Serpentis Sacra

Imagine No Religion

2009-09-02T23:42:00.004-07:00

An unfinished art project. A new take on John Lennon's song "Imagine" (which for the record, I like). Click for full-res:

It's easy if you try.

Thoughts on Independence Day

2009-07-04T18:57:00.005-07:00

The ideals and precepts which ground the nation are - strictly speaking - revolutionary. The Constitution particularly so because of its flexibility and ability to change; Such a concept contains the seeds of prophecy and echoes Biblical injunctions to "act justly and love mercy" to care for "the least of these." Two centuries later, we are still striving to actualize a vision of that world, where all human beings are indeed created equal.

Garret Keizer, a former Episcopal priest, writes, "How does a Christian population implicated in militarism, usury, sweatshop labor, and environmental rape find a way to sleep at night? Apparently, by making a very big deal out of not sleeping with Gene Robinson."

Remember that to whom much is given, much is required.

Every once in a while, even "The Message" translation of the Bible (Amos 5:21) is bound to speak powerfully:

"I can't stand your religious meetings.
I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
your pretentious slogans and goals.
I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes,
your public relations and image making.
I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.

When was the last time you sang to me?

Do you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That's what I want.
That's all I want."

Let's keep listening to the voices of our prophets. Seek peace and pursue it. Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God.

Jesus, Lord of Death

2009-06-27T09:58:00.006-07:00

The Gospel is from St. Mark 5:22-23, 35-43:

One of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw Jesus, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live." He went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him.
Some people came from the leader's house to say, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?" But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe."
He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, "Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him.
Then he put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha cum," which means, "Little girl, get up!" And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

The story this week is the latest in a whirlwind series of tales from the life of Jesus. Jesus has – as usual – attracted quite the following upon his return from the Sea of Galilee, and one man in particular has come to him with an urgent request.

Jairus, one of the leaders of the Synagogue, presumably a man of wealth, social prestige, intellect and theological training falls at the feet of Jesus. He begs for the healing of his young daughter, who is on the verge of death. Jesus obliges and the crowd follows.

When they reach the girl, she has passed away, and mourning is already in full swing. Jesus tells them she is not dead, but asleep, and they stop weeping long enough to laugh at him. Shutting the crowd out, Jesus brings only the family to the bedside. He takes Jairus' daughter by the hand and says, “Little girl, get up!” This is a tender expression in Aramaic, something one would say to a child. It is perhaps better translated as, “Get up, sleepyhead!” Jesus then tells them to give her something to eat.

Most psychologists agree that there are several stages an individual goes through when dealing with the death of a loved one, the final being “acceptance.” What a sad truth that is. We eventually give in to resignation. Death is saluted and feared and honored in our society. Back in Jesus' time, there were “professional mourners” whom one could hire to attend the death of a loved one. They were charged with weeping and wailing loudly, making a fuss over the body and presenting an image of true bereavement. If you think they are a relic of the past, watch the burial arrangements for Michael Jackson! Or take a look at the booming funeral business. The reaper, in his black cloak, sits atop a throne we have built for him.

We would do well to remember Jesus' words. “Do not fear, only believe. She is not dead, but sleeping.” We mourn, yes. Of course we mourn and feel deep sadness! However we do not mourn with resignation, but hope.

The Laramie Project is a play that chronicles the brutal murder of Matthew Shepherd. During the funeral scene, stage directions call for the “minister” to read from the Book of Common Prayer, since Matthew was an Episcopalian. Specifically, these words are proclaimed loudly and boldly: “The liturgy for the dead is an Easter liturgy. It finds all its meaning in the resurrection.” A friend of mine, unaware of their origin, later recounted to me that those words moved her the most during the play.

Sometimes we despair about trials and tragedies that seem too big for even God to handle. We, like the crowd, say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” The compassion Jesus displays shows that he is not “too busy with the rest of the world” to care for us as individuals. He takes us away from the crowds, gently holds our hand, offers tender words of new life, and sends us on our way with a meal. He loves us – what an extraordinary thought!

The crowds that follow Jesus are often “amazed” at his miracles, but they do not “believe.” Sometimes, we find ourselves “amazed” at the love of God, but never truly internalize it. And that's okay. Even the smallest amount of faith (like a tiny mustard seed) is enough to flourish.

This is true faith, where we are saved by our hope (see also Rom. 8:22-27) rather than an imperfect belief. There is enough faith in the Kingdom of God. And together, we can rejoice and proclaim that Jesus is Lord – of sea and storm, of disease and even death.

We Receive You!

2009-06-07T23:15:00.000-07:00

This is a reflection written by an acquaintance of mine on the art website deviantART. I thought it appropriate for Trinity Sunday, and loved his unique take on baptism. Many parts reminded of me of my own baptism/confirmation as an adult convert, particularly the part about not wanting to wipe the water off.

All rights reserved to Will Burrows, whose original work may be found here.

- - - - - - - -
We Receive You
by Will Burrows
- - - - - - - -

20 April: birthday of Adolf Hitler, anniversary of the Columbine killings, and of the death of Granny Belle.

20 April: Ken woke us at 5:00 AM. I sat up on my sleeping bag on the thinly carpeted floor of Classroom One, still in the clothes I was wearing yesterday. I rubbed my eyes and remembered the night before:

Lights went out at 11 and everybody was to be in their sleeping bags – girls in the offices upstairs, boys in the classrooms downstairs. With Carl and Eli I had sneaked out, some time after midnight when everybody else was asleep. We ate cold pizza, played frisbee, and built houses of cards into the wee hours when they went back to bed.

I took a walk up the back steps, the narrow hallway like in a pyramid, to the dark nave. Lights were still on in town, but there were hardly any cars. Floodlights pointed up at the courthouse dome and the twin towers of W&J’s Old Main. I relented and lay down. I thought I was too worked up to sleep. Two hours or so had passed without my knowing it when Ken woke us.
Fiona and Karen were in the kitchen cutting bagels for the teenagers who had spent the night in the church. It was an effective way to get young folks to show up for the Vigil. There were a lot of bagels to cut.

The bagel I ate then was ruined with the after-taste of toothpaste. I changed my shirt, put on my corduroy pants and jacket (the ones I had worn to the prom), the pants rust orange and a bit small for me, the jacket olive green with suede elbows and a steel peace sign on the lapel. I tied back my dreadlocks.

Joe was still asleep. With a bare foot I kicked him; he groaned and rolled over. Last night he and Carl had called me their brother. I hadn’t told them how much it meant to me.

People were starting to arrive. I met Mum at the door, and we went upstairs. Dad was already there. We entered the nave in nearly complete darkness and silence.

At 5:45 AM a fire was kindled in the darkness. Mark took light from that fire with the Paschal Candle, and acolytes passed light from that candle by smaller candles to everyone in the room. Mark chanted, and we, the people, responded in call-and-answer fashion.

Then he chanted the Exsultet, including these words: “Rejoice and sing now, all the round earth, | bright with a glorious splendor, | for darkness has been vanquished by our eternal King.”

Stories were read of the genesis of the universe and the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. We sang hymns and heard ancient prophecies read aloud. The room was full of orange faces with heavy eyelids of people holding candles that dripped on the seats and floor.

When it was time, I walked to the chancel where Carl and I had carried the font after the Good Friday service. My parents were behind me. Karen asked the youth of the congregation to come forward. These kids had camped out the previous night in the offices and classrooms of the church, numbering between twenty and thirty. Some were my closest friends, and others I hardly knew.

Karen asked me questions, like, “Do you desire to be baptized?” I said, “I do.” And, “Do you renounce the evil powers of this world which corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?” I said, “I renounce them.” She asked all the questions that the Book of Common Prayer told her to ask, and I gave all the answers it told me to give, but they were never insincere. The entire congregation joined in reciting the words in that book.

After appropriate prayers were spoken, I took off my glasses and leaned over the font. Karen used half a bivalve shell to pour water over my forehead three times. Then she put a hand on my head, and with her thumb she made the sign of the cross in oil on my forehead.

Mark handed me a candle and a white cloth napkin. I didn’t want to wipe off the water or forget how it felt, but it was in my eyes, and I couldn’t see. I wiped the water from my eyes while the rest rolled down my chin, onto my shirt.

My parents, my new adopted brothers, and an entire artificial extended family said at once, “We receive you into the household of God. Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood.” They clapped like we always do when someone is baptized, but this was different. I was different. I was not an infant but a convert. They were excited; they were doing what they were here to do. These words ran awed through my head: “Wow; shit.”

As I walked back to my seat, Carl patted me on the back, Joe shook my hand, and Dana put her arm around me. Wow; shit. There was more singing.

The sun was risen. Lent was over; the Son was risen. I came closer to understanding Easter than at any point previous. People said, “Alleluia” again, ringing bells or jingling their keys. The rest of the service proceeded much like normal.

I looked up at the ceiling, all those oak boards with my greasy fingerprints in Danish oil on their backsides. I thought about the convoluted series of events that brought me here. From staining wood and doing odd jobs around a construction site to seeing it dedicated to a God I didn’t know, I started going to that building for a summer job, and I didn’t ever stop. There were friends I’d known for years and strangers who became friends so quickly as they showed me I’d been wrong to think all Christians are closed-minded. As Thomas was allowed to inspect the crucifixion wounds of Christ, they welcome all the questions I’ve developed as I ease into their way.

Mum and Fiona hugged me long and tight during the Peace. Karen hugged me later; I don’t know how long it was before she let me go. There were so many hugs and handshakes. What do you say to a person who’s just been baptized? Most people said, “Congratulations.” Wow; shit.

I went to the altar for the first time to receive Eucharist instead of just a blessing. A warm feeling of the wine lingered in my chest.

Was everything different from that point forward? No, that was just the most conspicuous landmark on a journey marked by fits and stops, a journey on which no single step was really much more important than any other. Maybe Joe was being facetious, but maybe he was also right when he said I was “one of the swarm now.” Baptism didn’t make that happen, but it made it official. Wow; shit.

Whitsunday

2009-05-31T16:25:00.005-07:00

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

-Romans 8:26-27

Thom wrote a nice post about how ex-Pentecostals are sort of wary about today's feast day, understandably so. I'm sort of wary of the Holy Spirit myself. In many churches - but especially Mormonism in which I was raised - emotional responses are generated (even manipulated) and subsequently the participants are told that that is the Holy Spirit. Ours is no exception, because "smells and bells" can be a replacement "high" for repetitive jam sessions at a strip-mall Assemblies of God congregation. This is a dangerous error to make, because once the believer's "religious high" wears off (as it invariably does) he or she must seek ever-increasing forms of religio-emotional satisfaction, whether that means upping the amount of incense in the thurible or rolling around on the floor and crying.

In my experience, the Holy Spirit often works absent of emotionally charged experiences, and his presence can only be observed in retrospect. I can look back at times in my life when "the Spirit" guided my path with an unseen - perhaps even painful - hand. I did not recognize them until much later. God tells Moses that God can only show God's backside to mortals, that is, "where God has already been." In other words, hindsight is 20/20, right?

I didn't want to go to church today, and was generally grouchy and judgmental of everything and everyone while there. So many days I "do not know how to pray as [I] ought" but mercifully the Spirit intercedes with "inexpressible groanings." I like that. To know that we are saved by our hope of salvation. Not our imperfect belief.

"O God, from whom all good doth come: Grant that by thy inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen."

Ascension

2009-05-22T06:10:00.005-07:00

Yesterday was the feast of the Ascension.

The Ascension is supposed to be glorious, but it strikes me as sad. I know (and agree with) all the theological justifications for why Jesus can't hang around forever, but still.

So I walked into church already a bit gloomy and sat down with the other four parishioners. The number didn't help my mood.

Fr. Nicholas delivered his sermon. Which was excellent, of course. But his remarks on the attendance particularly stood out. He pointed out how thousands of people crossed the threshold on Easter, and only a handful remain; Yet the handful are as important as the thousands, and the thousands as important as the handful.

Besides, he said, the church is full of angels - if only we could see them.

Blood

2009-05-18T21:31:00.011-07:00

This is a crucifix. It is arresting in its depth and features, and truth be told, it makes me uncomfortable. It's sort of like the real world.

Some are bothered by the notion that Christ's blood was shed for the sins of the world, regarding such theology as primitive and violent. But consider the extraordinary - the idea that the Creator of all that is and was...even has blood. That the omnipotent Divinity has plasma and cardiovascular chambers and a nervous system. What an incredible thought.

"No one else holds or has held the place in the heart of the world which Jesus holds. Other gods have been as devoutly worshiped; no other man has been so devoutly loved." -John Knox

Americans - and presumably other countries - are locked in a debate about what is/is not torture (if you have to ask...) and whether or not it "works" (who cares if it "works!") and Religion Dispatches has a thought-provoking piece about the intersection of military abuse and Evangelical atonement theology. Here is an excerpt:

"Even one of the soldiers engaged in the abuse thought the detainees looked like Jesus. In a letter written home while she was stationed at Abu Ghraib, Private Sabrina Harman wrote, 'I cant [sic] get it out of my head. I walk down the stairs after blowing the whistle and beating on the cells with a [baton] to find ‘The taxicab driver’ handcuffed backwards to his window naked with his underwear over his head and face. He looked like Jesus Christ.'"

Read it here.

I Like It, Too

2009-05-12T21:48:00.001-07:00

The Ego of God

2009-05-10T14:57:00.006-07:00

A few months ago I had the privilege of giving the homily for the Province VIII gathering of Episcopal college students in Tempe, Arizona. A few people asked for copies, so I thought I would share. The Gospel reading was from John 6:60-71.

Uploading the PDF wasn't working for everyone, so I will just post it. (Apologies for the stiffness of the text - I can assure you I didn't read it word-for-word!) I hope it isn't too long!

Jesus always seems to be up to something, doesn't he? Here we find him in the synagogue, the house of prayer, among his disciples and followers, and surely a few curious newcomers. The landscape outside is not unlike the one found outside these walls.

At this point, Jesus' fame and notoriety have been growing for some time. Just previous to this story, we hear the tale of Jesus feeding 5,000 people with a small bit of fish and bread – a story involving faith. The faith that allowed all the hungry people to be filled and fed. In fact, some of these people hunt Jesus down, pleading with him to perform the miracle again. He says, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”

And this sets the stage for the conversation that follows.

“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink [...He goes on...] “This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

“When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?”

Many preachers will take this opportunity to pontificate about the nature of the Eucharist. It is literally the Flesh and the Blood of Jesus. That's what his followers have difficulty with, it's so obvious! It is a symbol of the Flesh and Blood of Jesus. That's what his followers have difficulty with, it's so obvious!

Fortunately, we are the Episcopal church – and it is not an either/or question. It simply Is. However, we must admit that Jesus says an odd thing – “eat my flesh” – then immediately follows this by saying, “It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

The Greek word that we translate as “flesh” is sarx. (Apparently. This insight is obviously not mine, since I do not speak Greek and have never set foot in a Seminary!) Soma is the Greek word most often translated as “body”; sarx here is translated as flesh. Soma is used more often to refer to the physical body of bones and sinews. However, St. John uses sarx not so much to indicate material things as to indicate those patterns of behavior that arise from within us that are opposed to the will of God. Envy. Pride. Anger. Lust.

The “body” is the created physical thing with arms and legs; the “flesh” is that ego which would place itself above the creator. This distinction is important. We hear that Jesus' words drove many away. Because the deserter is not just interested in bodily things; he is more interested in putting his own priorities over God’s.

Many of these people would – in fact - have been more than willing to sacrifice their physical bodies to bring about a political kingdom with Jesus as the head. But Jesus’ priority was to magnify his Father’s love.

One of the things Jesus says to drive them away is “Does this offend you? Then, what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” In other words, "How much more offensive it will be to you when I am lifted up, crucified! When your Messiah, the prophesied Holy One of Israel - hangs naked and bloody and pitiful - gasping for breath on a cross."

Yes, Jesus' priority was to magnify his Father's love, upwards and outwards, until this love resounded throughout the whole world. No exceptions. This will turn hierarchies upside down, topple earthly kingdoms and liberate the oppressed, both spiritually and otherwise. If there is a theme to be found among Jesus' followers – us included – it is that of surprise. Certainly, this was not the kind of “change” the disciples had been looking for.

These are people who had followed Jesus for quite some time. Certainly after the mountaintop experience of feeding 5,000 people, this desertion must seem like a letdown to the remaining disciples.

And so, Jesus turns to his twelve apostles and says, “Do you also wish to go away?” They respond, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

There seems to be an air of finality in those words. They have decided. They know the end is coming. A conclusion to Jesus' earthly ministry is being foreshadowed. “Lord, to whom can we go?”

...

We have decided to follow Jesus, in one capacity or another. We have allowed Christ to show us the way to God. We walk by faith, not by sight.

And yet.

And yet I often wonder if my faith is genuine. Do I really believe in God? Do I really believe that Jesus is God? Some days, the answer is nowhere to be found. Doubt and question hang over us like a dark cloud.

Reading this, I asked myself, do I believe that Jesus has, as Peter says, the "words of eternal life?" Or am I ready to desert him?

Napoleon...wrote about Jesus. Napoleon Bonaparte – a man with many admirers and many critics. If nothing else, his relationship with the Church (let alone the peaceful teachings of Jesus) was complicated. And yet he says, “I know men and will I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.”

Our physical lives are not enough – we must surrender not our bodies, but our flesh. We try to love as Christ loved. Genuine faith cannot walk away. Eventually, we come back. The Bible is full of characters with this peculiar genuine faith. Jonah, for instance.

Or the parable of the Prodigal Son, whose broken heart and sincere repentance was rewarded above that of his brother. Even – perhaps, in the end - Judas.

Jesus demands much more than our physical bodies. He wants our flesh – our passions, our urges, our desires, our egos. He tells us to eat of his flesh – his passion. God's passion.

J. Sidlow Baxter, an Australian theologian, writes this: “Fundamentally, our Lord's message was Himself. He did not come merely to preach a Gospel; He himself is that Gospel. He did not come merely to give bread; He said, "I am the bread." He did not come merely to shed light; He said, "I am the light." He did not come merely to show the door; He said, "I am the door." He did not come merely to name a shepherd; He said, "I am the shepherd." He did not come merely to point the way; He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."

Amen.

St. Monica

2009-05-09T11:13:00.004-07:00

St. Monica is one of my favorite Saints. Her story involves no angels or incorruptible bodies, but is one of quiet miracles and persistent faith. It seems at once mundane and holy, and reads a bit like an episode of The View. Admittedly, my family reminds me of hers. There have been no Christians for several generations. I wish I had the dedication to pray for them as much as St. Monica did.

Monica was married by arrangement to a pagan official in North Africa, who was much older than she, and although generous, was also violent tempered. His mother lived with them and was equally difficult, which proved a constant challenge to Monica. She had three children; Augustine, Navigius, and Perpetua.

Through her patience and prayers, she was able to convert her husband and his mother to the catholic faith in 370· He died a year later. Perpetua and Navigius entered the religious Life.

Augustine was much more difficult, and Monica prayed for him for 17 years, begging the prayers of priests who, for a while, tried to avoid her because of her persistence at this seemingly hopeless endeavor. One priest consoled her by saying, "it is not possible that the son of so many tears should perish." This thought, coupled with a vision that she had received, strengthened her. Augustine was baptized by St. Ambrose in 387. Monica died later that same year, on the way back to Africa from Rome in the Italian town of Ostia.

Monica is the patroness of abuse victims, converts, mothers, and all women.

"O Lord, who through spiritual discipline didst strengthen thy servant Monica to persevere in offering her love and prayers and tears for the conversion of her husband and of Augustine their son: Deepen our devotion, we beseech thee, and use us in accordance with thy will to bring others, even our own kindred, to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; who with thee and theHoly Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

St. Teresa of Avila

2009-05-02T21:09:00.002-07:00

"About the injunction of the Apostle Paul that women should keep silent in church? Don't go by one text only."
-St. Teresa of Avila

"O God, who by the Holy Spirit didst move Teresa of Avila to manifest to thy Church the way of perfection: Grant us, we beseech thee, to be nourished by her excellent teaching, and enkindle within us a lively and unquenchable longing for true holiness; through Jesus Christ, the joy of loving hearts, who with thee and the same Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

Illiteracy Part Deux: Religious Illiteracy

2009-04-30T19:31:00.007-07:00

A brief follow-up to yesterday's post.

It is often said that we "live in a post-religious society." Or "post-Christian." I don't think this is necessarily true, at least not in the United States where 75% of the citizens identify with the Christian label.

A more accurate description might be "religiously illiterate." Individuals are ill-equipped to grapple with the complex and often confusing world of spirituality. So they either opt out entirely, or embrace an easy fundamentalism.

Most cannot name the four Gospels, or tell you who wrote the book of Corinthians. They could hardly identify the difference between a Catholic and Protestant, let alone a Sunni and Shiite. A 2000 Gallup poll shows that 70% of Americans believe "you can be religious without going to church." Is it any wonder that more people are choosing to tune out altogether?

Again, what is needed is a return to basics of the faith. Clear articulation of doctrine. A more widespread understanding of religion. Personally, I believe that Religious Studies ought to be a mandatory part of the high school curriculum. A mind that is well-educated about various religions and their denominations is more free to choose his or her path, not less.

I caught this hilarious skit from That Mitchell and Webb Look on BBC America:

Comedy aside, it makes some good points. Religious belief is becoming more "me" focused, rather than "we" focused. Our communities must reach out and embrace the "other." Without being jerks, of course! Which we Anglicans are quite good at.

There has been a shift away from the wealth of information found in a community, to the individual's personal interpretations and worldview.

Or, as the Vicar says, "You've thought about eternity for twenty-five minutes and think you've come to some interesting conclusions, have you?"

Illiteracy and the Church

2009-04-29T13:45:00.007-07:00

In the 18th century, a man was considered "literate" if he could sign his name. Later, the ability to read and write text was considered tantamount to literacy, and this perception is still widespread.

However, we must distinguish between absolute literacy (the ability to read and write text) and functional literacy. The National Assessment of Education Progress considers literacy "[the ability to] use printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one's goals, and to develop one's knowledge and potential."

This is measured by the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), which measures three areas of literacy (prose, document and quantitative) with scores ranging from one to five. Prose literacy is the ability to read, analyze and comprehend a written work such as an article, novel or journal. Document literacy is the ability to interpret informational documents such as maps, timetables, or warranties. Quantitative literacy is the ability to apply basic mathematical functions to real-world situations.

Exact estimates range from one-third to one-half, but a great deal of the American adult population scored between levels one and three. According to the Survey of Adult Literacy, "nobody in the three lowest levels [can] consistently integrate complex information, take into account special conditions, or use background knowledge to state or solve a problem."

Source: National Commission on Adult Literacy

The implications are staggering. I devoted the past semester to studying adult literacy, and this is where I began my research. It all began with this article by Chris Hedges. Truthdig is a notoriously liberal webzine, and I wondered if the information was scholarly.

Unfortunately, it is. The journals and federal statistics and international surveys have precisely similar findings. (And I would be more than happy to disclose all my sources.) One-third to one-half of Americans are functionally illiterate. Read the article by Hedges. Go, do it.

Did you read it?
Okay.

Hedges writes, "in our post-literate world, because ideas are inaccessible [...] news, political debate, theatre, art and books are judged not on the power of their ideas but on their ability to entertain." This creates an atmosphere of hostility towards critical examination of ideas, political policies, and intellectual thought, which is often labeled "elitist."

This, I believe, is one of the primary reasons why mainline Protestant denominations are shrinking! Because we "function in a print-based, literate world. [We] can cope with complexity and [have] the intellectual tools to separate illusion from truth."

Mainline denominations are relegated to the margins, de facto. Our approach to faith is too complex. We are increasingly out of touch with society.
Roman Catholicism dumbs down its message. (Ex. "you are pro-life or pro-death, you embrace all of the dogma or none of it.")
Evangelical churches thrive. Their message is clear, simple, and easy to understand. Their services are entertainment. Their teachings accomodate popular culture, including consumerism and American nationalism.
Any attempt at higher-level religious discourse is drowned out by clergy abuse scandals, debates about evolution, abortion, gay rights, public prayer, etc.
Vast numbers of individuals disillusioned with the culture wars turn away from religion in disgust. Their opinions of religion are based - not on theology - but on perceived social teachings of the church and the actions of its members.
Mainline churches continue to lose members to fundamentalism or secularism as our increasingly polarized, illiterate society rejects notions of a middle ground. Middle ground and "shades of grey" are too complex to be easily understood or marketed.

We are left with a dangerous and volatile mix of fundamentalists and secularists. Fundamentalists know very little about their religion, save for how they feel about it. Secularists often know more about Christianity, but certainly not enough to develop an accurate opinion.

Those who turn to secularism instead of fundamentalism are not necessarily more literate/intelligent. The Atheism of Nietzche, Camus and Sartre is radically different from that of Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins, much in the same way that Thomas Aquinas has been replaced by Joel Osteen.

What must we do? What can we do? I don't know. Being able to clearly articulate our beliefs is one step. Changing the public perception of religion and ending the culture wars is another. Most folks don't realize that "all denominations are not created equal." Yet in a world unable to take into account subtlety, Episcopalians are liable for the bullshit pulled by the Westboro Baptist Church.

Let There Be - Reflections on Earth Day

2009-04-22T14:13:00.009-07:00

Friends, this little blue orb is the only one we've got.

Twelve billion years ago, the cosmos exploded with a dictum - "let there be!"

Some three billion years ago, chemistry made the miraculous transfiguration into biology and gasped its first breath.

Some two millennia ago, the Creator's punctured lungs gasped nitrogen and oxygen anew for the second time. Not only from the crib, but the tomb as well.

"See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his people, and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’
And the one who was seated on the throne said,
‘See, I am making all things new.’"

God is making all things new, and insists that we participate - to be heirs of his eternal kingdom.

Name Change - Part Deux

2009-04-21T16:25:00.007-07:00

Serpentis Sacra. "Sacred Serpents."

A few months ago, I came across an article about a distant relative of mine - one I'm rather fond of. John Bramhall. Archbishop of Armagh, via media defender of the Anglican church against Puritans and Papists alike.

I felt a sense of kinship with John Bramhall that surpassed our common bloodline; He and I share many of the same theological and sociopolitical views. One of his books is entitled Serpent Salve. I first thought of Latin for "Holy Serpent." Quickly, I realized he meant ointment for a snake bite.

Even so, that is where the initial inspiration came from.

The snake is a complicated creature in Christian mythology and symbolism.

Satan tempts Eve under the guise of a serpent.
Moses impales a (flying?) snake, commanding the children of Israel to gaze upon it; Whoever is bitten receives healing. Healing from the (flying) snakes that just bit them.
Jesus refers to the Pharisees as a "brood of vipers."
Christ's crucifixion echoes the piercing of the snake by Moses.
Mary is often depicted crushing a snake beneath her feet, a sign that she is the "new Eve."
St. Patrick is rumored to have driven poisonous asps from the fields of Ireland.
Orthodox bishops adorn their episcopal staves with intercoiled snakes, as my friends at JN1034 pointed out.

This despised and wretched creature - one of the "beasts that creeps upon the Earth" - is perhaps the weirdest animal to represent Christ.

[Tampere Cathedral, Finland]

Even after his crucifixion and resurrection, the snake is displayed in churches solidly beneath the feet of Mary and Patrick, or else lurking about Paradise, an unwanted virus. This iconography is confusing at best, especially when displayed next to images of Christ-the-serpent.

The Israelites were bitten by the snake to receive healing from other bites. If Christ is the new serpent, then we have been bitten by him, and his venom inhabits our veins forever. His humanity is forever united to ours, and we participate in his divinity.

That symbolism is still bizarre.

You know, that's why I like it. The despised serpent has been raised up and redeemed. What once embodied fear is a symbol of hope. What once crawled on its belly now soars in the air.

We are to be holy serpents.

Name and Layout Change

2009-04-20T16:58:00.003-07:00

That old name had to go; It didn't make much sense, and it's something I chose thoughtlessly. (I used it for everything throughout high school!)

More on the new name soon!

The Church Is Dying

2009-04-16T13:05:00.008-07:00

...it's true.

And it needs a holy fire under it's ass if it expects to survive the upcoming generation.

I have heard the suggestion, "Maybe we need to let the Church die, so it can be resurrected." I'm not willing to let 2,000 years of history, wisdom and seeking go down the toilet. I'm certainly not about to let so-called "born again" Christianity take its place, both as a gay man and an Anglo-Catholic.

(A side note. These are totally disorganized, stream-of-consciousness ideas that have been floating around for a while, and I needed to exorcise them. Bear with my lack of organization, with sincere apologies from the author!)

So, here are a few suggestions.

- Articulate the Message -

Why are people drawn to evangelical churches?

Evangelicals have dumbed down the Gospel.

"Are you Saved? Say this prayer to be Saved. Read this book."

Easy. Simple.

This mistake results in a generation of evangelicals who know nothing about their faith except how they feel about it. There is, however, a lesson to be learned.

If you ask an Anglican what he or she believes, you're liable to get a lot of stammering and a generally unimpressive response. We need to be able to clearly, quickly, accurately and poignantly articulate our faith. This is no easy task. Summarizing years of experience and introspection is nearly impossible, but it must be done.

We believe that Jesus is fully God and fully human, that he came to restore our broken human nature through his reconciling ministry, death and subsequent resurrection. We believe that - in spite of everything - the Church he established continues with an unbroken line of apostolic authority through the Holy Spirit. We believe that God's grace flows freely from the church and indeed all creation.

Or something like that.

Which brings me to the next point...

- Better Catechesis -

I once met a lifelong, cradle Episcopalian who asked me what a diocese is. Forehead-to-desk action ensued.

This is not uncommon. Teaching must involve the basics of the Church - history, governance, liturgy, dogmas. We cannot afford to leave our members blatantly uneducated.

- Denominational Identity -

We live in a post-denominational world. Most Americans will change denominations at some point in their life. The response has been something akin to, "Well, if folks are changing - what's the difference? Let's band together!"

No no no no no! Creating a massive mainline Protestant blob church is not the answer. Strengthening ecumenical ties is well and good, but degrading our denominational foundations is not.

Methodists must return to the theology of Charles Wesley, and teach it. Presbyterians must return to the theology of John Calvin, and teach it. Catholics must return to the wealth of information found in the catechism, and teach it. Lutherans must return to the theology of Martin Luther, and teach it.

- Assertion of Supremacy over Non-Christian Religions -

This sounds harsh. Essentially what I'm saying is, we need to be able to articulate why we believe in Jesus Christ, and not Mohammed, Vishnu, or Christopher Hitchens. What makes Christianity unique?

This must be both academic and a labor of the heart. We must encourage people to speak openly of their love for Jesus, and be receptive to hearing the faith of others with an open mind and heart. We are so uncomfortable with describing our relationship and journey with the divine.

More than ever, we need to understand why we believe in God at all. Most Christians are not converting to Hinduism or Buddhism, but rather losing interest in spirituality altogether. This is unacceptable.

- Assertion of Supremacy over Other Denominations -

We need to be able to articulate why we are Anglican and not Baptist, Roman Catholic, "born again" or even Lutheran. This is very different from saying "you're right, and I'm wrong." It's simply a matter of being able to accurately communicate your beliefs.

For example, I have tremendous respect for the Roman Catholic church, believe it to be one of the branches of the ancient Church, and accept the Bishop of Rome as the successor of St. Peter and first among equals. However, I respectfully argue that Papal authority is too far-reaching, that ecumenical councils after the 7th are invalid because of their noninclusive nature, and that many of the Roman Church's social teachings are in serious need of re-examination and correction.

Likewise, a traditionalist Roman Catholic should be able to explain why he or she does accept those things (or reject them, but remain in the communion of Rome), and we should come to a mutual appreciation of differences.

- Counter-Cultural -

A final word to the wise. Christianity doesn't need to implement rock-and-roll. It doesn't need to become "seeker friendly" or put on a special show for the unchurched. It needs to be welcoming, true-to-self, and it needs to be counter-cultural.

True Christianity will never fall in line with the culture of the day. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and freeing the prisoner are never going to be popular. Reaching out to the lonely, despondent and oppressed is not hip or cool. Loving your neighbor is a lifelong process. The moral thing is not the profitable thing. You're going to get crucified. But we have always looked with hope for the Resurrection.

Easter Photos

2009-04-13T19:34:00.004-07:00

From the Dean of Trinity Cathedral, the Very Rev. Nicholas Knisley, whose blog can be found here.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-12T00:06:00.005-07:00

"Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?"

When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back.

Look up! Alleluia!

Good Friday

2009-04-10T15:13:00.004-07:00

"I will not forget you.
See, I have written you on the palms of my hands."

Monasticism and the Preciousness of Life

2009-04-08T13:19:00.008-07:00

How long does the immediate grace imparted in the Eucharist remain?

A few seconds, perhaps. Minutes, or hours or days. Certainly, some of it dwells within us forever. I'm tempted to say that the presence fills our hearts for a brief time. (But I've never exactly been an optimist, so my opinion is not to be trusted!)

When returning from Mass (on good days) I have a heightened awareness of human life. When a motorcyclist on the interstate blows past in heavy traffic, I want to grab him and yell, "Slow down! Don't you know how precious your life is?!" Ordinarily, I would have wanted to grab him and yell something slightly less compassionate. It's an extraordinary thing, to catch a glimpse of the preciousness of a soul to God. These insights are the sustenance of Saints.

Slowly, the real world begins its invasion of this rosy outlook. Visit the CNN homepage. Car accidents, diseases, starvation, unfathomable poverty - murder. And while the divine presence burns within us, how much more grievous these atrocities seem! We have not yet been desensitized. During the week, we become immune to empathy - this immunity is a sickness.

A sickness that much of the world is afflicted with.

Medieval Christians were driven to form monasteries and convents, to escape the world. And lately, that idea seems appealing. The world needs an order of persons set apart, consecrated to prayer and holy living. How nice it would be to close oneself behind the heavy doors of a monastery.

This isn't where I'm being called. I'm not meant to be without a covenanted relationship, nor can I resist a few creature comforts the world has to offer. I know I'm not meant to be a monk.

Yet I grow increasingly uncomfortable with the way the world works. What is the "American dream?" To raise a family, buy a nice car, a nice house, and stuff it full of nice things. The accumulation of material possessions. This "dream" has seized the world. The rich piss their souls away to get richer. The poor desperately cling to degrading, dangerous, underpaying jobs, making stuff for the wealthy. In the end, is it worth it? When your possessions posses you, is it worth it?

(Disclaimer, if I may. There's nothing wrong with having a regular job and a place to live and something to get around in, of course. I'm just disgusted by how unabashedly consumed the vast majority of our culture seems to be with this idea.)

This quote (like most good quotes) I stole from Tamie's blog:

"Be content that you are not yet a saint, even though you realize that the only thing worth living for is sanctity. Then you will be satisfied to let God lead you to sanctity by paths that you cannot understand."
-Thomas Merton

Holy Week

2009-04-06T22:29:00.003-07:00

I feel blessed to be able to receive the Eucharist daily this week - there is a certain monastic quality to it. More about that soon.

It occurred to me on Palm Sunday that there is a manic quality to this festival. The mood rapidly elevates and plummets as we cry, "Hosanna! ... Crucify him!" There is a celebration of the Lordship of Jesus, of his joyful entrance into Jerusalem - and foreshadowing of the darkness lurking around the corner. It makes our stomachs turn in anxious anticipation for the setting of the Passover moon; Easter somehow still seems far away.

This was a nice article to read. The third paragraph in particular.

Meet you at Easter.

Young Adults and Other Ponderous Quandaries

2009-03-31T16:48:00.005-07:00

So today has been my first free day in two weeks. For Spring Break, I went to Washington, D.C. and had a blast! I fell in love with the city (not to mention the National Cathedral) - I'll do a "best of" picture post soon, but if you want a preview, check out my Flickr account here.

This weekend was the gathering of Episcopal young adults in Province VIII (which includes most of the southwestern U.S., Hawaii, Alaska and Taiwan). 2009 was Arizona's turn to host, and so we did.

The event went very well, overall. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and it was refreshing to spend time with amazing people.

A few of my reflections on ministry to young adults (18-35ish).

The younger you are in the Episcopal church, the more likely you are to enjoy traditional liturgy, not to mention theology. We accept LGBT rights and women's ordination as a given. Why should that affect our theology or practice? We were spared the social upheaval of the 60's and 70's. A surprisingly large majority of the folks I engaged with said they preferred, enjoyed, or were curious about high church liturgy. Fr. Craig's workshop on liturgy and subsequent thurible-training session were quite popular. Geoff at The Rose Maniple puts it best:

"I certainly know young Anglicans who are very keen on the Book of Alternative Services, and all kinds of doctrinal laxity. But most young Anglicans I know are not in this category. It may be true that most (though not all) of us are 'liberals' on the 'hot-button' issues of women in the priesthood, and same-sex partnerships. But we also take the Creeds seriously and hold firm to Nicene and Trinitarian orthodoxy. We have a high view of the sacraments, and believe in the Real Presence and apostolic succession. We're waiting for the Baby Boomers to kick the bucket so that we don't have to listen to them tell themselves how "inaccessible" we find the Book of Common Prayer. Then we can bury their tie-die stoles with them...."

Alternative liturgies were used this weekend - liturgies which radically departed from the language used in the Book of Common Prayer. These services do NOT reflect the diversity of belief present in the Episcopal church! Furthermore, they are disinclusive and exclusionary. Worshipers like me cannot - in good conscience - participate. To give an example of "going the other direction," it would be as if the church wrote transubstantiation into its rubrics. It simply is not Anglican.

I don't mind low church services - I do mind non-BCP (non-Anglican) services.

Lastly, rejecting the BCP, using barfy crayon-colored stoles and/or not vesting properly sends a message to young adults: "You are not the Church. You need special liturgies, and special vestments. You are outside the realm of Common Prayer. Go sit at the children's Table." And people wonder why we don't have more young adults?

My parish, Trinity Cathedral, has seen a large surge in the number of people 20's and 30's attending. We are traditional in the Anglican sense - rabidly and unapologetically broad church. We don't put on a kitschy "special" show for young adults. We simply welcome them to join with others of all ages around the Altar. Last year's Provincial gathering ended in a traditional candlelight Mass, and nearly every evaluation sheet listed the candlelight Eucharist as that individual's favorite part of the weekend.

There is a Facebook group called, "Actually, Young People DO Like Traditional Liturgy." It currently has 2,276 members. Another group, "Praise Bands Annoy God," counts 3,734 members. The largest "general Episcopal" group has about 5,000.

There is definitely crossover.

Hm, I was going to write more, but seem to have forgotten. Guess that's what happens when one hops on a really good ranting session!

Your thoughts?

2009-03-26T23:44:00.005-07:00

Tonight, the wind is blowing very strongly. This does not happen often in Phoenix. The palm fronds and pollen blossoms and creosote branches are dancing. The streetlamps throw an orange haze high into the dusty sky.

Nights like this are good for contemplation. Tonight the tears were close at hand while driving home. Because there is hurt. Because there is healing. These things, like the wind and the dust, are so mysteriously bound together.

Spoken prayer fails, and the solemn-yet-momentous cry for "everything to be alright forever" is carried upward by the wind.

The Day and the Night are Both Alike

2009-03-13T00:14:00.016-07:00

Hey everyone. I'm sorry for not updating as frequently as I should; I haven't been in churchy mode lately. Strangely, this seems to be what God has in store for me this Lent.

Anyway, here are some pictures of life lately, to fill the void. New, substantial post soon, promise! (Click for higher resolution.)

Twilight

2009-03-05T12:39:00.002-07:00

What do you think about just before falling asleep? Or just after waking?

That Is What You Are

2009-02-17T02:16:00.004-07:00

Chad told me about a particular Buddhist exercise, which uses the "I am not" format to cast off unhealthy (or rather, untrue) attachments.

I rather like this idea, so I'm going to try it.

Please, please, please add to the list!

- - -

I am not my bank account.

I am not my car.

I am not my grades, or my tuition or my transfer credits.

I am not my university or my house.

...or my church.

I am not my mother.

I am not my father.

I am not my skinny arms.

I am not my nice legs.

I am not my hair, which some days I love, and some days I despise, and some days I realize is not at all goddamn important.

I am not my computer.

I am not my clothing, or my cologne the shoes I wear.

I am not my piano, or the playing thereof.

I am not my writing, or my camera or my homework.

I am not my photographs.

I am not the people who don't like me.

I am not my cell phone, or my Facebook profile. Or my blog.

I am not my books.

I am myself,

...and I belong to God.

"Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells within you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy -- and that is what you are. For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God." 1 Corinthians 3: 16-17, 21-23

Saints Alive

2009-02-10T23:23:00.006-07:00

Some have suggested that Fr. Andrew White, who represents the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Middle East, and Iraq in particular, may be the next individual added to the kalendar of Saints.

Article here.

Another piece about Iraqi Christians here.

Lord God,
you hold both heaven and earth in a single peace.

Let the design of your great love

shine on the waste of our anger and sorrow,

and give peace to your Church,

peace among nations,

peace in our homes,

and peace in our hearts,
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Weekend at the Monastery

2009-02-09T02:56:00.006-07:00

This Saturday I went with some folks from church to visit St. Anthony's Orthodox monastery. It's a beautiful campus, situated eight miles outside of Florence, AZ. Florence is a tiny town about 40 miles southeast of Phoenix.

Ringing the call to Vespers:

Expectant

2009-01-29T14:05:00.003-07:00

I experienced my first-ever session with a "spiritual adviser" yesterday. Admittedly, I was skeptical at first, as the idea of paying someone money to dispense wisdom of a luminous nature seems...counter-intuitive.

Friends, it was worth it.

We talked for a long time, she gave me some literature, some words of counsel. And these two quotes, which I have since carried:

"Expect that a miracle is about to manifest."

"The Mystery never leaves you alone. Behind your image, below your words, above your thoughts, the silence of another world waits. A world lives within you."
-John O'Donahue

Prayers for Bobby

2009-01-27T20:59:00.001-07:00

Just Jesus

2009-01-16T12:51:00.008-07:00

It's strange how the sayings of Jesus are often attributed to "the Bible," bulked up by verses and passages. Listen to "just Jesus," let St. Paul and the other disciples and Apostles (ancient and modern) fall silent.

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back."

(Can you imagine what the world would look like if people [myself included] actually listened to this stuff? Education, healthcare, economics, immigration and foreign policy. Relationships with our fathers, mailmen, sisters, hairdressers, boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses, enemies.)

"Continue asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Continue seeking, and you will find. Continue knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For all who ask, receive. All who seek, find. And to all who knock, the door will be opened."

“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?”

“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the heavenly kingdom."

“Every man who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

"Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you. In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike."

"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring it's own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."

"My kingdom is not from this place. If it were, my followers would fight to prevent my arrest. But now my kingdom is not of this world."

"The kingdom is inside you and all around you. Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me."

"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to pray standing on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen."

“In the world you will have many troubles, but take courage;
For I have overcome the world.”

(-Jesus)

One more thing

2009-01-15T12:34:00.002-07:00

Like many others, this is a difficult time for me right now. A time of change, transition, fear and uncertainty. Prayers would be fabulous.

Living in the Desert

2009-01-14T21:10:00.008-07:00

Forgive me if this is rambling; I've felt compelled to write about this for some time, but I can't say my thoughts follow any logical order or conclusion. :)

When my family converted to Mormonism and moved from Scotland in the late 19th century, they immediately trekked westward to the Salt Lake valley. From there, they were asked by their religious leaders to settle in northern and central Arizona. My great-grandfather helped design the LDS temple in Mesa, and his house is a historical site across the street.

Like many raised here, I've spent much of my life wanting to leave. (Likewise, I would venture a guess that Seattle residents hate the rain, and New Englanders despise snow?) Sunshine, believe or not, can be depressing when it bears down relentlessly - 86% of daylight hours, to be precise. That's roughly 300 sunny days per year.

As I've lived in/visited various climates, I'm intrigued by the desert and its effect on people. Call it a kind of morbid fascination with the city of Phoenix.

The desert, of course, has long been a symbol for finding oneself. Venturing into the wilderness alone with your wits, body, and maybe God too. The desert fathers - Anthony, Athanasius, John Chrysostom; even John the Baptist and Jesus himself - lived in a climate very similar to the Sonoran desert.

Many cradle Phoenicians complain about the lack of life, culture and vibrancy here. There is indeed truth to the sentiment that the Phoenix metropolitan area is nothing more than a vast wasteland of urban sprawl. Even downtown is not easily walkable (though the new light-rail helps!), and nearly every trip requires a vehicle.

But that's not interesting to me, because culture is easily discovered if sought after (even here), and I've heard cradle Phoenicians bitching about it for two decades - the very same folks who move to Los Angeles or New York and continue whining that there's "nothing to do."

No, seeing this land as New Englanders, Midwesterners, Southerners and Europeans see it is more interesting. Eastern Europe is suffering from a natural gas blockade/shortage, and most of the U.S. is in a deep freeze. It was 73 degrees today, which really puts thing into perspective. It's given me a sympathetic and curious attitude towards cities like Baghdad, Jerusalem, Riyadh and Cairo.

The desert, originally an icon of self-sufficiency, where many survivalists try to make their mark, is anything but. It's eerie, how uninhibited by nature we are. There are no floods, no blizzards, no tornadoes or hurricanes, no earthquakes. Even New York City, the iron heart of capitalism and civilisation, is penetrated by snow and ice. Plant life is scarce, and much of it survives only because we keep it alive under carefully regulated systems in neatly trimmed hedges. This city feels like an outcome of "Man vs. Nature," where Man has won final victory.

What are the spiritual effects? I couldn't begin to tell you. I've experienced a deep and abiding sense of gratitude for the ability to wear shorts. "Nature" begins to look less green/blue, and more brown/yellow. Not that that's a bad thing. There is much beauty here, perhaps less easily found. It assumes a different shape. I'm surprised at how attached I feel to this sprawling mess when away. There is something to be said for the emptiness of the skies, the deadness of the earth (covered in concrete or dirt), the conspicuous absence of pests and pollens. I used to hike up trails in local parks at night and watch the city. It is one of the most silent cities. Maybe there is still some monasticism in the desert.

Tell me about your city! What's it like?

Jan. 6th -- 2009

2009-01-06T12:58:00.002-07:00

Trinity at Christmastide

2008-12-28T01:33:00.000-07:00

Since all the cool kids are doing it, here a few photos of my home parish all dressed up for Christmas:

Are you happy, or are you alive?

2008-12-12T14:14:00.001-07:00

This is so great. Thanks to Evan for sharing.

"The Christmas celebrations will certainly remain, and will certainly survive any attempt by modern artists, idealists, or neo-pagans to substitute anything else for them. For the truth is that there is an alliance between religion and real fun, of which the modern thinkers have never got the key, and which they are quite unable to criticize or to destroy.

"All Socialist Utopias, all new Pagan Paradises, promised in this age to mankind have all one horrible fault. They are all dignified. [...] But being undignified is the essence of all real happiness, whether before God or man. Hilarity involves humility; nay, it involves humiliation. [...] Religion is much nearer to riotous happiness than it is to the detached and temperate types of happiness in which gentlemen and philosophers find their peace. Religion and riot are very near, as the history of all religions proves.

"Riot means being a rotter; and religion means knowing you are a rotter. Somebody said, and it has often been quoted: 'Be good and you will be happy; but you will not have a jolly time.' The epigram is witty, but it is profoundly mistaken in its estimate of the truth of human nature. I should be inclined to say that the truth is exactly the reverse. Be good and you will have a jolly time; but you will not be happy. If you have a good heart you will always have some lightness of heart; you will always have the power of enjoying special human feasts, and positive human good news. But the heart which is there to be lightened will also be there to be hurt; and really if you only want to be happy, to be steadily and stupidly happy like the animals, it may be well worth your while not to have a heart at all.

"Fortunately, however, being happy is not so important as having a jolly time. Philosophers are happy; saints have a jolly time. The important thing in life is not to keep a steady system of pleasure and composure (which can be done quite well by hardening one's heart or thickening one's head), but to keep alive in oneself the immortal power of astonishment and laughter, and a kind of young reverence. This is why religion always insists on special days like Christmas, while philosophy always tends to despise them.

"Religion is interested not in whether a man is happy, but whether he is still alive, whether he can still react in a normal way to new things, whether he blinks in a blinding light or laughs when he is tickled. That is the best of Christmas, that it is a startling and disturbing happiness; it is an uncomfortable comfort. The Christmas customs destroy the human habits.

"And while customs are generally unselfish, habits are nearly always selfish. The object of a religious festival is, as I have said, to find out if a happy man is still alive. A man can smile when he is dead. Composure, resignation, and the most exquisite good manners are, so to speak, the strong points of corpses. There is only one way in which you can test his real vitality, and that is by a special festival. Explode crackers in his ear, and see if he jumps. Prick him with holly, and see if he feels it. If not, he is dead, or, as he would put it, is 'living the higher life.'"

--G.K. Chesterton, The Illustrated London News, 11 January 1908.

The Pendulum

2008-12-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

This is a post from The Rose Maniple:

- - - - - - -

There seems to be a perception in certain quarters that North American Anglicanism is getting more and more liberal as time goes by. That may be true in a sense, but it is not a linear development.

I am an Anglican, and I am twenty years old as of this writing. I certainly know young Anglicans who are very keen on the Book of Alternative Services, and all kinds of doctrinal laxity. But most young Anglicans I know are not in this category. It may be true that most (though not all) of us are "liberals" on the "hot-button" issues of women in the priesthood, and same-sex partnerships. But we also take the Creeds seriously and hold firm to Nicene and Trinitarian orthodoxy. We have a high view of the sacraments, and believe in the Real Presence and apostolic succession. We're waiting for the Baby Boomers to kick the bucket so that we don't have to listen to them tell themselves how "inaccessible" we find the Book of Common Prayer. Then we can bury their tie-die stoles with them and crack out the maniples and birettas. I don't mean to be overly crass: the pendulum is swinging the other way, and honouring the example of those who came immediately before us doesn't necessitate that we mimic them when we come to assume positions of Church leadership.

We are anxious to make our contributions to the Church. Take vocations to the ordained ministry. Anglicans my age will seek ordination to the diaconate and priesthood as a first career to a greater extent than have the clergy of our parents' generation.

The churchmanship of the future is high on sacramental grace and mystery, broad on doctrinal interpretation (within the historic formularies of the Church), and low on dogma, kitsch, and minimalism. It expects much of its followers and yet forgives much. And I for one am very much excited to be a young Anglican at the turn of the twenty-first century.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Me too.

You know, speaking of exclusion, I have felt excluded when priests do the whole poncho and communion-in-a-sippy cup thing. On one hand, I want to participate in the life of the community. On the other hand, I can't, in good conscience, bring myself to support a perversion of the tradition and beauty I fell in love with. Anglicanism is about via media not mea media. People on both sides need to realise this.

I look forward to a future where we can "expect much" and "forgive much." I am seeing more and more women in the Church who reject the presumed 'stereotypical' low-churchliness of their predecessors. We look to leaders like the Rt. Rev. Victoria Matthews, Bishop of Edmonton and prominent, fabulous, progressive and unapologetic Anglo-Catholic. Deus vult!

JB as JC

2008-12-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

Christianity and Vegetarianism

2008-11-29T20:01:00.002-07:00

I'm surprised I haven't written about this topic yet. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine (also a veg) asked me why I am a vegetarian. Health reasons aside (every male in my family has died of heart disease!), religious thought does come into play. This intrigues many people, because they've never seen vegetarianism espoused from a spiritual -- certainly not Christian -- point of view.

This is just a brief "article" I wrote, and is by no means comprehensive. It's peppered with Bible references because he's an evangelical, and they roll like that. I may or may not write more in the future. For some reason (that is absolutely baffling to me) this seems to be a controversial topic.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ethics of eating meat aside, modern carnivorous diets have far-reaching negative effects on the environment and world hunger. Back in Jesus' time, animals weren't fed disproportionate amounts of grain (not to mention hormones), mass-slaughtered in warehouses, then transported thousands of miles by petrol-guzzling planes, trains and automobiles. If we stopped consuming red meat alone, there would be enough excess grain to feed many, many who are suffering and in need. Christian vegetarianism is primarily an attempt to follow Jesus' injunction to care for "the least of these." (Matt. 25: 31-46)

That being said, of course the slaughtered animals are not treated with the appropriate care, respect and compassion described by Jesus in his parable of the lost sheep. If God discerns the fate of a tiny sparrow (Matt. 10:29-30) how he must shudder at the agony of these creatures!

Lastly (certainly not least) vegetarianism is found in every spiritual practice around the world. It is a form of abstinence, of fasting, of exercising our self-control.

Before the Fall, Adam and Eve lived in harmony with God and Creation, eating only "herbs of the field" (Genesis 1:29-30). A fallen world that has been redeemed by God is a reversion to paradise, to Eden. This was foretold by the prophets, who said that the "wolf and the lamb will lay down together." (Isaiah 11:6, 62:25) As Christians, we believe that the Resurrection affects everything about our world. The Lord declares that he is "making all things new." We are trying to live into this radically compassionate, new vision of the world.

I'm really not saying anything that hasn't already been said before. However, I am saddened by the impassioned, often angry, responses from non-vegetarians who act as if threatened by our way of life. Perhaps they have been confronted by aggressive, militant vegetarians in the past. I don't know. However, we must respond with only love, understanding that that is simply not where they are at on their journey. Vegetarianism isn't something to force or coerce someone into. Rather, it's simply another way to "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

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(For more info, check out this website.)

Advent Conspiracy, Part Deux

2008-11-23T18:25:00.001-07:00

Christus Rex

2008-11-23T00:08:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a very happy and pleasant Christ the King Sunday!

Or, in modern parlance:

Err....right.

...

Anyway, I'm glad Pentecost is over soon. I'm so sick of green.

Marriage Equality - Protests

2008-11-16T21:45:00.001-07:00

It's not really about marriage, it's about respect and human dignity. It's about not being silent.

I went to the Phoenix rally yesterday...the newspapers will say about 2,000 people showed up - try 3,500!

Pictures cannot convey the sheer enormity of that crowd.

Once again, I'm proud to be a member of a church that "seeks and serves Christ in all people." Being able to carry this flag for all to see truly felt like taking Christ into the world. How fitting it is that the Bishop happened to be at the Cathedral that day, giving us the thumbs up before we headed down to the march.

Washington, D.C.:

13 Things You May Not Know About Me

2008-11-10T16:48:00.000-07:00

A la Tamie. Make a list of your own, if you like.

- - -

1. I have a neurotic habit of adding up numbers - on clock displays, barcodes, phone digits; anything. And multiples of three are lucky. If I set the microwave timer, it has to add up to a multiple of three. (34 seconds on power level 8, for example. 3+4+8 = 15.)

2. I also like some contemporary Christian music. I hide it away like most people probably hide their porn.

3. I went to a Lutheran preschool. My teacher was a British woman named Mrs. Kibsey. Her assistant teacher was Ms. Young, who made me eat my sandwich when it got all crusty and yelled at my best friend Elliott and I for kicking up dust in the sandbox playing trucks. I didn't like her.

4. Speaking of Elliott, I totally stalk my elementary school peers on social networking sites. I love seeing what they're up to.

5. I love the teeny-tiny little spiders that sit in corners staring at the wall for months on end.

6. From age 9 to 14, to I was overweight. I still don't like people watching me eat.

7. I once hit a pigeon on the way to school. It landed directly in front of my car, and exploded in a spectacular display of feathers. The drivers around passed by laughing, but I felt so bad I pulled over, was late for class, and prayed for the poor bird. In retrospect, it was just a little bit funny.

8. The sound of people chewing noisily makes me cringe. Thank God for restaurants!

9. Same story for vacuum cleaners. I have to turn up my MP3 player obnoxiously loud when I'm cleaning.

10. I've never been able to keep a plant alive for more than a month.

11. If my feet are uncovered, I absolutely cannot fall asleep.

12. I've kept a journal since I was seven.

13. There is a large xylophone under my bed.

- - -

Bittersweet Day

2008-11-05T19:50:00.001-07:00

I feel proud to be an American again, but ashamed for Arizona, where Proposition 102 passed.

(Marriage is defined by Arizona statutory law as "the union of one man and one woman." Proposition 102 would enshrine this definition in the constitution, making it difficult [if not impossible] for judges to strike it down.

I don't expect the Arizona Supreme Court to act so reasonably anytime soon, but homophobes are scared as usual. The Mormon church in particular has poured millions of dollars [70% of overall contributions] into this campaign, buying commercials, electronic billboards, yard signs, and huge banners on nearly every corner of Phoenix. Nice priorities.)

Every "Yes on 102" sign says so much more than the green and blue words printed on the paper;

You are not welcome here.
You are not the same as us.
You are less.
Your love is less.
You are less of a human being.
We don't want you in this state.
We don't want you in our lives, our communities.
We don't want you.

102 in Arizona passed, but far worse is No. 2 in Florida, which is deliberately worded to outlaw - not only same-sex marriage - but civil unions and domestic partnerships that afford basic human rights to gay couples. Rights like hospital visitation, power of attorney, tax breaks, right to shared property ownership, and insurance carryovers. Gay Arizonans never had those rights, but tomorrow gay Floridians will wake up to have their lives radically altered.

They don't even want us buried next to our loved ones when we're dead.

That is powerful hatred.

In Arkansas, a ban on same-sex adoption passed. Because an orphan raised by strangers is, apparently, better than gay parents.

Failure of Proposition 8 in California is our last hope. Right now, as we wait, it leads 53% to 47%, with one-third of precincts reporting. If Proposition 8 indeed fails to pass, this day will not be as bittersweet for me and millions of others.

One of the reasons I have supported Barack Obama is that he includes gay Americans. He empowers us, lets us know that we are citizens too. He didn't hesitate to mention us in his historic speech tonight, no matter how uncomfortable it makes some people. No matter how politically inconvenient it might be. He understands what it's like to be thought of as somehow "lesser."

We are Americans too.

Yes we can.

All Souls

2008-11-02T18:26:00.001-07:00

All Souls' and All Saints'/Eve are among my favourite holidays. They're a celebration of the darkness, of the unknown, of mystery and ritual and antiquity. (I don't know why I feel that ancient things automatically adopt a degree of holiness, it just feels right.)

If you do not celebrate the death/darkness, it isn't a whole celebration of life/light. It's a reminder that physical death (even if it meant a final end) is not the worst kind of death.

This fondness for All Souls' day is problematic. You see, I don't personally know many dead people. As life goes on, I'm sure my appreciation and perception of this day will morph into something new. Some day, I will have pictures to place on the altar, and the day will assume a different hue, likely more somber.

Secondly, none of my ancestors have been members of the communion of saints for about 150 years, and I just can't conceive of receiving a visit from them.

So, I placed some incense and food on my home altar anyway, lit a candle, said a prayer and opened the window for any wandering spirits who cared to stop by. (This is the one time of year where I afford myself a certain amount of superstition and elect to walk by intuition.)

I felt it was a night well-spent.

The Son of God

2008-10-29T18:16:00.000-07:00

"The Son of God"

God speaks
And all shall listen.
"My son died
Hung upon a tree.
He died by betrayal.
He died by choice.
He died by a destiny
Prophesied.
My son died
Strung up,
Cradled in the outstretched arms
Of a tree.
His name
Was Judas."
Thus spoke God
But few would listen.

Source, here.

Head + Desk

2008-10-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

Some days, you just don't know whether to laugh or cry.

The Day I Was Denied Communion

2008-10-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

(Your prayers for my friend Rachel and her family would be greatly esteemed. Please.)

I just stumbled across this article on BeliefNet; "The Day I Was Denied Communion." Whatever you feel politically, the message behind the story is powerful.

"From the back of the Communion line someone shouted out, 'Are you judging this man, Father?' I was grateful for the intervention. Will the Last Day be like this? One friend making an appeal for another?"

One friend making an appeal for another. I wonder if our friends will defend us? Will the ones we have hurt condemn us? Will we all see each other's brokenness? Will the barrier between friends and enemies shatter? I wonder.

My Life, This Year, So Far (And a Favorite Poem)

2008-10-01T00:13:00.001-07:00

if there are any heavens my mother will(all by herself)have

one.  It will not be a pansy heaven nor
a fragile heaven of lilies-of-the-valley but
it will be a heaven of blackred roses
my father will be(deep like a rose
tall like a rose)
standing near my
(swaying over her
silent)
with eyes which are really petals and see
nothing with the face of a poet really which
is a flower and not a face with
hands
which whisper
This is my beloved my
            (suddenly in sunlight
he will bow,
& the whole garden will bow)

(e.e. cummings)

Perchance to Dream

2008-09-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

"...surely, you will die."
-Genesis 2:17

So, I've been thinking about death. (Aren't I a happy fellow?) It's typically seen as a negative, as defeat, as suffering - and it can be, of course it can be! Various cultures offer differing views. Rabindranath Tagore - an early 20th century Bengali poet - said, "Death is extinguishing a candle because dawn has come." I like that.

Something I find problematic however, is that our culture views death and age as objective. Lots of folks say, "Relax, you have your whole life ahead of you," or "Don't worry, you have plenty of time - you're still young."

Really?

For the 23-year old who dies in a car accident, 21 was pretty old. Age and longevity are so subjective.

I'm not trying to be a fear-monger (Lord knows we have enough of all that) but I do wish to resist the notion that being young is about being shallow, callous, getting wasted, sleeping around, and not giving a damn. This idea is perpetuated across the age board - young and old alike.

Certainly youth should be enjoyed and used to its fullest extent - there's a joy and passion at each phase of life, a joy which ought to be sought out and reveled in. (Of course, as a whiskypalian I'm not at all averse to getting knockered off your rocker every now and then.)

I'm just saying that during a fast-paced time of cynicism and apathy, slowing down and building meaning relationships - trying to live with compassion (the opposite of apathy) and authenticity should have a place too.

(Easier said than done!)

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow.
Learn as if you were to live forever."
-Gandhi

Episcopal Bishop of Arizona Speaks Out Against AZ Marriage Amendment

2008-09-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

We are all for marriage - right?

by Bishop Kirk S. Smith

One more comment about election issues, then I am done. Last week I wrote about Prop 200, and its attempt to impose crushing debt loads on the poor.

This week I would like to say something about Prop 102, which is bound to get me more e-mails because it is about that favorite media topic, sex.

This proposition, the so-called "Marriage Protection Amendment" left me scratching my head. Doesn't Arizona law already define marriage as a union between a man and woman, and didn't voters already reject a similar initiative in the last election? Why are we going through this again?

I urge you to read the arguments on both sides, and you can find them at: http://www.azsos.gov/election/2008/Info/PubPamphlet/english/Prop102.htm. I did, and afterwards I was even more convinced that Prop 102 has nothing to do with upholding marriage and the family -- after all, everyone supports that. Rather it is a much more insidious attempt to exclude gay and lesbian partnerships from full protection under the law. Those who feel that homosexual unions are somehow a "threat" to the American family (Dad, Mom, 2.2 kids) seem determined to make sure that people who are in such unions will know that they are not welcomed in this state, even if their union is recognized elsewhere, hence the constitutional change. I suspect that as more states allow gay/lesbian marriage, the greater will be the perceived threat.

I do wish the supporters of Prop 102 would be honest about their goal instead of bombarding us with misleading ads showing happy family outings and children romping on the playground, implying that such things are somehow endangered by two people of the same sex being in love and wanting to spend their life together.

No matter what you might think about the acceptability of gay/lesbian unions, the way this issue is being presented is really a matter of equal protection under the law, and more important for some of us Christians, whether we are going to "respect the dignity of every human being," as we say in our baptismal vows.

I know that some of the faithful will disagree. The Roman Catholic leadership has come out in favor of the initiative. However, it surprises and disappoints me that after the courageous campaigning for the human rights of undocumented immigrants, that the Catholic leadership would turn their backs on oppressed people on their own doorstep.

Marriage is a complex topic. As the quote below shows, the concept of marriage has changed radically over the course of history. How we regard marriage has deep political, cultural, and religious foundations. I hope that we might look beyond our familiar assumptions and prejudices and do what is right for all God's people, even those who are different from us.

So, I am going join with the League of Women Voters, the mayors of both Phoenix and Tucson, and civil rights groups, and AGAIN say no to this effort to define the family and decide who is welcome in our state and who is not. In my church, all are welcome.

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Well said, Bishop.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross (II)

2008-09-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

How appropriate that on this great and terrible feast day, this display was featured in the library.

It is about the women murdered in Juarez, Mexico.

Salvador del mundo,

que por tu cruz y

preciosa sangre nos has redimido,

sálvanos y ayúdanos,

humildemente te suplicamos, o Señor.

(Many things to many people.)

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

2008-09-15T09:39:00.001-07:00

(Many things to many people.)

Grazie

2008-09-12T02:22:00.001-07:00

"Having a clear faith, based on the creed of the church, is often labeled today as a fundamentalism... Whereas relativism, which is letting oneself be tossed and 'swept along by every wind of teaching,' looks like the only attitude acceptable to today's standards."
--Benedict XVI

Happy Birthday, Mary

2008-09-08T10:33:00.001-07:00

Today is the feast day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Interesting fact for those of you familiar with Arizona; The iconic pink Church of the Nativity in Flagstaff is not so named for the nativity of Jesus, as I had previously presumed. It is named for the nativity of Mary.

Who knew?

A Small Rant Before Lunch

2008-09-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Soooo the other day, while perusing my local Barnes & Noble (read: I wanted a muffin, but am too poor to afford actual books) I decided to stop by the Science section.

Marine Biology? Quite nice. String Theory? Excellent. Introduction to Organic Chemistry? Not my cup of tea, but okay.

Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion? The God Who Wasn't There? And God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens?

These aren't science books. They should be filed under Religion & Philosophy!

Barnes & Noble, your irony makes my brain hurt.

True in the 4th century - still true today

2008-09-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

"While we try to amass wealth, make piles of money, get hold of the land as our real property, overtop one another in riches, we have palpably cast off justice, and lost the common good. I should like to know how any man can be just, who is deliberately aiming to get out of someone else what he wants for himself."
--St. Basil the Great

St. Academius?

2008-08-28T13:57:00.001-07:00

Seminary requires an academically hefty load, what with exegesis and history and research and all that. It's also expensive, especially if you're an Episcopalian.

So who is going to Seminary? Who is succeeding in Seminary? If the answer is "rich folks who have a Bachelor's degree and are good at writing analytical research essays on Biblical exegesis," well...

Do we really want a homogeneous presbytery? Jesus' disciples were diverse people from all walks of life. All kinds of different backgrounds, economic statuses, and talents. Fishermen and tax collectors, whew.

I'm not saying our priests shouldn't be well-trained and versed in church history, homiletics, exegesis and all that good stuff. I'm just saying that maybe it's not as important as we think it is. I've met loads of people who have been priests without being ordained, if you know what I mean. (And conversely, we all know clergy who really ought to stick with tax-collecting.)

Who is going to Seminary? Who can go to Seminary? Who succeeds in Seminary? Just some stuff to think about.

Pokiehl

2008-08-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

"When you can enjoy the state of being lost,

you are set free from loss."

-Pokiehl, the Dreamteller

I'm Just Sayin'...

2008-08-21T17:02:00.000-07:00

"My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty. " (Malachi 1:11)

St. George, St. Andrew's Cross

2008-08-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

One of the things I've been seeing on various anti-Episcopal blogs lately is the shield of the Episcopal Church (USA) turned upside down. I suppose this is a childish and banal (you can't do anything better with photoshop? Really?) attempt at protest.

Let's just take a moment to remind ourselves that the red cross is St. George's cross, patron saint of England. The red signifies the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Blue is representative of the Mother of God, and the 9-cross pattern is St. Andrew's cross, patron saint of Scotland. The 9 crosses represent 9 dioceses of Scotland, a country which ordained American bishops when the English refused.

Normally, I'm all for protest. But like it or not, th e Episcopal shield is a Christian symbol. (One that represents Christ, Mary, and the Saints, at that.) When fellow Christians engage in its desecration, they're only shooting themselves in the foot. I can't imagine God smiling on the act, either.

Stick with photoshopping devil horns onto Katharine's head or something.

Nature is Beautiful (Question Mark)

2008-08-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

"Nature is the most powerful thing God made.
In fact, it's the only thing he ever made."
-Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God

So, there's something on my mind lately. Namely, humanity and our perception of nature.

Most people would say that nature is beautiful, that feeling connected to the earth and all living creatures is a positive thing. 9 times out of 10, I'd agree with that.

After all, who wouldn't agree that this is beautiful?

Sunsets, butterflies, vast coral reefs, polar bears, rainforests, starfish, the great Northern lights - we're generally okay with these things.

But what about the less-than-savory side of nature?

Tornadoes, parasites, earthquakes, viruses, floods, flesh-eating bacteria- these are all part of nature, too. Not exactly what comes to mind when I hear "God's creation," but there you have it.

It begs the question, ought we embrace the repellent side of nature? As squishy, soft-skinned mammals, we're naturally averse to things like, say, the AIDS virus. Or being burned alive in a volcanic eruption. Or sucked into a black hole.

A few months ago, I read something funny on an Atheist website, in an article about neo-Pagan Earth religions.

"Wiccans, though generally more tolerable than Judeo-Christians, are just as happy to be sucked away by a hurricane, praising the gods and thanking the Goddess for the opportunity."

Seriously though, when we thank God for the gift of Creation, do we really mean all of Creation? Aren't we, as squishy soft-skinned mammals, guilty of picking and choosing?

In the collective thought of the Christian think-tank, there are a few answers/opinions which come to mind.

One is of the ultra-liberal revisionist John S. Spong. That is, that there is no loving theistic Creator God watching out for us, that nature is in fact cruel, and that God is better understood as the impersonal Force which comes from harmonious interpersonal relationships. Jesus was a very nice person. (If he was real.)

If that's true, I'm going to be so pissed. Because it means I've been worshiping a 2,000 year old corpse, and taking moral cues from an outdated work of fiction. Quite frankly, I'd get more out of staying home on Sunday morning and watching Star Wars. It has better special effects than the Bible, and Chewbacca is way cooler than King Solomon.

On the other hand, we've got the colonial imperialist thinking of the 17th - 19th centuries. (Also Ann Coulter.) That is, that humanity is superior to nature and as such, it is our birthright - nay, duty - to rape and pillage the earth for all its worth. To subdue all inferior creatures and races beneath our mighty sword. I don't buy that either.

So, where does that leave us? How do we understand God, through the lens of God's creation? Even the less desirable aspects of that creation? What do you think?

2008-08-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

I've had this quote on my MySpace (yes, I have one of those awful things, and yes, they are stupid) for a long time, dunno why I've never shared it. This is one of my favorite quotes, and it's from - of all places - "Kingdom of Heaven."

Happiness is $0.95 off your next purchase

2008-08-05T14:07:00.001-07:00

Today, a woman at the grocery store came up behind me while I was buying milk, and handed me a coupon. She said, "You need this more than I do, I'm an old woman!" She was only maybe 46 , with fair brown skin like parchment and short, neatly hairsprayed hair framed around gold earrings.

Touched by this small gesture, I thanked her, and you know what? I couldn't stop smiling, and I smiled at people in the store and they smiled back at me. Which made me smile more.

Waiting in line, I saw a tabloid about Dr. Phil apparently dumping his spouse, with the yellow block-letter exclamation, "Wife tells all! The lies! The screaming! The pain! The abuse! And more!" As if lies, screaming, pain and abuse are products to be marketed and sold.

And as I handed the cashier my coupon, I had a "real" moment, where everything is made abundantly clear, and the most insignificant things become all-important.

So, God lurks in Safeway. Who knew?

St. Mary Magdalene - July 22nd

2008-07-22T01:28:00.000-07:00

Today is the feast day of Mary Magdalene, a woman from modern-day Migdal in northern Israel.

Sometimes referred to as "the Madeleine," mystery and confusion surround her life.

According to Western church tradition, she is the "sinful woman," the sister of Lazarus out of whom Jesus dispelled seven devils. She has been called Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha. In popular Christian culture as a prostitute, she is depicted with long, red unveiled hair.

However, the Church celebrates her feast of July 22nd as the woman "to whom Christ appeared after his resurrection, not as the sister of Saint Martha nor as the sinful woman whose sins the Lord forgave." She is often shown with a vessel of oil, which she used to anoint the Lord's feet, then wiped clean with her hair.

The Eastern church distinguishes between these three persons, stating that Mary had been a virtuous woman her entire life. She was granted her the title, "Equal of the Apostles." She is celebrated as the first witness to the Resurrection. This is significant, because woman were not allowed to be witnesses in legal proceedings. Her witness would have been "illegitimate," and yet Jesus commissioned her to go tell the others of his return. She is also depicted in Eastern iconography with oil, but as a myrrhbearer, one who would anoint the lifeless body of Jesus.

Gnostic texts paint Mary as one having been given a "secret knowledge" by Jesus, of which the other Apostles were jealous. Poor hermeneutic studies of these ancient gospels have led to the claim that perhaps Mary was married to Jesus. The stuff of legends, heresies, and the Da Vinci Code!

So who was this woman? A sinner? A prostitute? Wife of Jesus? Possessed? Apostle to the Apostles? I suppose we'll probably never know, but we do know a few things for sure.

One, she was the first witness to Jesus' resurrection.

Scripture paints a vivid picture of a woman in the gardens of a wealthy man, outside the city. It's a Sunday morning, and the sun has not yet risen. She has come alone. She has a capsule of oil with her. Entering the tomb of her friend, she finds it empty.

Then she loses it.

Can you blame her? She's just given her entire life away to a man who, despite all his promises, is dead. And now even the body was gone. Jesus asks her why she is weeping, but she doesn't recognize him. Finally, he calls her name - and only then does she understand.

Secondly, Mary is a figure of sorrow, of beauty, and of penitence. She is depicted weeping, grasping the foot of the cross in agony, anointing Jesus' feet with her tears.

Is it any surprise then, that I chose Mary as my patron saint? Sure, it's a bit of a faux-paus for a
male to choose a female as his patron, but hey - that's my prerogative as an Anglican!

It's rather easy for me to be sad. Certainly, it's easy for me to believe that "they have taken my Lord away, I do not know where." It's difficult to actually trust promises of resurrection and new life. More often than not, I find myself willing to mourn an empty tomb, while God sneaks up behind me. Even then, it takes calling my name, before I "get it."

We've all been there - some more than others. The good news (no pun intended) is that God indeed sneaks up on us. He takes the oil we've brought for anointing a dead body, and makes it a sacred vessel, for the healing of the sick. He empowers us to run with that message, and go about the business of building God's kingdom.

"O God, when others were ready to condemn Mary Magdalene, Jesus accepted her with all her imperfections. She in turn accepted Your Son as her Saviour. It was to St. Mary Magdalene, before all others, that Jesus committed the message of Easter Joy. Through her intercession may we proclaim Christ as our living Lord, and one day contemplate Him reigning in glory. Amen."

Hope

2008-07-15T02:41:00.000-07:00

This is so sad. No matter where you stand...Have we really come to this?

Watch the video here. Pray for Bishop Robinson. Pray for my own Bishop, too.

"The language of the Kingdom of God is to speak of despair, without despairing."

Crazy Love

2008-07-14T19:05:00.001-07:00

From a book I'm reading:

"We have no right to ask God why he allows suffering in this world - not if we're allowing it, too."

Practicing Love

2008-07-11T10:37:00.001-07:00

What helps you to love others?

Sit Down and Shut Up

2008-07-07T23:35:00.000-07:00

Sit down and shut up is exactly what I need to do. This past week has been insane. There are tons of things going on in my life and in the lives of those close to me lately. Birthdays, ministries, new births, illnesses, schoolwork, tragedies, music, new friendships, money, old friendships, heartache - you name it.

At night, my brain just won't shut up either, mostly because I've been chattering away all day, and it's remembering that. This week, heavy doses of alone time and silence and "letting the dust settle" are in order.

Glory to God, whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever, Amen.

Perspectives

2008-07-05T00:43:00.000-07:00

Perspective is a funny thing. I'm thinking about how two people can agree on, or like a particular "thing" - but for different reasons.

For example, I love elaborate vestments (see below!) because they're beautiful and aesthetics help me draw closer to the Divine. Someone else may like them because they're canonically "correct," and what "the Church ought to do," and order helps them see God more clearly. Someone else may like them because they're subversive to the culture around them, and there they find Christ. Yet another might hate them for the same reason.

We think we're all in agreement, but it can be disconcerting to realize we like the same "thing," but for a different reason. We may not be in agreement at all!

And sometimes, we realize that what we thought we liked about it - the aesthetic, the order, the subversiveness - points to a deeper truth about ourselves and our relationship with God. We may have to let go of the reason for liking or disliking something - the aesthetic, the order - in order to see things the way they really are.

Using vestments as an example here - it could be anything. Church-related or not. An object, an ideal, a place, a person.

I know I'm being all highly theoretical and wishy-washy, so if this makes any sense at all to you, bravo :) Just thinking out loud again.

Jesus, Not Prada

2008-07-01T14:44:00.001-07:00

This is funny. And true.

It's not Prada but Christ that guides vestment choices, says paper

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Wearing ornate liturgical vestments symbolizes the spiritual transformation of the person wearing the clothes, not his love of fashion, the Vatican newspaper said.

"The priest does not choose such ornaments because of an aesthetic vice -- he does it to put on the new clothes of Christ," said an article in the June 26 edition of L'Osservatore Romano.

Liturgical vestments represent "dressing oneself anew in Christ" in which the priest "transcends his identity to become someone else," to become one with Christ through a process of interior transformation and inner renewal, it said.

"The pope, in short, does not wear Prada, but Christ," it said.

Read the rest here.

Ugly vestments should be anathematized.

Honestly, she's my Presiding Bishop, but I hate her vestments. What season is that? Lenteradventecost?

On A Similar Note...

2008-06-24T04:05:00.000-07:00

There is one Episcopal parish in Provo, Utah - home to Brigham Young University, where the religious population is 98% Mormon. Coming from an ex-Mormon background, I can only imagine the kind of sanctuary and safe harbor that place has been for so many people struggling with faith.

They have a great creed at St. Mary's, one which I think speaks to people from all walks of life, especially those who have suffered spiritual abuse at the hands of their faith system and its leaders:

+Mercy over Judgment+

+Relationships over Rules+

+Spirituality over Religion+

Amen.

Compare/Contrast

2008-06-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

In a statement to be read in California churches on Sunday, LDS President Thomas S. Monson, with his counselors in the governing First Presidency, Henry B. Eyring and Dieter F. Uchtdorf, says Mormon teachings on the issue "are unequivocal."

"Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God, and the formation of families is central to the Creator's plan for his children," the statement says. "We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society."

- - -

Episcopal Bishop of California, the Rt. Rev. Marc Andrus, Responds to Ruling by the California Supreme Court:

"I welcome the ruling of the California Supreme Court affirming the fundamental right of all people to marry and establish a family. All children of God should be afforded the same rights under the law, and this decision recognizes that all Californians, regardless of sexual orientation, have equal access to one of our fundamental human institutions. As always, I welcome your wisdom, your insights and your input on these matters, and I continue in my commitment to work for a Church that sees all of God’s children through the same eyes that God does."

Prayer, Part Deux

2008-06-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Prayer is something I struggle with. Not doing it, necessarily (although that's hard sometimes too) but just defining it. What does it mean to pray? What's the point of prayer? How are prayers answered? Why are they left unanswered? So many questions.

Like many people, I was raised with the notion that God is an awful lot like Santa Claus - he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows if you've been bad or good - so be good, for goodness sake! And, if you're good enough, then you'll be rewarded.

Once I realized that God wasn't going to grant me three wishes - no matter how "good" I try to be - I thought to myself, "Well, what's the point?" Honestly, what is the point in praying for a sick person if they're not going to be healed?

Because we are fragile creatures with very breakable
hearts who need to commune with the Divine.

It'd be a sad, sad world if you never called your sister or best friend or uncle - except for when you needed money. Or when someone had died. Just like we need intimate relationships with human beings, we need that intimacy with God. And if you want to know someone, you're going to have to speak with him/her at some point.

The Catechism (I don't know why I don't read it more often - it's a wise little book) says:

Q. Why do we praise God?
A. We praise God, not to obtain anything, but because God's Being draws praise from us.

Oh, duh. I knew that.

Q. What is prayer?
A. Prayer is responding to God, by thought and by deeds, with or without words.

I find the most sincere and genuine form of prayer to be wordless, and often spontaneous. We respond to God in fear (too often, probably), in sorrow, in agony, in joy, and in love. And God hears us.

One of my favorite lines about God comes from the movie "What Dreams May Come." Robin Williams' character, after dying, asks his fellow departed friend where God is. His friend smiles, points to the sky and says, "Oh, he's up there somewhere - shouting down that he loves us, and wondering why we can't hear him."

Prayer, salvation, communion - all these are mysteries of God. They can't be put into a solvable formula. (If only it were so easy! "I do x, and God will do y.")

God's mysteries, in a sense, can only be deeply understood through the soul - not the brain, not the heart, not the body. They cannot be explained. That is terribly frustrating for us humans. We demand explanations for everything.

So, we continue to pray for the sick, the dying - those who suffer, including ourselves. Because prayer - communion with the sacred - is a healing act. It is, by nature, restorative.

Listen to this song, it's one of my new favorites:

Long walks in the dark through woods grown behind the park,
I asked God who I'm supposed to be.
The stars smiled down on me, God answered in silent reverie.
I said a prayer and fell asleep.

The Force Be With You

2008-06-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

2008-06-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of my last two posts, I suppose, I'd like to share with you the description of a group I joined on Facebook. It's pretty funny.

It's called "I Like People....In Theory."

"This is for all those idealistic people who love the idea of world peace, getting along with everyone and who pretty much want to make the world a better place, but frequently get the urge to bitch-slap the moron who cuts them off in traffic, open up a can of whoop-ass on the littering birthday picnic-ers at the park or take down the rude neighbor in the apartment next door with the really loud television, dog, children, and/or sexual behaviors. Ever-optimistic, yet ever-annoyed individuals because of the stupidity and carelessness of our society. Somebody will make the world a better place -- but it probably won't be us."

Hahaha.

Seriously though, I feel this way most of the time.

I think I'm getting better at it, but it's difficult to reconcile my Christianity with my frankly judgmental nature. If I'd been around in Jesus' time, I'd be the one saying, "Yes! Love the poor! ....From a safe distance. Right, Jesus?" I have a tendency to establish connections with those whom it is already easy for me to love. I even catch myself eyeballing the poor fashion choices of certain parishioners as they kneel at the altar on Sunday morning! Then I feel guilty for thinking that way. Then I feel guilty for feeling guilty. Oh boy.

My best friend (who feels the same way) joked that people like us should get bonus points for being Christians.

I suppose the important thing for me (and all of us) to remember is that we all have vices, and that's okay -- it's what makes us us. And that once we identify those vices, we can dig a little deeper to find out why we're so judgmental (or angry or empty or cold or whatever) - and begin to ask for God's unconditional love and forgiveness, to heal whatever wounds we have that cause us to hurt others and ourselves.

Yes, unconditional forgiveness.

Most Excellent

2008-06-09T01:10:00.000-07:00

The Good Lord Knows....

2008-06-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

"You have no idea how much nastier I would be if I was not a Catholic. Without supernatural aid I would hardly be a human being."
-Evelyn Waugh

You and me both, Mister Waugh, you and me both...

Ordaining Trees to Save Them

2008-06-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

The article is from 11 years ago, but it's happening again, according to NPR. I couldn't find a podcast of the radio broadcast where I heard about it.

Thought for the Day

2008-06-02T08:44:00.000-07:00

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I Am.

Be still and Know.

Be still.

Be.

St. Joan of Arc

2008-05-22T21:23:00.001-07:00

I just finished watching the Joan of Arc movie, which is surprisingly historically sound. (Or so I hear.) Her story never ceases to amaze me - the parallels between St. Joan and Christ are interesting - and not exactly inconsequential. Both were put to death as sinners, as blasphemers - Joan was both martyred and canonized (500 years later) by the Church. Interestingly enough, all the Church websites about her still dance around the word martyr. Joan asked to see a crucifix placed before her eyes while she burned.

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your faithful shall bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
and tell of your power,
to make known to all people your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

The Lord is faithful in all his words,
and gracious in all his deeds.
The Lord upholds all who are falling,
and raises up all who are bowed down.

-Psalm 145: 8-14

O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light Rises up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, to ask what you would have us do; that the spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, that in your light we may see light, and in your straight paths may not stumble, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

On a Lighter Note...

2008-05-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

If It's Worth Doing....

2008-05-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

It's worth doing right!

What the Doctor Ordered

2008-05-11T01:58:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a certain quote by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, but I found one I hadn't seen before instead.

I can just hear him telling this story, smiling the whole way through. He has such a loping, easy laughter and grace about him - like he knows a great big secret that we don't. I couldn't help but smiling and laughing while looking through pictures of him. I believe he is a Saint, capital S.

Adam is in the garden. And there he was having a great time with the animals and gamboling all over the place, but God looked on and said. uh-uh. It’s not good for that guy to be all by his lonesome.

And God said to Adam, “Well Adam –”

Adam said, “Yes?”

“How about choosing a mate for yourself from the animals?”

So God let animals pass in front of Adam in procession and God said, “What about this one?”

“Nope,” said Adam.

“And what about this one?”

“No.”

“And this one?”

“Not on your life!”

And God say okay, and put Adam to sleep. And as the story goes, out of Adam’s rib, God created this delectable creature.

And when Adam awakes, he looks and says “Wow!” and “This is what the doctor ordered!”

It’s a story that is meant to convey a very profound truth about you and me. That you and I are incomplete, that we can’t, in fact, be human in isolation.

In solitary confinement, as it were.

I wouldn’t know how to be human except by learning it from other human beings. I need you in order for me to be me. I need other human beings in order for me to be human. …

The totally self-sufficient human being is, in fact, subhuman.
…
One of the sayings in our country is … “A person is a person through other persons.”

We are family.

Prophetic Music

2008-05-02T00:47:00.000-07:00

This is what it's all about - the Millenium Development Goals, sustainability, rejecting the culture of mass consumption and greed....It's a look at how the world really is; the whole world.

There ain't no reasons things are this way
Its how they've always been and they intend to stay
I can't explain why we live this way
We do it everyday
Preachers on the podiums speaking to saints
Prophets on the sidewalks begging for change
Old ladies laughing from the fire escape, cursing my name
I got a basket full of lemons and they all taste the same
A window and a pigeon with a broken wing
You can spend your whole life working for something
Just to have it taken away

People walk around pushing back their desks
Wearing pay checks like necklaces and bracelets
Talking 'bout nothing, not thinking about their
Every little heart beat, every little breath
People walk a tight rope on a razor's edge
Carrying their hurt and hatred and weapons
It could be a bomb or a bullet or a pin
Or a thought or a word or a sentence.

There ain't no reasons things are this way
Its how they've always been and they intend to stay
I don't know why i say the things i say,
But i say them anyway.
But love will come set me free
Love will come set me free
I do believe
Love will come set me free
I know it will
Love will come set me free
Yes

Prison walls still standing tall
Some things never change at all
Keep on building prisons,
Gonna fill them all.
Keep on building bombs
Gonna drop them all

Working your fingers bare to the bone
Breaking your back, make you sell your soul
Like a lung is filled with coal, suffocating slow
The wind blows wild and i may move
But politicians lie and i'm not fooled
You don't need no reason or a 3 piece suit
To argue the truth
The air in my skin and the world under my toes
Slavery is stitched into the fabric of my clothes
Chaos and commotion wherever i go
Love, i try to follow

But love will come set me free
Love will come set me free
I do believe
Love will come set me free
I know it will
Love will come set me free
Yes

There ain't no reasons things are this way
Its how they've always been and they intend to stay
I can't explain why we live this way;
We do it everyday.

-

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness,
no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit,
that all peoples may be gathered together and reconciled under the banner of the Prince of Peace,
as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and forever.

Amen.

Gene Robinson is a Holy Man

2008-04-30T02:37:00.002-07:00

I love NPR, but I missed this story from Fresh Air. Bishop Robinson gave an interview last week about his struggle with alcoholism, his new book, and life in general.

Listen here.

Oscar Romero

2008-04-27T23:13:00.000-07:00

I've been reading about Oscar Romero lately, the former Catholic bishop of El Salvador who was eventually murdered on March 24th, 1980, for his outspoken criticism of the Salvadoran government's human rights abuses. He was shot just after delivering a sermon, the final words of which were, "May God have mercy on the assassins." His blood spilled out onto the altar.

At his funeral, over 250,000 people came to pay tribute. Salvadoran death squads set off bombs and fired shots into the crowd at Cathedral Square, killing at least 31. Still, more and more people came every day to pay homage to the deceased prelate.
I'm absolutely in awe of this man. He is in the process for being canonized as a Saint in the Catholic church, and is already a Saint in the Anglican Communion. In his early life, he was conservative and rather blindly obedient. He was placed in El Salvador by church hierarchy so he wouldn't "make trouble." But witnessing firsthand the suffering of the people brought about his transformation into a prophetic voice of peace, as one who lives completely without fear.

This is why I firmly believe that religion should be subversive. If you're not doing your part to ruin the unjust status quo and piss people off, make people uncomfortable - then you're not doing it right. If your pastor drives a luxury SUV with $400 rims, you're not doing it right. If religion is a crutch and makes your life easier, rather than harder, you're not doing it right.

The word repent in Greek (metanoeo) literally means "Stop! Stop what you're doing! Go back! Think differently!" Our leaders and politicians have tried to convince us that "the way to peace is through war."

It has become a way of life for this country to be at war. That, my friends, is sickening. We need to stop. We need to go back and think differently. In a world of mind-numbing violence and fear, it's hard, if not impossible to hear the calm, quiet, voices of peace. Those voices belong to women and men who live boldly, and without fear. They will not be silenced.

"We must not seek the child Jesus in the pretty figures of our Christmas cribs. We must seek him among the undernourished children who have gone to bed at night with nothing to eat, among the poor newsboys who will sleep covered with newspapers in doorways. "

Trinity Cathedral on YouTube

2008-04-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

My home parish in Phoenix, Trinity Cathedral, finally got on the YouTube bandwagon. Their first video is out. I guess they're doing a series on the Sacraments and other good churchy stuff. Check it out:

Also available in Spanish.

I Like My Church Boring and my Pastors Old

2008-04-25T14:55:00.001-07:00

Okay, major props to Fr. Craig for this one.

To the tune of "Onward Christian Soldiers."

Like a mighty tortoise
Moves the Church of God.
Brothers we are treading
Where we've always trod.

We are all divided
(Many bodies we);
Very strong on doctrine,
Weak on Charity.

On Episcopalians!
Saunter as to tea!
Taste and etiquette shall
Lead us, Lord, to Thee!

Some Day, Somehow...

2008-04-23T13:37:00.001-07:00

I've decided I want to make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

....And Why Don't We Do This??

2008-04-17T00:45:00.000-07:00

Beautiful...

Χριστός ανέστη εκ νεκρών,

θανάτω θάνατον πατήσας,

και τοις εν τοις μνήμασι,

ζωὴν χαρισάμενος!

Christ is risen from the dead,

Trampling down death by death,

And upon those in the tombs

Bestowing life!

The Enneagram: Part Deux

2008-04-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

As I've continued reading that book about Christianity and the Enneagram, I've been thinking about Christian symbols, and how they correspond to the 9 faces of the soul. So, I made this.

(And I promise to shut up about the freaking Enneagram for a few more months!)

TRIAD I: Children of the Father
(Eight, Nine, One)

Eight -- STRENGTH -- The instruments of the Eucharistic feast, the Power of God Incarnate. Blessed are the merciful, for you will obtain mercy.

Nine -- PEACE -- The chi rho, Greek symbolism for "Jesus Christ," the Prince of Peace, also shorthand for the Latin PAX, "peace." Blessed are the peacemakers, for you will be called children of God.

One -- PERFECTION -- The Trinity, at once both dogmatic and beautiful, the essence of Perfection - Three in One. Blessed are the pure of heart, for you will see God.

TRIAD II: Children of the Son
(Two, Three, Four)

Two -- LOVE -- The Marian crest, symbol of the Virgin Mary, the Mother who adopted all of humanity, and eternally shares the pains of her only begotten son. Blessed are the meek, for you will inherit the earth. Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, for great is your reward in Heaven.

Three -- VICTORY -- The keys of Apostolic authority and a symbol of the Church Triumphant. True victory is obtained only through God. Blessed are the meek, for you will inherit the earth.

Four -- PASSION -- The Sacred Heart of Jesus. Redemption of self and others through penance and self-examination. Blessed are you who mourn, for you will be comforted.

TRIAD III: Children of the Spirit
(Five, Six, Seven)

Five -- WISDOM -- The Ichthys, an ancient Christian symbol of hidden knowledge and secret wisdom. Blessed are you who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for you will be filled.

Six -- LOYALTY -- St. Peter, who at first denied Christ three times, in the end chose to be martyred for Christ by means of upside-down crucifixion - the ultimate loyalty. Blessed are you who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for yours is the kingdom of heaven.

Seven -- JOY -- The Celtic cross, a symbol of Resurrection and new life, as the sun rises behind an empty cross. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for yours is the kingdom of heaven.

The Enneagram

2008-04-10T20:16:00.001-07:00

"...and add to this, that I taste a false sweetness in everything I suffer from. This sad state of soul is for me an abundance of pains, misery, and terror, an open path to despair....And the crowning point of all woes is that I feed with a certain silent lustfulness on my tears and pains and only against my will do I tear myself away from them."
-Petrarch

I'm reading this wonderful book called "The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective." Thanks to Tamie for introducing me to the Enneagram!

The Enneagram was used in the Middle East as early as 800BCE as a spiritual practice. It was later refined by Christian and Sufi (mystic sect of Islam) ascetics. It's a 9-pointed personality "guide" - although the Sufis referred to it as the "9 Faces of God" or the "9 Faces of the Soul."

I'd give you a link to a test of some sort, but they fall short. In the true spiritual nature of the Enneagram, one is supposed to read and reflect on each of the 9 types before self-identifying with one of them. I shall leave you, dear readers, to discover the nine types on your own!

Anyway, I love that quote. It perfectly and beautifully describes the vice (or sin, if you will) of my 'type' - number Four. "Melancholy is the joy of being sad."

As I read more about the Enneagram, it allows me to develop a certain patience and temperance for others. The key to compassionate empathy (at least to me) is acknowledging how damaged we all are. Then we begin to learn how to heal and break old patterns of responses to our core personalities. I don't think you can change your core, but I do think you can change how you respond to it.

Speechless

2008-03-31T16:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you're speechless because you don't have anything to say, or you feel that what you have to say is somehow irrelevant or inadequate, or sometimes you are speechless because silence will say everything.

But right now, I'm speechless because I have so many things I'd like to say, and they're all piling up in the back of my throat and I simply can't speak. So, I will write about this past weekend later, once I've had time to "unpack" all my spiritual baggage.

"Let old wounds be reopened and exposed,
so that a new life and a new Resurrection may begin."

...

....But Today Is Easter!

2008-03-23T21:48:00.001-07:00

Christus Resurrexit!

Vere Resurrexit - Alleluia!

"The feeling remains that God is on the journey, too. "
- St. Theresa of Avila

Today is Good Friday

2008-03-21T21:25:00.001-07:00

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;

he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed;

the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.

He has mercy on those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm

and has scattered the proud in their conceit,

Casting down the mighty from their thrones

and lifting up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good thing

and sent the rich away empty.

He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,

to remember his promise of mercy,

The promise made to our ancestors,

to Abraham and his children for ever.

O my people, what have I done to you?
How have I hurt you? Answer me.

. . .

Disgusting

2008-03-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this woman is a state legislator.

Don't have time to type out my thoughts at the moment (see the title!) but also check out here and here. Absolutely agreed.

Hosanna, And All That

2008-03-16T10:13:00.002-07:00

Happy Palm Sunday and yadda yadda yadda. I'm grumpy because I've been sick for the past week, and therefore, today, missed Palm Sunday '08 forever. This is for any church-administration-types listening:

Do you want to know how to "get more young people in the church?"
Really?

STOP HAVING MASS AT 9 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.

Oy.

Wage Peace

2008-03-11T01:55:00.001-07:00

"Wage Peace"
by Judyth Hill

Wage Peace with your breath.

Breathe in firemen and rubble.
Breathe out whole buildings and flocks of red-wing blackbirds.

Breathe in terrorists
Breathe out sleeping children and fresh mown fields.

Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees.

Breathe in the fallen and breathe out life long relationships intact.

Wage peace with our listening: hearing sirens, pray loud.

Remember your tools: flower seeds, clothing pins, clean rivers.

Make soup.

Play music; learn the word "thank you" in 3 languages.

Learn to knit: make a hat.

Think of chaos as dancing raspberries.

Imagine grief
as the outbreak of beauty or gesture of fish.

Swim for the other side.

Wage peace.

Never has the word seemed so fresh and precious.

Have a cup of tea and rejoice.

Act as if armistice has already arrived.
Celebrate today.