Friday Five: Culture

Name a
1. Book- I Rather Teach Peace by Coleman McCarthy
2. Piece of music--Anything by U2 and Gabriele and Vagabond by Foy Vance
3. Work of art---lots of great contemporary art that places Jesus with people on the fringes, folks who are different and not the traditional white people art. I also like the painting of the Storm on Sea Galilee. If you look closely (at the white people) they are all having vastly different reactions. One guy prays, another tries to battle the storm, another gives up, one is even hurling cookies over the edge of the boat. Great expression of how various personalities cope with stressful situations.
4. Film- City of Joy with Patrick Swayze and Playing in Fields of the Gods (i think is title). It is about group of missionaries who try to bring white, middle class American culture(along with message of the Gospel) to a tribe of Amazonian Natives in Brazil.
5. Unusual engagement with popular culture- My seminary trip for Alternative Context to Jamaica. We saw so many different facets of society, some that we might have never even seen here. Tourign a maximum security prision was one of the most challenging things for me.
that have helped/ challenged you on your spiritual journey.
Bonus: Is engagement essential to your Christian faith, how and why?
Engagment is absolutly essential to my faith and I feel more churches need to find ways to reach out and discoer ways of engaging in cultue to understand "the other." Your discovery may be suprising, tough, filled with harsh truth and reality, but you always fidn a brother or sister on the other side of it, who happens to be equally blown away in their search.
Great FRiday Five!!! Thanks!

Prayer Requests and update

Hi...
Two major requests coming your way.
1.) Some members of RGBP, as well as many, many others(who are members of a certain denomination of which are some more RGBP) will be taking exams for their ordination this weekend(some while y'all are reading this). Please keep them in prayers. For Harry Potter fans, just think of the OWLS in Book 5, "Phoenix. " Huge stressor for most, different ways to handle the stress (- and +) and a just an intense time in life. This is nationwide in denomination, at many other schools.
2.) Also, certain folks (smaller in number have just begun their time in seminary and will be taking a final in Greek tomorrow morning. Pray that will will remember what they've learned and what they already know and also pray that they realize they DO INDEED know a whole lot.
3.) And, on personal note, just spent some time at Hogwarts of the South, even ate in the Great Hall. I can swear to you that a certain( smiling) professor of theology gave me a wink as I walked in for lunch. If you don't already know him, seems he wrote a nice little book, uh... something about Christian doctrine, I believe. Anyhow, he winked at me from the picture on the wall, I promise!!! Just like in Harry Potter.
So, had a good visit, reconnected with alum, faculty, and staff. Thanks to all. Came away feeling more myself and reaffirmed in so many ways.
I also had a great shopping experience at the incredible market there, where you can buy anything you can think of food wise (breads, cheeses, wine, fruits, veggies, chocolate) and the list goes on. Picked up two loaves of the preferred communion bread of above said school. Also have fresh strawberries which really seem a shame to eat alone, but seeing as how, there is not a Mr. Someone to eat them with me...or feed them to me, I must eat them alone.
Mel is glad his mommy is home and was quite the little guy this evening as I had a conversation with a church. It went well and I feel good about it overall. I kept thinking about wheter or not my answers were "good enough." I just decided, like just right now, that of course they were indeed good enough, as they were my answers, not somebody else's. the best person I can be serving a church, is myself, had more experience being me than anyone else has to date.
It would be unfair to the church and to me to answer any ohter way. So, wheter or not this leads to a job, I think I was okay tonight, since I told them what they needed and deserved to hear rather than just what they wanted.
Oh, this was long! Prayers, lvoes, hugs to all, but especially for thsoe who must test and be tested on this day. Go team! Go!

Cookies Anyone?

You Are a Black and White Cookie

You're often conflicted in life, and you feel pulled in two opposite directions. When you're good, you're sweet as sugar. And when you're bad, you're wicked!

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

This makes me think of the Senifeld episode where Jerry buys a black and white cookie in he bakery while Elaine is buying a cake for the party they don't go to and Krammer is off getting the wine. The whole idea (for Jerry)with the black and white cookie is that is uniting races togetehr and so he sees a black guy with a cookie and does a raised cookie toasts.

I truly can be wicked whe nit coems to baking cookies and other desserts.

Friday Five

This one is patterned off an old Friday Five written by Songbird, our Friday Five Creator Emerita:
Below you will find five words. Tell us the first thing you think of on reading each one. Your response might be simply another word, or it might be a sentence, a poem or a story.
1. vineyard Wine
2. root-Latin (as in root words)
3. rescue-Rafts and lifesaver rings (and a blond Tom Hanks with a beard)
4. perseverance- Accomplishment (also finishing a race or project)
5. divided- A house falling down
(Each of these appears in one of the readings from this Sunday's lectionary.)
So, now y'all know how weird I truly am. I wear my weirdness proudly, like a 1st place badge at the County Fair!

Stress-Busters

1. First, and before we start busting stress, what causes you the most stress, is it big things or the small stuff ? According to a famous saying, it is all small stuff, so small stuff, but usually the kind that seems big in the small picture that is in the big scheme of things.
2. Exercise or chocolate for stress busting ( or maybe something else) ? Pass the Hershey kisses please!
3.What is your favourite music to chill out to? Norah Jones, Instrumental hymn music with nature sounds and Indigo Girls
4. Where do you go to chill? Outside, except when it is hot and humid. I also enjoy seeing a movie alone. it is a couple of hours to be lost and not worried.
5. Extrovert or introvert, do you relax at a party, or do you prefer a solitary walk? See ya after my walk! :)
Bonus- share your favourite stress busting tip!
Bubble bath, petting my cat (rhythmic purring sounds are so soothing to me), and cooking. Crafts have been great therapy as of late.

Drum roll, please

I have a presentation to make...

The above cocktail napkin, yet another great motto for Revgals (and pals alike), is part of a set that will be given to our own St. Casserole. They are in the mail to her on Friday. This is part of our ongoing celebration of our blog anniversary and in honor of her getting us all up and going. Okay, my head hurts, so I am not sure if it is the headache or the photo that is blurry. Just in case, it reads, " If you wear really cool shoes, people will notice your shoes and not the size of your tush!

Thanks St. Cass. We love you, your shoes and your tush!!!!!!!

Note to All

I decided to go ahead and delete the post, just to be safe.
I will keep y'all updated as I know more about job situation and life on the home front. No defitnes yet, but I have sent off lots of resumes/letters. my therapist encourages me to enjoy the tiem of not workign nad consider it a blessing.
So far, I am learning how to bead, catching Food Network, doing some other craft stuff and I am reading a lot. Also, watching some movies. I am doing the stuff I never had time to do before.
I saw Premonition tonight. It was okay, but I was let down by the ending. So, of course I watched the alternative ending to see how it went. Wasn't any better.
O'well...
Melech appreciate teh hugs sent his way. Poor guy has a tough job keeping Mommy sane.
I think I am making a pistachio-pineapple pound cake this weekend. Drop in on Saturday for a slice and some fair trade coffee. Help yourself if I am not up. I am not an early riser these days.
I would still love to hear sermon ideas, I like to keep my mind working on them so as not to lose practice.
Much love to all,
1-4 G