We live in a somwhat affluent neighborhood (million dollar homes and BMWs abound). Affluent folk don't need to go to the laundromat (they have these). Any bulky items that cannot be accomodated by their state-of-the-art washers and dryers are simply sent out to the cleaners. Unable to justify such an expense, as I contemplate my soon-to-be penniless state, I tossed my extremely large, overstuffed comforter in my backseat and headed to the laundromat situated but a mile from our apartment, in a mostly hispanic/latino neighborhood.
Found this on my skirt after I'd been home from the grocery store for well over an hour. Haha!
A few weeks ago, Emily and I took a jaunt over to Target for a little Saturday afternoon shopping. While there, I found some Hanes on sale. Not just run of the mill briefs, either. These were some of the cutest underwear I've ever found for less than $10 retail. Click here if you want to see what they look like on someone.
In the process of packing, I've come to realize that my photo albums, scrapbooks, and yearbooks take up more than a full suitcase of space. This morning, I was comtemplating possible fixes for this predicament. The solution I keep coming back to is to undertake the large project of scanning each and every one of my photos. That way, I would still have all of them, but they would take up no space. It would be fantastic to have all of my scrapbooks online. I certainly would be more likely to look at them and share with other people.
My recent post in response to Paul Mayers' post, on Jason Clark's blog, about a talk he'd heard by David Murrow, author of Why Men Hate Going to Church, (whew, try to say all that in one breath) had me surfing around Amazon to find this book. I found it and as a result my Amazon homepage changed to show several more books about why men don't go to church and other related issues. One of these books was The Church Impotent: The Feminization of Christianity, by Leon Podles. The title of the book leads me to believe that Mr. Podles thinks feminine and ineffective are synonymous. The book description only serves to reinforce this idea (my own thoughts are in parentheses):"After documenting the highly feminized state of Western Christianity, Dr. Podles identifies the masculine traits that once characterized the Christian life but are now commonly considered incompatible with it. In an original and challenging account, he traces this feminization to three contemporaneous medieval sources: the writings of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (interesting that Dr. Podles traces the feminization of Christianity to the writings of a man), the rise of scholasticism (someone tell me how many women were influential scholastics), and the expansion of female monasticism (okay, look, we've got some women in here!). He contends that though masculinity has been marginalized within Christianity, it cannot be expunged from human society. If detached from Christianity, it reappears as a substitute religion, with unwholesome and even horrific consequences. The church, too, is diminished by its emasculation. Its spirituality becomes individualistic and erotic (huh? I thought men were the sex-obsessed ones ;), tending toward universalism and quietism. In his concluding assessment of the future of men in the church, Dr. Podles examines three aspects of Christianity-initiation, struggle, and fraternal love-through which its virility might be restored. (And Jesus said unto them, "Go and make disciples of all nations...and, by golly, make sure you do it in a masculine, virile way!")"I am interested in reading this book, if only to be able to say that I didn't dismiss it out of hand, but Dr. Podles isn't my real concern at the moment, one of the reviewers of the book is. The reviewer identifies him or herself simply as "a reader" and entitled the following "review" Can A Feminist Be A Christian? (Again, I've added some of my own thoughts in parentheses.)
"The long march through the institutions has resulted in a feminization of all the Christian orders. A simple reading of Genesis will remind these feminists that a woman is meant to be submissive to her husband as part of the penalty for misbehavior in the Garden of Eden. (So, to whom is a 25-year old single woman, living on her own, supposed to be submissive? Maybe I'm not a woman because I don't have a husband. Maybe I'll avoid getting married so as to avoid this punishment that God is meting out to half the human race for the misbehavior of both Adam and Eve. I wonder if this reader provides for his family "by the sweat of his brow" in order to gracefully bear his half of the punishment or if he's sitting at a cushy desk in an air-conditioned office.) Feminists call this historical, and want to right it, but in doing so deny the timeless nature of God. (Reader, next time we visit together, I'm going to count the ways in which your household doesn't correspond to Scriptural injunctions.) In doing this, they deny God (So God cannot be thought of in any way other than as male?) (in many Protestant faiths it is much worse than here stated in that to even refer to the Deity with a masculine pronoun means that one can be dismissed from the seminary). (Which seminary? Where?)
"What feminism has done is arrogate to itself the right to determine who and what God is, or in other words, deify their own will. (Every human who believes there is a God has come to a conclusion about "who and what God is." That conclusion may be right or wrong, but is always, in the final analysis, still only their own determination.) Their will is thus no longer subject to God, but is rather the determiner of God, the maker of God, and thus there is no belief at all in God within feminism, but only in their own will.
"Feminism is thus self-idolatry.
"This book lays out the situation within Catholicism. Within all the mainline Protestant orders the situation is even worse. (I get the feeling that reader is a Catholic who has rarely, if ever, set foot in a Protestant church, except possibly for spectating at particularly "crazy" or "liberal" churches in order to find things about which he or she can make broad generalizations . Of course, I could be wrong.)
"Feminist women are completely berserk, using the churches to justify their self-righteousness, their demand not only to be equal to but superior to men (Wasn't the Bible used to justify slavery, in which one race is superior to another? Haven't people used the Bible to support the supposed inferiority of women for centuries?), to murder unwanted children, to have equal pay without equal productivity (Equal pay without equal productivity would not be equal pay at all and I don't want it.), and to self-deification. Already there are Protestant churches in which I've heard feminist pastors dare to invoke the gnostic goddess Sophia in the church of Our Lord. (I'm sure this has happened, dear reader, but it's certainly not the norm, even among feminists.)
Such pastors have no right to call themselves Christian. This is not to say that they aren't religious, but they are practicing the religion that St. Paul threw over in Ephesus -- the worship of Diana -- or in other words -- witchcraft. That it is happening all over the western world is apparent. Podles' text is not nearly violent enough. He is a gentleman, where Christ was a tiger, in throwing imposters out of the church. (The only people I remember Christ throwing out of anywhere were the moneychangers in the Temple...While I am not of the school that believes Jesus was merely meek and mild, I don't see anything in the Scripture that supports the view that he was a "tiger.")"
Generally, I get quietly worked up about things like this and share my feelings with a few people, but, hey, now I have a blog and can be snarky for the whole world to see. :) Snarkiness aside, though, things like this really get my back up because they demonstrate what seems like a purposely limited knowledge of what feminism/egalitarianism actually is.
My mother and I were talking on the phone this morning. At the same time, I was skimming through Newsgator, trying to decide which posts not to read, and I realized that I had never blogged about her. Delinquent Dad got a whole post, but Marvelous Mother was completely neglected.
Today, it is rainy and 75. Thank God! Feels downright chilly. I love it. Makes me want to go home and put on a hoody and jeans (even though it's not really cool enough for that).
About three weeks ago, I participated in a contest over at Adam Walker Cleaveland's blog, pomomusings . My prize for being one of the first five people to answer Adam's question correctly was a copy of Peter Rollins book, How (Not) To Speak Of God . I hope nobody minds, but I will be referring to the author as Pete for the rest of the post, Mr. Rollins just seems too formal.
I've always been a reader. Before I started riding the bus, and could safely sit and read on the way to school, I would walk and read instead. During the twenty-one years I've had my nose stuck in a book, very few have left me feeling like I've wasted my time. Generally, I just enjoy a book for what it is and move on. However, Pete Rollins' book left a deep impression and that impression was entirely positive. (Pulled that one out like Mary Murphy...HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!! Don't get it, watch So You Think You Can Dance?).
To begin, a little personal history - My first official encounter with "emergent" thought was less than a year ago when a friend loaned me Brian McLaren's book, A Generous Orthodoxy. I had often felt the tensions inherent within Christian thought, but had never been able to communicate my feelings as coherently as Brian did, gracefully merging seemingly opposing ideas. Next, the same friend loaned me Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz , which I finished reading in less than two days and have purchased for several friends since; another refreshing swig of emergent causing me to long for a new way of believing and acting like a Christian. Since then, I've been reading lots of Jesus-y blogs (see blogroll at left) and struggling through some of the (non)issues that have made it difficult for me to abandon my sometimes idolatrous ideas about God. That's where I am now: journeying, struggling, tearing apart in order to build anew.
Now, let's get down to brass tacks, the book I came here to review. Pete's first section, dedicated to “theory,” consists of a mere seventy-one pages, all of which are well-thought out and well-written. The second half of the book has ten five or six-page descriptions of services that Ikon, a postmodern “congregation” in Northern Ireland, put together. This section allows the reader, who may be entirely uncomfortable with emergent thought and practice, to “observe” these services from a “safe” distance. I, for one, would be thrilled to observe from a place of less safety. Pete’s description of their service entitled “Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani,” was especially intriguing, posing the question: “Would I still be a Christian if I thought that the Easter story ended on Good Friday?”
As for the first section, instead of diving into the book and overwhelming you with an even longer post than this is already going to be, I will point out three things that really hit me (in the head. like a baseball bat.).
Strike #1: Pete discusses intellectual/ideological idolatry, in which our ideas about God become the God we worship. It is essential to know that in naming God we are really naming our understanding of God, an understanding that is profoundly affected by our context. “Yet this does not mean that our definitions of God are somehow unimportant…it is only that we must recognize the extent to which these reflections fall short of that which we attempt to define and always reflect something of the one who makes the claim.” (18) I know I’ve been in more than one heated argument about theology that went nowhere because the parties involved (invluding me) were unwilling to acknowledge the fact that they might be wrong. I no longer want to hold my ideas/beliefs in such a way that they prevent me from loving people rightly.
Pete also (re)defines theology as the place where God speaks, rather than theology as a definition of God. This particular idea strikes me as revolutionary because of my immersion in various Christian traditions which never openly state that God is currently silent, but more often than not, live as if that is the case. In the past, I have found comfort in the idea that God’s revelation was completed within a hundred years of Christ's crucifixion, but there are so many important issues that the Bible doesn’t address and God spoke for such an extended period of time prior to Jesus' death, that I am beginning to find a world in which God is giving us the silent treatment increasingly difficult to accept. The thousand or so pages of writing we Christians call Scripture are surely just a pinch of sand from a miles long beach. “If theology comes to be understood as the place where God speak, then we must seek, not to speak of God, but rather to be that place where God speaks.” (21)
Next, Pete introduced me to the concept of hypernymity. I think this might be a word he made up himself. If so, good on ya, Pete! “While anonymity offers too little information for our imagination to grasp (…), hypernymity gives us far too much information. Instead of being limited by the poverty of absence we are short-circuited by the excess of presence.” (24) Most Christians I know acknowledge that God is too big to understand, but this way of thinking about that bigness is entirely new to me. Rather than envisioning a God who is too far away to be seen clearly, I'm now in the presense of One who is closely surrounding us, penetrating our very being. This makes us like a person sitting three inches away from the screen at a movie theater and trying to figure out the whole picture from the tiny, distorted portion one can see… We lack perspective and capacity, not information.
From Wikipedia: "William Duckworth is credited as composer of the first postminimal piece of music... He composed Thirty One Days (1987) for alto saxophone..."
"Postminimalism is a term utilised in various artistic fields for work which is influenced by, or attempts to develop, the aesthetic of minimalism."
One of my favorite modern artists, Eva Hesse, was a postminimalist and I didn't even know it.
On the packing, moving, becoming a seminary student front: I haven't heard back from the housing office about whether I can move in early. My first call was Friday, I am going to procrastinate one more day and call them back tomorrow to see if they've made any decisions. I haven't done any significant packing since last week, but have definite plans to finish unloading my bookselves tonight. I also need to take some picture of my bed and bookshelves for posting on Craigslist. It would be really nice to make some money on the larger items I need to rid myself of, especially since my larger items are less than two years old and in "good as new" condition.
Most of my afternoon at work was spent reading Animal Dreams, by Barbara Kingsolver, and listening to some tunes on my iPod. Suddenly, with my keen peripheral vision, I saw a hand to my right. I turned to see if I was needed. It turned out that Ken (one of the attorneys for whom I work) just needed a Post-It note and my desk was conveniently located.
Apparently, this is Christ at 33...man, how did this artist manage such an accurate representation of WASPy Jesus?
My roommate turns twenty five today. Since dinner on Saturday, we've been enjoying birthday festivities. Friday night, Emily let me choose the place and Emily, Mary Katharine, Adam, and I went to Faccia Luna to satisfy my two week craving for pizza. By the way, if you live in NOVA, I would highly recommend this place. Excellent pizza for cheap (by NOVA/DC standards)! We all had pizza, they all had beer and Adam managed to hit some random girl with a rubberband. Why he was trying to fit a tiny rubber band around two take-out boxes, I may never know.
We then made our way home to be joined by Mary Katharine, who met up with us for a night on the town. Or, more accurately, an early evening on the town. Our first stop was Potomac Yards Regal Cinema to see Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. The movie was hilariously funny...another recommended activity for anyone who can handle a little irreverence.
1. Describe the last play or musical you saw. What was your opinion of it? Sadly enough, I think the last play I saw was over four years ago, during my junior year of college. It was a student production of As You Like It, I believe, but I'm not sure. I am sure that it was excellent because our Shakespeare players never did anything badly.
Let's just hope that Benji & Donyelle and Heidi & Travis get paired for the next show, otherwise I will have to cry.
Near the end of our stay in Masumbo, Dr. Arensen drew our attention to some trees growing near the edge of our campsite. These trees held mounds of the most delectable guavas and they were ready to eat.
35 days left, folks! That's 5 weeks...
By the way, Jule Ann, thanks for offering to put me and my mom up! :)
Perhaps I'm hallucinating, but it seems like the heatwave is finally coming to an end here in NOVA/DC. There was a cool breeze blowing as I walked to the Metro stop this morning. My exposed limbs didn't feel damp from humidity and sweat. Walking seemed less tiresome, even enjoyable.
I packed my clothes last night.
Yes, I still have 36 days to go, but I have a lot of clothes that I do not wear on a regular basis here in DC. Not to mention, it's been like eight million degrees lately and likely will be until I leave, so warm clothes are packed as are skinny clothes (ugh).
Very happily, they (almost) all fit into one large suitcase. Maybe someday, when I have simplified my life even further I will be able to fit them all into a medium or even a small suitcase.
Some of you may be wondering why I'm packing everything so early. Well, I have to figure out if I can get all my stuff into one car or if I'm going to need my lovely roommate to follow me in her car. So far, it's looking good for a one car trip. I don't have a lot of stuff and my car is a pretty good sized sedan. I would love to have Emily along, but it would be cheaper if I didn't have to pay for her gas and meals.
Also, for you praying types out there, I could sure use a few words on my behalf. I thought the dorms were opening on September 7th (I'm pretty sure I read it on the PTS website), so I planned to move in the weekend of the 9th and 10th, giving me plenty of time to prepare for my Mom's arrival on the 12th (already bought her a non-refundable plane ticket). I subsequently learned, upon receiving my room assignment, that the dorms don't open until the 13th. I hate calling people, so I've been procrastinating about following up on an email I already sent to the housing office to beg to get into my room early. I'm sure it will all work out, but I'm still nervous... I do have several friends in the area, but it would feel weird to ask someone to put up me and my mom and all my junk.
Yes, that's right folks, only 36 more days.
In order to avoid further procrastination, I got my suitcases out of the attic this morning before the heat became unbearable.1. One book that changed your life: Harriet The Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh. This is the only children’s book I’ve read multiple times as an adult. Harriet made me want to learn everything!
2. One book that you’ve read more than once: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Yes, yes, I know, that’s four books, but you can’t just read one. I’ve read these at least five times each. When people tell me they have no interest in reading these books, I question their sanity and intelligence.
3. One book you’d want on a desert island: The Divine Conspiracy, by Dallas Willard. You thought I’d say the Bible, didn’t you? Well, that’s too easy and cliché. Mr. Willard definitely gets my vote.
4. One book that made you laugh: Don’t Stand Too Close to a Naked Man, by Tim Allen. My mom bought this for herself when I was in high school. I was reluctant to read it because I thought Tim Allen was sort of a tool, but the book (unlike his television show) was genuinely hilarious.
5. One book that made you cry: The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks. Yes, I’ve read this book and, yes, it made me cry. Shameful and ridiculous, I know, but you have to know that someone tricked me into reading it!!! And I definitely read it long before the movie came out.
6. One book that you wish had been written: What? Are you serious? Don’t make me be creative.
7. One book that you wish had never been written: The Prayer of Jabez, by Bruce Wilkinson, or Babbitt, but Sinclair Lewis. During my junior year in college, I actually wrote an entire paper about how shoddy Bruce Wilkinson’s exegesis of Jabez’s prayer was. Our library didn’t have the book and I refused to purchase it, so I sat in our campus book store and read the entire volume. As for Babbitt…least entertaining novel. EVER!
8. One book you’re currently reading: How (Not) to Speak of God, by Peter Rollins. I won this book in a contest at pomomusings. It’s my formal introduction to the emergent conversation. Once I finish it, I will be reviewing it. So far, it’s pretty great. A ton of people are already talking it up, including jonnybaker, TallSkinnyKiwi, Planet Telex, and Jesus Creed.
9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka. This book is actually lying on my bed waiting for me to read it, but every night I have a choice between The Office on my iPod or Franz Kafka. So far, The Office is winning.
10. Now tag five people: Tag yourself. Btw, got this meme from Jeff at Philosophy Over Coffee.
