Lent

Okey dokey well what am I doing for Lent? Well I'm not giving up chocolate. I'm not doing a lot of stuff but the list for this year is a bit more self improving and moving closer to G-d than last year.
1. Tithe 5% I'm horrid I just do 1%. My pie in the sky thoughts have been doing 10% but, I don't have a strong enough understanding of where my money goes. I know I should give the first offerings to the Almighty. This is an attempt to get closer to that goal.

2. Don't eat out alone. I like food and my friends are cheap. This relates to the money issue. I do spend a good amount eating out. The problem though is, does carry out count as eating out? I'm going to say no, but I should limit it to once a week carry out, including the cafeteria at work.

3. Feed the homeless at least once a month. I got two churches to choose from and I need to volunteer. I gotta talk to Bruce or the guy at my church about our soup kitchen and volunteering for that. Just one Saturday morning to make sandwiches for the unwashed masses and serving Christ.

4. Take one day cleaning up. I've let the house go a bit and when I cleaned up the house, went off to London and came back it was a wonderful feeling to come back to a clean house. So the idea is to devote one day or evening to cleaning up the house.

5. Dance more. How does this bring me closer to G-d? It doesn't. But I am getting asocial hanging around the house.

6. No home computer on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tech free. Except for the Palm.

Then there are the sorta maybes of Lent, which get broken on Sunday, a feast day anyway so they get broken.
7. Don't buy meat. I'm going to feign some sort of vegitarianism. But I know that's going nowhere.

8. No desserts. Meaning I don't need to end each meal with something sweet, but I'm not going to deny myself of something sweet. Yeah, a lousy rule.

9. Start at 8:30 I know what it means. I'll tell you in person.

Laundry

The bottom of the hamper stinks.
That is what I came up with when finally getting around to laundry. And I realize that I washed the whites without soap. Fabric softner yes, detergent, no.

A parody: TV

From a shiny smiley tv christian:

The TV is my shepherd, I shall not want anything else. It maketh me to lie down on the sofa. It leadeth me away from the Scripture. It destroys my soul. It leadeth me in the paths of sex and violence for the sponsor’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will enjoy the evil, for blood and sex they excite me. It’s cable and remote they comfort me. It prepares a commercial before me in the presence of my children. It anoints my head with humanism, My coveting runneth over.

Surely laziness and ignorance shall follow my family all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell in the house watching TV forever.

London!

Made it to London alive. House being guarded and protected by Mike Henry. And Brett & Ira. Elizabeth alive and well and happy to be in an internet cafe in the basement of a Burger King. Yea!

Difference of thought

I was listening to the Bookcast about Cosmopolitanism and the author was talking and saying that we do not listen to people with other ideas and opinions. Oh, I listen, but I tend not to engage. Debate is not my strong suite, I know my weaknesses. I describe myself as a moderate conservative, but most of my friends are serval flavors of liberal. I've listened to them and I do gain an understanding of where they are coming from. But that understanding does not equal a change in my point of view.
A problem I've noticed is that people tend to hang around people of similar views, as we naturally do. Unfortunately, as the author pointed out, people who hang out with like people don't understand those who think differently and question the sanity of those who think differently and dismiss them.
That dismissing, which feeds into disrespect makes it hard for different thoughts to come together. The news media doesn't help. They tend to set things up for a fight, a respectful Jerry Springer. Also both sides bring up charactures of the other side. Of course, the charactures tend to readily show up.
The author mentioned something else that stuck with me. Universalism is not the answer either. It is okay if at the end of the day we don't agree. And that's okay with me as long as we can peacefully co-exist finding some deal where the yahoos can be yahoos and live among the nimrods.

How does one do it?

Really. And I am not helping.
There are so many books and articles out there. So many publishers and that's just the dead tree stuff. Throw on the blogs (like this and the other one) the electronic copies of journals, papers, and what have you and there is no way on earth that it is humanly possible to keep up with every opinion.
"You should read/ see/ hear this...."
The only answer is to just agree and forget it, because there is no way for you to read the book or see the movie or hear the podcast of every frickin' thing that is recommended to you. I'm trying to finish a book, loaned to me by another parishioner, by the London trip. I won't make it. Duck Soup has been sitting on my table for nearly a month, waiting for me to view it. I have a podcast back up because I left the palm at home. Oh, NPR is for the evening and the wee morning. I am accustomed to simply missing shows on TV.

Redemption

The problem with encountering Bt early in the norning is that he has read the paper when the only thing I've done is pick the thing up out of the yard. On the train he pointed out the article in the Metro section about the little boy who shot a 7 year old classmate. He asked me if I thought the child was evil and the father was creating an evil machine. I didn't read the paper but I heard it on the news, my answer is no. No, I don't believe the child or the parent is evil. Stupid. But not evil. The kid is 8. There is a chance for redemption.
I found myself arguing the liberal side of my church regarding hell and evil. On the way liberal end of my church there is no hell or there is a hell but no one is in it. I don't really believe that but it is really rude to tell people they are going to hell, how Episcopalian is that? On one level I guess it would be lovely if Stalin is hanging out in heaven, because then I have a chance. Bt wasn't buying it. When do these people get redeemed? He asked. I almost mentioned the loving power of Jesus, but I just said G-d. Yeah, it is a weak arguement that criminals and mean people will come into heaven because G-d loves us all sooooooo much that he won't let not one soul escape his loving grace. I don't buy it myself. I'm going with hell is the place where one is far from the love of G-d. Heaven is closer to him and his love. The more love the closer to heaven. Oh and I'm not going to tell anyone they're going to hell because, that's just so rude.

Apparently I'm incapable of independent thought

I'm not going to link to the post that annoyed me, because it isn't just that one I've seen this pop up several times.
Children, people, raised in a household with religion squashes independent thought, is the assertion. Being surrounded by friends, who are liberal and one level of agnostic or downright athestic I'm accustomed to hearing it, but not agreeing. Strangely, I was raised Baptist, stayed with the church till college where I latched on the the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches. All through then, apparently not one single independent thought entered my head.
Yet my memory tells me different. I wasn't a mindless automiton. Actually I wasn't too aware of whatever the Baptist party line was. Drinking bad. Heck, I coulda figured that part out on my own after dealing with drunken relatives. I had to get out of a alcohol abusing environment such as grad school to see that alcohol had other uses besides getting drunk off your ass. Sleeping around bad. Pregnant girls on my school bus, I'm sure they knew the risks but didn't care. People fighting because of sleeping around, yeah, witnessed that in my neighborhood growing up.
My mother was the more religious one where my dad was very suspious of religion. Mom could not pray in dad's presence because he was afraid that she was "reading the Bible" on him. Just because you don't believe in G-d doesn't make one less supertious. That I observed with my own eyes.
But back to kids or religious people in general who strangely enough are able to build up an independent thought on their own. Faith is not a form of abuse, and depending on the group there is disagreement and divergent thought. There are groups that get caught up with "group think" but it is not limited to religion. See communism. And strangley, some people who grew up in strict or even not so strict religious families have been able to move away from it in adulthood. There are people driving around in cars who grew up Amish and are no longer so. There is probably some guy who grew up in a conservative Jewish family, eating a crab cake sandwich. I know a girl, grew up Buddist but is lapsed. I know a lot of lasped people.
My faith gives me strength to endure and peace, why wouldn't I want to pass it on? We all have our own political and philosophical beliefs that we treasure and want to pass on, is that abuse? It is only true independence when you allow others to disagree with you and have thoughts and ideas that are opposed strongly to yours. I have listened to my friends who have thoughts strongly opposed to my own, and it is their right as Americans to have opposing thoughts, as is mine.

No really NBC needs one more L&O: Cow Bell

Some of my fellow conservative episkys have bothered to complain about the new NBC program "The Book of Daniel" (link to BoD blog). On the surface it doesn't even look remotely interesting. If all you are selling is "look created 'controversy'" and no real character development then screw them. They aren't even worth protesting. Give me a dead body every week, maybe I'll watch.
No what NBC needs is a new L&O: Stolen Vechile division. I watch the L&Os, of course Trial by Jury was a bit dull. Think, L&O: Stolen Vechile Div. mix Grand Theft Auto with what we love about L&O. Car chases, tough guys, NYC, good stuff. Or just bring back Homicide: Life on the Streets.
Better yet L&O: BWI/DC Homicide. Move the action down to Bawlermore and the District of Columbia. Mix Homicide, lovely views of the Inner Habor and then a few shots of the Mall. Have all crime occur in PG County but suspects, witnesses, possible alibis all live somewhere between Woodbridge, VA and Baltimore Co, MD.

Songs that make you cry

...but I couldn't cry because I was at work and you don't cry at work!

Finally, the Bored Again Christian, put out a new podcast and it was his Very Sufjan Christmas (mp3), where it was primarily all one band, Sufjan Stevens and their Christmas and non-Christmas songs. Anyway, I'm listening to the songs and after "Three Ships" (I think that's the title) and the next one is Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing and I found myself near moved to tears. I think because of one part of the song just gets to me:

...Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

At least it wasn't Mahalia Jackson's His Eye is On the Sparrow, then I would have burst out crying.

One Jewish view of the X-mas bruhaha

CH sent out this letter to friends. It was good to read.

Recently, many articles have been published concerning the Christian right's anger about the amelioration of the word "Christmas" from retail establishments and schools. Although, the right's assertions are a bit overblown, there has been a dilution of Christmas into the muck that has come to be know as "Christmakwaanzakah". Since I have read nothing concerning the Jewish point of view, I am hoping that none of you will mind if I use my holiday greeting to express my opinions on the subject.

In a misguided attempt to offend nobody, our society has become one that offends everybody by throwing individual traditions into one group pot. This time of year it is most apparent with the muddy stew composed of three holidays of different genres and weight.

Chanukah commemorates victory over the Assyrian-Greek armies attempts at obliterating Judaism.The holiday is a celebration of the Jewish people's freedom and ability to serve G-d, but does not serve G-d directly. Its significance is not on par with Rosh Hashannah, Yom Kippur, Passover, or any of the holidays commanded in the Torah.

Kwaanza is a modern holiday, created in the '60s to demonstrate black pride and reconnect black Americans to their ancestral past. Its significance is cultural, but not religious.

Christmas, along with Easter is the foundation of the Christian faith.

As a Jewish woman, it embarrasses me when my commemorative semi-religious holiday is equated with one of extreme spiritual significance for Christians. It also offends me that my holiday is only recognized as a part of a Christian holiday season. I am appreciative of holiday greetings, but if the greater society needs to recognize me in the name of diversity, I suggest Autumn, a time of Jewish spiritual reflection, as the season for Jewish holiday songs and media attention. Besides, if we truly want to be all inclusive this time of year, we will need a much longer holiday name. How about "Christma-kwaanza-kah-dawali-eid..."

Please forgive me for my pontification and whatever you are celebrating this holiday season, I hope it is happy and that you all have a chance to reflect on the purposes of your celebrations.

What kinda Catholic Am I?

Considering I'm an Anglican....

You scored as New Catholic. The years following the Second Vatican Council was a time of collapse of the Catholic faith and its traditions. But you are a young person who has rediscovered this lost faith, probably due to the evangelization of Pope John Paul II. You are enthusiastic, refreshing, and somewhat traditional, and you may be considering a vocation to the priesthood or religious life. You reject relativism and the decline in society that you see among your peers. You are seen as being good for the Church. A possible problem is that you may have a too narrow a view of orthodoxy, and anyway, you are still a youth and not yet mature in your faith. http://saint-louis.blogspot.com - Rome of the West New Catholic 57% Traditional Catholic 55% Evangelical Catholic 43% Neo-Conservative Catholic 40% Liberal Catholic 36% Lukewarm Catholic 33% Radical Catholic 26% What is your style of American Catholicism? created with QuizFarm.com

Advent 2005

Jesus is coming.
Get out the good china.

Love of fathers

I'd been meaning to make note of a sight that I see on those odd moments I sit through the 9AM service at TCOTRRBP. The 9AM service makes me want to rename the church the church of the little squirmy people as it is a 'family friendly' service with the whole service in the program (no BCP).
Anyways I was observing the number of men in the church. Married men, but oh well, I apprieciate their being. One of the reasons why I like TCOTRRBP and TCOTGL is the male presence, a female dominated church seems lacking. But I digress. I also noticed how the men interacted with their children. They were very attentive. Not doting but a touch on the should here. A reciprocated hug there. My favorite was the pass off from grandpa(?) to dad of one kid as granddad held up kid in pew and dad, not missing a beat as he came back from communion grabbed kid and continued to the back of church.
The Church (big C) needs more of that. More loving fathers who do not shirk their role in the lives of their children.

My G-d

My G-d is a very mobile G-d.
He takes up the universe
but fits in my heart.

Pledge season

WAMU the only station I listen to is going through another pledge season. Everytime they do it becomes unbearable to listen to and nearly drives me to commerical radio. But I do wander elsewhere. I can't stay at WPGC too long because there will be another hoochiemamma women are nothing but sex objects song that will sour the day. I did stop at some Christian fundi-lite station, it was around Valentines Day because the main topic for the whole 2 weeks was sex. Well the married kind. Strengthening marriages and whatnot. Being single, it was a tad frustrating to listen to, but better than having sex acts rapped out by Lil Kim.
Well it is pledge season, again. And instead of running to the fundi-lite station, again, I've gotten a bunch of podcasts and made my own stinkin' radio. I should last until they are done. What is it? 2 more weeks of Diane Rheme shakily telling listeners to contribute? So far my line up is a bunch of sermons and programs from Episcopal churches out west, the Bored Again Christian, for music, a few radio plays, Catholic broadcast stuff, the Catholic Insider (or Dutch priest walks around town), other NPR and PBS podcasts, and my own music. Yeah that works.

Cultural Catholic

"You are a WASP/Convert"


You've been to a parish bingo game once. Don't
worry, we won't tell. After all, WASPs are
allowed in the Church as well.

We just don't trust you very much.

Provided by


Are You A Cultural Catholic?
brought to you by Quizilla

Regarding belief

I do honestly believe in the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen, yadda, yadda, nicene creed yadda. Really. No joke. I kid you not.
Believe me if I didn't believe and have a small amount of interest in learning about the 3-in-1 deal called G-d, I'd get more sleep and make better use of my Sundays.
It is not about being good or a nice person. Which I can fail at on a regular basis. It shouldn't be about getting into heaven for the sake of avoiding hell. It's about him.
So when members of my faith go on about little changes in theology I find it problematic because I think it is getting in the way of true worship. The changes seem to focus on making us nice people and less on being his people.
But what do I know? I'm just a pew warmer.

5pm or 11:15am?

Decisions, decisions. If I go to the 5pm 'sinners service' at the CotRRBP I can wear whatever and sleep late. If I go to the 11:15 service at the CotGL then I just might hit the tail end of the Dupont Circle farmer's market and get milk made by happy cows.
Nope, theology not an issue, but I do wonder if G-d said you have to wake up early on the Sabbath (yeah, I know sabboth is really friday evening till sometime saturday) and wear something nice.

You know 5pm mass is laid back, but really.

You know when your church's 5pm sinner's service is laid back when your priest's cell phone goes off in the middle of the sermon and no one gives him any flak for it. Last Sunday, I was going for a church marathon. 5pm service at the Church of the Blonde People, then hurry over to St. Paul's for evensong and an outing with the 20s and 30s group.
5pm service at Christ Church is more relaxed than my usual 11am service. You can show up in shorts, t-shirt and flip flops at 5. The priest, in this case Fr. Kentworthy, was in full anglo regalia, regardless of the time. I guess the full vestmests got in the way of him getting to his phone to turn it off. His voice never wavered as it rang, and rang and rang again. Either the person calling gave up or there was a short limit on rings. After that the phone was forgotten.
Laid back, casual and Rite II.