But nobody has any idesa what the hell it is… Check it out. What does this mean? Nobody knows but the Network seems to be making more of a muddle of things than drawing clarity out of them. This is (IMHO) the Continuing Anglican malaise–nobody ever really knows who’s with who, who trusts who, and who communes with whom.

Ok–one more quick thought. It’s about mission. One of the key problems that people aren’t owning up to–or, at least, aren’t owning up to well–is the problem that we are not working in anything even vaguely approaching a homogenous mission field. Precisely the thing that some people want and need to hear and to bring them to the Gospel is what will drive someone else away. The unchurched and dechurched people with whom I interact on a daily basis are–let’s face it–disgusted with the notion of instutionalized prejudice. And that’s how most of them see certain Christian attitudes towards women and gay and lesbian people. There are others with whom I interact far less often who are–let’s face it–disgusted with the notion that God approves things like women priests or gay and lesbian couples receiving the Eucharist together.

In a sense the Global South has it easier–their cultures *seem* (to an outsider in any case) to be more homogenous than the Western context. Thus, they know what to say when in order for the Gosple to be heard.

We’re in a much different place. I’d love for the Church to move ahead in mission–but it’s a pushme-pullyou kind of thing, isn’t it?

[And I know some reading this may be thinking–no, it’s not about “casting the message” a certain way, it’s just about bold proclamation and let the chips fall where they may! But let me tell as a teacher of rhetoric and preaching–it doesn’t work that way… Even simply picking up the Bible and reading aloud as an act of proclamation contains a host of rhetocial and theological decisions.]

Who knows–maybe a divided Anglican witness may be able to spread the gospel more effectively than a unified one…though I’d hate to see it come to that.

Ever feel like being a theological isolationist? Like putting up some walls and saying–look, I know y’all don’t like the way me and mine receive and practice our Christian heritage…just let us do our thing in peace. You’re probably not gonna change my mind, mostly you’re just pissin’ me off, and if you *were* trying to change my mind–pissin’ me off sure as hell isn’t the way to do it… (yeah, my country/Southern comes out when I get pissed)

*Sigh* Isolationism just doesn’t work, though. The age of isolationist feasibility ended about seventy years ago and with the digital age there’s no going back. What we need are better filters, I’m afraid. Filters that enable us to talk to those who really do want to talk, to answer questions from the truly questioning, to ask good questions of our own of those from whom we can learn [preposition abuse, anyone?], and to block out those who are interested in none of the above but are just trying to stir up trouble…

Quick note here. This from someone with a Danish last name and soon to be two daughters with quite Scandinavian names… I think that by and large American commentators have missed one of the major presenting issues in the whole international cartoon war.

We’re Americans, so when we think about Muslims our first thoughts tend to be about 9/11 and Iraq. What we miss is the cartoons in their specifically European context. We miss that it’s as much or more a class issue as it is a religion issue. I’ve give you a quick hint–most of the illegal immigrants who do the dirty low-paying jobs and threaten lower and lower-middle class jobs in Europe don’t come from Mexico…

Let’s just say it’s a very complicated issue all around.

Kudos to Dave on a good post about what one liberal Methodist looks like. Dave and I don’t agree on a number of things–mostly politics and football–but it’s nice to see somebody articulating a progressive agenda without also attempting to do away with the majority of Christian doctrines.

From this morning’s Office:

39
Dixi, Custodiam [638]
I said, “I will keep watch upon my ways, *
so that I do not offend with my tongue.
I will put a muzzle on my mouth *
while the wicked are in my presence.”
So I held my tongue and said nothing; *
I refrained from rash words;
but my pain became unbearable.
My heart was hot within me;
while I pondered, the fire burst into flame; *
I spoke out with my tongue:
LORD, let me know my end and the number of my days, *
so that I may know how short my life is.
You have given me a mere handful of days,
and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight; *
truly, even those who stand erect are but a puff of wind.
We walk about like a shadow,
and in vain we are in turmoil; *
we heap up riches and cannot tell who will gather them.
And now, what is my hope? *
O Lord, my hope is in you.
Deliver me from all my transgressions *
and do not make me the taunt of the fool.
I fell silent and did not open my mouth, *
for surely it was you that did it.
Take your affliction from me; *
I am worn down by the blows of your hand.
With rebukes for sin you punish us;
like a moth you eat away all that is dear to us; *
truly, everyone is but a puff of wind.
Hear my prayer, O LORD,
and give ear to my cry; *
hold not your peace at my tears.
For I am but a sojourner with you, *
a wayfarer, as all my forebears were.
Turn your gaze from me, that I may be glad again, *
before I go my way and am no more.

How long, O Lord?

I covet your prayers for lp, his family, and all the rest of us as well.

I’m on break from some sports show on TV.

There are folks who only come to church on Christmas and Easter. They’re not sure what page to be on or where the “S” section is to be found in the hymnal. And I’m okay with it–it takes all kinds.

Well, that’s me and professional sports. I just watch the Superbowl out of some vague obligation that it’s what an American ought to do.

I’m checking the status of Three Imaginary Boys which I’m loading onto M’s computer. Our halftime show thoughts so far are embodied by the title–M’s insight and contribution.

That is all.

I’m finally getting around to the mem that Anastasia tagged me for…

Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.

1) dr four eyes
2) corndog
3) Jeni
4) Anastasia
5) Haligweorc

Next select five people to tag

I have no idea who reads me but hasn’t been tagged yet–
1) bls
2) King Alfred is above such silliness, of course, but if in the mood…

What were you doing 10 years ago?

January 1996: I was in my senior year of college. I was finishing up my big final project on theologies of suffering in Japanese Buddhism and Christianity and looking at seminaries for the next academic year.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
I was long-term temping at the place I work now and doing a lot of translating of OE for my dissertation

Five snacks you enjoy:

A. peanuts
B. extra-sharp cheddar on triscuts
C. chips and salsa
D. oranges
E. port salut on triscuts

Five songs you know all the words to: (Five is way too few, so here are five that have a special significance for me)

A. Battle of Evermore–Zepplin
B. Fascination Street–The Cure
C. Master of Puppets–Metallica
D. Lovesong–The Cure
E. Christ Whose Glory Fills the Skies–Wesley

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire: (oh c’mon–millionaires are a dime a dozen; let’s shoot for multimilli0naire, shall we?)
A. pay off debts
B. establish a foundation that applies the draw-down to the internet dissemination of quality scholarship for the humanities (especially biblical studies and medieval studies with a focus on digitization of manuscripts)
C. buy a hell of a lot of books
D. commission cool artwork for a church with accompanying ora pro nobis plaque
E. save a little bit

Five bad habits:
A. not going here today…sorry

Five things you enjoy doing:
A. learning/reading dead languages
B. creating obscure research databases
C. playing with my daughter
D. cooking
E. having theological/liturgical discussions with M

Five things you would never wear again: (I’m so out of it terms of clothes/fashion/etc. that this almost doesn’t make sense. I’ll just strip it down to the basics)
A. really oversized shirts

Five favorite toys:

A. Books
B. my Palm (since it kinda operates as my main computer these days…)
C. my desktop unit
D. wooden blocks
E. I keep wishing I had wood-working skills to the degree that I could build a really cool dollhouse sort of thing for G and Forth-coming One; it’d be modelled on an Anglo-Saxon hall, of course…

Yes, all computer people will tell you this. And all people computer-savvy enough to write and read blogs know it. It goes in the same category as “test your fire alarms every quarter.” We know we oughtta–but we don’t, do we?

I discovered when attempting to load a file to send off to a comrade (it’s coming, Anastasia ;-)) that my venerable (in tech terms, at least) flash drive has bit the big one. It was where I kept all of my dissertation data to avoid it being spread across six or seven different computers. It served well, but, alas, is no more.

Fortunately, I had everything saved somewhere else and had backed it up not too awfully long ago. I only had to reconstruct one file–it was a serious pain in the but because it consisted of about seven other files written in non-sequential order but I had a print out of relatively recent vintage to guide me.

In short–this could have *really* sucked, but it didn’t. So please: back up your data!

Stolen from LC

1. When you looked in the mirror first thing this morning, what was the first thing you thought?
“Hmmm. I know I have to shave…but can I get away with not washing the hair…” I decided on a yes… ;-)

2. How much cash do you have on you?
$2.20

3. What’s a word that rhymes with TEST?
Rest. Something I’m chronically lacking…

4. Planet?
Janet! (Throw rice on cue)

5. Who is the fourth person on your missed calls?
Don’t have any

6. What is your favourite ring on your phone?
The one that sounds like a phone ringing… I prefer the vibrate function though. And get your mind out of the gutter.

7. What shirt are you wearing?
a snappy white dress-shirt

8. What do you label youself as?
Hard to say. A suppose corporate goth will have to suffice for the moment. ;-)

9. Name the brand of shoes you’ve recently worn.
Nunn Bush–to go with the snappy shirt (board committee meeting today…)

10. Bright room or dark room?
dark.

11. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Just crawling into bed after a successful library run.

12. What did the last text message on your phone say?
No text messages, sorry.

13. Where is your nearest 7-11?
no clue

14. What’s a saying you say a lot?
None come to mind.

15. Who told you they loved you last?
M mumbled something resembling that when I left for work way too early this morning.

16. Last furry thing you touched?
The cat who thinks it’s great fun to bite my ankles in the dark.

17. How many drugs have you done in the past three days?
Caffeine. And lots of it.

18. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed?
None–but I need to get a new charger for the camera. Does that count?

19. Favourite age you’ve been so far?
I like this one.

20. Your worst enemy?
Sin

21. What is your current desktop picture?
A 9th century German manuscript of the Sermon on the Mount

22. What was the last thing you said to someone?
“I hate this database.”

23. If you had to choose between a millions bucks and being able to fly, which would you choose?
Flying is great–but it can’t buy you books…

24. Do you like someone?
I like many people. I especially love my wife and daughters.

25. The last song you listened to?
Dragula by Rob Zombie off the Matrix Soundtrack.