Christmas traditions in media

My parents loved to listen to Dylan Thomas recite "A Child's Christmas in Wales". Thanks to the internet, I can share this with you.

And thanks to StumbleUpon, I've found another kind of music site, Songza. This one plays exactly what you want to hear (provided its on the web someplace). Today I've got my playlist set to play Handel and Bach.

Life Together/ Our Multicultural Church

Matt's blog really got me thinking. Here's my end of the conversation.

So I went to church yesterday. Our new pastor looks like Rowan Atkinson and speaks on two pitches - high note, low note, high note, low note - like a Mr. Bean pastor.

But I really am glad I went. There was a true feeling of communion and joy. And that's why I go to church. I get better sermons on the internet, and I can do better "Sunday school" study on the internet, but I can't get communion and joy anywhere else as I can in my church. Deitrich Bonhoeffer was right.

I read another article on Matt's blog and it makes me reflect on why my church has its great diversity (I think about this a lot.)I don't think it is because of the efforts of our current leadership. Our deacons are generally good old boys, complete with puffy hair and cowboy boots. Our retired former pastor was an important factor ... but so far, the misfits, such as me, that became part of the church, still feel very welcome.

The multi-generational families contribute a lot to age diversity. And even though I am the only one in my local family who is Christian, I love to see that at my church some couples CAN stay married, and whole families can worship together.

Another factor is my son's mother-in-law. She is from Panama and is as wonderful a Christian example that I know. She hosted a family of 5 in her very small house so that we could have Spanish-speaking associate pastor. When that family got their own house, she hosted another family so that we could have a Portugese-speaking congregation. She used her own money to fund the beginning of our ESL mission, the one that I'm involved in.

Then there are the African-American members who are really quite diverse from each other, but who I think have great guts to go against social pressures from their community and attend a historically "white" church. Our youth group really sticks out at a Southern Baptist gathering.

But, as our former pastor said. this a delicate thing. A precious thing, but something we don't talk about, something we don't promote. We are all pleased about it, but we don't know how we've succeeded. Generally folks in our church don't gripe and analyze and squirm the way I do. I'm pretty sure if there were a lot more INTJ's we'd probably spoil the wonderful diversity we have. But I'm not too worried that a lot of folks like me will be around.

I'm not doing a good job at leading to this conclusion, but here it is anyway. I think we have diversity because the amazing work of individuals. And that is not easy to create.

How to Survive Church

It's Sunday again and I'm again uncertain of if and where I'll be going to church. So I'm stalling on the internet and stumbled across a great blog entry . Who says the blog is dead?

Listening to Pandora

I have enjoyed Pandora for almost two years now ... maybe more. Right now I'm listening to mostly classical Christmas music. Non-stop, no commercials, no station breaks ... and, the BEST PART, if I don't like a selection I just give it thumbs down and it goes away!!
So, it occurs to me, dear Readers (all three), that you may have not heard of Pandora. If, not, here's a link. And it's free!

Pick your battles

"Christianity won't rise or fall on whether Wal-Mart employees say "Merry Christmas". But its future does depend, in part, on how God's people advance God's kingdom as we help establish his peaceful rule in the present historical moment, until Christ reigns in all his glory." - C. Colson

Mr. Colson has put into words something I've been thinking since I became a Christian about 11 years ago. I am grateful for those prominent Christians who advocate FOR something more than against something.

A good kick in the pants

I'm reading a wonderful book on teaching. It evokes so many of my feelings about teaching and reminds me of the true rewards of the profession.

What Would Jesus Buy?

From the guy who made "Supersize Me" comes this holiday movie:

"What Would Jesus Buy? follows Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir as they go on a cross-country mission to save Christmas from the Shopocalypse: the end of mankind from consumerism, over-consumption and the fires of eternal debt!"

http://www.wwjbmovie.com

Good day!

I woke up this morning feeling better than I have in months. I quit drinking coffee a few weeks ago and I know the withdrawal takes a very long time. Maybe two weeks? So the Word for the day is appropriate for me.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”- Colossians 3:16

a new video

It's been a while. This was my first attempt at using GarageBand.

Season's Greetings

website to check out

http://www.ask500people.com

50000 names

by Jamie O'Hara

There's teddy bears and high school rings
and old photographs that mamas bring
Of daddies with their young boy, playing ball.
There's combat boots,he used to wear,
When he was sent over there.
And there's 50,000 names, carved in the wall
There's cigarettes, and cans of beer
and notes that say I miss you dear
and children who don't say anything at all.
There's purple hearts and packs of gum
fatherless daughters and fatherless sons
and there's 50,000 names carved in the wall
They come from all across this land
In pickup trucks and mini vans
Searching for a boy from long ago
They scan the wall and find his name
The teardrops fall like pouring rain
and silently they leave a gift and go
There's Stars of David and rosary beads
and crucifixion figurines
and flowers of all colors large and small
There's a Boy Scout badge and a merit pin
Little American flags waving in the wind
and there's 50,000 names carved in the wall.

Rave

This was made ten years ago, but I just found it two days ago. Eddie Izzard is a genius. He's also terrific in FX's The Riches which I've watched for two days on iTunes.





Yea. That's the same guy!

Rant

I'm missing church yet again. I've got stomach problems again. This is the fourth day in a row and I haven't been all that well for several days before that. I'll be seeing my doctor on the twenty second.

I'm also emotionally up and down ... and mostly down.
I have the feeling that my perspective on the world has been flawed all my life. I seem to have delusions about my place in the work world ... it occurs to me that maybe the world doesn't owe me a living (Mother was right!).

I'm feeling somewhat disgusted with the field of education - whatever joy I've been getting out of it isn't what it's about.

I tried to watch a local tv show put on by our Board of Ed yesterday. I wish I could repeat the babble I heard to illustrate my disgust, but my brain just can't hold all that jargon. (I don't think the word "paradigm" was used. I'd have remembered that.) Here's a quote that has taken me a few minutes to dredge up:
"It's not a program, it's an initiative."
My non-professional response is: "WTF???"
And then the person ended her speech with the words "It's really just common sense." Which made me decide to turn off the TV in search of common sense.

The Nobel

Yes, I've always liked Al Gore. And on this poll Al Gore scores high with me. But the news media has done a lot of spinning the presidential race with the nobel peace prize. I think that's a shame.

A better reflection on the prize can be found here.

Saturday in the eighties

It's October now and the temperature is in the eighties on the Eastern Shore and the forecast has no change in sight. I am feeling grumpy about people continuing in racism and consumerism and ignorance, etc etc. Mostly grumpy that I seem to be limited in how I can act to stop these things.
Here's what I'm trying to do ... and I'm trying to mention it whenever I can ... buying local produce, driving 55, recycling bottles for water, making my own tea, and soft drink, cooking from scratch, eating less meat, losing weight, buying fairtrade goods whenever I can.

While looking for pictures I found a better rant than I can give. That rant cites another rant.

I was a stranger

One of my favorite bloggers pointed out a historic connection I hadn't made. He points out that the underground railroad was a Christian act of kindness to Christ as a stranger.

Here's the response I added:
"Good morning. I just opened my first bag of fair trade coffee (and it’s delicious)
Your post makes me think of how immigrants are met with such scorn in recent days. If I do my bit in helping people make a living, they might never have to leave their tropical paradises to come here and make money for their loved ones back home.
More on the Christian response to immigrants.
Today I happen to be starting a Saturday prayer meeting in support of our church’s ESL classes. Your post gives me encouragement!"

So, yes, I'm going over to the church this afternoon and hopefully every Saturday afternoon until January when we'll start the ESL classes again. I say "we" optimistically because Saturday afternoon is not a great day for regular volunteers. Why such a dreadful timeslot? Well, it's MY best time to volunteer and I did it for years before I got fancy and tried to pick better times. When I tried to serve on Mondays and Thursdays I burnt myself out and didn't do anyone any service. But I'm not going to make any definite statements about what's going to happen in the future. That's what the praying is for.

First look, then start talking

For an introvert, I sure do enjoy talking to strangers. So my most recent read is right up my alley. Donna S. Thomas, First Look, Then Start Talking . It's about something I found out a few years ago - I can be Lottie Moon the famous missionary right in my own town. I'm looking forward to reading about Mrs. Thomas' insights and experience.
She describes herself as a "counter" and I relate to that as well. Ever since I heard Dick Gregory ask our college audience in the very early seventies "How many Chinese do YOU know?" I've been counting Chinese friends. Thanks to Skype, and Kantalk, I'm doing better there.

RIP Max Roach

I wish I'd gone to U Mass instead of Springfield College in the late sixties. Max Roach was teaching, Dwight Allen was dean, and later, Bill Cosby was working on his doctorate.

It's been a long summer and too short

Oh yes, it's the school professional's unappreciated whine ... poor me, I've had this big vacation and now it's over!

I was able to complete the writing workshop with 6 grad credits and a stipend. Feels good! I write a lot slower than I would wish, but I was very happy with what I did. I'm working on a short story now. There is nothing short about the process!

I also did a little face to face ESL teaching as a favor to our Korean pastor. 12 adolescents. It was great to know I could do it, but my stamina is still short.

I've been recovering pretty well from the earlier stroke. I'm grateful that my typing has improved ... I was afraid that my work would be badly hampered, but now I feel close to par. Speaking of going back to work, I think I'm going to get a wheel chair so I be more mobile when doing lunch duty and other monitoring. My regular exercise in the pool has been great for me overall, but the pain in my back has been pretty constant all year long and I'm accepting the idea that I may have to live with this.

My computer was out of whack for a few months. Thanks to my son for nagging me to check out if I was covered under warranty.