jefe.quixote

Welcome to politics...

2007-03-03T22:59:00.001-06:00

This morning I got an email from John Edwards campaign. I dig Edwards, don't think he has a chance, but I like him. What I didn't like was the content of the email. Below is a recording of what Ann Coulter said at a dinner for the conservative political action committee. I can't get my mind around it. How can this woman be a best-selling author? How can politicians court her approval? How am i supposed to react to this? I mean this chick is the one person who can raise the bile and disgust in my mouth more than any other, and yet, I am called to love her and see her as someone made in the image of God. How do you do that? I don't know how. It's that same mystery surrounding the Amish who forgave the sicko who killed their children. I don't know how one develops, nurtures, grows a heart of love. I want to, but I don't want to. It's easier for me to demonize Ann Coulter than see her as human, let alone a child of God. Far easier to see her as evil. Yet, I am called to this. How do you stand up for the right & truth and still love your enemies? Can you have enemies for that matter? Jesus didn't. I don't know. I'm angry, frustrated & confused. Angry at Coulter. Frustrated with God for giving us this burden. And confused that there is no easy answer.
pax,
jefe

Sacred Space

2007-02-28T21:20:00.000-06:00

I was listening to a Mennonite sermon on the iPod yesterday and it was wonderful. It was wonderful. First off, it was a generally great sermon- place is Trinity Mennonite & their pastor is the one that wrote that book BD reviewed over at Real Bruthas. The church is in Glendale, AZ. I'd really like to ask our friends ric & sue (or son mike) to check the place out to see if it's as cool as it sounds on the podcast. The otehr reason it was wonderful was because it forced me to be quiet. In true Anabaptist fashion, Shane Hipps (the pastor) recalled the Quaker tradition of practicing silent contemplation. I spent the last 2.5 minutes of my drive (of 5 minutes) in silence. How ironic is it that it took listening to an iPod to get me to spend some quiet time with God? There I was driving with my headphones on, listening to dead air- and savoring it. I'm pretty messed up, I decided. However, those few minutes prompted me to go back to a site I'd bookmarked a year ago- Sacred Space, a wonderful wbsite that Juli R introduced me to through their blog. Man, it was good to go there. I realized how much of my time is spent in busyness and sound. The churches I frequented (with the exception of the Anglican ones) filled every quiet moment with sound. I realize I desperately need quiet, if I am to worship. If I am going to hear God at all, I need to get rid of the distractions. The cool thing about sacred Space is that it forces the reader to savor the idea of meditation. Something I pretty much suck at because my mind flits form one thing to another. Anyway, this whole thing is essentially a thanks to Juli and an invite to check it out (and while you're at it, why not listen in on Trinity Mennonite's sermon on Lent?

I try to let go of concerns and worries
that may be dragging me down at this present moment.
I place any concerns I have in Gods hands
- at least for these few minutes of prayer.

To be conscious about something is to be aware of it.
Dear Lord help me to remember that You gave me life.
Thank you for the gift of life.
Teach me to slow down, to be still and enjoy the pleasures created for me.
To be aware of the beauty that surrounds me.
The marvel of mountains, the calmness of lakes, the fragility of a flower petal.
I need to remember that all these things come from you.

pax,
jefe

p.s.- Does it screw up my contemplative post to mention that Lost was friggin' great tonight? I love this show.

What if...? A New Messiah of Titanic Proportions

2007-02-27T20:51:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I gave my students an assignment that simply reinforced my status as a the preeminent nerd in the class. I asked them to write an alternate history of some aspect of WWII. Take an incident from what we have studied (or you have on your own), and imagine if that event had gone differently- how would history have been changed. surprisingly, the kids really seemed to embrace the idea. I gave them a one page minimum and I had plenty of kids who went 3 pages or more.
I mention this little trifle, not to brag about my powers of engaging students (I'm pretty sure a fellow high school student could have gotten them to do what I did); I mention it because alternate history appears to be a fad of late in the news. Sunday I heard that reputable historian James Cameron, a man whose scholarship is equaled only by his humility, had announced that he had made a breakthrough in archeology. In a week , he would debut a documentary that would change Christianity forever. allegedly, James Cameron has found the final resting place of Jesus, Mary and their son Judah. Despite my immediate incredulity, this made me think: how would history be different if the story turns out true? How would the church respond? While Jesus celibacy is of absolutely no importance to me, the physical resurrection is one of the cornerstones of our faith. I have a feeling that immediately theologians would attempt to reconcile the two ideas: Jesus' death and the story of the resurrection. Now it would be a spiritual resurrection and the Church would find itself in the unenviable position of deciding whic of the "lost gospels" or gnostic accounts they ought to accept as canon.
Of course, I don't believe for a minute this will occur. Statistics aside, the common nature of the names Jesus, Mary, & Judah to 1st century Palestine makes Cameron's claim really extraordinary. Look how many Judases and Marys are mentioned in the gospel accounts- and that's the orthodox canon. It's just silly.
Besides, how can they prove that it was "our Jesus"? You'd need DNA testing or something and who's going to provide them with that? Oh, wait: him. Crap, what if?

Father,
I know your love for me is limitless beyond imagining.
You care for me as a loving parent.
Through my smallest Lenten sacrifices,
help me to become less selfish
and more aware of your ways.
Fan the flame of my desire
to draw ever closer to you.
Guide me to seek your love.
pax, jefe
PS- check out the video that accompanies it. Ta-wisted!

Reasoned , but Warm Frustrated Evangelical Book Review

2007-02-26T21:24:00.000-06:00

So in this my final installment of Frustrated Evangelical Book reviews, I examine Tony Campolo's Letters to a Young Evangelical. This book snuck up on me, in a good way. When I started it, I thought it was pedestrian. Campolo begins by outlining what an evangelical is and (typically) believes. At first, I worried that Tony Campolo, the guy who shocked Wheaton and other evangelical college students with an admonishment to care for the homeless that included curse words, had played it safe. Frankly, I was disappointed.
Then it began to evolve. Over the course of the book, Campolo takes on politics, gay marriage, Islamic-Christian relations, gender roles in the church, abortion, and other hot topics. I dug this book. Campolo is honest about his opinion- he decries the homophobic attitudes within the church, but admits he still thinks that homosexuality cannot be reconciled with his understanding of Scripture. The cool thing is that he admits his wife disagrees with him and then gives her rationale why. I appreciated the even-handed tone. As I wrote previously, Balmer's book was angsty and passionate- that's why I liked it. Yet, there is something calming about Campolo's style of writing- sort of like my new favorite fleece pullover. You just feel comforted- even as he tells you there is no easy answer to this dilemma. While it is clear he disagrees with the Religious Right and fundamentalists (he is frustrated that fundamentalists have appropriated the term "evangelical"), he does not sink to name-calling. Nevertheless, he is quick to point out the problems with some aspects of evangelical/fundamentalist theology (i.e. dispensationalism). Campolo, in fact, calls for a new term for those who would take up Jesus' subversive message: "Red-Letter Christians" (take for the fact that the words of Jesus are often in red letters). While this is admirable, I don't think it will catch on, nor am I sure I want it to. Shouldn't we be working to rise above labels? Or at least, why not redeem the term for subsequent generations. Bottom line: great book, and I highly recommend it.

Here is an Orthodox prayer to sign off:
The Father is my hope; the Son is my refuge; the Holy Spirit is my protector. O All-holy Trinity, glory to thee.

pax,
jefe

Scholarly Frustrated Evangelical Book Review

2007-02-25T17:55:00.000-06:00

Randall Balmer's Thy Kingdom Come has a couple problems. The first two, while negligible, are slightly annoying and to be honest, I didn't mind the last one. First off, the book has too many subtitles: The full title is actually "Thy Kingdom Come: How the Religious Right Distorts the Faith and Threatens America: An Evangelical's Lament". Frankly, this is annoying. Pick one and stick with it. The other annoyance is the occasional tendency to create straw man arguments. Wile some have criticized him for an excessive amount of this, I saw only one glaring example: when he discusses evangelicals and the environment. rather than simply saying, "Evangelicals have been extraordinarily reluctant to participate in conservation movement, to the extent that it is sinful" or something like this, Balmer says something like, "You would think that evangelicals would be the most active participants in the environmental movement..." This comes toward the end of book where he has systematically dismantled the movement's ideology, so you know that evangelicals are going to be in the wrong. He points out the idea of stewardship as a fundamental part of Christianity. while I agree with this, I also think it's more honest to point out that this (stewardship of God's creation) was never as great a focus, as evangelism and preparation for Christ's imminent return. Also, while evangelicals were certainly late to the table on this issue, so too was the Church in general. It seems somewhat disingenuous, if not intellectually dishonest to create this argument, "you would think..." when the same could (& should) have been said for liberal mainstream churches. The final problem is one I truthfully didn't mind, but I can see how it would be problematic: Balmer's tone. He's pissed. He's pissed at the way his faith tradition has been usurped by the so-called "Religious Right" and it shows. Balmer's tone is one that is fairly indicting. He doesn't try to build any bridges- but that is the point. He doesn't want to build bridges with these people (Dobson, Kennedy, Falwell, Robertson, and others) because they are screwing up something precious- a movement that was at the forefront of the progressive movement at the turn of the century, and now seems more focused on what it is against than what it is for. Being a snarky ass myself, I didn't mind the angry, frustrated tone. Balmer's passion resonated with me. However, I can see how those who are "part of the matrix" (if you will) will not see this book as a call for reform, but as a diatribe against them specifically. Because of this, the book ends up being a case in preaching to the choir- but as a member of the choir, I really enjoyed it.
Particularly fascinating was Balmer's take on the evangelicals' adoption of abortion & homosexuality as causes célèbres. Balmer maintains that it was seeing the high rate of divorce within evangelicalism that prompted church leaders to downplay their historic opposition to this topic (about which Jesus said much- and always negatively) and decide on focusing on these two topics (it was safe: good Christians wouldn't be affected by either one). And while his cynical explanation of how & when abortion became a hot-button topic has been denied by at least one of the members he claims was present, his observations about how republican administrations talk about outlawing abortion, but never do because it is in their best interests to do nothing was incisive.
In the end, I think its a great book, if flawed. If Balmer had taken a different tone (such as tomorrow's subject Tony Campolo, he likely would find a more receptive audience, but I believe his "lament" is that of a prophet who longs to see his faith return to its world-changing origins and changing the world, helping build the kingdom of God with Jesus is what we are called to do.

Lord God,
you who breathed the spirit of life within me.
Draw out of me the light and life you created.
Help me to find my way back to you.
Help me to use my life to reflect your glory
and to serve others
as your son Jesus did.

pax,
jefe
P.S.- today is Orthodoxy Sunday- celebrating the end of the iconoclasm controversy. For a GREAT article on icons and their use- check out this site from frederica matthewes-green's website

Naive Frustrated Evangelical Book Review

2007-02-25T00:17:00.000-06:00

In David Kuo's Tempting Faith, the author comes to the astonishing discovery: Religion gets debased when it mixes with Politics. I started reading this book because I thought it was going to be an eye-opening expose of how the Bush Admin was using religion for political gain. It was about that, but in the end, I kept thinking, "Okay and...?" Kuo is so naive that I felt little compassion for his heartbreaking discovery that our political leaders are often disingenuous. I also found myself annoyed by his snarky tone regarding Democrats. I think the book is supposed to show a Pilgrim's Progress (as it were), but I still get the impression that just under the surface, Kuo is convinced that somehow the Republicans are actually more moral (like he just got stuck with a bad batch) than their more liberal counterparts.
Two things I did find interesting/challenging. First, he advocates the same proposal that the Mennonites put forth: take a 5 year sabbatical from politics. Not because we want to show to US culture how bad it is, or how much power the church possesses politically (collectively speaking), but because we need to purify ourselves and make sure that we don't allow ourselves to fal into the same mistakes that he made. Secondly, he rightfully pointed out how imbalanced the African-American churches are toward the Democratic party- allowing their candidates to come speak in the church, but when Republicans do this in white evangelical churches, media (and liberal) alarms go off. It is true there is a double standard. I'm still not sure whether I agree with him on the political moratorium, but I can agree on a church-candidate prohibition. No candidates ought to speak in any churches (and let's get rid of those damn voter guides also!) I think just doing this would help us cut the respective cords that both sides of the Church: liberal & evangelical- have allowed themselves to be united by to the body politic.
I suppose it's easy for me to castigate Kuo- I've ever been that close to power myself. It's easy for me to point fingers and throw stones, but who knows how I would have reacted if I had served in the Clinton White House (or the Obama)? This last occurred to me after I read today's concluding prayer:

Almighty and ever-living God, look kindly on us in our weakness. Stretch out your right hand and protect us with your majestic power. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

pax, jefe

Of Books and Bookclubs, Part I

2007-02-23T22:03:00.000-06:00

In the past couple months, I've read three books about evangelicalism by evangelicals. I had planned on blogging about them, but the tyranny of the urgent always seemed to get in the way. I've decided that I will review these books- David Kuo's Tempting Faith, Randall Balmer'sThy Kingdom Come, & Tony Campolo's Letters to an Evangelical. If nothing else, it gives me a lesson plan for the next three days. I also have a proposition. I came across this book online:
So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore.

Apparently, the authors (Jake Colsen is a pseudonym) decided to keep their identity secret for a while. So here's the deal. Want to start an online book club? Say by next friday anyone interested reads the first chapter and then we'll decide whether to continue. If nothing else it could be an engaging dialogue (and accessible to all!).

Today's meditation comes from a different source: the Qu'ran (just kidding), it's from A Celtic Lent:

"God is encountered in the ordinary. "Like the ancient Hebrews, the Celts were earthy people who led simple lives. Believing God was involved in all ordinary events of their lives, they prayed constantly asking God to bless whatever they were doing...These prayers often asked for a particular grace for the one praying as evidenced in this prayer accompanying the kindling of the hearth in the morning: 'Kindle in my heart within a fire of love for my neighbor. May the light of love shine out to my foe, my friend and my kindred.' "Surround the routine things of your life with a prayer. As much as possible follow Paul's advice to 'pray constantly,' lifting each thing you do and each person you meet to God for blessing. Bless your children as they leave for school, your colleagues as they work, other commuters on the road. Say a blessing each day for one of the common, everyday things in your life, and ask that as you are blessed, you may in turn be a blessing" to all you come in contact with this Lent, as the days lengthen into Easter.

pax,
jefe

Lent , Lost, & a Letter from Clement

2007-02-21T21:57:00.000-06:00

So today is the first day of Lent and I have decided that I would attempt to do another 40 days of blogging about "stuff" for the season- in hopes of maybe geting rid of this spiritual malaise that has gripped me. it's tough though, why does lent have to come on Lost Wednesday... I meanAsh Wednesday? i continue to believe this is the best friggin show on television. anyway, i am going to blog more tomorrow. I think it'll be about mennonites. and ipods. Until then here is the scripture that I am going to try and meditate upon before I go to sleep.

Repent

From a letter to the Corinthians by Clement, 1st century

Let us fix our attention on the blood of Christ and recognize how precious it is to God his Father, since it was shed for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to all the world.

If we review the various ages of history, we will see that in every generation the Lord has offered the opportunity of repentance to any who were willing to turn to him. When Noah preached God's message of repentance, all who listened to him were saved. Jonah told the Ninevites they were going to be destroyed, but when they repented, their prayers gained God's forgiveness for their sins, and they were saved, even though they were not of God's people.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the ministers of God's grace have spoken of repentance; indeed, the Master of the whole universe himself spoke of repentance with an oath: As I live,I do not wish the death of the sinner but his repentance. He added the evidence of his goodness: House of Israel, repent of your wickedness. Tell the sons of my people: If their sins should reach from earth to heaven, if they are brighter than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, you need only turn to me with your whole heart and say, "Father", and I will listen to you as to a holy people.

pax,

jefe

My Hannukah gift

2006-12-23T04:48:00.000-06:00

This morning at 3:49, God was faithful to us. He didn't keep the oil burning in the lamps for us, but He did grant us a miracle on this, the last day of the Feast of Lights: Mark Aidan Besim Meyers came forth into this world at that time. Mom is tired, but doing really well. She may not think say so, but she did splendidly. The boy is excellent. 6 lbs 3 oz., 20.5 inches long. More later. Laur is sleeping and I am going to grab 40 winks myself.

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha'olam oseh ma'aseh vereshit.
(We praise You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the universe, Source of creation and its wonders.)
Pax, jefe

Willy Wonka said...

2006-11-12T09:41:00.000-06:00

This was the post I originally meant to submit yesterday.
Our friends Ric & Sue came into town last night. These were my parents' two of my oldest and dearest friends (if my pop or ma had died, maris & the jefster would have been raised by them, I was told). It's been years since we saw them, and although we've talked on the phone seeing them in person was a BIG DEAL.
You know how you anticipate something so much and then when it actually comes to fruition, it never measures up? I was so motherscratchin' excited about release of the Police in Atlanta Concert DVD- I anticipated an almost religious experience. When I saw it, it pretty much sucked. I worried this going to be another Police in Atlanta DVD.
Willy Wonka has a line in the 1st movie (with the Oompa-Loompas that don't give me a headache and make me want to harm myself). it's at the end of the movie. Charlie, Uncle Joe, & Willy are flying in the Great Glass Elevator. Charlie's just been told he gets the factory and his family gets to come live there, too.
Willy, issues a seeming caveat: "Charlie, remember what happened to the boy who received everything he ever wished for."
"What?" Charlie asks.
"He lived happily ever after." Wonka replies and hugs him.
Last night was like that part of the movie for me. It was the complete antithesis of anticlimactic .Holy crap, was it wonderful. We laughed so much my face literally hurt. It's been years since I've seen these two people, but it was like being back at their house in Rock Island playing Trivial Pursuit (I remember when I first was allowed to play with the grown-ups, what an amazing sense of coolness & acceptance I felt).
I know its going to suck when they leave, but for last night, I am so grateful to God. it was such a wonderful celebration of family. I loved the dialogue- debating pacifism v. reliance on special ops in our response to terrorism. Was there middle ground? I don't think so. Did it matter? Pretty much not. I just loved talking with them. Funny thing was Maris wasn't home yet, so it was just Jim and us. I really enjoyed it. Jim was so much fun- alternately engaging in dialogue and watching the interchange with a sort of amused look on his face. There was just a real sense of what family is supposed to be like. I really needed last night.
pax,
jefe

True Communion

2006-11-06T20:18:00.000-06:00

St. John Chrysostom said, “When husband and wife are united in marriage, they are no longer seen as something earthly, but as the image of God Himself.” My cousin got married this weekend and it was wonderful. Typically I sit through weddings yearning for my book (which is either in the car, or if Laura hasn’t won out, next to me). This was a different wedding. My cousin is older. She’s in her 40s and this was her first marriage. She’s gone through so much in her life. When I heard she was getting married, I was thrilled. When we arrived at the church, it was clear we weren’t the only ones. I remember when my dad died, how large the receiving line was and I was reminded of that when I snuck in just before the wedding began. Kell is a social worker and has been all her life. For that matter, pretty much her whole family has been involved in helping others. My uncle, a UPS man, considered his job as much a vocation, as an occupation, once received the key to the city of Atkinson because he was so beloved by its citizens. Kelly’s weddings saw this family’s chickens come home to roost, in a positive way (to plagiarize Malcolm for the positive). People came to celebrate a woman, who despite, having gone through a lot of crap in her life, never gave up hope and always put her faith in God, loved her family, and served others. The results were awesome. Her husband Mike teared up as the priest talked up about love never giving up hope. It was clear they both had at times almost given up on the idea of finding someone and yet, this priest’s homily reminded us all that God’s time is not ours. He was this neat, cagey middle-aged ELCA priest and I dug him. The best part of the service though was the Eucharist.

After Mike and Kelly partook, they acted as servers for the rest of us. Now I’ve done intinction plenty of times. Truth be told, it’s been most meaningful at Alter thanks to one Juli Reynolds. However, there was something about this that made this experience really wonderful. My family’s side is of two traditions: Pentecostal & Catholic. Two great tastes that have definitely not gone well together. Yet at the wedding, it was awesome to see these old-time Foursquare Pentecostals standing up to take communion in line next to Catholics. I really cannot express the feeling in my heart. This little Lutheran church suddenly felt like the kingdom of God to me. My cousin was crying tears of happiness, my uncle was sweating through his tux and crying, my daughter asked if she could take communion (causing my heart to leap with joy), and I felt like I at home. For no other reason, than I was sharing the Body and Blood with my brothers and sisters as I was supposed to- across all boundaries and in celebration of the two souls becoming one. Luther originally denied seven sacraments. I don’t know if that’s still the case. I kind of hope not. I find myself leaning more and more to a Catholic understanding of marriage. It’s a sacrament. I've witnessed that in my life & feel certain that Kelly and Mike will be experiencing this theophany- this appearance of God to man

I certainly have a more catholic (small “c”) understanding of the kingdom. Seeing us together, listening to the priest, passing the peace, & finally sharing the feast, I saw us as God maybe sees us. A patchwork quilt of Pentecostals, Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, (a Harvest Bible Chapel or two) and even non-believing well-wishers. And it was good in His eyes.

You Can Never Go Home Again

2006-10-28T23:18:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday I went back to the church I grew up in. Walking through the doors and seeing the elevator, I immediately wanted to see the old door guy who used to man it. He was this sweet grinning old man who looked like Jiminy Cricket, minus the top hat & cane.

He wasn't there.

What was there was a fresh coat of paint on the walls, which for some weird irrational reason, made me feel like the history had been erased from the walls. The people were all so friendly. And to no small degree it sort of felt like coming home (two older deacons called me by my father's name) and I have to say I completely enjoyed their equivalent to the "passing of the peace." At the last church we attended this time was limited to hello, hi and an exchange of names with the people next to you. Going Anglican was very cool, seeing people crossing the nave to greet each other was strange and warming to us. It was cool to see how my old church had evolved/devolved to this way of doing things. All in all the community aspects seeing old friends & people how they have grown together through crisis was beautiful to me.

But, the rest of the worship experience left me feeling like an exchange student in another country. It's not that the church has changed so much from when I was there in high school (it has); it's that I have changed so much. As I watched the worship team singing so enthusiastically and the band playing, all I could think was, "I have absolutely nothing in common with these people anymore." I just couldn't get into it anymore. It wasn't just this church, either. I feel this way every time I go to a church where I feel my emotions are being forced a certain way.

Now some could argue that we still share a common faith, but that's only by my standards. I'm not sure they would necessarily agree if my theology was probed more intensely. The sermon itself was an interesting exercise in patience, the sheer length notwithstanding. I had forgotten what sermons that lasted for longer than 20 minutes were like. This was good. it gave me a greater appreciation of the art of the homily. Short. Meditative. Almost Zen-like, in it's less is often more approach. I also was slightly nonplussed by the nonchalance with which they examined the slaying of the Canaanites. The evangelical church has always scooted right over that text, choosing instead the more heroic and awe-inspiring story of Gideon & Joshua, but I've never experienced a church waltz over the issue quite obviously. at the culmination of the sermon, the church echoed "We're going to slay our Midianites."

Now, I assume the pastor was trying to equate "Midianites" & "personal sins" or something, but he'd already distinguished between these two previously (if we are to conquer, we must purify ourselves beforehand). So, at the very least it was a confusing alloy of two different theological ideas and at worst it was an unholy marriage that has ramifications for today. Consider how easily it becomes when we dehumanize the Other we are fighting. That's how the military trains soldiers. the enemy isn't human- they're monsters, they're subhuman, they're dogs. And that's how we get Abu Ghraibs, Hadithas, & Guantanamo Bays. don't misunderstand, I'm not seeing these people are haters. I honestly think the pastor meant it the first way- but the fact he was so unclear and we live in such violent screwed up world, means that to me- you don't play fast and loose with the Canaanite genocide (even if that's not the purpose of the sermon). You don't say, "God kicked Canaanite ass and we're gonna too!" You acknowledge the existence and allow for its troublesome nature. Perhaps spend a few minutes discussing how this has a couple different interpretations and we can't get into them now, but will later (or could during a bible study). Crap, it lasted well over an hour, there had to be a few prophetic moments that could be shaved off to say, "I'm not so sure why God wanted every man, woman, & child dead, and that's troubling to me."

On the other hand, maybe there really weren't any that could.

And that's why I can't go home again.

pax,
jefe

Tree & Branches Redux

2006-10-24T21:18:00.000-05:00

Besko & Meli moved last Monday. It sucked. I their move would sadden me, but I was unprepared for the depth of loss I felt when Besko left. Don't worry. This isn't going to be some maudlin, cathartic, over-sentimentalized posting. I won't do that to you.
What I do want to speak to is how I saw God through Besim Seferovic. You might assume that it was in Besko's generosity (at the time this pic was taken, he offered me his watch). It's not. Or you might theorize that it was his love & affection (he constantly left the adults to go play with his grandchildren, esp. his "Jackie"). You'd be wrong. Perhaps, it was the amazing hospitality that he possessed (I never entered his apartment when I wasn't plied with copious amounts of food & beer). It might be that. Just kidding. No, the thing that really broke through the depression & ego was how much it felt like my own father was moving away when Besko left. Paradoxical? Definitely. Depressing? Not now. I was caused to reflect upon St. Paul's epistle to the Romans where he spoke about how we gentiles have been grafted onto the Jewish tree. Now I'm not going to get into the ins & outs of the passage. Suffice it to say that we have a rich heritage and owe much to our Jewish brothers & sisters (much more than we can ever repay them). I began to think about how amazing and beautiful this concept of family is. Besko & Meli have only been here for 10 years or so, but in that short of time they became members of our family. I hadn't realized it until it was too late. It snuck up on me.
It made me think. If God can graft these people into my family, people I never would have anticipated, who else will be in the Family of God? When I was in high school, I would have said only those who were charismatic- and I could have defined that fairly narrowly. Later, I would have broadened it to "born-again", then, evangelical, then it became trinitarian. Now, well, I just don't know. I don't consider myself a universalist-but only because I haven't fond a theology that rationally justifies it. What I do know is that God is too big for the little boxes we often make for Him and His Family. To me Messianic Jews are a no-brainer. What's truly intriguing is something I read last year about Muslims who profess Jesus as Lord & Messiah, but still call themselves Muslims. Truthfully, the word "Muslim" means "One who surrenders to God", so this is more apropos than we realize.
Imagine being at the Great Feast of God and siting down to break bread next to Muslims, Jews, and fellow Christians. Now THAT is what I call a GRAFT! I want to be a part of that kind of tree. Jesus said his Father's house had many rooms. My prayer, my earnest prayer, is that our apartment shares a wall with my Bosnian mom and dad.
Pax,
Jefe

A City On a Hill with Bodies in Its Basement

2006-09-10T09:25:00.000-05:00

In 1630, John Winthrop made a speech in which he inspired the Pilgrims to create a utopia in the New World. A Model of Christian Charity utilized Jesus' imagery from where he tells the crowd at the sermon on the mount that a city on a hill cannot be hid. In case you don't want to read the whole speech, here's the pertinent part:

For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world. We shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God, and all professors for God's sake. We shall shame the faces of many of God's worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us till we be consumed out of the good land whither we are going.

In 1989, Ronald Reagan made a speech wherein he utilized the same imagery also. Here's what he said:
The past few days when I've been at that window upstairs, I've thought a bit of the "shining city upon a hill." The phrase comes from John Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined. What he imagined was important because he was an early Pilgrim, an early freedom man. He journeyed here on what today we'd call a little wooden boat; and like the other Pilgrims, he was looking for a home that would be free.

I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it and see it still.

And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was eight years ago.

I quote these these two men two for a purpose. Now I don't believe it was possible, nor necessarily proper for Winthop to seek refuge from the "popery" of the Anglican Church and leaving for the "unblemished" New World. However, I do admire his stance that they (the Church) would serve as a "by-word through the world" and by their example others would come to a better understanding of God by their right living. Enough people have pointed out how Reagan completely misunderstood Winthrop's (let alone Jesus') idea, so I don't feel the need, merely reading the difference is illuminating enough. Reduced from a New Jerusalem (or like Israel, we lose our place in this Promised Land) to an arrogant commercial Canaan is almost nauseating. Almost.

Then in the news yesterday and today they were talking about how our government is debating whether we should loosen the strictures on interrogation techniques for suspected terrorists for CIA operatives. I remember when I first read Richard Foster's Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, one of things that leapt out at me was the idea of praying with the newspaper & Bible open. In this way, we practice mindfulness and contemplation with regard to Scripture. Now I suck at praying, but as I read that piece about loosening our standards about torture (and yesterday's older article that we now acknowledged CIA secret prisons in Europe) all I could think was - how much farther away we continue to drift away from Winthrop's vision of a City on A Hill. Listen to the article:

According to recent public opinion polls, Roberts is not alone with his concerns. In an August poll conducted by Time, 55 percent of those surveyed said they support the harsh interrogation methods sometimes used to obtain information from prisoners in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In a separate poll also by Time, 15 percent of respondents favored torture, even though it is against the law.

Since our polls continue to state we are a conservative nation & continue to speak of the power of the Church (I do not wish to make harsh judgments against the religious right here, so I will characterize it as a monolithic "Church"), it would appear that at least some proportion of that 55% and 15% are made up of Christians. Christians who are called to love their neighbors as themselves. christians called to die (daily) for Jesus. Christians called live humbly and seek justice and mercy- and advocate waterboarding occasionally, I guess. Even Reagan's vision, skewed as it was, is closer to the mark than what we are getting now. Reagan's hubris still viewed the US as a place where we were a place people wanted to come- now as the world hears of secret prisons, renewed efforts at torturing those we suspect, or harassing and assaulting illegal immigrants to this country. City on a Hill. Pretty sure at this point, we're getting pretty close to where, "We shall shame the faces of many of God's worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us."

FYI: Jim Nussle's email; Tom Harkin's email; Chuck Grassley's email;
Dick Durbin's email; Barack Obama's email; Lane Evans' email

pax,

jefe

Me & Paul Simon

2006-08-26T09:04:00.000-05:00

It's been a really long time since I blogged and I apologize for that. So long I wondered what I ought to blog about. The frustrations with school- 12-14 hour days, the horrible stank-ass smell eminating from some of my students, a lack of quality textbooks in the premiere "district" in our area ( and by this I don't mean our books sort of suck, I mean our books are missing sections or are falling apart), or the ubiquitous student apathy. Then during SSR on Friday, I put in Simon & Garfunkel's "Old Friends Live on Stage" and things kind of got better. For those not in the know- SSR is Sustained Silent Reading and means we spend 15 minutes simply reading (it's a real struggle for me- actually it is b/c just when things get good, I have to quit, but I don't bitch!) Anyway, during SSR, I'm listening to Paul & Artie and they open with "Old Friends" from their Bookends album. It's about these two old guys sitting on a park bench in their trench coats- they've shared their whole lives together and now that their lives are nearing the end all they have left to share is their fear of death. I love that song. It's not that I was especially morbid. Quite the contrary (for once). I started thinking about the good things that had happened lately. For instance, we found out recently that L'il Mo is in fact a Mo. (well I suppose Mo could be a Maureen, but in this case, Mo is a Maurice. That's right. The evidence would appear to be incontrovertible. What you're seeing to your left is a bottom view of the fetus to be named later (the nurse has delicately & helpfully labeled the tools of the trade for we the observers). So life is on my mind for that reason and other reasons. Recently, my own old friend Ann had a baby girl. Since she didn't give me permission to release names online and since her old man was partners with Al the Plumber in running the Cosa Nostra in the QC (he had the pizza end of things) I will refrain from mentioning it- but she's a doll and maybe Maurice Rogelio Hieronymous Tecumseh T'ien Chien Shabazz might come a'courtin (his old man likes older wimmins).
But I digress. I think it had been almost two years since Ann & I spoke and yet it was just like picking up that relationship right where we left it and carrying on. In retrospect, it was like that with my friend Billy when he came back from the Marines. I was scared crapless that suddenly our world would be different now that he had actually experienced the world- and battle. Meanwhile, I had experienced college and- well, largely nothing. Beautifully, gracefully, he came back a different, but the same Bill, with our friendship still paramount. We were bookends. Hanging out, just like when were in high school. Listening to that Simon & Garfunkel song brought all these good things/times back. When SSR was over, I told them their teacher was such a dork, he once drove all the way to Kansas City to hear Paul Simon in concert with his friend Margaret; paid extra for seats and we got up and moved to the lawn b/c the hippies were where it was at. A couple of the band geeks humored me by telling me that the band was playing "You Can Call Me Al", but for the most part- for the first time I felt closer to those old dudes on that bench than to the members of my class. I don't know if Paul & Artie were such amazing philosophers or not- but last night Laur and I didn't listen to Hoobastank. We did listen to Nat King Cole though minus his daughter (none of that new stuff for us) Bookends.
pax,
jefe

The Calling or Teachable Moments With George, Ben & Abe

2006-08-19T10:25:00.000-05:00

"They're herrrreeeeeeee.", said the late Heather O'Rourke as Carol Anne Freeling in the early 80's classic Poltergeist. Perhaps more apropos would be the tagline from its crappy successor: "They're bacckkkkkkkk." Yup. The wonderful vacation of reading, blogging, & watching movies (i.e. Heaven) is over. Now it's back to the real world. I have to say, I was not looking forward to going back. I give Maris crap about her sheer laziness (make no mistake, she is), but I could easily be a man of leisure: doing devotions, making breakfast (& lunch) for the kids, working out, reading, blogging, watching movies, maybe a little house & yardwork, more time with the kids; it would be wonderful.
However, that first day when the kids came in and they were excited, and weirdly enough they were (enough to come in the night before to decorate their lockers!), it was contagious. I found myself getting that desire to be a teacher again. This whole summer I've spent reading about the kingdom of God and how subversive Jesus' message was. It's made me wonder how I could really, no REALLY further the kingdom. There were times this past week, when I felt like I was supposed to continue where I was at (of course, I don't have a great deal of choice with Lil Mo Tres on the way, but it was reassuring). Perhaps the kids' enthusiasm was Still Small Voice saying the kingdom can still be grown a little from within around here. Besides, it's not like there weren't some teachable moments along the way:

On Why We Ought to Study (or Not Study) History:
Student 1: "I don't think all of history is a joke. I just don't see why we have learn all the stuff we do. Like, why do we need to know ALL the presidents? I mean, I can understand why we need to know the first president, but all of th...
Student 2: (Interrupting, but absolutely serious) "That was Ben Franklin, right?"
Student 1: (Turning scornfully in chair) "No! It was Abraham Lincoln." Iowa: First In the Nation in Education

Maybe we should consider Seattle or Madison again...
jefe

PS- Every European student I had in my classes knew who George Washington was.

REM's Song Finds More Fuel

2006-08-11T19:36:00.000-05:00

In '98, Michael Stipe & Peter Buck prophesied about the photo below. I don't know if they realized they were, but it wouldn't surprise me.

There's something so screwed up about the idea of this bumber sticker/magnet that I'm not even sure where to begin. I'll try:
1. How on earth can these people not see how this is going to be interpreted as deifying President Bush? To the outside observer, hell, to any observer, replacing Jesus with a human leader, is an act of worship. In fact, this is a perfect example of civil religion.
2. Why is it necessary for church and government to be linked? Even if one agrees with the thesis that the so-called Founding Fathers were Christian, why does that mandate we link Christianity and government so closely? If we look to earlier "Founding Fathers" like Roger Williams of Rhode Island we see men committed to an ideal of religious liberty & separation of church and state.
3. Bringing the previous two together, where in this bumper sticker do we see the original subversive message that fish symbol implied? Where is the implicit message against empire? This doesn't speak of a new emperor and a kingdom-turned-upside-down, rather it's a modern example of reinstituting the imperial eagle on the Herodian temple.
4. I'm ordering 50, you want one?
pax,
jefe
PS- there's a great article at the Ashram that shows bushfish is not the end of the word as we know it, click here to read it

The Secret Message of Jesus & A review of that one movie

2006-07-02T18:12:00.000-05:00

My friend Billy Minard had a punch line for a horrible joke that went, "I've seen shaggier."
The crux of the joke was a shaggy dog contest- it was one of those ad nauseam jokes, but the punch lines stuck and it still brings a smile to my face.

For a while I thought of entitling this post, "I've seen 'supier'", (I have) but my reaction to Superman Returns was more visceral than it was intellectual. Consequently, things that otherwise might have bothered me (Brandon Routh's blandness compared to Christopher Reeve) fell by the wayside. Conversely, things which might have been hokey and over-sentimental became very meaningful- such as listening to Marlon Brando' voice & especially John Williams' score. They registered aurally within my memory. The movie itself had some definite blog-worthy moments. Certainly, we discussed with the kids how Superman was like Jesus (conveniently glossing over a couple glaring differences) and to her credit, the eldest noticed quite a few instances where Bryan Singer made his superhero a messiah for today's generation.
Toward that end, I'd like to comment on just one interchange between the Son of Jor-El & Lois Lane

"The world doesn't need a Savior and neither do I!", says Lois

Superman quietly replies, "Come with me." and he takes her on a flight above the beautiful and fallen Metropolis.

"What do you hear?" he asks her.

"Nothing," she replies.

"I hear everything," he tells her.

When they return, he makes his case. "In your article you wrote that people don't need a Savior, yet everyday I hear people crying for one."

One thing leapt out at me as I watched this interchange (both times) and I think it's the result of the book I am just finishing: the Secret Message of Jesus by Brian McLaren. The book has, so far, been the most challenging and rewarding book I have read this summer. I long to discuss it in a small group setting (there is a downloadable study guide available), it's that good. One thing about Superman Returns that relates to the Secret Message is the idea that we have a responsibility to work with Jesus in establishing kingdom of God. I thought of this as Superman said "Come with me" to Lois. In the past, the church left it to Jesus to establish the kingdom when he returned. In the movie, Jor-El tells his son that he has sent his only son to earth because we have an incredible capacity for good, we only need to be shown the light (It should be pointed out, there is little actual evidence of this- wars rage, crimes occur, and we revel in our helplessness, until Superman comes). Now, with the emergent and progressive Christian movements, there is a sense that the church is deciding to step up and become the Body. The Church is coming with Jesus to create the kingdom. That's exciting. And scary. And challenging.

Baby Steps To A Brave New World

2006-06-27T19:39:00.000-05:00

So I felt compelled to post this exchange between my beloved firstborn and myself. Now by now, if you have checked out any of the previous posts you know my children share my fascination with superheroes. I contribute to their obsession by bringing home movies and cartoons. Today after seeing the cover for The Ultimate Avengers DVD, I decided to show Sarah how one of the characters used to look (the Mighty Thor). In the course of my web exploration, I chanced upon a s ite with some great comic book images. However it was his image to the left that motivated this post. Sarah saw it and asked, "Who is that?"
I replied you know who that is."
"Oh yeah. Hawkman & Hawkwoman."
"Well, actually it's Hawkman and Hawkgirl", said the old man.
"Right. Why is it that always the girl superheroes are 'girls' even if they're grown up? And the boy superheroes are 'men'?", asked Sarah
I pointed out that there was Wonder Woman, but she was adamant: she was the only one: Supergirl, Batgirl, she even pointed out Elastigirl from the Incredibles.
When I pointed out Cat Woman as a "woman", my burgeoning little feminist's response? "Yeah, but she's PSY-CHO! (2 syllables)
The moral? No idea. Other than maybe they notice more than we realize. Maybe the little lessons we tell them work occasionally. Maybe, my daughter is Wonder Woman. No maybes.
jefe
PS- the pics in the links are why Jack & Sarah are not allowed to access anything on the web other than PBSKids.org & why I did not buy them their own comic book when their mom suggested it.

Superman & My Old Man

2006-06-21T14:17:00.000-05:00

i miss my dad. daily. since this damn movie started being advertised it's been exacerbated. i'm not going to lie. i distinctly remember going to see superman ii at the theater with my pop. me and the old man didn't bond over too many things: books and movies were about it (we could add politics & education, now- but not when i was growing up). it's funny, some of my best memories are associated with books & movies. for instance, i remember reading carl hiaasen's double whammy to him as we drove to florida on a family vacation and being worried that i'd get in trouble for saying the cuss words (from god, too!). or going to see raiders of the lost ark or years later, the last crusade with him. or, (and this is funny) going to see rocky iii, just the 2 of us, and feeling like he and i had something special. today, i had that with my own son. today, jack and i went to storytime at the bpl [warning: offensive language in the italicized portion, be aware] and i had such a great time just sitting there holding my boy on my lap listening to this woman tell stories and sing with him. afterward, i showed him my laptop wallpaper (superman, as jesus ascending over the earth) and we watched the movie trailers and all of sudden, as i watched these trailers, watching him get excited about superman, i started to cry. started thinking about pop. started thinking about jack & me & pop. goddamnit. i miss my old man. i'm sittin' here @ the coffee shop- hopin' the other patrons won't notice the dude in the corner with the tears in his eyes. i don't know why it surprises me that i still feel the pain of dad's loss. how can we ever truly get over the loss of our father? what is interesting to me (notice the distancing?) is how superheroes are both catalysts and relief for the pain of this loss. i think there is something to that whole archetypal theory that superheroes are the ideals of our parents. anyway, i don't have anything wise to say. i'll leave it to kate to connect those dots, she's good at that. i'm just melancholy even this many years later.
jefe
ps- thank you god for jack. he's so frickin awesome.

Holy Suffering Servant, Superman: Have We Been Had?

2006-06-17T13:24:00.000-05:00

Saw the Superman Returns trailer this weekend. One word: Wow. You can view the trailer below, but there's a bunch more at Blue Tights Network (and they're better quality, too!). I was totally psyched to see the film prior to the trailer, then after seeing it- I had a serious monkey on my back and he was wearing a cape. (BTW, I would like to publicly acknowledge the utter ridiculousness of that last line, I mean base absurdity.) However, after reading this article I'm now wondering if the clear messianic overtones of the trailer weren't just marketing by the filmmakers to court Christians, specifically evangelicals. Take this example:

The preview shows the hero with his eyes closed as the voice of his father — Marlon Brando's, courtesy of 1978's "Superman" — tells him he was sent to Earth because humans "lack the light to show the way."

For this reason," continues the voice, "I have sent them you, my only son."
Online message boards and Web logs quickly latched onto the biblical resonance of those lines.

"The allusion to Jesus Christ could hardly be accidental," wrote Christian blogger Tom Gilson.

"Is this a new Superman for the new Evangelist red state

America

? Superman as Jesus?" asked one contributor to the Portland-based blog site Urban Honking.

The premise of the new Superman movie alone has fueled speculation that it's wearing its biblical comparisons on its long, tight sleeve. Superman, in the film, returns to Earth after a long absence, a narrative that's been likened to Jesus' death and resurrection. Moviegoers who enter the theater looking for Christian imagery are unlikely to be disappointed. At one point, Superman sustains a stab wound reminiscent of the spear jabbed in Christ's side by a Roman soldier. In another scene, Routh poses with his arms outstretched as though crucified.

Bryan Singer, who did X-Men & X-2 (both of which were praised by Christian critics for their Christian undertones and questions of faith they raised), directed Superman Returns also. For most evangelicals unable to use Google, this guy would be a celebrity (his producer for the X Trilogy, Ralph Winter is a committed Christian), but Singer himself is a gay Jewish man. So are the themes that Christians are seeing just the archetypes that many have seen since the Man of Steel was first created in the 30s (by 2 Jewish artists)? Is this a marketing ploy designed to manipulate us similar to Gibson's tour of megachurches courting evangelicals prior to the Passion? Or is Superman just gay? Should any of these matter? Do we Christians get too jacked up about this crap? Should we let movies be movies? My brother-in-law gets so annoyed with me for always ruining a good movie with too much discussion and dialogue afterwards. maybe this is the same thing. Instead of examining the tea leaves (or kryptonite shards?) we should let the art speak for itself. If art is real, it can draw us closer to God or allow us to understand His will. Likewise, I think of the heavy-handed "Christian movies" often made that are so "unartistic" not only do I come away not feeling closer to God, I feel alienated from culture, because I cringe so much. Bottom line? Maybe we should think about something Uncle Emil used to say, "Superman? Now that was a good comic book alright. 'Course, I only read 'em to look at that Lois Lane gal." Wise ol' Uncle Emil. He was always a little dirty, too.

Jor-El's Only Begotten Son: ?

The Devil vs. Balrog

2006-06-15T16:44:00.000-05:00

Let's consider this my shout-out to my beloved brother-in-law Jimmy "OMF" McClain. I was going to make a joke about smoking Long-Bottom Leaf with you for Father's Day, but I don't want you to get kicked out of your church.
Stay cool.
jefe

Kickin' Dubya When He's Down: A Presidential Two-fer

2006-06-15T00:11:00.000-05:00

On a "What the hell was he thinking?" note:

Under the title: "Nice Shades, Blindy", our president has apologized for the social gaffe he made when he teased a blind reporter at a press conference today. Thanks to Wonkette.com, you can find the video here. Man, some days it just doesn't pay to come back from your secret tour of Iraq.

Unless you're an optimist...

Dubya says:"That Glass is 37% Full! (Sorry Congress, we'll see if we can that blame that 23% approval on Clinton)

Wednesday on the NBC Nightly News, Brian Wiliams & Tim Russert discussed the most recent poll out on presidential & congressional approval ratings. It gave me hope. Registered Democrats have consistently opposed the invasion of Iraq (last poll put it at something like 71%) now a majority of americans as a whole are agreeing: 53% said it was the wrong decision & even more significant: only 23% of americans approve of the current Congress. The poll went further asking who should be in charge of Congress and 49% said Dems. Obviously, this warms the cockles of my heart- not because I am a Democrat, but because I am not a conservative and see what they have done to our country since 2000. Likewise, I think the fact that ALMOST a majority of Americans our willing to have a Dem controlled Congress is a good sign for what I see as one of the fundamental ideas our Founding Fathers came up with: separation of powers. Having a Repub legislative branch, judicial, & executive branch is a recipe for disaster. FDR (a Demo) tried this in the 30s. I loved that guy, but that was a huge faux pas. anywho, bottom line: Is America wising up? I hope so. Dwayne would say I'm not supposed to be taking such an active role in politics. That the role of the Church is not to participate in this way (or would he... let's see!) I can't help it though. This guy's taken a country with a massive surplus and worldwide goodwill &turned it into a huge deficit at the expense of the working poor & middle class- killed thousands of Americans & hundreds of thousands of Iraqis (and Afghanis). It's time for a change.

PS- I watched 2 minutes of Ann Coulter on Leno and am convinced she is the voice of frigging evil. I know the Bible says we don't fight against people, but against the powers or spiritual rulers of this world- but that woman may be the exception. EVIL. As in, Fru-its of the De-veel.

Huss: A Shout-out to my Father-in-law

2006-06-14T00:39:00.000-05:00

In composing my last post, and as Father's Day, draws closer, I found myself reminded of a really wonderful bonding experience which Gregg and I shared with my dad-in-law Huss on Sunday. I checked out the 1st 2 seasons of Northern Exposure on DVD for Huss (his former favorite show). We sat around watching this quirky show and just had a great time. It's rare that the three of us all have something that we can enjoy watching together since our tastes differ so greatly. In the 2nd episode, Maurice Minnifield, former astronaut and owner of the local radio station fires DJ Chris for discussing Walt Whitman's homosexuality. Maurice launches into a diatribe about America & how America needs heroes. Read on for Maurice's thoughts on Walt Whitman

I don't give a damn if Walt Whitman kicked with his right foot or his left foot or that J. Edgar Hoover took it better than he gave it, or that Ike was true blue to Mamie, or that god knows who had trouble with the ponies or the bottle. We need our heroes. We need men we can look up to, believe in. Men who walked tall. We cannot chop them off at the knees just to prove they're like the rest of us. Now, Walt Whitman was a pervert, but he was the best poet that America ever produced. And if he was standin' here today and somebody called him a fruit or queer behind his back or to his face or over these airways--that person would have to answer to me. Sure we're all human. But there are damn few of us that have the right stuff to be called heroes. And that closes the book on that subject." -Maurice Minnifield

Huss reminds me of Maurice in this way. He's got his heroes: Mickey Mantle, John Glenn, other great men that we don't want to see besmirched by scandal. I often disagree with him politically. He's also the most generous soul I know. Always willing to spend time with his children and grandchildren. Eager to have the family together for supper on Sunday evenings. I love him. When my pop died, I resented the fact that my children would have a maternal grandfather, now I thank God for him. He is a wonderful, Godly man who radiates love. I'll never get over the loss of my old man, but knowing Sarah, Jack, & L'il Mo have Grandpa reassures me. Maurice is right. We need our heroes. So here's to you Huss, you're one of my heroes.
[The above photo comes from our 1st family vacation & is my father-in-law's 1st ever Corona: Hope we have a bunch more together (vacations & Coronas)!]

The Resurrection of L'il Mo?

2006-06-13T11:29:00.000-05:00

For those not in the know, when Sarah was a zygote (in Egypt-land, let my Sarah go!), we had no idea of the gender of my beloved poopa-loo. Consequently, we referred to her as Li'l Mo. This was short for (and I am not kidding) Maurice Rogelio Hieronymous Tecumseh T'ien Shih Shabazz- our multicultural baby. Well, with a new baby in the womb, I think it's time to resurrect L'il Mo. Only I have found a new name to reflect the pacifism that I (and hopefully my wife) have embraced: Maximilian. Here is his story:
The Setting: Modern day Algeria, the Year: 295 AD/CE
Brought before the proconsul Dion, Maximilian refused enlistment in the Roman army saying, "I cannot serve, I cannot do evil. I am a Christian."
Dion replied: "You must serve or die."
Maximilian: "I will never serve. You can cut off my head, but I will not be a soldier of this world, for I am a soldier of Christ. My army is the army of God, and I cannot fight for this world. I tell you I am a Christian."
Dion: "There are Christian soldiers serving our rulers Diocletian and Maximian, Constantius and Galerius."
Maximilian: "That is their business. I also am a Christian, and I cannot serve."
Dion: "But what harm do soldiers do?"
Maximilian: "You know well enough."
Dion: "If you will not do your service I shall condemn you to death for contempt of the army."
Maximilian: "I shall not die. If I go from this earth my soul will live with Christ my Lord."
Courtesy of Saint of the Day
What do you think? I thought Maximilian had a smoother ring than Telemachus Bonhoeffer

[TELEMACHUS (?--404): Christian monk and martyr. Opposed Roman gladiatorial combats. Traveled from Asia Minor to throw himself between the gladiators with a cross in his hands, calling on them in the name of Christ to stop fighting. Beaten to death by furious spectators. His death caused such a sense of revulsion that the Emperor Honorius issued a rescript forbidding all gladiatorial combats. ] But hey, I'm easy, if you think L'il Telly-Bon (as we'd call him) is less likelyto get beat up here in the ol' US of A . Let me know.
jefe

A Stolen Pic from Reynoldsfam & a Rant for Women Pastors

2006-06-01T01:32:00.000-05:00

So my friend Kate is leaving and it sucks. I wanted to write about her, but I didn't have a picture. Consequently, I have stolen a picture from my good friends (and friend-thieves) Gene & Juli. I figure it's cool. They stole Kate away from us, so they owe me a friggin' picture. But anyway...

I want to take this opportunity to sing the praises of the smartest girl I know. Kate Zuccarello scares the hello out of me. She also inspires, challenges, & humbles me.

Since I have had the honor of knowing her, she has proven to me the utter inanity (if not insanity) of evangelica churches not allowing women to be in a teaching role. This is not an indictment against one church (I swear, you two) because when it comes to women & leadership- I can't think of any church that really practices what it may preach. The Wesleyan church boasts of being the first to ordain women (techinically the United Church of Christ had them beat by 47 years though), but how many senior pastors do they have today? According to George Barna, only 6% of all Protestant senior pastors are women (and its even less for Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox! ba-dumbum) Yet, on the same website we see these stats:
Activities
49% of women have read the Bible in the past week, compared to 38% of men who report reading the Bible in the past week. (2004)
Women are more likely than are men to attend church on a given Sunday (47% to 39%, respectively). (2004)
Women are more likely than men to attend a Sunday school class at church (25% to 18%) or to participate in a small group (22% to 18%). (2004)
In general, women pray more often than do men, with 89% of women versus 77% of men reporting that they have prayed in the past week. (2004)
Faith
Women are more likely than men to be born again: 62% of women have accepted Christ as their savior, compared to 38% of men. (2004)
Women are 62% of the adult born again population. (2004)
Women are more likely than are men to believe that the Bible is totally accurate in all of its teachings. (51% versus 36%). (2004)
Women are more likely than are men to believe that God is the all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect creator that rules the world today (76% to 62%). (2004)
78% of women compared to 66% of men say that their faith is very important to them. (2004)
Self-Descriptions
66% of women describe themselves as “deeply spiritual” compared to 57% of men who say that “deeply spiritual” describes them accurately. (2004)
I know my wife certainly is more in tune spiritually than I am. She has more faith than I do. I've learned more from Patty Bray in a long ago Sunday School class & Kate Z in our talks than in any recent church service I've been in. So why this ban? ? Chauvinism? Sexism? Mysogyny? It's clear from scripture that women did have leadership roles. Deaconess? (Romans 16:1) Prophetess? (Acts 21:9) Church leaders? (Philippians 4:2-3) Come on! Let's give women like Kate the place she deserves: a pulpit!
jefe
PS- I'll miss ya, Katie.

Two Pictures, Four Words

2006-05-28T11:13:00.000-05:00

Um... Does that mean?

Yep.