RevGalBlogPal Friday Five: Artsy Crafty

From the RevGal site:

During Lent here at Suburban Presbyterian Church, we are exploring the creative and liturgical arts, with classes and speakers dealing with storytelling, iconography, dance, visual art, writing, and so on. The theme is "A Beautiful Thing," inspired by the story of the woman anointing Jesus and his declaration that "She has done a beautiful thing for me." (Mark 14, NIV)

We are working on the notion that everything we do can be considered a beautiful thing--a creative offering to God--whether it's gardening or scrapbooking or accounting or sorting clothes at the clothes closet or child-rearing. And so:


1. Would you call yourself "creative"? Why or why not? Actually, this is a part of me that has taken awhile to claim. I have now come to a place where I can call myself creative, not because I'm wildly talented artistically, but because it's something I love to do. Music helps me stay in touch with my creative side, although I've never before considered it particularly creative. I also like being crafty through cross-stitch and knitting/crocheting (the latter is a growing area). Painting and photography is something I enjoy as well, though I'm not spectacularly great at it...though, as I said, I enjoy it. In thinking about it....I believe I am a very creative person, and I don't give myself enough credit for it.

(Incidentally, I believe everyone is creative in some way...they just need to tap into themselves and find it!)

2. Share a creative or artistic pursuit you currently do that you'd like to develop further. There are so many to choose from! Right now, I would love to develop better skills in photography, especially with old-style cameras with a manual focus. I think it would be great to learn how to develop my own film as well!

3. Share a creative or artistic pursuit you have never done but would like to try. Writing a song. I'm not a brilliant lyricist by any means, but it would be fun to try my hand at writing a piece of music. I've unfortunately let my keyboard skills atrophy so it would be difficult to translate what I hear in my head to notes on a page, but if I play around enough I might be able to do it. Scrapbooking is another.

4. Complete this sentence: "I am in awe of people who can _____________." Write meaningful poetry. I just don't have that kind of way with words.

5. Share about a person who has encouraged your creativity, who has "called you to your best self." (I'm pretty sure that's from the Gospel of Oprah. There are two people (well, three actually).

(1) I took a class in January 2006 called Ministry and the Imagination taught by Dr. Elkins and Dr. Westfield. Basically, it was a week-long seminar where we got to pick a workshop (mine was painting) and talk about the place of creativity in ministry. You can see my project (still a work-in-progress) here.

(2) Ben sparks my creativity and is always encouraging me in my endeavors. He's so darn creative too; it's neat how we sometimes just feed each other in that way.

(3) This person is probably completely unaware that she has encouraged my creativity in any way, shape, or form, but I'd have to go with my sister. She writes incredibly deep poetry that I am always in awe of. She makes me want to be a more creative person.

A Day in the City

Ben's Christmas (/Valentine's) Day gift to me was a day in New York City, complete with a matinee Broadway performance, dinner, and time to peruse the city for used book stores (particularly those with a science-fiction/fantasy bent).

So on February 10th, we trotted down to the nearby train station and hopped on a train bound for Penn Station. (It's hard to believe that it was 3 weeks ago!)

Our first line of business (aside from visiting one of the many Starbucks that pepper the streets of NYC for a hot beverage to stave off the cold) was to make our way to Times Square to wait in line for Broadway Tickets courtesy of TKTS. I got to pick, since it was my day. :-) The first two shows I wanted to see either were too expensive or had obstructed views, so I settled on The Producers with none other than Tony Danza starring as Broadway producer Max Bialystock. Actually, he was better in it than you might think!

While in line for the tickets, we took a flyer from an elderly woman advertising a French restaurant named Pergola des Artistes on 252 West 46th. They had a Matinée Special - for $11.95 you could get an entrée, vegetable, bread and butter and a glass of wine (add $5.50 for soup or salad and desert). Everything was superb. Absolutely delicious, and it was so nice to sit down and have a luxurious lunch over an hour and a half. This is my new favorite restaurant.

After that we went to the show, which was very well done. I'm glad I got to see it when I did; apparently it's going off Broadway soon! We sat next to another couple and chatted with them before the show and during intermission; actually, there was quite a lot of chatting going on in our section before the show started!

Next on our agenda was hitting up the Used Book Stores, which unfortunately was a disappointment. One supposed "sci-fi" place was just the back of a record store, another was more about comic books and anime than any fantasy. Strand turned out to be more discounted new books (and the used section wasn't anything spectacular, at least in the sci-fi/fantasy section). Even though the used book store hunting wasn't successful, it was all worth it for the show, the food, and spending the day with my darling fiancé. :-)

Some Favorite Photos

In the spirit of being lazy (and because I have a few ideas that need some fleshing out), I submit for your viewing pleasure some favorite photographs of mine that I have taken over the years:

I captured this on Easter morning, 2005. I skipped the sunrise service because I slept in a bit, so I wandered down to the shore (i.e., I barely left my backyard) to take a few photos. Actually, the image on the header of this blog comes from that same morning.

This one comes from the Prague cathedral in the Prague Castle, taken Spring Break 2005.


From the same trip, only in St. Peter's in Vienna.


This is one of the foliage pictures I took this past fall, just around the Drew campus.

Sermon for Transfiguration Sunday

For today, I decided to post my sermon that I preached on the 18th of February. My reasons for doing so are (a) I do want to share it with you all (b) I have a lot of reading left for the evening and (c) if I were to do a post it would be all about how much I hate living at Drew, and I'd rather be in a better frame of mind to reflect meaningfully on the situation rather than wanting to kneecap everyone in Facilities, Housing, and Residence Life for placing me in an apartment afflicted by carbon monoxide. So, in the interest of my own psychological well-being, we have: "With Our Faces Unveiled"

I can only imagine what it must have been like for Peter, James and John up on that mountain with Jesus. Everything seems normal, and then all of a sudden something incredible happens. Jesus changes, out of nowhere, Moses and Elijah appear! Now to the disciples, this would have been a big deal. Moses and Elijah weren’t just ordinary biblical characters, but foundational figures of the Jewish faith. It would be like a modern day baseball fan meeting Babe Ruth, or a classical music fanatic seeing Beethoven appear right in front of their eyes. Moses and Elijah to them were the stuff of legends. And on top of seeing Judaism’s spiritual dynamic duo, a cloud breaks forth, and God’s voice booms out over the mountain top. Now, what I wouldn’t give to hear God’s voice speaking to me!

We hear these kinds of stories all the time: stories about people who have had intense spiritual experiences. There are stories from the mystics, from our spiritual mothers and fathers, and from people who have had near death experiences, to name a few, and all of them in some way express their own personal encounter with Christ. One example comes from Hildegard of Bingen, a 12th century Christian mystic who recorded the visions that she received. I want to share with you one of her visions which comes from her first collection of visions:

“I saw a great mountain the color of iron, and enthroned on it One of such great glory that it blinded my sight. On each side of him there extended a soft shadow, like a wing of wondrous breadth and length. Before him, at the foot of the mountain, stood an image full of eyes on all sides, in which, because of those eyes, I could discern no human form. In front of this image stood another, a child wearing a tunic of subdued color but white shoes, upon whose head such glory descended from the One enthroned upon that mountain that I could not look at its face. But from the One who sat enthroned upon that mountain many living sparks sprang forth, which flew very sweetly around the images. Also, I perceived in this mountain many little windows, in which appeared human heads, some of subdued colors and some white.”

Now, we all probably haven’t had experiences exactly like this one or times where the clouds break forth, angels descend, and we hear the voice of God speaking directly to us, but in some way we’ve likely had our own “mountain top experiences” – times when we have felt so close to God and energized by that presence that we felt as if Jesus was standing right there beside us. As Celtic Christians understood it, these are times when the veil between this world and the next seems thin, and communication happens between heaven and earth. In these moments, we get glimpses of the glory of God. We may feel this way during or after a spiritual retreat. It may be at the birth of a child. It may be after a deep conversation with a friend or a parent. We may even feel this way sometimes out in nature, or during a particularly moving worship service. Regardless of where and how, these “mountain top experiences” are times when we feel God with us. We feel, in some sense, “on top of the world.” We feel exhilarated. Enlivened. Invigorated. At peace. Refreshed.

These moments can be powerful. I’ve mentioned before how the SEARCH retreat that I went on earlier this year was a mountain-top experience for me, and I believe that others who were there that weekend would describe their experience similarly. It’s difficult to put it into words, except to say that God was truly present with us as we met at the retreat center (which, incidentally, was on the top of a mountain). Christ met us as we were gathered there to worship, to learn, to fellowship and to grow in our Christian faith. It was amazing to watch how a room of complete strangers came together and became Christ to one another through times of difficult sharing, times of worship, and times of laughter. God worked in very tangible ways that weekend. There was power in our encounter with Christ, but the real power was in the transformation that occurred as a result of that experience, which was youth and adults alike recommitting themselves to their spiritual lives.

There are other characters in the Bible who have had encounters with God that could be termed “mountain top experiences.” One such story is that of Moses as he came down from Mount Sinai in the 34th chapter of Exodus that we read today. Moses had been up on this mountain speaking with God, and God had been giving him some of the laws for the Israelites to follow. Moses was up on that mountain with God for 40 days and 40 nights, without eating or drinking anything. When Moses finally came down the mountain, he was carrying two stone tablets with the 10 commandments inscribed on them. What’s more, however, was that Moses’ face was glowing as he came down the mountain. But Aaron and the Israelites, instead of being happy that their leader had just returned, were afraid of him, which makes me think that Moses’ makeover wasn’t just the result of a new skin care product, or just because he just had a really great time chatting with God. No…I imagine it looked more like Moses had a radioactive accident up on that mountain – that his skin was literally glowing. His face shone because he had been up on the mountain with God, and he radiated with the residue of the shining brilliance of God’s glory. This change in Moses’ complexion frightened his brother Aaron and all the Israelites, so much so that they were afraid to get close to him and that Moses had to walk around with a veil over his face. He would take this veil off whenever he went to talk to God, but when he was out in public, that veil went right back on.

As this story suggests to us, there is something tangibly different about those who have encountered the glory of God, and who have allowed that encounter to transform their lives. It doesn’t matter if the experience was brilliant, like Moses coming down off the mountain, or something more subtle, like a night star-gazing with friends or holding a child as they fall asleep in your arms. What truly matters is how those encounters get under our skin; how we, in those moments, let Christ enter in. This change shouldn’t merely happen inside of us, but be noticeable to those around us.

Contrast Moses’ visible, physical sign of transformation with Peter, James, and John, who went up the mountain with Jesus and witnessed him in all his glory. As if watching Jesus’ face change wasn’t dramatic enough, they too had God speak directly to them, saying “This is my Son, My Chosen, Listen to him!” Peter even wanted to stay up on that mountain indefinitely by asking to put up tents for Jesus, Moses and Elijah; he wanted to bask in the glory of that moment. And yet, when they came down the mountain, nothing about them had changed. The disciples were no different than they were before. They couldn’t even cast out the spirit from the afflicted boy – Jesus had to do it for them. The people down on the ground were astounded by this miracle, and yet the three disciples had just witnessed something that was far greater…and it didn’t affect them. What could have been a transforming experience for the disciples became just another ordinary event. Their encounter with Christ didn’t change them at all.

Change, understandably, can be scary and unsettling. For instance, take the Israelites’ reaction to Moses. They were afraid of his physical transformation. But why? Were they afraid that it was more than just Moses’ face that had changed? Were they worried that somehow, Moses was a different person? And why did Moses accommodate that fear by wearing a veil around them?

I think we ask these same questions of ourselves when we come face to face with Christ. As Christians, we are called to live changed lives, but what does this change mean? Does this mean we are different people? That we are no longer ourselves? Who are we once we experience God’s glory? Do we, like Moses, wear a veil to shield others from the effects of the change within us?

Paul gives an answer to this question in 2 Corinthians. He says in 3:18: “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” Let me say them again: “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.”

Allowing ourselves to be changed by encountering God means that, far from becoming different people, we are being transformed into people God created us to be. We are being transformed into the image of Christ. We are still ourselves; we are still the same people. The difference comes as we grow into the people God indented us to be: people with unveiled faces. With our unveiled faces, we are able to experience the fullness of God’s glory and reflect that glory to others. But if we keep our veils on, other people around us cannot see that glory.

“Mountain top experiences” aren’t something that we have every day, and we aren’t supposed to have them every day. We are called to live life off of the mountain. As soon as Jesus and his disciples climbed down the mountain, life went back to normal. He continued healing people, casting out demons, and his disciples continued to ask their questions. In the midst of mundane everyday life, these intense encounters with God tend to fade in our memories. So how do we live as people with our faces unveiled in the midst of everyday life? If these experiences lose their strength over time, how can we sustain ourselves?

Although Moses walked around with his veil on, his example points us in the right direction. He would take off his veil when he went to speak with God. It’s important that in God’s presence, we have our veils off. Even though life at times may cause us to wear a veil over our faces, we are completely free to be ourselves when we are before God, because God already knows us and loves us anyway! But just having our veils off before God isn’t enough. We also need to keep that regular communication with God: through prayer, through reading the Scriptures, through worship, and through fellowship with other Christians. These actions are all necessary to living life with our veils off our faces, because these encounters with God will also transform us into the image of Jesus Christ. The more often we do this, the easier it is to keep our veils off and the easier it is to live as a reflection of God’s glory.

As Christians, we are called to live our lives with unveiled faces. We are called to take those “mountain top experiences” – those sacred moments of our lives – and allow them to transform us into the image of Christ. We are called to live into the people who God created us to be. We are called to mirror the glory of Christ to those around us. This week I challenge all of us to keep the veil off of our faces, so that everyone might see Christ’s glory reflected in us. AMEN

My New Favorite Bible Verse

Psalm 58:8a: "Let [the wicked] be like the snail that dissolves into slime."

Great, isn't it? I stumbled across this beauty as part of my reading for my Psalms class. (This week's topic is Imagin/ing YHWH and Issues of Covenant.) But this one verse captured my attention. It's startlingly (and wonderfully) graphic. Don't you wish your enemies would dissolve into slime? Come on now...be honest!

Just for fun, I turned to the United Methodist Hymnal to see (1) if it was in there and (2) if the liturgist or the congregation said it. Sadly, it's one of the psalms that got axed (though I don't know why, after all, we do say the end of Psalm 137, and that's not a pretty sight to think about!) I can just imagine someone proclaiming from a lectern, "Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime; like the untimely birth that never sees the sun." (The last half of that verse is just a little too harsh for my taste, though there are times when I wish my enemies had never been born).

We forget that these nasty little phrases sneak into our clean and pretty text. We also forget the Bible's little idiosyncrasies. Another favorite passage is Proverbs 26:11, which says "Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who reverts to his folly." Fun, eh? Too bad we don't get these memory verses in Sunday School!

Anyone else have some favorite quirky passages?

As the world turns...please don't let me fly off!

One of the blogs that I read on a consistent basis captured the state of my life in one simple sentence: "My life is again an emergency room that follows me wherever I go."

This woman gave me the words to articulate what I have been feeling for the past few weeks at the very least; it's a never-ending cycle of the pressing needs of the moment, and I am on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop, almost anticipating the mistimed juggle that causes the balls to fall, the one last card to topple the already tottering house of cards.

I dropped a job this week, which should help my gradual return to sanity, though it was a tough decision to make. I enjoyed making coffee for people, I enjoyed being hospitable, and I enjoyed the few hours it forced me to do work that needed to get done. Most of all, I enjoyed being around people for those seven hours in the Cafe each week. But I'm hoping the potential decrease in emotional stress of an introvert having to be "on" and the stress of just being somewhere at some designated time will dissipate and I can feel like my life is (somewhat) under control.

Not my control, of course, because I'm not really at the point of managing 12 credit hours (think a total of 48 hours combined work and classtime per week), church, planning a wedding, another (albeit limited) part-time job, life complications and so on and so forth in an efficient and effective manner (because this is only scratching the surface of life, the universe, and everything). I just can't do it; I'm barely clinging on to the world by my fingertips. Thank God for God. Not that God couldn't handle it with that extra job in there, but I was beginning to have my doubts. Unfortunately, I couldn't very well blame God for something I did to myself.

It wasn't until today that I resolved my squeamish reaction to the words "God never gives you more than you can handle." I know I've tried to use this as a rationalization for life in the past, but it has never quite sat right with me. It felt like a sweater that you desperately want to fit, but realize that you need to lose (or gain) a few pounds in just the right places for it to work. My pastor preached this Sunday on the "wilderness" and talked about the image of God up there doling out misery to people not working for him. Instead, God allows these experiences to happen (much like parents who see their children struggling but don't intervene so that they will learn) so that learning and growth can happen through spiritual struggling. God doesn't give us tough times, but God allows these times to happen for our benefit. As much as I would absolutely love God to take away the stresses and everything else that worries me (please, God?)...I know that won't happen. My task is to press on, pray a lot, learn to take it a bit easier on myself, and eat lots of chocolate. (Oh wait....darn Ben for giving up deserts for Lent....well, if chocolate becomes a meal, it isn't desert, right? :-) )

Thanksgiving in February

Even though the tryptophan probably wore off several hours ago, I am still sleepy and drowsy after this evening's wonderfully successful Thanksgiving Dinner. Getting the turkey cooked was quite an adventure, primarily because...

...my carbon monoxide detector went off. Again.

Now, this is the 5 billionth time this has happened (well, probably only the 6th). But this time, when the gentleman came over to take the reading, we got a definitive answer to our monoxide problem: it is the oven (not the stovetop!) that is generating lethal amounts of this gas. So we aren't supposed to use either the oven or the stove until Monday, when someone is going to come over and dismantle this thing to see what's wrong. Hopefully, I won't die before then (we aerated the place, so don't worry).

This posed a logistical problem in the turkey roasting, however. We were already an hour and a half into the cooking of this 20 lb. bird...and now we had to figure out where to finish it and how to get it there. We ended up at Ben's place for the afternoon, using a huge cardboard box to transport the thing in his car back to his place. Despite this mishap, we ended up with a gorgeous bird that was quite tasty. I'm looking forward to making turkey stock tomorrow.

In light of the exception I made in my Lenten Discipline for this community event...I'm not sure how veggie I really am going to be. We seriously have tons of leftover turkey, and we're planning on using the carcass for making broth...we probably have enough to make two crock pots full. Turkey soup, turkey sandwiches, turkey...everything. We will be eating turkey...for awhile. I am a vegetarian...minus the turkey.

The dinner was fun, and I enjoyed meeting a few friends of one of my friends who were visiting for the weekend. We hung out, cleaned, and played Apples to Apples! All in all, an enjoyable night. :-)

RevGalBlogPal Friday Five: Companions on the Way

Dante had Virgil as a guide. Before he had younger siblings, my oldest child had an imaginary friend named Patrick. Betsy had Tacy. Laura Ingalls depended on her brindle bulldog, Jack. All of them were companions on the way.

As we take the beginning steps of our journey through Lent, who would we take as a companion? Name five people, real or imaginary, you might like to have with you as guide or guardian or simply good friend.

Assuming God and Jesus and all that good stuff:

1) Ben, my fiancé. He's giving up meat with me, just as I'm doing some of his disciplines too.
2-3) There are a couple of friends here at seminary who are already some of my spiritual companions; I'd take them on my Lenten journey too.
4) Now this might sound a little silly, but I would take my dog Meyers with me. He's a St. Bernard who died a couple of years ago...
5) Anyone who would be willing to share my journey with me!

I'm not late!

Technically, I haven't gone to bed yet, so this still counts as my daily blog post. :-)

The question then becomes: what of substance do I have to talk about? The answer: not much.

This week has been full and busy, with preaching my sermon on Sunday (thus all the work I normally would have done last Thursday/Friday/Saturday had to get done on Sunday/Monday. I can tell you, 3 does not go into 2 very well, especially when one of them is technically your Sabbath. So this week has not been a very restful one; I don't think I have gotten 8 hours of sleep each night. I try very hard to always get 8 hours in because I find I function a lot better if I get enough shut-eye. Ben (and others) appreciate it because I'm not so cranky, yet I've had a couple people say to me that they like the tired me. Who knows? The tired me usually has too much caffeine in her system to be of much use.

Looking ahead, life looks complicated. Children's sermon, reading and writing, youth Bible study, wedding planning...and I'm good for 6.5 tonight (I am not looking forward to getting up at 6:30 tomorrow morning, though sadly it is my last day at the Cyber Cafe *tear* :-( ). I just have to keep on keepin' on through the end of this week, and pray that I can scrape enough together so that I can truly rest on Monday.

Self care? What's that?

Megachurches and multicultural worship

Last link, I swear....it's about how megachurches are "desegregating" worship.

The Britney tell-all TV confessional: Who will get it?

I have prided myself on ignoring this stupid Britney affair. But I was intrigued as to how she would look like with her shaved head. In the process of searching for the photos, I found this article off of canada.com, speculating as to who will get the TV confessional. It's an amusing article, worth a look.

FYI

Registration is now open for emergingumc: a gathering. Hop on board! I'm definitely hoping to be there...

My Lenten Discipline

I'm finally taking the plunge.

No, I'm got getting a body piercing or a tattoo (though from time to time I ponder a nose piercing). I'm not going bungee jumping or skydiving, or anything dangerous like that. For Lent, I am giving up...meat. That's right. For 40 days (plus some change), I'm becoming a veggie.

Tonight, that was a big deal because for class we had dinner at a pub in Morristown. An Irish pub, no less. I kept staring and staring at that corned beef and cabbage line on the menu thinking, What in the world have I done to myself??? Day one: sorely tempted. But I managed to gather myself together and order one of the (very) few meatless items on the menu: fresh mozzarella and tomato salad. At an Irish pub. (sighs)

For as long as I can remember I've given up something for Lent - usually soda, candy, chocolate, ice cream...things of that nature. For the past couple of years I've added something as well: praying for 30 minutes every day, praying the offices, etc...something like that.

I don't think I've ever done given up something that has challenged me like this before. It's going to be one long season (and.....it's not even total, because there's a 20 lb. turkey that is going to be eaten on Saturday. So it'll be a vegetarian diet...plus some turkey).

Anyhow, because blogging has become somewhat of a spiritual discipline for me (at least, some of the more serious posts), I will be posting every day (not necessarily on this site. I might wander back into my livejournal for some friend-locked posts that are more sensitive). I have a feeling that this is going to be another challenging Lent activity.

Third and final Lenten discipline: 20 minutes of silent meditation everyday. Another challenge for me.

I pray that this Lent isn't going to kick my butt, but I pray that it will stretch and push me in the right direction.

"I like big Bibles and I cannot lie..."

For those fans of Baby Got Back, you might want to check this out. (And, even if you aren't a fan, you still need to take a look!)

More Wisdom from Mutts

Oh how true...

The Misplaced Mystic

You know you're a seminarian when you freak out over misplacing a copy of Hildegard of Bingen's Scivias that you were going to use as a sermon illustration...

...only to find out that your fiancé has it in his safekeeping.

RevGalBlogPal Friday Five: American Idol Edition

1) If I could sing like anyone, it would be ... Norah Jones. I love her voice; it's so expressive. I don't think I could pull this off (not in a million years) but it's fun to dream anyway.

2) I would love to sing the song ... "Don't Know Why." She does a fantastic job of it on her first album. Actually, if I had tried out for the a capella group I wanted to my senior year of college, that would have been the song.

3) It would be really cool to sing at ... oh, I don't know. Not in front of lots of people (though if I had a voice like hers, I suppose it wouldn't be a problem)!

4) If I could sing a dream duet it would be with ... I have two: Tony Bennett, or Dan Haseltine of Jars of Clay.

5) If I could sing on a TV or radio show, it would be ... not American Idol! (I wouldn't want to humiliate myself). If I was good, and a good dancer, and had a good stage presence, the new Grease show would be fun (though Grease isn't one of my favorite musicals).

EDIT: Reading Songbird's Friday Five made me realize that I, too, would love to sing with Garrison Keillor on A Prairie Home Companion.

Religion and the Social Process: An Introduction

It appears to me that for the time being, there are going to be two consistent threads running throughout most of my blog posts. On thread centers on the theological implications of Get Fuzzy. The other will be about thoughts from one of my classes this semester called "Church and Society 401: Religion and the Social Process." To give you an idea of the class, it's affectionately known around campus as...Oppression 101. And many white heterosexual males tremble at the thought!

However, I'm really looking forward to the experience (and I know white males who have come through unscathed and who truly enjoyed the class). We'll be dealing with a lot of "-isms" (sadly, not evangelism...though as my previous post suggests, even evangelism can be used to oppress people). We'll be talking about racism, sexism, ecumenism, ableism...the list goes on.

After only two classes, I have almost a full page of snippets of potential blog posts that strike me during lecture. Often I'll only have time to jot down a quote and a few accompanying thoughts, but hopefully I'll pick one or two and try to flesh them out a bit.

Honestly, right now I don't have the energy for it. I, like a good seminarian, am practicing self-care and going to bed. So much for finishing my reading on conflict management...who needs it anyway? It's not like there's ever any conflict in the church... ;-)

Truths from Get Fuzzy (First Installment)

I must admit, I am a relatively new reader to the comic strip Get Fuzzy. It wasn't in my paper growing up, although for the brief time we subscribed to the Boston Globe I read it. I truly became a fan my senior year in college, when a friend pointed it out to me. I immediately became an avid reader; one of the few strips that I make a point to read every single day.

These strips that always make me laugh, but more often than not I read a strip that also makes me think. Today's Get Fuzzy strip from my one-a-day calendar
falls into that category. So from time to time I will be posting strips that are thought-provoking for me (hence the "First Installment" in the title).

Unfortunately, I think that this characterization of door-to-door evangelists is all too often the truth. These folks might care about the people they are evangelizing (and given their context I'm sure they believe they do), but it seems that they are also after something more tangible: your money, or the confirmation that your soul is going to heaven and the commitment to attend their particular denomination's church. They aren't really there for your benefit; they're there to get something from you.

Door-to-door evangelism needs to be revived and renewed in the United Methodist Church. We should be out there, meeting individuals in our communities so that we can better serve our neighbors. We shouldn't be out there to beat the Bible over someone's head, or to ask them to pledge money for our new building, or to ask them "do you know where you will go?" We should be out there discovering what people need - talking to them to find out how we can serve them and not ourselves.

I think the other truth that this strip unveils is: in what people are placing their hope? Not God. Satchel's response to the question "do you believe in an infallible power?" ("You mean like Google?"), while funny, is revealing. Even we as Christians all too often place our hope and trust in other things above God: technology, popular culture, the media, the government...sex, alcohol, and other addictions, (and I know far too many Christians who inappropriately appeal to these three), and the list goes on from there.

So we need to remember first of all where our ultimate hope, trust, and faith lies - with God revealed in the person and ministry of Jesus Christ. Secondly, the Church needs to serve our communities as opposed to being self-serving. Through serving others (by actually asking what their needs are!) we are showing and sharing the love of Christ with our neighbors.

My 7 Villages Page

I have been playing around with the new United Methodist Church website. Unfortunately, I was unable to participate in the dialogue session open to UM bloggers, but here and there I've managed to pick up a few things about the site.

One of the more interesting features (at least to me and what I've seen so far) is the 7 Villages network. As Beth Quick points out, "it's certainly no myspace," but as far as I know, it's still in the beta stage. But I think something like this could revolutionize how our denomination communicates. Just seeing the connections happen over at The Methoblog, there is some serious potential for doing some really neat things.

Anyhow, I'm just going to plug my page: http://www.7villages.com/mlyosua. Stop on by!

Snowy Silence

There's something sacred about the way snow falls, and I can't quite place my finger on it.

Perhaps it's the profound sense of silence that accompanies each falling flake (no matter what noise there is in the background).

Perhaps it's how a pristine blanket of white transforms an otherwise dull and barren landscape into a winter wonderland (at the risk of sounding cliché).

Perhaps it's the almost spontaneous feeling of joy the sight of snow arouses in me (particularly when there's someone nearby to throw a snowball at - playfully, of course!).

Perhaps it's the way snow seems to bring out the kid in all of us (but just the fun parts).

Perhaps it's none of the above and should be chalked up to one of those mysteries inherent when encountering the Divine and should remain unexplained (which I am perfectly comfortable with).

I know a lot of people detest snow...and a lot of people have never truly experienced it. Snow to some people means shoveling and hard labor, an increased potential for roadway accidents, drab and boring scenery for four months, and so on and so forth. I, on the other hand, am immensely captivated by snow.

One of the strongest images I hold on to from my childhood is of the snow falling above my window. Whenever it snowed at night, my parents would turn on the spotlight over the deck and our backyard. My room, being on the first floor, had a perfect view of the light illuminating the falling snow and on those evenings as I drifted off to sleep I watched the snow dance down to the ground - sometimes lazily and sometimes in a chaotic frenzy subject to the whims of the fierce wind. Those nights were some of my favorites (not just due to the prospect of a snow day); the snow swirled about in intricate patterns that never repeated and I found myself fascinated by the ever-changing motifs: perpetual variations on a snowy eve.

This is one of the biggest things I miss about my old room at home (a note to my sister: you better be enjoying the view!). During those evenings watching the snow fall while I was warm in my bed, I was thankful that I had a safe and secure place from which to watch the magic happen. In those moments, I really appreciated a lot of things...warmth, a house, a loving family, life in general...and God.

I guess snow just reminds me of God's presence: the deep silence and the joy that it brings. The beauty of watching it fall. The whole package, really.

Now if adults just had more snow days, we'd all be set!

PS - I took that photo earlier this evening...taking pictures of snow is hard!

Two Challenging Posts

I apologize for not keeping up with posting; Drew Telecom has not yet made internet service available in my bedroom, and so right now I’m sharing the connection with two other lovely people. I’m sorry to say that this whole moving experience has not been entirely a positive one. Rather than meaninglessly rip on Drew’s sub-par administrative network, my hope is to express my concerns in a constructive light by means of a letter (sent to Facilities, Residence Life, Housing, the Deans of the Theological School, and the Provost). I’m not the only one who has had a…difficult experience with the first three departments (or more to the point, the first two).

Anyway, the last half of that above paragraph is not the intention of my post. Because the past couple days have eluded me in terms of subjects to write blog posts about, I submit for your consideration two blog posts by others that have sparked me to think.

The first is actually a series of two posts from D. S. Mike, who is a D.S. up in New England. He gives us a challenge: why are you a Christian in 100 words or less (using no religious jargon!)

The second is from Steeple Soapbox, who is none other than my adorable and loving fiancé. He wrote a post called "Why Doesn't the Church Ever Change?"

I am Woman, hear me ROAR...but please help me change my flat tire...

I pride myself on being able to change a spare tire. I'm a Maine girl, and like to fancy myself as being more familiar with tools than most other females my age (but that really isn't saying a whole heck of a lot). My dad taught me how to do it a few years ago and it really is rather simple. Jack the car up, take off the bolts (in the all-important star-shaped pattern), take the tire off, put the new one on, put the car back down and presto! The spare tire is good to go. Assuming, of course, that you can get the spare tire out of it's hiding place.

This was my issue yesterday. I was already frustrated with myself for having backed into the chain-link fence around Ben's house...and now even more angry and upset that it gashed my tire. Unfortunately, the adrenaline rush that you get from these emotions did not translate into super-strength, and so even though I managed to pull back the carpet on the trunk, take out the jack kit, and unscrew the plastic bolt - I couldn't for the life of me get the tire out of the trunk. To do this, one really needed three hands - one to hold back the carpet far enough and two to coax the tire out of its lair.

So I called Ben, sniffling (because of the old and my general upsetness). He, like a good, loving fiancé, came over to the ShopRite parking lot to help me. Together we got the tire out, and he figured out the jack and jacked up my car...but he couldn't get the lug nuts off. I tried. I couldn't get them off either - even by stepping on the wrench.

By this time, we are both frigidly cold. And so we did the next logical step - called AAA.

The guy came and he had it changed in 10 minutes.

As it turned out, even if we had managed to get the bolts loosened, we wouldn't have been able to take the mangled tire off of the car (the AAA guy needed to apply some tricks to get it off).

If we had managed to figure out how to get it off, we wouldn't have been able to put the spare tire on because the bolts were having difficulty lining up with the holes (the AAA guy performed another trick to get this to work).

AAA saved the day. But the next time I need to change a tire on a car...it's all mine.

Getting in touch with the Church's "Inner Glitter"

On NPR yesterday morning, I heard a story about The Crafty Chica (or here for her website) that piqued my interest.

Kathy Cano-Murillo is a Latina woman who makes her living by being...crafty! She draws on the resources of her culture to make her crafts (and after perusing her sites, they are quite beautiful - and they do feature a lot of glitter!). She talks about the importance of being crafty because it can lead to a happier existence. It's a form of self-expression. As she puts it, "We all have glitter inside of us."

Being craftily-inclined (though I do not wield a hot glue gun, but rather knitting needles and other such pointy objects), I can appreciate her statements. Crafting is a powerful form of self-expression, and one that largely is absent from church life, unless you are talking about a prayer shawl ministry or Sunday School crafts. What does it say that we claim to serve the Creator God and yet we, ourselves, do not take the time to create for the pure pleasure of it?

This is one of the reasons why I love expressions of church in the emerging conversation. Art and the act of creating is finding a new place within the life of the church community (and not just for the UMW Christmas Fair). Creating something tangible (be it art, music, or crafts) is considered a form of worship. Creating (and crafting!) allows us to get in touch with God.

So where is the Church's "inner glitter"? I, for one, plan on finding out.

Ugh!

*groans*...wake me when it's next season...

The Pat's really did give that game away on a silver platter...*shakes head in disbelief*...

[EDIT]: I consider it a little sad that last night I actually dreamed about the Patriots - and that in my dream after we had turned off the television (right after that game-ending interception), they had actually won the game. I woke up and drifted back down to reality.

I realize that the Colts going to the Superbowl really is a lucky break for them. If we hadn't beaten the Chargers last week (who were clearly the better team), the Colts would have had to face them last night and frankly, they would have been crushed in that meeting.

Honestly, I don't know who I'll root for in the Superbowl. Perhaps I'll just try to enjoy some good football (and a few commercials)...and secretly wish the Colts would be steamrolled.

This is why I love Get Fuzzy

For those of you who don't follow this strip (or read it occasionally):

Rob - the owner of Bucky (the cat) and Satchel (the dog). Red Sox fan, computer tech guy, D&D nerd...your basic gaming geek (and much less pathetic than Jon from Garfield).

Bucky - the conniving cat, who is always working on one scheme or another. If it isn't exploiting the dog, it's trying to make beaucoup bucks. He considers himself to be the master of the apartment, and is obnoxious, arrogant, and hysterically funny. Is also a Yankees fan.

Satchel - the sweetest dog. He's pretty stupid, but very lovable, good natured, and cheerful. He is often the butt of Bucky's antics, though occasionally he's pretty clever.

In this light, I present to you the past three strips from this week:

How sad is it....

...that I am half-way through hand-writing one thank you note and my hand is already cramping up? My hand-writing also isn't as good as it used to be, though my penmanship was never anything to marvel at. I always envied my mother's handwriting. She said it was the product of grueling (ok, I'm stretching that a bit) classes back in elementary school. I want to say that they took it up until high school, but maybe I'm remembering that incorrectly. Then again, penmanship classes never really worked for my father (no offense, Dad), although I am somewhat enamored of his very distinguishable (if illegible) style of writing.

I think this is what disgusts me about my hand-writing. It's not very stylish, kind of ugly, and very inconsistent with itself. Some "l"'s are cursive, others are print. "S"'s in the beginning of a word are a hybrid of print and cursive (though some lean more to one end of the spectrum than the other), and "s"'s in the middle/end of words are more cursive. And this is only the beginning.

I know that hand-written samples, when analyzed properly, can tell a lot about a person. I wonder what it would say about me?

In any case, perhaps the ucky (there's no other word for it), penmanship and the alarming hand-cramping after six written sentences just means that I should practice a bit more. After all, there is a sort of art inherent in hand-writing and I don't want to lose it (if...I ever had it in the first place!).

EDIT: It doesn't help things any that I've had two cups of coffee this morning, and my hands are shaking from the extra caffeine...whee!!!!

Please forgive the construction!

Many thanks to John of Locusts & Honey for the tips on how to get a picture up in the header. The rest I'm figuring out as I go, so we'll see what happens. :-)

It's beginning to look a lot like...winter!

At long last, snow has fallen on New Jersey (a pitiful half-inch, but at this point I'll take it). I awoke yesterday morning to a winter wonderland.


We even got a sprinkling of more snow later on in the evening. It was nice, thick, wet, snowball-making snow.

But, who am I kidding? It'll all be gone by Monday as temperatures climb back into the unseasonal mid-40s. (At the very least, it's unseasonal for me...perhaps not for New Jersey). However, while it is here I plan on enjoying it. There's not quite enough for a snowball fight, but at least it's pretty to look at.

The time has come....

...to spiff up this blog a bit. I've decided that since I've used this blog as my primary thought repository for a few months, it needs a new look. I have a couple pictures that I want to use as a header. So does anyone have a good reference for me for templates I can use that are customizable, or is anyone talented enough to give me a quick tutorial on how to make my own?

Why I love New England (even Massachusetts)

"So what do you have to say for yourself?"

I peered up at the man in the booth as I forked over my sixty cents. A bit dumbfounded, I smiled at the kindly old man who took my change.

"Nothing?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm headed south. That's about it. Can't say I'm excited about it."

He laughed and smiled and wished me a good day. I did the same to him, rolled up my windows, and continued straight ahead to get onto the Turnpike South to make the long journey back to Drew. I thought about that conversation for quite a few miles. It was seemingly insignificant, but it highlighted to me the many differences between my New England and New Jersey.

Something about New Jersey has always made me cringe just a little bit inside. Ok, I'm lying. Many things about New Jersey put me on edge: the drivers, the hordes of people, the number of cars, the tangle of highways, seeing shopping center after shopping center loom on the horizon...and I could go on.

The lack of nature here really bothers me. Let me be more specific - of course there's nature in New Jersey. There are beaches galore, trees, meadows, and flowers. However, I look at the nature here and it's...tame. The beaches are built up, the forests looked planned (even if they aren't), and flowers grow here and there as if they were planted with the precision of some town planner. It's not really nature.

There's no "wild" to it, like up in Maine or Massachusetts where areas of land remain unscathed by human hands. Even in the more built-up parts of Northern New England, the trees and flowers don't look planned - they act as if they belonged there by right. New Jersey nature, on the other hand, bows in service to humanity, as if it was ashamed to be there.

There's more to this difference than nature's demeanor. People are also very different here in New Jersey. As Ben likes to put it - you can tell by the people who check you out at the grocery store and by the people who take your money at the toll booth. My interaction with the Maine toll guy was so different than my encounters with the toll-takers on the GSP. Half the time, they won't look at you. The other half of the time, they silently stare. On the rare occasion you do get someone to speak to you, it's a mumbled "Thanks" as you drop your coins into their hands. I always make it a point to say "hello" and "have a nice day" and "thank you" - but it just doesn't seem to get through. I am having a small victory, however, with one toll person who apparently is starting to recognize me as I come through week after week.

People in New England are much more friendly. Having conversations is more of a natural occurrence in Maine; down here, people would more than likely look at you strange if you tried to strike up a conversation with you. I suppose it's the influence of the New York attitude, but while New Englanders appear cold and gruff on the outside, they are more genuine and friendly on the inside.

I do realize that this is a gross generalization. There are nice people from New Jersey; I've even met several. There are beautiful spots in nature; I've seen them as I go whizzing past on the highway. But truth be told, New England feels different. To me, it feels better - and much more like home.

Resolution #2

In some respects, this relates to my resolution about losing weight. However, there are deeper issues in play here that I want to take a moment to talk about.

I want to eat healthier and more ethically.

To me, this encompasses more than just eating "right" - getting enough fruits and vegetables, cutting down on fat, scaling back on the carbohydrates. It's also more than just eating smaller portions and taking a vitamin supplement. I want to know where my food comes from, and trust the company's practices when it comes to how they handle their workers, their food products, and business dealings. Generally, organic products are also more nutritious than their conventional counterparts.

I want to buy organic fruits and vegetables so I know that my food doesn't have any nasty chemicals or harmful pesticides. Plus, organic produce just tastes better to me. In an ideal world, I'd like to grow a lot of my own food and eat seasonally, but right now that isn't an option.

I also want to purchase organic meats and dairy. I've joked about this on and off with my mom - about the fact that I want to eat "ethical chickens." It just bothers me that many companies will mass produce their cows and pigs and chickens, locking them in cages for their entire lives so that they can never see the sun. Some are even locked in their pens and not able to turn around, and don't have any space to move about. Plus, I don't want the animals I'm eating fed a lot of junk and chemicals and hormones just so they get nice and plump. It makes me so sad...I don't want to support these companies, because these animals are God's creatures too and deserve better treatment (even if we are just going to eat them). Since organic meat is expensive, it'll mean that I'll have it less often (and buy a lot of it when it goes on sale). Similarly with the eggs and milk. Organic milk just tastes better to me, and it doesn't have any of the growth hormones in it. And I like my eggs from cage free hens.

I also want to start making more of my own bread. Ben and I got a breadmaker for Christmas. Right now, it's in his apartment but we've already made a few loaves and they are delicious!

Since I got a coffee grinder for Christmas, I also want to start buying fair trade coffee.

I know switching over is going to take time (and money). But I think it'll make the world a better place.

Resolution #1

I feel like I need to make a New Year's resolution to post more on this site, as well as on my livejournal. The truth of the matter is that last semester was awful, and general Life Happenings prevented me from posting more frequently. (Or to be more honest, Life Happenings sapped me of any desire to write and or reflect on any thoughts I may or may not have had during this past semester.)

Part of me wants to start anew: New Year, New Blog, New Site, New Resolve, New _____ (you fill in the blank). However, I'm just too darn lazy.

So, in 2007, I plan on being more intentional about my writing habits - about jotting down a few passing thoughts and zipping them off into cyberspace, about sharing interesting tidbits I come across on the world wide web, posting interesting photos (this is something I also need to do more of, for my own sanity!).

Basically, I'm still in recovery from the stresses of last semester, and am slowly putting my life back together. Blogging more will be an important step!

Also, I'm resolving to lose weight -- I've been a member of Sparkpeople for awhile, but last semester shattered my summer progress. If you've got a similar resolution, check out the button below (soon to be posted on my ever-growing sidebar). Another resolution, which I always make, is to keep in better touch with people. A fourth and final traditional New Year's resolution is to change the calendar on the appropriate day/month. How I'm going to manage this along with everything else I'm already doing (or...not doing) is beyond me, but we shall see how I will fare!

I'm still a scientist at heart...

...which is part of the reason why I find this t-shirt hysterically funny.

"Johnny was a chemist's son,
But Johnny is no more.
What Johnny thought was H20
was H2SO4."

Another favorite science shirt, especially because on the back it says "Schroedinger's Cat is Not Dead." Bonus points to the non science person who gets the reference! (Darling Fiance...you don't count!)

At right is the most awesome of them all (and the one I got for Christmas)! 4493 digits of pi....mmmm....pi....



Although not science-related, this shirt does reveal my raging inner-geek! This one I think I shall purchase with my Christmas money... :-)



Basically, thinkgeek.com is an awesome website!

The Methoblogosphere Heifer Challenge

Revfife came up with a wonderful idea for a project for the Methoblogosphere to tackle: raising money for the Heifer Project! If you would like to donate, please click on the sidebar. If you would like to add the code to your own blog, you can get it from Revfife's post (just click the link!).

Keillor and the Methodists

For those of you who haven't yet seen it, Gavin has a great post excerpting an essay by Garrison Keillor about the Methodists.

And for more fun, check out the Methodist Blues, also by Garrison Keillor.

Letter of the Alphabet Meme

Songbird gave me the letter "C". So...10 things I love that begin with the letter "C." Here we go!

1) Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (from Bryers) -- There is no substitute.

2) Candles -- Fortunately, Ben feels the same way. When we get married, we are going to have lots and lots of candles around, and not just for decoration, but for burning!

3) Chai Tea -- Again, there's no substitute. I particularly like the Chai Tea Lattes at this coffeeshop near my church. They have raspberry chai, vanilla chai, and other flavors that are quite delicious.

4) Complex Numbers -- I have always had an affinity for them. Not terribly practical (at least for counting purposes), but cool nonetheless.

5) Cheese -- All types, particularly cheddar, gouda, and brie.

6) Caviar -- Ok, now I'm revealing my expensive tastes. Each year for Christmas my dad and I get some in our stockings. Delicious!

7) Cold Winter Days -- There's just something about a cold day that makes me feel good, especially if I don't have any work to do, am in a building with a fireplace, and have a hot mug of tea.

8) Clerics...in the game Munchkin -- They can win by Divine Intervention ;-)

9) Chant -- Very relaxing and soothing...and pretty.

10) Church! -- ;-) The emerging church in particular...but I do like church.

Ok! If you want a letter, respond in a comment and I'll assign you one!

Theological Burnout 101

Maybe I've had too much systematic theology (after wrapping up my major doctrinal paper on sin), but...

...Barth ain't too bad, though he talks in circles and manages to unsay just about everything he's said.

Plus, he was the fodder for a very interesting lecture on election/predestination, especially when it got our professor to declare that "God is going to pursue your #$@ into all eternity!" (in reference to those who do not accept grace in this life...or perhaps in reference to those of us who are handing in precept papers late. Wait...maybe that was our precept leader going to be chasing us down...I don't know. It was late, it was before Thanksgiving break, all of us were tired.) *innocent look*

Maybe I should stop writing this post, and finish my precept paper.

Fa-La-La-La-La, La Friday Five

As posted on RevGalBlogPals:

Reverendmother here... those of you who read my blog know I have a love-hate relationship with the 24/7 Christmas music we're subjected treated to in stores and radio (in the U.S. at least). It gets too sentimentally sticky-sweet sometimes, yet I find myself unable to resist it. Nothing says "it's Christmas" to me like John Denver and Rolf the Dog singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." So...

1. A favorite 'secular' Christmas song.

There are two: Sleigh Ride and Carol of the Bells.

2. Christmas song that chokes you up (maybe even in spite of yourself--the cheesier the better)

There really isn't one that makes me choke up -- at least none that I can think of off the top of my head. I'll get back to you on this one.

3. Christmas song that makes you want to stuff your ears with chestnuts roasted on an open fire.

Hahaha....Santa Claus is Coming to Town (as done by the Jackson 5), Wonderful Christmastime (Paul McCartney), and Blue Christmas .

4. The Twelve Days of Christmas: is there *any* redeeming value to that song? Discuss.

Only if it's the Muppet's version, the Sesame Street version, or if it's the version by Allan Sherman.

Interestingly enough, if you want to calculate the cost of all these items in terms of 2006 prices, check out this article from Wikipedia.

5. A favorite Christmas album

I like more of the choral CDs, like the one from Kings College. But...I also really like Kenny G's Christmas album. Call me strange.

Oh, but I do have a favorite: the Peanuts Christmas Album!

'Tis the Season

Tonight is Drew Theological School's service of Lessons and Carols. The Seminary Choir is performing a couple pieces, there is going to be a really neat processional...and a very nice dinner beforehand. The whole university, along with Theological School alumni, is invited, and within an hour Seminary Hall will be overflowing with students, parents, alumni, faculty, and staff. It's a fun and festive way of contextualizing the Advent season (and a great break from coursework!) Life in Seminary Hall stops for this one event in which the community gathers to proclaim Christ's coming to earth.

The Christmas season is a funny time for me. I'm never quite ready for it. It's almost as if I am desensitized to it. We see Christmas decorations earlier and earlier every year - always before Thanksgiving and sometimes even before Halloween! I also never feel like I can sit down and adequately put myself in the right frame of mind. I want to prepare - to sit and meditate and cultivate the proper seasonal attitude of grateful and joyful expectation. But, Life is Happening: papers are being written, presents are being bought (though usually at the last minute), concerts and parties are happening...and then boom! Christmas happens, and it's over, and life goes on.

But....wasn't this the way the first Christmas happened? Sure, there were the prophets and the signs of Christ's coming but in reality, who really paid attention? People were busy doing other things, not paying attention to the events of a small backwater province of the Roman Empire. Christmas sneaked right in there. Boom. Christmas happened, and life went on...but the future was forever changed.

I'm not advocating that one should ignore Advent for the sake of shopping, Christmas festivities, and other such happy occasions (even if they don't put us in the "Christmas Spirit"). I think that instead we should be focused on the aftermath of Christmas. Christmas is about more than just Jesus being born...it's about God coming down to intermingle with our earthly reality, and bringing us hope for the future. We need to live as if our futures have been changed...or rather, we need to live as if this hope for the future has the power to transform our current reality.





Ok, so I realize that perhaps reading Moltmann got to me a bit (we just read him for eschatology...), so I apologize for wandering off into the land of Systematic Theology....and this post really is wandering. But heck. It's my blog, I can do whatever I want. So, I hope you enjoy it even though it is a glimpse into my near-the-end-of-the-semester-yet-so-much-more-to-go mind... :-)

The Signs of Our Times: My sermon for the first Sunday of Advent

Seven cities in Europe, as part of a project implemented by the European Union, are currently undergoing an experiment. They are getting rid of all their traffic signs. A November 16^th article in Spiegel Online, one of Europe’s biggest weekly news magazines, reports: (and I quote) “about 70 percent of traffic signs are ignored by drivers. What's more, the glut of prohibitions is tantamount to treating the driver like a child and it also foments resentment. He [or she] may stop in front of the crosswalk, but that only makes him feel justified in preventing pedestrians from crossing the street on every other occasion. Every traffic light baits him with the promise of making it over the crossing while the light is still yellow. (Sounds familiar? To continue,) The result is that drivers find themselves enclosed by a corset of prescriptions, so that they develop a kind of tunnel vision: They're constantly in search of their own advantage, and their good manners go out the window.” Interestingly, removing traffic signs has actually been effective in reducing accidents because it encourages drivers to take more personal responsibility for themselves and their vehicles. The guiding vision for this project is one of (quote) “drivers and pedestrians blending into a colorful and peaceful traffic stream.”

Transplant this idea of no traffic signs to the United States. Although there are times I sorely wish that we could abolish traffic lights (especially when stopped at an unrelenting red light), think about what the absence of traffic signs would do. Think about traffic at rush hour. Think about unregulated traffic in New York City (though to me, I can’t imagine the traffic getting any worse). I can just envision the chaos – the streets messy with cars, pedestrians, bicycles – all going every which way with no sense of direction, no guidance, and no one to restrain aggressive drivers. I see accidents on every corner, pedestrians being mowed down…a traffic planner’s nightmare.

Though they can be an annoyance from time to time, traffic signs serve a very important function. They alert us to potential dangers in the road ahead, denote busy routes, and protect other drivers on the road. Reading and interpreting signs help us get to our destination safely. Without signs, especially when driving in unfamiliar places, we would be lost. Signs point us in the right direction.

Friends, this morning’s text from Luke’s gospel reminds us of the importance of signs in the world around us. To be sure, this is not an easy passage to start the Advent season off with – we all want to get into the Christmas spirit – to feel the joy the season inspires, to spend time visiting with family and friends, and to drink in the holiday cheer. But this passage makes us step back for a moment. It says, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” This doesn’t sound like a very happy message – it seems more awe and fear inspiring. Terrifying. Frightening. These signs…do not look good. And Jesus is telling the disciples, to “stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Now I can tell you, I’m not about to go out celebrating if I see the end of the world coming at me, and I’m certainly not going to think that any sort of redemption is near.

However, I don’t think these signs merely point to a cataclysmic second coming akin to what one might find in the “Left Behind” series. Jesus reminds the disciples that these signs signal the nearness of the kingdom of God. The message is more than just doom and gloom and impending destruction. The kingdom of God is already actualized; the disciples simply have to watch for signs of this kingdom in our earthly existence. The foreboding signs indicate the presence of God’s kingdom, and this presence is what gives us the hope for redemption.

One of the professors at Drew Theological School, Dr. Leonard Sweet, puts it this way. When you buy a new car, what happens when you drive it off of the lot? It becomes a used car. Right. Now, what else starts to happen? You start to see this car everywhere. You notice it in parking lots, driving on the highway – it just seems to pop up everywhere you look! Amazing, right? But the thing is: nothing around you has changed. It’s not that people are suddenly buying the exact same car as you, but that you have a different outlook. You are better able to notice these cars that have been there all along! As Christians, we are called to have a similar mindset. We should see the signs of God’s kingdom already present with us along with the signs that tell us that God’s kingdom is needed now more than ever. This passage demands that we pause and take a good look around us, and ponder the “signs of the times” for our own day and age.

So what are the signs in our society that tell us God’s kingdom is at hand? That tell us our world needs God’s presence? One sign arises from all of the media attention given to the release of the new gaming systems by Sony and Nintendo, particularly that of the Playstation 3. If you’ve been following the news, you’ve heard not just how popular these new consoles are (and how much fun they’re supposed to be!), but also how people have come to blows over getting one. A man stole a seventeen year-old’s Playstation 3 at gunpoint in a mall on November 18^th. A Super WalMart in California had to be shut down after riots broke out in the crowd waiting outside to purchase one of these units.

These stories show that our society values materialism, the belief that “the one who dies with the most toys wins.” However, Jesus calls us not to be attached to our worldly possessions, because they have no lasting claim on our lives. Our culture’s over-indulgent materialism is a sign to us that God is sorely needed in our society. We need God to reorganize our priorities and our values – to help us take care of our neighbor instead of being concerned with merely ourselves.

This is only one sign that tells us how desperately our world needs the love of Jesus. Almost everywhere we look there are others: the war in Iraq, the destruction from hurricane Katrina, genocide in Darfur, street killings and shootings, and I’m sure you can think of many others. These signs tell us how much God’s presence is needed in a world that is broken, hurting, and suffering.

Yet, there are also signs in our world that point to the presence of God’s kingdom in our time and place. Take the same phenomenon of the Playstation 3. One eighteen year-old in Manchester, NH camped out for 34 hours to acquire one. He had planned to sell it on E-bay to make a profit, but his teacher told him about 2 classmates of his, a brother and sister, both of whom are battling cancer. He decided to donate it to a raffle designed to raise funds for their medical bills and Christmas presents for them. This student gave up his own shot at a healthy profit and instead put his newly purchased Playstation to a better use – helping those who are in need of it. It is in moments like this that we can see God’s kingdom already here on earth, even in the midst of all the greed and other negative values of our culture.

These signs constantly remind us of how much the world needs God and how close God’s kingdom really is to us. These signs are all around us, and at this time of year, when we prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus, they remind us of why he came to earth in the first place. Jesus came to proclaim the nearness of God’s kingdom, and it is our job to be watching for how God’s kingdom on earth is already coming about.

Even more than this, however, is that we are not only supposed to watch for the signs, but we ourselves are called to be signs to other people of God’s kingdom. We are signs of God’s presence among us and the people around us will look for signs of this kingdom in our lives. Just like the teenager who donated his Playstation 3 for a greater cause, Christ calls us to make our families, our workplaces, our schools, and our communities more like God’s kingdom. Through our actions, other people will be able to see glimpses of the kingdom of God.

There a lot of small ways to do this as we prepare for the coming of Christ this Advent season. For instance, instead of buying another Christmas present for someone, make a donation in their name to a local charity. Donate food to the Helping Hands Food Pantry. In a season where heating costs can be a terrible burden, help lighten that load by donating to charities that help low income families with that cost. There are lots of other things that you can do to be signs to other people of the kingdom of God.

In a season where it’s easy to get swept up in the shopping, the Christmas concerts, and the other trappings of the holiday season, our world needs this assurance of God’s presence. Whereas society gives us signs of greed: huge holiday sales, must-have gadgets, and images of piles of presents around the Christmas tree as “signs of the times,” we must be signs to the true meaning of the season: that God in Jesus Christ has come among us to proclaim the arrival of the kingdom of God. So rejoice! For our redemption, the kingdom of God, is truly at hand. Watch for the signs and be ready. Amen.

BENEDICTION: Friends, the kingdom of God is near to us. Go forth, and be signs to the world that God is here among us. Go out in the name of the one who created you, the one who redeemed you in Christ Jesus, and the one who sustains you by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Nothing but Nets

As I was perusing UMC conference websites for work at admissions (we're looking for conferences that send out newsletters), I stumbled across an article from the West Michigan Annual Conference about how Sports Illustrated and The United Methodist Church have partnered together in order to provide mosquito nets to help prevent children dying of Malaria.

I dug a bit deeper and found out from an article in Christian Today about how this was a recent partnership.

I personally think it's fantastic that sacred and secular organizations are working together. To me, this seems to be the future direction of ministry. We need to be able to find causes that everyone can get on board with. Who would have thought that Sports Illustrated and the United Methodist Church could find something on which to work together?

If you're interested in looking into this a bit more, go to www.nothingbutnets.net. What's even more fantastic is that this is something that everyone can get on board with - youth, young adults, and older adults - but I think this is something that would particularly appeal to youth and young adults. Go check it out!

Exploration 2006

"Dive in, Make waves!" was the theme of this year's Exploration event. Hundreds of high school seniors and college students gathered in Jacksonville, Florida (which was only marginally warmer than New Jersey) and descended upon the Hyatt Hotel to fellowship with each other and discern God's calling upon their lives. The hotel was beautifully located along a river, complete with palm trees. The hotel itself was wonderful; I don't think I have ever slept on beds that comfortable before. This was definitely a cushy place!

I have never attended an Exploration event, so unlike Beth Quick, I have no basis of comparison. I went, along with three other seminarians from Drew Theological School, to be small group leaders. The small group experience is an integral part of the Exploration weekend, as it (hopefully!) helps everyone (leaders included!) to process the Bible Studies, the talks, the worship experiences, and the workshops. I was blessed to have an amazing group of high school seniors, who were willing to "dive in" with each other right away to talk and share their lives with each other. It was so refreshing to see young people take their relationship with God so seriously, and to be open and vulnerable about their lives.

I have to be honest and say that I was disappointed by the lack of a strong New England presence, although I was encouraged that there were a few from my conference there. We had an annual conference breakfast where for the longest time is was just me and the BU admissions officer. We had a lovely conversation, but I would have loved the chance to really meet the passionate youth there from my conference.

This event gave me hope that although United Methodism is slowly dying in the Northeast, there are embers alive and there is a stronger denominational presence in other areas of the country. I was astounded at the number of young folks from the South and the Midwest! The one youth from my conference I did get to have a brief conversation with jokingly remarked that she couldn't escape from the southern accents.

As I belive I've mentioned before, the worship services were not to my tastes, but I realized that it was good that they had contemporary worship music. For some of these kids, all they've known is one way of worship: traditional hymns. Having contemporary worship allowed them to see that there were other ways out there to worship God, and that contemporary worship can be an authentic way of praising God. Alternatively, I wished that they had done many different styles of worship so that they could have been exposed to a greater wealth of songs, styles, and cultures.

All in all, it was an interesting experience - and an enriching one! It was wonderful to be able to talk with my fellow Drewids about the language, the music, and the workshops. Seeing it from the angle of a leader without having been before was interesting. I noted some things that I might do a bit differently - I know that while the leadership of the event said to us small group leaders that they weren't there to manipulate people into accepting a call to ministry, it seemed like the push of the entire weekend was for people to make that decision. I don't know. Perhaps having come from a place where I was resistant to the idea of odrained ministry gives me a different perspective on this, and makes me read things into the event that weren't there to begin with. I just wish that there was more space available for those in attendance to say "no, this isn't for me" or "no, I haven't experienced God this weekend." Contextualizing God's vocational calling as a calling for your life not just or only to ordained ministry helped with that...but what else should I have expected? After all, this event was about calling to ministry in the United Methodist Church.

I am very glad I went, and that I was able to both minister and be ministered to by my small group and the others I had conversations with. For me, fellowship and community was the strength of this event, and in many ways, it helped solidify my own call to ministry. In the end, it was a win all around. :-)

Black Friday Five

1. Would you ever/have you ever stood in line for something--tickets, good deals on electronics, Tickle Me Elmo?

There are very few things I would wait in lines for (I have issues waiting in line; I have issues waiting in grocery lines sometimes). I would wait in line for tickets for a Jars of Clay concert. I have waited in line to get into Pro Player stadium to see Game 3 of the 2003 World Series game with the Yankees and the Marlins.

2. Do you enjoy shopping as a recreational activity?

Depends on what I'm shopping for. When I want to go out and do something, shopping is not high on the list of things to do, though if I need something I enjoy it.

3. Your favorite place to browse without necessarily buying anything.

Used book stores...or book stores in general. There's a great used bookstore - Chatham Booksellers - that's within walking distance of Drew.

4. Gift cards: handy gifts for the loved one who has everything, or cold impersonal symbol of all that is wrong in our culture?

Mixed reviews. I think gift cards are fine to get someone when you don't know what to get them, but for someone close to you I think it's a bit of a cop out. Gift cards to book stores or clothing stores, however, are perfectly acceptable.

5. Discuss the spiritual and theological issues inherent in people coming to blows over a Playstation 3.

Um, greed and our individualistic society being all about me, me, ME. I think it's sick and disgusting and demonstrates how far American culture has sunk morally and spiritually. That people think they need a PS3 that much...*sighs* It makes me sad. It goes with the whole mentality of "The one with the most toys wins" and the fact that people cannot seem to get pasty their own material existence to anything deeper and more meaningful.

Today's Mutts...

:-)

Happy Birthday to Me!

It's my birthday today! Woohoo! I'm thankful that I'm able to spend it at home with my family. My birthday dinner tonight? Homemade tacos, yum! I even made guacamole...though it didn't turn out well because the avacados weren't ripe. Oh well. I get a strawberry cake too, which is my favorite. My mother-in-law to be will be making me a cake too when I visit them on Friday for Thanksgiving with them.

Yeah - two Thanksgivings this year. One with my family on Thursday, and one with Ben's family on Friday. I think it's really nice that they switched days so that I could be there with them!

It's nice to be home and have a break from Drew, though there's lots to potentially blog about. Someday, I will write that post about why I love New England (and Maine in particular) more than New Jersey, and now I have Exploration to write about as well. (Lots of interesting things there, especially in reference to the ways that the UMC talks about calling and vocational discernment, and why contemporary worship is not my cup of tea but why it was good to have it there anyway).