Advent - A Season of Anticipation

Brandon, Lindsey and Micah came to visit us for Thanksgiving and to kick of our holiday season. We had a wonderful couple of days filled with lots of eating and lots of playing in our tiny little apartment. They will heading back to Denver tomorrow, but no tears will be shed as we'll be reunited in three weeks. Thus, it's back to the books for me as I count down the final 10 days of this term from hell (not really - but it's been tough nonetheless). We are definitely anticipating a break from this chaos. This weekend was enough of a taste of rest to wet our appetites for more. Here are a few pictures from their stay out here.

Needed a break from research paper writing

We went to the final show of the Season 5 So You Think You Can Dance Tour last night. The show was better than last years! We were so glad we took the girls even though we didn't get them into bed until after midnight last night.

One of my favorite pieces of the night was this little number. It's about two best friends contemplating the risk of entering into a deeper relationship. Powerful. Strong. Lovely.

Theology informs how we live

As I've been reflecting (read: studying and piecing together a research paper) upon the ways in which a patriarchical understanding of Christ has robbed both men and women of a more genuine encounter with Jesus, my mind repeatedly returns to the land where I experienced the undeniable manifestation of this reality. It wasn't the first time I became aware of how our theology bleeds into how we see and live in our world, but it was the most exagerrated expression my eyes had ever witnessed.

Click here to watch a video that offers a glimpse into that reality.

Feminist Christology

"Yeshua was a feminist. A feminist is a person who is in favor of, and who promotes, the equality of women with men, a person who advocates and practices treating women primarily as human persons (as men are so treated) and willingly contravenes social customs in so acting. To prove the thesis it must be shown that, so far as we can tell, Yeshua neither said nor did anything indicating that he advocated treating women as intrinsically inferior to men, but that on the contrary he said and did things that indicated that he thought of women as the equals of men, and that in the process he willingly violated pertinent social mores."
~Leonard Swidler, Yeshua, Feminist and Androgynous: An Integrated Human

Twilight Conversation

With all the hype posted all over facebook about the release of New Moon (book two of the Twilight series) I felt compelled to say something about it! I have not read any of the books. Brian read Twililght because so many of the kids in the elementary school where he teaches were talking about it (along with quite a few of the teachers and mothers of the students). I have, however, watched the first movie which I hear is nothing compared to the books. I am sure that is true. I have also heard from many close female friends of how fabulous the entire series is.

The problem for me initially was the fanaticism. Yes, I realize that I could have been considered by some to be a fanatic of Lord of the Rings (which is why someone decided to gift me with an Aragorn doll that can be found currenly resting contentedly in the bottom of a container filled with my daughters' Barbie dolls). BUT typically, wherever fanaticism rears it's head...something inside my belly begins to squirm. This little squirming sensation is cautioning me, perhaps, to inquire about what it is that is so magnectic about the text/movie/tv show and what does it reveal about the culture for which we live, eat, consume and think within. The Twilight movie was problematic for me on many levels (not just because of the unconvincing acting and the climbing of trees). But, I know I must refrain from solidifying any opinions until I read the texts and engage in deeper dialogue with those who have found something of significant value in this series.

However, there is a lovely and talented woman from my school who has devoted much of her studies this year to exploring this subject. I have read many of her book reviews in the recent years and find that we have a similar passion for probing literature in the hope of discovering what it can reveal about humanity and culture. I have created links below to her initial thoughts on the four books in this series. (My favorite is her review on book 4 - primarily because of the discussion that ensues in the comments section of the post).


Book 1 - Twilight
Book 2 - New Moon
Book 3 - Eclipse
Book 4 - Breaking Dawn

When will the madness come to an end?

Seriously.

Visit from Luci Shaw

Luci Shaw conducted my theology class today and it was an amazing experience. Poetry somehow opens up the mystery of God in such a way that normal discourse evidently falls short. Here is one of the many poems she shared with us today as she helped us to explore the mystery of the Incarnation:

Mary's Song
...by Luci Shaw

Blue homespun and the bend of my breast
keep warm this small hot naked star
fallen to my arms. (Rest...
you who have had so far to come.)
Now nearness satisfies
the body of God sweetly. Quiet he lies
whose vigor hurled a universe. He sleeps
whose eyelids have not closed before.
His breath (so light it seems
no breath at all) once ruffled the dark deeps
to sprout a world. Charmed by doves' voices,
the whisper of straw, he dreams,
hearing no music from his other spheres.
Breath, mouth, ears, eyes
he is curtailed who overflowed all skies,
all years. Older than eternity, now he
is new. Now native to earth as I am, nailed
to my poor planet, caught
that I might be free, blind in my womb
to know my darkness ended,
brought to this birth for me to be new-born,
and for him to see me mended
I must see him torn.

FYI

Dan Allender (one of my professors and the former president of my school) just taught at Mars Hill Bible Church (yes...Rob Bell's church) this past Sunday. You can download the sermon here.

Changing of the seasons

I typically have no space in my mind or in my day to contribute anything meaningful to this blog between Monday and Thursday of each week. I'm lucky if I get an average of 6 hours of sleep each night during this portion of the week. Anxiety is undeniably thick and my back is screaming by Thursday night...typically. But the start of this week feels different somehow. Something is shifting internally and is beginning to leak into my external reality. I'm not sure what has triggered this season of newness that seems almost within my reach; but something has indeed begun to move. I can feel it. I am eagerly awaiting what is to come. That's all I have for now...just a glimpse of some goodness moving in.

Oh...and I just thought I'd mention that I attended church this past weekend AND I didn't hate it (still a bit frightened to admit I actually kind of liked it). More on that later perhaps.

Another video...

I know it's been a little while...there's a lot going on right now. I was reminded of this creative expression of such a horrendous battle today and thought I'd post it.


p.s. I get to watch this performance live in 10 days!