Call and Response

Why I grow lettuce (sometimes)

2008-10-15T10:57:00.001-04:00

I hate gardening. I pretty much hate any kind of hard physical work.I do like pretty flower beds. So some effort is necessary on that front, although admittedly my husband does 99% of landscape maintenance because he does not hate gardening and actually seems to enjoy it.Flower beds and lawns are much more expensive than the dirt or gravel yards that my grandparents had up until the 1950s, but

Beloved Community, Troy Bronsink cont.

2008-10-11T15:48:00.003-04:00

Artists and activists are moving into the empty space where they can experience love.Challenge is not to acquire more and more, but to receive what the universe is giving.Troy began his talk with a song on guitar and ended it with the same and then a q and a session. Unfortunately being late afternoon there were not that many questions.

Beloved Community, Troy Bronsink cont.

2008-10-11T15:19:00.004-04:00

Evangelicals are now longing for a third space to talk about social justice. Willow Creek has now learned that their formation was not working like they believed it would. Mainline churches are now looking at people as capital, not as possibilities for following the spirit into the future.We don't pause.Knowledge management, get a group of ideas, to organize together, get experts to find out the

Beloved Community, Troy Bronsink

2008-10-11T15:07:00.003-04:00

Emergent Community, beloved community, joining hands.Grew up in Charlotte, NC megachurch, conservative, somewhat pentacostal. Attended Liberty U. Participated in YoungLife, had a spiritual director, with ideas about silence, discernment, etc. Being around people who are different than you can give you ideas about what is truly good news. In Washington State, discovered Presbyterianism, ideas

Beloved Community, Fred Plumer

2008-10-11T14:11:00.004-04:00

We may be in the midst of transitional churches into the death of "traditional' christianity which will make way for the new way of living into the teachings of Jesus.

Beloved Community, Fred Plumer cont.

2008-10-11T13:44:00.003-04:00

Spiritual practices have to go along with ethical implications of the teachings of Jesus. Create opportunities for people to take the teachings of Jesus and walk into them. How we treat eachother, the stranger, the enemy. How leadership is created and operates. How sexuality and gender is navigated without relying on cultural taboos to enforce our behavior. How to be fully spiritual and fully

Beloved Community, Fred Plumer cont.

2008-10-11T13:35:00.004-04:00

How can churches of the future change and still stay true to their Christian roots?Focus on experiential spirituality. Practices rather than expression. Expression requires conformity. Holy moments, touching on the wholeness of life. Celebrations of life: art, silence, singing, dancing, drumming. No more sermons, using ancient rituals of Christianity and other traditions. Active participations,

Beloved Community, Fred Plumer, cont.

2008-10-11T13:28:00.004-04:00

Purpose of church is to transform people, to dissolve their self-constructed walls, to dispel their illusions, and to change their lives.Black and white tv to hdtv in color.Why in the hell does anybody go to church?There is a hunger for spirituality. Zukav, Tolle, sold millions of books.People are seeking ways of living more intentional, ethical, sustainable lives.Beyond religion, people are

Beloved Community, Fred Plumer, cont.

2008-10-11T13:21:00.003-04:00

What will the future church look like?We have lost our way. Built to Last, a book for business but highlighted exceptional and long-lasting organizations. The long-lasting ones had 3 things in common:1. Everyone understood the fundamental reason for the organizations existenceWe no longer know what the church is supposed to be. The author of the book now consults with mega-churches. When we have

Beloved Community Conference-Fred Plumer

2008-10-11T13:14:00.003-04:00

"Creating Progressive Communities of Faith"Mainline churces are aging and dying. Trying to help churches enter the 21st century. Wondering if we are rearranging the chairs on the titanic. There is no magic bullet but we are in the midst of a big change. Phyllis Tickle-500 year rummage sale, church in the midst of it right now. All types of church are losing members as a whole, but in evangelical

Beloved Community Conference Saturday Morning

2008-10-11T11:18:00.003-04:00

This morning at the Beloved Community Conference, we began with some fellowship and coffee and good networking time. Then we got to hear from Peter Laarman, from Progressive Christians Uniting. His topic was "Mercy and Truth Will Meet: What it Takes to Be a Movement That Matters."He began talking about our current economic crisis, and how it might be a good thing for Christians in that it will

Awesome Video about Obama

2008-02-03T22:35:00.000-05:00

I was for Edwards, but that's over, and I feel that I am really more drawn to Obama at this point anyway. I just want a candidate that will change the way things are going in this country. It seems like most people believe Obama can do that. I hope so. I found this by will.i.am that I really found beautiful and inspiring. Video and statement originally from http://www.dipdive.com/.The Yes We Can

Why I haven't been blogging

2007-07-10T11:00:00.000-04:00

I exhaust easily under the pressure to be interesting.

House

2007-01-19T20:11:00.000-05:00

We bought a house! This has been quite the saga, mostly taking place over the Christmas Holidays. I am just starting to resurface a bit, but plan to post some of the chronology, in case anyone is curious how a seminarian and teacher come to own property in a fairly decent neighborhood with almost no money in the bank. I mostly blogged the progress in constant emails to my mom. So I will go back

Trees

2007-01-05T11:59:00.000-05:00

The trees outside my window are stark against the white sky. Their brownness and stickness is all there is, except for a few dried used up leaves left hanging there, not even worthy of joining the pile at the bottom of the hill. This time of year I can see streetlights through the nature preserve behind our apartment when the trees sway back and forth. It is a tiny bit of nature that is preserved

Links Grab Bag.

2006-12-03T19:34:00.000-05:00

I decided to go through my bookmarks which have accumulated over several years and post some of them I found interesting. It's a grab bag because I am too tired to annotate, but all are safe for work.UCC Disabilities MinistriesUCC Congregational VitalityThoughtful Christian Sunday School LessonsI really want a cabinOut in ScriptureWhere I take Belly DancingAtlanta UU Cohousing ProjectCool Old

Enneagram

2006-11-19T19:45:00.001-05:00

Here are a couple enneagram types found in my family. I'll post more when I get more to take the test. I am enjoying reading about the different types and how they affect our lives:Scale (%) results: Enneagram Test Results Type 1 Perfectionism 86% Type 2 Helpfulness 60% Type 3 Image Focus 69% Type 4 Hypersensitivity 41% Type 5 Detachment 62% Type 6 Anxiety

Treatise on Atonement, p. 187-192

2006-11-04T13:26:00.000-05:00

Suppose we alter the circumstance of the father and his ten children: suppose the father has provisions enough for the whole, and his object in the bestowing of it upon them is to cause the greatest possible happiness among his children. Which way would good sense and parental affection choose, either to feed five to the

Treatise on Atonement p. 184-186

2006-11-04T12:56:00.000-05:00

Against these statements I argue, if, in order for the greatest possible happiness to exist, the greatest possible misery must also exist, I wish to reverse the subject. Then the proposition would stand thus, in order for the greatest possible evil to exist the greatest possible good must exist. Then, if God, in his universal plan, has produced as much good as was possible, lie lias also produced

Treatise on Atonement p. 182-183

2006-11-04T12:42:00.000-05:00

Part III.THE CONSEQUENCES OF ATONEMENT TO MANKIND.______CHAPTER I.THEIR UNIVERSALITY.IN this last inquiry, I must be a little more lengthy than in either of the former, but I hope not to be too tedious. What I shall contend for, as the consequences of atonement, is the universal holiness and happiness of mankind, in the final issue of the Redeemer's process. In doing this I will —First. Make a

The Christian Left

2006-11-02T21:06:00.000-05:00

Here's an interesting take on progressive Christianity on wikipedia.Also, there were quite a few protesters present for Bush's trip to south Georgia in the last week. Articles are here, and here, and video here. I got a photo attachment of the Statesboro protest from a friend, and there were some nice "Who Would Jesus Bomb?" signs, etc. I think that the fact that the president is being protested

How to Find Other Progressive Christians

2006-11-01T23:08:00.000-05:00

Here are some good ways to find other progressive Christians if you feel like a lone ranger out there:At Meetup.com, you can find people with similar interests on all sorts of topics. After you sign up, sift through the religious topics, then click on the ones that interest you, and enter your zip code. If a group is not formed in your area yet, you can put up your info on the page for those

What am I at...once a month now?

2006-11-01T23:04:00.000-05:00

I admit it...seminary has been kicking my butt! Well, not just seminary, but work, home life, everything. I am burning the candle at about a hundred ends. But I am inspired to post again based on my increased private journaling of late. And I am chock-full of ideas. So look for some activity in the days to come, maybe even some later tonight! And now that I've promised that, I have to keep it

UCC/UUA Dialogue at Andover Newton

2006-09-29T21:05:00.000-04:00

I thought this was interesting news:http://www.ants.edu/about/news/2006/102506ucc-uua.htm

If they say that about Atlanta, imagine what they say about where I'm from...

2006-08-16T13:29:00.000-04:00

This just hurts my feelings.

What I’m Reading Today:

2006-08-08T11:56:00.000-04:00

Skid Row Makeover (daypass required) Good article about the gentrification of Skid Row in Los Angeles. I found it relevant in some ways to the situation in the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, where recent laws against panhandling and other quality of life crimes have been passed to rid the area popular with tourists and conventioneers of homeless persons.

Recent Reading

2006-08-07T15:29:00.001-04:00

Recent Reading:*BooksTheology in America Excellent history of American Theology written by E. Brooks Holifield, one of the professors here at Candler.The Temple Bombing The true story of a hate crime during the 1950s against The Temple, a prominent Atlanta synagogue, after their rabbi spoke out in favor of civil rights. Written by Melissa Fay Greene the author of one of my favorite books of all

Recent Reading

2006-08-07T15:29:00.000-04:00

Recent Reading:BooksTheology in America; Excellent history of American Theology written by E. Brooks Holifield, one of the professors here at Candler.The Temple Bombing; The true story of a hate crime during the 1950s against The Temple, a prominent Atlanta synagogue, after their rabbi spoke out in favor of civil rights. Written by Melissa Fay Greene the author of one of my favorite books of all

Wish I were there.....

2006-08-06T13:19:00.000-04:00

This crazy arts festival in Edinburgh is focusing on religion this year, and it sounds like an absolute blast.

Little 5 Points Shuttle

2006-07-16T13:37:00.000-04:00

I am very excited about this: http://larryfeltonjohnson.typepad.com/atlantalarry/2006/07/edgewood_retail.htmlMostly because every time I go to Little Five Points on the weekend, I am endlessly exasperated by the sometimes present, sporadically enforcing, "two dollars...two dollars"* slacker parking attendant at the Junkman's Daughter/Savage Pizza parking lot. Also the traffic at Edgewood Retail

Living On-Campus

2006-07-10T16:26:00.000-04:00

I received a request from a fellow blogger for info on living in the Candler on-campus housing, and I wrote her back but I thought I should post it here for anyone else who was interested.My husband and I really like living here. In fact, as soon as I signed the lease for this year, he started asking if we can stay another year after this, which would make it 3 years total, the maximum allowed.

Out and About

2006-07-04T15:11:00.000-04:00

We had a great time running around town on Sunday. In spite of much lack of sleep I went to church anyway, and heard a great sermon from a friend of mine. Then after coming home and eating chicken and soup I had made the night before (note to self-always do that, it makes Sunday rock so much more than fighting for the suchi buffet at Rusan's) along with leftover communion bread. The bread was a

Back online

2006-06-17T11:24:00.000-04:00

Well, I lost my computer for about a month, due to the detachment of the internal socket for the power cord, which is irreparable! So due to this tiny part, my perfectly good computer will never power up again. I am going to get an external enclosure for my hard drive to use it for a backup and extra storage and sell the rest for parts. I had to buy a new one but I got a good deal at Dell outlet

What I'm reading today

2006-05-31T11:05:00.000-04:00

The Perfect ManGood Sci-Fi short story at Salon (Membership or Day Pass [watching an ad] required)

Chinese Bible Exhibit

2006-05-23T13:09:00.000-04:00

Last night I attended an Exhibition on the Church in China. It was very interesting, and I had no idea that Christianity had as much freedom over there as was portrayed in the Exhibit. I guess I just don't know that much about modern China. I picked up a lot of materials and plan to read them in order to learn more. Check out the exhibit if you can in Atlanta before Wednesday or in NYC June 5

What I am reading today

2006-05-20T13:36:00.000-04:00

http://off-the-map.org/atheist/2006/05/09/hope-and-transformation/Ongoing conversations between Christians and atheists, inspired by an atheist who sold (on ebay) his services of visiting churches and offering observations on the experience.

Two cool alternative news sources in Atlanta

2006-05-16T12:25:00.000-04:00

Atlanta Progressive Newshttp://www.atlantaprogressivenews.com/news.htmlwhich has a good article about the history and current resurrection of The Great Speckled Birdhttp://bird.thinkspeak.net/which was the Atlanta underground newspaper in the 60s and 70s when the counterculture was still hanging around midtown.My mom said the other day that she remembers going to clubs in midtown in the late 60s

I heart the Dixie Chicks

2006-04-13T10:01:00.000-04:00

If you haven't heard it, hear it. What a powerful statement that really captures the feelings of someone told to shut up and get over it! The voice of conscience is a powerful one and it should not be silenced."Not Ready to Make Nice"-Dixie ChicksForgive, sounds goodForget, I’m not sure I couldThey say time heals everythingBut I’m still waitingI’m through with doubtThere’s nothing left for me

Speaking of Biblical Interpretation

2006-04-03T14:26:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting intro to some different methods of looking at the Bible. Not comprehensive, but a start.

Prooftexting

2006-04-03T14:18:00.000-04:00

I went to a peace march this weekend and my sign said "Swords into plowshares=God's Political Platform." I love prooftexting for peace. However, I recognize that it is not compatible with my beliefs surrounding Biblical Interpretation. I tend to be all about Scripture+Reason+Experience+Tradition, in no particular order, with all of the above acting as checks on the other. But in truth, I have

Just a thought

2006-03-28T19:53:00.000-05:00

How is it that a nation that fought a revolution to be free of the whims of the ruling elite is now willingly submitting itself to the whims of a ruling elite? And could there be a connection between the lack of support for education on the part of said ruling elite and the knowledge that an educated populace might just make the above connection and turn them out on their elite heads?

Old Friends

2006-03-25T21:22:00.000-05:00

I had an incredibly vivid dream about an old friend last night. We were catching up on things and talking and having a great time. She had moved back to Georgia, but I'm not sure how we ran into one another.I looked for her all day on the internet, but am not sure where she is now. I am not in touch with her family anymore. I just feel like the dream is still urging me to talk to her, but

Creating an interesting life is possible no matter where you are

2006-03-16T15:14:00.000-05:00

I left the following comment on Salon in response to another commenter bewailing the mind-numbingness of life in a boring town:I have spent most of my 31 years on earth in small Southern towns. As a fairly interesting and brainy (IMHO) person, I had to create my own stimulating life. Here are the methods with which I have found success:1) Help others, especially those deemed unworthy by the

Another liberal Baptist link

2006-03-16T13:06:00.000-05:00

http://www.thinkingbaptists.com/Description from their site:"Thinking Baptists is a community of seekers, questioners, dissidents, and other folk from a variety of backgrounds. We began as a discussion forum created on a lark for liberal baptists, and continue to be a safe haven for theological liberals and expatriates of various stripes. We've grown beyond our roots, however, and have become a

The Codependency Tree

2006-03-13T12:28:00.000-05:00

A commenter on Hugo's blog says:"I didn't whine about "Not having any "me" time" or "MY" goals, or what "I" would rather do. A good parent - the only people fit to be parents - get the "me" out of it, and put their kids at A-Numero-Uno priority, bar none.And until people can do that, frankly, the world is better off that they don't breed. Show me a dysfunctional child, and I'll show you one which

Koinonia Dreaming

2006-03-11T00:25:00.000-05:00

Scott has blogged Briars in the Cottonpatch, a film about Koinonia Farm near Americus, GA. There was a class at Candler last semester on intentional communities that used the film, I believe. There is also a good book I have read about it called Interracialism and Christian Community in the Postwar South: The Story of Koinonia Farm. Koinonia's one of my favorite places on earth. We don't learn

The Glurging Tree

2006-03-04T21:04:00.000-05:00

We had a discussion in class recently about the gender roles in The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and whether the book is of any value in teaching about love or Christ. I think it's terrible for any purpose. I compared it to glurge emails that make you cry through sheer emotional manipulation, but have no lasting value. I could be wrong, but my mom taught me that codependency is a bad kind

One reason I don't like creeds

2006-03-04T11:52:00.000-05:00

Do not attach yourself to any particular creed exclusively, so that you may disbelieve all the rest; otherwise you will lose much good, nay, you will fail to recognize the real truth of the matter. God, the omnipresent and omnipotent, is not confined to any one creed, for, he says, “Wheresoever ye turn, there is the face of Allah.”-- the Sufi mystic Ibn al-Arabi,quoted in The Spiral Staircase, by

Incompatible Infill

2006-01-28T14:41:00.000-05:00

Interesting Discussion at Atlanta MetroblogThe only thing I don't get-from one of the commenters-is why families would need such large (6000sf+) houses and bans on infill would prevent them from moving into town. Most families today are 1-2 parents and 1-3 kids. I just don't see why each family member would need their own personal thousand+ square feet. So they never have to see eachother?

Some neat articles on congregations and social action

2006-01-28T13:09:00.000-05:00

Urban Congregations as Social Actors Religion and Social Capital Congregations and Economic DevelopmentUrban-Suburban Congregations' New Teamwork

Mwahahaha....

2006-01-12T18:06:00.000-05:00

My plot to take over the world is slowly taking shape: This is hilarious. Thanks to Amber

Misc.

2006-01-12T14:09:00.000-05:00

I really like stuff like this. It kind of goes along with my obsession with stuff like this. I have no idea why. Thanks, Boy in the Bands.Also, this is really funny. Thanks, Peacebang.

New Years Resolutions

2006-01-09T11:08:00.000-05:00

Didn't make any. But I think I am going to try to post more links here to articles I find interesting on other blogs or in publications.For example, Harper's Magazine had a good article recently about Thomas Jefferson's bible (he edited out all the woo-woo supernatural stuff, "just the facts, ma'am" seems to be his approach) and the Gospel of Thomas (collection of the sayings of Jesus thought by

Reason First Casualty of War on Christmas

2005-12-14T17:01:00.000-05:00

This story about the "War on Christmas" is really astounding.What do we do as a country when belief in internet rumors is not dissuaded by actual visible firsthand evidence to the contrary? How can we ever have true participatory democracy when so many people can't be bothered with the facts?

Something Fun to do in Atlanta

2005-12-08T12:32:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Troy Bronsink:Emergent friends, music lovers, activists, and city dwellers:This there will be a garage concert, benefiting The Sullivan Center a southwest Atlanta non profit that has been around for more than 20 years. Capital Coffee is providing coffee and pastries, and a keg of beer will be tapped The proceeds of coffee sold, suggested $2 cover, and donations for beer (which will

Moderation

2005-11-14T13:48:00.000-05:00

I don't moderate comments, yet. I do, however delete comments that are off topic. Or advertising something. Or threatening. Or gossip-y about folks that are not in the conversation. Also, if a comment is borderline I might leave it there, unless it becomes clear that a link provided leads to any of the above types of material on a website.It's my call. This blog is my experiment. So I get

Great quote!

2005-11-03T20:45:00.000-05:00

"Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof." -- John Kenneth Gailbraith

One God?

2005-10-21T22:02:00.000-04:00

Over at pomomusings, a post on praying with Muslims drew many questions on whether or not Christians and Muslims are praying to the same God? The general consensus was that no, they are not, due to the trinitarian beliefs of orthodox Christianity. This is so weird to me, because it seems like orthodox Christianity is also monotheist. So there is only ONE God. Unless there are a bunch of Gods

Nice Day with the Parents

2005-10-15T22:50:00.000-04:00

My mom and stepdad came up to visit this weekend. They made me a headboard and today we installed it and rearranged the bedroom around it. We also built a bathroom cabinet. Before that, we went to Virginia Highlands and walked around. We saw some neat mid-century modern furniture at a few shops down there, then went to Highland Hardware, which was a really cool hardware store with lots of

Liberal Baptists?

2005-10-13T19:30:00.000-04:00

As I have posted, we have been going to a very liberal Baptist/UCC church now that we're in Atlanta. I like it because it has communion every Sunday, is liturgically oriented, and is welcoming to all, without all the conditions you find in many churches, such as baptised only, straight only, etc. Today I got an email from the advisor of the Baptist Studies Program at Candler asking if I wanted

A few cool links

2005-10-03T10:28:00.000-04:00

There is an emergent cohort in Atlanta now:Emerging Phoenix/**For those of you who don't know, "One of the city's nicknames, "The Phoenix City", relates to its rise after the Civil War. The phoenix appears in many of Atlanta's symbols, including its seal and flag." wikipediaI haven't made it to the meetings yet, they had one last week, but things are still so crazy for me.Also the description of

Marion Wright Edelman

2005-09-28T20:20:00.000-04:00

This morning I worked at the ICMma Prayer Breakfast featuring Marion Wright Edelman. Her speech was very inspiring. But I worked full days on Monday and Tuesday in addition to classes and reading, and had to get up at 5 this morning to be downtown by 6 to set up, stayed there until 10 AM, and am totally beat. I fell asleep while studying at lunchtime and was 5 minutes late to class, so I missed

Virginia Highland Church

2005-09-25T20:13:00.000-04:00

We've been to Virginia Highland Church about 4 times now, and can't seem to get up the energy to go anywhere else right now. It is very comforting as far as the people and liturgy is concerned. We tell them how we will be visiting other churches because I need to see different denominations and worship styles as a seminarian, according to my professors and classmates, so hopefully they

2005-09-24T23:16:00.000-04:00

All three of us outside our apartment when we got back! We were very tired!

2005-09-24T23:15:00.000-04:00

Behind us is the play area for kids, where they can run around a base, and stand on a play pitchers mound. They just ran and ran. There was a line to run those bases the whole time we were there. Also behind us is the giant coca cola bottle made out of baseball equipment and the cannons, both of which shoot fireworks, so it was fun to be that close to the fireworks every time there was a home

2005-09-24T23:12:00.000-04:00

Me and our new friend Hyun Ho from our apartment complex.

2005-09-24T23:10:00.000-04:00

But we had a great view of the field. You could actually see much better than you can tell in this picture-I could follow all the action and we couldn't even hear the announcers from where we were.

2005-09-24T23:09:00.000-04:00

We were up pretty high-Standing Room Only!

Birthday Braves Game

2005-09-24T23:08:00.000-04:00

Turner Field before the game-Great drum line!

Birthday Fun!

2005-09-24T16:00:00.000-04:00

Today for my birthday, we went and shopped and walked around Little Five Points, this quirky neighborhood on the east side of Atlanta. It was so fun, and I got some sunglasses ($5) and some earrings ($6) so they have some great deals. We had some pizza at a place I used to go a lot called...little 5 points pizza! And it was still great pizza and a fun atmosphere. I loved it. Jim was so sweet

Weekend Away

2005-09-18T17:30:00.000-04:00

Went to South Georgia this weekend. Stayed at the lake. Saw all my grandparents, Jim's parents, and my Dad. It was fun, but we are worn slap out, and we came back pretty early today. I just took a long nap. Now I need to start studying.

Wow

2005-09-16T15:41:00.000-04:00

I totally forgot to blog.School=Crazy Busy.Starting to settle down a little and lots of cool stuff to post, maybe by next week I'll catch up.

Weekend=Yay

2005-09-10T23:49:00.000-04:00

Nice Saturday at home, got some shopping done. This evening we went to hear Cindy Sheehan at a very inspiring rally. It was great to see 400 people in a church listening to a program about peace. The Gold Star Families and Iraq Veterans against the War were hard to listen to, as well as Cindy. I found myself crying several times. Some black preachers spoke and really put a fine point on the

Fourth Day of School

2005-09-09T16:44:00.000-04:00

TGIF. Didn't have to be at campus until 11. Bus screwed me over again by taking us to next stop, stopping for 10 minutes, then having us get on the next bus that came along. Why didn't he just say, hey, wait for the next one, because I'm not going past the next stop and you'll have to get on it anyway? Late for meeting with boss. Explained about buses, he seemed to understand. Decided I will

Third Day of School

2005-09-08T14:38:00.000-04:00

Completed reading for today at 1:00 AM this morning. Slept late due to dead battery on alarm. Missed bus or bus didn't come, not sure. Ran to campus despite bum ankle. One minute late to class, professor was already talking. Mortified. Didn't have to work today, and no chapel service. Ate free hot dog. Waited for bus 50 minutes before it came. Found out one of the two buses on my route

Second Day of School

2005-09-07T22:05:00.000-04:00

Much better, didn't have to be over there until 11, but bus nonsense screwed me up somewhat. Tres stressful. My Old Testament professor is a real card. He reminds me of my granddad. Enjoyed chapel today as well.Had dinner tonight with some people we know from south Georgia. That was nice. They have a really nice townhome. He is a senior MDiv student at Candler, and a physician. I thought

First Day of School

2005-09-06T18:33:00.000-04:00

Wow, that was totally overwhelming to a degree I had not anticipated. Going to school full time and working part time on call is very different than working 8:30 to 4:30 5 days a week and taking classes one-at-a-time. I was able to see some of my new acquaintances, so there was a little familiarity in the midst of all the strangeness. The classes were fine, but I kept fighting sleep. Syllabus

Call to Prophecy

2005-09-05T10:29:00.000-04:00

Great article on the call to be a modern-day prophet. This is a call I feel pulling me at times, and fight it every step of the way, just as the prophets of old. "But in my case, God, I am really not qualified....""Don't pick me don't pick me don't pick me please don't pick me"I have pretty much done every possible bit of negotiating with God on this, my favorite bit being where I say, "Okay God

Greatest husband of all time!

2005-09-05T10:23:00.000-04:00

My husband woke me up this morning with a beautiful gift of spring rolls, krispy kreme donuts, and fresh flowers (roses and pink peruvian lilies, I think). He said it was because tomorrow is my first day of school. What a sweetie!

Blogger glitch

2005-09-04T16:26:00.000-04:00

Typed a long post about the Braves game. Eaten by Blogger. Summary:Marta ok.Marta passengers obnoxious.Game fun.New friends fun.Walk back to Marta long.

More Orientation

2005-09-03T22:51:00.000-04:00

Friday was another long day, with an even earlier start at 8:15. I walked and made it in plenty of time. We started this day in Bishops hall, where most of the classes are held. We received an introduction to the MDiv curriculum and a panel discussion by faculty on the facets Theological Education, focusing mostly on Biblical scholarship. We also heard information on the IT services and the

Orientation, Day One

2005-09-02T21:55:00.000-04:00

OK, when I left off, I was describing the chapel that was the site of our first day of Orientation. The program began with some corporate singing, with no hymnals, no printed words, and the leader, the Dean of Worship and Music, lined out the songs. Now, if you had never been to a Christian church, ever, you might have been lost, but they were familiar songs, with a gospel, clap on 2 and 4,

What a week!

2005-09-01T18:46:00.000-04:00

What a week! The hurricane tragedy continues to preoccupy my mind when I'm at home, but I have been so busy that I haven't been at home very much. Wednesday was a much needed day of rest, but of course I couldn't turn away from the news coverage of the people waiting in New Orleans to be rescued. Wednesday night Jim and I went to a dinner for residents of the Theology School housing where we

Whirlwind City

2005-08-30T16:49:00.000-04:00

So tornados spun off from Katrina destroyed parts of one of my favorite uber-cheesy vacation spots. In the grand scheme of things, though, so many people have lost homes, even lives to this big storm, and New Orleans appears to still be underwater, according to the Weather Channel. The poorest people in New Orleans, Gulf Shores, Biloxi, Mobile, can't afford motels, or fast food, or anything

I believe the children are our future...

2005-08-29T16:14:00.000-04:00

My work-study job for a professor at Candler will involve helping build the membership of Interfaith Children's Movement of Metro Atlanta, and attending their Prayer Breakfast in a month, featuring Marian Wright Edelman! I am so excited to hear her! And what the movement is trying to accomplish is really important work . It always amazes me that with all the religious people in the world, most

Progressive Christian Blogger Network

2005-08-27T20:00:00.000-04:00

I have just added the Progressive Christian Blogger Network blogroll to my sidebar. I also let them know about the location of the new site, but the blogroll will still refer you to the missing old blog for the time being. There are a lot of cool blogs listed, and most of the ones I read are there. To see all the ones I read, check out my kinja digest.

On Being a Christian Democrat

2005-08-26T15:04:00.000-04:00

Originally posted on 3/6/04When people ask me and my husband how we avoided being indoctrinated into the racism and conservatism that is so insidious down here in the deep south, we both attest to the power of the words "Jesus loved the little children, all the children of the world." taught to us from a very young age. We have only built upon that theology over the years, and are now active

Stuff on Cats

2005-08-26T11:42:00.000-04:00

Hilarious.I used to love putting stuff on my pets. First my dog, when I lived with my parents, and then when I was out on my own, on all my cats. I have a great picture of my roommate's cat holding a tiny pool cue beside one of those tiny pool tables. Maybe I should scan it and post it here. I found it the other day and couldn't quit laughing. This webpage made me want to put something on

Who am I?

2005-08-25T13:43:00.000-04:00

Here is a brief bio that I wrote to send to the church membership committee. We are having a new member induction ceremony next month which will include me although I have been a member for about a year now. Parts of the bio will be used to introduce me to the others during the service and in the newsletter. I always like to know a little about the people whose blogs I enjoy so I thought that I

My Meta Narrative

2005-08-24T13:33:00.000-04:00

Here's my impression of the bible and what God is trying to tell me when I read it. I don't think anybody needs to take any of this as anything more than a peek into my ongoing conversation with God. As a matter of fact, God definitely is not telling me to get y'all to believe this stuff. I think God's just trying to reach me on my level, which is a pretty weird level, if you know what I mean. By

Crazy Hypochondriac Girl

2005-08-23T13:31:00.000-04:00

Originally posted on May 24, 2004In other news, I was really scared I had some dread disease because my doctor ordered some extra blood tests last time I went but it turns out I am just fine. I am the worst hypochondriac. I try to make jokes about it, like "Ha ha, I probably have the black plague, no bubonic actually, no I think it's really dengue fever, hee hee snort," to hide the sniveling

Fake-street shopping/lifestyle plaza dealies

2005-08-22T12:26:00.000-04:00

"Santana Row is one of those fake-street shopping/lifestyle plaza dealies. They're all over the place here. See, it's like a thriving downtown, without all the poor people and non-chain stores!"Going Jesus hit the nail right on the head there. When I went to eat with my family at the Atkins Park in Smyrna Market Village, out in the suburbs west of Atlanta, it was charming, but something just

Where the Rubber hits the Road

2005-08-21T11:21:00.000-04:00

Maybe my fighting being an instinctive caregiver is making it more stressful than it would be if I just gave in to it. I am torn between worldly advice"Well, you have to take care of yourself first." and questions of "What would happen to me if I gave all of myself to other people?" So what would happen if I just said okay, my instincts are to care for others? If I really quit worrying about what

Response, Part the first

2005-08-20T13:10:00.000-04:00

Well, so far, I haven't posted much about our ongoing saga to get me to Seminary, to respond to this call I have felt tugging on me for over two years now. The transition is upon us and documenting it on a blog is the best way I can think of to help with the processing of this strange in between place where I am right now. And I had to create a new blog to do it since my usual blog is down for

Question

2005-08-19T13:45:00.000-04:00

What if eternal is a qualitative rather than quantitative modifier for life? What if eternally is a way to go about living rather than a length of time? I might be able to unpack the eternal life aspects of Christianity if I begin here. Originally posted on April 20, 2004

Pro-Life? Pro-Choice? Pro-Conversation!

2005-08-18T13:59:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Philocrites, I read this article on how Democrats could broaden their support among all manner of Christians. I liked the article a lot, because it really reflected a lot of my own views about abortion. I think abortion is complicated. I think we need to talk about abortion...a lot. I think we need to listen about abortion...a lot. To scientists, to doctors, to those who have or have