All the lonely userpics...
Aug. 22nd, 2006 04:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
coffeesnob318I have not been here in ages. Summer almost killed me. So busy. So little in the bank account to show for it.
I forgot that my extra pic subscription expired. It was a little sad to log on and see all the pretty yet inactive pics.
I don't know where to start. I could sum up, I suppose. Summer was tough. And my running schedule bit the dirt, so I have no energy. I worked and worked and worked. And then I worked some more.
My car is almost paid off. I am ecstatic about this.
But if something doesn't change very soon, I may have to find a cheaper place to live. And cheaper usually means smaller. I wouldn't mind smaller if it's just me, but I have one houseguest and one roommate-to-be, and that doesn't fit into smaller. Besides, I don't have time to move. So my vote is something changes very soon, and that that something not be my house.
In more recent news, the kids came home! I cannot express how happy this makes me. And how much more available this makes me online, since I'm back to working nights for the semester. I can actually keep up with all of you again! I've missed you! Anything, specifically, that I missed about you that you want to rehash in the comments? I'll try to read through your posts as much as I can, but a month is a lot of catch-up.
We had Sunday Funday (the day the dorm opens - lots of people and volunteers to help out - and cookies!), and it went pretty smoothly. We have new RAs, and they're doing well.
Oh! Benji! Yay! *dances victory dance* I know that Travis is a better contemporary dancer and less limited in that way (and kinda the one I wanted to win), but I can't help but be happy for Benji. He's adorable and perfect. And he has an amazing torso. I want one for a pet (the Benji, not the torso. Unless...no...too weird.).
I probably have more to say about that, but it's a cloudy day in my head.
I have read more. The previous list:
1. The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
2. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
3. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller
4. Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen
5. Yeah, I said it by Wanda Sykes
6. Found in Translation by Kim Moor
7. My Point...and I do have one by Ellen DeGeneres
8. Why Girls are Weird by Pamela Ribon
9. Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell
10. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
11. Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
12. The Velveteen Woman: Becoming Real Through God's Transforming Love by Brenda Waggoner
13. Down to the Dirt by Joel Hynes
14. The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
15. Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller
The Irresistible Revolution: Living Life as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne
This is the best and most challenging (the content, not the read - actually a pretty easy read) and most disconcerting book that I've read this year. This quote sums a lot of it up: "There is a movement bubbling up that goes beyond cynicism and celebrates a new way of living, a generation that stops complaining about the church it sees and becomes the church it dreams of. And this little revolution is irresistible. It is a contagious revolution that dances, laughs, and loves."
In fact, most of this "review" is going to be quotes, because nothing I could say does it justice.
The state of the church in which we encourage people to be observers instead of active participants: "...as with any sports event, there are tons of spectators, desperately in need of exercise, who sit back and watch a handful of people who could really use a little break, and maybe a nice massage."
On injustice - "Over and over, when I ask God why all of these injustices are allowed to exist in the world, I can feel the Spirit whisper to me, ‘You tell me why we allow this to happen. You are my body, my hands, my feet.’”
It took me a long time to read it, because I spent a lot of time sobbing. He talked about Philadelphia and standing beside the homeless taking refuge in an abandoned cathedral when people came to throw them out. And I sobbed. He talked about writing and calling Mother Teresa in Calcutta and taking care of orphans. And I sobbed. He talked about going to Iraq - "These children were raised hearing bombs – in 1998, in 1991 – and yet they will still play in the park with people whose country is destroying theirs." And I sobbed (and really startled one of the Kodaly guests).
On loving not just until it hurts but until it kills us...sometimes literally - "If terrorists are beyond redemption, we can rip out half of our New Testament, since it was written by a converted terrorist who became an extremist for grace."
Quote from Will O’Brien – Alternative Seminary – "When we truly discover love, capitalism will not be possible and Marxism will not be necessary."
"We live in an age in which people, when they hear the word Christian, are much more likely to think of people who hate gays than people who love outcasts, and that is a dangerous thing."
"Nations will not lead us to peace; it is people who will lead the nations to peace as they begin to humanize the nations."
I almost need a tshirt with this Emma Goldman quote: "If I can't dance, then it is not my revolution."
And this was my favorite quote - "In fact, Jesus and the disciples would probably get in a lot of trouble in most fancy churches. They’d probably be turning water fountains into wine fountains, inviting kids to swim in baptistries, ripping holes in the roofs when the crippled can’t get in the doors, flipping over the cash registers in the bookstores – at which point a trustee would scold Jesus and ask, ‘Jesus!?!? What, were you born in a barn?’ And Jesus would nod."
All written by a guy who's not much older than I am (if he's older at all) who is living this out in what they call a simple way - www.thesimpleway.org.
So yeah. I liked it. A lot. Jim is making our whole church read it. I confess I'm a little scared.
Women’s Role in God’s Family: Beauty, order, protection, fullness, giftedness and fruitfulness for Jesus by some guy in some church
Yeah. His name wasn't on it. I visited the website where a friend of a friend found it, and I couldn't find his name there either. This was my second warning (the first being the title) that perhaps this was something that I would have a lot of problems with. I blame Shane Claiborne - his book was so challenging to me, I was in the mood to read something else extreme. And wow, did I find it. I also blame Mel a little bit, who gave it to me to read along with the vague request "Read this and tell me what you think" (my third warning...turns out, I'm not that quick).
There were a lot of technical hurdles I had to get past with this one. Take the format/writing, for example. Does the author get an electric shock if he doesn’t use a quotation mark every few words? If they were actual quotes, okay. But they aren’t. So don't use the marks.
I also felt like I was sitting in traffic, reading bumper stickers. I think he used every single Christian cliché known to humanity.
I think this is less of a writing than a transcript from a speech. A very bad speech using dull language. I can’t believe it says, "totally unBiblical" (in italics, no doubt), and yet I’m expected to take it seriously. Oh, it’s totally not in the Bible? *hair toss* Well, I’m convinced. *blinks*
The curse of not sucking as a writer is that, sometimes, you have to read someone who does not share said curse. The curse of being an elitist, arrogant brat is that you (and by "you," I mean "I") recognize and take pleasure in mocking said writing. Also, this may actually have been meant as a transcript and not a professional text (I'd email the author and ask, but, like I said, there wasn't one listed). So I’ll stop, and go on with mocking other, more deserving things... *ahem*
Even worse than the writing are some of the arguments that he makes. His claim that there is no doubt that God has separate but equal plans for men and women? *raises hand* I have doubts. And nervousness. History has shown us that humans don’t handle separate but equal very well. In reading the context (and in observing all my friends' marriages that work on a fairly consistent basis), it seems that Biblical submission and giving one's life for someone are not the emotionally sadistic monsters to which we’ve reduced them. It’s simply respect, born out of love and community. And that’s a good place to be, regardless of genitalia.
"If a woman is, out of frustration or pride, trying to fill the men’s role, God cannot use her to do what she is called to do." Isn’t that true of the whole church? Doesn’t frustration and pride cause everyone to miss what God calls them to do? Again, this is not something that's specific to women.
"In fact, the pew would be far less painful than most self-proclaimed more organic situations will be if egos and pseudo-scholarship (masking prejudice and agenda) rip through a group of Believers, spouting off their theories of women’s role or eschatology or evangelism or blah blah. It’s MUCH safer in the pew than to go through that nonsense." Uh...isn’t theory (and, as a real researcher, I use that term very loosely here) of women’s role EXACTLY what this little publication is? If so, I agree. It is nonsense. And I don't think one is allowed to use "eschatology" and "blah blah" in the same sentence. Just...no.
He starts off so defensive (and, thus, on the attack), it’s hard to filter through it to understanding (or, admittedly, even want to do so). The difficulty (and also the blessing, if one will unclench and give up the control freak nature and just let it be) of scripture being the living word of God is that the same passage can be interpreted multiple ways and, thus, can speak to multiple situations. And we all have our opinions on what is the most correct way to interpret it. These opinions are not necessarily bad; every person thinks that her/his opinion is right – why else would s/he favor it over other opinions? But it is the very height of arrogance to demand that one’s own interpretation of scripture is the only possible correct interpretation and that others who do not agree are obviously not hearing from the Spirit or are reading the Bible incorrectly or, as he goes so far as to imply/state here, are purposely twisting and rationalizing the scriptures to fit what they want them to say. Is disagreement really so threatening that one must launch a counterattack even before an attack is made?
What I did like was his urgency to throw away programs and hierarchy in the church and to get back to the organic lifestyle of the early church as described in Acts. I want this so bad. I want to live in community. And while I think that we’ve touched it, and that we’re on our way, I want more. I feel that urgency. And I liked all the scripture cross-references – it made checking up on them easy and calmed my unease about the feeling that I was being trapped into an argument.
Random rants - fun in blogging, so confusing in longer publications. In one paragraph, he says, "It HAS to be this way," and in the next, "Don’t be legalistic." I really want to understand his point – really, I do – I just need him to pick one.
"Paranoia, arrogance, ignorance of the Scriptures, and the traditions of men are four foes in this battle to understand the women’s role, each leading to a different way of missing God." He took the words right out of my mouth. I'm not sure that he would understand why I'd be saying it to him, though. The whole tone of his writing is the paranoid traditions of men, which tends to come out as arrogant. And I don't think he's ignorant of scriptures; he actually knows quite a bit of scripture. I just don't agree with his interpretation of most passages because his interpretation seems to ignore the context, which, to me, is of key importance in understanding the message.
I had a huge rant about his general opinion that women should always ask permission of a man before speaking in the meetings, but no one should have to read all that. So I sum up. Now, I'm all for order - not talking over each other - taking turns - all of that. But asking permission unequally does not exhibit true belief of equal value. Is it not understood when we gather to pray that everyone has permission to pray? I don't generally go to Jesus and say, "Can I talk to you?" The mandate is to pray without ceasing. Doesn’t that imply permission? So if I don't have to ask special permission from the Lord himself to pray, it seems a little heretical to suggest that I have to ask permission from men. This just seems like dressed up legalism, hiding behind scripture, the very thing the author so often blasts.
Men, can I pause in my scathing review to give you a little advice (if not, skip this paragraph, you weenie)? This applies whether you are straight or gay, Christian or not (although, if you're not, you're probably not still reading this). Here it is: I know that it is tempting to wax philosophical on how women should dress or groom themselves. I mean, those of you who are attracted to women, you have your preferences, right? And those who aren't still have ideas about how a person should look. But let me save you some anguish - either make it very, very clear that it is your own personal preference (and, thus, does not necessarily devalue those who don't personally want to date you) or that your high standards apply to men as well. Otherwise, don't say anything. Just don't. No matter how nicely you put it, it will be taken badly by someone (especially if you are daft enough to put it in writing), and from here on out, you get what you deserve because you have been warned. It doesn't matter that it is not your fault that so much of a woman's societal value is based on her appearance. It doesn't matter that you know that you don't think of women as mere decoration. The fact that you are fairly innocent does not erase the fact that this inequality of where a person's value lies does exist (although I do have to admit, men's value being set on how successful they are in their jobs isn't much of an improvement, except at least that's something he has more control over), and many women are sensitive as hell about that. And to them, any comment that you might make, regardless of how pure your intention is, is likely to be viewed as an indication that you are okay with this inequality (and just in case you missed the subtlety there, it's not okay to be okay with inequality.). Because this is what I (admittedly sensitive) got from this guy's lengthy treatise on why women should look a certain way - any attempt to look good is clearly a sign that you are worldly and not godly at all and are out to entrap men with your feminine wiles, but it’s okay to pretty yourself up, as long as your motivation is for others to not be distracted or put off by your grotesque deformity, such as a tumor or bad acne or being albino. Wow. Hateful.
!!! The following quote inspired me to hurl the text across the lobby as I screeched what might have been words unbecoming a child of God. He's talking about the movie The Postman as an example of why women must be very careful about how they are perceived (a preoccupation which, by the way, tends to make it very difficult to remain focused on Jesus). "One is a young, married woman who was STUPID enough to wander across the village square WHILE THE THUGS WERE STANDING ACROSS THE WAY!! [midquote rant...how dare she do something so crazy and unholy as to...walk...outside.../sarcasm] As a result, OF COURSE, the bad guy notices her youth and beauty and wants her and ends up murdering her husband. So WHO was responsible for that?? [midquote rant #2 - uh, the bad guy with the filthy, murderous heart, maybe?] It was HER.” Oh my. There are no words. Well, maybe there are a few. Does personal responsibility mean nothing to this author? It’s the age old blame game that started in the Garden – “THAT woman that YOU gave me.” It’s always everyone else’s fault. We propagate the myth that people are not fully responsible for their own sin, and then we wonder why we see so few men in strong spiritual leadership (real authority is not afraid of accountability). Advice morsel #2: Take responsibility for your own actions. This is not rocket science.
And yet we end the chapter on "Follow the Spirit." That’s good. Too bad we didn’t just start there and leave it at that.
In fact, it seems this whole exhausting rhetoric could be avoided with one life-giving truth – follow the Spirit.
So yeah. It was a little hard for me to get into this. It started out obnoxious. And badly written. But it improved slightly. Right before it got so much worse that I wanted to stab myself in the eye with an icepick. If one starts at about page 27, one can cut through a lot of rambling introduction. I tried to put aside my ruffled feathers and chagrin with the tone and really searched for his heart in writing this, which, believe it or not, I don't think is bad. I think he had good intentions, but roads paved with good intentions don't often lead to heavenly places. I think I came away with a nugget of something worthwhile. Unfortunately, this nugget was the urge to tell everyone not to read this crap.
Blue Shoe by Anne Lamott
I love Anne Lamott. She's as much of a mess as I am. And she reminds me that, if you want healing, you have to show God the mess. Jesus comes to people like us – we get peace “when we surrender to the horrible belief that God loves us anyway.”
I love how the main character will meet her children where they are. She will crawl under the table to lie down beside them, and they fall asleep right there, just like they are. None of this making sure they’re always sleeping in the bed with pajamas on and teeth perfectly brushed. Those things are all fine and good as the norm, but sometimes, you just need to lie under the table, just like you are.
The gentleness and understanding with which she approaches life is overwhelming. I haven’t even cried so hard at one of my own pets’ deaths as I did at the death of their dog and how she handled it.
She is good for me to read when I’m down, because she makes me deal with emotion, whereas I tend to shift into automatic. Her writing forces me out of that like few others can, and that’s good for me. I sometimes hate it, but it's good for me.
"Once you know where true is, it defines everything else that has to happen." Yeah.
"It was not facing what life dealt that made you crazy, but rather trying to set life straight where it was unstraightenable." And yeah.
This makes me want to read (and reread) everything she's written. She may be my new favorite author.
The Bird is a Raven by Benjamin Lebert
Yet another book in my weird new fascination with Angry Boy Fiction. I have to admit - I hate this author a bit. Not because he's bad, because he's not. He's a good writer. But because he's younger than I am and has published two novels already. He reminds me that I'm lazy.
But he's also adorable, so I can excuse it. Spiky hair and looking like he could play Peter Pan cover my jealousy.
It's basically the monologue of a guy the main character met on a train from Munich to Berlin. It's a lot more interesting than that sounds. His characterization is pretty good. And he does what I like so much about this genre (if it can be called that) - he doesn't try to make ugly things sound pretty by using nice words, and he makes ordinary experiences sound like the amazing things they actually are.
I liked it enough to reserve his other novel at the library. *grumbles something about "upstarts" bitterly*
Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott
This is a collection of stories that make up a testimony (to use a churchy word) of sorts. She talks about her life, her son, and her church. She paraphrases a priest who counselled her - "I guess it's like discovering you're on the shelf of a pawnshop, dusty and forgotten and maybe not worth very much. But Jesus comes in and tells the pawnbroker, 'I'll take her place on the shelf. Let her go outside again.'" And she uses one of my favorite verses from Micah - "And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
On a former church member who was losing her eyesight and her anger at God - "I always thought that was heroic of her, that it spoke of such integrity to refuse to pretend that you're doing well just to help other people deal with the fact that sometimes we face an impossible loss."
On why she makes Sam go to church - "The main reason is that I want to give him what I found in the world, which is to say a path and a little light to see by."
She talked about her eating disorders and having to train herself to feel hungry again. That hit a little close to home.
A quote that perfectly sums up why I love the ocean and rain and basically any imagery involving water - "Christianity is about water...in baptism, in lakes and rain and tanks and fonts, you agree to do something that's a little sloppy because at the same time it's also holy and absurd...a willingness to let go of balance and decorum and get drenched."
She reminds me of my mom (except she's a lot younger than my mom - so maybe a big sister). It's hard to find authenticity when you grow up in a more traditional church in a small town. But my mom and Anne Lamott are authentic. I always find it easier to trust people who say "shit" when "shit" is what they mean instead of trying to clean it up into something tidier that turns out to be, at best, a milky reflection of where they are.
I forgot that my extra pic subscription expired. It was a little sad to log on and see all the pretty yet inactive pics.
I don't know where to start. I could sum up, I suppose. Summer was tough. And my running schedule bit the dirt, so I have no energy. I worked and worked and worked. And then I worked some more.
My car is almost paid off. I am ecstatic about this.
But if something doesn't change very soon, I may have to find a cheaper place to live. And cheaper usually means smaller. I wouldn't mind smaller if it's just me, but I have one houseguest and one roommate-to-be, and that doesn't fit into smaller. Besides, I don't have time to move. So my vote is something changes very soon, and that that something not be my house.
In more recent news, the kids came home! I cannot express how happy this makes me. And how much more available this makes me online, since I'm back to working nights for the semester. I can actually keep up with all of you again! I've missed you! Anything, specifically, that I missed about you that you want to rehash in the comments? I'll try to read through your posts as much as I can, but a month is a lot of catch-up.
We had Sunday Funday (the day the dorm opens - lots of people and volunteers to help out - and cookies!), and it went pretty smoothly. We have new RAs, and they're doing well.
Oh! Benji! Yay! *dances victory dance* I know that Travis is a better contemporary dancer and less limited in that way (and kinda the one I wanted to win), but I can't help but be happy for Benji. He's adorable and perfect. And he has an amazing torso. I want one for a pet (the Benji, not the torso. Unless...no...too weird.).
I probably have more to say about that, but it's a cloudy day in my head.
I have read more. The previous list:
1. The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
2. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
3. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller
4. Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen
5. Yeah, I said it by Wanda Sykes
6. Found in Translation by Kim Moor
7. My Point...and I do have one by Ellen DeGeneres
8. Why Girls are Weird by Pamela Ribon
9. Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell
10. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
11. Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
12. The Velveteen Woman: Becoming Real Through God's Transforming Love by Brenda Waggoner
13. Down to the Dirt by Joel Hynes
14. The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
15. Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller
The Irresistible Revolution: Living Life as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne
This is the best and most challenging (the content, not the read - actually a pretty easy read) and most disconcerting book that I've read this year. This quote sums a lot of it up: "There is a movement bubbling up that goes beyond cynicism and celebrates a new way of living, a generation that stops complaining about the church it sees and becomes the church it dreams of. And this little revolution is irresistible. It is a contagious revolution that dances, laughs, and loves."
In fact, most of this "review" is going to be quotes, because nothing I could say does it justice.
The state of the church in which we encourage people to be observers instead of active participants: "...as with any sports event, there are tons of spectators, desperately in need of exercise, who sit back and watch a handful of people who could really use a little break, and maybe a nice massage."
On injustice - "Over and over, when I ask God why all of these injustices are allowed to exist in the world, I can feel the Spirit whisper to me, ‘You tell me why we allow this to happen. You are my body, my hands, my feet.’”
It took me a long time to read it, because I spent a lot of time sobbing. He talked about Philadelphia and standing beside the homeless taking refuge in an abandoned cathedral when people came to throw them out. And I sobbed. He talked about writing and calling Mother Teresa in Calcutta and taking care of orphans. And I sobbed. He talked about going to Iraq - "These children were raised hearing bombs – in 1998, in 1991 – and yet they will still play in the park with people whose country is destroying theirs." And I sobbed (and really startled one of the Kodaly guests).
On loving not just until it hurts but until it kills us...sometimes literally - "If terrorists are beyond redemption, we can rip out half of our New Testament, since it was written by a converted terrorist who became an extremist for grace."
Quote from Will O’Brien – Alternative Seminary – "When we truly discover love, capitalism will not be possible and Marxism will not be necessary."
"We live in an age in which people, when they hear the word Christian, are much more likely to think of people who hate gays than people who love outcasts, and that is a dangerous thing."
"Nations will not lead us to peace; it is people who will lead the nations to peace as they begin to humanize the nations."
I almost need a tshirt with this Emma Goldman quote: "If I can't dance, then it is not my revolution."
And this was my favorite quote - "In fact, Jesus and the disciples would probably get in a lot of trouble in most fancy churches. They’d probably be turning water fountains into wine fountains, inviting kids to swim in baptistries, ripping holes in the roofs when the crippled can’t get in the doors, flipping over the cash registers in the bookstores – at which point a trustee would scold Jesus and ask, ‘Jesus!?!? What, were you born in a barn?’ And Jesus would nod."
All written by a guy who's not much older than I am (if he's older at all) who is living this out in what they call a simple way - www.thesimpleway.org.
So yeah. I liked it. A lot. Jim is making our whole church read it. I confess I'm a little scared.
Women’s Role in God’s Family: Beauty, order, protection, fullness, giftedness and fruitfulness for Jesus by some guy in some church
Yeah. His name wasn't on it. I visited the website where a friend of a friend found it, and I couldn't find his name there either. This was my second warning (the first being the title) that perhaps this was something that I would have a lot of problems with. I blame Shane Claiborne - his book was so challenging to me, I was in the mood to read something else extreme. And wow, did I find it. I also blame Mel a little bit, who gave it to me to read along with the vague request "Read this and tell me what you think" (my third warning...turns out, I'm not that quick).
There were a lot of technical hurdles I had to get past with this one. Take the format/writing, for example. Does the author get an electric shock if he doesn’t use a quotation mark every few words? If they were actual quotes, okay. But they aren’t. So don't use the marks.
I also felt like I was sitting in traffic, reading bumper stickers. I think he used every single Christian cliché known to humanity.
I think this is less of a writing than a transcript from a speech. A very bad speech using dull language. I can’t believe it says, "totally unBiblical" (in italics, no doubt), and yet I’m expected to take it seriously. Oh, it’s totally not in the Bible? *hair toss* Well, I’m convinced. *blinks*
The curse of not sucking as a writer is that, sometimes, you have to read someone who does not share said curse. The curse of being an elitist, arrogant brat is that you (and by "you," I mean "I") recognize and take pleasure in mocking said writing. Also, this may actually have been meant as a transcript and not a professional text (I'd email the author and ask, but, like I said, there wasn't one listed). So I’ll stop, and go on with mocking other, more deserving things... *ahem*
Even worse than the writing are some of the arguments that he makes. His claim that there is no doubt that God has separate but equal plans for men and women? *raises hand* I have doubts. And nervousness. History has shown us that humans don’t handle separate but equal very well. In reading the context (and in observing all my friends' marriages that work on a fairly consistent basis), it seems that Biblical submission and giving one's life for someone are not the emotionally sadistic monsters to which we’ve reduced them. It’s simply respect, born out of love and community. And that’s a good place to be, regardless of genitalia.
"If a woman is, out of frustration or pride, trying to fill the men’s role, God cannot use her to do what she is called to do." Isn’t that true of the whole church? Doesn’t frustration and pride cause everyone to miss what God calls them to do? Again, this is not something that's specific to women.
"In fact, the pew would be far less painful than most self-proclaimed more organic situations will be if egos and pseudo-scholarship (masking prejudice and agenda) rip through a group of Believers, spouting off their theories of women’s role or eschatology or evangelism or blah blah. It’s MUCH safer in the pew than to go through that nonsense." Uh...isn’t theory (and, as a real researcher, I use that term very loosely here) of women’s role EXACTLY what this little publication is? If so, I agree. It is nonsense. And I don't think one is allowed to use "eschatology" and "blah blah" in the same sentence. Just...no.
He starts off so defensive (and, thus, on the attack), it’s hard to filter through it to understanding (or, admittedly, even want to do so). The difficulty (and also the blessing, if one will unclench and give up the control freak nature and just let it be) of scripture being the living word of God is that the same passage can be interpreted multiple ways and, thus, can speak to multiple situations. And we all have our opinions on what is the most correct way to interpret it. These opinions are not necessarily bad; every person thinks that her/his opinion is right – why else would s/he favor it over other opinions? But it is the very height of arrogance to demand that one’s own interpretation of scripture is the only possible correct interpretation and that others who do not agree are obviously not hearing from the Spirit or are reading the Bible incorrectly or, as he goes so far as to imply/state here, are purposely twisting and rationalizing the scriptures to fit what they want them to say. Is disagreement really so threatening that one must launch a counterattack even before an attack is made?
What I did like was his urgency to throw away programs and hierarchy in the church and to get back to the organic lifestyle of the early church as described in Acts. I want this so bad. I want to live in community. And while I think that we’ve touched it, and that we’re on our way, I want more. I feel that urgency. And I liked all the scripture cross-references – it made checking up on them easy and calmed my unease about the feeling that I was being trapped into an argument.
Random rants - fun in blogging, so confusing in longer publications. In one paragraph, he says, "It HAS to be this way," and in the next, "Don’t be legalistic." I really want to understand his point – really, I do – I just need him to pick one.
"Paranoia, arrogance, ignorance of the Scriptures, and the traditions of men are four foes in this battle to understand the women’s role, each leading to a different way of missing God." He took the words right out of my mouth. I'm not sure that he would understand why I'd be saying it to him, though. The whole tone of his writing is the paranoid traditions of men, which tends to come out as arrogant. And I don't think he's ignorant of scriptures; he actually knows quite a bit of scripture. I just don't agree with his interpretation of most passages because his interpretation seems to ignore the context, which, to me, is of key importance in understanding the message.
I had a huge rant about his general opinion that women should always ask permission of a man before speaking in the meetings, but no one should have to read all that. So I sum up. Now, I'm all for order - not talking over each other - taking turns - all of that. But asking permission unequally does not exhibit true belief of equal value. Is it not understood when we gather to pray that everyone has permission to pray? I don't generally go to Jesus and say, "Can I talk to you?" The mandate is to pray without ceasing. Doesn’t that imply permission? So if I don't have to ask special permission from the Lord himself to pray, it seems a little heretical to suggest that I have to ask permission from men. This just seems like dressed up legalism, hiding behind scripture, the very thing the author so often blasts.
Men, can I pause in my scathing review to give you a little advice (if not, skip this paragraph, you weenie)? This applies whether you are straight or gay, Christian or not (although, if you're not, you're probably not still reading this). Here it is: I know that it is tempting to wax philosophical on how women should dress or groom themselves. I mean, those of you who are attracted to women, you have your preferences, right? And those who aren't still have ideas about how a person should look. But let me save you some anguish - either make it very, very clear that it is your own personal preference (and, thus, does not necessarily devalue those who don't personally want to date you) or that your high standards apply to men as well. Otherwise, don't say anything. Just don't. No matter how nicely you put it, it will be taken badly by someone (especially if you are daft enough to put it in writing), and from here on out, you get what you deserve because you have been warned. It doesn't matter that it is not your fault that so much of a woman's societal value is based on her appearance. It doesn't matter that you know that you don't think of women as mere decoration. The fact that you are fairly innocent does not erase the fact that this inequality of where a person's value lies does exist (although I do have to admit, men's value being set on how successful they are in their jobs isn't much of an improvement, except at least that's something he has more control over), and many women are sensitive as hell about that. And to them, any comment that you might make, regardless of how pure your intention is, is likely to be viewed as an indication that you are okay with this inequality (and just in case you missed the subtlety there, it's not okay to be okay with inequality.). Because this is what I (admittedly sensitive) got from this guy's lengthy treatise on why women should look a certain way - any attempt to look good is clearly a sign that you are worldly and not godly at all and are out to entrap men with your feminine wiles, but it’s okay to pretty yourself up, as long as your motivation is for others to not be distracted or put off by your grotesque deformity, such as a tumor or bad acne or being albino. Wow. Hateful.
!!! The following quote inspired me to hurl the text across the lobby as I screeched what might have been words unbecoming a child of God. He's talking about the movie The Postman as an example of why women must be very careful about how they are perceived (a preoccupation which, by the way, tends to make it very difficult to remain focused on Jesus). "One is a young, married woman who was STUPID enough to wander across the village square WHILE THE THUGS WERE STANDING ACROSS THE WAY!! [midquote rant...how dare she do something so crazy and unholy as to...walk...outside.../sarcasm] As a result, OF COURSE, the bad guy notices her youth and beauty and wants her and ends up murdering her husband. So WHO was responsible for that?? [midquote rant #2 - uh, the bad guy with the filthy, murderous heart, maybe?] It was HER.” Oh my. There are no words. Well, maybe there are a few. Does personal responsibility mean nothing to this author? It’s the age old blame game that started in the Garden – “THAT woman that YOU gave me.” It’s always everyone else’s fault. We propagate the myth that people are not fully responsible for their own sin, and then we wonder why we see so few men in strong spiritual leadership (real authority is not afraid of accountability). Advice morsel #2: Take responsibility for your own actions. This is not rocket science.
And yet we end the chapter on "Follow the Spirit." That’s good. Too bad we didn’t just start there and leave it at that.
In fact, it seems this whole exhausting rhetoric could be avoided with one life-giving truth – follow the Spirit.
So yeah. It was a little hard for me to get into this. It started out obnoxious. And badly written. But it improved slightly. Right before it got so much worse that I wanted to stab myself in the eye with an icepick. If one starts at about page 27, one can cut through a lot of rambling introduction. I tried to put aside my ruffled feathers and chagrin with the tone and really searched for his heart in writing this, which, believe it or not, I don't think is bad. I think he had good intentions, but roads paved with good intentions don't often lead to heavenly places. I think I came away with a nugget of something worthwhile. Unfortunately, this nugget was the urge to tell everyone not to read this crap.
Blue Shoe by Anne Lamott
I love Anne Lamott. She's as much of a mess as I am. And she reminds me that, if you want healing, you have to show God the mess. Jesus comes to people like us – we get peace “when we surrender to the horrible belief that God loves us anyway.”
I love how the main character will meet her children where they are. She will crawl under the table to lie down beside them, and they fall asleep right there, just like they are. None of this making sure they’re always sleeping in the bed with pajamas on and teeth perfectly brushed. Those things are all fine and good as the norm, but sometimes, you just need to lie under the table, just like you are.
The gentleness and understanding with which she approaches life is overwhelming. I haven’t even cried so hard at one of my own pets’ deaths as I did at the death of their dog and how she handled it.
She is good for me to read when I’m down, because she makes me deal with emotion, whereas I tend to shift into automatic. Her writing forces me out of that like few others can, and that’s good for me. I sometimes hate it, but it's good for me.
"Once you know where true is, it defines everything else that has to happen." Yeah.
"It was not facing what life dealt that made you crazy, but rather trying to set life straight where it was unstraightenable." And yeah.
This makes me want to read (and reread) everything she's written. She may be my new favorite author.
The Bird is a Raven by Benjamin Lebert
Yet another book in my weird new fascination with Angry Boy Fiction. I have to admit - I hate this author a bit. Not because he's bad, because he's not. He's a good writer. But because he's younger than I am and has published two novels already. He reminds me that I'm lazy.
But he's also adorable, so I can excuse it. Spiky hair and looking like he could play Peter Pan cover my jealousy.
It's basically the monologue of a guy the main character met on a train from Munich to Berlin. It's a lot more interesting than that sounds. His characterization is pretty good. And he does what I like so much about this genre (if it can be called that) - he doesn't try to make ugly things sound pretty by using nice words, and he makes ordinary experiences sound like the amazing things they actually are.
I liked it enough to reserve his other novel at the library. *grumbles something about "upstarts" bitterly*
Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott
This is a collection of stories that make up a testimony (to use a churchy word) of sorts. She talks about her life, her son, and her church. She paraphrases a priest who counselled her - "I guess it's like discovering you're on the shelf of a pawnshop, dusty and forgotten and maybe not worth very much. But Jesus comes in and tells the pawnbroker, 'I'll take her place on the shelf. Let her go outside again.'" And she uses one of my favorite verses from Micah - "And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
On a former church member who was losing her eyesight and her anger at God - "I always thought that was heroic of her, that it spoke of such integrity to refuse to pretend that you're doing well just to help other people deal with the fact that sometimes we face an impossible loss."
On why she makes Sam go to church - "The main reason is that I want to give him what I found in the world, which is to say a path and a little light to see by."
She talked about her eating disorders and having to train herself to feel hungry again. That hit a little close to home.
A quote that perfectly sums up why I love the ocean and rain and basically any imagery involving water - "Christianity is about water...in baptism, in lakes and rain and tanks and fonts, you agree to do something that's a little sloppy because at the same time it's also holy and absurd...a willingness to let go of balance and decorum and get drenched."
She reminds me of my mom (except she's a lot younger than my mom - so maybe a big sister). It's hard to find authenticity when you grow up in a more traditional church in a small town. But my mom and Anne Lamott are authentic. I always find it easier to trust people who say "shit" when "shit" is what they mean instead of trying to clean it up into something tidier that turns out to be, at best, a milky reflection of where they are.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-08-22 03:34 pm (UTC)I missed you too!!!
g
no subject
Date: 2006-08-24 09:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-22 10:50 pm (UTC)Oh, wait. That would be the solution to my problem (crazy in-laws that I need to get away from) instead of yours..........
I can offer hugs instead? {{HUGS}}
no subject
Date: 2006-08-24 09:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-24 02:10 am (UTC)Speaking for said kids: We're glad to be back too!
no subject
Date: 2006-08-24 09:34 am (UTC)