LA Weekend Post #3 – A “Wicked” Saturday Night at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater

We walked among the sidewalk Stars of Buster Keaton, Jackie Gleason and many others on Hollywood Boulevard last Saturday night as we made our way to the historic Pantages Theater right near Vine Street, where we saw the stage play/musical Wicked for the second time.

To parody a famous quote, “Wicked is (even) better the second time around”. And, it is nuanced.

Since we saw the play in Chicago last year, the script has changed significantly – and all for the better. It is funnier, more engaging, has more dialogue and the plot is clearer. All of us thought the Hollywood version was superior to the Midwest version of a year ago.

Wicked is the prequel to the Wizard of Oz. We learn how Glinda becomes the Good Witch and how the green-skinned Elphaba becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. And we also learn that the Wizard has some deep, dark secrets in his past. If I’m correct, we also caught a glimpse (actually heard only a cry) from baby Dorothy as the play ends.

The gorgeous and spirited Megan Hilty plays Glinda and carries the show. Both she and Eden Espinosa (Elphaba), pictured, have incredible voices. The musical is based on a novel by Gregory Maguire and on a book by Winnie Holzman. Music and lyrics are by Stephen Schwartz, most noted for his work in Godspell.

Wicked is a wonderfully entertaining show and gives you plenty of fodder for later discussions about “good and evil”. I give it FOUR stars and a “thumbs-up”.

LA Weekend Post #2 – A Visit to the Getty Center, An Incredible Philanthropic Gesture

On Saturday (see previous post for intro) we all drove to the newer Getty Center, located on a magnificent hilltop campus just north of Brentwood along Interstate 405. And if you can believe it, the entire facility is FREE, fully supported by the J. Paul Getty Trust.

At the Getty Center that we visited (there is also the Getty Villa in Malibu) we found an expansive, open campus with panoramic views of Los Angeles, and we saw the incredible Getty Museum's collection of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present (top pic is one of the art museums) . Amidst it all are the beautiful three-acre Getty Gardens created by Robert Irwin (photo below).

Over a million visitors a year enjoy this magnificent philanthropic gesture by the J. Paul Getty Foundation. We noticed virtually every race and socio-economic class among the guests, and the Getty Foundation is to be congratulated and acknowledged for making these cultural gems and icons available to all.

When have you last been anywhere you could view original paintings by Van Gogh, Cezanne and Monet in one location? Here, you can do so at no cost! That's my available-light snap of Van Gogh's “Old Man in a Military Costume” shown.

However, I should point out that the parking does cost $8, but you enjoy a gorgeous tram ride from the parking lot up to the campus as a side bonus. The Getty Center, in our opinion, must be the most understated and underrated public museum and destination anywhere.

It’s a cultural treasure, to say the least. One more L.A. post tomorrow on our Saturday evening visit to the Pantages Theater in Hollywood to see Wicked.

One Incredible Weekend – Virgin America, City Walk at Universal City, the Getty Center and the stage play/musical WICKED in Hollywood

We’re back at home after a whirlwind weekend in Los Angeles, compliments of my son, Doug, and his wife, Jamie, our daughter-in-law.

We flew on Richard Branson’s Virgin America, and it is truly an adventure into the future. Check the Star Wars-like cabin interior in the photo. But the big thing is that you have your own personal multi-media computer/screen on the back of the seat in front of you. You’ve gotta try Virgin America soon if you haven’t already.

Doug put together the weekend for his mom in celebration of her May 1 birthday. She got to pick every venue and chose extremely well. Last year Doug took his dad on a four-park midwest Major League Baseball tour in which his brother Gregg joined us to make a memorable excursion for dad and sons.



This year the focus was on mom, and I got to go along as a happy accompanier. As an added wonderful bonus, Kay Lynne’s brother, Rick (a birthday on May 2), and his wife, Danielle, flew out from Chicago to join us for the two-plus days in LA. We stayed at the Hilton Universal City, an incredibly good experience in hospitality. The photo above is of the six of us just after breakfast this morning at the hotel. (L to R) Jamie, Doug, Danielle, Rick, Kay Lynne and moi.

Doug could easily have been highly successful in the travel business, but instead he’s a theology professor (well, technically, an assistant professor) who just had his first book published (I’ll post about that in the near future).

Friday night we ate at the Daily Grill in City Walk overlooking Universal City Studios, and we went to the incredible Getty center on Saturday afternoon before the stage play. More posts to follow on the fabulous weekend in Los Angeles. But we miss our dog Buddy – he’s still at the kennel until morning.

A Pet Chicken Leaves Its Mark

When we were at my son and daughter-in-law's place in the Oregon’s countryside early last week, a neighbor of Gregg and Elaine’s stopped by with her pet chicken. I guess I’m pretty much a city boy, and maybe that’s why I’ve never seen a chicken in the house before.

The photo shows our granddaughter Talli holding the (undersized) chicken as the bird scrounged for any tiny crumb that might be in her hand. Click on the photo; it may appear a bit larger.

Several months ago, the neighbor had “rescued” the emaciated chick from certain impending starvation, and, of course, from that point on, the chicken bonded with her and will not let her out of its sight. A touching story, but it has its drawbacks.

Just prior to me snapping the photo of Talli with my phone cam, Elaine was holding the chicken. Our five-year-old granddaughter, Aubrey, suddenly yelled, “Look, the chicken is laying an egg.” Well, at first it did look like an egg, but it turned out to be a “softer boiled” variety. Everyone simultaneously grabbed for paper towels.

Turns out, the chicken does lay eggs occasionally, but this time she had left her mark in a different way.

When Christianity Confronts Culture

I’ve posted before on how much we as Christians often allow (especially our western, American) culture to affect our interpretation and understanding of Scripture. I was reminded of this today as I read some thoughts by one Robin Dugall who writes for a daily online devotional service.

Robin took her thoughts in a good direction, but I’d like to contemplate a different slant on her topic from the book of Matthew. What struck me, again, was how much we in affluent America tend to understand spirituality from our myopic entrenchment in our culture..

We think, for instance, that success, self sustenance and independence are important goals as human beings (Christian, or not). We want to be able to provide for ourselves and our families and not be a burden on anyone. Certainly seems noble, right?

Well, the late, Dutch Catholic priest and writer Henri Nouwen, who wrote some 40 books on living out our faith, thought otherwise. (Photo is Rembrandt’s version of Nouwen’s reflections in his short book, Return of the Prodigal Son.) Consider this statement by the famed author: “We are called to be fruitful – not successful, not productive, not accomplished. Success comes from strength, stress, and human effort. Fruitfulness comes from vulnerability and the admission of our own weakness.”

Jesus said this about fruitfulness in Matthew, chapter 7: “Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits”.

So, apparently, Jesus looks on us by what we are accomplishing for him (fruitfulness), not by what we’ve accumulated for ourselves and/nor for our future. Yikes.

As my wife and I contemplate further steps into our retirement, I hope we’ll be more sensitive to the scriptures than to our culture – though, admittedly, we must live in our culture.

Music That Touches the Soul - All on Black Notes

We got home late last night from Oregon where we enjoyed three super days with our three granddaughters and their mom. Dad was at a Pastor's conference on the Oregon Coast until yesterday afternoon.

Last evening we enjoyed a belated 40th birthday "pizza and ice cream" celebration (his two favorite rarely indulged foods) for Gregg before heading for home.

When I was catching up on emails this morning, I found this YouTube performance sent to me by my long-time California bud, Jim Buchfuehrer. Just click on the "play" arrow below and let it speak to your soul.

My Granddaughter Is A Track Winner

Today my wife and I went to an Oregon Middle School Track Meet to watch our granddaughter, Talli, 13 and in 8th grade, take part in an after-school triangular meet at the local high school.

Talli WON the 1500 meter run, then an hour later WON the 800 meter run, and then, to cap off the day, ran the anchor leg of the 4 x 400 meter relay as their team came in SECOND.

Now THAT’s a day of athletic competition!

In the photo Talli is approaching the finish line (where the guy at the far right is holding the tape) in her 1500 meter win. She was "pushed" down the stretch but had just enough left to stave off her challenger. The rest of the field was far behind and out of the picture. Click on the pic to see a very large image.

Talli’s time in the 1500 meters was 5:38.4, her best time ever in the event. She’s improving daily and hopes by the end of the year to get under 5:30 – a remarkable accomplishment if she can pull it off.

She now runs a mile in well under six minutes. I MAY have run a mile NEAR six minutes ONCE in my life in high school when I was in shape for Spring sports. That gives you an idea of how much better my granddaughter is. GO TALLI!

Baseball Instead of Taxes

I went to a Seattle Mariners game last night, compliments of my son, even though it was the day before taxes are due.

What a marvelous contrast to previous years, when, on April 14, I’d be frantically trying to get my return off to the Feds. Because I’m a procrastinator.

This year, I finished the taxes two weeks early and was able to totally relax and focus on last night’s game. And that was in spite of the fact that the M’s lost to the Kansas City Royals, due mainly to one person – pitcher Zack Greinke. It seemed like all the M’s could do off of Greinke was hit ground balls to Royals second baseman, Mark Grudzielanek, who fielded 10 of them successfully, one short of the team record.

If Greinke continues to pitch the way he did last night (and in his two previous starts), look for him to be starting for the American League in the All-Star game in July. He gave up just one earned run over nine innings, and his ERA went UP!

EX-Mariner Miguel Olivo hit a 409-foot home run to add insult to injury. That just might be one more round-tripper than he hit in his two seasons with the Mariners.

All in all, however, for true baseball fans, it was a great, well-pitched game on both sides. One bad inning cost Jarred Washburn a chance for victory. The photo shows the Mariners' Ichiro in his famous “vertical bat stretch” just before each pitch.

The best part was that my son, Doug, provided the tickets to the game. He has a 10-game, two-seat, select season ticket package in the club level, and last night was my turn to go. What a fabulous place from which to watch a ballgame. The seats are somewhat sheltered from wind and weather (plus, the roof was closed last night due to inclement conditions), and even if you get chilly, you just walk a few feet back into the warm club facility and watch the game from there. Plus, you can order food right from your seat, and they bring it piping hot in just minutes.

THIS is the way to watch Major League baseball! Thanks, son.

If You Think You Knew the Meaning of “Resurrection,” Think Again (Or Read This Book)

I just finished reading the greatest book I’ve ever read on the Christian faith. C.S. Lewis, for me in the past, did a wonderful job in providing perspective on many Christian beliefs and practices. But I think he’s been “one-upped”.

N. T. Wright, in his new book Surprised By Hope – Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, does an absolutely incredible job in providing enlightening early church views about the title topics and packaging them wonderfully in a message of hope for the future in which we can immerse ourselves today.

Here are a few things from the book that have refreshed my faith:

● I should be looking forward to a new resurrection and re-creation of heaven and earth where we’ll thrive with Christ, rather than anticipating some sort of a dis-embodied existence in a far away “heaven”

● Everything we do in our bodies that eventually will die (good works) will become part of God’s future and ultimately will be part of his new creation. (This certainly gives fresh meaning to life itself.)

● Christ’s resurrected body was our first glimpse of the promised new creation and the Kingdom of God. It was the beginning of God’s reign on earth (just as we pray for in The Lord’s Prayer) that will culminate when God finally “brings together” heaven and earth.

● The mission of the church is a mission of hope – “that the genuine Christian hope, rooted in Jesus’ resurrection, is the hope for God’s renewal of all things, for his overcoming of corruption, decay, and death, for his filling of the whole cosmos with his love and grace, power and glory”.

● The sacraments are not just “remembrances." Communion, for instance, is a celebration of the presence of the living Lord who has gone on into the new creation as its prototype. In a real sense, through the eucharist, we experience Christ’s resurrection in a tangible, powerful way, in anticipation of the new creation and the marriage supper of the Lamb.

And there's much, much more. I highly recommend Wright’s book. It has for me changed forever my understanding of Christ's resurrection and the very purpose for my existence.

Roman Art, The Gates of Paradise, and a Fishing Boat

Yesterday was a wonderful day in two ways. Not only was it Kay Lynne’s and my wedding anniversary, but also it demonstrated once again why she is the greatest wife any man could ever have.

In mid-morning we headed to Seattle for a visit to the SAM (Seattle Art Museum) where actual pieces of ancient Roman art are on display, sent over on loan from the Louvre in France. And we also got a glimpse of three actual panels of Lorenzo Ghiberti’s gilded brass Gates of Paradise, so named by Michelangelo himself, and now restored after 550 years.

The image at left above, from the Roman collection, is of Lucilla, who lived in the 2nd century a.d. The marble sculpture is representative of the 180-piece exhibit covering 300 years of Roman culture just before and after the time of Christ. We were overwhelmed with the extent, complexity and sophistication of this great civilization, so well represented by these relics, and it was well worth experiencing.

Also on display but closing at the end of next week was the Gates of Paradise exhibit. The panels that have come to our country for the first time ever have been meticulously restored over the past 25 years after more than 500 years of weather exposure and human contact in Italy.

The displayed panels are three of 10 that usually are encased by the door of the Florence Baptistery in Florence, Italy. Pictured is one of the three, David's Slaying of Goliath, which shows (at the bottom) the beheading of the giant by the young warrior and future King. Sixteenth-century artist and writer Giorgio Vasari called the brass carvings “the finest masterpiece ever created, either in ancient or modern times.”

After viewing the extensive intricacies first hand, we would add our “amen”.

The reason why, finally, my wife is the greatest ever, is that on our anniversary she then accompanied me some 40 miles southeast of the city to put a deposit on a small trout fishing boat that I will soon be using in nearby lakes. Pics to come on future posts.

Is she a “keeper” or what?

Christ’s Resurrection Is More Than “Coming Back to Life”; It Is, In Fact, The Present Assurance of Our Future

I have not yet finished N.T. Wright’s new book, Surprised By Hope – Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. But I’ve already gained an incredibly wonderful perspective on our future.

In the book, Bishop Wright meticulously takes us through Hebrew, Jewish and early Christian views of life, death and the hereafter. And, of course, the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is the key to a clear understanding of what New Testament writers are talking about as they lay the foundations of our faith.

Here, in my opinion, is one of his most crucial fulcrums in what I have read thus far:

“The whole point of what Jesus was up to (in his resurrection) was that he was doing, close up, in the present, what he was promising long-term, in the future. And what he was promising for that future, and doing in that present, was not saving souls for a disembodied eternity but rescuing people from the corruption and decay of the way the world presently is, so they could enjoy, already in the present, that renewal of creation which is God’s ultimate purpose—and so they could thus become colleagues and partners in that larger project.”

Wow. Just think for a bit of the ramifications of Wright’s implications. Wow.

Happy Easter!

Maundy Thursday Begins The Triduum

Earlier tonight we went to Maundy Thursday services at our Lutheran church. The experience was very moving and meaningful as we observed the significance of the Last Supper by participating in Holy Communion and witnessing a foot-washing ceremony.

“Maundy” is an English form of the Latin word for “commandment.” It was at the Last Supper that Jesus gave a new commandment to his disciples, to “love one another as I have loved you.” And it was at the Last Supper that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as a demonstration of his love and servanthood. We celebrated both tonight.

The worship service signified the beginning of the Triduum, the final three days of Lent and at the same time the three days prior to Easter Sunday, the day we celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Eve (Saturday Vigil) comprise the Triduum and are observed as one continuous celebration commemorating the central acts of Christianity. Each day needs the other in order to make sense.

The service was a wonderful and meaningful blend of Scripture recitation, seasonal church music and sacrament. Thanks be to God.

Six Bedroom “Cottage” on the Oregon Coast

This past weekend we were in Oregon with our granddaughters while our son Gregg and his wife Elaine spent some time away at a spectacular beach-front getaway on the Coast at Seaside with a group of close friends.

Kay Lynne and I enjoyed a great three days with Talli, Hayley and Aubrey while mom & dad were gone. Aubrey, the youngest at 5, showed off her “creativity” in this photo taken Sunday afternoon. We have no idea what it means or what prompted her. That’s a curling comb she’s “wearing.”

Talli heads into high school come September, while Hayley will enter middle school. Aubrey will begin serious studies, as she starts first grade. Time is sure flying by, and we treasure every one of these times we have together with family.

Tax Freedom Day

For most people, tax freedom day is a point in time between April and June when, from that instant forward, we’re working solely for ourselves instead of for the government.

However, for me, tax freedom day was yesterday. It was the day my wife and I finished gathering information, receipts and forms, and we sent it all off to our C.P.A. Now she can have fun trying to figure it all out.

And I am now free of the yoke which bears heavily on me each late winter and sometimes into early Spring. In fact this year we finished the abominable task earlier than I can remember over the past 15 or 20 years.

I’m a procrastinator by nature, and so I’ve always tended to “put off the inevitable” as long as possible. It has ruined many a Major League Baseball opener for me.

I love baseball, and I really look forward to opening day as a relief from the sports drought since football ended about two months ago (I’m not a basketball fan at all, except for a slight interest in March Madness). The horsehide opener is early this year (late March instead of somewhat into April), and now I’ll have some time to even watch the Mariners and the Giants from Arizona whenever they’re on TV. And to enjoy opening day without a thought given to the tax man.

Back in the days when our taxes were less complicated, and I was able to do them with the assistance of Turbo Tax, I can remember sweating tax bullets often right through opening day. That’s enough to not only require a lot of Pepto Bismol – but also to spoil the grand beginning of the baseball season.

One reason I love baseball is that it’s a Spring sport. There’s nothing quite like the blended aromas of a well oiled baseball glove, sweat, freshly raked dirt, and new grass underfoot. All of nature is optimistic in the Spring, and it carries over into baseball hopes for the season and to an anticipation of many wonderful warm weather days or nights at the ballpark.

It matters not that I still have to deal with paying the taxes on the 15th of April. I’ll drop the envelope in the mailbox on the way to the ballpark.

What Is Jesus Suggesting With the Imperative, “Take Up YOUR Cross and Follow Me”?

The above consideration was discussed yesterday in the fifth session of our adult ed Sunday School hour class, DOWN + OUT – Where Grace Takes You. Last week we discussed how that when we go “out” into the world, we administer God’s grace through our “vocation” (our “calling” for which we are God-gifted).

This week we were presented with the idea that our own family is the first focus of our vocation. One Lutheran theologian in our DVD series suggested that “parents are the apostles, bishops and priests” for their children. He meant, of course, that our children discover and get to know God through our lives.

As regards family, how do we best live out our vocation. Another discussion leader pointed out that we “find our cross in our calling.” He was referring to Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Mark, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” We don’t bear Jesus’ cross; we take up our own.

Our discussion then zeroed in on how this is done in the family context. One DVD series leader offered that “we don’t ask, ‘what’s the Christian thing to do?’” Instead, we should ask, “what needs to be done? – and then do it.” If the carpet is dusty, vacuum. If there are dishes in the sink, wash them. If a diaper needs changing, change it. The cross we are asked to bear takes form and is applied in doing everything we notice in the family setting that needs doing.

Lutherans believe that we administer God’s grace to our family in this way. And I’ve got a feeling it’s not only Lutherans who believe this. Now if we could only practice it.

“Prayer Is Something That We ARE” – Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia

Yesterday we ventured over to the Emerald City and the Seattle Pacific University Campus to hear a talk on the Orthodox Christian view of “prayer.” The speaker was the most Rev. Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia, the man probably most responsible for explaining Orthodox beliefs to the western world. He was the featured guest in the school's annual Palmer lecture series.

Born Timothy Ware in England, he was raised an Anglican but converted to the Orthodox Church in his mid-20’s. After a long and distinguished career as a priest and educator (at Oxford) he was consecrated Bishop of Diokleia (part of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain) in 1982. Since his retirement in 2001, he continues to lecture around the world, and in 2007 he was elevated to Metropolitan.

“We should think of prayer as something we are” (in contrast to thinking of prayer as something we do), offered Kallistos. He underlined the thought with a fourth-century quote from Gregory the Theologian, “Remember God more often than you breathe.”

He was expanding on Jesus’ charge to “Pray without ceasing”. As we learn, he said, the Holy Spirit works in our heart to allow us to listen to God’s leading. He admonished that too often we “listen” by asking God for something, when, instead, we should “be quiet and just listen.”

These concepts are developed further in his books The Orthodox Church and The Orthodox Way (required reading in most universities), both of which have been widely read in the western world. His most recent writing is titled The Inner Kingdom, if you’re interested.

“Preach the Gospel Always – If Necessary Use Words”

The above quote by St. Francis of Assisi was used yesterday in the fourth session of our six-week adult ed Sunday class, DOWN + OUT – Where Grace Takes You.

The very Lutheran concept of Grace – God coming down to us through Justification and we, in turn, going out into our world via our Vocation – is what the class is all about. Yesterday’s focus contrasted the nuances of Vocation (our calling) and Occupation (what we do for a living). Realizing these distinctions can mean the difference in finding freedom and satisfaction in the Christian walk.

Vocation (or “calling”) utilizes our God-given gifts and creativity to enhance God’s world. Occupation is how we earn money to live in society.

As an example, my wife’s vocation is in teaching and nurturing children with love and understanding. It’s her God-given gift (I certainly don’t have her gift) and through it she gets her “strokes” and some self-validation through her service. Her occupation was (we’re retired now) as an office administrator, and she was a very good one. But just ask her; it had “its times.”

As we as Christians administer God’s grace in the world through our vocation and calling, it can obviously overlap into our occupation, and often does. But what’s beautiful about the “picture” is that our vocation never changes – whether we’re a student, or whether we’re working at our job or profession, or even when we’re retired. This is what’s so “freeing.”

My wife still teaches Sunday School and loves kids, as she has all her life, even though we are now in the “golden years.” Exercising one’s gifts in one’s vocation just could be the way God allows us to get some important strokes for self-validation. That may not always happen, for instance, in struggling with a difficult or frustrating “job.”

Kay Lynne and I are more and more realizing how blessed we are to be in a church that not only helps us discover these distinctive nuggets of truth, but also continues to provide teaching, resources and opportunities for living out our vocations in God’s grace.

What Happens When We Die? (We Don’t Go To "Heaven", Suggests N.T. Wright)

I’ve just started reading another “blockbuster” book by my favorite theologian/author, Anglican Bishop N. T. Wright. In his just published Surprised By Hope - Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, he tackles all the tough questions and wraps it all in a powerful message of hope.

Does “resurrection” have meaning here on earth? Is there life after death? What are our post-mortem options? Is it either heaven or hell? Where is heaven? Where is hell? What will happen to the earth?

I’m not far enough into the book to begin to give you an inkling yet of his contemplations. However, I do know that his conclusions are not based on “near death experiences,” nor on what is usually (inaccurately) said at funerals, nor on speculation.

His views, instead, reflect historical Christian orthodoxy, but they are concepts and truths that Wright says have become distorted in the current accumulation of folk wisdom. What most Christians believe today about life after death, he observes, is a “vague and fuzzy optimism that somehow things may work out in the end.”

This is not to be ignored, he says, and I expect the book will endeavor to clear up some of our foggy thinking. Stay tuned…

Nuanced Political Slogan: It’s “Judgment,” Stupid

I tend to shy away from posts on partisan political considerations, so this is not. But Richard Reeves’ syndicated newspaper column this week made, to my thinking, a salient observation – a reflection that was not even the main point of his writing.

Reeves, in addition to being a columnist, is also a biographer of Presidents. He is most known for his “trilogy” of presidential works – on Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan. His writing perspective as a columnist is usually from the left point of view, but he leans toward the moderate, rather than to the extreme left.

In his February 22 commentary, Reeves was discussing how, in his opinion, Sen. Clinton has been “getting it wrong” in 10 straight primary elections – at least when it comes to communicating. He pointed out that when it came to “words,” President Reagan, as an example, mostly got it right.

He summed up a concept that Reagan understood, and which many current candidates do not. It can be said two ways:

● The president’s job is not to run the country; it is to lead the nation.
● In that business, words are more important than deeds.

He went on to observe that, in choosing a president, we as citizens are assuming one of the most risky and dangerous responsibilities in the world. Anticipating future behavior is a gamble.

Drawing on his vast experience with and commentary about former presidents, he posited this: “The presidency is not about qualifications or experience; it is about judgment.” Saying it another way, who will best react to unpredictable crises that seem to hit a president almost every day? The answer probably is, it’s impossible to tell ahead of time.

The best we can hope for, he suggests, is to connect with a candidate who can use the right words to explain these things and to persuade us to follow.

A dozen years or so ago, a previous president had a different twist on a similar-sounding slogan, but I like the Reeves-prompted, nuanced version even better: “it’s judgment, stupid.”

A Pharmaceutical-Like Feeling of Well-Being

If you’re of Finnish extraction, you likely get the “feeling” every once-in-a-while. And it’s almost impossible to put into words.

I first had the sensation as a kid when our parents took me and my many cousins to Otter Lake, high in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I’ve never experienced this feeling in a city, by the way, and I’ve learned in talking with others, that it’s for the most part only Finns who can perceive this sensory awareness.

There seem to be four elements present every time a Finn, or anyone, experiences this intense impression: 1) fresh, clean air, 2) blue water, 3) evergreen trees or thick woods, and, 4) a cabin-like, wooden structure, often with blue smoke drifting slowly toward the sky.

Just like the cottage in the photo above, except you'll notice that the sauna-outbuilding is chimneyless in this case. This one, in Finland, is called a “savusauna,” meaning “sauna without a chimney.” (Adding some smoke into the hot steam sauna environment just toughens you more, the Finns believe.)

Authentic Finnish saunas, of course, are not the dry-heat versions we’re accustomed to here. A real sauna consists of large rocks piled over a wood fire. After the flames thoroughly heat the stones, you throw water on them, which causes hissing steam to fill the enclosure. The object is to perspire so intensely that your body is completely cleansed.

Saunas are usually built near a lake, so that you can dive naked into the cold water immediately after heating yourself to a beet-red state. In winter, you just dive into the snow, rather than the lake. It’s as an invigorating experience as there is on earth.

When I first saw this photo, I was immediately overcome by this indescribable sensation. It felt exactly like 60 years ago when we’d drive down the hill and first catch a glimpse of Munninen’s cabin on the shores of Otter Lake. Of course, fishing becomes the fifth element for male Finns and for many of the females as well.

This phenomenon probably somewhat explains why we live where we do today. The five elements are present. In fact, if you pay attention to where Finnish people have settled throughout this country, you’ll find it’ll almost always be in a place where at least four of the five elements are present: Fort Bragg, CA, Astoria, OR, Puget Sound in WA, Duluth, MN, Houghton/Hancock, MI, etc., etc.

The feeling I’m talking about has almost a pharmaceutical-like effect of well-being. And I suppose it can be addicting. So take a look at the picture above. If your endorphins kick-in appreciably, you may have Finnish blood in you.

“I’ve Been Wondering About That”

The closest male influence in my life as a young boy, other than my father, was my uncle Ed. He was an uncle only by marriage, having married my mom’s sister, but he was as close to me as any blood relative. I can recall fishing wth him on many occasions, for instance.

One of uncle Ed’s most-used expressions was, “I’ve been wondering about that.” He would usually utter the words in our family conversation when someone would ask a general question as to why a certain thing was occurring in a particular way. And, as I remember, he would prefer to continue to mull it over in his mind, rather than to make his personal viewpoint public knowledge.

That said, of late, I, too, “have been wondering” about something. Several recent occurrences have prompted my “wondering,” but I have to concede that what I’m thinking about could be something we’ll never be able to process fully.

The question is this: What influence, if any, does a life lived, have on those who remain?

My inclination initially was to think about well known people from history who, you might say, have “changed” the world (in actuality, that may be acceding too much credit). You can let your mind wander almost infinitely along that vein. In our current political Presidential marathon, for instance, democrats are evoking the memories of Jefferson, F. Roosevelt and Kennedy, while Republicans look back at Lincoln, T. Roosevelt and Reagan.

The Roosevelt-Churchill alliance during WWII is remembered worldwide as being critical to ending the conflict and bringing “peace”. But is the memory of the anonymous soldier any less important (like my father-in-law, who strung radio wires critical to the tactics of company commanders slogging their way across Germany)?

Because, really, I’m more thinking about a “Joe Average” of any culture. Even a “Nobody.” Does the starving child who is born and dies suddenly in Darfur or in India have much effect on a world that continues to spin its way through our galaxy, which in turn is carving its way through the universe, which in turn… You get the picture.

We as Christians hold human life to be sacred. So what does that mean in the context of those who live on in our world, galaxy and universe? If we believe that God created human life in His image, then how should we value and try to understand the meaning of the life of the poor child in Darfur or India? Or of Churchill, Kennedy or Reagan, for that matter?

I’ve been wondering about that.

Bad Fish

As anyone who reads this blog knows, I am a fisherman. However, here in the Northwest, a Northern Pike is not a common prey. I did fish for them and catch them in Michigan as a kid, and thankfully I never ran into anything like this poor Scandinavian guy did (click below to play):

N.T. Wright Crystallizes “Kingdom” Aspect of Easter

Anglican Bishop N.T. Wright (pretty close to my favorite, if not my favorite, theologian/author) says that Easter and Christ’s resurrection are more than just “power over the grave.” He portends that in a “back from the future” sort of way, the risen Christ is our “here and now” link to the Kingdom of God.

I’ve just finished reading his newest (I think) book, Christians at the Cross, in actuality a compilation of eight Holy Week sermons he gave a year ago at a parish in Easington Colliery on the north coast of England. My reading sort of plodded along for a time as I took in the very short book (only 79 pages) – until the last chapter. Then, for me, it exploded with a powerful elucidation of what the Kingdom of God can mean for us.

Rather than me trying to interpret his writing, I’m going to just quote a few key paragraphs:

“When God made this lovely world, he wasn’t making junk. He doesn’t want to throw it away and do something completely different, as though the idea of space, time and matter was a bad one from the start. No: he wants to abolish, from within this world, everything that corrupts and defaces and distorts his beautiful creation, so that he can give the world a giant make over. New heavens and new earth – like the present one only with everything that’s true and beautiful and lovely made even better, and everything that’s bad and sad and degrading abolished forever. That’s what we’re promised. Read Isaiah 65 again and see.

“…When Jesus was raised from the dead on the first Easter day, it wasn’t simply as though he’d gone on ahead of us… In Jesus’ resurrection a bit of God’s future, of God’s new heaven and earth, has come forward in time… The point of the resurrection is that at Easter a bit of the future – God’s promised future – has come forwards to meet us, ‘back to the present’.

“…In his death, Jesus had taken all the sin and death and shame and sorrow of the world upon himself, so that by letting it do its worst to him he had destroyed its power, which means that now there is nothing to stop the new creation coming into being. Jesus' resurrection body is the first bit of the new creation, the sign of the new world that is to come.

“…And that is why Easter is the start of the church’s mission. Let's be quite clear. The church’s mission isn’t about telling more and more people that if they accept Jesus they will go to heaven. That is true, of course, as far as it goes (though we ought to be telling them about the new heavens and new earth rather than just ‘heaven’), but it’s not the point of our mission. The point is that if God’s new creation has already begun, those of us who have been wakened up in the middle of the night are put to work to make more bits of new creation happen within the world as it still is... (We need to) start to pray for vision and wisdom to know where God can and will make new creation happen in our lives, in our hearts, in our homes and not least in our communities. That’s what ‘regeneration’ is all about. (See my preceding post for a confirming view from the Lutheran perspective.)

Wright concludes, “What we do know is that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, that God’s new creation has begun, and that we have to do two things: first, to be true to our own baptismal vows to die with him and to share his new life, and, second, to allow his Spirit to work through us to make new creation happen in his world.”

I’ve never heard the Christian mission better stated.

Lutherans Believe That Every Christian Has A Part In Administering God’s Grace In The World

We’re two lessons into our Sunday morning adult ed class on “Grace,” and already it is changing my perceptions and opening up fresh perspectives. The class is called DOWN + OUT – Where Grace Takes You.

The class consists of a six-part DVD discussion by several distinguished faculty members at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. The supporting pedestals of the conversation were discussed in the first lesson: Justification and Vocation. We contemplated the idea that, through grace, God has justified us to serve – that is, to serve him in and through our vocation.

In yesterday’s lesson, we moved from the “up and down” concepts of the previous week to the “in and out” ideas of congregational life. We talked about the “priesthood of believers” (one of the basic concepts in the Reformation) and what our purpose is as we meet together for worship. And we learned the nuances of “vocation” and “call.”

If I’m understanding the course material correctly, I’m discovering that the grace of God leads us into a wonderful, freeing existence of becoming what he has created us to be. As our batteries are “recharged” by Word and Sacrament in congregational worship each week, we are empowered to live out our vocations as service to God – at home with the family, on the job at work and in our spare time with our friends.

Each of our actions in these various milieus is an expression of God’s grace at work in the world. For some strange reason he has chosen us to be the propitiators of his abounding grace. And he has done so in spite of our human frailties.

This prayer of Wendell Frerichs, from our class material, says it well:

Lord, what a curious way you have of bringing life and hope into your world, of working peace and justice, of showing compassion and love for all of your creatures. No hands but the hands of us, your servants; no feet but ours; no protection but such as we provide; no money but ours; no friends unless it be we; no shelter except we build it; no institutions unless we found them. Since it does seem to be so: Lord, be in our minds and in our understanding; Lord, be in our hearts and give us compassion; Lord, be in our feet to run your service; Lord, be in our eyes and be our insight; Lord be in our plans and be our hope; Lord, be in our present and give us a future. Amen

Christians and Politics – Future Hope?

Watching our candidates for President attempt to position themselves in the primaries so that they can be each party’s candidate in the Fall has been an experience that can cause acute nausea. Especially for the Christian.

I came across the following post yesterday on Jim Wallis’ blog, God’s Politics, written by one of Wallis’ friends, a New York City pastor. Linking Christians and Politics has for me in recent months become extremely frustrating. Mainly because you can’t legislate what Christ asks of his followers; what it requires is “heart” change.

But as I read this post, I thought to myself, “this might have possibilities.” So I copied and pasted it here for ease of reading. It better says what is churning in my gut.

A Mosaic Revival: High-Definition Election 2008 Part II (by Gabriel Salguero)

This is part two of my reflections concerning Election 2008 and Generation X, Y, and next. As I said before, this is an exciting time in the national landscape. A revival is taking place that incorporates thousands of younger evangelicals with pioneers in the faith. This is a broad coalition of Moseses and Joshuas and Deborahs, to use biblical language. In my last posting here concerning the election in kaleidoscope, I received some e-mails, phone calls, and postings that demonstrate the need for this conversation.

The question is what does this Mosaic revival reveal? Simply, that we recognize that to promote real movement it will take a broad coalition across racial/ethnic, gender, generational, and denominational lines. Much has been rumored of the tension between black and brown or Asian and black voters. Other tensions have been pointed about differences between female and male voters or young and elderly voters. We're working for a new day. This revival is pleading for people of good will to change the national conversation screen to high-definition.

Let me be clear about some of the challenges to this mosaic in concrete election 2008 terms:
*Refusing to vote for Senator McCain because of his age (ageism);
*Refusing to vote for Senator Obama because of his race (racism).
*Refusing to vote for Senator Clinton because of her gender (sexism).
*Refusing to vote for Governors Romney or Huckabee because of their religion (sectarianism).
*Voting for them only because of any of these criteria presents its own myopia.

I vote for a candidate based on where they stand on the issues that most closely reflect Jesus' ethic of love of God and creation (this is a very long discussion worth having in another forum). I am hopeful that there is a new and creative conversation surging. In this new conversation, leaders in the Asian, Euro-American, Latino, Native-American, African-American, etc., communities are emphasizing the "ties that bind" and not the walls that separate.

In this new kaleidoscopic way of doing policy perhaps we should think of endorsements in another way. What candidates are endorsing policies that are mindful of this global and U.S. mosaic? In a politics-as-usual model, candidates exploit tensions—perceived or real—among demographics. This really needs to stop. A new kind of conversation seeks creative solutions that take particularity seriously but does away with the politics of animosity. There are signs of hope.

Recently, I've joined an organization called New York Faith and Justice and I've learned something about a new wave of voters. Two of the prominent leaders are an African American Cherokee Chickasaw woman, Lisa Sharon Harper, and a white evangelical man, Peter Heltzel. Lisa and Peter are an example of this emerging mosaic. They welcome my Latino perspective and continually want to be challenged and informed by it. Peter and Lisa are working hard to ensure that issues important to multiple constituencies are at the forefront of our city-wide and national dialogue.

Similarly, I've been working closely with Adam Taylor and Patty Kupfer of Sojourners on immigration reform issues. The conversation between this black man, white woman, and myself are a sign of the mosaic that represents the diversity of the kingdom of God. We don't always agree on everything, but we are committed to mutuality and respect and working on behalf of the beloved community - stated in Revelation 7:9 - "from every tribe, nation, people and language." These are signs of hopefulness that the presidential candidates need to heed. What is critical here is that there is not an attempt to assimilate but rather to keep unity while respecting diversity.

Rev. Gabriel Salguero is the pastor of the Lamb’s Church of the Nazarene in New York City, a Ph.D. candidate at Union Theological Seminary, and the director of the Hispanic Leadership Program at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Reading meme - I've been tagged.

I got tagged by Gregg in a "Reading meme," something new to me.

The rules of this meme are as follows:

1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating!
2. Find page 123
3. Find the first 5 sentences
4. Post the next 3 sentences
5. Tag 5 people




The book nearest to me is Jesus' Plan For A New World, The Sermon on the Mount, by Franciscan Priest, Richard Rohr.

Here is how the quote come out:

They are not the patterns that cultures of money, power or religion will naturally perceive. It seems they have to break in or "be revealed" from outside the system. These "pattern stories" become very explicit in the teaching of Jesus, although in most cases he is building upon his Jewish roots.

Now, I tag:
1. Kelly and Jonathan
2. Prof. Groothuis

I just realized that my friends don't much blog. In fact, people my age hardly know what a blog is. The first people above are second cousins (read: younger generation), and I don't even know the second person I tagged, but I've read his blog. So if any of my two regular readers have some suggestions, email me, and I'll add them.

Or, if you don't blog, send me your book title and quote, and I'll post it.

Today’s Clemens Hearing Shows How Pitiful Our Leadership Has Become

There were deaths today in Iraq as a result of war. Older very ill warriors in our Veterans Hospitals were today given less than sufficient care. Families today were forced to walk away from homes they had purchased due to the mortgage fiasco. Worse yet, some very poor families are today mourning the loss of a loved one because they could not get proper health care (not only a problem for the poor).

And yet, for several hours today on television, we watched a Congressional Committee grill a man and his accuser about whether or not he was injected with an illegal substance which might have made his body bigger and stronger – a deed that cannot now be prosecuted in any court of law because the statute of limitations has passed.

What’s wrong with this picture?

So much is wrong that I can’t even begin a first sentence. My only thought at the moment is that the one candidate for president who advocates real, substantive change maybe ought to be given his chance. Even for him, the quagmire we’re all in may be beyond his or anyone’s ability to get us out of.

There May Be Hope Afterall

I watched and listened tonight to the young Senator from Illinois who spoke on TV from Virginia, after sweeping two Democratic State Caucuses as well as the Virgin Islands Caucus and one State Primary election today.

Barack Obama’s charismatic message is singular and pure. It is a message of hope.

Hope, he says, that the future will be different, under his leadership, if he’s elected the next president. So far in this campaign, I’ve been somewhat of a doubter, as effecting change in our Nation's Capitol is perceived as next to impossible. But after his rousing speech tonight, I’m ever-so-close to being a believer.

Few political leaders in our history could speak words and by them motivate people to believe and take action. FDR could and did; JFK could and did; and Ronald Reagan could and did.

It now is beginning to appear that Barack Obama also has this intangible, unidentifiable, and most unusual quality. I guess it’s now up to him to ride the momentum and see if it can land him the Democratic nomination this summer.

Tonight, with his oratory, he gave hope to the poor, the sick, the young, the worker, and the aged. He has the knack, as did JFK and Ronald Reagan, of believing and saying what your heart desperately wants to hear and feel.

I especially liked his challenge to young people who desire a quality education. “We’ll educate you through the university level,” he offered, “and then you give back something to your country.” He referred to a “partnership” whereby the newly, low-cost educated would offer a year or two of public service to such as the Peace Corps or any of a number of worthy causes.

I love it. Not just a free ride with the government providing a bucket of (tax) money for education, but a challenge to serve and a worthy goal to shoot for. Obama had several other interesting ideas for major problems, all based on hope. Good Lord, who is this young politician? This could work!

For the first time in my life, my vote for President may not be influenced by a particular political viewpoint but by the candidate (and I’ve voted in about a dozen Presidential elections). Hope is catching.

New Tires Almost Make Our SUV New Again

Today I got a new set of radials put on our Acura MDX. I think I waited far too long to replace the old skins, based on how well the car now drives.

The smoothness of the drive with the new rubber seemingly took off about 50,000 miles from the vehicle. It once again feels almost as well as when we bought it four years ago (pre-owned with a little less than 40K miles showing).

Our odometer is now pushing 100K miles, which means we got a good 60K miles out of the Michelins that were new on the vehicle when we bought it. In comparison with other cars I’ve had, that’s a lot of miles for a set of tires. In fact, I can’t recall ever actually getting 60K miles out of a set before.

So I had a very good reason to again get Michelins, which I did. This time I bought what are called “Cross-Terrain” tires (above pic), supposedly made for SUV “all-terrain” use in all four seasons. In addition, Costco was running a New Years $15-off per tire sale, and I just got in on the end of it due to the graciousness of the salesman.

Costco does a great overall job with tires, even though they are “club” tires (Brand name tires made on contract for Costco or Sam’s Club, etc.). With the sale discount, I saved almost $200 in cold cash on a set of four, than what I would have paid at Sears, Goodyear, or Les Schwab (who don’t even carry Michelins).

Costco prices their tires not only less than the competition, but their published price includes installation AND balancing. Both are commonly “add-ons” at the other stores. Plus my 65K-mile warranty covers just about any eventuality.

Next time, however, I maybe won’t wait quite so long to get new skins. I must have been lulled into an increasingly rougher ride without realizing it, as the contrast of the feel of the car with the new tires is dramatically and pleasantly better.

The Ironic Dilemma of American Christianity

First, let me say that this post barely scratches the surface of the topic. But I’m posting simply to try to bring up some considerations for us, as Americans, as we endeavor to live out our faith.

Some years ago I began an earnest effort to read everything I could get my hands on that might shed light on authentic faith considerations. I quickly discovered that our Protestant American Christianity, as well founded and compelling as it is, provides only a diminutive perspective of the total picture.

The Christian church, albeit divided and flawed in many ways, had already “prevailed against the gates of hell” for more than 1,500 years at the time when Martin Luther nailed his “95 Theses” to the bulletin-board door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. It’s only been less than 500 years since then, but the truth is that the North American church has “put on a lot of miles” in that time.

Part of the reason is that since the Reformation(s), denominations of every variety have sprouted and flourished in our American culture. The Christianity that has emerged has done so in the context of independence, individualism, competition, self-assuredness, self-expression, and (perceived) “freedom” – all esteemed American values.

And therein may lie the roots of the ironic dilemma of American Christianity.

The more I’ve read about “authentic” Christian faith, that is, seeking to follow the teachings and example of Christ in daily living, the more I’m discovering that virtually every one of these values we cherish as Americans are, in fact, quite the opposite of what Jesus espoused.

Gulp.

The “Kingdom of God,” or Reign of God, that began with Christ’s coming to earth in human form, was the beginning of the uniting, or bringing back together, of heaven and earth. Christ’s living among us began a foundationally, fundamentally and functionally “new world order”. And it requires a “conversion,” or turnaround, of worldviews.

Fr Richard Rohr says that conversion “is not a learning as much as it is an un-learning.” Fortunately, we have the life of Christ as our example. But it’s a revolutionary road on which we travel, and the path does not seem to conform much to the culture in which we live – our good old U.S. of A..

Jesus said that in his Kingdom “the last shall be first” and that the “first shall be last” (Matthew 19). What does this mean? Does it sound like anything remotely similar to what’s going on in our country where everyone wants to be “numero uno”?

Americans want “security,” so they hoard “things” and try to accumulate assets so they’ll have “something for the future”. Jesus, on the other hand, said, “Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.” Another contradiction?

As Americans we strive for success, recognition and status in our power quest. But Jesus said in John 12:34, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Do we actually believe we can do both, or that in this light, the power quest is even important?

I think the obvious emerging impression reveals that our American culture has shaped our “Christianity” maybe more than we’ve allowed Christ himself to do so. Even our churches often reflect this dilemma to a much-too-great degree (mega-churches, popularity preachers, “prosperity” gospel, etc.).

The prayer of our Lord says, “Thy Kingdom come, ON EARTH as it is in heaven.” To me, it is an ironic (and tragic) dilemma that American Christianity, as currently widely practiced, could be a far cry from what the Kingdom of God is all about.

Changing Our Way of Living

I’d like to walk a little farther down the path of the previous post topic. More pointedly, how is the Kingdom of God distinctly different from our culture (or any culture of this world)?

In Richard Rohr’s book, Jesus’ Plan For A New World (cited in the last post) Fr Rohr makes this appraisal: “When Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God, he was talking about an utterly different way of relating with one another than human society as we know it” (italics mine).

That appears to be radical, inside-out change from what we know and practice. Jesus used the parable of new wine skins to try to explain to his disciples what he meant when he talked about HIS vision of a HIS new world in Matthew chapter 9:

“Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

Commenting on the above, Rohr makes these observations:

“Jesus’ image is this: ‘I’m going to give you a new vision of the world that you will taste like new wine, but it isn’t going to make a bit of difference unless you have some new wineskins. If there are not new structures that reflect the new attitude, then even the attitude will be lost. BOTH container and contents must be renewed—or they will both be lost.’

“We have traditionally tried to preach a gospel largely of words, attitudes and inner salvation experiences. People say they are saved, they’re ‘born again;’ yet how do we really know if someone is saved? Do they love the poor? Are they free from their egos? Are they patient in the face of persecution? Those might be real indicators” (in contrast to just the words).

From my perspective, we’ve got a lot to learn and a whole new way of looking at things to discover.

Turning Our World Upside Down

It’s sort of unfortunate that we’ve learned our version of the Gospel in an affluent, over-accumulated society that has to look for stimuli to stay focused enough to avoid boredom. According to a book I’m now reading, our understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ could be upside down.

The book, Jesus’ Plan For A New World, is written by Franciscan priest Richard Rohr and is based on the Sermon on the Mount. A while back I posted on another of Fr Rohr’s books, Simplicity.

In the book I’m now reading, Rohr points out that the culture in which Jesus lived out the Good News was quite different from ours. Jesus lived in an agrarian (primarily agricultural) society, commonplace in the world at that time. Such cultures consisted of a relatively small group at the top, consisting of a ruler or rulers, along with their consorts, who controlled the wealth, and a bottom-heavy, vastly larger group of peasant farmers and artisans who worked to support the hierarchy.

The ruler(s) absorbed up to 50% of the gross national product and took another 25% or so to support the several levels of bureaucrats and officials that kept the society functioning. At the bottom were the farmers (often tilling rented land) and artisans who actually produced the goods; they comprised more than 75% of the population but shared a very small proportion of the wealth. In fact, after taxes, tolls, and fees, they were often left with nothing that could be considered discretionary income.

Similarities exist between Christ’s culture and that of much of the third world today. Further, about 10% of that peasant class was considered to be “unclean”. They were the destitute, the diseased, the people of color, gays and lesbians, the aged and the disabled. How ironic (and enlightening) that these were the people with whom Jesus spent a lot of time.

It was this lowest of low classes to which Jesus referred when he said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven” (bold italics mine).

For two millennia, we’ve been trying to understand what Jesus was actually saying in this initial Beatitude. It’s enough to turn our thinking completely upside down.

Church Has Become a High Point in the Week

For many ongoing reasons, I look forward to going to church each Sunday. And I especially like the Lutheran Church of which we have become a part.

I really appreciate the “Lutheran way” of doing things. Take, for instance, the Worship Hymnal (that fills the backs of pews in almost every church). Nothing special, right? Just a collection of songs or hymns to sing, right?

WRONG.

In our Lutheran Church (and in most ELCA churches) the hymnal is a comprehensive volume of scripture, liturgy and, of course, hymns. It’s called The Book of Worship. But soon we are getting NEW hymnals. Our present ones are GREEN; the new ones are CRANBERRY.

When you change something as important as the hymnal in our church, a month-long adult ed class is created to “introduce you” to the why’s and wherefore’s of the new book. I have to admit this is a first for me. What could possibly fill four hours of classtime regarding a new hymnal? I’m so glad you asked, as we had our first class this past Sunday.

First, the hymnal enhances and provides resources for the four basic reasons that Lutherans worship: The Gathering (thanksgiving, confession), The Word (songs, Scriptures, creeds, sermon), Holy Communion (the Thanksgiving meal, offering and offertory prayer), and The Sending (sent out to serve with affirmations, benediction and blessings)

And secondly, the hymnal includes a commonly-held body of liturgical music as well as a diversity of musical expressions that meet a variety of needs:
• New music representing a range of musical styles and approaches
• Familiar music from Lutheran sources
• Existing style- and community-specific music from a number of sources

When the new Hymnals arrive a little later in the year, we’ll have a clearer and more “hands on” understanding of worship itself and how a new book of worship will enhance our individual and collective worship experiences.

I’ll learn more in the next class on Sunday.

Northwest Beauty

Living in the Northwest allows one to really get in touch with God's creation, from time to time. This past week has been extraordinarily clear here (until today) albeit quite chilly (north winds tend to "clean things out").

I snapped the photo above on Tuesday about noon, from our front deck, as the freshly snow-capped Olympic mountains to the west seemed almost close enough to reach out and touch. Of course I used my new digital Canon Rebel XTi. Click on the photo for a MUCH larger image that shows the beauty in significantly more detail.

Yes, we have rain. And, yes, it's chilly in the winter. But when old sol appears, there's nothing more spectacular.

An Evangelical Awakening?

A current article in the religious periodical Christianity Today (CT) suggests that evangelicals are “rediscovering the neglected beauty of classical Christian teaching” – rich, biblical, spiritual, and theological treasures …. within the early church.

I think it’s about time.

For at least 10 years, I’ve been asking question after question as to why evangelicals (of which I then was one) said the things they said and did the things they did with regard to the practice of the Christian faith. In the evangelicalism I was part of, historical church tradition was virtually ignored, and liturgy was passed off as “vain repetitions”.

Theologian J. I. Packer is quoted in the CT article as identifying this evangelical enigma as “stunted ecclesiology,” that is, having a faith praxis that is rooted in alienation from the past.

The article’s author, an evangelical, says “without a healthy engagement with our past, including historical definitions of ‘church’, we are being true neither to scripture, nor to our theological identity as the church”. He further implies that evangelicals have allowed present-day culture to shape the church possibly more than its own tradition and history (you can see my observations here on Marva Dawn's book on the subject).

But now, suddenly, there appears to be a clamoring among evangelicals – especially college age students and “Y-geners,” – for historical creeds, ancient prayers and medieval hermeneutics in preaching, all from the church of old. What’s happening?

I’m not qualified to answer that inquiry (the CT article opens the door), but I do know the questioning process through which I went for many years. Frustration with the following practices of evangelicalism was what started my own journey toward authenticity.

First, the whole focus on confrontive evangelism and a “decision-based” faith always left me with a feeling of “is that all there is?” Rarely did churches I attended have organized, in-depth Bible studies on a consistent basis.

The lack of a clear understanding of the historical church creeds was also bothersome (I eventually learned them on my own). The mis-information (dis-information?) about alcohol abstinence, the sacraments of baptism and the eucharist, and the amalgamation of conservative theology and conservative politics all added to my personal spiritual dismay. And where was the social action that I knew instinctively ought to be an important part of one’s faith?

I think it’s healthy, finally, for evangelicals to ask questions. I also think it’s important to be open to fresh answers (not that every question has an obvious answer). Each person needs to seek, push, and search to find a meaningful, functional faith by which they can live their life and find the peace for which they long.

As an aside, my wife and I have found such in a nearby Lutheran Church. I’ve posted a lot about it before. Click here for just one.

The interesting title of the CT article mentioned above is The Future Lies in the Past (Lost Secrets of the Ancient Church). My prayer is that many who read it will discover the rich and vibrant faith of our fathers that my wife and I have found.

SENSORY OVERLOAD in Las Vegas Shows

I don’t think I’ve ever before been in a venue where I could not take in all that was going on.

But it occurred twice this past weekend in Las Vegas where we saw a couple of incredible performances under the “umbrella” of Cirque du Soleil (which has grown exponentially to sponsor shows in quite a few of the major LV Strip hotels as well as around the world).

We saw LOVE, a show that visually, auditorily and spectacularly celebrates the music of The Beatles through dance and gymnastics (and is quite nostalgic), and we also took in Mystere, a “classic” Cirque du Soleil show that combines powerful athleticism and high-energy acrobatics with amazing visual imagery and fabulous new age music.

Both shows take entertainment to an altitude perhaps never before achieved. You simply can’t absorb all that is happening at any point in time. You kind of have to “pick and choose” among a seemingly endless variety of sensory stimuli. On a scale of "10", I'd rate LOVE a "12" and Mystere an "11"

The music is in surround-sound so it seems like it’s going right through your head (instead of just into your ears). The visuals are as good as any Hollywood screen production, and the human acrobatic performances defy the laws of nature. All are choreographed to create a blended and synchronized presentation.

Plus, the shows are performed in large (up to 1,000 people), specially built, bowl-like Casino theaters with a “wheel-and-spoke-like”, multi-sectioned center-stage. Each section is individually hydraulically controlled so entertainers can appear from below and then disappear to the dark depths just as quickly. The action takes place from ceiling to floor, and permeates the atmosphere, much like a fireworks display, with acrobats in the air and on bungees, thousands of light impulses seemingly everywhere, confetti, panavision-type movie screens and all varieties of stage activities and entertainment “smoke”. And that doesn’t even describe it adequately.

All together, it’s sensory overload!

We were fortunate enough to be able to enjoy these entertainment spectaculars due to the generosity of Kay Lynne’s brother, Rick, who invited extended family to share in Danielle’s festive commemoration (see last post). And we are deeply grateful for his gesture.

The bottom line is that if you want to kick your “show-going” activities up a notch, take in a Cirque du Soleil performance, either in Las Vegas or when it comes to your area. You’ll long remember it.