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.

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...

Winston on my Essay Question & my response

Tinman-
I think that a sin is a transgression against another person that offends God. Sinning can be putting your comfort ahead of another’s need, your desires over another’s humanity, or your beliefs over compassion. At least these things can lead to sinful acts. There is no law made by men that the breaking of is sinful in and of itself, although many of the laws of men do punish sinful acts. Sin is between the sinner, the one sinned against, and God.

This is why I find the definition contained in the quote so limiting-one does not need to contemplate the eternal to sin. What she is describing here is one of the ways in which humans may sin-imposing their will over others in the arrogant belief that their desires are divine. Mistaking oneself for God is only one way in which one may sin. Rape and murder are always sins. Torture is only one of the other myriad crimes humans inflict upon each other that are sins. One need not mistake themselves for God to do any of these things (though I do acknowledge that the nature of these crimes implies a rampant egomania on the part of the sinner, this is not the same thing as mistaking one’s limited perception for the eternal).

I also disagree with the author’s assessment of human nature. It seems dim. Humans are basically compassionate, intelligent and cooperative. It is the sin of the world that beats us into the shape we regard so scornfully. If we dislike what the world has wrought in us then in changing ourselves we may in some small way change the world. Sin is not inevitable despite it’s popularity. I am not suggesting that anyone is without sin or incapable of sin (quite the opposite, in fact), but what I am saying is that none of us must commit any particular sin at any particular time. It is always an individual choice.
-WD

My response:

Winston:
I’ve just awakened and have not yet had coffee. (I’m up early. I’m “on duty” and “in uniform” later.) But I’ll try to be lucid. I’m surprised you find Dr. Cooper-White’s definition limited. If anything, I thought it might be a bit over broad. You wrote “What she is describing here is one of the ways in which humans may sin-imposing their will over others in the arrogant belief that their desires are divine.” Perhaps I have the advantage of having read the whole book, but she really isn’t talking about individual sin. She’s talking more broadly without using the term “original sin.” She says that the fundamental problem of humanity is its arrogance. We think that we have “The Truth” when only God can have that. This fundamental misunderstanding of the way of the universe leads to an individual’s imposition of their will over others.

I was interested in your view of Cooper-White’s view of “original sin”/ human nature. You discussed that in your final paragraph. It is a bit dim in that she argues from the point of view of the depravity of humanity, but she’s not quite Augustinian about it! She seems to allow for us to approach divinity through mutual understanding, empathy and compassion. She certainly would agree with your comment “Humans are basically compassionate, intelligent and cooperative.” Her entire professional identity is based on the premise you describe when you write “If we dislike what the world has wrought in us then in changing ourselves we may in some small way change the world.” (She is a professor and practitioner of Pastoral Care and Counseling at Lutheran Theo. Seminary in Philly.) I think that comment of yours is sort of a mission statement for those in my business. I think the only fundamental difference of opinion we have is about the inevitability of sin. I believe to be human means we will sin. Perhaps we don’t have to “commit any particular sin at any particular time.” But we will commit some sin at some time. We are simply made that way. After all, if we were fundamentally perfect, why would we need God?

Exam for my readers.

In her book Shared Wisdom, Pamela Cooper-White writes:

Perhaps this is as good a definition of sin as any- that by nature we humans must inevitably collapse back into our own limited perception and then mistake it for the eternal.

-Discuss

For those of you following the discussion on spirituality at Sheep Days please discuss how spirituality affects this.

Who am I and What do I want to be when I grow up?

Lots of stuff going on today. I just made my first Pastoral Call. It was a phone call to someone that Lovely wife Mo knows well. He was of great help to her during my recent health crises. It is somewhat incorrect to think of him as a parishioners. He's retired clergy and was a major player in Chicago's civil rights movement. Luckily, someone is helping him write some of these things down. So, he's meeting with this guy tomorrow and that would be my only chance to get out and see him. So, no face to face meeting, but a nice phone conversation.

Another odd thing. I finally bought The Uniform. Yep, I've got a collar. I'm not quite sure when and where I'll wear it yet. It was just a big step for me to buy it. It's sort of an admission that this is really happening. I'm really going to be ordained. I've got a picture. I sent it to Mo. What is really odd. It's not as odd as I thought it would be.

Happy Monday.

Yuck. Ya'll know how much I love Mondays. This one is even worse than ususal. I've been feeling rotten all weekend. (For my regular worriers, yes I did call the Dr. He told me to get some rest, drink lots of water etc. and call him later this week if I'm still not well. It's probably the beta-blockers again. We'll get 'em adjusted. Not a big deal.)
So, while I was at church yesterday, (before we left, earlier than usual, because I was ill) I got drafted into teaching a class on the Lectionary today. (Joel 2:23-32, Psalm 65, 2 Timothy 4:6-18, Luke 18:9-14) The director of Christian Ed has also been having some illness and has a Dr. appointment. So, she gave me her outline.

So, here I am this morning sitting here in the church library with my OT and NT texts trying to remember what some professors said about Joel and Timothy those many weeks ago. And yes, I'm complaining about it. So, the church secretary comes in to make coffee and I start to chat with her, then Pastor C. who does the Pastoral Care, primarily with the Homeless, comes in. He says "One of our guys is outside, he's not eaten all weekend, all I had in my briefcase was some candy." We rummaged around and as usual around here, a loaves and fishes miracle occurred. We found some leftovers from Sunday coffee hour. The person who usually cleans up the kitchen didn't. We found some cinnamon rolls and some bread for our guy and gave him some breakfast.

I guess I got my gospel lesson this morning. Now, to prepare one for my noon class...

Post Script:
OK I've finished reading the lectionary passages. The Gospel for the day? Luke 18:9-14 The Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Here's the punch line: (parenthetical comments are mine)
I tell you, this man (the hated and reviled tax collector) went down to his home justified rather than the other; (the pharisee/church elder) for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.
Luke 18: 14.

Insert standard excuses...

...for not writing.

Here's an interesting story from todays Chicago Tribune. It's sad, tragic really, but strangely beautiful.
Even quiet deaths can have some heroism
by Kurt Ullrich