You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.
-Anne Lamott
ht: Christina
Monday, September 25, 2006
What it's like, part II
It's kinda like country life versus city life. Or possibly European versus American. Take whichever one you relate to most.
My point is that virtually every other church on the planet that I have had any part of, seems, for want of a better word, "busy". It was certainly at it's worst when Erik was on staff, but I'm speaking in more general terms here. For instance, on any given Sunday you arrive and there is typically a sort of bustling about the place as folks are greeting one another, depositing children to their appropriate locations, settling into their preferred location in the sanctuary, gathering needed information in lobbies, and nowadays even having their coffee and pastry. People to see, places to go, things to do. Like a busy dowtown street. (Please don't take this to mean that I have anything against greeters, childcare, or even pastries, although I do resent coffee that is offered with no options for us tea drinkers.)
On the other hand, when I walk into St. Nicholas on Sundays, I walk into rest. I walk into prayer and adoration. I see it, I hear it, I even smell it. The service starts with Matins, and while I will admit that my family does not make it early enough for that part, I'm pretty sure that there is minimal socializing happening. (I do know that is what it's like at Vespers.) Even prior to the beginning of the prayers, the priest is attending to rituals in preparation for it, so typically there is always an air of reverence in the place. There is no break between the end of Matins and the beginning of the Divine Liturgy. It is all just one seamless event. The thing about Orthodoxy though, is that your level of participation is largely open. The general standard is to stand the entire time, but there are some chairs for those who can't. Light a candle if and when you want. Kiss an icon. Make the sign of the cross. While there is an order to the service, there are also many aspects that are kind of "at your leisure" and as a matter of your personal worship experience. But throughout, you are also a part of the larger event that is happening.
My parents still live on the farm where I grew up in the Arkansas Ozarks. Whenever I wake up there, I get this wonderful sense of peace. The place is situated at "the head of a holler" which in everyday English, means it sits at one end of a long valley. When you sit on the porch swing, the peacefulness of it just surrounds you, engaging all of your senses. You breathe it in deep and at the same time recognize the bigness of all that you see. There are no deadlines when you live out there. It's not that there isn't work to be done, but it's just on a completely different timeline. As my Mom and Dad used to say, "ain't nobody waitin' on us". You can take the time to take it in. And that's kind of how liturgy feels for me. It's very deliberate, but not in an effort to take care of business, but more like an effort to be present both here and now as well as there and then.
I don't think I will ever find the perfect analogy to describe it, but for now, this is the best I can do. Hope it makes at least a little sense.
My point is that virtually every other church on the planet that I have had any part of, seems, for want of a better word, "busy". It was certainly at it's worst when Erik was on staff, but I'm speaking in more general terms here. For instance, on any given Sunday you arrive and there is typically a sort of bustling about the place as folks are greeting one another, depositing children to their appropriate locations, settling into their preferred location in the sanctuary, gathering needed information in lobbies, and nowadays even having their coffee and pastry. People to see, places to go, things to do. Like a busy dowtown street. (Please don't take this to mean that I have anything against greeters, childcare, or even pastries, although I do resent coffee that is offered with no options for us tea drinkers.)
On the other hand, when I walk into St. Nicholas on Sundays, I walk into rest. I walk into prayer and adoration. I see it, I hear it, I even smell it. The service starts with Matins, and while I will admit that my family does not make it early enough for that part, I'm pretty sure that there is minimal socializing happening. (I do know that is what it's like at Vespers.) Even prior to the beginning of the prayers, the priest is attending to rituals in preparation for it, so typically there is always an air of reverence in the place. There is no break between the end of Matins and the beginning of the Divine Liturgy. It is all just one seamless event. The thing about Orthodoxy though, is that your level of participation is largely open. The general standard is to stand the entire time, but there are some chairs for those who can't. Light a candle if and when you want. Kiss an icon. Make the sign of the cross. While there is an order to the service, there are also many aspects that are kind of "at your leisure" and as a matter of your personal worship experience. But throughout, you are also a part of the larger event that is happening.
My parents still live on the farm where I grew up in the Arkansas Ozarks. Whenever I wake up there, I get this wonderful sense of peace. The place is situated at "the head of a holler" which in everyday English, means it sits at one end of a long valley. When you sit on the porch swing, the peacefulness of it just surrounds you, engaging all of your senses. You breathe it in deep and at the same time recognize the bigness of all that you see. There are no deadlines when you live out there. It's not that there isn't work to be done, but it's just on a completely different timeline. As my Mom and Dad used to say, "ain't nobody waitin' on us". You can take the time to take it in. And that's kind of how liturgy feels for me. It's very deliberate, but not in an effort to take care of business, but more like an effort to be present both here and now as well as there and then.
I don't think I will ever find the perfect analogy to describe it, but for now, this is the best I can do. Hope it makes at least a little sense.
Another debacle in the kitchen
It sounded good on paper. Cozy Cheese Strata. Not so appetizing in real life, though, huh? The good news is that I think I have found the common denominator on these two recent disasters. I'm pretty sure it is a combination of doubling and eggs. The recipes I am working from are either for 6 people or 2 . . . basically too much or too little for us. So what I was trying to do was take the recipe for 2 and double it. Seems simple enough, right? Sure, until you actually compare the recipes and see that the difference in the eggs is 1 small egg for the 2 person and 1 large egg for the 6 person. Come on! Now, what I want to know is this. Does anyone out there shop at a grocery store that actually offers small eggs? All I have ever seen are things like large, extra large, jumbo, stuff like that. Not fair, I tell you. Not fair!
I did have one dish turn out alright last week (read: fully cooked), but it still wasn't really . . . . "right". I'll keep trying, though. Quincy said something about lasagna last week. Maybe we'll give that a shot sometime soon. I'm pretty sure there are no eggs, so what's the worst that can happen?
Don't answer that.
Dig this
www.pandora.com
It is this really cool streaming radio site, where you can customize your radio stations. All you do is enter one song or artist that you like and it will find other music with similar harmonic style, rhythms, and other musical type terms that I really don't understand. (Sorry Fil and Mil, no classical in their library yet. It's a shame, I know.)
Anyway, I have been having a lot of fun with it as I always seem to be on the search for something new, as well something old that I haven't heard in a while. Sadly I am finding it to be true that the older I get, the less appealing I find the current popular music.
You can check out my stations at the lower left hand side of my page. If you do decide to go and create some of your own, feel free to share. I'd love to hear!
It is this really cool streaming radio site, where you can customize your radio stations. All you do is enter one song or artist that you like and it will find other music with similar harmonic style, rhythms, and other musical type terms that I really don't understand. (Sorry Fil and Mil, no classical in their library yet. It's a shame, I know.)
Anyway, I have been having a lot of fun with it as I always seem to be on the search for something new, as well something old that I haven't heard in a while. Sadly I am finding it to be true that the older I get, the less appealing I find the current popular music.
You can check out my stations at the lower left hand side of my page. If you do decide to go and create some of your own, feel free to share. I'd love to hear!
Monday, September 18, 2006
My little scholars
Sent both my boys off to school last week. Makes a mother - and a wife - so proud.
Hopefully, the big one will be finished before we are at the little one's graduation. (Just kiddin' sweetie!)
Sunday, September 17, 2006
You thought I was kidding, didn't you?
"Honey, what are we having for dinner?"
"Ummmm . . . vomit?"
Seriously, I have problems in the kitchen. This one went wrong on several different levels, but believe it or not, we still actually ate some of it. Quincy even said he liked it, but that child (thankfully) will eat just about anything. The dogs and the garbage disposal got what was left. I think Aslan was pooping corn for about 3-4 days after.
Oh yeah. This is gonna be fun.
My "other" journey
Anyone who has known me for more than, say . . . ohhh . . a 24 hour period, probably knows that I am a far cry from a domestic goddess. Perhaps domestic pauper would be a little more accurate. However, I have found myself once again, with this strange desire inside of me to become profecient in the kitchen. (I'm also trying to keep my home tidier and in better order, but one lofty goal at a time here folks.) This isn't my first attempt, but for whatever reason, I seem to have more resolve this time around so we'll see how it goes. I actually stuck my toes in this water back at the end of spring, got discouraged during the summer, but now I'm back. In an effort to perhaps up the entertainment factor of my blog for my 3 readers, I thought I'd document my, err, odyssey? So far this week has seen 2 culinary travesties and 1 meal that we didn't throw away, which for me is a moderate success. So stay tuned kids, you never know what the future may hold . . . .
By the way, if I make it to Arkansas next month, my mom said she could teach me to knit. Could be interesting . . .
By the way, if I make it to Arkansas next month, my mom said she could teach me to knit. Could be interesting . . .
Friday, September 15, 2006
Another suggestion for your listening pleasure . . . .
Ray Lamontagne. The CD I am currently to is "Trouble", but I know he just released a new one that is probably every bit as good or better. If you don't trust me, go sample it on itunes. Or go check it out at the library. You may have to wait awhile, but I think it's worth it. If you like mellow, relaxing, folksy type stuff, you will think so too.
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