Monday, November 29, 2004
Last night's sermon was about Jesus in Mark - feeding the 4000, feeding the 5000, spitting twice in the blind man's eyes, and then Peter misunderstanding Jesus - "get behind me, Satan." The sermon and subsequent discussion seemed to focus on how both the Pharisees and disciples misunderstood Jesus' message, expecting a messianic earthly kingdom instead of a Messiah who would die in order to bring them some other kind of kingdom. Several people said the application to them was that they need to set aside their agenda and their sense of how God works, and let God be God.
I reacted to this sermon first by nearly falling asleep - I dozed off a few times, but I think I caught most of what was going on. I dress too warmly for our warm church and then get tired. More to the point of this blog, however, I felt both angry and safe. Many Christians interpret these passages to mean that the Jews were selfish idiots who just wanted power, but we Christians understand the message perfectly. At the Porch, of course, we are more likely to question ways in which we still misunderstand the message. Either way, I don't like it. The Jews were an oppressed minority in an empire, and they had experienced God's earthly salvation from slavery in the past. They weren't being selfish idiots to expect it again. They knew by heart God's actions in teh past, and they were being faithful as best they knew how. And what use is an eternal kingdom to people who are suffering in the present? It is, of course, of ultimate value to those who who have eyes to perceive and ears to hear, but it's an incredibly difficult saying.
And if we today still don't get the message, then what is God doing? If the message is so important, why doesn't He communicate it in a way that is more understandable? And if He cares so much for his creation, why doesn't he save them from slavery and oppression? The kingdom message is foolish in both of these ways - it does not address 'felt needs', and it is not as clear as you'd think something so important would be. It's an offense.
I know I'm a fool for being offended by the Gospel, but it makes me angry. Like the Jews, I have some pretty desperate wants in this life, and it's hard to let them go and receive instead what God is really offering. I can see why people in stories sell their souls to the devil. They're willing to barter the future to alleviate the unbearable reality of the present. There have been days when I'd do it if I could.
It's hard to understand Jesus' power when he doesn't use it to solve very obvious, immediate, and pressing problems. What good is a Messiah who will die, when the Jews needed freedom in the moment? What good is eternal life for me when I just want my family intact in this life? I have a list of demands, and many days, eternal life, peace, rest, and clear spiritual perspective are way down the list. Raise my dead for me, and then I'll listen to your other yammerings, Jesus.
When people at church talked about setting aside their agendas for God's, I was alarmed. Do we know what we're saying? For me, the challenge is to hold my loved ones while I have them, and let them go when they go. Release my children to God, knowing I never get to hold them or love them again in this life. Trust that I ought to choose to stay alive, because God will still fill my life with goodness, peace, and love. Live today in peace and joy, even though I know full well how bad things have been, and how bad they may be again. Die to self? I would rather have really died last year than to, these days, wake up and work again to be grateful for the life I have instead of bitter over what I don't have. That, for me, is dying to self. It really feels like dying, except it happens every day instead being a once-and-for-all physical death.
The reward, on my better days, is a life of inappropriate joy. A bereaved mother shouldn't be happy, but I am happy. I shouldn't enjoy earthly pleasures, but I do enjoy food, warmth, sleep, and cats. I see my life, and the lives of my sons, for what they are. Life is extremely valuable, but transient. It is worth everything today, but it may be gone tomorrow. All I can do is love and live in the present, without worry for the future. Live without being hounded by the bad past, or terrified by the potentially bad future. Live like the birds of the air or the lilies of the field.
Jesus spit once in the blind man's eyes, and he saw people walking around who looked like trees. He spit a second time, and the man both saw stuff and correctly perceived what it was. God, spit in my eyes twice today and everyday so I can see and perceive, hear and understand.
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Why title my post that way? I don't like holidays very much. I was called "Scrooge" or "Grinch" at Christmastime in my family of origin. I think it's just an extreme of being an Enneagram One - I'd rather work than celebrate. I do like Thankgiving-related carbohydrates, however, and am looking forward to potatoes, gravy, and stuffing. My two pumpkin pies are in the oven right now, and I'll do a banana cream in the morning (dad's request). Thanks for all your suggestions -you've probably inspired me to eat twelve more pies in coming weeks.
Is it just me, or is the emergent movement omnipresent? I gave a talk on the postmodern church at Bethel to a group of faculty who are studying postmodernism together. They asked me because our church was mentioned in the Christianity Today article from last week. Today in the mail I received this week's Christian Century, the cover article of which is also about emergent.
One faculty member at Bethel said I seemed like just an anthropologist doing fieldwork at a postmodern church, because I was ambivalent about the movement. That's not who I am at all - I'm a full member of my church, but I don't have ego tied up in either my church or emergent such that I need to defend it like an ideologue. I just want some authentic relationships with other Christians with whom I can share spiritual practices and spiritual journeys. The best thing I read today (a description of Brian McLaren's thought in the CC article) was that theology is secondary to mission. Living the faith is the point - thinking about it and talking about it is secondary.
I've associated myself with many Christian labels in my life - evangelical, Evangelical Free, Evangelical Covenant, Church of God, Episcopal, Lutheran, postmodern, nondenominational, Baptist General Conference, American Baptist, African-American, and a few others. I do care about the movements represented by these labels because they matter, but I so much wish that we talked about our lives with God - our pursuit of holiness - with as much passion as we talk about our religious ideas and structures.
3 Comments:
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Jenell, I agree, on all acounts. I am a scrooge as well and I am a Social 8 with a seven wing, as far from a 1 as can be - but we still have the holiday funk in common. And that is not a typical quality in a pastor.
On the Emergent thing - it is kind of weird how much attention it gets. And it is weird because people make such a big deal of it, nd it use it as a category. Like all categories, they are either useful for the insider or the outsider. So Evangleical is a term that insiders understand, where people, say, in politics who try to use it to describe from their vantage point get it all screwed up.
Emergent is an outsider category. It helps outsiders enter the covnersation. But for people on the inside it is not useful - we like to think of ourselves as people living with God.
Anyway, your insight is on-spot again.By
The Sniders, at 11:40 AM
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as a two, wing three, i am positively euphoric on holidays like thanksgiving. imagining your grinch-like one, i hope there are no 2w3s like me in your family who will feel compelled to spend the day cheering you up. ;)
and yes, yes for more god stories of any variety, category or stripe. i love to hear them, postmodern or not. -
Right on. "I so much wish that we talked about our lives with God - our pursuit of holiness - with as much passion as we talk about our religious ideas and structures."
Yes, tell me how you are falling in love with God. What is happening in your soul? That is one reason I pasted on my site, "I am more interested in what God is doing in your life that I am your theology." Let's pray. Let's not get caught up in beliefs and doctrines.
One thing I appreciate about some of the recovery groups is that the emphasis is on sharing one's "experience, strength, and hope." It goes back to the authentic relationship you mentioned.
Great post. Thanks.
Rick
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
1. If I have students peer-review each others' papers, I can blog during class. I could even blog, say, this very post. Classrooms are wired, so I'm playing with the computer, taking breaks when students leave their groups to ask me questions.
2. Never, ever again beg James to cut my hair.
3. I sleep better when I don't sleep with Opal. She's been banished from the bed for awhile.
4. Sometimes I go for days without anything interesting to blog about.
Question for you... I have to bring pies to Thanksgiving dinner (12 people). It will be two pumpkin pies and one other. Not apple. Not mincemeat. I can't think of anything.
13 Comments:
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Rhubarb.
By
, at 4:37 PM
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i'm gonna say blueberry. but it's not with a lot of conviction.
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does this mean you can tell sheraton and me what mincemeat is made of??
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Lemon meringue? Pecan?
Dana AmesBy
, at 6:56 PM
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some sort of chocolatey-silky-whip creamy kind. mmmmmm, haycubes.
colleen w.By
, at 7:44 PM
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pecan! do pecan!
By
, at 9:39 PM
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You're all wrong.
Blueberry ROCKS!
...so does peanut butter. -
Pecan rocks the casbah!
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Ya'll ever have chocolate pecan pie? Yummy!
By
, at 8:17 AM
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I found a yummy recipe for "bourbon orange pecan pie with bourbon whipped cream" on epicurious.com
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you could make Kentucky Derby Pie. the Derby is long over, but the pie is heavenly.
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I'd say tofu, but somebody would slap me.
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How about Snickers Pie to go with the Snickers salad? ;-)
-Rachel L.By
, at 1:57 PM
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Today I'm taking off from KP's link to Christianity Today's article (by Douglas Groothius) against using meditation to achieve higher states of consciousness. I've heard hours of talk about this subject on AM980, from Todd Friel, Janet Parschel, and others. Their major concern seem to be that meditation "opens" the self to anything, including demons. To prevent this, they argue that western Christians cannot adapt eastern practices, that the Bible forbids meditation and contemplative prayer, and that God wants his followers to pray with rational words, controlling the mind at all times. Todd said, "If you hear words like "silence," "open," "meditate," "contemplate," or "Richard Foster", then stay away!"
My perspective is that this is rooted in ethnocentrism (fear of the East), and fear of demonic possession. My concern is that this view will encourage believers to limit the ways in which they seek God, and to be afraid of God's lack of protection against demons - thus limiting peoples' faith journeys.
Fearing contemplation is ethnocentric because it values the fruits of the western Enlightenment (rationality, science, words, texts, control) over even scriptural accounts of people's encounters with God (sometimes rational, sometimes mystical). As Thomas Merton progressed in his faith, he began visiting Buddhist monks to learn from their practices, and argued that some great insights and practices from Buddhism could be incorporated into American Christianity. With respect to the "Eastern" fear, I think Christians need to probe whether they are analyzing the issue biblically, or just reading their ethnocentrism (love of the West) back into Scripture.
Fearing demonic possession is the second issue, one that was extremely important to me as a child. I believed that God stuck with me only if I stuck with him. I once read a book about demons, and on another occasion prayed to "any supernatural being who will help me, because God isn't helping" (a melodramatic adolescent moment). After both of these events, I was terrified that I would be demon-possessed because I had "opened myself" to Satan. This seems to negate the conservative way of salvation, "inviting Jesus into your heart." If Jesus lives in your heart, then how could any demons get in? If they tried, they would find Jesus there in your heart. This point, in my view and experience, is reflective of immature faith. The believer thinks that she must do the work of maintaining spiritual health (keep Jesus in, Satan out), and doesn't trust God for protection and safety of her soul.
Exploring mysticism, contemplation, silence, and consciousness is part of a faith journey - a part that often takes people away from total loyalty to institutions and groups. The loyalty and group identity phase is an important place to be, and when people are in this stage, they will respond well to authoritarian statements of how, when, and where to seek God. At some point, however, many Christians begin revising their relationship to religious institutions, combining group loyalty with individual pursuits of God.
I believe that the healing and growth I've experienced through meditation, yoga, and related practices could not have been found any other way. My controlling mind blocked by healing with repetitive thoughts and old mental tapes. My situation of grief was beyond control, and beyond any rational explanation (and still is). I needed to release my consciousness to God, and yield myself to His mysterious healing. I believe that God made our minds and bodies to be self-healing to a great extent, and that if we step aside, His creative power in us will move in ways that are beyond what we could have asked for or imagined.
I also believe that we can take practices from other cultures and refer them to Christ. It's what Augustine did with platonic writings - he loved Plato, and found much there that he could refer to Christ and incorporate into his theology. I don't like the dualism of conservative evangelicalism - draw lines between "sacred" and "secular" and keep your toes on one side of the line. I believe that everything belongs to God, and the world he made for us is all for us to enjoy and explore.
Criticism and anger, of course, are not the fruits of contemplative practice. I need to go meditate so I can accept and engage the presence of diverse views among my fellow believers, without criticism or anger!
16 Comments:
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I'm begging you to send this to CT. It's fantastic and addresses the issue so thoughtfully. carla
By
, at 10:25 AM
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Wow. The very idea that Christianity should be opposed to silence, openness and contemplation (the Todd Friel quote) is so fully anti-Biblical that I can't begin to understand what the justification might be. Did he actually say that?
I don't know anything about the man, so I just googled him. I found the TTW page and Todd's 'about' page. On it he says:
'is what comes flying out of my mouth in alignment with the word of God? If it isn't, pay no attention to the man behind the microphone'.
From what I can see, he's just answered that question. -
Sic,
Yes, Todd did say that. He also said that yoga may put the body in poses that make us more susceptible to demons. We might be able to put our bodies in such postures and not be affected by Satan, but should a Christian really take that risk?
I know, I know, this really just shows ME to be the idiot for listening to him so much!! I can't help it. My name is Jenell, and I'm a fundamentalist radio addict.
And Carla, I'm going to let Ted Olsen know about my post if I can find his e-mail address today. -
Beautiful thoughts, Jennell. One image I have been working with lately (got it from somewhere, can't remember where) is the idea that the lungs have two chambers and we need to breathe from both. There is so much rich tradition in Eastern Christianity, including meditation and reflection. When we only breathe in the air of Western forms of spirituality we are only breathing with half-capacity. The same image could be applied to the heart, which has two chambers.
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Very nice post.
I wonder, also, how much this has to do with the west's fear of silence. We, as a culture, tend to get scared when we are not inundated (sp) with noise. Over the last few months I have been using contemplative prayer, using Taize as a model. The hardest part for me has been the point in the prayers when silence is called for. This should be more than the typical 30-40 seconds that usually is alloted in normal church services.
I am rambling now, but I just wonder how much our busyness and fear of stillness goes into this? -
Jenell,
I've thought this sort of thing in my piece for KP's book. We tend to rely on only words for faith and healing. If I say what's true and good, then that should be enough. But we are also body and soul--there is feeling, breathing, movement, sound, silence and all these things are also in our faith. Those exist for us because there are no words for them.By
Solomon's Girl, at 7:22 PM
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Might as well pull all the crosses, candles, and incense out of the church as well. While he's at it, burn all the art and icons that lead people astray.
Wonder what this guy thinks prayer is? Wasn't Jesus, eastern?
Nice comments BTW.
Rick -
Um-
I agree with a lot of these comments, but I think something might have been missed. The article was written as a response to the question "What harm is there in achieving a higher state of consciousness through meditation?(right under the Dangerous Meditations heading)" And since the question doesn't specify christian or non- I think my response would have to make that distinction.
I think a person that doesn't already have the Spirit of God indwelling them might be opening a door to satanic influence by seeking "a higher state of consciousness through meditation." Not automatic possesion and condemnation (God can save whomever He chooses), but it seems to me that if your seeking non-specific spiritual experiences you might get more than you bargained for.
On the other hand I don't believe anyone already possesed by the Spirit of God (don't think I ever thought of it quite that way before) can be possesed by any other spirit. Bothered maybe, but not controlled. I do think that spirituality (in the sense of meditation or contemplation) complements rationality in the christian. But I also think it's important to consider carefully what we meditate on-
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. -
I guess a lot of this conversation is dependent on how a person thinks about "the spirit world." Personally, I don't believe there are good and evil spirits hovering over the earth waiting for an in. I certainly believe there is evil and that there are people who live their lives in such a way as to not leave much room for the things of God. But if I were the one answering the question "What harm is there in opening ourselves up to a higher consciousness?" My first response would be "None, unless you want there to be." I believe that if a person is seeking some kind of higher plane of existence or understanding or whatever you want to call it, they are seeking God, even if they don't call it that at the time. And I believe God is big enough to answer that call before any of these lurking demons that others seems to believe in are out there can get in the game. When I do yoga, the last thing I'm doing is worrying if an evil demon is watching me. I guess if a person is worried about that, then they ought to stick with pilates.
By
, at 10:46 AM
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There are discussions in my parents' Twin Cities megachurch about contemplation, meditation, yoga, Merton and the rest. I am also the lucky 'forward' recipient of some ministry or other alerting the faithful to same. The conclusions are that it's basically awful stuff, flint and tinder for a devil's fire, the possible undoing of the American church.
It's very disconcerting to hear, very deflating and sad, to be honest. They are good and simple people, me parents are, and to hear them speak with such alarm in their voices, that fearful tenor, is so sad.
I realize that their fears are caused by an anxious trend, one that will be short-lived in the scheme of things (I should mention that my parents had never heard of Francis, Merton, M. Scott Peck etc. before being taught that such were a threat), even as yoga and certain spirituality jargon will most likely be short-lived; moreover contemplative prayer is no fad, considering its long, threading history.
TroyBy
, at 12:27 PM
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It's not just a matter of East and West or Christian and non-Christian. Meditation, comtemplation, and mysticism have been a part of the Christian tradition from the very beginning. Think of the Desert Fathers and Mothers or the medievil Christian mystics. This is of course not the mention contemplative prayer, meditation, and mystical exprience that happens right in the bible, like the call of Isaiah in Isaiah 6 or Ezekiel or Daniel's visions, or the entire book of Revelation. Those are just the examples off the top of my head, but there are more. Anyway, my point is that any argument against using meditation is an argument against a huge part of the historical Christian tradition.
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Jenelle, This post speaks to my condition today. Thank you.
By
, at 12:02 PM
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I would like to expose you to a mantra, or an inward prayer practiced by the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church (of which I am a member) that goes something like this (rough translation):
"Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and save me".
The way this is practiced by the monastic orders, and others of "Eastern" christianity, the "mantra" is said repeatedly, being the only thing you focus on in the attempt to commune closer with God. This is not about "reaching a higher level" or about "enlightment", but rather, about getting closer to God.
I have used this prayer (and it's shorter form: "Jesus Christ Have Mercy on Me"), and to my knowledge, I have not been attacked by Demons.
Of course, some Western Christians might find the prayer itself, offensive, because, after all, "aren't we already saved?"....but that's a different topic.
I have used this prayer even while driving and it helps my mind from wandering. Isn't that a "good" thing?By
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Wednesday, November 17, 2004
It is a beautiful morning in Minnesota. There's a heavy mist outside that has softened the tree lines. I made myself some blueberry-buttermilk muffins with toasted almonds on top. They're baking right now. I'm listening to Tuck and Patti, and no one is playing Grand Theft Auto. I'm happier in the morning than at any other time of day.
Do you cook elaborate food just for yourself? James doesn't understand why I cook really good food for one. It seems kind of obvious to me.
3 Comments:
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Oh, I understand. I once baked an entire sour-cream pound cake (takes 3 hours, maybe), just so I could have one (OK, two) slices. It was a gorgeous cake and I ate it warm with vanilla bean ice cream.
Mmmmm. Cake.By
Joie De Vivre, at 10:24 AM
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OF COURSE I DO!
Who else would cook it for me?By
Solomon's Girl, at 4:30 PM
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Heavens to Betsy, no. My fiancee was gone last week. I opened a can of Chunky Soup and ate it over the sink. Matilde, watching from her cage, clucked her disapproval.
Boiling water for myself strikes me as a genuine burden.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
First off, how do you feel about the second comma in the title? I'm always unsure about commas in that place - it sort of feels wrong if it's there and wrong if it isn't. Does anyone know what's correct?
Last night in Introduction to Anthropology, two men from Operation Mobilization came as guest speakers. They told us about their backgrounds and their missionary work in the Middle East. One man does church planting, evangelism, and the like. The other, a 28-year-old Irish man, is working on a doctorate in ethnic studies at American University Beirut. He wants to become a scholar, and influence the Middle Easterners toward valuing reconciliation. Specifically, he's studying ways in which offended groups of people construct collective narratives about their ethnic history. Might there be a way for Palestinians or Israelis, for example, to construct new narratives that could open possibilities for reconciliation? Beautiful life work, I think.
The older man, Grant, told a story about visiting with Bedouin people. He's been in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, and other places, but said that the Bedouin are more different from himself than any other people. The Bedouin are nomadic shepherds who don't have much of a national identity - they don't affiliate with modern identity constructs.
"I sat in a man's tent with him and realized I had absolutely nothing in common with him," he said.
The Bedouin believe that God is far away, and doesn't draw near. They don't have an Arabic word for the concept of "grace." They have "gift" and "mercy", but neither quite does it. The missionary wants to persuade them that God wants to "come live in their tent," an idea that, as of yet, no one has believed.
Grant told the Bedouin man about the 99 sheep and the one, the story I've heard titled, "The Good Shepherd." Grant said that the shepherd had 99 of his sheep, but one was lost. He went off to find the one, to bring it back to the flock.
Grant asked, "What do you think of that story?"
The Bedouin man said, "That's a stupid shepherd! I'd have left the one sheep lost. If it came back on it's own, I'd kill it."
"Why would you kill it?
"Because it has shown itself to be stupid. A sheep that stupid would just get lost again tomorrow."
I thought the shepherd went to get the one sheep because sheep are soft, and he wanted to pet it. I thought the sheep would be glad to be found, and would learn its lesson. The "good shepherd" did an act of kindness and love.
Instead, the Bedouin says this is the story of "the stupid shepherd." By saving that sheep, the shepherd accomplished nothing. He'll probably have to rescue the sheep again and again. He's wasting time and effort on a beast too stupid to even appreciate it.
In the story, we're left to speculate about the shepherd's motives. Maybe he was stupid. Maybe he loved the sheep. The rest of Scripture makes it obvious, however, that we are the dull-witted beasts and Jesus is the shepherd who saves us over and over, when it would be more convenient and rational for him to let us die. A Bedouin perspective, which has no word for unmerited salvation, helps me understand grace.
Part Two: A Boast About Myself
I mastered the "Life's a Beach" challenge in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. James said that I'd look cool if I blogged about it, but if I say more than a sentence or two, I'll reveal my ignorance. James got stuck on that challenge, and I helped him. My character was a black man wearing underwear, cowboy boots, and Harpo Marx glasses (James dressed him). I guided him through a dance (picture the Japanese four-step video arcade dance machines) so he could steal a van full of stereo equipment.
13 Comments:
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First off... The second comma's very important as it signals the end of the clause. The third one, on the other hand, is optional.
And yes, we are stupid sheep. We will wander off again. And again. And again. And He will come looking for us every time.
Thank you for the awesome article. -
Loved your blog today. Amazing story about the Bedouin and the shepherd...made me think a lot about how those around the world perceive the stories that we have been instructed how to view from our early years on. Sometimes I feel like God is going to wake up one day and realize that His continual rescue of my brokenness is futile and ridiculous. Yet He continues to find me no matter how far I wander.
Imagine you playing Grand Theft Auto has got to be one of the funniest things I have pictured in a while! Good for you.
And, lastly, I have always thought the last comma should be there For example: The girl wore a dress, shoes, a blouse, and stockings. But, then again, I am no expert on commas. I am more of an expert at wearing my pajamas and wasting my day reading blogs. -
i love the comma.
i love the thought of you playing grand theft auto more. -
I like:
A sweet, perhaps sappy story and a boast...
I am proabably wrong about the secnd comma, the third is definitely optional. -
I beg to differ on the second comma. You have a list of adjectives that precede a noun ("A sweet, sappy story" and there's no reason to place a comma *after* the last item of a list. All that's different in this case is that you have an adverb modifying the second adjective.
Sic: the second comma doesn't end a clause, because there is no predicate (in fact, there's no predicate at all in the post title).
Love the blog... I too am a stupid sheep.
~Journeying GeekBy
, at 4:34 AM
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I'm inclined to go with Journeying Geek.
A Sweet, Sappy Story and a Boast About Myself
That feels right to me. I think in speaking, I pause after "sweet" but not after "sappy." Three other people (including KP and Rachel who are writing experts) thought the comma was necessary. Journeying Geek, what are your credentials?! -
I'd go with "A Sweet, Perhaps Sappy, Story and a Boast About Myself" or "A sweet-perhaps sappy-story and a boast About myself."
- Rachel L.By
, at 1:26 PM
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Hmm. In your title, "perhaps sappy" is not an appositive (a noun or noun substitute that renames another noun just before it), nor is it a non-restrictive modifier (part of a sentence that modifies a noun with non-essential information). These are the two usual cases for employing that second comma.
Note that the sentence
"A sweet story, perhaps dripping with sap, is always worth telling" (non-restrictive modifier)
is different from
"A sweet story, perhaps Jenell's sappiest tale yet, is always worth telling" (appositive)
which is different from
"A sweet, perhaps sappy, [sic] story is always worth telling" (either coordinate adjectives -- with an extra comma -- or parenthetical interruption)
The last "perhaps sappy" is either used parenthetically or coordinately. If it's parenthetical, I prefer something other than commas because the commas unnaturally break up the noun phrase. Rachel L.'s suggestion ("a sweet--perhaps sappy--story, and a boast about myself") would work. So would "a sweet (and perhaps sappy) story, and a boast about myself."
If you don't mean it parenthetically, then you have coordinate adjectives (a string of adjectives separated by commas). In this case, you don't separate the final adjective from the noun.
Maybe this will help:
A sweet, perhaps sappy story, and a boast about myself
is identical in structure to
A single, carefully coordinative comma, and no trouble with it.
;)
Sorry, no credentials here. I'm an undergrad student (in computer science!). Was at a liberal arts college for three years prior, though. (Trinity Western U -- very similar to Bethel I gather!)
~Journeying GeekBy
, at 2:36 AM
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hmmm....
i think i would say
a sweet (perhaps sappy) story about myself.
look, no commas necessary!
:)
and i love the sweet (not sappy at all) story about the stupid shepherd.
that is great. -
I am hoping you will share your story.
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Wednesday, November 10, 2004
...And Happiness Was Enjoyed Throughout the Land (subtitle, "Don't Read This If You Don't Love Cats")
Shortly after posting that first blog, I glanced out my office window and saw Opal walking toward me. It was just like Jude Law walking back to Nicole Kidman in Cold Mountain. "She's come back to me!" I said.
I ran outside, but she was gone. Did I hallucinate an image of my cat coming back to me? I was convinced that either she ran back into the neighbor's garage, or that I had hallucinated my loved one. Or, perhaps, that she had died and come back to me like Patrick Swayze in Ghost.
An hour later, I asked the neighbor if I could look in his garage. No Opal. I walked out of the garage, and heard a "mew" at my feet. She was hiding behind their air conditioner. I picked her up and took her home. It was just like Mark Harmon carrying Whitney Houston through the crowds in The Bodyguard. She purred and loved me as if I was her savior. She has a broken toenail and is very dirty.
So, the truth of the matter is this. Opal is really, really dumb and anti-instinctual. She was thirty feet from home the whole time, but was too afraid to budge. She heard me calling for her, but couldn't call back. My heart is wide open to this dumb beast, and I love her.
10 Comments:
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My what a lovely 'real-life' metaphor for Christianity. You called but she was too dumb to answer, she needed to be found. For some reason, I find that exceptionally comforting.
I'm so happy to hear Opal is home. That's exactly why Paige and Thelma aren't allowed outside when not on a halter. I'm a psychotic parent.
BrandonBy
, at 12:10 PM
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I'm not a cat person, and I still liked the post. I'm glad you got your baby back.
And I completely agree with the comment above. -
On another note entirely, I LOVE your hair longer. I can't believe how long it is. Gorgeous, dahhhling.
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Hooray! I'm glad she's back!
-Rachel L.By
, at 6:10 PM
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Jenell,
It was Kevin Costner carrying Whitney Houston through the crowd.
Please no one think less of me that I knew that...
;) -
Praise God for dumb beasts...
If Matilde ever wandered away, I'd be beside myself... -
Jenell, you are more loving and forgiving than we are. At the same time you are searching for your lost sheep, we are trying to decide if we should make our cats outdoor cats so that nature can take its course and we will never again have to clean up cat puke (Al threw up at least 8 times yesterday). carla
By
, at 11:19 AM
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Gee Jenell it sounds like an answer to a prayer. Opal is so cute.
By
Dan Phillips, at 10:10 PM
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Yay, Opal! Count me in as absurdly comforted by the allegory to be found here.
But I'm also just plain happy for you that she's home. -
Nice blog. Check out my maine coon cat blog.
While I appreciated everyone's advice as to discussion topics, I went off on my own and talked about "Lamentation as a Spiritual Practice." I talked about the value of lament in my own story, and encouraged the practice for students. I was planning to write more about it, but don't feel like it due to the newsflash below. There was no mention of the Lifestyle Statement, alternative sexual practices, or criticism of parents. Sorry. I really didn't mean to start any Bethel-related talk in the comments section. I love it here - for heaven's sake, I choose to work here! I enjoy talking with students about their perspectives on stringency and legalism, their sexual struggles, and the ways in which they choose to follow or not follow Bethel's rules. I hope you can understand why I don't explore these things on my blog! There's some place for it all in virtual conversation, but I can both give and receive more compassion, understanding, and grace in person.
NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH
Big news for us... Opal ran away yesterday. It was a nice day, so she went out for a minute or two - she's never been outside for more than 30 or 40 minutes. But she just disappeared. We searched and searched, in case she was lost. I was sad to go to sleep without her - we have a nighttime and a morning routine together, and I'm feeling quite alone without her. I'm not as emotionally upset as you might think I would be, however.
Possibilities...
She went to be alone to die.
She is trying to get back to our old house (note to self: alert Javier and Sarah).
She wandered away and got lost.
She met some other people who fed her, so she's staying with them.
Someone will take her to the Human Society, and we'll get her back (she has a ID chip implant).
She was abducted by a wacko.
She went in search of a cleaner litter box.
She's trapped in someone's garage.
Bottom line, I think she followed her instincts and is probably doing something God created her to do. Of course, she could die doing it, but that is how every cat's life ends. I just hope she isn't cold and lonely. It's OK if she dies or lives with someone else. I just want her to be able to come back to us if she wants to.
Today I'll give flyers to the neighbors and call the Human Society.
Any insights or other ideas?
2 Comments:
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Maybe leave her food bowl on the porch/step with some food she especially likes? Of course, this won't work if you have a bunch of stray kitties in the neighborhood (like we do), although you might make a new friend or two that way. Maybe call the police, too, and find out where they take animals that are picked up (in case it isn't the HS).
Good luck finding Opal. At least it isn't December. -
I'm sorry about Opal. One of our two cats, Gus, ran away a couple of weeks ago. We left food out, searched diligently, put flyers up, and filed a "lost cat report" at the local humane society. Still no Gus, though.
Even though he could be a royal pain, he was a very fun, sweet cat. My hope is that he's making some other family happy.
I hope Opal comes back.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
5:50 James kisses me good-bye.
6:50 - 7:30, intermittently. Opal stands on my chest, paws pressing hard on my throat, meowing in my face.
7:30 I get up (late for me). Ruby meows at the door, I let her in and give cats their treats. I have coffee and pumpkin bread, read e-mail (a-ha! another publisher's rejection!), and blog. Someone is throwing up while I blog. I shout, "You better eat that!"
9:00 Client comes over to pick up a book manuscript I edited for her.
11:10 Race, Ethnicity and Peacemaking. It will be a good day - discussing My First White Friend, assigning an interesting essay for them to write.
12:30 Eat lunch - leftover pork and rice.
2:50 Race, Ethnicity and Peacemaking, section 2.
4:30 Exercise with my dad at health club, hopefully.
6:00 Eat dinner. What will it be?
8:00 Speak at senior dorm about "something God has laid on my heart to share with students." I'm considering "The Value of Swearing", "How Christianity Has Duped You", or "Why You Shouldn't Marry Anyone You Meet During Your Undergraduate Years."
Any other topic suggestions?
14 Comments:
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Excellent post. Here's a topic:
"Sheep go to heaven, goats go to hell: Capra hircus, Ovis aries and how to determine which of these two God thinks you are." -
Thelma left me with little 'cat-food-breath-kisses' this morning too. Something serene and loving about that.
Topics:
"Why sex isn't all you're imagining."
"Redefining curse words: why we get our underware in a twist when someone says 'fuck', but don't bat an eyelash at the word pussy, or bitch, or fairy."
"Your parents were wrong."
"Jesus wasn't white"
Oh...wait...how about this:
"Despite what your parents have taught you, Jesus was right."
Just some thoughts, disregard as necessary.
BrandonBy
, at 11:48 AM
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"Why I'd drink if I hadn't signed the stupid "lifestyle pledge." (Otherwise known as: Alcohol isn't all that bad (and is often quite good)."
"Being depressed mean that God has abandoned you, that you've done anything wrong, or that you're possessed. Antidepressants are your friend."
"Why you should get a real job instead of going straight into the ministry."
-Rachel L. (do I sound cranky today? I am.)By
, at 3:18 PM
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I have a dear friend who attends your school. I beg you, please, speak on any of the topics...they must be heard!
;-)
I love her, but the structure is stiffling (I know I spelled that wrong...i think)
Thanks
jt
P.S. I enjoy your blog.By
, at 4:08 PM
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I just realized. She might even be at your talk. She is a senior.
-jtBy
, at 4:10 PM
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"Quit Bitchin' About Your Butt: You're Probably the Skinniest You'll Ever Be"
Sex - Not that big of a deal, but the funny noises and the mess are kind of annoying
You Think You're Poor Now??!
Dump Him Now!
Don't Worry if You Don't Like Your Friends; You'll Make New Ones, and the Ones Who Get Married Right Away will Dump You Anyway -
it always just kills me to hear people complain about how stifling the rules are at Bethel. I transferred to Bethel because the rules there were less stifling than at Asbury! Please, people, get some perspective.
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You know, Pete, I think we all have perspective. Yours is just different than mine. I graduated from Calvin where rules at both Asbury and Bethel are far more stifling.
That doesn't mean I have 'less perspective' but rather I have different perspective. Both are valid.
Food for thought.
BrandonBy
, at 11:49 PM
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1) If you are gay, don't kill yourself! You are almost done
2) Sex (the act) is rather overrated; sexuality is not.
3) DON'T EVEN bother worrying about keeping up with whomever; sadly or happily you will forget these peers in a few years
4) You promised that you wouldn't have premarital sex, BUT IF YOU DO, use protection.
5) You promised that you wouldn't have premarital sex, BUT IF YOU DO, enjoy it, own it, experience it. Also, oral sex or anal sex so do not maintain one's virginity from a Lifestyle Statement or Evangelical perspective (and the anal sex is not for most people! two female friends engaged in anal sex with their boyfriends and it was awful for them, and yet they did not have other forms of sex and considered themselves virgins)
Troy '92By
, at 3:28 AM
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hey, don't misunderstand me--i don't mean to say "nobody has any perspective except for me." i'm just saying that the "restrictiveness" here at Bethel isn't as bad as it is in other places. for that matter, though, i don't think there are that many students who come here completely oblivious to the expectations placed on them by the lifestyle statement, and even if they are, they are always free to transfer somewhere else if it's that important to them.
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I will pop back in from time to time to see what you have new here.
My site is a bit different than yours, but just as entertaining and educational, I run a mens male enhancement reviews related site pertaining to mens male enhancement reviews related articles. -
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By
The Blah Brain, at 11:51 PM
Friday, November 05, 2004
My kitchen this morning.
KP sent me an article about catblogging. It said that some political bloggers post pictures of their cats on Fridays, to restore harmony and balance after a week of polarization. Not that everyone loves cats, but we can generally agree that they're cute, and we can remember that what unites us (love of softness and cuteness) is greater than what divides us. I could share the article or some of these blogs with you, but I can't find any of it. After this week, we need catblogging more than ever.
My kitchen is stacked with dirty dishes from two days ago. I think James and I are waiting each other out to see who will clean them. It's anyone's guess at this point.
I'm going to Grand Marais this weekend with some fellow profs. A former student suggested that I read Holy the Firm, so I asked a prof to bring her copy along so I can read it tomorrow. I'm looking forward to nature, peace, and quiet.
Does anyone else miss Carla and Colleen? They seem a little less present in the blogosphere than in the past. Maybe they have things to do in the real universe...perhaps an idea I should explore!
Comments question for today: If you skipped church on Sunday in order to do whatever you wanted to do, what would that be?
12 Comments:
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I just cleaned the kitchen, and now I'm doing James' laundry for him (he has a bad cold). I am SUCH A GOOD PERSON!!!
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I am skipping church this Sunday, and I'm doing so to go to Wings over Wayne, an airshow at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base here in North Carolina. Taking my 5 year old son along, and we're going with a coworker of mine and his 5 year old son.
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well that's a tough call considering that i skip church pretty much every week now...um...so I decline to answer.
By
Brother James, at 12:23 PM
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you ARE a good person. I'm skipping church this Sunday to be in Detroit for work. If I could pick anything in the world I don't think that's what I would pick, but I am looking forward to getting out of town for a few days.
KatieBy
, at 12:29 PM
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It's nice to be missed. I haven't been busy in the real world, just trying not to comment unless I think I have something to contribute, which too often I don't. But I have been here, loving you all along.
Anywho, I would watch 60 Minutes (still ticked I missed the SNL story) and the Simpsons and eat in front of the TV. That was Sunday night at my house growing up (without the Simpsons of course), and I miss it still.--carlaBy
, at 4:57 PM
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That would be called Sabbath. I would stay in bed with my wife and cuddle all morning. Drink coffee and watch mindless infomercials in bed. About 12 noon walk to the diner downtown for breakfast. Go home afterwards and take a nap. About 3pm look at my wife and ask her what she'd like to do today.
Rick -
If I stayed home, I would watch all of the political talk shows. I am a political junkie.
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Joy Paul! Talk about a long-term absence from the blogosphere - nice to see you again!
I stayed home last week to pass out halloween candy to the darling children in their halloween costumes. I especially love to see the kids of immigrant families - the pure joy of such an experience for them :) last year I saw lots of Hmong families, this year some Somalies (of which a large percentage are afraid of dogs, even tiny little ray. I wonder why?)
Colleen
(Thanks for missing me!)By
, at 11:06 AM
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Sleep in, or, feel anxious, perhaps guilty and surely dishevelled about things--the religion thing doesn't make sense, something's wrong, I must be bad!
TroyBy
, at 11:52 PM
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I skipped church this Sunday to, um, go to church (skipped my regular meeting for worship to go to a funeral mass my mother-in-law arranged for my father). Before that, I skipped church a few months ago because I was back East for my father's funeral, and a month before that, I skipped church for a last visit to my father. One of these days, I'll actually skip church again for a reason that has nothing to do with Dad, but I don't know how soon that will be - it seems as if nearly every Sunday I have something I'm committed to doing there.
Lynn Gazis-SaxBy
, at 7:18 PM
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I would run in the mountains. I would then have a leisurely brunch, followed by napping and chinchilla bathing.
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Did you read Holy the Firm? What did you think?
By
, at 4:34 PM
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
One of KP's proposals was rejected by a publisher. I wanted to say something to her, but I can't use the comments on either her blog or Javier's. I'm not sure why. I have vast experience with rejection, in numerous parts of my life. Writing has been the source of the greatest number of rejections. Most are fairly impersonal, like "Your project, while worthwhile, doesn't fit with our publishing agenda. We wish you the best in finding a good home for your book." The two worst? "This article is written as if the author thinks it is academic, but it is not academic at all." and "This article is so strange, I can't imagine there being a market for it anywhere."
How do I cope with rejection? First, I absorb it. I feel my throat tighten, and take the stress into my body. I think thoughts like the following:
You have no talent. Return to your day job immediately. (from Tenacious D's Cosmic Shame)
The editors looked up my photo on the internet and decided they didn't want to associate themselves with such an unattractive loser.
The editors put my manuscript on the floor, danced a dance of mockery on it, and then threw it away.
I will never publish anything ever again.
My writing is horrid. I'm horrid.
My ideas are dumb.
At some point, I try to purge this absorbed stress by exercising, eliciting sympathy from friends, and thinking thoughts like these:
I hope that publishing company is able to stay afloat without my brilliance. Good luck to them.
Wow - I can't believe editors are so dumb and blind about quality.
I'm so far ahead of my time, historically speaking, that I can't get my work published. Posthumous fame is in my future.
I wonder what will be in the mail tomorrow - surely an acceptance.
I've had past successes - that predicts future success.
I'm good enough, smart enough, and I'm going to keep writing.
Keep writing, KP, and everyone else!
And comments today...tell me how you've dealt with rejection of any kind!
9 Comments:
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When I grow up I want to write as well as you do. You've got a year on me, chronologically speaking, so maybe I'll catch up.
I've submitted a grand total of one article for publication (to three different magazines/newspapers). I'm not sure what to do with the rejection, but I'd probably be REALLY distraught if they actually published it. -
Thank you, Jenell.
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I got so tired of the rejections that I wrote a book and put the whole thing on the web.
Four Corners- A Literary Excursion Across America.By
Dan Phillips, at 10:56 PM
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jenell, i decided to not jump into that publishing pool of rejection for right now, and it pains me to think that someone as brilliant as yourself would have to stand one minute with your toes in that water.
publishing is often about money, marketing and squeezing content into a niche that has dollar signs attached. some publishers have pure motives i'm sure, trying just to make the bottom line, but lots of it isn't rooted in the love of writing or the joy of process or all those other ideals that make us more human (and mostly less rich). isn't that too bad? not that there's anything wrong with success or money, but don't we all long for more?
my sister and i decided to do something writing-wise just for the joy of it and the result is a 75 page zine chock full of content and our hearts too happy and full to care if anyone buys it (though our husbands would love to recoup that cash) or if any publisher is impressed. :)
i say, publish when you must for job, fame and extra cash, but write always for the joy of the sentences. (your true validation as a thinking, fully engaged human is evidenced here, don't you think?)
we love this blog for this. the relatively uncensored, witty, honest and distinctively unique sentences of jenell paris, lined up one right after the other.
rejection be damned! -
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By
, at 11:56 PM
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Citronella oil is perfect in summer to keep the insects at bay. Another natural repellent is Garlic. Fleas will not bite a dog that has been eating garlic, so a few garlic capsules in the dog food are a cheap solution to your pet's flea problem. A soft collar soaked in Citronella will also do the job.
Garlic also helps to promote a healthy immune system when the weather turns cold and viruses begin to circulate. In fact, most of the oils and herbs listed above are effective in helping to prevent many common winter illnesses.
Whether you are looking for remedies or nature friendly products to use around the house, the oils and herbs suggested above should help get you started. You will be ready to make some healthy changes in your way of life!
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5 Comments:
I am not sure if I should post a reaction, on account of being a big part of the sermon last night, but I will give it a shot.
I hope that the impression I gave last night was not that the disciples were stupid or hard hearted, in fact, I think I went on too long to try and say their expectations were driven from their Godly impulse. Even the Pharisees were the way they were because they were trying to be faithful, not because the were evil or stupid.
Also, I think we ought not confuse the situation we are in with the agenda of God. So for someone to say I want God’s agenda is not to say, “what ever happens is what God wants”. The influence of determinism in Christian faith is the death pill of understanding this stuff. Jesus healing, feeding, and calling are all indications that God does not want us to just take things as they are. Jesus was calling for an understanding that is inline with God’s agenda, but that does not mean being fine with things as they are.
I don’t think we are taking it lightly to say that we want to be on God’s agenda. And that is why to great sleep producing levels I wanted to make the point that what the disciples we being asked to give up was not personal, but collective. It was not their own dreams, but the dreams of the nation to serve as the rulers. When Jesus heals and fulfills the needs of people (sight, death, demons) there is a fulfillment of the personal needs and a call to see that in a larger context.
Any way, the sermon is still stuck in my head and those are a few of my thoughts.
By
The Sniders, at 2:52 PM
Many Christians see life as a test--choose God or not God, choose a relationship with him or not.
It seems like God should be clearer! Make it a fair choice. Not all this mystery... and especially when (in the opinion of most Christians) the stakes are so high (eternal suffering if you choose not to be God's friend).
If God wants to play this game, why does he condemn people who don't like him to eternal suffering? Why not just eliminate them... have an end point? And for people who suffer on earth to continue that suffering forever just seems ungodlike and unloving. On the one hand, we are supposed to... in the image of God forgive and bless our enemies, but God will watch them suffer forever?!? even if they aren't enemies they'll suffer... if they just didn't "hear" the gospel and didn’t "believe."
Seems like there is some inconsistency in doctrine.
--a one time attender of the porch
By
Anonymous, at 6:46 PM
Three years ago this past Saturday my brother choked on a piece of KFC and died. While it's been hard on me and reamins the one and only thing that can reduce me to tears, it has virtually destroyed my mother.
I don't have the best relationship with my mother. We don't fight, and it's not that we don't get along; it's just that I don't think we speak the same language. Sometimes I'm not sure we inhabit the same planet. Having read this post, though, I think I understand her a little bit more.
Thank you.
By
sic, at 9:53 AM
Thank you again for opening up parts of reality for all of us that none of us hope we have to experience soon. Despair is not something we want to get comfortable with. You have had an experience with despair at far too early a stage in life, but since we are all going to experience it at some point, it is a gift to us that you are surviving, that you do continue to experience happiness.
By
Jimmy, at 9:09 PM
Sic,
I'm so sorry for the loss of your brother. It is so recent, in my perspective. My favorite 'grief book' is Coming Back. The author interviews people whose lives were tragically interrupted, and describes how they came back to life. They were all four years out from their losses/changes before the interviews. It's hard to evaluate peoples' "progress" in grief in the short term. I'm giving myself and James several years to establish a new 'normal.'
Blessings and peace to you and your mother.
By
Jenell, at 11:16 AM
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