Here’s some quick notes from some musings I had while reading Luke 24. I shared them at ThPM/Monkfish last week. Not sure it went over that well. But I was just trying to go “hey look what’s in my head.” …. I think folks still feel like anytime I speak I’m suddenly this creater called “the pastor” and I’m trying to convince them of something. When really, I’m just trying to talk like the next guy, just trying to be human.

Anyway, here it is for safe keeping. It’s not edited.

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And they knew him in the breaking of the bread.

Luke 24

The same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out … {read more…}

Sharon is a really good friend. She’s our housemate, and a really excellent massage therapist, and she’s also our very-part-time nanny. (Alas, her hours keep shrinking with my paycheck!) Right now she’s watching Cate, and Cate has decided to take a hour long bath while she sings a newly written opera. Because this requires no direct supervision, Sharon is sweeping all our hardwood floors. Which his why you should not hire me as a nanny. Because, really, I would never do that . I would read “People” magazine and eat potato chips, and just generally add to the mess on the hardwood floors.

I just called Jen and nonchalantly said something like “Hi. Just calling. Call me later today if you … {read more…}

My grandmother’s house is full of treasures and my daughter, six years old, wanders through it with her very own camera taking pictures of the things that catch her fancy. “I love all the old fashinoned things in Great Grandma’s house,” she says. She takes a picture of a resin clock be-decked with pigs and chickens; the doll made of wooden spools lying in a tiny doll carriage; a framed photograph of my cousin’s new daughter, the charming baby Myra.

We have come to the Sierra Nevadas on a girl’s weekend. It is one of those trips where you are always thinking, “This might be our last time to see her.” Although when we arrive, a new arthritis medicine has … {read more…}

At ThPM we are using what’s called an “organic growth” model of becoming. Basically, this is just a term used to cover for the fact that we don’t really know what we are doing. But practically speaking it means that we are very adverse to the modern methodology of writing a mission/vision statement and then sticking to it come hell or high water. We’d rather let the bush grow and see what happen, fertilizing, trimming, and trellising along the way. (I think this is a Wimberism. Although we are trying a kinder gentler version.) Also, it has something to do with the idea that we want to have a new forms of leadership, ones in which the identity of ourselves … {read more…}

Eden thinks that she is famous. There is a toy company called “Eden,” which is her first piece of evidence. Her second is that people talk about her (and her sister Cate) on their blogs! (Thanks Lily!)

“Only a Rumor”, by Soren Kierkegaard : Reprinted from Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
Matthew 2:1-4

Although the scribes could explain where the Messiah should be born, … {read more…}

(While playing with two Victorian paperdolls…)

Eden: Okay, they’re all dressed! Now they can get married.

Me: Nope. They forgot something first.

Eden: Like what? Like a veil? Like jewel-er-rey?

Me: Like college.

Eden: They don’t have to go to college. They are princesses. The man in The Princess and the Goblin says all girls are princess, and princesses don’t go to college.

Me: Yes they do. They have to govern the land, so they have to go to college. Pick something for your girls to study in college.

Eden: Okay. Men. They can study Men.

Me: No!

Eden: How about Princes?

Me: (rolling my eyes)

Eden: Okay, this one will study science magic and this one will study words.
After college can they get married?

Me: No, they have other things to … {read more…}

A prayer offered while thinking about life with the emerging/postmodern church: (sung very loudly in front of a candle, daringly lit in the midst of a very messy and papery desk).

You can sing too. Click here for piano accompaniment.)

Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
mount of thy redeeming love.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of … {read more…}

Something Karen at Beyond wrote to me that I think I may need as I follow the star this year….

“The artist that moves towards vocation - whether that be writing,
visual arts, dance, production etc. - practices. Skills must be
acquired and this requires hard work. It is an illlusion that much
magic is involved. There might be talent but like those who choose
athletics, there must be practice. In this way, it is much like the
contemplative motto of “prayer and work” - the two weaving back and
forth to make a life. Or as L’engle says, ‘Inspiration usually comes
during work, rather than before it.’ ”

Last week at ThPM we read a great essay by Debbie Blue. It was all about how there should be guerilla groups who insert random figures into nativity sets…like Homer Simpson hovering over baby Jesus or a Power Puff Girl standing next to Joseph. One of her big points was that the Wisemen were like that, orignally. They were raging pagans, astrologers, magicians. It’s funny now, that we see them as such benign parts of the Christmas creche. Because really, the fact that they are part of the story at all is way WAY out there. Like having naked bikers show up at stable door.

I think this essay resonated so much for me because I like … {read more…}