I'm Proud
One of my best friends sent me this video. This friend is a passionate secularist and a political progressive.
The video makes me proud to be a progressive and proud to be a Christian. This is the first time I can ever remember being both at the same time.
The video is 40 minutes long but well worth the time. I'm not sure when it was taken but I don't think the content would change much if the speech were given today.
The video makes me proud to be a progressive and proud to be a Christian. This is the first time I can ever remember being both at the same time.
The video is 40 minutes long but well worth the time. I'm not sure when it was taken but I don't think the content would change much if the speech were given today.
Here we go again!
A big day today. Election day, school starts and tomorrow is my first Ash Wednesday as clergy. I'll end up at church for about 12 hours tomorrow. We do imposition of ashes, Eucharist, in the morning, a midday service and an Ash Wednesday service tomorrow night.
An interesting discussion is starting in my theology class. (Pneumatology, Ecclesiology and Eschatology, or P. E & E for short.) Today we learned about the idea that total depravity is not the way of humanity. I must admit, this was refreshing for me. Despite everything I've learned about the evil of man. I have never been able to give up on a high anthropology. I've always felt that we have a spark of the divine in us. Its nice to know that a German Theologian agrees with me.
Jurgen Moltmann talks about the Holy Spirit as not being only relevatory. In other words, The Holy Spirit is not something that we simply experience, it is something we are in relationship with. And to be in relationship with something implies that there is a bit of that thing in us. Therefore, if we are part of the relationship with the Holy Spirit, we have some of it in us. And it is this part that goads on on and moves us toward perfection.
I see some echoes of Bonhoeffer's concept of Costly Grace in this as well as some of the Social Justice directives of Wesley. Ultimately, it is this bit of divinity that is in all of us that gets of off our butts and motivates us to make this world a better place. Moreover, to not do something is a denial of that divinity that rivals the denial of Peter.
So, go vote!
An interesting discussion is starting in my theology class. (Pneumatology, Ecclesiology and Eschatology, or P. E & E for short.) Today we learned about the idea that total depravity is not the way of humanity. I must admit, this was refreshing for me. Despite everything I've learned about the evil of man. I have never been able to give up on a high anthropology. I've always felt that we have a spark of the divine in us. Its nice to know that a German Theologian agrees with me.
Jurgen Moltmann talks about the Holy Spirit as not being only relevatory. In other words, The Holy Spirit is not something that we simply experience, it is something we are in relationship with. And to be in relationship with something implies that there is a bit of that thing in us. Therefore, if we are part of the relationship with the Holy Spirit, we have some of it in us. And it is this part that goads on on and moves us toward perfection.
I see some echoes of Bonhoeffer's concept of Costly Grace in this as well as some of the Social Justice directives of Wesley. Ultimately, it is this bit of divinity that is in all of us that gets of off our butts and motivates us to make this world a better place. Moreover, to not do something is a denial of that divinity that rivals the denial of Peter.
So, go vote!
MLK
A few months ago, I posted the text of Dr. King's I Have a Dream speech. See it here.
Today I went to a lecture at school by Rev. Mark Dennis
Rev. Dennis discussed Dr. King's legacy and some of his management techniques. He compared and contrasted them to Barak Obama's. Very favorably compared them I might add. A classmate (Young Ashley, for those of you who've heard my stories.) said. "I want to vote for Obama more now than I did before!"
But anyway, the prime point of the lecture that I took away was that both Obama and King had spiritual advisers. The both had/have Pastors to help them along. This is the way Pastors can be agents of change.
Dr. King had "Daddy King" as MLK Sr. was called by those close to them. MLK also had Rev. Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays, who would eulogize King shortly after that day in April.
Senator Obama has Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity UCC in Chicago.
The contributions of these men were and are critical to the success of King and Obama. Rev. Dennis spoke us about the importance of training seminarians to be this type of agents of change. His most pointed comment was that "The world is in need of more Pastors and fewer Preachers."
Dr. King has always been a hero of mine. He's been up there with Ghandi, Nelson Mandela and other crusaders for Justice. But these people are almost like fictional characters. I've never had a real life link to them. Recently I was privileged to hear Rev. Martin Deppy tell stories about his work with Dr. King when Dr. King moved his family to Chicago.
One of Martin Deppy's closest friends, (indeed, Deppy described him as his brother), is Jerry Forshey. The last time I had surgery, Jerry, a retired United Methodist minister, was a great source of comfort to my lovely wife (girlfriend at the time) Mo. Jerry has cancer and is not expected to live to see the end of the year. He has asked me to help him to write some of his stories of his involvement in the Civil Rights movement. I've already heard stories about what happened to Jerry when he was marching and a number of people including Dr. King were hit with thrown bricks. I've heard stories about Jerry's involvement in the effort to desegregate the Methodist church. I hope to hear more soon. I'm sure I'll be writitng about it in some format. If not here, then somewhere.
It is an obvious honor to be asked to help someone carry out a dying wish. But there is another level to this. This gives me a living link to one of my heroes. I've sat and talked with two men who were privileged confidants of one of the greatest figures in American History. It has been almost two weeks since I was asked to do this and I'm still processing it. I'll let you know how it goes.
Today I went to a lecture at school by Rev. Mark Dennis
Rev. Dennis discussed Dr. King's legacy and some of his management techniques. He compared and contrasted them to Barak Obama's. Very favorably compared them I might add. A classmate (Young Ashley, for those of you who've heard my stories.) said. "I want to vote for Obama more now than I did before!"
But anyway, the prime point of the lecture that I took away was that both Obama and King had spiritual advisers. The both had/have Pastors to help them along. This is the way Pastors can be agents of change.
Dr. King had "Daddy King" as MLK Sr. was called by those close to them. MLK also had Rev. Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays, who would eulogize King shortly after that day in April.
Senator Obama has Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity UCC in Chicago.
The contributions of these men were and are critical to the success of King and Obama. Rev. Dennis spoke us about the importance of training seminarians to be this type of agents of change. His most pointed comment was that "The world is in need of more Pastors and fewer Preachers."
Dr. King has always been a hero of mine. He's been up there with Ghandi, Nelson Mandela and other crusaders for Justice. But these people are almost like fictional characters. I've never had a real life link to them. Recently I was privileged to hear Rev. Martin Deppy tell stories about his work with Dr. King when Dr. King moved his family to Chicago.
One of Martin Deppy's closest friends, (indeed, Deppy described him as his brother), is Jerry Forshey. The last time I had surgery, Jerry, a retired United Methodist minister, was a great source of comfort to my lovely wife (girlfriend at the time) Mo. Jerry has cancer and is not expected to live to see the end of the year. He has asked me to help him to write some of his stories of his involvement in the Civil Rights movement. I've already heard stories about what happened to Jerry when he was marching and a number of people including Dr. King were hit with thrown bricks. I've heard stories about Jerry's involvement in the effort to desegregate the Methodist church. I hope to hear more soon. I'm sure I'll be writitng about it in some format. If not here, then somewhere.
It is an obvious honor to be asked to help someone carry out a dying wish. But there is another level to this. This gives me a living link to one of my heroes. I've sat and talked with two men who were privileged confidants of one of the greatest figures in American History. It has been almost two weeks since I was asked to do this and I'm still processing it. I'll let you know how it goes.
Seasonal Depression Antidote
I've taken a hiatus. But I have some new projects to work on and some old, overdue ones to finish. So, I need to clear out the cobwebs and break the writers block I've had for a while. I also usually spend most of January in bed, hibernating. I'm always down this time of year, as is most of everyone else. This morning I, as usual was "flipping through" the online version of the Chicago Tribune. and I came across the picture below. It goes on my list of cutest things ever and it made me smile for , what seems like the first time since Christmas. (Except of course for the constant smile that comes from being around Mo. She's been wonderful as usual. I'll never understand how she puts up with my foul moods, but she does. She really does love me.) Anyway, enough of that. Here's the picture. (It's a baby Polar Bear.)
Parrot Cage: A review
Lovely wife Mo and I actually went out on a date last weekend! We try to do this every weekend but because of limited energy and limited funds, we've been spending a lot of "date nights" on the couch with take out Thai food and Tivo. Things have been especially busy and stressful for both of us lately. Perhaps that explains my absence from blogging. But I digress...
There is a show on public TV here that we love called "Check Please!" It is a restaurant review show with an interesting twist. (Go here to learn more.) While watching the show, we learned about Parrot Cage. So, long story short, we made a reservation and went.
We had a wonderful dinner and a really wonderful date. We finished off the evening driving up Michigan Ave looking at tourists and Christmas lights. Every time we do something like this we remember how much we love this city and how happy we are we live here. (I also remember how proud I am of LWM and her work to make it such a great city!) But my pride in and love for my wife and our city is another digression.
Parrot Cage is the restaurant of the Washburn Culinary Institute cooking school which is part of the City Colleges of Chicago.
Now, Chicago is arguably one of the great culinary cities in the world. Some of the greatest chefs in the world have restaurants here. There is also a wide variety of cuisine here. I am confident that if you look hard enough, you can find cuisine from almost every part of the world here. The reason I start this paragraph this way is to explain the context of food in Chicago. We have one of the top 20 restaurants in the world here. I've not eaten at Trotter's but I've eaten at places of similar caliber: TRU.
In other words, world class restaurants are available in this city and these are what I consider to be A+. There are only a few other places that I've been to that are close. Parrot Cage is not one of them. But it was very good. It gets a good solid B- (To further explain my grading system Fireside gets a C+, Applebee's etc a D and any fast food place a D-. To get an F, I must walk out without eating and never go back. Fazoli's pizza comes to mind. but again, I digress.) I would really like to go back to Parrot cage and eat there again. Maybe then I'll give a complete review. What is more interesting to me is the setting. Parrot Cage is in the South Shore Cultural center. It is a fascinating place. Read more about it here, here and here.
Originally, it was a country club. As was true of way too many places, it was a members only club open only to white Christians. (Possibly only Protestants, but perhaps not, given the nature of Chicago.) What was really funny was that the country club closed and sold the buildings to the city in 1975. They could have kept it open but they would have had to allow blacks to join. They'd rather see the place fall apart instead. So it did. Now, over 30 years later, the place is coming alive again. It is showing its age, but it is still beautiful.
What was really funny? When we first arrived, Mary and I were the only white people there. The only reason we had an opportunity to see it? Kennedy-King College. That funny sound? some white guy rolling over in his grave...
Perhaps sometime I'll write about more about race, and my history with it. Perhaps I'll write about why it was strange that I was happy to be in a place where I was the minority for a change (or how that, despite the population of a given place, a white person being a minority is really never possible) But, this is a restaurant review.
There is a show on public TV here that we love called "Check Please!" It is a restaurant review show with an interesting twist. (Go here to learn more.) While watching the show, we learned about Parrot Cage. So, long story short, we made a reservation and went.
We had a wonderful dinner and a really wonderful date. We finished off the evening driving up Michigan Ave looking at tourists and Christmas lights. Every time we do something like this we remember how much we love this city and how happy we are we live here. (I also remember how proud I am of LWM and her work to make it such a great city!) But my pride in and love for my wife and our city is another digression.
Parrot Cage is the restaurant of the Washburn Culinary Institute cooking school which is part of the City Colleges of Chicago.
Now, Chicago is arguably one of the great culinary cities in the world. Some of the greatest chefs in the world have restaurants here. There is also a wide variety of cuisine here. I am confident that if you look hard enough, you can find cuisine from almost every part of the world here. The reason I start this paragraph this way is to explain the context of food in Chicago. We have one of the top 20 restaurants in the world here. I've not eaten at Trotter's but I've eaten at places of similar caliber: TRU.
In other words, world class restaurants are available in this city and these are what I consider to be A+. There are only a few other places that I've been to that are close. Parrot Cage is not one of them. But it was very good. It gets a good solid B- (To further explain my grading system Fireside gets a C+, Applebee's etc a D and any fast food place a D-. To get an F, I must walk out without eating and never go back. Fazoli's pizza comes to mind. but again, I digress.) I would really like to go back to Parrot cage and eat there again. Maybe then I'll give a complete review. What is more interesting to me is the setting. Parrot Cage is in the South Shore Cultural center. It is a fascinating place. Read more about it here, here and here.
Originally, it was a country club. As was true of way too many places, it was a members only club open only to white Christians. (Possibly only Protestants, but perhaps not, given the nature of Chicago.) What was really funny was that the country club closed and sold the buildings to the city in 1975. They could have kept it open but they would have had to allow blacks to join. They'd rather see the place fall apart instead. So it did. Now, over 30 years later, the place is coming alive again. It is showing its age, but it is still beautiful.
What was really funny? When we first arrived, Mary and I were the only white people there. The only reason we had an opportunity to see it? Kennedy-King College. That funny sound? some white guy rolling over in his grave...
Perhaps sometime I'll write about more about race, and my history with it. Perhaps I'll write about why it was strange that I was happy to be in a place where I was the minority for a change (or how that, despite the population of a given place, a white person being a minority is really never possible) But, this is a restaurant review.
It's 2 A.M. and I've been thinking...
Sounds like a Country & Western song right? Well. it was 13 years ago at about this time of the night when I heard the words, "You won't survive." Pretty dramatic. But made all the more so given the context. I was flat on my back, on a gurney, looking up at a gloved and masked surgeon. He had just told me how he was going to open my sternum and replace the part of my aorta that had just ruptured. Even now, reading these words on the screen as I type, it is a surreal concept to think that it happened. The concept of opening a human chest to replace part of a heart with some Gore-Tex and a hunk of plastic and carbon fiber... The thought that I survived this... I've pictured the anatomy. I've run through the process in my head. I know the biology of this event. But it still makes no sense. It shouldn't have happened this way. I really should not be alive...
As I take a sip of my tea (Yes Mom, It's Decaf.) and consider where this post is going next, i re-read the first paragraph and my internal editor says: "My. Aren't we being melodramatic and self indulgent tonight." Well, editor. Shut up. I've earned it.
Everyone always asks. "What are you doing for Halloween?" It's as reflexive as asking that about New Years Eve. My answer has always been "Hiding under my bed!" But not this year.
I put up a post a few days ago about getting a collar and finally committing to the ordination process. Well, today, on the anniversary of my death. (sorry editor, I know that comment is melodramatic and self indulgent but I'm a little too amused with myself for writing it to leave it out.) Anyway, on this day where I've always thought about the past, I took a giant step in a very strange and new direction. I wore a collar through the streets of the city that has become my adulthood home. I went to the church. I served the Eucharist. I prayed over people, laying my hands on them. Just two years ago I wasn't even going to church. Today I'm working toward becoming the church's ordained representative. I'm helping people, through prayer and a 2000 year old ritual to get closer to God and "the community of Saints" All of this, on the day of my death. All of this on All Hallows Eve, the night before the celebration and remembrance of the souls who have gone before us. All of this on Samhainn, the Celtic festival of the dead. All of these days celebrate transition. A transition between phases of life and changes of season. Today has always been a day of transition for me. Today I added another.
I guess I could rattle on here and make some profound theological comment about serving communion, the Eucharist, the ritual celebrating Jesus' ressurection as my first act as clergy, and doing it on the day that I 'cheated death" (How's THAT for a melodramatic flourish.). Prehaps if I really worked at it I could figure out someway to link Halloween/Samhain/All Saints Day , my first communion as clergy (Which, truth be told, was actually almost a month ago. Today was the second, although it was my first day in a collar.) and the anniversary of my surgery. I could link all these rhetorically, then point out that it is three elements. Three, a triangle, the architecturally perfect number, the number of the Trinity. I could point out how this coming together of elements in this number of strength mirrors how strongly I feel that this is the right path. I could do all of this, but, my tea is cold, my bed is warm with Lovely Wife Mo sleeping peacefully in it, and it is now 3:15 A.M and I've stopped thinking...
As I take a sip of my tea (Yes Mom, It's Decaf.) and consider where this post is going next, i re-read the first paragraph and my internal editor says: "My. Aren't we being melodramatic and self indulgent tonight." Well, editor. Shut up. I've earned it.
Everyone always asks. "What are you doing for Halloween?" It's as reflexive as asking that about New Years Eve. My answer has always been "Hiding under my bed!" But not this year.
I put up a post a few days ago about getting a collar and finally committing to the ordination process. Well, today, on the anniversary of my death. (sorry editor, I know that comment is melodramatic and self indulgent but I'm a little too amused with myself for writing it to leave it out.) Anyway, on this day where I've always thought about the past, I took a giant step in a very strange and new direction. I wore a collar through the streets of the city that has become my adulthood home. I went to the church. I served the Eucharist. I prayed over people, laying my hands on them. Just two years ago I wasn't even going to church. Today I'm working toward becoming the church's ordained representative. I'm helping people, through prayer and a 2000 year old ritual to get closer to God and "the community of Saints" All of this, on the day of my death. All of this on All Hallows Eve, the night before the celebration and remembrance of the souls who have gone before us. All of this on Samhainn, the Celtic festival of the dead. All of these days celebrate transition. A transition between phases of life and changes of season. Today has always been a day of transition for me. Today I added another.
I guess I could rattle on here and make some profound theological comment about serving communion, the Eucharist, the ritual celebrating Jesus' ressurection as my first act as clergy, and doing it on the day that I 'cheated death" (How's THAT for a melodramatic flourish.). Prehaps if I really worked at it I could figure out someway to link Halloween/Samhain/All Saints Day , my first communion as clergy (Which, truth be told, was actually almost a month ago. Today was the second, although it was my first day in a collar.) and the anniversary of my surgery. I could link all these rhetorically, then point out that it is three elements. Three, a triangle, the architecturally perfect number, the number of the Trinity. I could point out how this coming together of elements in this number of strength mirrors how strongly I feel that this is the right path. I could do all of this, but, my tea is cold, my bed is warm with Lovely Wife Mo sleeping peacefully in it, and it is now 3:15 A.M and I've stopped thinking...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
