There's Always Something...

"Wannabe cool" Christianity...

I relish the weekly word and sacrament. Something special blesses and burns and feeds me in our wonderful church. It's authentic Christianity.

(Sedona Chapel. Photo by R.B.) 

It is never easy for me to swallow the super-cool compromises made by so many churches "to appeal to the kids." The adjustments so often cross the line of creating a church that has no apparent relationship with genuine Christianity. 

It was with great interest that I read this Wall Street Journal piece on the subject. 

What do you think?

Happy Everyone? Now Hear This...

James Taylor and Carol King. I think you will like it.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/36606816/vp/37776606/#37776606

Atlanta...

Sport teams have their mascots these days. Most of them are pretty bad. Atlanta, however, has one that I rather like.

Steve...

There's no more loved and respected athlete  around than two time NBA "most valuable player, Steve Nash. Steve is point guard for the Phoenix Suns. The Boston Globe and Rob Galbraith caught this picture of him in last night's opening ceremonies. 

Steve left right after the ceremonies for Dallas, where he is starting point guard for the NBA's all-star game.

The reason I bring this up is that Jo Ann and I watched the often boring, but also often stirring ceremonies until late in the night. K.D. Lang's singing of "Hallelujah" by our favorite, Leonard Cohen, was stunning. Shortly after that, when Steve appeared to actually light the big torch, both of us bounced from our chairs, choking back tears and loudly applauded our hero. Scared the daylights out of our dogs.

Michael and So Forth...

Arizona cartoonist Steve Benson, one of the best, catches my feelings exactly:

The Red Violin...

We watched the lovely film, The Red Violin, last night. It traced the things that happened over the centuries to a special violin, a true musical treasure.

There were several things to think about apart from the sheer beauty of the music and the cinematography. The one that stayed with me most, however, was the reminder of the mystery that inhabits antiques of all kinds. There are several pieces of furniture, handed down across centuries, eventually to us, that often give me pause when I stop to look at them. I know their immediate stories. They belonged to our grandparents  - and in a few cases go back, in our families, even further than that. But beyond that we do not know.

Who made them? Why? Where? When? And what family dramas have they quietly observed? There is a certain dignity that goes with a richly aging piece of furniture, or art, or clay, or stone, or metal.

And where do they go from here?

Such a mystery to Wabi Sabi things.

Wainwright's "One Man Guy" ...

My son, Roger, had this on his blog this morning and it started our new week on a decidedly pleasant tone...

ONE MAN GUY

A Wild Beginning...

I had just settled down with my morning coffee. Read about the astonishing conditions in "fetid" Galveston after Ike got through. Then Lehmann Brothers and Merrill Lynch joined the ever increasing shocking news from the financial front. "Things are certainly weird", I was thinking.

But the day was just beginning. I turned to William Kristol's conservative column in the Times, which I regularly scorn, and to my surprise, found one of the best and wildest pieces of writing that I've come across in months.

Then, to make the week's beginning even stranger and then stranger, I turned to Slate Magazine on my computer and read an article about dreams, good and bad, that people were reporting about - yes, Sarah Palin! After completing the article, I was so, what's the word? - hyped up, weirded out, astonished, tickled, confused that I seriously considered substituting a shot of 20 year old Scotch for my coffee. I am speechless. But, being the unfailingly thoughtful, generous and sober soul that I am, I hasten to share the season's weirdness with you.

Don't say I didn't start your week off without a jolt or two.

IPhone Apps...

No, I don't have an IPhone. But you might remember a blog I recently wrote about a delightful visit by 2 young men from California who tormented us with vulgar displays from their jewel-like IPhones. It was amazing - and fun.

Well, this morning I came upon Terry White's blog on the subject of his 10 favorite applications for the IPhone. Terry KNOWS!

Don't turn me off. Whether you have or even WANT an IPhone is not relevant here. What I want you to see is a brief sample of what technology has made possible to carry around in your pocket or purse. And torture your astonished friends at the same time. Hard to beat a combination like that.

My Way...

I don't send out canned stuff as a rule. At least unless it can be personalized to some degree. Guess I see blogging as personal sharing as opposed to providing predigested entertainment. Obviously there is all kinds of room for disagreement there.

Anyway, I received this from my sister this morning and found it personal in so many ways, style and content, that I have to share it with you. Let it be my holiday hello to you!

My way.