Being ambivalent is not strictly hypocritical, and being clear is not strictly helpful.

Institution:

The best way to potentially entrench mediocrity.

Sacramental:

(a) Strong enough to annoy, but made to evoke

(b) Everything can be annoying, even unintentionally

Everything in...Moderation?

...one must be aware the way we treat others and the way we act as a whole is a direct effect of the kind of heart we have, so moral purity can often be determined by the way they react with the material world. This never does give us an excuse to judge others, however, for Jesus would rather us focus on the mote in our eye rather than the prick in other's eye.

[via Liberal Christianity]

But how would that resolve disputes? Take this scenario:

Fifty people have come together for worship, from around the country, from different Christian traditions, though the organization is presumably evangelical. Marie leads worship. She is a Liberated West Coast Feminist Environmental Democratic Hemp-Wearing Christian. She is in front of the group, arms raised, eyes closed, praising Jesus. She wears a light white t-shirt with no bra. Her bobbling breasts and nipples were reportedly more interesting than Jesus. Debby took her aside and said that she needed to wear a bra with this group, especially when leading worship. Marie said, "I'm liberated, and Jesus loves me the way I am. I love my body, and I won't allow you to bind my breasts!" She left the event, and reportedly the organization, furious.

What do you think? Was Marie's dress inappropriate? Was Debby's confrontation inappropriate?

[via The Paris Project]

[via Broomhildas Other Blog]

Shadows

Emotions flooding through the wall I’ve created.
I built it strong, It’s not even gated.
The shadows of shame, anger and hurt,
making me feel like a slug in the dirt.
The memories are there, some have leaked out.
I want to run, to scream, to shout.
There are cracks in the wall I thought so strong.
Shadows of guilt, telling me I am wrong.
It’s coming apart, this weakened wall.
I know that soon, the damn thing will fall.
When it falls, will I still exist?

imperfections :: (vii) :: thinking [via Finking Out Loud]

Imagine that you are not able to reason,
Think of not thinking just for a season,
Take time to ponder a week without thought,
Dare to suggest to forget what we’re taught.

Imagine no books and no talk and no telly,
Or wireless and ancient old libraries smelly.
Picture no Paxman or Dimbleby boys,
Or Rowan and Anglicans throwing their toys.

Simply believe what you’re told from the front
And the back and the book and evangelist’s stump;
Dream of a world where discussing’s a sin,
When every first word is the last ever in.

Who would decide what is in and what’s not?
Who would decide what is hot and what’s rot?
Think of the thinking that person would do!
Could it be me or should it be you?

The wages of sin may be death, but why do some have to invest?

[from Caterina.net]

Stephen Downes:

What creates a community in the real world is proximity.... Same theme in social networking: Orkut, Friendster, even Flickr… you GO to a specific location on the web. He challenges that these are communities, there’s “proximity” (all on one site) but not community.

Two major elements of communities:

1. the network – elation in and among a group of people (not mere proximity)

2. semantics – the idea that these relations are about something – a topic, a value, an interest, a set of belief

I have all of the technology in the world at my disposal and yet too often I don't use them to reach out and make a distance shorter. I am still stuck in the old paradigm of physical space and unless people are in my physical space, they tend to drift out of my sphere of contact. Sadly others are like me and the drift happens both ways.

Yet

It's remarkable how much individuals with only four-letter vocabularies have a tendency to elucidate some of humankind's more baser qualities....Ah well, I suppose it's one of those perils of blogging -- you put yourself out there, people think they know you, and that gives them license to go wild with assumption and criticism.

Speaking of the blogger meet last Saturday:

Might as well add Heart of Canada and The Mensch In The Moon to my list at the right.

[also featured]:

Been There...Still There
Bruce's World
The Invisible Sun
Jayson Besserer
Lake Neuron Bait Shop: of Wittenburg Door fame
menopausal bi-polar witch babbling
Quotidian Light
Reflective Musings
ScottyD
...seeking serenity
Unedited Ravings
Wendycooper.net
Worship Freehouse

[and grrrl meets world had it on the sidebar/blogroll...but now it's on her bloglines/rss reader.]

Since the blogger meet was on Saturday:

[via The Eagle and Child]

For future reference for indecisive types like yours truly, I have devised what I will call "Marc's Universal". It looks something like this:

Good company + Good Beer _{= The Correct Choice}
Good Conversation

Now, it's not as simple as that, of course. Depending on your circumstances, some other variables and constants will have to be taken into account. In my case, the Spousal Approval Variable (today it was just that) and the Family Constant are definite factors. Others may wish to include the Alcohol Tolerance Variable as a cautionary measure to make sure the result is correct. In fact, Beer isn't a necessary constant; Good Company and Good Conversation are essential in this equation, but Beer is interchangeable with Wine, Tea or Coffee.

Panentheism:

God is greater than the sum of the world.

Power(less?)

You're such a comfortable liar

I just want something I can never have

I never thought I'd walk away from you.
I did.
But it's a false sense of accomplishment.
Everytime time I quit.

[via Cat on a Hot Tin Roof]

[posted at menopausal bi-polar witch babbling on February 15/2005]

Power

Accusations consistently spoken
Suffocated by your insecurity
I allowed you too much power

Incessant passive aggression
The ruination of my self esteem
I allowed you too much power

Constant attention demands
Exhausting my body and mind
I allowed you too much power

You are chaos
Causing me to lose myself
I allowed you too much power

From my coma awakened
Erecting bastions of reality
I take back my power

No longer fear choked black and hollow
My resolve strengthened
I take back my power

Beautiful and alive
Sensual and vibrant
I take back my power

Compassionate and intelligent
Sensitive and strong
I take back myself

Would never married people be better off if they treated any romantic interest like reconciling with their divorced spouse?

Marriage: A Parable

Is the meaning of marriage like unto

a person who lets their health and body deteriorate to relax? Over time, they become unhealthy, immobile, and unrepentant...until death does it stop.

Or is it like unto

a person who obsesses over plastic surgery and diet for improvement? Through effort, they become frustrated, trapped, and unsatisfied...until the burden is too much.

Wow, I'm getting popular...who knew I was interesting?

Add Quotidian Light to this list...

That adds to [also featured at the right]:

Been There...Still There
Bruce's World
The Invisible Sun
Jayson Besserer
Lake Neuron Bait Shop: of Wittenburg Door fame
menopausal bi-polar witch babbling
Reflective Musings
ScottyD
...seeking serenity
Unedited Ravings
Wendycooper.net
Worship Freehouse

[and grrrl meets world had it on the sidebar/blogroll...but now it's on her bloglines/rss reader.]

How haphazard it seems that carnal self-indulgence by thoroughly selfish people predictably results in the creation of entirely dependent, completely vulnerable, defenseless human beings? ...Where are the Mothers Against Drunken Sex? I want to know.

[via Been There...Still There]

Well, since Valentine's is over...

Christian Break-up Lines

[link from this post at The Gryphon's Lair]

Where there is great love there are always miracles.

- Willa Cather

[quoted in this post by Reflective Musings]

I haven't a clue as to how my story will end. But that's all right. When you set out on a journey and night covers the road, you don't conclude that the road has vanished... And how else could we discover the stars?

Unknown

[quoted via Cynter]

Lamentations

Remember the victims of suicide, miscarriages (including justice) and genocide today...don't forget your enemies!


red: from Animosity by Klank

olive: from I Need Somebody by Chagall Guevara

orange: from Now & Then by Deliverance

grey: from Sad Face by The Choir

blue: from Goodbye by Plankeye

Why Must We Suffer In This Life We Live In?
Press Forward For Nothing
Destruction We Gain

Nothing to confess
but I've got scars deeper than your minds
nothing to declare
but my love for all of mankind

I hear myself say the words of how life's unfair
It comes to points where I don't care
Mine eyes have seen failure with no wins

Like a story told, by a child who does not know...

A sad face is good for the heart
It's alright you don't have to smile
A sad face is good for the heart of a child

It's difficult to say goodbye after all this time
The rain will fall down, replenishing all of our broken dreams
And this burning tree that's withering will bloom again,
would you believe?
Goodbye, Goodbye....

Goodbye, Goodbye.
Walk away. It's time to say goodbye.
I never took the time to stop and realize that death takes
many forms.
Even while alive.

Valentine's as Compassion

Compassion is an unstable emotion. It needs to be translated into action, or it withers. The question is what to do with the feelings that have been aroused, the knowledge that has been communicated. People don't become inured to what they are shown...because of the quantity of images dumped on them. It is passivity that dulls feeling.

--Susan Sontag, Regarding the Pain of Others

[thanks to grrrl meets world for the quote!]

Keep the Peace, Lose The War

Before you get attached this Valentine's (or any day):

Know when to give it up and move on to someone else. If it's not working, it's not working.

People who won't go away are like genital warts. It's embarrassing for both of you and has long lasting, frightening implications.

from How To Get It When You Want It: Your Guide To Love, With Apologies To Hallmark by Elizabeth Bromstein, in Planet S [emphasis mine]

I saw a man
He was holding the hand
That had fired a gun at his heart
Oh, will we live
To forgive?

I saw the eyes
And the look of surprise
As he left an indelible mark
Oh, will we live?
To forgive?

Come...find release
Go...make your peace

Follow his lead
Let the madness recede
When we shatter the cycle of pain
Oh, we will live
To forgive

[from the song To Forgive by Steve Taylor]

Born again to a living hope—

That all of this will make sense

That up is down and wrong is right.

That politics is liturgy

And conservatism righteousness


[via the parish]

Valentine's as Peace

I think that treating violence as a deviation from the norm is considerably underestimating the opponent. Way back when I was blogging Exodus I described how the Old Testament laws had to be harsh because they were displacing a culture of personal vengeance. {full post}

[via The Musings and Teachings of Camassia]

Lent:

Making oneself available to ease distractions...

[via The Paris Project]

I am an abusive reader, using their words to prompt the thought, “I’m glad I’m not you,” reminding myself that my journey of limitations will end in the foreseeable future.

I recite each day what I can’t do. I can’t go for a walk. I can’t work out. I can’t go to work. I can’t do very much in the evenings. I can’t keep commitments I make to friends. I can’t control my emotions. Instead, I live like an animal, reproducing for some instinctive reason I can’t even articulate. I eat when I’m hungry, and can’t wait even twenty minutes for food. I sleep all the time, and can’t stay up late even for E.R. Instead of anticipating my brain to spark a clever thought or teaching idea, I lay in silence for minutes and minutes each day, hands on belly, tactile-listening for pains or contractions or morse code messages. My spiritual and mental life is very small, and my physical life is very large.

Proverbs

From Blog of the Lost Dog:

Do not hope that your body will be free from illness. If you don not experience illness, you will be fallen to temptation in arrogance and thus act immorally.

Therefore, the wise man says that you should think of your illnesses as good medicine to learn from (Psalms 35:13)....

Do not always try to vindicate your feelings of victimization. If you try to vindicate yourself, you will have to put the blame on someone or something else.

Therefore, the wise man says that through this experience, you can open the door of self-discipline (Romans 12:19-21, Deuteronomy 32:35).

{full post}

Singleness:

More easily born than made

[via Love is the New Hate]

She inhales her poems and she feels the rush of the language of addiction seeping through her body.

Tiny words like

need

&

want

&

love

&

hate

tumbling through her blood stream like drunken cows.

People tell her

- Why don’t you write on paper? You could say so much more.

She says

- Because then I might want to use bigger words and I can’t swallow anything bigger than a four letter word.

Preferences
babysit
my imagination,
and
Woody asked;
Is it the artist or the person?
And
I
sit lost in that lobby
coddeling
the unreal,
protecting
my hope and
truncating my
question.
no sight
no smell

[via MER]

Valentine's as...Priority?

Lent is coming up again. And again, I take a slightly perverse pleasure in the fact that Valentine's Day occurs during Lent. So much for giving your sweetie a box of chocolates!

[via Deluded Wine]

The Newest Entry to link to me is:

menopausal bi-polar witch babbling

That adds to this list [also featured at the right]:

Been There...Still There
Bruce's World
The Invisible Sun
Jayson Besserer
Lake Neuron Bait Shop: of Wittenburg Door fame
Reflective Musings
ScottyD
...seeking serenity
Unedited Ravings
Wendycooper.net
Worship Freehouse

[and grrrl meets world had it on the sidebar/blogroll...but now it's on her bloglines/rss reader.]

(a poem I wrote Saturday)

forsakened

we join with others here
to usher in a message
sanctioned in these trenches
by a theater of anonymity

we sit and lie in wait
as the story unfolds before us
like a crime scene with a weapon
and a victim in a crowd

the shock and awe shuts our eyes
to rail against this injustice
that flogs our waning character
to rise to the occasion

faint hope ends after all the rage
and some just weep for applause
because they are nothing without love,
an enduring vulnerability

the quiet only invites us out

Valentine's as Alliance

From the back cover:

Have you ever left a meeting grumbling 'Typical male!' or 'Typical female!'? Although we all know that men and women behave differently, we can still be surprised or confused sometimes by each other's behaviour. Most of us have worked with someone whose style was more like what we'd expect from their opposite sex. Has their attitude ever irritated you or brought you to boiling point? ...

Rather than succumbing to gender stereotyping and apportioning blame, The Gentle Revolution identifies the eight definitive values that influence our traditional ideas of masculine and feminine. By completing several entertaining quizzes, you can determine which values most describe you, and discover the stumbling blocks you'll encounter as a result -- as well as the stepping stones to solutions. With plenty of real-life examples and a realistic approach, Helena Cornelius has written a book that no manager, employee or trainer can afford to be without if they wish to take part in the gentle revolution.

Not Very Miraculous?

Why do evangelicals fail to impact?

...the very thing which makes evangelicalism strong in a pluralistic society also dooms it to failure in making any kind of positive change in that society. That is, evangelicalism will never achieve its goals for the redemption of society because the tools in its toolkit don't work on societies.

For example, evangelicals have an atomistic view of society. In other words, they see society as nothing more than the sum of the individuals who make it up. When asked about social problems, evangelicals overwhelmingly state the answer to these problems is personal relationship. Here's the theory: if a father is beating his kids, a Christian man should befriend that man, and lead him to Christ, then he'll stop beating his kids; and once we do that with every child abuser, then the problem of child abuse will vanish from our society. One of the obvious problems with this line of reasoning is that child abuse, alcoholism, divorce, etc. are just as prevalent (or more) among evangelicals as among any other group.

When confronted with the obvious lunacy of this logic, the evangelicals interviewed had a hard time seeing that it was a problem, and when they did, they were often left speechless as to any other response to a social problem (several interviews are printed in the book).

For another example, when polled, the very things that evangelicals are most proud of about evangelicalism are the things most hated by non-evangelicals -- not a ringing endorsement from those the evangelicals are trying to convince.

[via Theoblogy]

Since (cough) Valentine's is Coming...

I HATE Valentine's, but even I don't know what's ickier:

Valentine’s Day is no longer about romance and love. According to feminist icon Gloria Steinem, “The shape we call a heart resembles the vulva far more than the organ that shares its name... It was reduced from power to romance by centuries of male dominance.” A few years ago Steinem and other radical feminists banded together to start a campaign to replace the traditional Valentine’s Day on February 14 with their “V-Day.”

The V-Day movement seeks to “reclaim” words that make most people blush and “stop violence against women and girls.” The V-Day website proudly states that “the ‘V’ stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina.”

[via Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute]

How about the matchmaking service Conservative Match (Sweethearts Not Bleeding Hearts)?

The editors of Time show this week that it's possible to depict evangelicals' political and theological diversity without staging another name-calling argument between Jerry Falwell and Jim Wallis. Good for them. [via GetReligion]

If you've read (or should read) The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience by Ron Sider, consider this too:

Conservative Christianity's new mandate is to forcibly prohibit any American from indulging in what they consider the worst sins-sins that used to be things like arrogance, selfishness, violence, greed, indifference to human suffering or even torture, but are now things like sex-ed, Halloween, cursing on TV, gay marriage, Harry Potter, "Happy Holidays" and Spongebob Squarepants.
----
Confrontational evangelism is the evangelism of choice in conservative churches today because it offers an outlet through which members can use their energy, passion and talents not to minister to individual souls (who may or may not be receptive or grateful), but to work with others in order to make a tangible difference in the way all Americans behave. The assumption-and it's a big one-is this: If you change the behavior, the souls will follow.

[via Jesus Politics, emphasis mine]

[via Man Descending]

Like Vietnam, Like Iraq