The remnants of Hurricane Katrina went through here last night and this morning. No longer a hurricane or tropical storm or tropical depression, it was no more than a low pressure system, you know, one of those red Ls on the weather map surrounded by a lot of clouds. It sure rained a lot. Started around supper time yesterday and didn't stop until just before lunch time today.
But man, it's hard to imagine, even when you see bits and pieces on TV, what's still going on down south. What's going to happen to all those people and to those cities? Is New Orleans going to be like Atlantis? Just disappear under the water? Or do you somehow rebuild the levees, pump the water out, and rebuild? I mean, is anything going to be recoverable after that flooding or do you start from scratch?
Like so many things that you only experience through the glow of the TV screen, it affects so many people but it barely touches so many more, if at all. We had a lot of rain last night but it ran into the sewers and out into Lake Erie or the Welland Canal. I don't know anybody along the Gulf Coast. Except for the pangs of sympathy, compassion, pity that I have for the people down there it's life as usual for me and mine.
In fact, today I took some time off to run a bunch of errands with my wife and kids and to have a bit of fun. First stop was the Orthodontist with J. Then it was to the mall, back to school supplies at Zellers. Then it was to the doctor so that A could get his Mumps/Measles/Rubella booster and his vaccinations would be up to date. Then it was to Costco (I'm never sure what we're going in there for but we always come out with a bunch of stuff). Then it was back to the mall for more back to school shopping, lunch in the food court, and then a big treat, taking a family of 6 to the movies (we saw Sky High, a fun movie with a soundtrack full of remakes of 80s tunes that took me back to my high school and university days).
Am I a jerk because I can blow a wad of cash shopping all morning and then blow even more to see a fun movie with the kids while so many people are suffering along the Gulf Coast? The last time I went to the movies there were a thousands or millions of people suffering and dying in many and various places in the world too. What do I do? I wear a white wrist band and type on my new blog. Ugh!
Shalom (please God)
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Monday, August 29, 2005
New Orleans is sinking man and I don't wanna swim
The following prayers, from a Danish Lutheran missionary manual, have been used for decades in parts of the Caribbean.
O Lord God, heavenly Father, in this perilous season of the year our land is often visited with tempests and gales, calamities and distresses by land and sea. From such evil spare us, we pray.
But if you loosen the wings of the gale and the earth trembles at your bidding--your will, O Lord, be done. Almighty Creator and heavenly Father, keep us in your mercy through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and rules with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one true God, forever and ever. Amen
O merciful God and heavenly Father, you asked us to call upon you in all our need and distress, and moreover, you promised to hear our prayers and to help us, thereby causing us to give thanks. During this perilous season, we have felt nature weigh heavily upon us. Keep us from anger, that we might turn our hearts to you, as the ruinous gale passes over us and the earth trembles.
We give ourselves to you with humble hearts, and pray that you will graciously grant by your Holy Spirit, that we are found thankful, not only in word, but also in deed and in truth, that our lives may give glory and praise to you, through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one true God, forever and ever. Amen
O Lord God, heavenly Father, in this perilous season of the year our land is often visited with tempests and gales, calamities and distresses by land and sea. From such evil spare us, we pray.
But if you loosen the wings of the gale and the earth trembles at your bidding--your will, O Lord, be done. Almighty Creator and heavenly Father, keep us in your mercy through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and rules with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one true God, forever and ever. Amen
O merciful God and heavenly Father, you asked us to call upon you in all our need and distress, and moreover, you promised to hear our prayers and to help us, thereby causing us to give thanks. During this perilous season, we have felt nature weigh heavily upon us. Keep us from anger, that we might turn our hearts to you, as the ruinous gale passes over us and the earth trembles.
We give ourselves to you with humble hearts, and pray that you will graciously grant by your Holy Spirit, that we are found thankful, not only in word, but also in deed and in truth, that our lives may give glory and praise to you, through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one true God, forever and ever. Amen
Welcome or not?
I’m in the midst of a sermon series on the Five Guiding Principles put together by Kelly Fryer and Cross of Glory Lutheran Church in Lockport, Illinois to clarify who and what they are as a congregation. The five principles are:
1. Jesus Is Lord
2. Everyone Is Welcome
3. Love Changes People
4. Everybody Has Something to Offer
5. The World Needs What We Have
Copyright © Kelly A. Fryer and Cross of Glory Lutheran Church.
We’re still reading the lessons and chanting the psalm each week according to the Revised Common Lectionary, it’s just that I’m not preaching any of those lessons during these five weeks. Yesterday we looked at principle #2, Everyone Is Welcome. It’s not something that a lot of people might disagree with but our practices don’t always mirror our ideals.
After worship one parishioner pointed out something that seemed a strange juxtaposition. The psalm, according to the lectionary, was Psalm 105.1-6, 23-26. Those verses were a fitting response to the first lesson (Ex 3.1-15) where Moses has his conversation with God at the burning bush. This parishioner read on through some of the verses that were omitted from the psalm and mentioned such things as "He struck down the firstborn of their land, the firstfruits of all their strength." "He gave his people the lands of the nations, and they took the fruit of others’ toil,...." "Hallelujah!" None of which sounds as inclusive as the Everyone Is Welcome message of my sermon.
He never said whether he agreed with my sermon message or whether he took to the message of the psalm verses that seemed to show God’s favour for Israel at the expense of the Egyptians "who rebelled against his words" and the Canaanites whose land and fruit they took.
Strange juxtaposition indeed. I’ll lead with the love foot rather than the law foot; with the grace foot rather than the judgment foot.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph 2.8-9).
Shalom
1. Jesus Is Lord
2. Everyone Is Welcome
3. Love Changes People
4. Everybody Has Something to Offer
5. The World Needs What We Have
Copyright © Kelly A. Fryer and Cross of Glory Lutheran Church.
We’re still reading the lessons and chanting the psalm each week according to the Revised Common Lectionary, it’s just that I’m not preaching any of those lessons during these five weeks. Yesterday we looked at principle #2, Everyone Is Welcome. It’s not something that a lot of people might disagree with but our practices don’t always mirror our ideals.
After worship one parishioner pointed out something that seemed a strange juxtaposition. The psalm, according to the lectionary, was Psalm 105.1-6, 23-26. Those verses were a fitting response to the first lesson (Ex 3.1-15) where Moses has his conversation with God at the burning bush. This parishioner read on through some of the verses that were omitted from the psalm and mentioned such things as "He struck down the firstborn of their land, the firstfruits of all their strength." "He gave his people the lands of the nations, and they took the fruit of others’ toil,...." "Hallelujah!" None of which sounds as inclusive as the Everyone Is Welcome message of my sermon.
He never said whether he agreed with my sermon message or whether he took to the message of the psalm verses that seemed to show God’s favour for Israel at the expense of the Egyptians "who rebelled against his words" and the Canaanites whose land and fruit they took.
Strange juxtaposition indeed. I’ll lead with the love foot rather than the law foot; with the grace foot rather than the judgment foot.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph 2.8-9).
Shalom
Get Lost Pat!
This little tidbit was in Friday's paper.
I'm glad they've stood up and done this. I sometimes see Robertson in the morning on the CBS affiliate and I don't know why they don't just boot his butt off the air for saying these kinds of moronic things. Are they that desperate for advertising revenue? Can't they find anything better than him to put on the air?
I also think Christian leaders who have their heads screwed on right and who get sick to their stomachs hearing Robertson's kind of blather ought to say something about his nonsense as well. In fact, if I can come up with the right words I might just send a letter off to our local paper(s) letting people know that he doesn't speak for the majority of level-headed Christians.
Shalom
FINNISH TV DROPS TELEVANGELIST'S SHOW
The only Christian TV channel in Finland said Thursday it will stop airing shows by American televangelist Pat Robertson because of his call to assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
The channel said its purpose was to spread a Christian message, not indulge in politics.
"It's sad that a leading Christian figure makes these kinds of statements," said the channel's executive, Martti Ojares. "The American style of mixing politics and Christian faith is also foreign to Finnish culture."
I'm glad they've stood up and done this. I sometimes see Robertson in the morning on the CBS affiliate and I don't know why they don't just boot his butt off the air for saying these kinds of moronic things. Are they that desperate for advertising revenue? Can't they find anything better than him to put on the air?
I also think Christian leaders who have their heads screwed on right and who get sick to their stomachs hearing Robertson's kind of blather ought to say something about his nonsense as well. In fact, if I can come up with the right words I might just send a letter off to our local paper(s) letting people know that he doesn't speak for the majority of level-headed Christians.
Shalom
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Friendly Competition
Our food bank in town is largely supported by area churches, hence the name Inter-Church Emergency Food Bank. It also receives great support from the local Lions Club who do a city-wide blitz on one day every November collecting door-to-door. Their blitz along with the consistent support of our churches keeps the shelves stocked at the food bank.
Around this time every year, at the end of summer and leading up to the Lions' blitz in November, the shelves start to get bare. Last year we started a garden behind the church. We roto-tilled part of the lawn and planted tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. The peppers didn't produce anything but we had a great crop of tomatoes and cucumbers that we took to the foodbank as they ripened. This spring we enlarged the garden, planted more tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and this year added peas, beans, and radishes. The radishes were done early. The peas produced one crop and then this summer's drought dried them up. Now the cucumbers, tomatoes and beans are producing like crazy. The food bank is open Tuesday and Friday mornings so on those mornings my wife picks whatever is ripe and one of us takes it down to be distributed.
But for the canned goods, peanut butter, jam, and cereal that is running out we're going to put a push on for the month of September. The Lutheran church around the corner (the other flavour from ours) challenged us to a friendly competition for one month to see which congregation can collect the most for the food bank. It think it's a good idea and we can have some fun with it while doing some good.
A few of our parishioners volunteer at the food bank and they say that now, in the summer, clients come in with their kids because they're not in school. It breaks your heart to see that. It angers me that we, in wealthy Canada, need food banks in our cities, and that there are families with kids who have to make use of them. More reason to Make Poverty History.
Shalom
Around this time every year, at the end of summer and leading up to the Lions' blitz in November, the shelves start to get bare. Last year we started a garden behind the church. We roto-tilled part of the lawn and planted tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. The peppers didn't produce anything but we had a great crop of tomatoes and cucumbers that we took to the foodbank as they ripened. This spring we enlarged the garden, planted more tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and this year added peas, beans, and radishes. The radishes were done early. The peas produced one crop and then this summer's drought dried them up. Now the cucumbers, tomatoes and beans are producing like crazy. The food bank is open Tuesday and Friday mornings so on those mornings my wife picks whatever is ripe and one of us takes it down to be distributed.
But for the canned goods, peanut butter, jam, and cereal that is running out we're going to put a push on for the month of September. The Lutheran church around the corner (the other flavour from ours) challenged us to a friendly competition for one month to see which congregation can collect the most for the food bank. It think it's a good idea and we can have some fun with it while doing some good.
A few of our parishioners volunteer at the food bank and they say that now, in the summer, clients come in with their kids because they're not in school. It breaks your heart to see that. It angers me that we, in wealthy Canada, need food banks in our cities, and that there are families with kids who have to make use of them. More reason to Make Poverty History.
Shalom
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
White Band
I've been wearing my white wristband since just after the Live8 concerts. In Canada you can buy them at Roots stores and at Ten Thousand Villages. I think the campaign in the U.S. is the ONE campaign (www.one.org). Here in Canada we're part of the Make Poverty History campaign (www.makepovertyhistory.ca). I've sent e-mails to Prime Minister Martin and my Member of Parliament, both before the G8 summit and now leading up to the United Nations Special Summit on the Millennium Development Goals.
September 10 is Global White Band Day 2. We ought to make ourselves heard and let our governments and the world know that we're not just fat, lazy, and greedy here in the north but that we care and want to do something to make the world better, starting with removing the crippling debt burden on the poorest of the poor. Wear a wrist band. On September 10 put white bands around the trees in your front yard. Write to the mayor and city council to endorse or proclaim 2005 the year to Make Poverty History. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Barrie, Ontario and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island have already done so.
The next thing to do is support and push fair trade but that's for another posting.
September 10 is Global White Band Day 2. We ought to make ourselves heard and let our governments and the world know that we're not just fat, lazy, and greedy here in the north but that we care and want to do something to make the world better, starting with removing the crippling debt burden on the poorest of the poor. Wear a wrist band. On September 10 put white bands around the trees in your front yard. Write to the mayor and city council to endorse or proclaim 2005 the year to Make Poverty History. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Barrie, Ontario and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island have already done so.
The next thing to do is support and push fair trade but that's for another posting.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Huh?
I was at a discount store last month and came across a boxed set of William Faulkner novels that was being read by Oprah's Book Club this summer. As I Lay Dying was being read in June, The Sound and the Fury in July, and Light in August in August.
I've never read Faulkner before. I'd heard of him but never knew anything about him or his novels. So, I bought the boxed set and started reading. Now, I'm a slow reader and I'm usually reading a few different things (newspapers, Golf magazines, theological books for sermon prep., etc.) so it's taking some time to get through these books.
I've read As I Lay Dying. I thought it was a good story. It was interesting reading the story from different characters' perspectives. I often didn't know what he/they was/were talking about. Some had said the topic was a little morbid for light summer reading but that doesn't bother me. Now I'm trying to read The Sound and the Fury. This is a different kind of book! I'm really confused. This is a prize-winning novel and so far I'm not getting it. Maybe I'll have to get Coles notes (the Canadian counterpart to Cliffs' notes) to be able to read this book.
Well, it's a challenge anyway.
Shalom
I've never read Faulkner before. I'd heard of him but never knew anything about him or his novels. So, I bought the boxed set and started reading. Now, I'm a slow reader and I'm usually reading a few different things (newspapers, Golf magazines, theological books for sermon prep., etc.) so it's taking some time to get through these books.
I've read As I Lay Dying. I thought it was a good story. It was interesting reading the story from different characters' perspectives. I often didn't know what he/they was/were talking about. Some had said the topic was a little morbid for light summer reading but that doesn't bother me. Now I'm trying to read The Sound and the Fury. This is a different kind of book! I'm really confused. This is a prize-winning novel and so far I'm not getting it. Maybe I'll have to get Coles notes (the Canadian counterpart to Cliffs' notes) to be able to read this book.
Well, it's a challenge anyway.
Shalom
Monday, August 22, 2005
Here I Am
Well, this is my first post. I know some people who've got blogs and I've often thought of starting my own. I don't know what I'm going to write here. I don't know how often I'll be posting. I hope this doesn't end up eating a whole lot of my time that could be used constructively in other ways. We'll see how it goes and whether anyone comes to read it or even cares what I've been thinking.
Shalom
Shalom
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)