Over the Pond (5), days 3&4 -- A new twist on an old post

I was thinking today, "Should I even bother to post anything about my time in Durham?" It seems like it's always the same stuff -- the Daily Office at the Cathedral, fish & chips, study, blah blah blah. Is it getting boring? And wouldn't you know it, someone saved me just in time. I've been tagged with a letter-bound meme, and my letter is C. I need to list 10 things I love that start with C, and I'll see if I can make them all trip-related.

1. The cathedral. I love, love, love the Durham Cathedral. It's marvelous. Just try and visit it and not fall in love. I dare you. Even visiting the Wiki site, you'll get a little crush.
2. Chips, as in "fish & chips." They make chips (the equivalent of our fries) differently, bigger and fatter and less crispy, and just ready to soak up all that strong malt vinegar and salt.
3. Cobblestone streets. They're all over the place here.
4. Custard. It's not like vanilla pudding -- it's milder and thinner and usually quite warm. It's perfect on things like treacle sponge and spotted dick.
5. Oh yeah, it's also great on rhubarb crumble.
6. Conversation. It's so refreshing, and so energizing, to have a sustained conversation about my work with Robert, Maeve, other students. Studying alone is difficult, at least for me. And as a verbal processor, conversations bring life back to the work.
7. Canonical hours. Making time for morning prayer, midday communion, and evensong has become important to me. It's easy to think that I don't have time for the daily office, but it usually makes me feel centered and rested.
8. Cups and cups and cups of tea. They have great tea over here, and I usually drink lots of it.
9. Connecting with my friends whom I only get to see in November and March, people like Robert, Margaret, Iona, Jamie, Maeve, the Turners, and the Askews.
10. Calm. All the time I spend on trains and planes and in between studying gives me time to sit and think, or not think at all. It's refreshing. (And now all my mom friends are hating me.)

Thanks Janet!

Shane Claiborne in Wilmore on Election Day

Here is an article in the Lexington Herald-Leader about an upcoming visit from Shane Claiborne, member of the simple way and friend of the family. He'll be speaking in Estes Chapel at Asbury Seminary on Tuesday, Nov. 4th at 11am. You should go.

Billy and Miranda get to have dinner and spend the evening with Shane and our dear friend Chris Lahr on Monday. I'm jealous.

You're a mean one, Ms. Grinch

Here is an absolutely deplorable story about a woman who, when greeting trick-or-treaters, actually asked kids who they wanted for president. If they said Obama, they were turned away emptyhanded. She also had a sign posted stating, "No handouts for Obama supporters, liars, tricksters, or kids of Obama supporters."

When asked how she felt about making some kids cry, she apparently said, "Oh well, everybody has a choice."

Look, vote for whomever you prefer. Campaign, donate, whatever. But don't pull a stunt like this. Because it's just rude, and classless.

Watch the video here. Then, go eat lots and lots of candy to get the awful taste out of your mouth.

Over the Pond (5), Day 2 -- Norwich

You never know how travel will be from trip to trip. My flight to Heathrow was full but I was somehow upgraded to Economy Plus, with its 4”of extra leg room. It was probably the first overseas flight in ages where I haven’t watched a movie, as I was reading a new novel, Duane’s Depressed by Larry McMurtry. I’ve been on a McMurtry kick for about a year, the Lonesome Dove and Last Picture Show series. I was able to doze for a few hours, despite the plane being at capacity and my nagging backache. And whereas I spent over an hour last spring negotiating Passport Control, this time I breezed through in under 10 minutes. (I looked back and realized that our plane had arrived just before 2 other international flights, as I saw their passengers flooding into Passport Control as I was leaving. Timing is everything!)

I spent the weekend with some friends in Norwich. (Where’s Norwich, you ask? Here it is.) Mel and Hazel are the parents of longtime friend Sean Gladding, whom I’ve known at the Texas Tech Wesley Foundation, and again at Asbury, and again at Communality. They are gracious hosts and we’ve had a good time.

Last night, I was fortunate to see Martyn Joseph perform at the Assembly House. Billy and I met Martyn when Sean booked him to play at Asbury’s Kingdom Conference in 2001. His music reflects a faith that is vibrant and realistic and pissed off about the tragedies of our world, and it’s pretty amazing to hear. Plus he’s self-deprecating and witty and generally a nice guy. We spent a few minutes after the show catching up about our families and the busyness of life.

An unexpected treat was attending the show with Sean’s brother Lee and his wife Lynette. They are great folks, and Lynette and I had a great time drinking gin & tonic, discussing marriage and motherhood, and admiring each other’s sense of style. (Hers is better, hands down.)

Tomorrow I’m headed up to Durham on the train, and study begins Monday. After several trips where I’ve stayed by myself in a bed & breakfast, I’m looking forward to lodging with friends again. More conversation, less moping around by myself.

Over The Pond (5), Day 1 -- O'Hare Again

Here we are, getting ready to board the flight to London Heathrow. I seem to remember a witty opening post for OTP (4), but I'm a bit tired. Plus we're about to board, so I'll have to make this quick.

In some ways, I was well-prepared for this trip. I did laundry and packed early, made good progress on my schoolwork, and lined up my UK contacts well ahead of time. (... this is the sound of the other shoe falling through the air, dropping, dropping...)

Other Shoe #1: On Tuesday evening, my computer began having mysterious problems. When I took it to the repair place, they hunted and mumbled and finally said some confusing things, with one word standing out -- "motherboard?" Oh no, even I know that's not good. They weren't totally sure, and recommended I see how it goes, but we might have big problems down the line.

Other Shoe #2: Yesterday, my lower back began to hurt, pretty badly. I stretched and iced and heated, and iced and heated again. Finally, I called my doc and said something to the effect of "I'll be on a plane for over 8 hours tomorrow -- have mercy." They did and provided Flexaril, which is helping but makes me very groggy.

At least both of them broke before I left the States -- that's something!

I'm off to buy a pack of gum and some Altoids before I get to the UK and they cost me $5 apiece.

Over the Pond, vol.5

This week, don't miss the exciting season premiere of Over the Pond, now appearing in its 5th season. Debut is scheduled for this Thursday, October 30th.

To catch up on seasons 1-4, check out the labels in the sidebar.

The Ordinary Radicals tonight!

Tonight at the Kentucky Theatre, our community's foundation is sponsoring a screening of The Ordinary Radicals: A Conspiracy of Faith on the Margins of Empire. Read below for a synopsis of the film:

In the margins of the United States, there lives a revolutionary Christianity. One with a quiet disposition that seeks to do 'small things with great love,' and in so doing is breaking 21st Century stereotypes surrounding this 2000 year old faith. 'The Ordinary Radicals' is set against the modern American political and social backdrop of the next Great Awakening. Traveling across the United States on a tour to promote the book 'Jesus for President', Shane Claiborne and a rag-tag group of 'ordinary radicals' interpret Biblical history and its correlation with the current state of American politics. Sharing a relevant outlook for people with all faith perspectives, director Jamie Moffett examines this growing movement.

Click here to view the film's trailer. The film's director, Jamie Moffet, will be present for live interview and Q & A after the showing.

Where? The Kentucky Theatre, 214 East Main Street, Lexington, Ky.

When: Thursday, October 16th, 7-10pm

Tickets are $7.50 and may be purchased at the door. You may also purchase tickets in advance by calling 859.231.7924 or 859.231.6997

The evening is also a fundraiser for Kentucky Refugee Ministries, with 100% of the door proceeds going directly to them.

And, you can check out the article in the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Say it ain't so, Romo!

C'mon, Romo. We need you!

More Random Political Thoughts Which Require Your Feedback

As I consider how our country is becoming increasingly polarized in our public discourse, I've begun reading a book called Patriotic Grace: What It Is and Why We Need It Now. It's written by a former Reagan speechwriter, and it calls Americans -- liberal and conservative alike -- to "see each other anew" and "face our common challenges together." Anyone out there read it? Care to comment? I'll report back as I go. In that vein, I've been increasingly intrigued by the apparent and unlikely friendship between commentators Rachel Maddow and Pat Buchanan. This article seems a good example of how people with radically different political positions can actively and positively participate in political dialogue. (Plus, it's just fun to watch them dig at each other energetically yet good-naturedly.)

One columnist I've been reading lately is Kathleen Parker. Although we differ in many areas of political thought, I'm beginning to admire her work quite a bit. She's taken some heat for her criticism of Gov. Palin (which are here and here), and while I tend to agree with her critique, I'm more taken with the thoughtful, nuanced voice she brings to the discussion. Take a look and see what you think. Let me know. Don't be afraid to disagree.

Speaking of Kathleen Parker, here's an interesting article about the possibility of Obama making a significant connection with voters in an area very dear to my heart, Appalachia.

And on a final and admittedly trivial note... Ann Coulter is an intelligent, extreme, and beautiful woman (whose views are MARKEDLY different from my own and likely always will be). I just saw her on a Fox News panel, and will someone please tell her to tone down the eyeliner???

Politics and Radical Inclusion

I've been trying to gather my thoughts on all these issues into one coherent post with logical flow, but I've given up. Here are my thoughts; I just want to get them posted.

A friend of my sister's said, "Wow, Maria's blog is getting pretty political." If only she saw some of the other blogs out there...! But in all fairness, this post and this post I did on Palin weren't exactly moderate in nature. (Although this post about Obama and McCain had a much more conciliatory tone.) This is the first election cycle here I've been more than a casual observer and participant. (Ok, I'm still a casual participant, but I'm observing much more intentionally.) And I'm trying to figure out how to hold opinions thoughtfully and strongly while holding more tightly to the people whom I love and respect, and to the character of Christ which we try to cultivate in our community.

At our fellowship time last Sunday, our friend Will led us in a discussion of politics. What do we think of politics? How does the process make us feel? How does our participation in the body of Christ affect (and effect) our political involvement? One text we discussed was Matthew 18, and how Jesus' instruction to treat those who sin against us "as Gentiles and tax collectors" is actually a call for radical inclusion (since Jesus tended to hang out with Gentiles and tax collectors). I wondered how such radical inclusion would shape the manner and content of our increasingly polarized political discourse. Can we have close friends and family who vote differently? How do we relate to someone who believes passionately about something with which we disagree? What hope is there for us to journey together towards our common goals?

A good friend of mine, who's a lifelong and rabid (er, devoted) fan of the University of Georgia, said something which struck me as quite insightful. "So many people," he commented, "seem to be Democrats or Republicans the same way that I'm a Dawgs fan." It's a great analogy, startling in its clarity and evocation of an almost blind devotion to a certain allegiance. While this is entirely appropriate in the realm of sports (Go Cowboys [despite Terrell Owens]!!), it's hardly conducive to thoughtful political conversation. How do we, as participants in the kingdom of God, reduce the stridency of our discourse and genuinely seek that radical inclusion that we find in Scripture?

I'm not sure. I don't have a tidy theological answer. What I do have are 2 close, close friends and several family members who will certainly make a different choice on Nov. 4th than I will make. And I'm committed to them, just as committed as to the folks with whom I largely agree. I don't hate them, they don't hate me. We love and respect each other. How do we find the courage to sit down with someone and say, "Tell me why I should care about this issue. Tell me why you are voting for this person. I may not agree, but I want to know. And I'm really listening." And how do we have the grace to answer this question, not with arrogance and hubris, but with a passion tempered by humility?

What do we do? I want to hear what you think.

Love 'em or hate 'em, but these are just funny

Here are some gems from tonight's Late Show with David Letterman:

Tonight's Top Ten from Wasilla, Alaska -- "The Top Ten Things You Didn't Know About Sarah Palin":

• Once spent a week in the hospital after trying to put lipstick on a pit bull
• Recently expanded her foreign policy experience by eating at the International House of Pancakes
• Isn't afraid to go hunting with Dick Cheney

Hee hee hee.

Miranda has moved!

I'm experimenting with having a separate blog for Miranda and keeping this blog solely for other things. Let's see how it goes.

Anyway, you can visit Miranda's very own blog, Chronicles of Wunchie, by clicking on the sidebar on the right.

Are you sure that's really a compliment, Governor?

Much ado (over nothing) has been made of Obama's alleged insult to Sarah Palin, and whether he was actually referring to Palin when he said "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig." Never mind that each candidate has used this same expression dozens of times, always referring to issues and agendas. We'll leave that topic for another day.

What's got me more interested, and more concerned, is Palin's description of herself as a "pit bull with lipstick". Sounds rough and tough; sounds like just the thing to strike confidence in the hearts of American citizens, and strike fear in the hearts of foreign terrorists. The problem with this kick-ass analogy is that it fails to probe the exact nature of Governor Palin's proud self-reference.

Billy and I used to live in a neighborhood with at least a dozen pit bulls. Whenever one came down the street, even though most were on a leash, I always made sure I was holding Miranda in my arms.  I didn't want her even remotely within reach should the dog break free.

Pit bulls are, arguably, the most vicious breed of dog. Certainly this is affected by training and environment, but it arises from generations of breeding for aggression. Pit bulls will often attack for no reason and with no provocation, savaging anything within their reach. Children are often victims, with horrifying results. An uncontrolled pit bull doesn't use discretion when it attacks; it doesn't respond to redirection, or commands, or cries of pain, or even punishment. It just savages.

Governor Palin and the rest of the GOP might take pride in this analogy. Certainly, it struck a chord during the convention. But as a pastor and a mother, I'm certain I don't want my daughter (or anyone for whom I care) around any unrestrained pit bulls, canine or otherwise. And our country absolutely cannot afford a potential commander-in-chief who so clearly values aggression over insight.  Because I don't care how much lipstick is on that pit bull -- it won't be enough to hide all the blood on its lips.

Looks like I need a new apron, a nightgown, and membership in a Ladies' Auxillary

9 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure) Take the test!

Oh well, can't be all things to all people.

Atta Boy, Obama; Atta Boy, McCain

I haven't done a post yet about this year's presidential race; there's so much to process in this inevitably historic year. But in the midst of all the "politics as usual", there are some moments of true graciousness and statesmanship -- on both sides -- that bear highlighting and commendation. Here are two.

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Example #1: When Obama's acceptance of the Democratic nomination fell on the 45th anniversary of MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech, McCain aired a TV ad congratulating Obama on this historic moment. Watch it here.

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Example #2: When Gov. Palin announced that her 17 yr old daughter is expecting, Obama adamantly denounced the media's involving families in the campaign tactics, and wasn't afraid to name the similarities between the Palins' situation and his own childhood.

"We don't go after people's families. We don't get them involved in the politics. It's not appropriate and it's not relevant. Our people were not involved in any way in this and they will not be. And if I ever thought there was somebody in my campaign that was involved in something like that, they'd be fired," Obama said.

Obama also said: "This shouldn't be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as a governor or potential performance as a vice president. So I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories."

"You know, my mother had me when she was 18. And how families deal with issues and teenage children - that shouldn't be the topic of our politics," Obama said.

Good on ya', both of you.