Travel Time September 30, 2008

So, I’m not exactly on top of blogging regularly yet.  I’m still attempting to settle things after a trip to the midwest that left me thinking about a lot of old friends.  In Wisconsin, I thought about my second roommate from the first half of sophomore year, Kristy, who was from Withee, WI, and how at Bible study when she would introduce herself and say where she was from, everyone would shout, “the Lord be Withee!”  As we passed through the Twin Cities, I thought about the friends there who couldn’t meet us for dinner, like Alex and Elia from my cohort, or Erin, Michael and Jax who were part of my family during my undergraduate years.  While in South Dakota, I focused on my sister, her husband, and their kids, which was amazing.  I love those three girls so much, and don’t get to see them often enough.

On the way home, we drove interstate 90 pretty much from just west of Mitchell, SD (home of the corn palace) all the way to New York.  While we drove through Minnesota again, I thought about Darci, who I just reconnected with on Facebook, a friend from camp who lived in Jackson MN at the time.  I also thought about Erin & Mike again because we passed the exit for Rochester where they live.

In Chicago I thought about my friend Nicole’s sister Paige, who is the second oldest of the four girls in that family but the fourth one of them that I met (I went to college with Nicole’s baby sister and got married at her oldest sister’s church).  Paige lives somewhere in the Chicago area, though I’m not sure where.  As we drove through Indiana coasting along under Michigan I thought about my cohort member Lydia, who is now working for a convent (but is married and is still Lutheran, I think).  Ohio brought to mind thoughts about my husband’s relatives who seem to live in every single suburb of Cleveland.

Throughout the trip I was reminded of my college choir tour, which took us through Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and up into Canada to Toronto, which is not far from where we live now.  And it brought to mind Andy who acted like a tour guide and Mark who was crazy and Ryan who had to wear a plastic inner-tube duck the first day of tour (the Dumb Duck award) because he thought we weren’t leaving until the next day.  And when we stopped in Madison Wisconsin for the night, I remembered that the latest Jeopardy! college tournament was filmed there.

Such a jumbled mind I have – all of this was my musings during the almost 3,000-mile road trip in our new car (we picked it up the day before we left).  And here is how bad I am at this blogging business, which should include pictures of our trip.  We forgot our camera at home and didn’t take a single picture on our cell phones the whole trip, despite the fact that there were plenty of beautiful and memorable things to see.  I am going to try to start documenting more of my life in pictures, because one day I will forget what Wisconsin Dells looks like, or how amazing a sunset can look in the rear-view mirror of your car, or how wide the Missouri river is through South Dakota.  While a picture can’t always do it justice, they almost always help me remember how I felt.

Sorrow and Hope September 11, 2008

Such a muddle of thoughts are rolling around in my head today.  I have spent the past few days reading The Shack (more on that later, but for some insights on it read this).  I know, it’s been out for a while, but I am sometimes behind the learning curve with pop culture.  I figured I should read it because people out there are reading it and I need to be prepared.

I found myself surprised by the depth of insight the author has, presenting certain theological truths with clarity.  But I am reminded that Satan himself tends to use Biblical truth and then twist it for his own purposes, and I have some serious concerns with the book.  As a Lutheran, trained in theology, I am aware of the relationship of law and gospel as the two-edged sword of the Word of God.  More than anything, this book was lacking in any concept of law.

But anyway, others have reviewed the book, better than I can.  The reason I started to write this entry is because in the midst of reading The Shack (which is primarily an attempted answer to the question, “Where is God in the midst of human suffering?”), I have also watched some television.  Yesterday I watched a recording of Friday night’s Stand Up to Cancer event, simulcast by the big three networks.  Then this morning, I watched MSNBC’s re-running of the footage from 9/11/01, in real time.  What was so sad to me in watching these things is how lost we all seem to be.  Stand Up to Cancer featured a series of personal stories interwoven with a performance of John Lenon’s “Imagine.”  While I find the tune of this song particularly beautiful, I get frustrated with the message, that we need to work together because there might not be anything else, and all of the rest (religion, God, countries, etc.) are just a human-made construct.  And watching as the twin towers collapsed all over again, I was reminded of those pictures that showed Jesus in the clouds gathering the souls of all of those who died to Himself, pictures that assume that just because someone dies tragically it means they are bound for heaven, apart from their relationship with Christ.

I think these things would align perfectly with The Shack.  And I get sad, thinking about how many people get led astray by things that “seem” like they are of God.  But then it leads me back to the Bible, to reading God’s Word for me, and it reminds me to pray, without ceasing.  And I am reminded that while we as a society seem to be lost, Christ came to seek and to save the lost.  I get to play a role in leading others to Him – thanks be to God!

Open mind, open heart September 3, 2008

I happened on a message board today, where the particular discussion thread centered on questions people have about their faith.  Some of the individuals posted about how they aren’t sure they believe in various aspects of faith, whether it is the person of Jesus or the conflict between science and the Bible.  As I read, it struck me that we tend to be a rather closed-minded group in the church.  Now, I know what that kind of phrasing brings to mind, that we should be tolerant and open to all religions, etc.  I’m NOT advocating that (what I think about those issues is an entirely different topic).  But we are closed-minded about the questions we allow people to ask about faith.  It’s ok to ask a question about the history of Martin Luther or the multitude of ways one can break the fourth commandment.  But we aren’t really open to allowing people to ask “what are the 10 Commandments?” or “Can you help me?  I don’t think I really believe that Jesus was the Son of God.”  Churches by and large assume that if you walk in the door, you already believe in everything that is taught inside the building.  How on earth are we reaching anyone with the Gospel when we work from that assumption?

I am determined to be more open to those kinds of questions, not just open to it but even initiating the discussion.  It can be intimidating to admit uncertainty in any environment, especially when the majority of people involved seem like “experts.”  Lord, help me to be a servant.

Voting September 2, 2008

I’m only just getting into this concept of reading blogs.  Granted, I have read a couple of them regularly for a while now, but it’s mostly my sister and a friend who blog about their kids.  I surf around in WordPress for blogs that interest me, but this particular post intrigued me and I wanted to share my thoughts here.  I don’t necessarily agree with everything he writes, but I do agree with his principles about politics.  In my few short voting years, I have been registered as a Republican and a Democrat, each for about four years or so.  But about the time of the last presidential election, maybe even before that, I switched to being independent.  While I sometimes regret this when I cannot sign a petition for someone at church who is trying to get on a ballot, or I can’t vote in the primaries, I see the importance of my decision, and Cho put it into words that I have previously failed to articulate.  I don’t agree with the stance of either major party, nor do I believe that many of the candidates still subscribe to the core principles on which their parties were founded.  I believe in looking at each candidate as an individual, and acknowledge their choice of political party as part of their character but not defining the whole of their campaign.

In fact, I am still undecided.  I made a decision with this election to pray and allow God to guide me in this voting process.  I will watch the debates, reflect, research, and pray, and I know that God will be with me in this process.  His will be done.