We become what we worship

“The Gods we worship write their names on our faces; be sure of that. And a man will worship something ... That which dominates will determine his life and character. Therefore it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

The ancient Hebrews knew this, of course, long before Emerson.

Their idols are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
    eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear;
    noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel;
    feet, but do not walk;
    and they do not make a sound in their throat.
Those who make them become like them;
    so do all who trust in them. (Psalm 115:4-8)

Austin Fischer on conferences

Austin Fischer writes at his blog:

“... if {XYZ Conference} is the most spiritual moment of your year, a.) I feel bad for you…b.) you’re not going to be able to love and serve your actual church. And that’s because your actual church actually has to be the church. It has to deal with crying babies, botched song transitions, average sermons by not-famous people, and a budget for the year that is half as small as that for 4 days of {XYZ Conference}. It’ll never measure up and so you’ll probably bail and look for a church that will feed your {XYZ Conference} addiction ... or you’ll stay and complain and never put down any real roots.”

— Austin Fischer, "What to Make of Passion"

Full confession: I love going to conferences. I've been to many Christian conferences and I find them generally refreshing, enriching, enlightening, inspiring, and a whole lot of other "ings". That admission aside, Fischer is spot on when he identifies the pitfalls (especially to teen and college-age Christ-followers) of Christian conference addiction.

Who knew?

I ran across this fascinating little sketch of the history of "the sinner's prayer" during my reading this morning. I had no idea, and was surprised to learn that it was the Puritans and Calvinist revivalist preachers who popularized the language that became the prayer.

The final straw

Reuter's reports:

Not "THE" cat, but really, aren't they all the same?

A rampaging, 22-pound Oregon house cat with a "history of violence" attacked a baby and trapped a family and their dog in a bedroom at their Portland home before being captured by police, authorities said on Monday.

I was tempted to respond, well what did they expect from a cat? I generally view every cat as a minion of Satan until proof to the contrary is made evident. Then I read,

The baby's father kicked the cat in the backside, which sent it into a rage, and the parents and baby, along with their dog, retreated into a bedroom as the father called police, Simpson said.

Two thoughts present themselves. (1) I guess that kick was for the final straw for the felonious feline, and (2) Sweet fancy Moses, what self-respecting dog...

Prayer for others

Canticle
Christ, as a light
illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield
overshadow me.
Christ under me;
Christ over me;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light;
Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.

Blessing
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing
once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

~ Morning Office of the Northumbria Community

A thought early on the Lord's day

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others.”

— Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC – 43 BC)

Opera Friday

Beverly Sills, one of America's greatest operatic sopranos, in one of her earliest televised performances. She performs an aria from the 20th century opera The Ballad of Baby Doe. It is a fiendishly difficult aria that sounds deceptively simple--at least Sills makes it seem so. The composer, Douglas Moore, introduces the performance. 

Harleman on "Frozen"

James Harleman of Cinemagogue has a three-part review of Disney's Frozen. As is typical with Harleman's reviews, he writes with great biblical insight on the film. I particularly liked his take on the major failing of the film, that being the scene when Elsa sings her power ballad, "Let it Go."

Harleman writes,

I remember when some people freaked out about the “Circle of Life” philosophy in The Lion King… but put that aside for a moment, because I don’t think you’re gonna find a more jacked up song than “Let it Go.” Stay with me, here… for just a moment I want every earnest parent to consider what they’re lauding alongside their soon-to-be-Elsa’s-age daughters (and boys: let’s be equitable here). I’m sure we’re all anxiously awaiting the day our kids say “F— all y’all, I’m out of here… and I don’t need your ethics, values, morals, or any of that crap. I’m free.”

I was troubled by these same thoughts when I first saw the film, and watching it again recently with my children brought them back to mind. I wanted to give Disney the benefit of the doubt, and surmised the writers might have meant the song to be poignant and ironic. We're perhaps supposed to feel a mixture of joy that Elsa is now able to realize she is a person of value and not a monster, and at the same time a sense of sorrow because we in the audience know that of which she is unaware in her moment of liberation: her "liberation" is as much a prison as the life in which she lived before. How she expresses her freedom and identity is toxic to herself and others. The liberated persona she now seeks to create,  completely cut-off from her community, from the people who look to her for leadership, and from those who dearly love her.

She may now use her powers safely, she thinks. We know differently of course because we see the consequences her actions are having on others. The fimbulwinter with which she shackles her kingdom takes an awful toll on its inhabitants. She is free and alone; they are imprisoned and slowly dying in a frozen world of her making.

Harleman observes,

Clearly, the anthem that emerges in the middle of the film is the ranting of a confused young adult reveling in a sense of newfound freedom, which turns out to be more destructive than the strictures she faced before. Yet, although the narrative restores and reconciles by the end… the horribly flawed lyrics reappear as credits roll and we’re encouraged to sing along! If that logic could be visually depicted as our friendly snowman Olaf, it’s clear someone put the butt where the head should be. The big, probably-Oscar winning musical number everyone croons clearly cracks under the events of the third act… yet I wonder if anyone is paying attention. More likely, they’re just “feeling” a sense of lyrical liberation with the same kind of passion Anna felt when she was “certain” Hans was her one and only love.

Harleman goes on to compare and contrast this theme of the film with scripture, and as usual writes with good pastoral insight. He closes by noting the miraculous truth that lies near the heart of the gospel, "It’s the beautiful, creative paradox of the God’s true story: we are set free to become servants."

Have we learned our lesson yet?

In 2010 The New York Times reported,

The findings have surfaced with ominous regularity over the last few years, and with little notice: Members of the clergy now suffer from obesity, hypertension and depression at rates higher than most Americans. In the last decade, their use of antidepressants has risen, while their life expectancy has fallen. Many would change jobs if they could.

Public health experts who have led the studies caution that there is no simple explanation of why so many members of a profession once associated with rosy-cheeked longevity have become so unhealthy and unhappy.

But while research continues, a growing number of health care experts and religious leaders have settled on one simple remedy that has long been a touchy subject with many clerics: taking more time off.

Have we learned our lesson yet? Have church laity, leaders, and pastors figured out yet that the way we are expecting our pastors to live and do ministry is unsustainable? It appears that the answer is no. Since 2010 the statistics for pastoral burnout haven't improved.

"Insanity", Einstein defined, "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Tenders, loins, and other mysterious parts

I've long pondered the perennial question, especially when sitting in a drive-thru line or at a grocery store... what are tenders and where on the chicken does one find them? I also used to wonder about "sweetbreads." They are neither sweet nor bread-like so the name is puzzling. I finally learned where one obtains them, and wish I hadn't. Ignorance, as they say, is bliss.

Now I have a new one: tilapia loins. 

The tilapia is a cute little fish. I think he's part of the perch family, but I could be wrong. But I ask you, where does he hide his loins? He's a fish! Do fish have loins?!?