I thought we'd be gone all weekend, down in Xenia getting the last of our stuff out of the garage at the old house. However, J had other plans. I am glad we did it the way we did, after all. Friday night, we tried to go walk around Crocker Park with the eldest one. However, he quickly found his buddies and ditched us, so we were free to go home. I'd had some flank steak in a soy-wine marinade (see www.lunacooks.blogspot.com for recipe) since 3:30, so we had that for dinner with rice and salad. Then, Pie went back to playing Oblivion and we watched Children of Men, which both of us found horribly depressing. Boot was home only 4 minutes past curfew, a landmark for him! As soon as he was home, we went to bed in order to arise early and drive down to Xenia.
In the morning, we stopped for coffee then hit the road, happily munching Trader Joe's scones & chatting in the early morning light. We saw a lovely deer on our way down, one who was considering going out on the highway. With a great deal of horn persuasion, I was able to get it headed in the opposite direction, back into the woods. I hate to see deer killed on the road.
We hit Fairborn just a few minutes after 10 and picked up our 10' rental truck. J bravely drove it. We did a walk-through of the house, then loaded everything in the garage into the truck. I'll have to go back this week and get the dehumidifier for my grandies and bulletin board stuff for the old church, but other than that, we are finished with that place! I pray the deal goes through and closing is held as scheduled on Friday. With all inspections & appraisals out of the way, it should go smoothly. I will be beyond thrilled to get that house out of our lives, regardless of how much lower the selling price is than what we originally asked. It was a wonderful shelter while it was time for us to live there, but we need to pass it on and move forward with our lives. I felt no longing for the house as I walked through, no sadness at leaving it altogether. I have a lot of good memories from there, but I've said my farewell. I do look forward to someday having another wonderful house, with plenty of room for entertaining and books, but that one is not it any longer.
We arrived back home shortly after 4 and hung out with the boys. We had scrambled eggs with spinach and cheddar along with fry bread for dinner. In the evening, the boys hung out together and J napped in my lap while I watched Volver, which was a terrific film! I like Penelope Cruz anyway, but the film just had a great storyline and was wonderfully done. I can't wait for my mom to see it so we can talk about it.
Sunday morning, I led the adult Sunday school group in a discussion of the "dying well" chapter of the Bass book. I wanted to stay for the confirmation service, but I had one more worship service to attend for my paper that's due next week. I thought Friends Meeting would be a nice complement to the Assembly of God and Catholic services I'd already attended, so I Mapquested the directions and set out. It turned out that the route for a run was right where I needed to go. Luckily, with some detouring and the help of a policeman, I was able to get to meeting in plenty of time.
The Cleveland Friends Meeting is in a lovely old University Circle mansion. I was greeted warmly as soon as I entered. I chatted with a couple of Friends about the UCC, seminary, the death penalty and inter-faith organizations. I felt very much at home. Meeting for worship was held in a large parlor filled with folding chairs. I spent about a third of the time wrestling with monkey mind, a third breathing and smiling and listening to the sounds in the room and a third out of the room altogether, visiting with God. I found it very restful and think it might be a good supplement to UCC worship fo me. J would have been bored out of her skull. I did find myself wishing to be seated on the floor rather than in the chair, but the silence and stillness was very peaceful. I think it helped that I have been to Friends Meeting in Yellow Springs and St. Pete before, so the practice wasn't totally foreign to me. Having read some Buddhist literature helped, too. There was only one message spoken during the hour, a woman speaking of Julian of Norwich's "All shall be well" and how we need to experience sitting at the feet of Christ and being totally cared for every so often. Meeting is a good way to get "plugged in" as she put it. I really like the idea of regularly taking time to be still and listen to God (that word is so loaded), whether it is with Friends or during daily meditation time at home or sitting zazen in a sangha. UCC (and most) worship is so much doing, with very little room for just listening.
After meeting, I was urged to join the group for delicious lentil soup and conversation. I did that, but knew I needed to get home to be with the family, so did not stay for the business meeting I was invited to sit in on. I think that would be really interesting sometime, but yesterday was not the day. On the way home, I drove through the cultural gardens. I would like to take J and a picnic back there someday to walk around and see them all.
J and Boot had spent the morning at the mall and managed to get very lost on the way home, but they arrived shortly after I did. Boot helped us unload all the excess moving boxes and paper into the dumpster. Then, we all went down to the pool for lunch. Pie went in the water very briefly, but we mostly just hung out around and not in the pool. It is a chilly May. Maybe not so chilly for this area, but certainly chillier than I am used to. We grilled dogs and had lunch there, but did not stay for a very long time. Boot wanted us to go to Crocker Park with him, so we poked around his favorite stores there. I think it's funny and sweet that he's 14 and still wants us to hang out with him. He found a couple of hoodies he liked and J got me a bracelet made of worn wooden beads that reminds me of Buddhist prayer beads. When we got home about 20 after 5, Boot's dad was impatiently waiting for him. He forgets, apparently, that we officially have Boot until 6. So, when he arrives early and has to wait, he gets out of sorts. Pobrecito!
After they left, we took the truck over to our storage unit and unloaded it, just barely fitting everything in! I am so glad to have done with that. We ate dinner at Key West Grill, a never-to-be-repeated experience. Our waitress was simply horrible, the food mediocre (and J is sick from it today) and the whole experience just lacking in charm. Damn, I hate that. They are lucky I wasn't doing a review because it wouldn't have been good. At all.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Moms at the Grill
Well, only one of us was actually at the grill this past weekend, but that was our special Mother's Day celebration. Since we and the kids love to hang out at the pool & grill out, we decided this weekend would be as good as any to inaugurate the grilling season. So, we skipped the fancy brunch out in favor of burgers and brats Saturday night and bbq pork chops Sunday noon. It was a blast, as was the rest of the weekend.
Friday night, the boys went over to Crocker Park to hook up with one of Boot's buddies for subs and strolling. I suspect there is a decent amount of girl-watching that goes on, too! J and I went to the grocery, stopping to lie in the grass on the way out. It smelled so fresh and green. It was fun looking at the world from that vantage point & we had fun giggling over how astonished the boys would be if they spotted us. We admired an aqua Thunderbird and decided we're going to get one that color and a pink one when we win the lottery. Those cars have class.
Once home, J flopped on the couch while I cooked up a Chilean-style pork dish, which we had over rice while we watched a t.v. special about faith. When the boys got home, an hour before curfew, Pie joined us for a few minutes. He is drawn to issues of faith, but does not want his brother to know he is thinking so deeply. Poor little guy.
We slept in Saturday, then went with the bitties over to Crocker Park to prowl the farmer's market. We were deeply tempted by eggs and jewelry, pastries and cheeses but only took a sack of cranberry almond granola home. If the lilac lady had not already been sold out, I would definitely have indulged in an armload of those! I have been very tempted to cut some of the blooms from the apartment complex bushes, but I assume that is not the kind of behavior they encourage. While we did the farmer's market, the kids took off in pursuit of shoes and shirts and all the fun to be had away from the parental unit. Boot has developed a tradition of spending some of his odd job money on a new shirt every time he comes to visit. That child simply loves clothes! We grown folks continued on to Trader Joe's and then lunch at Aladdin's, where J had the baba ganoush plate and I had fattoush with grilled chicken on top. Such perfect food!
After our outing, we enjoyed the hot tub while the boys had some downtime at home. Then, it was time to take them shopping for our Mother's Day gifts. Pie had already brought home from school a beautiful African violet for J. Then, we rounded up food, toys and kids for our evening grill-out. Those silly, silly boys actually went in the pool! It was in the 50s and I was freezing, perfectly dry, on a lounge chair in capris, a polo shirt and a hooded sweatshirt! The sun had gone down. I was wishing I had worn my swimsuit just to get in the hot tub and warm up and those sillies were swimming. Well, Boot didn't last long in the water, but Pie sure did. He loved it and says he is a polar bear. I said, "Well, I guess we know what he'll be doing every New Year's Day when he's grown!" He was thrilled to have found something he can beat his brother at.
Boot had given J her gift early so that we could use it right away. He got her a little green cooler for hauling our food back and forth to the pool & grill area, along with a set of green plastic plates. When we got home, the rest of the gifts were exchanged. Boot got me a lavender-scented candle. Pie gave J her violet, which she loved, and presented me with chocolates from a local shop. Flowers & chocolates...smart little boy! J and I exchanged our gifts when we went to bed. She got me some lovely lingerie, a jar of lemon drops I'd been eyeing at Borders and a butterly-shaped rice krispie treat. I gave her a relaxation kit, with banana smoothie bubble bath & the two latest Artemis Fowl books. But, really, the greatest gift we got was a weekend with no blow-ups or tantrums, aside from a brief skirmish between the boys at the pool.
Sunday morning, we let the boys sleep in while we went to church. Then, we ran a few errands. By the time we returned home, both boys were awake and raring to hit the pool again. We spent a longer time down there Sunday, with the air warmed & the sun out. J even got in the pool, but only under duress and with much regret about caving to it. Brr! I hung out in the hot tub and on a lounge chair in the sun, reading "Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral" by Kris Radish. What a great book! I had started it over the winter, then gotten busy and set it aside. I'm so glad I have it to read now. It makes me want to have a traveling funeral, too. We hung out at the pool until it was time for Boot to get ready for his dad to pick him up.
Pie exhausted himself with all the swimming and fresh air. He was asleep within 5 minutes of his brother's departure. We had a quiet evening, with a simple pasta dish for dinner. I made Maytag blue cheese dressing for the salad...man, is that good! I talked on the phone for an hour with my Cuban uncle. His partner got on the phone for a minute or two. He tried to speak to me in English and I to him in Spanish. He did much better than I did! I also phoned my mom & grandies. It's so funny to be able to call my mom on Mother's Day now. I am so glad they finally got a cell phone!
Friday night, the boys went over to Crocker Park to hook up with one of Boot's buddies for subs and strolling. I suspect there is a decent amount of girl-watching that goes on, too! J and I went to the grocery, stopping to lie in the grass on the way out. It smelled so fresh and green. It was fun looking at the world from that vantage point & we had fun giggling over how astonished the boys would be if they spotted us. We admired an aqua Thunderbird and decided we're going to get one that color and a pink one when we win the lottery. Those cars have class.
Once home, J flopped on the couch while I cooked up a Chilean-style pork dish, which we had over rice while we watched a t.v. special about faith. When the boys got home, an hour before curfew, Pie joined us for a few minutes. He is drawn to issues of faith, but does not want his brother to know he is thinking so deeply. Poor little guy.
We slept in Saturday, then went with the bitties over to Crocker Park to prowl the farmer's market. We were deeply tempted by eggs and jewelry, pastries and cheeses but only took a sack of cranberry almond granola home. If the lilac lady had not already been sold out, I would definitely have indulged in an armload of those! I have been very tempted to cut some of the blooms from the apartment complex bushes, but I assume that is not the kind of behavior they encourage. While we did the farmer's market, the kids took off in pursuit of shoes and shirts and all the fun to be had away from the parental unit. Boot has developed a tradition of spending some of his odd job money on a new shirt every time he comes to visit. That child simply loves clothes! We grown folks continued on to Trader Joe's and then lunch at Aladdin's, where J had the baba ganoush plate and I had fattoush with grilled chicken on top. Such perfect food!
After our outing, we enjoyed the hot tub while the boys had some downtime at home. Then, it was time to take them shopping for our Mother's Day gifts. Pie had already brought home from school a beautiful African violet for J. Then, we rounded up food, toys and kids for our evening grill-out. Those silly, silly boys actually went in the pool! It was in the 50s and I was freezing, perfectly dry, on a lounge chair in capris, a polo shirt and a hooded sweatshirt! The sun had gone down. I was wishing I had worn my swimsuit just to get in the hot tub and warm up and those sillies were swimming. Well, Boot didn't last long in the water, but Pie sure did. He loved it and says he is a polar bear. I said, "Well, I guess we know what he'll be doing every New Year's Day when he's grown!" He was thrilled to have found something he can beat his brother at.
Boot had given J her gift early so that we could use it right away. He got her a little green cooler for hauling our food back and forth to the pool & grill area, along with a set of green plastic plates. When we got home, the rest of the gifts were exchanged. Boot got me a lavender-scented candle. Pie gave J her violet, which she loved, and presented me with chocolates from a local shop. Flowers & chocolates...smart little boy! J and I exchanged our gifts when we went to bed. She got me some lovely lingerie, a jar of lemon drops I'd been eyeing at Borders and a butterly-shaped rice krispie treat. I gave her a relaxation kit, with banana smoothie bubble bath & the two latest Artemis Fowl books. But, really, the greatest gift we got was a weekend with no blow-ups or tantrums, aside from a brief skirmish between the boys at the pool.
Sunday morning, we let the boys sleep in while we went to church. Then, we ran a few errands. By the time we returned home, both boys were awake and raring to hit the pool again. We spent a longer time down there Sunday, with the air warmed & the sun out. J even got in the pool, but only under duress and with much regret about caving to it. Brr! I hung out in the hot tub and on a lounge chair in the sun, reading "Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral" by Kris Radish. What a great book! I had started it over the winter, then gotten busy and set it aside. I'm so glad I have it to read now. It makes me want to have a traveling funeral, too. We hung out at the pool until it was time for Boot to get ready for his dad to pick him up.
Pie exhausted himself with all the swimming and fresh air. He was asleep within 5 minutes of his brother's departure. We had a quiet evening, with a simple pasta dish for dinner. I made Maytag blue cheese dressing for the salad...man, is that good! I talked on the phone for an hour with my Cuban uncle. His partner got on the phone for a minute or two. He tried to speak to me in English and I to him in Spanish. He did much better than I did! I also phoned my mom & grandies. It's so funny to be able to call my mom on Mother's Day now. I am so glad they finally got a cell phone!
Friday, May 11, 2007
A Few Good Crafters
I love to use hand-crafted items in cooking and around the house. I wanted to share a few websites of crafters whose wares I particularly like to use.
Stan & Sue Jennings, of Allegheny Treenware, produce wooden cooking implements that are just delicious to use. In addition to things like wooden spoons & spreaders, I have a wonderful cherry measuring spoon & cup set that is not only useful, but a great addition to kitchen decor, as well. Check out www.spooners.com for more info on how to get some for your own self!
The folks at Horton Brasses have a wide selection of simply gorgeous reproduction hardware for cabinets, doors and the like. The hand-forged ironwork is especially lovely. They can be found at www.horton-brasses.com for more info.
Some of my very favorite pottery has come from the kiln of Riffle Pottery. When I talk about drinking a mug of tea, it is likely from the green-glazed mugs I have picked up from them. See www.rifflepottery.com for your new favorite mug or serving piece.
Stan & Sue Jennings, of Allegheny Treenware, produce wooden cooking implements that are just delicious to use. In addition to things like wooden spoons & spreaders, I have a wonderful cherry measuring spoon & cup set that is not only useful, but a great addition to kitchen decor, as well. Check out www.spooners.com for more info on how to get some for your own self!
The folks at Horton Brasses have a wide selection of simply gorgeous reproduction hardware for cabinets, doors and the like. The hand-forged ironwork is especially lovely. They can be found at www.horton-brasses.com for more info.
Some of my very favorite pottery has come from the kiln of Riffle Pottery. When I talk about drinking a mug of tea, it is likely from the green-glazed mugs I have picked up from them. See www.rifflepottery.com for your new favorite mug or serving piece.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Finally, a Weekend at Home!
I had been feeling quite stretched thin with multiple weekends away, so it was nice just to get to relax here at home. We had spent a long weekend in Niagara Falls, a weekend at my grandparents' house so we could visit J's folks and a weekend in Pittsburgh for the wedding. While we had great fun, it is tiring to travel like that three weekends in a row. I am about to embark on another travel stretch, too, with trips to get the rest of our things from the old house (we may be holding the closing this month, if all goes well), visiting my ma in West Virginia (woohoo!) and then 2 weekends in Santa Fe for me. Whew! All this while looking down the barrel of just 3 weeks left in the semester!
So, Friday night as soon as Pie hit the door, we took off to get a patio table at Blake's Seafood. We had appetizers there (really good crab cakes and marginal chicken "spring rolls"), then moved on to Hyde Park next door for great steaks. We did a drive-by of a house that looked promising for rental, then made an ice cream stop before going home to watch t.v. and look at cookbooks. J had gotten me some new Gooseberry Patch cookbooks and we had fun poring over those.
Saturday morning, we popped over to the beignet place and sat at an outdoor table enjoying those with coffee. We noticed that the farmer's market was open, so we had to go browse that. Then, we put in some time at Trader Joe's before going home to watch "Happily Never After" which I do not recommend. Way too facile, with nothing interesting or charming to redeem it. I had to attend mass at 5 for a class, so J had me drop her off at work to do some things while I attended mass. I had never been to a Catholic service before, aside from the wedding the previous weekend. I was glad I had been to that because it meant that I knew to find the order of worship in the missal! The inside of the church was beautiful and the service was nice, although I was disappointed at the lack of incense & high ceremony. I much preferred it to the Assembly of God hootenanny a couple of weeks ago! After I collected J, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo with dinner at El Rodeo. After a swing by the grocery, J fell asleep on the couch while I worked on discussion questions for Sunday school. When we went to bed, I said, "Hoo, boy! We are some wild lesbians, going to bed at 9 o'clock on a Saturday night!" Of course, I stayed up reading far past that.
Sunday morning, I led the discussion on forgiveness in our Sunday school class, then we attended the later church service and helped host coffee hour. We had planned to make that veggie cream cheese "pizza" on a crescent roll base but were afraid it would get soggy overnight. So, we punked out & took store-bought hummus, pita wedges, baby carrots and tomato basil pesto from J's plant. After church, we picked up a few groceries we'd forgotten and then headed over to see the inside of the cottage we thought might be a rental possibility. It was not. At all. While we could see the lake from the yard (a definite plus), the inside was ratty and cramped. The much-talked-about "large deck!" was a high concrete slab with a chintzy metal railing. Damn. Oh, well, that just means we don't have to figure out how to come up with $1400 a month and we don't have to move in the midst of me finishing the semester & going out to Santa Fe! I cannot believe the owner thinks the place is "enormous" and I really can't believe they want $1400 a month! That's double what we were charging for the place we rented out that was somewhat similar, although in much better shape and bigger. No way. If I am paying that kind of money, the place had better be really nice. Both of us were terribly afraid while we were being taken through the place that the other would fall madly in love with it. Thankfully, we were of one accord. After that, we had appetizers at Champps (an appalling "Mongolian egg roll" and mediocre pot stickers...why I thought it would be a good idea to order Asian at a burger & beer joint is beyond me. The good news is that J loved the food) and ran errands. We got home and did some cleaning, then I made chicken with morel Madeira sauce for dinner.
So, Friday night as soon as Pie hit the door, we took off to get a patio table at Blake's Seafood. We had appetizers there (really good crab cakes and marginal chicken "spring rolls"), then moved on to Hyde Park next door for great steaks. We did a drive-by of a house that looked promising for rental, then made an ice cream stop before going home to watch t.v. and look at cookbooks. J had gotten me some new Gooseberry Patch cookbooks and we had fun poring over those.
Saturday morning, we popped over to the beignet place and sat at an outdoor table enjoying those with coffee. We noticed that the farmer's market was open, so we had to go browse that. Then, we put in some time at Trader Joe's before going home to watch "Happily Never After" which I do not recommend. Way too facile, with nothing interesting or charming to redeem it. I had to attend mass at 5 for a class, so J had me drop her off at work to do some things while I attended mass. I had never been to a Catholic service before, aside from the wedding the previous weekend. I was glad I had been to that because it meant that I knew to find the order of worship in the missal! The inside of the church was beautiful and the service was nice, although I was disappointed at the lack of incense & high ceremony. I much preferred it to the Assembly of God hootenanny a couple of weeks ago! After I collected J, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo with dinner at El Rodeo. After a swing by the grocery, J fell asleep on the couch while I worked on discussion questions for Sunday school. When we went to bed, I said, "Hoo, boy! We are some wild lesbians, going to bed at 9 o'clock on a Saturday night!" Of course, I stayed up reading far past that.
Sunday morning, I led the discussion on forgiveness in our Sunday school class, then we attended the later church service and helped host coffee hour. We had planned to make that veggie cream cheese "pizza" on a crescent roll base but were afraid it would get soggy overnight. So, we punked out & took store-bought hummus, pita wedges, baby carrots and tomato basil pesto from J's plant. After church, we picked up a few groceries we'd forgotten and then headed over to see the inside of the cottage we thought might be a rental possibility. It was not. At all. While we could see the lake from the yard (a definite plus), the inside was ratty and cramped. The much-talked-about "large deck!" was a high concrete slab with a chintzy metal railing. Damn. Oh, well, that just means we don't have to figure out how to come up with $1400 a month and we don't have to move in the midst of me finishing the semester & going out to Santa Fe! I cannot believe the owner thinks the place is "enormous" and I really can't believe they want $1400 a month! That's double what we were charging for the place we rented out that was somewhat similar, although in much better shape and bigger. No way. If I am paying that kind of money, the place had better be really nice. Both of us were terribly afraid while we were being taken through the place that the other would fall madly in love with it. Thankfully, we were of one accord. After that, we had appetizers at Champps (an appalling "Mongolian egg roll" and mediocre pot stickers...why I thought it would be a good idea to order Asian at a burger & beer joint is beyond me. The good news is that J loved the food) and ran errands. We got home and did some cleaning, then I made chicken with morel Madeira sauce for dinner.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Jess & Jon's Wedding
Well, we've had many fabulous weekends (including a long one in Niagara Falls to celebrate our 6th anniversary of dating) since I last posted, but I never seem to have any spare time. But, here I am today. Funny what sermon procrastination can make you do!
This weekend, we went to Pittsburgh for my dear friend Jess' wedding. Jess and I met when she applied for a job at the bookstore where I worked back in 1994. I thought she seemed cool, so I put a note with her application telling our HR manager that I thought she'd be a great part of our bookselling team. I was thrilled when she turned up for our morning meeting a few weeks later. She turned out to be every bit as cool as I'd suspected and we became great friends. We have remained so, even separated by varying states over the years. She met Jon in the first year J and I were dating, but I had never met him until this weekend. I knew, though, that if Jess was willing to marry him, he must be a truly good guy.
So, we dropped off Pie at his father's Friday evening, made a stop at our favorite lushly-scented bakery for cream puffs and then drove down to the designated Pittsburgh suburb. After checking into our hotel, we grabbed dinner at Lone Star, where I had a terrific filet and J had a steak salad. Then, we headed back to the room and relaxed.
In the morning, we had the hotel's complimentary continental breakfast (served up with a crappy attitude) and people-watched in the lobby. Then, we went shopping for shoes to match J's outfit. She hasn't worn a skirt in ages, so I'd been really surprised when she bought one for the wedding. When we got back from shopping, we had fun painting finger & toe nails and primping for the wedding. J's shoes were really cute, little straw flip-flops with straw flowers adorning the thong.
When we arrived for the 3 p.m. wedding, we found nearly everyone else clad in chic black, while we were dressed as though for a garden party. I figured an afternoon wedding in spring called for spring-y clothes. I also didn't figure we'd be fed dinner, though, so I was mistaken on two counts. The wedding was lovely. Jess looked beautiful in an elegant white gown with filigree and a long veil. Jon seemed very nice and very sincere and both of them smiled throughout. I had never been to a Catholic wedding or even a Catholic mass, so that was fun for me, too. I much preferred it to the Assembly of God hootenanny I went to last weekend!
As we stood in the receiving line, Jess said to Jon, "Hurry up & say hi to Daria, so I can!" We hadn't seen each other since my birthday tea party a few years back, so it was great to see each other again! She looks as beautiful as ever & her eyes were shining with happiness. I am thrilled that she finally seems to have found someone worthy of her. Her sister told me he writes her love letters and is very sentimental & romantic. Fabulous!
The reception was nearby and we found it easily. We carried in our gift, a picnic basket filled with scone mix, clotted cream, lemon curd, Passion tea, beignet mix and chicory coffee. The hall was so pretty, with low lights and garlands of flowers along the tables. The centerpieces were simple and gorgeous, wide ribbons that matched the bridesmaids' light green dresses, with a row of votives interspersed with delicate flowers. We found our seats and got settled in with drinks and munchies. Each place setting had a cookie decorated to look like the stunning cake, 3 layers of white fondant iced white cake with layers of fruit inside, bedecked with icing filigree, to mirror Jess' dress, and the monograms of the bridal pair. Very classy. The cake was topped with a layer of hot pink roses, too. Just lush and gorgeous!
We had a wonderful time at the reception. Our table mates were the dates of the bridesmaids, along with the darling 6-year-old daughter of one of the bridesmaids. She looked like a fairy child and was utterly charming. She spent much of the night playing with a gaggle of other girls, spinning on the dance floor and hiding under tables. One of her companions, the toddler flower girl, spent ages just spinning in circles, stopping only long enough to center herself before resuming her twirls and playing with her dress and the flashing dance floor lights.
After dinner, we spent a decent chunk of time on the dance floor, too, both slow dancing & bopping around to the Violent Femmes and Van Morrison. It was a little intimidating because Jon is a dance instructor and all his friends are, too. It was wonderful to watch them dance, though. It was just like being in a movie, with all these amazing dancers gliding around the floor so artfully. Jess & Jon looked like movie stars, too. We had a delightful time & even got in a brief visit with the bride, during which we got some very exciting news! They might be moving here! That would be so very much fun! We've decided we will take dance lessons from him if they do end up here.
The reception wound down at 9 o'clock, with the bride and groom needing some rest before a 7 a.m. flight to a Mexico honeymoon. We went straight back to the hotel & I was in my nightgown by 9:30. We laughed about what wild lesbians we are and J promptly fell asleep, leaving me to my book.
In the morning, we checked out fairly early, with the best intentions of attending mass so I could report on it for one of my classes. However, when we got to the church, the parking lot was full and there was no parking on the street, either. Figuring it must be First Communion weekend, we decided to catch a Saturday evening mass here next weekend instead.
We stopped at First Watch for a fabulous brunch. J had the bacado omelet (bacon & avocado) with a banana granola pancake (adding chocolate chips at the suggestion of our waitress) & I had a Monterey Club sandwich. We both love avocado. After brunch, we decided we should head Erie way. J drove while I read Dante's Paradiso aloud to her. She says she finds Inferno, with the demons blowing trumpet blasts out their asses, much more interesting.
We stopped at a huge outlet mall, with J looking for more professional clothes for work and me not planning to buy anything. However, I found a black skirt, just like the grey one I favor, for only $19. I also picked up another pair of cropped jeans and another pair of flip flops, this pair teal blue and sequined. J found a top to go with some of her dress pants. I also got 4 new crème brûlée dishes, shallow like I prefer them to be, and we found some peach lotion and shower gel to send her mom for Mother's Day. We arrived early in Erie, so we stopped at the bookstore for coffee and browsing. J left with a new werewolf novel and I with a couple of magazines, as well as a Mom's Day gift for my mom.
After we picked up Pie and he had conked out, J was browsing through my Girlfriend Getaways magazine. We were both drooling over beach vacations, spa vacations, all kinds of vacations. I need to win the lottery soon! LOL. She read one story about a group of women who have "cruise names" and as soon as they board the ship, they start using those names. J and I had a great time giggling over our plans for vacation names.
We tried to talk Pie into going with us to dinner, but he just wanted to be home. We dropped him off and had dinner on the patio at Blake's. It is wonderful to be able to eat outdoors again! We had been to Blake's with the kids on one of my weekend visits up here before the kids and I could move. I had been unimpressed with the food, annoyed by the service and horrified at the prices. This time, though, the prices seemed lower (maybe because we just got our tax return, perhaps because there were only two of us dining), the service was charming and the food was delicious. But, sitting outside was the best part of it all. I love to be in the evening breezes and love to people-watch. Their location is perfect for both. We got to watch the first evening star come out and the sky deepen to inky blue. We also got to watch the valets dash by and people embrace upon parting after dinner at the various restaurants. We split the fried calamari with hot & sweet Thai sauce for our appetizer. J ordered me a Flirtini. I rarely order drinks out, for a couple of reasons. I'm just not much of a drinker for one. The prices always seem like highway robbery, too. For our main courses, J had grilled salmon with tomato, garlic & herb sauce, accompanied by steamed veggies and grilled asparagus. I had grilled blue marlin with lemon-lime butter, accompanied by the veggies and "island" rice. No dessert necessary.
Once home, we fed Pie his cheeseburger and then all tumbled into our respective beds. Pie had testing today, J a big run of one of her products and I have that pesky sermon to write, so early to bed seemed wise. I ended up staying up far too late, though, working on dinner menus for May. Oh, well.
This weekend, we went to Pittsburgh for my dear friend Jess' wedding. Jess and I met when she applied for a job at the bookstore where I worked back in 1994. I thought she seemed cool, so I put a note with her application telling our HR manager that I thought she'd be a great part of our bookselling team. I was thrilled when she turned up for our morning meeting a few weeks later. She turned out to be every bit as cool as I'd suspected and we became great friends. We have remained so, even separated by varying states over the years. She met Jon in the first year J and I were dating, but I had never met him until this weekend. I knew, though, that if Jess was willing to marry him, he must be a truly good guy.
So, we dropped off Pie at his father's Friday evening, made a stop at our favorite lushly-scented bakery for cream puffs and then drove down to the designated Pittsburgh suburb. After checking into our hotel, we grabbed dinner at Lone Star, where I had a terrific filet and J had a steak salad. Then, we headed back to the room and relaxed.
In the morning, we had the hotel's complimentary continental breakfast (served up with a crappy attitude) and people-watched in the lobby. Then, we went shopping for shoes to match J's outfit. She hasn't worn a skirt in ages, so I'd been really surprised when she bought one for the wedding. When we got back from shopping, we had fun painting finger & toe nails and primping for the wedding. J's shoes were really cute, little straw flip-flops with straw flowers adorning the thong.
When we arrived for the 3 p.m. wedding, we found nearly everyone else clad in chic black, while we were dressed as though for a garden party. I figured an afternoon wedding in spring called for spring-y clothes. I also didn't figure we'd be fed dinner, though, so I was mistaken on two counts. The wedding was lovely. Jess looked beautiful in an elegant white gown with filigree and a long veil. Jon seemed very nice and very sincere and both of them smiled throughout. I had never been to a Catholic wedding or even a Catholic mass, so that was fun for me, too. I much preferred it to the Assembly of God hootenanny I went to last weekend!
As we stood in the receiving line, Jess said to Jon, "Hurry up & say hi to Daria, so I can!" We hadn't seen each other since my birthday tea party a few years back, so it was great to see each other again! She looks as beautiful as ever & her eyes were shining with happiness. I am thrilled that she finally seems to have found someone worthy of her. Her sister told me he writes her love letters and is very sentimental & romantic. Fabulous!
The reception was nearby and we found it easily. We carried in our gift, a picnic basket filled with scone mix, clotted cream, lemon curd, Passion tea, beignet mix and chicory coffee. The hall was so pretty, with low lights and garlands of flowers along the tables. The centerpieces were simple and gorgeous, wide ribbons that matched the bridesmaids' light green dresses, with a row of votives interspersed with delicate flowers. We found our seats and got settled in with drinks and munchies. Each place setting had a cookie decorated to look like the stunning cake, 3 layers of white fondant iced white cake with layers of fruit inside, bedecked with icing filigree, to mirror Jess' dress, and the monograms of the bridal pair. Very classy. The cake was topped with a layer of hot pink roses, too. Just lush and gorgeous!
We had a wonderful time at the reception. Our table mates were the dates of the bridesmaids, along with the darling 6-year-old daughter of one of the bridesmaids. She looked like a fairy child and was utterly charming. She spent much of the night playing with a gaggle of other girls, spinning on the dance floor and hiding under tables. One of her companions, the toddler flower girl, spent ages just spinning in circles, stopping only long enough to center herself before resuming her twirls and playing with her dress and the flashing dance floor lights.
After dinner, we spent a decent chunk of time on the dance floor, too, both slow dancing & bopping around to the Violent Femmes and Van Morrison. It was a little intimidating because Jon is a dance instructor and all his friends are, too. It was wonderful to watch them dance, though. It was just like being in a movie, with all these amazing dancers gliding around the floor so artfully. Jess & Jon looked like movie stars, too. We had a delightful time & even got in a brief visit with the bride, during which we got some very exciting news! They might be moving here! That would be so very much fun! We've decided we will take dance lessons from him if they do end up here.
The reception wound down at 9 o'clock, with the bride and groom needing some rest before a 7 a.m. flight to a Mexico honeymoon. We went straight back to the hotel & I was in my nightgown by 9:30. We laughed about what wild lesbians we are and J promptly fell asleep, leaving me to my book.
In the morning, we checked out fairly early, with the best intentions of attending mass so I could report on it for one of my classes. However, when we got to the church, the parking lot was full and there was no parking on the street, either. Figuring it must be First Communion weekend, we decided to catch a Saturday evening mass here next weekend instead.
We stopped at First Watch for a fabulous brunch. J had the bacado omelet (bacon & avocado) with a banana granola pancake (adding chocolate chips at the suggestion of our waitress) & I had a Monterey Club sandwich. We both love avocado. After brunch, we decided we should head Erie way. J drove while I read Dante's Paradiso aloud to her. She says she finds Inferno, with the demons blowing trumpet blasts out their asses, much more interesting.
We stopped at a huge outlet mall, with J looking for more professional clothes for work and me not planning to buy anything. However, I found a black skirt, just like the grey one I favor, for only $19. I also picked up another pair of cropped jeans and another pair of flip flops, this pair teal blue and sequined. J found a top to go with some of her dress pants. I also got 4 new crème brûlée dishes, shallow like I prefer them to be, and we found some peach lotion and shower gel to send her mom for Mother's Day. We arrived early in Erie, so we stopped at the bookstore for coffee and browsing. J left with a new werewolf novel and I with a couple of magazines, as well as a Mom's Day gift for my mom.
After we picked up Pie and he had conked out, J was browsing through my Girlfriend Getaways magazine. We were both drooling over beach vacations, spa vacations, all kinds of vacations. I need to win the lottery soon! LOL. She read one story about a group of women who have "cruise names" and as soon as they board the ship, they start using those names. J and I had a great time giggling over our plans for vacation names.
We tried to talk Pie into going with us to dinner, but he just wanted to be home. We dropped him off and had dinner on the patio at Blake's. It is wonderful to be able to eat outdoors again! We had been to Blake's with the kids on one of my weekend visits up here before the kids and I could move. I had been unimpressed with the food, annoyed by the service and horrified at the prices. This time, though, the prices seemed lower (maybe because we just got our tax return, perhaps because there were only two of us dining), the service was charming and the food was delicious. But, sitting outside was the best part of it all. I love to be in the evening breezes and love to people-watch. Their location is perfect for both. We got to watch the first evening star come out and the sky deepen to inky blue. We also got to watch the valets dash by and people embrace upon parting after dinner at the various restaurants. We split the fried calamari with hot & sweet Thai sauce for our appetizer. J ordered me a Flirtini. I rarely order drinks out, for a couple of reasons. I'm just not much of a drinker for one. The prices always seem like highway robbery, too. For our main courses, J had grilled salmon with tomato, garlic & herb sauce, accompanied by steamed veggies and grilled asparagus. I had grilled blue marlin with lemon-lime butter, accompanied by the veggies and "island" rice. No dessert necessary.
Once home, we fed Pie his cheeseburger and then all tumbled into our respective beds. Pie had testing today, J a big run of one of her products and I have that pesky sermon to write, so early to bed seemed wise. I ended up staying up far too late, though, working on dinner menus for May. Oh, well.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Last Week of Winter
I spent the last week of Winter enjoying spring-like temperatures and being hyper-social. I've had a tendency to just hang out with my grandparents when I am down there for school. Sure, I talk to friends at school, but after hours I have just been sticking close to the homestead. I adore my grandies and have so much fun talking to them that it just doesn't even occur to me to make other plans. However, I had run into some friends from my last church. Mike and Tammy are really cool and I realized it had been forever since I'd had any catch-up conversations with them. So, we met for dinner at Meadowlark in Centerville. The food (garlic chicken served with rice, limas and goat cheese) was terrific and the conversation even better. Afterward, I couldn't resist going into Half-Price Books to look for the Analytical Concordance of the New Testament. Not only did I find it for a third of the usual cost, but I ran into Evvi and Keith, too! What a great surprise! We had a wonderful visit over books and agreed to stay in better touch. I miss them and I missed getting to see Garnet. It breaks my heart that we aren't near enough for me to see her growing up, up-close and personal. She is the dearest little girl, smart & creative like her mama & dad.
Thursday after class, I killed some time running errands, then went to Laurel's house. I like being there because it is always so full of life and feels so real, just like Laurel does. She says what she is thinking, which is refreshing and a good example. We are so often encouraged, especially women, to be polite and "nice" and behave ourselves. Sometimes we are so busy behaving ourselves that we start to lose track of who we really are. Laurel and I were both hungry, so we popped over to Jeet India for a great dinner and lots of talk about theology and inner work. It's always so good to talk to her. She started out as almost a mother figure for me, the mother of friends & leader of the Quaker youth group I attended. Now, she is a very good friend to me and to my Beloved, too.
I had to stay in town for a Friday/Saturday class, so I booked a facial for Friday morning, taking advantage of a long-unused gift certificate. I was going to get a manicure, too, but then I saw that the manicurist was the same one who had hurt my toenail another time, so I backed out. I spent the manicure money on some really good Aveda tea instead. After my facial, I took myself to The Winds for mushroom soup and Tuscan bread salad. Then, I picked up some of Current Cuisine's hummus & sundried tomato dip to take home to my sweet girl. I was almost late to class due to that stop, but it was well worth it to see the delight on J's face when I presented her with them.
The class was in preparation for our transcultural trips coming up this summer. At seminary, we are required to spend 2 weeks doing immersion in another culture. We got to hear presentations by students who had just returned from Appalachia (North Carolina & Kentucky...the Kentucky group had spent time visiting J's dad's home stomping grounds of Harlan's coal mines & the Pine Mountain Settlement School), Chicago (SCUPE's urban ministry program), Cambodia, Bolivia (where the group's bus was stoned in riots...very scary) and the Bahamas (no, she was not lounging on the beach the whole time...we asked). This summer, students will be going to Chicago, Kentucky, Costa Rica, New Mexico and South Africa. There is a Holy Land trip planned for January, too. I will be spending 2 weeks in June at Ghost Ranch in Santa Fe. I wish J could go along, but Pie has school one of the weeks. I hope to take the train down. I have never taken any train trips beyond an hour ride on a tourist steam train and various subway trips.
After class on Saturday, I had to go check on the house (I am ready to quit praying to St. Joseph & start praying to St. Jude on that one), then I got to go home to my sweetie's corned beef & cabbage for St. Patrick's Day. She was ever so glad to see me, after the extended time away, and has been mopey about my commute ever since. I am not real thrilled with being away from her, either, let me tell you! I love her so much and could cheerfully spend every waking moment with her...every sleeping one, too.
Sunday, we had Sunday school & church. In Sunday school, we talked about the spiritual practice of care of the body. It was interesting to see how much the other class members discounted body care like bathing and adornment, which the chapter advocated, in favor of things like healthy eating and exercise. Those things are also important, but it is good to be gentle with ourselves and treat ourselves to long, lush baths and fun clothing, too. The church service didn't sit right with my liturgically conservative nature. My wife & mom, as well as some of my classmates, think I was being a bit uptight. However, my liturgy professor is right there with me, as are a couple of other profs and my grandparents. When we walked into the sanctuary, the communion table had been cleared of the candles, Bible and flowers. In their place were things like a child's tent (pitched), a teddy bear wearing camp clothes and other camp paraphernalia. It was Camp Sunday & I guess these were set decoration. I found it wildly inappropriate to use the communion table for these things, but other folks have said that it's not a big deal, it's just a table, camp can be lifted up to God, too. I just think the tent should have been pitched on the floor in front rather than on the communion table. The other thing that disturbed me was that the sermon had been ditched altogether in favor of a skit, jokes by the "Hee Haw" clad pastors, a camp song singalong (including purely secular, just for fun songs) and a talk by one of the youth about how much fun camp is. I think these kinds of things have an important place in the church, even in the service. However, to replace the sermon with them seems unconscionable. Maybe I am just too rigid, but I was amazed by the whole thing.
After church was an Open and Affirming gathering, with a pizza lunch, a video called "When a Kid is Gay" and a discussion of the video. We had some very good discussion at our table. Every single person at the table seems to be for going ONA and has personal experience with a gay loved one. One couple has a gay nephew, another man had a gay brother who died of AIDS before he ever came out to his brother, the AP has had kids in the youth group come out to her, J & I talked about our own experiences. I felt awful for one of the kids in the video, who is a fundamentalist Christian and is convinced he will go to hell for being gay. It was very sad. Another boy seriously considered suicide because his dad was very emotionally and verbally abusive to him because of his orientation. I am so blessed to have had the kind of upbringing and to have the kind of family I have.
After the gathering, we went home and picked up Boot for some Crocker Park prowling. The boys had been fighting all weekend, so Pie did not want to come along. Boot was perfectly pleasant, though, toward us. I understand that they really got into it Friday night and Pie ended up saying to J, enraged with his brother, "There is no room for diversity in this world!!! I am just trying to make some space for myself!!! I don't want to be like him!!!" So, I suspect that Boot was coming down on Pie for not being into boxing and other such manly, American pursuits. He needs to learn to be himself and let Pie be his own self. I'm glad I missed that part of the weekend and was simply able to enjoy Boot shopping for clothes at places like Hollister and for weight lifting equipment at Dick's. He is such a guy. Not at all a little boy anymore. I spent the rest of the afternoon working on the seasons swap tip-in pages that were due the following weekend, while the rest of the family vegged out in front of various screens. After Boot left, we tucked in to split pea soup and good bread and got ready to start a new week.
Thursday after class, I killed some time running errands, then went to Laurel's house. I like being there because it is always so full of life and feels so real, just like Laurel does. She says what she is thinking, which is refreshing and a good example. We are so often encouraged, especially women, to be polite and "nice" and behave ourselves. Sometimes we are so busy behaving ourselves that we start to lose track of who we really are. Laurel and I were both hungry, so we popped over to Jeet India for a great dinner and lots of talk about theology and inner work. It's always so good to talk to her. She started out as almost a mother figure for me, the mother of friends & leader of the Quaker youth group I attended. Now, she is a very good friend to me and to my Beloved, too.
I had to stay in town for a Friday/Saturday class, so I booked a facial for Friday morning, taking advantage of a long-unused gift certificate. I was going to get a manicure, too, but then I saw that the manicurist was the same one who had hurt my toenail another time, so I backed out. I spent the manicure money on some really good Aveda tea instead. After my facial, I took myself to The Winds for mushroom soup and Tuscan bread salad. Then, I picked up some of Current Cuisine's hummus & sundried tomato dip to take home to my sweet girl. I was almost late to class due to that stop, but it was well worth it to see the delight on J's face when I presented her with them.
The class was in preparation for our transcultural trips coming up this summer. At seminary, we are required to spend 2 weeks doing immersion in another culture. We got to hear presentations by students who had just returned from Appalachia (North Carolina & Kentucky...the Kentucky group had spent time visiting J's dad's home stomping grounds of Harlan's coal mines & the Pine Mountain Settlement School), Chicago (SCUPE's urban ministry program), Cambodia, Bolivia (where the group's bus was stoned in riots...very scary) and the Bahamas (no, she was not lounging on the beach the whole time...we asked). This summer, students will be going to Chicago, Kentucky, Costa Rica, New Mexico and South Africa. There is a Holy Land trip planned for January, too. I will be spending 2 weeks in June at Ghost Ranch in Santa Fe. I wish J could go along, but Pie has school one of the weeks. I hope to take the train down. I have never taken any train trips beyond an hour ride on a tourist steam train and various subway trips.
After class on Saturday, I had to go check on the house (I am ready to quit praying to St. Joseph & start praying to St. Jude on that one), then I got to go home to my sweetie's corned beef & cabbage for St. Patrick's Day. She was ever so glad to see me, after the extended time away, and has been mopey about my commute ever since. I am not real thrilled with being away from her, either, let me tell you! I love her so much and could cheerfully spend every waking moment with her...every sleeping one, too.
Sunday, we had Sunday school & church. In Sunday school, we talked about the spiritual practice of care of the body. It was interesting to see how much the other class members discounted body care like bathing and adornment, which the chapter advocated, in favor of things like healthy eating and exercise. Those things are also important, but it is good to be gentle with ourselves and treat ourselves to long, lush baths and fun clothing, too. The church service didn't sit right with my liturgically conservative nature. My wife & mom, as well as some of my classmates, think I was being a bit uptight. However, my liturgy professor is right there with me, as are a couple of other profs and my grandparents. When we walked into the sanctuary, the communion table had been cleared of the candles, Bible and flowers. In their place were things like a child's tent (pitched), a teddy bear wearing camp clothes and other camp paraphernalia. It was Camp Sunday & I guess these were set decoration. I found it wildly inappropriate to use the communion table for these things, but other folks have said that it's not a big deal, it's just a table, camp can be lifted up to God, too. I just think the tent should have been pitched on the floor in front rather than on the communion table. The other thing that disturbed me was that the sermon had been ditched altogether in favor of a skit, jokes by the "Hee Haw" clad pastors, a camp song singalong (including purely secular, just for fun songs) and a talk by one of the youth about how much fun camp is. I think these kinds of things have an important place in the church, even in the service. However, to replace the sermon with them seems unconscionable. Maybe I am just too rigid, but I was amazed by the whole thing.
After church was an Open and Affirming gathering, with a pizza lunch, a video called "When a Kid is Gay" and a discussion of the video. We had some very good discussion at our table. Every single person at the table seems to be for going ONA and has personal experience with a gay loved one. One couple has a gay nephew, another man had a gay brother who died of AIDS before he ever came out to his brother, the AP has had kids in the youth group come out to her, J & I talked about our own experiences. I felt awful for one of the kids in the video, who is a fundamentalist Christian and is convinced he will go to hell for being gay. It was very sad. Another boy seriously considered suicide because his dad was very emotionally and verbally abusive to him because of his orientation. I am so blessed to have had the kind of upbringing and to have the kind of family I have.
After the gathering, we went home and picked up Boot for some Crocker Park prowling. The boys had been fighting all weekend, so Pie did not want to come along. Boot was perfectly pleasant, though, toward us. I understand that they really got into it Friday night and Pie ended up saying to J, enraged with his brother, "There is no room for diversity in this world!!! I am just trying to make some space for myself!!! I don't want to be like him!!!" So, I suspect that Boot was coming down on Pie for not being into boxing and other such manly, American pursuits. He needs to learn to be himself and let Pie be his own self. I'm glad I missed that part of the weekend and was simply able to enjoy Boot shopping for clothes at places like Hollister and for weight lifting equipment at Dick's. He is such a guy. Not at all a little boy anymore. I spent the rest of the afternoon working on the seasons swap tip-in pages that were due the following weekend, while the rest of the family vegged out in front of various screens. After Boot left, we tucked in to split pea soup and good bread and got ready to start a new week.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Sermon-We Are Creating Tomorrow's Heritage
We Are Creating Tomorrow’s Heritage: A Sermon on John 17:17-21
The greatest amount of moaning and wailing that I’ve heard from my fellow students at seminary is over church history courses. The amounts of reading are prodigious, the time periods seem distant, the information irrelevant to a modern audience geared toward moving forward and most of all, they exclaim, it’s so boring! Well, I’ll be the first to admit that I have had, on occasion, to resort to reading my Calvin out loud so I wouldn’t fall asleep and that Karl Barth’s writing style always gives me fits! I am in agreement with historian David McCollough when he says, “No harm’s done to history by making it something someone would want to read.” No harm is done, either, by making it something someone would want to hear. Most people who claim not to like history just didn’t have a good history teacher. I say this as a deep lover of historical study, with a B.A. in History and a seminary specialization in Church History.
I am one of the lucky ones. Oh, I’ve always had an interest in history, the great goings-on of times long ago, the everyday lives of people from ages past. But, when I say I am lucky, I am referring to my middle school history teacher. Mr. G had a true passion for the past, along with a knack for relaying his love of history to 7th and 8th graders. He made it relevant. That is, he figured out how to convey its relevance to us. Part of his method was to appeal to the scatological bent of kids that age by telling us tidbits about the prevalence and common treatment of dysentery during the Civil War and what, exactly, goes into hot dogs, as part of a discussion of the Industrial Revolution and the growth of factories. Mostly, though, he simply told us the truth. Instead of relying on a never-ending column of dry names and dates, we were told juicy stories about a fascinating array of real people and occurrences that just happen to have been in the past.
When my class moved to the high school, so did Mr. G. He was determined that his students know things that are still seldom taught in our schools, things that don’t always speak well of our American heritage. For while it is true that our forefathers (Mr. G included the foremothers, too) gave us things like the Constitution and fairer labor practices, they also bestowed on us a terrible heritage of broken treaties with the natives of this land and internment of Japanese Americans during the Second World War. We like to gloss over ugly truths like this, but it is imperative that we speak these truths as loudly as we proclaim our pride in the accomplishments of our nation. As Goethe put it, “patriotism ruins history” and when we don’t have the whole story, we miss valuable lessons.
The same kind of veneer is often put on church history. As Christians, we are proud of our faith’s message of love to the world. We are hasty to skip over atrocities done in the name of Christ, atrocities such as the Crusades, the Inquisition and exclusionist tactics practiced by Christians today. As Protestant Christians, we are proud of our heritage as a denomination that grew out of the Reformation. We speak of Christians such as Martin Luther, who, in fighting the corruption of the Church, helped to create a whole new way of being Christian. Yet, we avoid talking about other Protestants such as Thomas Müntzer, who led 8,000 peasants in the bloody Battle of Frankenhausen, a battle fought over varying interpretations of Christ’s message. As American Protestants, we are proud of our roots that stretch back to the Mayflower Pilgrims. We neglect to include things like the hanging of Quakers like Mary Dyer or the banishment of those, like Anne Hutchinson, who spoke out against Puritan sermons.
The good news in the dark parts of our heritage is that we can study what happened and make sure it never happens again. We can make sure we follow the example of people in history who got it right and guard against slipping into the ways of those who did not. It is all too easy to say that we would never allow something like the Holocaust to happen. Yet, how many of us, with our parish, our job or our family at risk would genuinely have the courage to stand against the rising flood of hatred? How many of us would be a Karl Barth or a Dietrich Bonhoeffer? How easy it would be simply to go along to get along, to protect those we love through our complicity! How many American pastors over the past few years have preached against a war that meets none of the traditional criteria for just war? I know that if I was told that I had better put the American flag up instead of the cross in my church or risk my mom’s life, I would most likely fly that flag high. I wish I thought I would behave differently, but I am not so certain of my strength. In all my humanity, I very well might, like Peter denying Christ, act to save my own skin rather than to tell God’s truth. I can only try my hardest to be a truth-teller, knowing what I know of history.
So, the past is relevant, in all its evil as well as all its good. What Christians have done in the past has shaped irrevocably who Christians are today. I have found myself embraced when claiming the name “Christian” and have found myself under suspicion, challenged, as well. We must act in the present to deserve the embraces and we must act in the present to eradicate the suspicion. We are responsible for future generations being able to claim their heritage with the pride we are able to show in celebrating ours. We don’t want to live in the past, to assume that because our ancestors have accomplished much, we may rest on their laurels. We want to live our lives as Christians today in such a way that future generations will wish to live up to our example.
In the history of
When we speak of
Heritage is not an empty vault, filled with dust and void of nourishment. Heritage is more like a banquet table, at which we find a rich array of dishes, with God as executive chef and our spiritual ancestors as sous chefs, doing their best to replicate God’s recipes for the delight of future generations. We are invited to drink and eat the riches of God’s table. We set aside that which is not bread, our worries, cares, prejudices. We set aside all notion of tradition and heritage as prison cells. We take a seat at the table and eat what is good. We also step into the kitchen and don our aprons to prepare nourishment for the coming generations.
In so doing, we are about the work of Christ, who asked for sanctification not only for the apostles, who sent not only the apostles into the world. Christ’s interest was for our sanctification as well. Christ asks us to go into the world so that all may believe in him and so that all may be one. Jesus’ charge 2,000 years ago echoes down the ages to us. We would do well to incline our ears to what God is speaking to us today, in order that our actions may become part of the beauty of the table God is setting throughout history, and not tainted meat or molded bread to be thrown out with the garbage of the past by future generations.
Edward Gibbon said, “I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know no way of judging of the future but by the past.” It is up to us to hold high the lamp of our heritage and use the past as a solid foundation from which to soar into the future God would have us create. Without the foundation, we have nothing to stand upon.
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