Last night, we went to see Super Size Me. It was a great movie to watch, but honestly, I became physically sick. I’m way not excited about fast food as it is, but it made me even less excited. Yes, I understand that he was a little extreme, but for some people, they eat way too much. And we just need better nutrition all around. Less processing and more natural! That will become my new mantra.
The artwork was amazing. He credits popaganda. The soundtrack is awesome! and is supposed to be here. Unfortunately, it links to the amazon.com monster…for $17.98…so much for that… well, I guess if I’ve stopped eating at McDonald’s, I’ll spend less on doctors.
The credits even include Healthy Chef Alex to get off the fast food.
So, thing have been busy here at Seabury. Thursday night was Award’s Night. A fun time was had by all. During the serious award time, I was granted the Henry Hoover Leadership Award. I was somehow overlooked in the less serious award time. Which was just fine…
Then, we had the “Rummage Free-for-All” in the Lounge for two days. I call it a smashing success. It would have been fun to do time-delay pictures. Though, some stuff seemed to disappear within fifteen minutes of being dropped off. I really hope that it starts a tradition. I think that many people could benefit from it from year to year.
LIGHTNING STRIKES STEEPLE!
FIRE DAMAGES CHURCH! NO ONE HURT!
Larry Dillon, Communications Committee
Shortly after 6pm on Sunday evening, May 23rd, it is suspected lightning struck at the lower part of the historic steeple on St. Thomas Episcopal Church. This caused a fire which quickly spread through much of the 100 year old steeple, the most recognizable part of St. Thomas's physical structure.
The Battle Creek Fire Department was alerted by the Police Department, when security alarms in the church went off and were relayed to the emergency dispatcher.
Thanks to God, the sanctuary and the rest of the church were spared with, hopefully, only minor damage. It appears that we will be able to hold services in the main church next Sunday. Mother Joy Rogers, our rector; our Senior Warden Carol Dore'; and Junior Warden Robert Hibbard were shortly on the scene, witnessing the fire department, with its tall "cherry picker" ladder, pouring thousands and thousands of gallons of water into the steeple. It took a while to put the fire out.
Water poured through the steeple, through the narthex and into the basement. Luckily, water damage appears to be limited, but witnesses say the "Bride's Room" took in a lot of water. The slate shingles on the steeple were blown away by the force of the fire hose, causing powerlines near the church to be severed, with resultant power outages. The Battle Creek Enquirer had to use generators in order to print the morning edition of the newspaper.
The steeple is still standing, but the fire department was concerned it could collapse. Later Larry Rizor, local architect, came to the church at the request of Mother Joy. He felt the steeple could remain standing and may be repairable. Peter Kobs, parishioner arrived and immediately contacted a local disaster/restoration service. The service began working that evening taking water out of the basement.
The santuary was spared for the most part. Some wet carpet, smokey odor, and some stains may mean it will be usuable very soon, maybe next Sunday. The beautiful stained-glassed windows appear to have missed being damaged. The Parish Building avoided any contact with the fire.
But final determination will have to await a visit by an engineer/consultant. Fortunately, the parish complex is complete insured. Churchmen's Mutual was also contacted during the evening.
Interesting stories are already spinning around the event. Sexton Jim Hooper was probably in the church working when the lightning hit. He left, noticed a lot of emergency vehicles around, but didn't realize the problem was in the front of the church.
Firefighters at the Central Fire Station, three or four blocks away, heard the lightning crack, probably hitting St. Thomas. Some said they heard a bell ring. At first they thought it was the bell from First Methodist. Now they are wondering if it was the bell in the St. Thomas tower, perhaps struck by the lightning.
The EFM group, that normally meets at that time in the lounge, had scheduled a special meeting in a member's home.
Fr. Charles Fischer, Pastor of St. Philip's Roman Catholic Church, across the street from St. Thomas, walked through his church when he thought he smelled smoke. He saw the lights from outside the church, discovered it was St. Thomas unfire, and called his good friend Mother Joy to alert her to the situation. She already was on her way out to rush to the church.
Bill Colwell, parishioner, helped to move Altar candlesticks, crosses, paintings, etc., out of the santuary to a secure place for the night. He and Junior Warden Bob Hibbard slept overnight in the church to make sure there was no vandalism or restarting of the fire.
Channel 3 TV News talked on air at 11pm as if the church was "ravished" by fire. Actually, it appears the parish was fairly fortunate. We still have our beautiful historical church, our people and maybe even our magnificent steeple. It could have been much worse.
Streets (Capital Avenue and Van Buren) were blocked off due to lack of power and concern that winds could topple the damaged steeple.
Jordan Hoffman is my new hero. He’s reviewed 365 movies in 365 days!
2 more weeks of this and then I’m free to watch movies and read fiction!
We watched Triplets of Bellville the other night. It was great. I really enjoyed it. I think that it was a well done movie. Very interesting animation. Definitely worth watching and a fun evening. Of course, I should have been doing work, but oh, well…
I was able to worship with at preach at my sponsoring congregation, St. Martin of Tours, Kalamazoo. It was a great experience to be able to worship with them again.
I preached on these lessons. The title was “God’s Pyramid Scheme”. I reflected on the way that Jesus came to spread God’s love. It was to continue after Jesus died, was resurrected, and ascended. Jesus prays for the people who come after the disciples. Jesus prays for the church – for us.
What does it mean that we are the community for whom Jesus prays? I think that this is an incredibly radical idea. I had never thought of it before this last week. How do we embody Jesus’ prayer? How do we live into being prayed for? What changes must occur in ourselves and our communities to reflect Jesus’ prayer to the larger community. If we are called to continue to spread God’s love (continue the “pyramid”), can we draw on the assurance of Jesus’ prayer?
For me, I had to reflect on how I would respond to others because I am part of the community for whom Jesus prayers. I think that our communities could continue to reflect on what it might mean for them. That we are being prayed for and we continue to pray.
Someone paralleled US politics with Israel. The person claimed that when the US has been supportive of restoration of Israel, the economy has improved. When the support has been taken away, the economy goes down. I thought this sounded awfully close to Christian Zionism (see Ryan for more info). The person quoted “Those who bless you are blessed, those who curse you are cursed” and interpreted it as the US blessing Israel receives a blessing then.
And what about the idea of “God bless America”? Does God bless us as a country or just as individuals?
Of course Looney Tunes: Back in Action isn’t the most thought-provoking or inspiring movie, it was entertaining. And I love Brendan Fraser. I could watch him…well, act in movies like this. Or George of the Jungle. Appropriate for children and still a well-chiseled body to look at.
Today is the celebration of the Feast of Dunstan. Music was a central piece of worship. Eucharist was amazing. Paula wrote the music for the Eucharist Prayer (3 out of Enriching Our Worship). Other musicians used their gifts to add to the music. It was an amazing and wonderful service.
Evensong was written by student. It was also an amazing experience, also.
Thanks to all those who did great work! Thank you for sharing your gifts with the community.
Watched Camp on video last weekend. I can’t believe the controversy surrounding this movie. Some friends hated it. Si and I found it more enjoyable. I wasn’t offended by it. Was entertaining to watch some really talented kids singing and dancing. The drama was a bit high, but I didn’t think that it was out of range from what I’ve experienced at camp or being involved in theater.
Have you seen it? What’s your opinion? Entertaining drama or confused movie with confused characters?
Thanks to Susie and Salty Vicar.
| "What a mystery is this, that Christianity should have done so little good in the world! Can any account of this be given? Can any reasons be assigned for it?" |
| You are John Wesley! When things don't sit well with you, you make a big production and argue your way through everything. You complain a lot, but, at least you are a thinker and not afraid to show it. You are also pretty liked by people, and pretty methodological about your life and goals. You know where you're going. Some people find you irritating, so watch out for people leaving you out of things they do. |
Okay – so, Si and I were looking for a movie appropriate for some young female friends. We thought maybe Mean Girls, but since one of them would be changing schools soon, I thought that it might not be the best thing for her to see. So, we thought that 13 Going On 30 would be a good choice. It definitely was.
However, for me it seemed to be more. I’m not sure that I can actually explain it. Perhaps being 30 and remembering being 13. Times of really mean people being mean (Are we sure that we didn’t see Mean Girls?). Wishing that I were somewhere else or someone else. Most of us don’t realize how we are affected by our decisions and not having the immediate connection between what we did at 13 influencing our lives at 30. Perhaps it was nostalgia. Perhaps it has to do with facing a huge transition with nowhere to go and no real plan. And while I realize that that is ok – I seem to really need some time off, it still makes for an uncertain future.
Susie and I watched Talk to Her last night. Ok – I have to say that this is the second bizarre Spanish film I’ve seen in the last year. Are all Spanish films bizarre?
Lots of issues with relationship. What makes relationship? How do we keep boundaries with others? What is the line between helping someone and living for him/her?
How do we work with mental illness? How can we recognize it and help the person before damage is done to him/herself or others?
So – I’m not really sure how much time I’ve ever spent thinking about angels, but I was challenged with a new thought the other day. I’m still not sure what I think about it, but thought that I’d throw it out there and see what feedback you might have…
Someone said, “Angels are not human.” (okay, I’m good with that so far) “They were created to serve God. To fly around the throne and worship singing ‘holy, holy, holy’ all day long and to serve as messengers or helpers. Right now, they are above us, but later they will be below us. They are just another created thing and not particularly special.” This is a paraphrase, but the person insinuated that angels are just another object to be used by God. Now, I understand that angels may not be blessed with “souls” and therefore are different than humans, I’m not sure how I feel about the person’s disregarding angels as part of the created order. That they are simply to be used by God like we use cars, computers, Kleenex. I felt that the person might then take that attitude toward other created stuff. Doesn’t God care for all of creation? Isn’t there a deep love that God has for creation and we are also supposed to care for it?
Any help on this would be appreciated.
Luke just posted…check it out.
An exciting new edition of CYSI Online is now available.
(yeah - so, i'm a little behind on linking it...but wanted to get it up for people who might now know about it)
The previous post was written before I actually come home...Here's the rest of the story...
So - I was stupid, I know. The wallet was on the outside of the backpack. I didn't turn around when I perceived someone behind me. I was carrying a really heavy suitcase up the 'L' stairs. But, stealing is wrong (says the moral deacon!). But it happens - especially to wallets. Especially at 'L' stops.
Driver's license, 3 credit cards, SS card, no cash. Thanks to Si's help, the credit cards were cancelled within 30 minutes.
The saddest part - 10 library cards. My whole collection, gone... Darn it! What would the thief do with those???? Check out books???? Most of them wouldn't even work for him! Or, he would have to travel very long distances to check anything out. "Road trip to Metairie anyone?"
Oh - wait, even better - 7 frequent flyer cards. Maybe he'll give me some points as he flies to check out books!
So - on that note, I end my travels. Tomorrow, I call the credit bureaus and the Secretary of State's office.
Then, back to the books and papers and reflections...
Let’s be clear on one thing: I do not like the desert. I only appreciate that it was a warm get away. I liked to come down and not question what to wear. (“Hmm…it’s May – do I wear a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, or a turtleneck sweater??????”) It’s hot and dry (also not my favorite). I’m not staying here, but am glad that I visited.
In many respect, Arizona is home for me. I was born here. There is something in my core that connects to the mountain areas. Don’t get me wrong, I love Michigan and I’ll always call my 90 acre farm home. But to drive up into the mountains and visit with my “grandparents” (the people who babysat me when I was little) brings back a core connection.
I spent some time in the valley – Phoenix. My aunt, uncle, and grandparents. It was fun to hang with the cousins and the kids. My aunt was amazingly generous and doubled the number of suits in my closet. This will be helpful when I get a job.
Then, the big drive up the mountain, which always takes longer than I think that it should. Driving up I found that the gas was cheaper up than in the valley (not a normal state of affairs). Then, the dreaded sight – the broken guard rails along the windy mountain roads. Someone said that it was a cement truck that fell over the edge.
Now, remember, when I was little going up the mountain – there were no guardrails. It used to scare me to death as I looked over the edge of the cliff. Once on the mountain, there were no Wal-Marts, movie theaters, or, well, pretty much anything. I stayed with “grandparents” played in the creek, played with “cousins”. I suppose that there must have been a grocery store – but it wasn’t a Safeway. It was an undiscovered mountain town. That was before the ski lodges… I think that I used to like it better.
The best part of part of the drive up the mountain is seeing the breathtaking views – that have been static in my eyes. It has always looked like that with the cacti and the shrubs, and the pine trees. No houses in some of the forest area (yet) or any other human interference except for the road.
This trip has revived my soul and made me ready to start working again. I’m all ready to return to school and work and get ready for graduation.
100 degrees here! HA! ha ha ha!
I mean - I really hope that it's as nice where you are. All those in the north, did it ever warm up?
Arizona is great. I love to visit this state. I don't really like how dry it is, but with as cold as it has been in Chicago, I'm happy to finally be warm.
Well, we started with cats and we’ve quickly moved to humans. Having babies to be donors for siblings is unfair to the child being born. S/he is being used as a commodity. This is ethically wrong. Only when the child is old enough to make his/her own decisions can we take the organ/needed part for a donation. It is sad to me that we would not recognize children as gifts from God with their own individual needs, thoughts, and feelings. Children are not replacements for other children or useful items to exploit.
There is pain and suffering and I am sorry for that. However, another child is not the answer. S/he is then created for the sole purpose of “saving” his/her sibling. That’s a lot of responsibility. Especially if it doesn’t work.
(This short summary is based on longer works – a systematic theology paper and an ethics paper. )
So – Mark was asking about U2 and faith. I was going to go back and look at lyrics and albums. Initial thoughts brought up an album called “The Joshua Tree” and songs called “In the Name of Love” and “Forty” (based on Psalm 40). But then, there’s this site with all the Biblical references. U2 rocks. Bono is a great spokesperson for any organization. The band is passionate about their work and care about the world. They spend a lot of music talking about religion and faith. Any questions?
Well, we’re almost there. Genetic Savings & Clone will offer a genetic replica of a cat later this year (Newsweek, May 3, 2004). I knew that the day would come. And it makes me very sad.
The comment at the end from a woman at the Humane Society: “It’s irresponsible to duplicate an animal when we are euthanizing happy, healthy animals because there aren’t homes for them.” AMEN, Sister! I would add that there are better things to do with $10,000 also.
And remember – your cloned animals will be twins (unless you try the calico idea again – then, not so much because the colors might be drastically different), but attitudes and personalities will be different – just like twins in humans.
It was a great weekend! I got an early graduation present (a BIG THANKS to Laurie!). Blokus. Laurie got it from More Than Games which is the coolest game store I’ve ever been to. There are games to play lying out on tables. So, we played this game with the owner and another person. I want to work at a game store so I can play games all day!
I also got mentioned in the Fort Wayne’s Journal Gazette!
In Authority class the other day, we had a conversation about what kind of authority the authors of Radical Orthodoxy have. Having spent a great deal of time on reading and researching them (I presented on Monday on several chapters), I found that I did give them authority. I learned that they most participated in their religious communities. They are having these discussions in the midst of seeing how their communities might respond.
We got talking about Christian theologians who are not practicing Christians. I ran into this issue in England. Faculty of Divinity could not begin theology classes with prayer because of the number of non-Christians taking the classes. Yes, I understand that some of it had to do with complementary classes for other majors, but several were going into Christian theology. I don’t understand why you would want to be a Christian theologian and not be a Christian. Can I really offer a non-practicing Christian theologian as much authority as I would grant to a person worshipping and reflecting in community?