to take the time to write something good about it.

I'm experimenting with Linux on my laptop. The idea behind the Ubuntu OS really appeals to me--it's like a community garden, only with software instead of vegetables.

Bam!

2007-05-15T19:14:00.000-07:00

It's not fair that anyone (other than the Lord God) should get applause at the mere mention of garlic.

That's probably the thing that bugs me most about Emeril, but it tops a long list.

That's why I feel the need to point out that the 'Emeril as Theologian' article in the shared items to the right is really good. Check it out.

I'm a....

2007-02-10T20:59:00.000-08:00

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

71%

Roman Catholic

64%

Neo orthodox

61%

Emergent/Postmodern

54%

Reformed Evangelical

54%

Fundamentalist

54%

Charismatic/Pentecostal

43%

Classical Liberal

43%

Modern Liberal

21%

What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com

What a Difference a Daddy Makes--Kevin Leman

2007-02-03T18:46:00.000-08:00

My wife gave me this book as a Christmas gift. I've been savoring it since December and it came as a shock two weeks ago when the next page brought me right up to the bibliography. Kevin Leman offers stories and some wisdom from a man with two adult daughters and two he's still raising (he also has a son, but the book is about raising daughters as a father.)

If you're looking for easy answers or three step plans, look elsewhere. This book is more like a long series of front porch talks with an older man who wants to impart what life has taught him. I found reading it to be a centering, revitalizing time for me. I would recommend it.

Meta Blog #1

2007-02-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

I'm hoping to post book reports, epiphanies and major updates here. Combined with my feed from Google reader, (which will include all posts from my blog) this will give you a good idea of what's rattling around in my skull.

Jamuka