I grew up in an Evangelical Pentecostal tradition so High Church concepts of an Ecumenical Calendar are foreign to me and therefore somewhat intriguing. Blair Frodelius has been posting messages to the Bruce Cockburn list server for eight Christmas seasons now. I find these posts thought provoking and asked Blair’s permission to reproduce them here on the Orchard. I hope you enjoy them as well.
Advent Reading 2008: Day 1
Where has the time gone? Advent, already??? For the eighth year in a row, my gift will be a daily dose of thoughts, essays, stories, poems, videos, and more. Each year I hear from dozens of people who have been inspired or motivated by one of the readings. I hope you take a moment to relax and reflect during this most spiritual of seasons.
Today's reading starts with a cup of coffee, leads to social justice and finally into the motivation behind giving. There is also a link to information about Fair Trade Coffee, as well as an amusing video called "What If Starbucks Marketed Like a Church?".
Enjoy!
Blair Frodelius
----------------------------------------------------------
We are enjoying life and work in a new academic center here at Catholic Theological Union this year. My office is on the same floor where there is a lovely atrium that lets in the sunshine through a skylight (on the days when there is actually sunshine during a Chicago winter!!). When school opened in September, there was a section of the atrium where coffee was available for anyone who needed that morning or after-lunch lift. You just poured yourself a cup and left the money in a box. A few weeks ago, this self-serve system was transformed into a real coffee bar, with an attendant, good service, and an assortment of kinds of fair trade coffee. I went down for some coffee the first day the bar opened and noticed that the price for a cup had increased. Fair trade coffee costs a bit more than most of the commercially marketed varieties. My
initial reaction was one of dismay. I wondered why I should have to pay more for coffee, and I was skeptical about how successful this new venture would be.
I thought about my reaction after my first visit to the new coffee bar. Needless to say, I have been back every day since, and the coffee bar seems to be doing just fine with sales. Fair trade coffee represents an effort to ensure that coffee growers in other countries -- many of them developing countries -- receive a just price for their product. Often the free market price falls so low that coffee growers in Latin America and other places cannot survive on what they are being paid. In addition, the fair trade coffee movement encourages growers to produce their crop with methods that are more ecologically friendly. In reflecting on my initial reaction to the higher price, I realized how programmed I am to focus only on the consumption side of things. With that very narrow focus it is easy to miss out on some of the bigger issues that are related to justice.
There are many fine Christmas traditions of special giving and charity in our communities. They have become an essential part of our Christmas preparation and celebration. These include everything from the Giving Tree in our parish churches, to Salvation Army representatives in malls and on street corners, programs like Toys for Tots, Saint Vincent De Paul food baskets, and countless others. In many ways, Christmas brings out the best in all of us. I believe that the Gospel for this Sunday invites us to see these customs of giving and heightened concern as more than simply holiday charity or nice gestures of good will on our part. The meaning of such actions lies deeper than just buying an additional gift or food item after we have bought all our other gifts. Rather, we need to see these activities as an indispensable part of our preparation
for the coming of Jesus into our lives and as expressive of our effort to build justice in the world.
John the Baptist tells us that if we wish to celebrate the presence of Jesus at home or in church without turning to our neighbor, in whom we discover Christ's presence, we have fooled ourselves. And the Gospel reminds us that this turning is not simply a matter of charity. It is an exercise of justice, an expression of our willingness to share the world's goods that are on loan to us with those who share less in these goods, often much less.
--Robin Ryan C.P.
Director, Catholics On Call vocation program/
/Adjunct Professor in Systematic Theology at CTU
Fair Trade Coffee
What If Starbucks Marketed Like a Church?
Full Version: Advent Readings 2008
Advent Reading 2008: Day 2
*Advent & World Aids Day*
/by William Blaine-Wallace/
On Mondays, I moonlight as a family therapist at The Salem Center, a community of therapists committed to a postmodern way of sitting with hurting people.
A couple of weeks ago, during supervision, I was, for the zillionth time over the course of my life, wrestling with the bear of inferiority. The beast was winning again.
Steve, my supervisor, friend and colleague -- postmodern doesn't truck much in hierarchy -- wondered what all the dying people with AIDS I cared for in the 1980's and 90's would say about me. He asked if they, too, would rate me as low-grade.
After I mumbled something, Steve asked if he could interview one of the dead persons I cared for. He wanted to interview her or him about me. He didn't push the issue. He said that we could talk about other things with my peers until I decided.
I first said that I couldn't imagine picking just one, there were thousands. Then, I remembered Wayne.
I met Wayne when he came for grief counseling following his lover's death. Later, Wayne and I became friends and colleagues. We went to high schools and churches to talk about AIDS. Wayne coached me back to parish ministry, after he heard me complain, again and again, that being CEO of a health care organization had little to do with pastoral presence. Right before Wayne died, in response to what he called his last wish, we drove around the back roads of Massachusetts towns like Lincoln and Concord to experience the fall foliage. A couple of weeks later, Wayne died at my pad, The Hospice at Mission Hill. I heard about Wayne's death while teaching an in-service at AIDS Action. I left Clarendon Street immediately after the workshop, made my way to Parker Hill Avenue, and sat with Wayne's body for a good long while.
Yes, Steve, you may interview Wayne.
Steve pulled his chair in front of me, leaned over and said, "So, Wayne, how are you?" "Well, Steve, I'm dead. I've been that way for about twelve years." "So, Wayne, what is it like to be dead?"
About 45 minutes later, the interview ended. My inferiority wasn't cured; it was forgotten. My refreshed heart had relocated inferiority to the category of another cheap brand of angst oozing from the first world's most flimsy and infamous invention -- THE SELF.
Steve's interview with Wayne quickened my lapsed heart.
Thank you, Wayne, for taking me back to a time when church was the wonderfully unorthodox and scrumptiously disorganized company of the dispossessed. It's a place I plan to stay.
When people come together through suffering there's a good chance that they will stand against suffering. Their stance more than likely puts a dent in suffering. Draw a bold circle around the crease, for it is a mark of love. The mark of love is the cornerstone of authentic church. Institutional church is measured by and accountable to the cornerstone of such love.
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
Paul's words to the Romans about love were honed in jail cells and back rooms crammed with those who were being hunted down for hunkering with the Spirit of One who was executed for standing with the suffering against suffering to put a dent in suffering.
I don't want to romanticize love born from shared suffering. The community of the broken, as it breeds love, is messy business.
I remember the early 90's, when the rooms at The Hospice at Mission Hill began to be occupied less by gay men with copies of Mapplethorpe prints on their walls, and more by minorities with needle marks on their arms. A community that mostly mirrored one another's social location, became a community mystified by the social dislocation characterized by mixed tastes (stuffing for some, dressing for others), and competing sounds (Patsy Cline and Ice T). Still, the same question was asked of each by each: "Do you have some word for me?" The answers were muddled, as each struggled to break down long-held assumptions about the other. Confused as familiar ways of relating fell short. Chaotic as tried and true formularies of care failed to make a difference. Still, we made our way towards the promised Land.
World AIDS Day, which we acknowledge on December 1st, is not another insertion into our liturgies of a cause we might make a contribution to. Rather, it is the invitation from millions of suffering people around the world to wade into the messiness of their annihilation, waters where Grace pulls us under our competency, breaks the surface of our sufficiency, and bites us on the ass of our assurance. Most all that remains after Grace has her way with us is one another, which is more than we have going for us on the shore.
Advent is about getting ready for the unexpected in-breaking of Grace, the sought after and serendipitous alchemy of justice and mercy, which Jesus named the reign of heaven.
Getting ready means wading into the waters of suffering as the suffering with the suffering. It could be the most suffering we presently bring into the public bath is a bland spiritual frostbite, something like the inferiority neurosis of the privileged. We bring what we have.
William Blaine-Wallace is rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Boston, Mass.
World Aids Day
(RED)Wire *
(*A digital music magazine with one very important difference. It not only changes the way music is discovered, it provides medicine for people who need it in Africa.)
*Advent & World Aids Day*
/by William Blaine-Wallace/
On Mondays, I moonlight as a family therapist at The Salem Center, a community of therapists committed to a postmodern way of sitting with hurting people.
A couple of weeks ago, during supervision, I was, for the zillionth time over the course of my life, wrestling with the bear of inferiority. The beast was winning again.
Steve, my supervisor, friend and colleague -- postmodern doesn't truck much in hierarchy -- wondered what all the dying people with AIDS I cared for in the 1980's and 90's would say about me. He asked if they, too, would rate me as low-grade.
After I mumbled something, Steve asked if he could interview one of the dead persons I cared for. He wanted to interview her or him about me. He didn't push the issue. He said that we could talk about other things with my peers until I decided.
I first said that I couldn't imagine picking just one, there were thousands. Then, I remembered Wayne.
I met Wayne when he came for grief counseling following his lover's death. Later, Wayne and I became friends and colleagues. We went to high schools and churches to talk about AIDS. Wayne coached me back to parish ministry, after he heard me complain, again and again, that being CEO of a health care organization had little to do with pastoral presence. Right before Wayne died, in response to what he called his last wish, we drove around the back roads of Massachusetts towns like Lincoln and Concord to experience the fall foliage. A couple of weeks later, Wayne died at my pad, The Hospice at Mission Hill. I heard about Wayne's death while teaching an in-service at AIDS Action. I left Clarendon Street immediately after the workshop, made my way to Parker Hill Avenue, and sat with Wayne's body for a good long while.
Yes, Steve, you may interview Wayne.
Steve pulled his chair in front of me, leaned over and said, "So, Wayne, how are you?" "Well, Steve, I'm dead. I've been that way for about twelve years." "So, Wayne, what is it like to be dead?"
About 45 minutes later, the interview ended. My inferiority wasn't cured; it was forgotten. My refreshed heart had relocated inferiority to the category of another cheap brand of angst oozing from the first world's most flimsy and infamous invention -- THE SELF.
Steve's interview with Wayne quickened my lapsed heart.
Thank you, Wayne, for taking me back to a time when church was the wonderfully unorthodox and scrumptiously disorganized company of the dispossessed. It's a place I plan to stay.
When people come together through suffering there's a good chance that they will stand against suffering. Their stance more than likely puts a dent in suffering. Draw a bold circle around the crease, for it is a mark of love. The mark of love is the cornerstone of authentic church. Institutional church is measured by and accountable to the cornerstone of such love.
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
Paul's words to the Romans about love were honed in jail cells and back rooms crammed with those who were being hunted down for hunkering with the Spirit of One who was executed for standing with the suffering against suffering to put a dent in suffering.
I don't want to romanticize love born from shared suffering. The community of the broken, as it breeds love, is messy business.
I remember the early 90's, when the rooms at The Hospice at Mission Hill began to be occupied less by gay men with copies of Mapplethorpe prints on their walls, and more by minorities with needle marks on their arms. A community that mostly mirrored one another's social location, became a community mystified by the social dislocation characterized by mixed tastes (stuffing for some, dressing for others), and competing sounds (Patsy Cline and Ice T). Still, the same question was asked of each by each: "Do you have some word for me?" The answers were muddled, as each struggled to break down long-held assumptions about the other. Confused as familiar ways of relating fell short. Chaotic as tried and true formularies of care failed to make a difference. Still, we made our way towards the promised Land.
World AIDS Day, which we acknowledge on December 1st, is not another insertion into our liturgies of a cause we might make a contribution to. Rather, it is the invitation from millions of suffering people around the world to wade into the messiness of their annihilation, waters where Grace pulls us under our competency, breaks the surface of our sufficiency, and bites us on the ass of our assurance. Most all that remains after Grace has her way with us is one another, which is more than we have going for us on the shore.
Advent is about getting ready for the unexpected in-breaking of Grace, the sought after and serendipitous alchemy of justice and mercy, which Jesus named the reign of heaven.
Getting ready means wading into the waters of suffering as the suffering with the suffering. It could be the most suffering we presently bring into the public bath is a bland spiritual frostbite, something like the inferiority neurosis of the privileged. We bring what we have.
William Blaine-Wallace is rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Boston, Mass.
World Aids Day
(RED)Wire *
(*A digital music magazine with one very important difference. It not only changes the way music is discovered, it provides medicine for people who need it in Africa.)
Advent Reading 2008: Day 3
Those who want an end to the war in Iraq are hopeful that it will end with the new administration. Those who oppose the use of torture are hopeful that U.S. support for torture will end with the new administration. Those who want universal health care are hopeful that progress will be made with the new administration. Those who are worried about the poor in the midst of our economic recession are hoping for policies that help those who are most in need. People who are concerned with social change are placing a lot of their hope on the change of political leadership in our nation. As Christians we are always called to be people of hope. This is a good thing. However, as Christians we know that no political system or leadership will be perfect.
As we look at our culture, we might want to reflect on
* The individualistic mentality that keeps us from solidarity and the common good
* The temptation to rely on power and even violence instead of love and active nonviolence
* The tendency to accumulate wealth instead of sharing material resources
* The practice of judging things from the limited view of our culture alone
* The lack of a seamless, all-inclusive respect for life
* The excessive power of the media which limits our vision
* The lack of direct contact with those who are in need or different than ourselves.
The list could go on and on. The challenge is to open our eyes and be alert and aware, so that we can know the biases of our culture, make this list concrete, and begin to see things from a bigger viewpoint.
--John Bucki SJ
Center of Concern
//
* But it will be necessary above all to abandon a mentality in which the poor - as individuals and as peoples - are considered a burden, as irksome intruders trying to consume what others have produced. The poor ask for the right to share in enjoying material goods and to make good use of their capacity for work, thus creating a world that is more just and prosperous for all. The advancement of the poor constitutes a great opportunity for the moral, cultural and even economic growth of all humanity. - John Paul II, Centesimus Annus
*Catholic Charities USA* has summarized *poverty statistics* for each state in the USA at: www.catholiccharitiesusa.org
37.3 million people live below the official federal poverty level, which was $20,614 for a family of four in 2007. This number is up from 36.5 million in 2006. The number of people who are poor by the official government standards is more than to the combined populations of Iowa, Connecticut, Oklahoma, Oregon, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, Colorado, New Hampshire and Idaho. Almost half of all Americans will have experienced poverty for a year or more at some point in their lives by the time they reach age 60.
Those who want an end to the war in Iraq are hopeful that it will end with the new administration. Those who oppose the use of torture are hopeful that U.S. support for torture will end with the new administration. Those who want universal health care are hopeful that progress will be made with the new administration. Those who are worried about the poor in the midst of our economic recession are hoping for policies that help those who are most in need. People who are concerned with social change are placing a lot of their hope on the change of political leadership in our nation. As Christians we are always called to be people of hope. This is a good thing. However, as Christians we know that no political system or leadership will be perfect.
As we look at our culture, we might want to reflect on
* The individualistic mentality that keeps us from solidarity and the common good
* The temptation to rely on power and even violence instead of love and active nonviolence
* The tendency to accumulate wealth instead of sharing material resources
* The practice of judging things from the limited view of our culture alone
* The lack of a seamless, all-inclusive respect for life
* The excessive power of the media which limits our vision
* The lack of direct contact with those who are in need or different than ourselves.
The list could go on and on. The challenge is to open our eyes and be alert and aware, so that we can know the biases of our culture, make this list concrete, and begin to see things from a bigger viewpoint.
--John Bucki SJ
Center of Concern
//
* But it will be necessary above all to abandon a mentality in which the poor - as individuals and as peoples - are considered a burden, as irksome intruders trying to consume what others have produced. The poor ask for the right to share in enjoying material goods and to make good use of their capacity for work, thus creating a world that is more just and prosperous for all. The advancement of the poor constitutes a great opportunity for the moral, cultural and even economic growth of all humanity. - John Paul II, Centesimus Annus
*Catholic Charities USA* has summarized *poverty statistics* for each state in the USA at: www.catholiccharitiesusa.org
37.3 million people live below the official federal poverty level, which was $20,614 for a family of four in 2007. This number is up from 36.5 million in 2006. The number of people who are poor by the official government standards is more than to the combined populations of Iowa, Connecticut, Oklahoma, Oregon, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, Colorado, New Hampshire and Idaho. Almost half of all Americans will have experienced poverty for a year or more at some point in their lives by the time they reach age 60.
Advent Reading 2008: Day 4
Arrested Peace and Stale Bread
by Glory E. Dharmaraj - Director of the Woman's Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries
Peace does not descend magically like snow flakes on a newly converted farm of plowshares and pruning hooks. Peace must be made daily like bread.
Prophet Joel says, "Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weakling say, 'I am a warrior,'" Joel 3:10.
The seeming peace that ensues in the aftermath of wars can belie lingering violence. In those days, the defeated were sold as slaves to the traders and brokers who followed the victorious army. Lots were cast and even children were sold by the army of the conquerors. Joel calls for a campaign against child slavery, human trafficking and human cargo smuggled across the borders.
Professor Mary Getui of Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya, says that since women are the primary nurturers of life, producers and servers of food in the African context, they also initiate peace negotiations and reconciliation in armed conflicts in the African context. It is because women and children are more and more often the victims of modern armed conflicts, experiencing rape, sexual slavery, abduction and increasing casualty rates, that they feel the urgency for peace and the routines of a normal life. It is they who often experience rape, sexual slavery and abduction in armed conflicts.
Nurturing life, on the other hand, involves setting up hearths, making food and sharing food. Food-making and peace-making seem to be so closely related.
Not so close, if we are not daily watchful.
Slavery, forced-labor and trafficking can take place even in peaceful times. What about making swords into plowshares? Is it a fanciful, indulgent thought during the Christmas Season?
Today, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime describes these acts as the world's fastest growing criminal enterprise. Human Rights Watch says half of the estimated 200 million migrants worldwide are women and they often experience human rights violations. Trafficking occurs within this large group of migrants seeking bread for themselves and their families.
Prophet Joel's call is a call for a prophetic undercover investigation into the trafficking of the vulnerable, for God stands in solidarity with the poor and the vulnerable.
As consumers and celebrators of the season of bounty and season of peace, we are asked to be vigilant, and fight against injustice, slavery, forced labor and trafficking -- even within the agricultural industry within the borders of our country and across our borders. Failure to exercise constant vigilance on behalf of the women at risk and children at risk is like eating stale bread -- the stale bread of insecurity. Let us continue to work for:
* Peace and food;
* Peace and justice for the migrants;
* Peace for the one who produces and the one who eats food; and
* God's justice for the weak and the vulnerable in our midst.
Human Rights Watch
Global Fund for Women
Arrested Peace and Stale Bread
by Glory E. Dharmaraj - Director of the Woman's Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries
Peace does not descend magically like snow flakes on a newly converted farm of plowshares and pruning hooks. Peace must be made daily like bread.
Prophet Joel says, "Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weakling say, 'I am a warrior,'" Joel 3:10.
The seeming peace that ensues in the aftermath of wars can belie lingering violence. In those days, the defeated were sold as slaves to the traders and brokers who followed the victorious army. Lots were cast and even children were sold by the army of the conquerors. Joel calls for a campaign against child slavery, human trafficking and human cargo smuggled across the borders.
Professor Mary Getui of Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya, says that since women are the primary nurturers of life, producers and servers of food in the African context, they also initiate peace negotiations and reconciliation in armed conflicts in the African context. It is because women and children are more and more often the victims of modern armed conflicts, experiencing rape, sexual slavery, abduction and increasing casualty rates, that they feel the urgency for peace and the routines of a normal life. It is they who often experience rape, sexual slavery and abduction in armed conflicts.
Nurturing life, on the other hand, involves setting up hearths, making food and sharing food. Food-making and peace-making seem to be so closely related.
Not so close, if we are not daily watchful.
Slavery, forced-labor and trafficking can take place even in peaceful times. What about making swords into plowshares? Is it a fanciful, indulgent thought during the Christmas Season?
Today, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime describes these acts as the world's fastest growing criminal enterprise. Human Rights Watch says half of the estimated 200 million migrants worldwide are women and they often experience human rights violations. Trafficking occurs within this large group of migrants seeking bread for themselves and their families.
Prophet Joel's call is a call for a prophetic undercover investigation into the trafficking of the vulnerable, for God stands in solidarity with the poor and the vulnerable.
As consumers and celebrators of the season of bounty and season of peace, we are asked to be vigilant, and fight against injustice, slavery, forced labor and trafficking -- even within the agricultural industry within the borders of our country and across our borders. Failure to exercise constant vigilance on behalf of the women at risk and children at risk is like eating stale bread -- the stale bread of insecurity. Let us continue to work for:
* Peace and food;
* Peace and justice for the migrants;
* Peace for the one who produces and the one who eats food; and
* God's justice for the weak and the vulnerable in our midst.
Human Rights Watch
Global Fund for Women
Advent Reading 2008: Day 5
Living Water Project
by Alicia Hemphill
Last year, $450 billion was spent on Christmas in the United States.
$11.4 billion would bring a sustainable clean drinking water source to every person on the planet.
This isn't a fundraiser. It's not a guilt trip. Advent Conspiracy, like Water Brings Life, doesn't collect any money for their own use. Their dream is this. What if the people who celebrate Christmas decided to give one less gift this year for Christmas? And, what if more of the gifts that were given were relationship building rather than just objects that will collect dust and contribute to family debt? For example, what about a family exchanging hand made gifts? Or, what about giving games to each person that everyone can play on a family fun night each week? What if friends made dinners for each other? Or took each other to the zoo or a museum for a day to spend together? You get the idea.
Then, what if each person took the money they would have spent on that one gift, and they gave it to a good cause? Last year, Advent Conspiracy asked that 25% of the money each church raised during the "Give More" offering be donated to a water aid organization. They specifically recommended Living Water International ...but the decision was left up to the specific church/family/etc. The movement raised over $500K. You can read about the wells that have been built here 2008 Projects.
I'm hoping you'll bring this idea to whomever leads your church and say, "Hey, I think we should participate in this."
The concept is simple. Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, Love All.
Advent Conspiracy Video
Living Water Project
by Alicia Hemphill
Last year, $450 billion was spent on Christmas in the United States.
$11.4 billion would bring a sustainable clean drinking water source to every person on the planet.
This isn't a fundraiser. It's not a guilt trip. Advent Conspiracy, like Water Brings Life, doesn't collect any money for their own use. Their dream is this. What if the people who celebrate Christmas decided to give one less gift this year for Christmas? And, what if more of the gifts that were given were relationship building rather than just objects that will collect dust and contribute to family debt? For example, what about a family exchanging hand made gifts? Or, what about giving games to each person that everyone can play on a family fun night each week? What if friends made dinners for each other? Or took each other to the zoo or a museum for a day to spend together? You get the idea.
Then, what if each person took the money they would have spent on that one gift, and they gave it to a good cause? Last year, Advent Conspiracy asked that 25% of the money each church raised during the "Give More" offering be donated to a water aid organization. They specifically recommended Living Water International ...but the decision was left up to the specific church/family/etc. The movement raised over $500K. You can read about the wells that have been built here 2008 Projects.
I'm hoping you'll bring this idea to whomever leads your church and say, "Hey, I think we should participate in this."
The concept is simple. Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, Love All.
Advent Conspiracy Video
Advent Reading 2008: Day 6 (St. Nicholas Day)
The clock may be the most important machine of modern technology. Until the late thirteenth century, most clocks were either sundials or water clocks, both of which kept time by careful alignment with the rhythms of the natural world. With the advent of the mechanical clock in the fourteenth century, and its mass production in the nineteenth century, time became separated from natural rhythms, both internal (heartbeat, breathing, hunger patterns, for example) and external (the cycle of day and night, the annual seasons, etc.), to which pre-moderns aligned themselves. Once time could be measured in independent units apart from the consideration of internal or external rhythms, time began to appear "under our control." We are now encouraged to "make the most of our time," or to "use our time wisely." Human activities are increasingly measured by their time-efficiency.
Alongside clocks we might include microwave ovens, cell phones, pagers, home computers, and a myriad of other devices that modern technology offers us in our quest to conquer time. Let us consider but one, the microwave oven. Many of us now rely on microwave ovens for a good share of the cooking. At first the microwave oven was employed primarily to warm up left-overs, but now we have packaged microwave meals that help us save time by eliminating much of meal preparation. What microwaves offer us is a more efficient use of time. But they also change the way we "spend" time, for the time spent preparing a meal is also the best argument for its leisurely consumption. A meal which requires no preparation also lays little claim to sustained dinner interaction. Microwave meals are made, not just to be prepared quickly, but to be consumed quickly.
This is the paradox of our age: We can easily become so trapped in an endless spiral to purchase more technological gadgets which promise to help us "save" time that we have lost the ability to "spend" time.
It is fitting that the feast of St. Nicholas comes at the beginning of Advent and the beginning of the shopper's season. As the patron saint of shoppers he proclaims, 'Keep it simple!' Keep it simple enough to fit in a shoe or a stocking.
One gift that could fit in a...shoe, or in a stocking hanging on the fireplace, is a note that speaks of one of our most precious gifts, the gift of time. Such a St. Nicholas note might read: 'The gift I give to you is half an hour of quality conversation each night right after the dishes are done.' Or, 'The gift I give to you is one Saturday a month to be with you and do whatever you want to do.' We can appreciate the value of such a gift if we keep in mind that according to a recent survey, the average married couple in America has only 30 minutes a week of communication outside of exchanges that take place at the dinner table, and between parent and child is only 14 minutes. As you can see, the possibilities are almost unlimited for these St. Nicholas shoe gifts.
Edward Hays
Hand Drawn Clock
The clock may be the most important machine of modern technology. Until the late thirteenth century, most clocks were either sundials or water clocks, both of which kept time by careful alignment with the rhythms of the natural world. With the advent of the mechanical clock in the fourteenth century, and its mass production in the nineteenth century, time became separated from natural rhythms, both internal (heartbeat, breathing, hunger patterns, for example) and external (the cycle of day and night, the annual seasons, etc.), to which pre-moderns aligned themselves. Once time could be measured in independent units apart from the consideration of internal or external rhythms, time began to appear "under our control." We are now encouraged to "make the most of our time," or to "use our time wisely." Human activities are increasingly measured by their time-efficiency.
Alongside clocks we might include microwave ovens, cell phones, pagers, home computers, and a myriad of other devices that modern technology offers us in our quest to conquer time. Let us consider but one, the microwave oven. Many of us now rely on microwave ovens for a good share of the cooking. At first the microwave oven was employed primarily to warm up left-overs, but now we have packaged microwave meals that help us save time by eliminating much of meal preparation. What microwaves offer us is a more efficient use of time. But they also change the way we "spend" time, for the time spent preparing a meal is also the best argument for its leisurely consumption. A meal which requires no preparation also lays little claim to sustained dinner interaction. Microwave meals are made, not just to be prepared quickly, but to be consumed quickly.
This is the paradox of our age: We can easily become so trapped in an endless spiral to purchase more technological gadgets which promise to help us "save" time that we have lost the ability to "spend" time.
It is fitting that the feast of St. Nicholas comes at the beginning of Advent and the beginning of the shopper's season. As the patron saint of shoppers he proclaims, 'Keep it simple!' Keep it simple enough to fit in a shoe or a stocking.
One gift that could fit in a...shoe, or in a stocking hanging on the fireplace, is a note that speaks of one of our most precious gifts, the gift of time. Such a St. Nicholas note might read: 'The gift I give to you is half an hour of quality conversation each night right after the dishes are done.' Or, 'The gift I give to you is one Saturday a month to be with you and do whatever you want to do.' We can appreciate the value of such a gift if we keep in mind that according to a recent survey, the average married couple in America has only 30 minutes a week of communication outside of exchanges that take place at the dinner table, and between parent and child is only 14 minutes. As you can see, the possibilities are almost unlimited for these St. Nicholas shoe gifts.
Edward Hays
Hand Drawn Clock
Advent Reading 2008: Day 7
On the anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day, I thought it would be appropriate to remember a Japanese girl who represents peace. - Blair
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Sadako Sasaki was a Japanese girl who lived near Misasa Bridge in Hiroshima, Japan. Sadako was a victim and was only two years old on the day the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima August 6, 1945. At the time of the explosion she was at home, about 1 mile from ground zero. Ten years later she was diagnosed with leukemia, which her mother called "an atom bomb disease." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadako Sasaki
In November 1954, lumps developed on her neck and behind her ears. In January 1955, purple spots started to form on her legs. She was hospitalized on February 21, 1955 and given, at the most, a year to live.
On August 3, 1955, Chizuko Hamamoto --- Sadako's best friend --- came to the hospital to visit and cut a golden piece of paper into a square and folded it into a paper crane. At first Sadako didn't understand why Chizuko was doing this but then Chizuko retold the story about the paper cranes. Inspired by the crane, she started folding them herself, spurred on by the Japanese saying that one who folded 1,000 cranes was granted a wish. A popular version of the story is that she fell short of her goal of folding 1,000 cranes, having folded only 644 before her death, and that her friends completed the 1,000 and buried them all with her. This comes from the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. An exhibit which appeared in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum stated that by the end of August, 1955, Sadako had achieved her goal and continued to fold more cranes.
Though she had plenty of free time during her days in the hospital to fold the cranes, she lacked paper. She would use medicine wrappings and whatever else she could scrounge up. This included going to other patients' rooms to ask to use the paper from their get-well presents. Chizuko would bring paper from school for Sadako to use. One day her mother came to the hospital and gave her a gorgeous dress, a Kimono. Sadako loved it.
During her time in hospital her condition progressively worsened. Around mid-October her left leg became swollen and urned purple. After her family urged her to eat something, Sadako requested tea on rice and remarked "It's good." Those were her last words. With her family around her, Sadako died on the morning of October 25, 1955.
After her death, Sadako's friends and schoolmates published a collection of letters in order to raise funds to build a memorial to her and all of the children who had died from the effects of the atomic bomb.
Children's Peace Monument
In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, also called the Genbaku Dome.
At the foot of the statue is a plaque that reads, "This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world."
The following haiku was attributed to Sadako. It translates into English as:
I shall write peace upon your wings, your heart and you shall fly
around the world so that children will no longer have to die this way.
There is also a statue of her in the Seattle Peace Park.
Sadako has become a leading symbol of the impact of a nuclear war. Sadako is also a heroine for many girls in Japan. Her story is told in some Japanese schools on the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. Dedicated to her, people all over Japan celebrate August 6 as the annual peace day.
Every day more cranes continue to arrive at the memorial from children all over the world in the hope for peace.
Animated instructions for folding paper cranes are available at www.sadako.org
How to Share Your Paper Cranes
To string the cranes, attach a string to a long needle, push it through the hole in the bottom of each crane, and bring it out through the point in the center of the crane's back. Be sure to tie a knot at the end of the string. To separate the cranes on the string, add a 1/4" piece of a plastic straw or coffee stirrer between each crane.
1. To send a thousand cranes to the Children's Monument inHiroshima's Peace Park, string them on garlands of 100 cranes each. Mail them to: Office of the Mayor, City of Hiroshima, 6-34 Kokutaiji-Machi, 1 Chome Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730 Japan.
2. Hang them in your church, a school, or a public library. Ask the librarian to make a display of books related to Sadako, Japan, World War II, leukemia, and peace.
3. Bring them to a nursing home or hospital along with instructions for folding the cranes; it's a wonderful activity to share with others.
4. Ask your local newspaper to publish a story about why you folded the cranes. Include a picture of all the people who participated.
5. Look for someone traveling to Japan who would be willing to go to Hiroshima to personally place your cranes at the base of the statue. It could be a business person, a student, or someone visiting a relative.
On the anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day, I thought it would be appropriate to remember a Japanese girl who represents peace. - Blair
----------------------------------------------------------
Sadako Sasaki was a Japanese girl who lived near Misasa Bridge in Hiroshima, Japan. Sadako was a victim and was only two years old on the day the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima August 6, 1945. At the time of the explosion she was at home, about 1 mile from ground zero. Ten years later she was diagnosed with leukemia, which her mother called "an atom bomb disease." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadako Sasaki
In November 1954, lumps developed on her neck and behind her ears. In January 1955, purple spots started to form on her legs. She was hospitalized on February 21, 1955 and given, at the most, a year to live.
On August 3, 1955, Chizuko Hamamoto --- Sadako's best friend --- came to the hospital to visit and cut a golden piece of paper into a square and folded it into a paper crane. At first Sadako didn't understand why Chizuko was doing this but then Chizuko retold the story about the paper cranes. Inspired by the crane, she started folding them herself, spurred on by the Japanese saying that one who folded 1,000 cranes was granted a wish. A popular version of the story is that she fell short of her goal of folding 1,000 cranes, having folded only 644 before her death, and that her friends completed the 1,000 and buried them all with her. This comes from the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. An exhibit which appeared in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum stated that by the end of August, 1955, Sadako had achieved her goal and continued to fold more cranes.
Though she had plenty of free time during her days in the hospital to fold the cranes, she lacked paper. She would use medicine wrappings and whatever else she could scrounge up. This included going to other patients' rooms to ask to use the paper from their get-well presents. Chizuko would bring paper from school for Sadako to use. One day her mother came to the hospital and gave her a gorgeous dress, a Kimono. Sadako loved it.
During her time in hospital her condition progressively worsened. Around mid-October her left leg became swollen and urned purple. After her family urged her to eat something, Sadako requested tea on rice and remarked "It's good." Those were her last words. With her family around her, Sadako died on the morning of October 25, 1955.
After her death, Sadako's friends and schoolmates published a collection of letters in order to raise funds to build a memorial to her and all of the children who had died from the effects of the atomic bomb.
Children's Peace Monument
In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, also called the Genbaku Dome.
At the foot of the statue is a plaque that reads, "This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world."
The following haiku was attributed to Sadako. It translates into English as:
I shall write peace upon your wings, your heart and you shall fly
around the world so that children will no longer have to die this way.
There is also a statue of her in the Seattle Peace Park.
Sadako has become a leading symbol of the impact of a nuclear war. Sadako is also a heroine for many girls in Japan. Her story is told in some Japanese schools on the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. Dedicated to her, people all over Japan celebrate August 6 as the annual peace day.
Every day more cranes continue to arrive at the memorial from children all over the world in the hope for peace.
Animated instructions for folding paper cranes are available at www.sadako.org
How to Share Your Paper Cranes
To string the cranes, attach a string to a long needle, push it through the hole in the bottom of each crane, and bring it out through the point in the center of the crane's back. Be sure to tie a knot at the end of the string. To separate the cranes on the string, add a 1/4" piece of a plastic straw or coffee stirrer between each crane.
1. To send a thousand cranes to the Children's Monument inHiroshima's Peace Park, string them on garlands of 100 cranes each. Mail them to: Office of the Mayor, City of Hiroshima, 6-34 Kokutaiji-Machi, 1 Chome Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730 Japan.
2. Hang them in your church, a school, or a public library. Ask the librarian to make a display of books related to Sadako, Japan, World War II, leukemia, and peace.
3. Bring them to a nursing home or hospital along with instructions for folding the cranes; it's a wonderful activity to share with others.
4. Ask your local newspaper to publish a story about why you folded the cranes. Include a picture of all the people who participated.
5. Look for someone traveling to Japan who would be willing to go to Hiroshima to personally place your cranes at the base of the statue. It could be a business person, a student, or someone visiting a relative.
Advent Reading 2008: Day 8
Note: I came across this on the Humane Society of the United States website. It got me thinking. In fact, our family just recently purchased some beef from a local farm here in Central New York. As well, our oldest son's girlfriend is a vegetarian, so we often buy local produce for when she visits. Lastly, we own a dog. He stayed with us seven years ago when he was lost and injured. His original owners were never found, so he became a part of our family. As such, we support the work the Humane society does with stray and lost animals. - Blair
----------------------------------------------------------
The celebration of the birth of Jesus is the high holiday for Christians. We are told in the Gospels that he was born to a virgin mother and that he received gifts from three wise men. Also according to the accounts, Jesus was placed in a manger, in the presence of farm animals The Old Shepherd's Tale. As Christians throughout the world celebrate his birth this season, it is custom to gather around the table for a feast. Indeed, food has a central role in this celebration.
Farm animals have a visible part in the original birth narrative, and they should not be forgotten now during the celebration of that event. Sadly, much of the food on our tables at Christmas comes from animals confined on factory farms Forging Ahead for Farm Animals, and most celebrants hardly give thought to the conditions they endure.
The Humane Society of the United States' Animals and Religion program Wayne Pacelle calls upon people of faith to account for the animals. And this accounting cannot omit how our food choices Humane Resolutions affect their lives. At the very least, it calls upon religious people to reject meat, milk, and eggs from factory farms.
The Humane Steward is HSUS's monthly electronic newsletter about religion and animals. As so many people are poised to pray for peace on earth, it's a particularly opportune time to sign up for The Humane Society.
The HSUS is also starting to develop some products for sale at SHOP HUMANE DOMAIN---products that spread the word of compassion and that provide real financial support for their vital, life-saving programs. Here's a menu of items, and I hope you'll consider shopping.
* At our online store Humane Domain, we have accessories for pets, people, and the home, and an exclusive line of Animal Cause Gear apparel highlighting our campaigns and programs.
* If you have a dog to shop for, we've just launched a line of HSUS plush, squeak toys and dog apparel at Toys"R"Us stores nationwide and on the store's website for Pet Supplies. (Our Cat Store at Humane Domain provides equal opportunity to the felines.)
* With a $50 gift donation to The HSUS, you can give our collectible holiday ornament to a loved one. With a donation of $90 or more, you'll also get an ornament for yourself.
* On Zazzle.com you can find animal protection campaign stickers, totebags and posters, and a special line of holiday postage featuring the designs of artist Ron Burns and MUTTS® cartoonist Patrick McDonnell. Or you can create custom gifts with a pet's photo.
* If you're considering magazine subscriptions as gifts, we carry more than 650 magazine titles at The HSUS Magazine Store, and you'll save up to 85 percent off newsstand prices.
* For children, our youth division offers an array of fun and educational gifts for Youths.
* Our global affiliate Humane Society International's virtual Humane Gifts help animals worldwide.
* Visit TheAnimalRescueSite.com for a wide range of products that support The Fund for Animals, such as giving the gift of feeding rescued horses at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch and rescued rabbits at The Fund for Animals' Rabbit Sanctuary.
* Or you might consider one of the many books I've reviewed here on the blog, including Bobby Hass' "African Critters,"
Jana Kohl's "A Rare Breed of Love," Jay Kopelman's "From Baghdad to America: Life Lessons from a Dog Named Lava," Kathy Freston's "Quantum Wellness," or Patrick McDonnell's "Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed."
Humane Society of the United States
Note: I came across this on the Humane Society of the United States website. It got me thinking. In fact, our family just recently purchased some beef from a local farm here in Central New York. As well, our oldest son's girlfriend is a vegetarian, so we often buy local produce for when she visits. Lastly, we own a dog. He stayed with us seven years ago when he was lost and injured. His original owners were never found, so he became a part of our family. As such, we support the work the Humane society does with stray and lost animals. - Blair
----------------------------------------------------------
The celebration of the birth of Jesus is the high holiday for Christians. We are told in the Gospels that he was born to a virgin mother and that he received gifts from three wise men. Also according to the accounts, Jesus was placed in a manger, in the presence of farm animals The Old Shepherd's Tale. As Christians throughout the world celebrate his birth this season, it is custom to gather around the table for a feast. Indeed, food has a central role in this celebration.
Farm animals have a visible part in the original birth narrative, and they should not be forgotten now during the celebration of that event. Sadly, much of the food on our tables at Christmas comes from animals confined on factory farms Forging Ahead for Farm Animals, and most celebrants hardly give thought to the conditions they endure.
The Humane Society of the United States' Animals and Religion program Wayne Pacelle calls upon people of faith to account for the animals. And this accounting cannot omit how our food choices Humane Resolutions affect their lives. At the very least, it calls upon religious people to reject meat, milk, and eggs from factory farms.
The Humane Steward is HSUS's monthly electronic newsletter about religion and animals. As so many people are poised to pray for peace on earth, it's a particularly opportune time to sign up for The Humane Society.
The HSUS is also starting to develop some products for sale at SHOP HUMANE DOMAIN---products that spread the word of compassion and that provide real financial support for their vital, life-saving programs. Here's a menu of items, and I hope you'll consider shopping.
* At our online store Humane Domain, we have accessories for pets, people, and the home, and an exclusive line of Animal Cause Gear apparel highlighting our campaigns and programs.
* If you have a dog to shop for, we've just launched a line of HSUS plush, squeak toys and dog apparel at Toys"R"Us stores nationwide and on the store's website for Pet Supplies. (Our Cat Store at Humane Domain provides equal opportunity to the felines.)
* With a $50 gift donation to The HSUS, you can give our collectible holiday ornament to a loved one. With a donation of $90 or more, you'll also get an ornament for yourself.
* On Zazzle.com you can find animal protection campaign stickers, totebags and posters, and a special line of holiday postage featuring the designs of artist Ron Burns and MUTTS® cartoonist Patrick McDonnell. Or you can create custom gifts with a pet's photo.
* If you're considering magazine subscriptions as gifts, we carry more than 650 magazine titles at The HSUS Magazine Store, and you'll save up to 85 percent off newsstand prices.
* For children, our youth division offers an array of fun and educational gifts for Youths.
* Our global affiliate Humane Society International's virtual Humane Gifts help animals worldwide.
* Visit TheAnimalRescueSite.com for a wide range of products that support The Fund for Animals, such as giving the gift of feeding rescued horses at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch and rescued rabbits at The Fund for Animals' Rabbit Sanctuary.
* Or you might consider one of the many books I've reviewed here on the blog, including Bobby Hass' "African Critters,"
Jana Kohl's "A Rare Breed of Love," Jay Kopelman's "From Baghdad to America: Life Lessons from a Dog Named Lava," Kathy Freston's "Quantum Wellness," or Patrick McDonnell's "Shelter Stories: Love. Guaranteed."
Humane Society of the United States
Advent Reading 2008: Day 9
I have been thinking about Advent, Christmas, greed, money and the commercialisation of this season...as I tend to do very year. I have been shocked to hear of the Walmart worker who was trampled to death on "black Friday" (the Friday after Thanksgiving in the US) ~ what a horrible, and telling, start to the Christmas season (for the full story, visit Dymphna's blog). Incidents such as this are an indictment of what we have become as a society in the affluent West, where HDTV's, gadgets and possessions have become mini gods. Please pray for the poor man, Jdimytai Damour, who died, and for his family.
As Advent begins, it gives us time to reflect on the meaning of Christmas, and to prepare our hearts to receive the Christ Child afresh. In order to be fit to do so, our hearts need to be pure, and we need to approach God with the innocence and faith of little children. Pre-school children, who haven't been "conditioned" into wanting all the expensive paraphernalia of Christmas are very easy to please, happy with the simplest of gifts, able to show joy at the tiniest things. Take my little Grandson, who is almost 3. He has a collection of belts, scarves, a sarong and a dressing gown, all collected from his Mummy and Daddy, all bright colours and stripes, which he calls his "rainbows". He carries them round the house, puts them on the sofa and snuggles up in them, talks to them, plays with them and at the end of the day goes to bed with them. He is very proud of his rainbows, and loves showing them to people. He finds the joy in small things! His other great joy is his "bits"...bits being any little thing gleaned from Daddy's tool box or around the house. A hinge; some nuts and bolts; assorted pencil sharpeners. We have bought him a mini-sized toolbox which we will fill with bits of various kinds for Christmas, and I'm sure it will be a favourite present!
I don't get the spending frenzy which goes with Christmas, it is a mockery and an insult to the refugee child who was born in a mean stable and laid in a manger, the ox and the ass the first witnesses to the coming of a King. As each year goes by, I try to cut down a bit more, spend a little less. It's not that I am by any means a Scrooge, but the excess sickens me; what it does to people saddens me. Gifts bought and then discarded, food thrown away, massive consumption of alcohol, ever-increasing debt. One has to squint and dig down to find the Grace and the enormity of the Christmas message hidden beneath the reams of glitter and tack!
Advent, as Lent, is a time of fasting and penance in the midst of worldly frenzy and excess, a time to examine our lives and inevitably find them wanting, a time to make sure to go to confession so that we are in a fit state to receive Christ. It is a time to put money aside not just for presents, food and booze but for almsgiving ~ this year I am supporting St. Dunstans Charity which helps ex-servicemen blinded in combat.
AutumnRose - U.K.
To help wounded servicemen and servicewoman in the U.S. check out: WoundedWarrior.org
I have been thinking about Advent, Christmas, greed, money and the commercialisation of this season...as I tend to do very year. I have been shocked to hear of the Walmart worker who was trampled to death on "black Friday" (the Friday after Thanksgiving in the US) ~ what a horrible, and telling, start to the Christmas season (for the full story, visit Dymphna's blog). Incidents such as this are an indictment of what we have become as a society in the affluent West, where HDTV's, gadgets and possessions have become mini gods. Please pray for the poor man, Jdimytai Damour, who died, and for his family.
As Advent begins, it gives us time to reflect on the meaning of Christmas, and to prepare our hearts to receive the Christ Child afresh. In order to be fit to do so, our hearts need to be pure, and we need to approach God with the innocence and faith of little children. Pre-school children, who haven't been "conditioned" into wanting all the expensive paraphernalia of Christmas are very easy to please, happy with the simplest of gifts, able to show joy at the tiniest things. Take my little Grandson, who is almost 3. He has a collection of belts, scarves, a sarong and a dressing gown, all collected from his Mummy and Daddy, all bright colours and stripes, which he calls his "rainbows". He carries them round the house, puts them on the sofa and snuggles up in them, talks to them, plays with them and at the end of the day goes to bed with them. He is very proud of his rainbows, and loves showing them to people. He finds the joy in small things! His other great joy is his "bits"...bits being any little thing gleaned from Daddy's tool box or around the house. A hinge; some nuts and bolts; assorted pencil sharpeners. We have bought him a mini-sized toolbox which we will fill with bits of various kinds for Christmas, and I'm sure it will be a favourite present!
I don't get the spending frenzy which goes with Christmas, it is a mockery and an insult to the refugee child who was born in a mean stable and laid in a manger, the ox and the ass the first witnesses to the coming of a King. As each year goes by, I try to cut down a bit more, spend a little less. It's not that I am by any means a Scrooge, but the excess sickens me; what it does to people saddens me. Gifts bought and then discarded, food thrown away, massive consumption of alcohol, ever-increasing debt. One has to squint and dig down to find the Grace and the enormity of the Christmas message hidden beneath the reams of glitter and tack!
Advent, as Lent, is a time of fasting and penance in the midst of worldly frenzy and excess, a time to examine our lives and inevitably find them wanting, a time to make sure to go to confession so that we are in a fit state to receive Christ. It is a time to put money aside not just for presents, food and booze but for almsgiving ~ this year I am supporting St. Dunstans Charity which helps ex-servicemen blinded in combat.
AutumnRose - U.K.
To help wounded servicemen and servicewoman in the U.S. check out: WoundedWarrior.org
Advent Reading 2008: Day 10
Spare Kids the Ads
-- by Jeff Woodard
Embedded advertising is everywhere --- and much of it, especially during the holidays, targets children.
Product placement seems harmless enough. Yet branded content now consumes 45 percent of prime-time network programming in addition to paid commercials.
Nielsen reports that American Idol featured products 4,636 times in the first half of 2008.
"While Simon, Paula and Randy may not necessarily prefer Diet Coke in real life, millions of American Idol viewers are led to believe they do --- at Coca-Cola's paid insistence," says says the Rev. J. Bennett Guess, executive director of OC, Inc., the historic media-justice arm of the UCC.
To raise awareness of this troubling trend in embedded advertising, OC, Inc. is rolling out its "Spare Kids the Ads" campaign this week.
Three holiday e-cards -- designed to promote awareness about increasing product placement and its impact on transparency in corporate influence and scriptwriting -- are available for participants to send to friends and family members. OC, Inc. is encouraging UCC members to join media-reform activists in distributing the creative e-cards far and wide as a way to take a stand for a better media.
To get started, simply go to ucc.org/sparekidstheads.
"We think this a fun and informative way to ask people to consider the growing impact of product placement in the media," says Guess. "The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently looking into how embedded advertising is becoming more intrusive, especially in relation to its targeting of children."
In June, the UCC's OC, Inc. joined with the Campaign for Commercial Free Childhood in urging the FCC to adopt a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on product placement and product integration, citing the increasingly blurred lines between television programming and advertising.
"We are deeply concerned that these stealth advertising salvos were being aired during a nationwide epidemic of obesity and diabetes, when food producers were under scrutiny for their marketing tactics," the letter to the FCC stated.
You can also express your concern about the proliferation of embedded advertising by visiting the FCC's website, fcc.gov/contacts.html, and/or by emailing FCC Board Chairman Kevin Martin at kjmweb@fcc.org.
Spare Kids the Ads
-- by Jeff Woodard
Embedded advertising is everywhere --- and much of it, especially during the holidays, targets children.
Product placement seems harmless enough. Yet branded content now consumes 45 percent of prime-time network programming in addition to paid commercials.
Nielsen reports that American Idol featured products 4,636 times in the first half of 2008.
"While Simon, Paula and Randy may not necessarily prefer Diet Coke in real life, millions of American Idol viewers are led to believe they do --- at Coca-Cola's paid insistence," says says the Rev. J. Bennett Guess, executive director of OC, Inc., the historic media-justice arm of the UCC.
To raise awareness of this troubling trend in embedded advertising, OC, Inc. is rolling out its "Spare Kids the Ads" campaign this week.
Three holiday e-cards -- designed to promote awareness about increasing product placement and its impact on transparency in corporate influence and scriptwriting -- are available for participants to send to friends and family members. OC, Inc. is encouraging UCC members to join media-reform activists in distributing the creative e-cards far and wide as a way to take a stand for a better media.
To get started, simply go to ucc.org/sparekidstheads.
"We think this a fun and informative way to ask people to consider the growing impact of product placement in the media," says Guess. "The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently looking into how embedded advertising is becoming more intrusive, especially in relation to its targeting of children."
In June, the UCC's OC, Inc. joined with the Campaign for Commercial Free Childhood in urging the FCC to adopt a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on product placement and product integration, citing the increasingly blurred lines between television programming and advertising.
"We are deeply concerned that these stealth advertising salvos were being aired during a nationwide epidemic of obesity and diabetes, when food producers were under scrutiny for their marketing tactics," the letter to the FCC stated.
You can also express your concern about the proliferation of embedded advertising by visiting the FCC's website, fcc.gov/contacts.html, and/or by emailing FCC Board Chairman Kevin Martin at kjmweb@fcc.org.
Advent Reading 2008: Day 11
Death's dark shadows put to flight
by Andy Scott
On Saturday morning the local churches sang some Advent hymns and related songs in Stourbridge town centre. A street-seller engaged me in conversation and spent the next few minutes lamenting about our nation's current financial struggles and economic downturn during these recessional days. "It's going to hit us all very hard this Christmas". But looking around the shops and market stalls, traders were still busily trading and shoppers were still eagerly buying.
Later on, I then read a harrowing story in The Times about the ongoing plight of many folk in Zimbabwe. The article movingly described the Ncube family who live in the bushland of western Zimbabwe. They are just one family that represent many of the five million currently facing food shortages. They live in a thatched mud hut, one hundred miles away from any main population centre. They rely on nuts and berries to survive, for which they spend hours foraging in the bush each day. The father has recently had to bury their eldest daughter who died following severe stomach pains, caused by the berries she had eaten. Their two remaining children suffer from kwashiorkor, a bloating of the stomach, caused by
severe malnutrition.
A local priest has offered help from his nearby church-run clinic. He described the growing crisis as "a silent tsunami", later adding: "I've seen too much suffering. We were never trained for this sort of priesthood. This is the priesthood of the concentration camps". The article also included a prayer he has prayed with the family:
"Lord, help us during these terrible times of hunger.
Give us hope and courage.
Heal these children.
Bring food to our fields and homes.
Show us your love!"
As we sang 'O come, O come, Immanuel' last night, the image of the Ncube family and the struggles for freedom and peace in Zimbabwe came into my mind.
"O come, Thou dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight."
May Immanuel come to them through us.
12/7/08 - Article on U.N. cutting food rations to Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Agricultural Welfare Trust
Death's dark shadows put to flight
by Andy Scott
On Saturday morning the local churches sang some Advent hymns and related songs in Stourbridge town centre. A street-seller engaged me in conversation and spent the next few minutes lamenting about our nation's current financial struggles and economic downturn during these recessional days. "It's going to hit us all very hard this Christmas". But looking around the shops and market stalls, traders were still busily trading and shoppers were still eagerly buying.
Later on, I then read a harrowing story in The Times about the ongoing plight of many folk in Zimbabwe. The article movingly described the Ncube family who live in the bushland of western Zimbabwe. They are just one family that represent many of the five million currently facing food shortages. They live in a thatched mud hut, one hundred miles away from any main population centre. They rely on nuts and berries to survive, for which they spend hours foraging in the bush each day. The father has recently had to bury their eldest daughter who died following severe stomach pains, caused by the berries she had eaten. Their two remaining children suffer from kwashiorkor, a bloating of the stomach, caused by
severe malnutrition.
A local priest has offered help from his nearby church-run clinic. He described the growing crisis as "a silent tsunami", later adding: "I've seen too much suffering. We were never trained for this sort of priesthood. This is the priesthood of the concentration camps". The article also included a prayer he has prayed with the family:
"Lord, help us during these terrible times of hunger.
Give us hope and courage.
Heal these children.
Bring food to our fields and homes.
Show us your love!"
As we sang 'O come, O come, Immanuel' last night, the image of the Ncube family and the struggles for freedom and peace in Zimbabwe came into my mind.
"O come, Thou dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight."
May Immanuel come to them through us.
12/7/08 - Article on U.N. cutting food rations to Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Agricultural Welfare Trust
Advent Reading 2008: Day 12
Peace on Earth
by Julie Clawson
So the other day I heard a talk about Christmas traditions and putting Jesus back into Christmas. One of the points made was to make sure that your holiday decorations convey to your neighbors that you are a Christian. I was pretty sure the speaker didn't mean using LED lights so that your neighbors know that you care for God's creation by not wasting energy. I just smiled at the idea with a "to each her own" response, but as I looked at my house while thinking about this week's advent theme, I had to wonder if anyone would assume I was a Christian because of my decor.
The decor is simple - some golden stars, a baskets of poinsettias, and a sign that says "Peace on Earth". But, I wondered, would the term "Peace on Earth" straight out of the biblical Christmas account be associated with Christianity these days? Are we known as peacemakers - doing whatever we can to bring about peace on earth? My gut reaction to that question is no. In fact many of the Christians I know mock those that stand for peace and instead say that war, judgment, and violence are the more biblical paths. Theirs is the voice that is often heard, so much that I can put a bible verse on my house and it not be seen as a Christian thing. That's weird to me.
One of my favorite Christmas carols is "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." It contains the lines -
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
But far from it being the belfries of Christendom spreading the biblical message of peace, they are often instead the ones mocking the song and promoting hate. How can there ever be peace when those that claim to worship the Prince of Peace shun his very message?
I pray that we can reclaim "Peace on Earth" not just as a phrase, but as our calling. To have the world see that seeking peace on earth is part of what it means to be a Christian. For as the carol continues -
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."
World Peace Prayer Society
Peace on Earth
by Julie Clawson
So the other day I heard a talk about Christmas traditions and putting Jesus back into Christmas. One of the points made was to make sure that your holiday decorations convey to your neighbors that you are a Christian. I was pretty sure the speaker didn't mean using LED lights so that your neighbors know that you care for God's creation by not wasting energy. I just smiled at the idea with a "to each her own" response, but as I looked at my house while thinking about this week's advent theme, I had to wonder if anyone would assume I was a Christian because of my decor.
The decor is simple - some golden stars, a baskets of poinsettias, and a sign that says "Peace on Earth". But, I wondered, would the term "Peace on Earth" straight out of the biblical Christmas account be associated with Christianity these days? Are we known as peacemakers - doing whatever we can to bring about peace on earth? My gut reaction to that question is no. In fact many of the Christians I know mock those that stand for peace and instead say that war, judgment, and violence are the more biblical paths. Theirs is the voice that is often heard, so much that I can put a bible verse on my house and it not be seen as a Christian thing. That's weird to me.
One of my favorite Christmas carols is "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." It contains the lines -
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
But far from it being the belfries of Christendom spreading the biblical message of peace, they are often instead the ones mocking the song and promoting hate. How can there ever be peace when those that claim to worship the Prince of Peace shun his very message?
I pray that we can reclaim "Peace on Earth" not just as a phrase, but as our calling. To have the world see that seeking peace on earth is part of what it means to be a Christian. For as the carol continues -
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."
World Peace Prayer Society
Advent Reading 2008: Day 13
Subvert Consumerism: Trade as One
by Brian McLaren
Consumerism is the notion that the more we consume the better off we will be. As I explain in Everything Must Change, it's the supreme idolatry of our times. It places my temporal wants at the center of my own little universe. As the dominant way of deriving meaning, it is responsible for countless neuroses fed by corporations whose shareholders insist on ever-increasing profits, and it is responsible for near runaway exploitation of this earth's natural resources.
Is it possible to subvert consumerism, to inject a virus into it that causes us to slow down, consider the needs of others, whilst at the same time redefining our place in the world? I believe it is. Fair Trade or ethical buying is a movement that attempts to do just that.
That's why I hope you'll check out Trade as One. They're using fair trade as a means to mutually benefit the poor, the sick and the enslaved as well as meeting our needs. The poor need jobs, not just handouts. Through trade we can become aware of the needs of people in some of the darkest places in the world. I love Trade as One's mission, and perhaps just as important, everyone I have heard from love its products too. What better time than this Christmas when so much gift buying is so meaningless, to buy a gift that gives a job to someone with HIV in Kenya, to a woman taken from human trafficking in Thailand or to a genocide orphan in Rwanda?
Through our tour, we hope to awaken churches around the country to their role as thought and practice leaders in compassionate commerce. Everything must change. With Trade as One, we harness a very powerful engine of change - commerce, and we subvert a very powerful engine of destruction - consumerism. I hope you'll check out this tremendous ways to be part of a revolution through Trade as One and through registering to be part of the Everything Must Change Tour.
Subvert Consumerism: Trade as One
by Brian McLaren
Consumerism is the notion that the more we consume the better off we will be. As I explain in Everything Must Change, it's the supreme idolatry of our times. It places my temporal wants at the center of my own little universe. As the dominant way of deriving meaning, it is responsible for countless neuroses fed by corporations whose shareholders insist on ever-increasing profits, and it is responsible for near runaway exploitation of this earth's natural resources.
Is it possible to subvert consumerism, to inject a virus into it that causes us to slow down, consider the needs of others, whilst at the same time redefining our place in the world? I believe it is. Fair Trade or ethical buying is a movement that attempts to do just that.
That's why I hope you'll check out Trade as One. They're using fair trade as a means to mutually benefit the poor, the sick and the enslaved as well as meeting our needs. The poor need jobs, not just handouts. Through trade we can become aware of the needs of people in some of the darkest places in the world. I love Trade as One's mission, and perhaps just as important, everyone I have heard from love its products too. What better time than this Christmas when so much gift buying is so meaningless, to buy a gift that gives a job to someone with HIV in Kenya, to a woman taken from human trafficking in Thailand or to a genocide orphan in Rwanda?
Through our tour, we hope to awaken churches around the country to their role as thought and practice leaders in compassionate commerce. Everything must change. With Trade as One, we harness a very powerful engine of change - commerce, and we subvert a very powerful engine of destruction - consumerism. I hope you'll check out this tremendous ways to be part of a revolution through Trade as One and through registering to be part of the Everything Must Change Tour.
Advent Reading 2008: Day 14
Even with the global economy suffering, you will no doubt be surprised to find out how wealthy you are. Check this out:
http://globalrichlist.com/
Blair
If your family makes $100,000 per year, you are in the top 0.66% richest people on the earth. Just to give you an idea of what that means, 6,620,000,000, six billion six hundred twenty million people are less wealthy than you.
Gifts that Grow
Help Farmers Half a World Away Plant Seeds of Hope
This holiday season, give a Gifts That Grow to your colleagues, friends, and family, and help people in the developing world build a better life for their loved ones.
Bruce Cockburn supports USC Canada - and so can you! For years, Bruce has been giving to USC Canada, a charity that promotes social justice in rural communities in developing countries.
You can give seeds, livestock, clean drinking water, or support farmers' rights and biodiversity by going online to Gifts That Grow.
Give the Gift that Grows! Join Bruce, USC, and rural people in poor countries to build a better future. When you give your gift, we will send an E-card to the recipient, letting them know you've given a present in their name.
Give the gift Gifts That Grow that keeps on growing!
Even with the global economy suffering, you will no doubt be surprised to find out how wealthy you are. Check this out:
http://globalrichlist.com/
Blair
If your family makes $100,000 per year, you are in the top 0.66% richest people on the earth. Just to give you an idea of what that means, 6,620,000,000, six billion six hundred twenty million people are less wealthy than you.
Gifts that Grow
Help Farmers Half a World Away Plant Seeds of Hope
This holiday season, give a Gifts That Grow to your colleagues, friends, and family, and help people in the developing world build a better life for their loved ones.
Bruce Cockburn supports USC Canada - and so can you! For years, Bruce has been giving to USC Canada, a charity that promotes social justice in rural communities in developing countries.
You can give seeds, livestock, clean drinking water, or support farmers' rights and biodiversity by going online to Gifts That Grow.
Give the Gift that Grows! Join Bruce, USC, and rural people in poor countries to build a better future. When you give your gift, we will send an E-card to the recipient, letting them know you've given a present in their name.
Give the gift Gifts That Grow that keeps on growing!
Advent Reading 2008: Day 15
Rest
by Robert Benson
"...sometimes I am a little afraid that the world is going so fast that it will pass me by. Other times I worry that I cannot get the world to go away even on the days I want it to. But if the way in which I live does not have some silence and solitude and stillness and rest, then there is only one person to blame in the end. There is only one person who can, in fact, get me to do less and not more, to stop moving and be still, to slow down instead of speed up. And I am that person.
"When we begin to talk about rest...we all begin to fidget a fair amount...the reason we begin to fidget is because all (or at least, most of) the stuff that we are doing that takes up so much of our time is good stuff...We fidget because we know that in order to say yes to our need for silence and rest, we are going to have to say no to some other stuff. And none of us much want to say no, and not many of us have folks around us who are encouraging us to say no in order to say yes to the very most important stuff. If we want to begin to make some clear steps in the direction of the silence and solitude and the rest in which we shall be saved, we ourselves need to make those first steps."
Change before you have to. - Jack Welch
Rest
by Robert Benson
"...sometimes I am a little afraid that the world is going so fast that it will pass me by. Other times I worry that I cannot get the world to go away even on the days I want it to. But if the way in which I live does not have some silence and solitude and stillness and rest, then there is only one person to blame in the end. There is only one person who can, in fact, get me to do less and not more, to stop moving and be still, to slow down instead of speed up. And I am that person.
"When we begin to talk about rest...we all begin to fidget a fair amount...the reason we begin to fidget is because all (or at least, most of) the stuff that we are doing that takes up so much of our time is good stuff...We fidget because we know that in order to say yes to our need for silence and rest, we are going to have to say no to some other stuff. And none of us much want to say no, and not many of us have folks around us who are encouraging us to say no in order to say yes to the very most important stuff. If we want to begin to make some clear steps in the direction of the silence and solitude and the rest in which we shall be saved, we ourselves need to make those first steps."
Change before you have to. - Jack Welch
Advent Reading 2008: Day 16
Prison of Profanity
by John Piper
While spending two days in jail for trespassing, I read Paul's prison epistles. This helped me understand what I heard. What I heard coming from the cells around me and above me was raunchy. Almost all the talk was dirty and harsh. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). I sat there in cell 143 trying to figure out why the only form of discourse was nasty, harsh, lewd, and lecherous. Even in "friendly" conversation, the mood was mean-spirited. Why? And
why was everything from wives to waffles labeled with four-letter words?
Of course this is habit now for most of these men---like saying "um" when you talk. But where did the habit come from? ere's one suggestion: there is a kind of macho ego-satisfaction that comes from pointless swearing and foul, sacrilegious talk. The thing that makes it macho is that offensive language feels assertive and virile. So if you are weak and insecure, one way to camouflage it is to pepper your conversation with social no-nos. Using verbal no-nos is like playing with switch-blades and brass knuckles. It feels tough and gutsy. It gives an insecure person a sense of swagger. It's the verbal form of spiked hair and torn jeans.
Interestingly, in Ephesians the alternative to "foul talk" is not "clean talk", but talk that builds up and ministers grace to those who hear (4:29). Another name for that is love. And the alternative to "coarse joking" is not "clean joking" but thanksgiving (5:3-4). A spirit of thankfulness is so at odds with a spirit of coarse jesting that when one rises the other falls. And a spirit that yearns to edify is so at odds with foul talk that when one rises the other falls.
What hit me as I sat there and listened, was that the "foul talk" and the "coarse jesting" were a pitiful attempt to fill a void which God meant to be filled with gratitude to him and love to others.
The crying need at Correctional Facilities is for gratitude and love. You can hear it in every raunchy word. This is what Advent is about. "As the Father has sent me, so send I you."
Prison Fellowship Ministries
Prison of Profanity
by John Piper
While spending two days in jail for trespassing, I read Paul's prison epistles. This helped me understand what I heard. What I heard coming from the cells around me and above me was raunchy. Almost all the talk was dirty and harsh. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). I sat there in cell 143 trying to figure out why the only form of discourse was nasty, harsh, lewd, and lecherous. Even in "friendly" conversation, the mood was mean-spirited. Why? And
why was everything from wives to waffles labeled with four-letter words?
Of course this is habit now for most of these men---like saying "um" when you talk. But where did the habit come from? ere's one suggestion: there is a kind of macho ego-satisfaction that comes from pointless swearing and foul, sacrilegious talk. The thing that makes it macho is that offensive language feels assertive and virile. So if you are weak and insecure, one way to camouflage it is to pepper your conversation with social no-nos. Using verbal no-nos is like playing with switch-blades and brass knuckles. It feels tough and gutsy. It gives an insecure person a sense of swagger. It's the verbal form of spiked hair and torn jeans.
Interestingly, in Ephesians the alternative to "foul talk" is not "clean talk", but talk that builds up and ministers grace to those who hear (4:29). Another name for that is love. And the alternative to "coarse joking" is not "clean joking" but thanksgiving (5:3-4). A spirit of thankfulness is so at odds with a spirit of coarse jesting that when one rises the other falls. And a spirit that yearns to edify is so at odds with foul talk that when one rises the other falls.
What hit me as I sat there and listened, was that the "foul talk" and the "coarse jesting" were a pitiful attempt to fill a void which God meant to be filled with gratitude to him and love to others.
The crying need at Correctional Facilities is for gratitude and love. You can hear it in every raunchy word. This is what Advent is about. "As the Father has sent me, so send I you."
Prison Fellowship Ministries
I did not receive a reading today from Blair so I thought I would post this from a different source today. - Marty
There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffles us. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership and Mercy.
-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.
-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
So there is your history for today.
Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone
There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffles us. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership and Mercy.
-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.
-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
So there is your history for today.
Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone
QUOTE (Skoegahom @ Dec 17 2008, 10:55 PM) 
So there is your history for today.
Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone
Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone
False: http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/music/12days.asp.
Wish I could dispel Christianity as easily.
QUOTE (FallingLeaf @ Dec 17 2008, 11:07 PM)
QUOTE (Skoegahom @ Dec 17 2008, 10:55 PM)
So there is your history for today.
Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone
Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone
False: http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/music/12days.asp.
Wish I could dispel Christianity as easily.
Apparently I stand corrected. I received this email today and found it to be somewhat interesting. C'est la vie...
Why would you want to dispel Christianity? Christians do that job very well...
On the other hand, those who follow Christ prove that Jesus lives.
QUOTE (Skoegahom @ Dec 18 2008, 01:20 AM)
On the other hand, those who follow Christ prove that Jesus lives.
Not sure this is the thread for this topic, so somebody speak up if this is poorly placed on my part.
That's an interesting philosophical point you make. In my view, as a staunch atheist, you're exactly correct. For me, the premise that Jesus truly lives now is pure falacy. He may have lived historically, as a human among us, though I cannot say for sure... but when he died, he died like the rest of us and the world went on, though carrying his memory for some folks. Those folks (perhaps you're one of them) believe he is still around and that the fairy tale of God and the Bible are real... and those folks they propogate the myth. In that sense, the myth lives on because people choose to believe it and because they convince others (usually children) to believe it. So, I agree: those who follow Christ prove that Jesus exists.... in myth... because they in fact prop up the myth.
As far as the idea of Jesus literally existing... as in, that there is an entity that is present or watching or anything remotely "real"... then those who follow Christ do nothing to prove that. They simply postulate their case, which does nothing by way of proof. A similar analogy might be me saying, "my belief in the Easter Bunny proves he exists"... even though it's really just my neighbor who steals the carrots.
Get that Vitamin A and don't let go,
Troy
Troy, this is not the thread, but I'm game, so I'll start another thread for this discussion as long as it remains civil...
Advent Reading 2008: Day 18
Homeless
by Mike Morrell
I have three friends and neighbors here in Raleigh who happen to be without homes--Ricky, Ray, and Vernon. They've formed a kind of intentional (necessary) community in a secluded spot of nearby woods where state agencies and local law enforcement won't harass them. When I can we go out for lunch, or talk about the weather (a pretty vital topic for them), or I give them back issues of magazines I've written for.
Recently, I've joined a homelessness coalition on Facebook. It's pretty popular, with over 500 members. Many of them, though, seem to be calculatingly indifferent to the problems faced by many of our nation's homeless. They say "Trying to help these people is all well and good, but a lot of them are @$$holes and just plain crazy." Here's what I said on a public forum today in response:
Yep, the mentally unstable homeless population exploded once Reagan closed down state-sponsored mental asylums in the 1980s...the proud tradition continues! The point is, we're all connected--our bright shiny members of society and the ones we'd just rather forget about. It's easy to love the lovable and those who 'know their place,' but what happens when we want to serve and we're *treated* like servants? This is the real test of our spiritual/political will. Let's dive in and get uncomfortable...
National Coalition for the Homeless
Homeless
by Mike Morrell
I have three friends and neighbors here in Raleigh who happen to be without homes--Ricky, Ray, and Vernon. They've formed a kind of intentional (necessary) community in a secluded spot of nearby woods where state agencies and local law enforcement won't harass them. When I can we go out for lunch, or talk about the weather (a pretty vital topic for them), or I give them back issues of magazines I've written for.
Recently, I've joined a homelessness coalition on Facebook. It's pretty popular, with over 500 members. Many of them, though, seem to be calculatingly indifferent to the problems faced by many of our nation's homeless. They say "Trying to help these people is all well and good, but a lot of them are @$$holes and just plain crazy." Here's what I said on a public forum today in response:
Yep, the mentally unstable homeless population exploded once Reagan closed down state-sponsored mental asylums in the 1980s...the proud tradition continues! The point is, we're all connected--our bright shiny members of society and the ones we'd just rather forget about. It's easy to love the lovable and those who 'know their place,' but what happens when we want to serve and we're *treated* like servants? This is the real test of our spiritual/political will. Let's dive in and get uncomfortable...
National Coalition for the Homeless
Advent Reading 2008: Day 19
Moonlight on the Darkest Night of the Year
by Jeff Holland
Looking at the scheme of God's history with people, success and failure are pretty meaningless. Meaning in life is somehow beyond the way that we measure success, and that's kind of a relief for me, to know that the weight of the world is not on my shoulders. For me there needs to be a return to the doing of things for the sake of doing them, and not for the sake of being great at it. G. K. Chesterton said, "Anything worth doing, is worth doing badly." It took me a long time to get that, I
thought he was just being smart.
Love is a virtue and not a feeling. It is fed and fired by God - not by the favorable response of the beloved. Even when it doesn't seem to make a dime's worth of difference to the ones on whom it lavished, it is still the most prized of all virtues because it is at the heart of the very character of God. By loving we participate in His Life and Essence. When we stoop to bait and buy good behavior we are no longer loving as God loves. We are manipulating and cheapening the dignity of the person whom we are called - not to save, not even to change - but to love. If real salvation is possible (and we know it is) it is because real love is there. And love is real, love that is truly a virtue and not just an act - agape love - gushes from God through those who know Him. It is not strung alone by those who don't.
You can blame your discontent on being single, or you can blame it on anything else. I don't think that necessarily singleness is any more the cause of discontent than marriage is.......If you're miserable single, you'll be miserable married. If you're miserable married, you'll likely be miserable divorced. The idea is not to change your status, the idea is to stop worrying about how miserable you are and do something fun - like try to love somebody.
Moonlight on the Darkest Night of the Year
by Jeff Holland
Looking at the scheme of God's history with people, success and failure are pretty meaningless. Meaning in life is somehow beyond the way that we measure success, and that's kind of a relief for me, to know that the weight of the world is not on my shoulders. For me there needs to be a return to the doing of things for the sake of doing them, and not for the sake of being great at it. G. K. Chesterton said, "Anything worth doing, is worth doing badly." It took me a long time to get that, I
thought he was just being smart.
Love is a virtue and not a feeling. It is fed and fired by God - not by the favorable response of the beloved. Even when it doesn't seem to make a dime's worth of difference to the ones on whom it lavished, it is still the most prized of all virtues because it is at the heart of the very character of God. By loving we participate in His Life and Essence. When we stoop to bait and buy good behavior we are no longer loving as God loves. We are manipulating and cheapening the dignity of the person whom we are called - not to save, not even to change - but to love. If real salvation is possible (and we know it is) it is because real love is there. And love is real, love that is truly a virtue and not just an act - agape love - gushes from God through those who know Him. It is not strung alone by those who don't.
You can blame your discontent on being single, or you can blame it on anything else. I don't think that necessarily singleness is any more the cause of discontent than marriage is.......If you're miserable single, you'll be miserable married. If you're miserable married, you'll likely be miserable divorced. The idea is not to change your status, the idea is to stop worrying about how miserable you are and do something fun - like try to love somebody.
Advent Reading 2008: Day 20
Border Walls Keep Out Mary and Baby
by Maryada Vallet
She walks the trails until her ankles swell and her back pulsates with pain. Her abdomen, swollen with eight months of pregnancy, slows her down, and with each step she cannot help but think, "Will I be left in the middle of nowhere to give birth among the dirt and desert pines? Does anyone out there care to take me in, give me shelter?
Similar questions were certainly asked by Mary, the brave young woman who carried Jesus across borders trying to please the mandates of the Roman Empire. Only this time, "Mary" does not have a partner or a donkey to help, and there definitely is no pleasing the empire.
After two days of searching and wandering, someone does hear her cry, but instead of giving her shelter, warmth, and hospitality, she is thrown into a cold detention center without medical attention, food, or water, and she is told, in no uncertain terms, "at the United States border, there is no room at the inn."
This "Mary," or Maria, pleads and cries as she is released back to the other side of a borderline, dumped into the violent and vulnerable streets of Northern Mexico. That's where, as a No More Deaths humanitarian volunteer, our lives recently connected and my season of Advent came to life. Maria asks me how it is possible that there is no room on the other side, when in comparison to the desperate and poor conditions of Oaxaca, the land to the north is like a five-star hotel. Even more, she wonders, how it can be that there is no room when she has already spent years laboring in U.S. factories and chicken slaughterhouses? Indeed, the situation is even more complex as Maria thinks about her other children, two little boys --- American citizens, waiting for her with anticipation and grief to return to their home in a Midwest city.
With every day that passes, Mary is closer to her due date, which could possibly be Christmas. It appears as though she has no other choice but to give birth on Christmas day in a humble stable, far from all family and friends. More than likely, poor shepherds and neighbors who have heard the news will visit her and the new baby. This stable sits juxtaposed to great power, wealth, and large walls.
As we sing carols, look at lights, and admire the miniature nativity scenes adorning our homes this holiday, let us not forget the most foundational elements of the Christmas story and how they come to life in our lives even today. All around us are strangers wandering the land looking for an open door and asking for compassion and justice --- not detainment or criminal status. May we not miss our chance to welcome them, as they have much to bring and to teach. In fact, they are the hope for our future that comes to us humble and expectant. Not unlike the baby Jesus.
Maryada Vallet works with No More Deaths, a humanitarian initiative on the U.S.-Mexico border that promotes faith-based principles for immigration reform.
Border Walls Keep Out Mary and Baby
by Maryada Vallet
She walks the trails until her ankles swell and her back pulsates with pain. Her abdomen, swollen with eight months of pregnancy, slows her down, and with each step she cannot help but think, "Will I be left in the middle of nowhere to give birth among the dirt and desert pines? Does anyone out there care to take me in, give me shelter?
Similar questions were certainly asked by Mary, the brave young woman who carried Jesus across borders trying to please the mandates of the Roman Empire. Only this time, "Mary" does not have a partner or a donkey to help, and there definitely is no pleasing the empire.
After two days of searching and wandering, someone does hear her cry, but instead of giving her shelter, warmth, and hospitality, she is thrown into a cold detention center without medical attention, food, or water, and she is told, in no uncertain terms, "at the United States border, there is no room at the inn."
This "Mary," or Maria, pleads and cries as she is released back to the other side of a borderline, dumped into the violent and vulnerable streets of Northern Mexico. That's where, as a No More Deaths humanitarian volunteer, our lives recently connected and my season of Advent came to life. Maria asks me how it is possible that there is no room on the other side, when in comparison to the desperate and poor conditions of Oaxaca, the land to the north is like a five-star hotel. Even more, she wonders, how it can be that there is no room when she has already spent years laboring in U.S. factories and chicken slaughterhouses? Indeed, the situation is even more complex as Maria thinks about her other children, two little boys --- American citizens, waiting for her with anticipation and grief to return to their home in a Midwest city.
With every day that passes, Mary is closer to her due date, which could possibly be Christmas. It appears as though she has no other choice but to give birth on Christmas day in a humble stable, far from all family and friends. More than likely, poor shepherds and neighbors who have heard the news will visit her and the new baby. This stable sits juxtaposed to great power, wealth, and large walls.
As we sing carols, look at lights, and admire the miniature nativity scenes adorning our homes this holiday, let us not forget the most foundational elements of the Christmas story and how they come to life in our lives even today. All around us are strangers wandering the land looking for an open door and asking for compassion and justice --- not detainment or criminal status. May we not miss our chance to welcome them, as they have much to bring and to teach. In fact, they are the hope for our future that comes to us humble and expectant. Not unlike the baby Jesus.
Maryada Vallet works with No More Deaths, a humanitarian initiative on the U.S.-Mexico border that promotes faith-based principles for immigration reform.
Advent Reading 2008: Day 21
Advent Questions
by Christine Reed
The only way to change the world
is to change the thoughts and
desires of those who live in it.
--Thomas Merton
During this Advent/Solstice season, are you caught up in the whirlwind of shopping and parties and baking and doing, or are waiting in awe for what wants to be born of you?
If you are desiring more peace in the world, what peace are you bringing forth in your own life?
If you are desiring more love in the world, how much love are you willing to share?
If you are desire more meaning in your life, what work are doing to discover meaning?
If you say you believe in miracles, do you act as if you do?
If the dark of winter brings you into a melancholy state, do you search your own inner darkness for flashes of light?
The change you seek -- do you expect it to turn up, under the tree, wrapped with a bow, or do you look for the gift of change within?
Free pdf's from Pendle Hill, a Quaker social action resource
Advent Questions
by Christine Reed
The only way to change the world
is to change the thoughts and
desires of those who live in it.
--Thomas Merton
During this Advent/Solstice season, are you caught up in the whirlwind of shopping and parties and baking and doing, or are waiting in awe for what wants to be born of you?
If you are desiring more peace in the world, what peace are you bringing forth in your own life?
If you are desiring more love in the world, how much love are you willing to share?
If you are desire more meaning in your life, what work are doing to discover meaning?
If you say you believe in miracles, do you act as if you do?
If the dark of winter brings you into a melancholy state, do you search your own inner darkness for flashes of light?
The change you seek -- do you expect it to turn up, under the tree, wrapped with a bow, or do you look for the gift of change within?
Free pdf's from Pendle Hill, a Quaker social action resource
Advent Reading 2008: Day 22
Today's reading is the lyrics from a song by Bruce Cockburn (pronounced Ko-Burn). The Good News is for everyone.
Blair
----------------------------------------------------------
Cry of a Tiny Babe
Bruce Cockburn (Toronto, March 1, 1990)
Mary grows a child without the help of a man
Joseph get upset because he doesn't understand
Angel comes to Joseph in a powerful dream
Says "God did this and you're part of his scheme"
Joseph comes to Mary with his hat in his hand
Says "forgive me I thought you'd been with some other man"
She says "what if I had been -- but I wasn't anyway and guess what
I felt the baby kick today"
(CHORUS:)
Like a stone on the surface of a still river
Driving the ripples on forever
Redemption rips through the surface of time
In the cry of a tiny babe
The child is born in the fullness of time
Three wise astrologers take note of the signs
Come to pay their respects to the fragile little king
Get pretty close to wrecking everything
'Cause the governing body of the whole land
Is that of Herod, a paranoid man
Who when he hears there's a baby born King of the Jews
Sends death squads to kill all male children under two
But that same bright angels warns the parents in a dream
And they head out for the border and get away clean
(Chorus)
There are others who know about this miracle birth
The humblest of people catch a glimpse of their worth
For it isn't to the palace that the Christ child comes
But to shepherds and street people, hookers and bums
And the message is clear if you've got ears to hear
That forgiveness is given for your guilt and your fear
It's a Christmas gift you don't have to buy
There's a future shining in a baby's eyes
(Chorus)
Today's reading is the lyrics from a song by Bruce Cockburn (pronounced Ko-Burn). The Good News is for everyone.
Blair
----------------------------------------------------------
Cry of a Tiny Babe
Bruce Cockburn (Toronto, March 1, 1990)
Mary grows a child without the help of a man
Joseph get upset because he doesn't understand
Angel comes to Joseph in a powerful dream
Says "God did this and you're part of his scheme"
Joseph comes to Mary with his hat in his hand
Says "forgive me I thought you'd been with some other man"
She says "what if I had been -- but I wasn't anyway and guess what
I felt the baby kick today"
(CHORUS:)
Like a stone on the surface of a still river
Driving the ripples on forever
Redemption rips through the surface of time
In the cry of a tiny babe
The child is born in the fullness of time
Three wise astrologers take note of the signs
Come to pay their respects to the fragile little king
Get pretty close to wrecking everything
'Cause the governing body of the whole land
Is that of Herod, a paranoid man
Who when he hears there's a baby born King of the Jews
Sends death squads to kill all male children under two
But that same bright angels warns the parents in a dream
And they head out for the border and get away clean
(Chorus)
There are others who know about this miracle birth
The humblest of people catch a glimpse of their worth
For it isn't to the palace that the Christ child comes
But to shepherds and street people, hookers and bums
And the message is clear if you've got ears to hear
That forgiveness is given for your guilt and your fear
It's a Christmas gift you don't have to buy
There's a future shining in a baby's eyes
(Chorus)
Advent Reading 2008: Day 23
Note from Blair: Thinking about all of the wrapping paper, shopping bags and packaging that will be thrown away on December 26, reminded me of this excellent animated film. Actually, a lot of what we will receive as gifts will eventually end up in a landfill as well. Makes me think twice about what I buy.
----------------------------------------------------------
From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.
The Story of Stuff Film
Note from Blair: Thinking about all of the wrapping paper, shopping bags and packaging that will be thrown away on December 26, reminded me of this excellent animated film. Actually, a lot of what we will receive as gifts will eventually end up in a landfill as well. Makes me think twice about what I buy.
----------------------------------------------------------
From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.
The Story of Stuff Film
Advent Reading 2008: Day 24
Telling the Story
by Luis Batista
Last Saturday, I went to see the Christmas musical performed by the church I attend. It was very nicely performed, very impressive and, by what I have seen from them (a kind of mega-church in São Paulo), I could not expect more from it. Those musical and choir presentations take lots of time, rehearsing, and preparation. I myself have spent lots of hours rehearsing for musicals like those, participated in good presentations, got very emotional with the good work we presented, and felt very rewarded by the outcome of great efforts from October to December.
The next day, I went to a smaller church and saw an awesome actress telling "The Story" to the kids and to all of us, using most of her expertise on keeping our attention and telling us to pass forward this Story. It was not as huge as the musical I saw the day before---the three wise men were represented by three bowling pins---but I think she got closer to the point. The actress made me remember that this date is about telling and remembering the Story. I could sympathize more on this matter, because some weeks earlier I had sat down over a period of nights with my daughter and read to her some passages from Luke, explaining some doubts and getting new ones along the way as she asked more and more questions.
When I saw the musical, I got emotional when the choir inserted some traditional hymns, but at the end I just applauded. I got uncomfortable just applauding at that awesome presentation of Christmas. Am I getting skeptical? or cynical? I like art, and I recognize its huge place in our expressions of church today. My concern is that we might get so absorbed by the media that we might lose focus on the message. And I think we must go on to take advantage of better media to tell this story: our lives.
The thing I started to wonder after the musical is that I think I need more: I need much more to remember what we praise at this date. One or two hours are too few to present the importance of this date. One day is not enough either, I think we need a lifetime to count this Story. This is the kind of Story that not only can be told but also lived. Throughout history, we have seen the best of telling this Story through the most beautiful art, but when this Story was told by flesh and blood, it assumed the most vivid colors, the highest sound, and was best understood. I need this Story to be experimented. Every Christmas we see the best of people trying to help the poor, orphans, widows. That is a great season. We can breathe hope everywhere, but I need to see people that maintain this reality of Christmas day by day, all year.
Please, make the best of your art to tell that Jesus came to earth, but do the best of your life to show that this Story is still with you right now. I think we know how to do it, we have already rehearsed it lots of times, and our world is ready for our show.
Telling the Story
by Luis Batista
Last Saturday, I went to see the Christmas musical performed by the church I attend. It was very nicely performed, very impressive and, by what I have seen from them (a kind of mega-church in São Paulo), I could not expect more from it. Those musical and choir presentations take lots of time, rehearsing, and preparation. I myself have spent lots of hours rehearsing for musicals like those, participated in good presentations, got very emotional with the good work we presented, and felt very rewarded by the outcome of great efforts from October to December.
The next day, I went to a smaller church and saw an awesome actress telling "The Story" to the kids and to all of us, using most of her expertise on keeping our attention and telling us to pass forward this Story. It was not as huge as the musical I saw the day before---the three wise men were represented by three bowling pins---but I think she got closer to the point. The actress made me remember that this date is about telling and remembering the Story. I could sympathize more on this matter, because some weeks earlier I had sat down over a period of nights with my daughter and read to her some passages from Luke, explaining some doubts and getting new ones along the way as she asked more and more questions.
When I saw the musical, I got emotional when the choir inserted some traditional hymns, but at the end I just applauded. I got uncomfortable just applauding at that awesome presentation of Christmas. Am I getting skeptical? or cynical? I like art, and I recognize its huge place in our expressions of church today. My concern is that we might get so absorbed by the media that we might lose focus on the message. And I think we must go on to take advantage of better media to tell this story: our lives.
The thing I started to wonder after the musical is that I think I need more: I need much more to remember what we praise at this date. One or two hours are too few to present the importance of this date. One day is not enough either, I think we need a lifetime to count this Story. This is the kind of Story that not only can be told but also lived. Throughout history, we have seen the best of telling this Story through the most beautiful art, but when this Story was told by flesh and blood, it assumed the most vivid colors, the highest sound, and was best understood. I need this Story to be experimented. Every Christmas we see the best of people trying to help the poor, orphans, widows. That is a great season. We can breathe hope everywhere, but I need to see people that maintain this reality of Christmas day by day, all year.
Please, make the best of your art to tell that Jesus came to earth, but do the best of your life to show that this Story is still with you right now. I think we know how to do it, we have already rehearsed it lots of times, and our world is ready for our show.
Final Advent Reading 2008: Day 25
My final Advent reading for 2008. May peace be in your hearts at this blessed time.
Blair
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQteS8AUQG4...re=channel_page
My final Advent reading for 2008. May peace be in your hearts at this blessed time.
Blair
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQteS8AUQG4...re=channel_page
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