who for the joy

Tonight house church was like a water for my parched soul. It was a sweet time of fellowship.
We talked about humility. I was curious, so I looked it up, and the root comes from "humus" -Latin--soil, earth, dirt. From the etymology dictionary:

humble (adj.)

c.1250, from O.Fr. humble, earlier humele, from L. humilis "lowly, humble," lit. "on the ground," from humus "earth." Senses of "not self-asserting" and "of low birth or rank" were both in M.E. The verb is c.1380 in the intrans. sense of "to render oneself humble;" 1484 in the trans. sense of "to lower (someone) in dignity."

Some thoughts on humility. For me, it keeps coming back to identity: Humility is based in knowing who you are, how you got here.

We are of the earth, we are the miracle of formed and breathed-into dirt.

The miracle of man is God's breath, God's artistry. From Genesis 2:6:7 "--the LORD God formed the man(the Hebrew for man (adam) sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for ground (adamah) it is also the name Adam (see Gen. 2:20).) from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."

Philippians 2 talks about Jesus' humility--that in spite of the fact that he was part of the design team that came up with and breathed into the people who mocked, scorned and humiliated him, he chose for the sake of love (of the very ones he molded and gave life-breath) to suffer scorn and death (See Philippians 2:5-11).

For Jesus, the identity, humility, joy and purpose were all inextricably tied together. He knew his glory and true identity as God's son--he was beloved, chosen; his life had a definite purpose. Hebrews 12 says he scorned the shame of the cross for the joy set before him: to sit at the right hand of the Father. Purpose to save in love the creation who rebelled and despised and chose their own way; who, in reality, chose to become painfully aware of (and until reconciled, live in denial of) the separation that they created by attempting to take glory for themselves that was not God-bestowed.

And for us? We realize our own nakedness and feel ashamed. Doesn't this just about sum up all of our falsely proud moments? It gives explanation (not excuse) to our self-defences, our ridiculous forays into idolatry that leave us wishing we'd filled up with the Holy Spirit instead; wishing we remembered more often where we came from, how we got here, our origins of dirt and God breath.

Learning humility: in spite of what we try to prove to ourselves and others, apart from him we are nothing and possess nothing. I learn to beseech mercy.

This is the hope set before us: To no longer be subject to the awful curse, to the dim glass, to the losing of heart in seeing who we truly are in the light of Glory (without the blood to shield and cover).

The freedom and joy of knowing we are the intricate mud pies (down to the individual cells designed, the fingerprints bestowed, the innermost thoughts and desires known) of God, and that he wants us to just come back to him and admit we've botched it all up, preferrably with our empty, dirty hands outstretched.

What strange miracles we believe in. Sometimes it all still baffles me in a good way.

Take heart, he reminds us, in this world you will have troubles, but I have overcome (John 16). Do not fear, he tells us, I have redeemed you. I have summoned you by name. You are mine (Isaiah 43).

ministry spotlight

(photo from the Lahash website)
Check out Lahash...pretty cool.

Pluto Nixed and other

In case you haven't heard, Pluto has been demoted. It is no longer a planet in our solar system, it is a dwarf planet. From BBC news: "There is a recognition that the demotion is likely to upset the public, who have become accustomed to a particular view of the Solar System." Heck yeah, we're down to 8 planets. Here's a full article, tells all about it. Take note, Miss Mark, your textbook will be wrong because the decision was made too late to publish the new 8 planet information. Does anyone else find this slightly disturbing that these folks (the astronomers) didn't have a working definition of a planet until now?



I finally saw "Crash" and understand why it came so highly recommended. I particularly enjoyed Thandie Newton's performance. I can't remember feeling so emotionally drained after a movie. It's a bit embarassing, at one point there were these sort of hiccuping sobs. Yeah, for real, intense. I loved it. I love the truth being told. It's good for us to see our own hearts and sin in the characters, shows us again how much we need the precious, priceless blood. As my dear friend Kristin would say, that movie ripped my face off in a good way.

Also, we had some guests in town this past weekend and it was great fun. We saw "Little Miss Sunshine", which was good, but would be on the "recommended with caveats" list. It's a dark comedy. My favorite line was delivered by the dad, who was played by Greg Kinnear: "Everybody just pretend to be normal, okay?"

I've started working at Kaldis on Demun for the time being; come on over sometime and say hidely-ho and get some tasty mctasterson Highlander Grogg.

Lastly, this is beautiful and moving. I never knew that this was a tradition--paper lanterns are released into bodies of water all over the world in memorial of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki, which were August 6 & 9, 1945. Haunting, lovely. It's probably a good thing to rember this. I remember reading the book "Fat Man,Little Boy" in high school. It was graphic and awful, but much like "Night", I'm glad someone assigned it to our young, impressionable minds. Photo from Yahoo.

Kick up your heels.

"Obsessions with self-preservation
Faded when I threw my fear away
It's not a thing you can imagine
You either lose your fear
Or spend your life with one foot in the grave.
Is God the last romantic?" (over the rhine)

This weekend I attended a lovely celebration. Dusk fell over the neighborhood, the windows of the Wachsmuth urban homestead glowed, there was fried chicken and cheesecake. We stirred up the dust, kicked the hay bales and alamand-lefted like there was no tomorrow. That’s what I’m talkin about. Square dancing has definitely improved as I have aged. In case you were wondering, here's something interesting.

Also, on Saturday, I heard something happy.

Autumn is just a few thousand acorn plunks away (more specifically, 40 days). That deserves some good ol Pablo:

"Nosotros cantaremos con el vino fragoso
de la tierra: golpearemos las copas del Otono,
y la guitarra o el silencio iran trayendo
lineas de amor, lenguaje de rios que no existen,
estrofas adoradas que no tienen sentido."

("We'll sing along with the sharp wine
of the earth: we'll knock back the glasses of Autumn
and the guitar or the silence will go on briniging
love-lines, the languages of non-existent rivers,
well-beloved stanzas with no sense at all.") pablo neruda

Makin booties....

New hobby: bitty booties for the babies.

strange phenomenon.

Funny. Kinda freaky, but funny: beedogs

You need quiet while a hot dog is singing?

1) What is a movie that changed the way you think and act? Or just got you thinking, if the first question is too intimidating.

Schindler's List, Hotel Rwanda, The Spitfire Grill

2) It's a late autumn evening and rainy and cold? What do you have for dinner/snack? What movie do you pop in the DVD player?

dinner: tomato soup and grilled cheese, coffee
movie: Little Women (YAY laura!) or While You Were Sleeping or You've Got Mail.

3) You are off to wee Himalayan hamlet for a year, your laptop hard drive can hold one film. What will it be?

Sense & Sensibility or Pride & Prejudice, it's a toss-up.

4) What movie made you laugh the hardest? What movie made you cry?

Laugh: Waiting for Guffman, When Harry Met Sally, Lost in Translation
Cry: Hotel Rwanda, In America, Jack the Bear, Shadowlands, Nobody Knows (oh MY GOODNESS, this is the saddest movie I've ever seen)

5) Favorite actor (female, male)?
Female: Emma Thompson, Renee Zellweger (jn Cold Mountain); Audrey Tautou, Franka Potente
Male: John Cusack (even though he always plays the same character. He's just so darn cute.); Johnny Depp, Jack Black, Colin Firth, Anthony Hopkins

6) What book or story would you like to see made into a film or what book do you love that could never be made into a film?
The Brothers K...but it would be condensed and you'd lose the years of character development, so it would be awful and ruined. Byzantium, an epic story about a monk on a quest. One of my momma's favorites, and mine too now, and it's a great story to get lost in.

7) What is a movie that immediately after you watched it, you wish you hadn't?
The Cell with Jennifer Lopez. Awful, truly awful.

8) Do you read movie reviews? Before, after, never? Whose reviews do you find the best? Are you an analyzer?

Not usually a review reader, almost always an analyzer.

9) What movie do you think is a must see, but that you can only recommend with caveats? What movie do you really like, but can only recommend with caveats?
Mmm. not sure.

10) What movie do you most wish to share with your friends?

The Life Aquatic--very strange, Bill Murry.... funny and weird. Goonies!!

Pieta (c. 1455) by Enguerrand Quarton

His unfailing love was demonstrated in this way. This is what coming to the table and asking for a meal of grace looks like, even if we don't fully comprehend this sacrifice in the waiting.

Psalm 33:20-22

20 We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.

21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.

22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.

1 Cor. 15:54-58

54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

55"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?" 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Nerd tag, my favorite.

1. One book that changed your life:
Compassion by Henri Nouwen

2. One book that you’ve read more than once:
Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott

3. One book you’d want on a desert island:
How to Brew Coconut Milk Wine...wait...no...the Bible, and a book on astronomy or The Brothers Karamozov

4. One book that made you laugh:
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris; and (cringe) Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding

5. One book that made you cry:
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger; Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

6. One book that you wish had been written:
How to Trick Your Brain Into Being Interested in the Small But Important Things (like the fact that your speed-o-meter actually in your car actually works.)

7. One book that you wish had never been written:
Um...I don't know.

8. One book you’re currently reading:
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read:
The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Bruggeman

10. Now tag five people
Heidi V.
Court
Kristin
Linz
Heather M M

Play if you want!! Nerd tag, nerd tag!!!