All Hallows' Eve

I am of a different mind ten times in the course of a day. But I resist the devil, and often it is with a fart that I chase him away. When he tempts me with silly sins I say, “Devil, yesterday I broke wind too. Have you written it down on your list?”

The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn.

- Martin Luther

Tomorrow is All Saints Day, when we remember all who have died  in the Lord.  Today, or technically tonight, is All Hallows' Eve, or Halloween.  All Hallows' Eve, historically, is a day when the Christian community has said to Satan, "You have no power over us.  Our Lord has defeated you and the powers of sin and death, therefore, we trust in his love and power and will be victorious."  Thus comes the tradition of dressing up in costumes - to mock Satan.


It is also Reformation Day and for many Protestants, the day when we commemorate the reformation of the church. Is it any wonder that Martin Luther, who struggled mightily with Satan and accepting Christ's power of forgiveness and atonement, would choose All Hallows' Eve to nail his Ninety-five Thesis to the door of the church in Wittenberg?  This document that mainly challenged the use of indulgences required by the Church to pay for one's self or loved ones out of the punishment of purgatory, would be seen by many.  (Unknown to Luther, it was soon after printed in the vernacular so that it could be read by even more.)  A very daring act for a monk and teacher in the Church.  An act that flouted and dared the powers of evil which had become entrenched in the hierarchy of the Church at that time.

This day is largely a secular holiday in the States. While I don't minimize the destruction that can be done with the wrong attitude, I really hope that soon, we who are Christians can reclaim the attitude and perspective in which it began nearly two thousand years ago.  This is a day to remember whose world this really is, and that for the spirits and forces that would destroy, their power is not only limited, but has an expiration date.

C.S. Lewis says in his preface to The Screwtape Letters,

There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.

So, today, to the Devil who would tempt and discourage and destroy, I say, "Boo!", and remember all those who've gone before me, who in word and deed, often at great sacrifice, did the same.

Almighty God,
your saints are one with you
in the mystical body of Christ:
give us grace to follow them
in all virtue and holiness
until we come to those inexpressible joys
which you have prepared for those
who truly love you;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever.
Amen.

Happy St. Crispin's Day

Named for the twin martyrs, Crispinus and Crispianus, c 286 A.D.. Though no longer noted on the Roman liturgical calendar, it remains in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer.

The St. Crispin's Day speech from Shakespeare's, Henry V, given by King Henry to rally the troops for the Battle of Agincourt, is portrayed here by Kenneth Brannagh.

Evolution, Devolution, Revolution Part 1

It is amazing to me what significance the book of Genesis has on our understanding of God, life and how we view the world.  With all the debates among Christians about whether evolution can be accepted, too often other questions and meanings get lost in the debate.  A couple of weeks ago, I read two articles; one by Rachel Held Evans and the other by Lisa Dye.  Both are about Genesis and both are about truth, but from very different angles.

Evolution is an enormous object of interest to many American Christians.  One facet totally refutes evolution, seeing it as contrary to scripture, while another holds a more nuanced view and works at reconciling both biblical and scientific truth.  I hold to the second view.  From the time I was in second grade and asked my dad how there could be real dinosaur bones buried in the ground, (I assume up until that point I believed dinosaurs to be a myth, but my memory is unclear on this point.), and he answered that they must have really been here, I have worked at figuring out how this could be.

When I was in college, the church my parents began attending had a wonderful video series in their library, titled, Does God Exist ?, which held multiple lessons by John Clayton, a scientist and high school science teacher.  Through these, he taught some of the fallacies evolutionists have taught along the way, but he didn't dismiss everything that they taught.  The point of the series was of course a defense of the Christian faith, but there were so many answers, or potential answers to my questions, that I poured over the series multiple times.

After I left college and become more well read, I discovered that a majority of the Christian authors I loved and respected had no problem with this reconciliation.  I was also encountering more Christians personally that were of this same mind.  Granted, the majority that I knew were still anti evolution, but as  my horizons were broadening and I learned more, there was a real burden that was lightening.  This is the kind of stuff that can keep me up at night, so as Evans explains in her article, I didn't have to choose between the two.  They didn't cancel each other out, and as I studied more, I found just how complimentary they could be.

There are still areas that are unclear, which I will write about soon, but I wanted to get this series started with a bit of my background and understanding, then move onto some of the theological challenges in understanding scripture and the universe God created.

Worship For Mission

I had a conversation the other day with a friend.  We were discussing the purpose of worship on Sundays, when we come together for word and sacrament.  I shared my disagreement with the idea of using that time of worship largely or primarily for evangelism.  That the time together is for the body of Christ, to confess our sins, hear his word and receive him in the bread and the wine.  It is a time for strengthening the body of Christ to go into the world, our neighborhoods and be Christ to the people we meet, to invite them into our lives.

Just last night, I was reading of Jesus and the disciples on the road to Emmaus.  I was struck by how Christ led the disciples in word and sacrament.

Luke 24

 13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles  from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Now, these disciples had had a very bad and confusing few days.  Their hoped for saviour had been crucified, yet there were rumors that he had risen.  They didn't know what to make of all that had happened, so they were going home.  But Jesus loves his disciples and won't let them stay in a state of confusion, so he gives them the word, his word, himself.  He helps them to understand.  Then he gives them himself, revealed by the breaking of the bread.  The disciple response isn't to go to bed deeply satisfied after their long journey.  No, their response is to go and tell.

Isn't that what we, the body of Christ should do?  Come together to find clarity and hope in God's word, let Christ reveal himself to us in the eucharist, so that we will be strengthened in wisdom and faith to share Christ with the world?

Yeshua The Super Jew-100% Kosher

This provocative title is actually the name of the first of four talks to be given by Brian Kvasnica at St. John Lutheran Church on September 25 and 26.  I have not met Brian, but have heard rave reviews from many of my friends who have had the pleasure of his knowledge and understanding of Christianity's relationship with Judaism as he has guided them through Israel.  If you'd like to find out for yourself what could be the meaning behind such a title, come out this weekend and give him a listen.

Remembering

Yesterday, I stopped by to pay our car insurance at the local office.  The agent who I saw there, I hadn't seen since last November.  Early November.  As Olivia and I were entering through the doorway, the agent's face lit up and she asked where was my "baby on board" sign.  She didn't know that I had lost our baby just weeks after having seen her last.  I told her we had lost the baby and I could see the regret on her face immediately.  She told me how sorry she was.  I told her it was all right, that it had been tough, but that we were okay.  She explained again that she was so sorry.  What I then told her and what I hope she takes to heart is that it really is okay, that it is just so good that she remembered.  She remembered our baby.

The word remember is a particularly interesting word, suggesting more than merely a thought, but a bringing back together.  To re-member.  The Greek work for this is anamnesis.  When the church celebrates the Eucharist, this word, anamnesis, is used to describe what happens.  Christ is present.  Christ is remembered.

By faith we know that those who die in the Lord are not in fact dead, but are resting in Jesus.  What does this mean exactly when we remember our loved ones?  I am not sure, but am convinced it is more than a thought.

Liturgy and Life

I have been preparing to teach a class on the Christian Liturgy.  One of my main concerns as I work out how to present what I'm learning is how to break the liturgy down, to take it apart, without killing the mystery and life which it holds, such as what happens when one dissects a frog, leaving an understanding of systems but losing on understanding of its "frogginess", or as Bitzer from Hard Times, by Dickens, would understand a horse.

'Bitzer,' said Thomas Gradgrind. 'Your definition of a horse.'

'Quadruped. Graminivorous. Forty teeth, namely twenty-four grinders, four eye-teeth, and twelve incisive. Sheds coat in the spring; in marshy countries, sheds hoofs, too. Hoofs hard, but requiring to be shod with iron. Age known by marks in mouth.' Thus (and much more) Bitzer.

'Now girl number twenty,' said Mr. Gradgrind. 'You know what a horse is.'

Perhaps the only way to prevent such a thing from happening is to participate.  Just as we would greatly increase our understanding of "frogginess" by observing frogs in their natural habitat  or of horses by living around them as did Sally Jupe, a.k.a., girl number twenty, and even more so by becoming a frog or a horse if that were possible, Christ invites us to participate in the divine, looking forward to the Heavenly banquet, we may partake of it in the here and now in the bread and the wine, because Christ himself is present.  Christ lives in us and we in him.  That is what prevents the liturgy from becoming a just a system or ritual or set of theories.

Bureaucracy and Freedom

I really enjoy watching Governor Christie answer the press's questions.  He's such a straight shooter, that he reveals more than the inquirer really wants to know.  Here he is answering a question of how New Jersey lost money from the federal government in the "Race to the Top" program.  There are a few things to observe and a few questions to be asked after watching this.

For one thing, this is the kind of bureaucratic decision making that brings about nightmares for anyone needing to deal with the government.  Just how necessary are all those forms and just how much information is needed to asses the progress of a state's schools?  Why is the federal government even involved in a state's education policies?  Has there been any improvement in education since the beginning of the federalization of education in the early 20th century?

 I admire greatly,  the Governor's taking the heat and not firing a mid-level employee for an understandable and repairable mistake.  The fact that the missing information was easily attainable by the feds and was even given to them verbally shows the frightening power those who work in the federal government have over those who rely on them.  I can't  imagine that this decision would have been made if  Governor Christie were a Democrat.   The more individuals, communities, states, etc. rely on the federal government for any kind of funding, the more power it will have over our everyday lives and we will be subject to their whims and political allegiances.  Conversely, if the state of New Jersey finds itself unshackled by the demands of the federal government, it may in fact  have the flexibility to better educate its children and exercise a bit more freedom.

This is just another example of why we homeschool.

What's Eating You?

Jesus says,

I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly.

And,

Take and eat, this is my body which is given for you.

I was thinking of this the other day, of how all the gods, demons, and idols of this world do not give life, but take it. They feed on us, whether the gods Molech, Baal, the Aztec god, Tezcatlipoca, the Greek/Roman system of gods, the gods of Hindu or ancestral spirits in Africa. All require sacrifice, some even human sacrifice to please and feed them. 

C.S. Lewis' character Screwtape expresses this well in The Screwtape Letters

To us a human is primarily food; our aim is the absorption of its will into ours, the increase of our own area of selfhood at its expense.

As does the apostle, Peter,

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

These are simply the obvious gods, but the idols of this world are even more subtle than this. We in the west, people of technology and materialism have our own idols. We, ironically, are called consumers, yet we work to make money to buy things that eat at our time and energy, and what is this life but our time and energy?  We kill time watching television or surfing the internet. We buy too much and the wrong kind of food so that our health deteriorates at a faster pace than normal. Temporarily we feel powerful, then at times wonder why our lives feel out of control, why our relationships seem shallow and where our time has gone.

Then we come to Jesus' words,

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.

On it's face, doesn't this seem contradictory?  Jesus wants to give us life, yet he requires we lose it.  If God and the demons require sacrifice, then what's the difference?

One thing we must consider is the nature of sacrifice.  God commanded Israel to sacrifice, not because he needed anything or required cajoling in return for some favour.  God required sacrifice for the life of mankind, to show the grievousness of sin and to prepare the way for Jesus' sacrifice which was for all sins for all time.  The fact is, is that we all sacrifice, we all live to something, but it is in living to God, which Jesus has shown, that we are to truly and fully live.

What is the purpose of sacrifice?  It is love.  Love by nature is sacrificial, but when we separate love of God and people from the sacrifice then it is all for naught.
 
The apostle Paul says,

 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,  but have not love, I gain nothing.

We may have life, and have it abundantly, yet how much I sacrifice to the idols of this age.

Kyrie eleison.

The Best Political Ad.

I've seen in a long time.

There is a reason why the Republican party continues to hearken back to Ronald Reagan.  He not only was an outstanding communicator, but understood the value of liberty down to his bones.  He had another gift in that he did not confuse disagreeing with a person's beliefs with dislike for that person.  I think we have lost that distinction to a great extent in our society, whether in politics, church, or in the culture at large.  We could learn a lot from this great man.

Tea And Scones

or coffee and chocolate cake or milk and cookies, but please, no cupcakes!  Cupcakes, when they were used normally are actually okay in my book, but these twee, wine paired, over the top monstrosities have got to go.  What is an appropriate use of cupcakes?  Pot-lucks and school room birthdays.

The idea of a cupcake is so that one can serve a lot of people a bit of cake and icing without having to use utensils, but not anymore.  Just try eating one of these bloated, icing globbed creations without a fork or knife.  It's impossible unless you enjoy icing shoved into your nostrils.  And now, they're everywhere, springing up in towns, cities, and television shows near you. In the small city in which I live there are at least two.  Not surprisingly, even Congress has installed a cupcake toppings bar.    

I am not against this trend simply to be anti-trend.  I am against it because it is childish and expensive.  It's like ordering a daiquiri when one can have a great gin and tonic.    I long for the return the real bakeries with fresh tarts, scones, cakes, pies, french bread, croissants, hard rolls, and hot cross buns during Lent.  A small selection of cupcakes that can be eaten in hand for those under eight years old may be tolerated.

The End Of College

Here's an article at Daily Finance, which lists seven reasons not to send your kids to college.  All the reasons given have to do with finances - basically that one will not receive a proper return on the investment.  I think we have gotten things completely mixed up as to the purpose of college.  It used to be its purpose was to obtain an education and the purpose of an education was to become more fully human, to expand one's mind and shape proper sensibilities so as to know and understand what is true, good and beautiful.

If one wants a career, wouldn't apprenticeships be a much better solution than four to five years of classes and thousands of dollars of debt? 

Toward the end of the article a few suggestions are given as to how to receive an education without college:  traveling abroad, volunteering or simply reading.  I think a great deal can be learned under a wise tutor or professor, but that is not what many of our colleges offer anymore, nor is it what is expected of them.

Joy, Happiness, Duty, or Love?

Rod Dreher and Damon Linker have had a bit of a back and forth regarding Jennifer Senior's article which asks why modern day parenting leads to unhappiness. Dreher proposes that parenting is not about happiness, but about joy and that happiness is transformed into joy in the sacrifice.  Linker takes him on by saying his position is too Kantian in choosing duty over self indulgence and calling it joy; that there has to be a more integrated, less polarizing way of looking at raising children based on the Aristotelian philosophy of happiness.  (Senior touches on this at the end of her article.) 

My mind keeps recalling the Wendell Berry book titled, What are People For?.  Isn't that a great title?  I imagine how one answers that question will reveal a great deal about, not only one's relationship with one's children, but also with all other relationships.  People aren't for using, to bring us joy or happiness, or to whom we must perform some sort of duty.  People are for loving and relating.  It's not easy and it goes beyond mere affection, but in the end, that is what people are for.  When one loves another, one forgets oneself and the evaluation of one's own happiness doesn't take place, because one's thoughts are of the other.  A true humility is present.

A loving parent changing a diaper isn't getting any happiness per se, but neither is he just doing his duty in this task.  The task is done for the good and health of the child.  In doing the task, he is building the relationship on trust and kindness.  In our family, diaper changing was often a time of singing and conversing, because we were relating to and caring for our child, a fellow human, made in the image of God.

This idea that another person is going to make one happy or bring fulfillment is very damaging to both parties.  It will lead to constant frustration, disappointment and blaming the other for one's misery.  The fact that so many surveys have been taken to measure parents' happiness, as is detailed in Senior's piece, is quite telling in itself.  You may not be evaluating your happiness, but some social scientist wants to.  I can't help but wonder why and to what purpose.   Are children now seen by society at large as a net loss?  It is starting to look that way.

Love looks out for the other, cares for the other, hopes for the good of the other.  In the words of St. Paul, Love never fails. I hope someone develops a survey to ascertain if having children encourages adults to be more loving.

Twenty Years And Counting

It is a strange phenomenon that what seems like just yesterday can also seem like 'has always been',  but we mark time, and the calendar tells it was twenty years ago today that David and I were married.

How to describe a life that has brought two people together with both things in common and things not, that has, through love and commitment, become a family?  I describe it as miraculous and beautiful.

With all the problems and joys that fill up twenty years, I thank God for his grace and wisdom that we have relied upon to see us to this point.  I thank David for being the man he is:  kind, industrious, intelligent, patient.  What great qualities to bring to a marriage and on which to create a family.  Even through the tragedies, I realize we have a beautiful life....we have loved each other well.

Happy Birthday, Emma!

Emma is now fourteen and becoming quite a lovely young woman.  This Saturday she'll be off on a mission trip with the youth group at church, soon followed by a week of dance intensive and then begins her freshman year of high school (homeschooled, of course).  I realize the life changes will come more quickly now, but I'm not apprehensive.  She is fun loving, responsible and has her own sense of style and of herself.  I have so much for which to be thankful and optimistic.  She is truly a blessing. 

Happy birthday, dear Emma.

Happy Independence Day

We have been given such a gift, to be born or received into such a country as these United States.  Just a cursory view of past civilizations reveals how truly unique is our small place in history .  A republic with the stated purpose of freedom and justice for all is indeed rare.  Like so many gifts, it is often taken for granted or used as a means for obtaining power and control by those whose intentions are not those of pursuing freedom and justice.  While we are right to be vigilant in keeping those forces at bay, I also think it is important, especially now when our economy is failing, our freedoms are being legislated away and justice is too often denied, that we not place our faith in those things which will not last.  There is a great quote by C.S. Lewis:

A man may have to die for our country: but no man must, in any exclusive sense, live for his country. He who surrenders himself without reservation to the temporal claims of a nation, or a party, or a class is rendering to Caesar that which, of all things, most emphatically belongs to God: himself.

So, let us be good stewards in praying for and electing good and true politicians, let us lend our voice for those who are in need of justice, use our freedoms to do good, all the while placing our trust in the Author of life and liberty.  Let us live to God.

Do You Follow Fashion?

I don't.  It's not that I haven't tried, it's just that I don't get it.  I remember as a teenager, being really perplexed by not being able to put together an outfit like everyone else did.  There were always discrepencies between what was in the fashion magazines and what people really wore.  For a while I stuck with jeans and sweaters because it was ultimately safe.   How I found what I really liked was by watching movies and television.  I fell in love with the fashions worn in Chariot's of Fire, the Giorgio Armani clothing that adorned the fashion models shown on Style with Elsa Klensch,  many of the outfits worn by Lisa Bonet on The Cosby Show, and later the fashions on the BBC series, House of Eliott.

This led to a certain freedom in how I dress.  As my eldest daughter, Emma,  tells me, "Mom, you have a style, it's just not in style!".  Well, that suits me just fine.  What got me thinking about all of this,  is this graphic that Hipster Christianity sent out on Facebook.  My suggestion would be to skip the cycle and wear what you find to be beautiful and useful.  If you happen to land on the cycle every once in a while, no worries.  Life is too short to be concerned with being too hip or not hip enough.

Terrafugia Transition

That is the name of a new lightweight airplane that can also be legally driven on the road.

Very cool.
I can't help but think of the aircraft in Metropolis, flying around the city.

The Vatican Gives Two Thumbs Up

to the Blues Brothers.  That's right, the Vatican has given it's endorsement to the Blues Brothers, just in time for the film's 30th anniversary.  It's good to know they have a sense of humor. 
Here's to Jake and Elwood and their mission from God.

Who's Winning?

Another hat tip to Rod Dreher.  He's been blogging about Stephen Prothero's new book titled God is Not One, which points out what should be obvious, that the world religions are not the same.  They ask different questions, give different answers and define what it means to be human differently.  Now Prothero's been interviewed by Stephen Colbert.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Stephen Prothero
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News

I like that Colbert is willing to humorously interview religious writers and thinkers.  So much of the time issues of faith are removed from the public square.  Here's an interview with N.T. Wright.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Bishop N.T. Wright
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News

And here's another with scientist and Christian Francis Collins.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Francis Collins
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News