An Epiphany about Gilgamesh and the Enuma Elish and Genesis and the Joys of Being a Geek
As much as I have recently made a case for Advent, and then for Christmas, you might have expected that I would write something about the season of Epiphany, now over a week past. Instead, I’ve been too busy reading about the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Enuma Elish. Well, that and my daughter came [...]
Read the Response
Christmas Morning, Christmas Mourning
Today we awoke to a Christmas Day for the picture books. We are in Anchorage, Alaska, and the trees are covered with inches of fresh snow from the night skies. The mountains behind my sister’s house are straining to be seen, but we know that they are lurking behind the clouds. I’m not sure whether [...]
Read the Response
Old Jesus probably would’ve puked
Those are Holden Caulfield’s words, not mine, from J.D. Salinger’s book The Catcher in the Rye. He finds himself at Radio City Music hall for their Christmas festival. I’m excerpting the whole Passage of Interest: I came in when the goddam stage show was on. The Rockettes were kicking their heads off, the way they [...]
Read the Response
OMG Under The Tree
OMG loves to encourage people to ask the theological questions. And there are a lot. Some days there seem to be more questions than on others. I am speaking from experience. For individuals, couples, or groups who are curious about gaining more knowledge, about clarifying beliefs, about identifying new congregational directions, about wondering out loud, [...]
Read the Response
Decorating for Advent
I am decorating for Advent. I am fascinated by those who are decorating for Christmas. It is possible that I am persnickety on this point. I raised (rose?) the ire of some when, a few days back, I facebooked a friend’s facetious post, namely that every time a Christmas tree is put up before Thanksgiving, [...]
Read the Response
St. Homobonus: Patron Saint of Business People, Tailors, and Not the Poor (Which May Be Instructive)
Below is a link and then the full text of a piece I wrote for our Sioux Falls local paper, the Argus Leader. It was published this last Saturday. http://www.argusleader.com/article/20111112/LIFE/311120037/St-Homobonus-clarifies-money ____________________________________________ For the same reason that I savor the change of winter to spring to summer to fall to winter again, and the rhythm of the [...]
Read the Response
“The Bible Tells Me So!”
Except when it doesn’t. My eye caught a recent CNN blog post about President Obama putting on his preacher’s hat. A few days’ back, President Obama said, in effect, that God doesn’t want us to eat free lunches, which clearly means that God endorses a particular provision of his jobs bill. (As an open disclaimer, I’m [...]
Read the Response
“Hell-oween:” Scaring the Hell out of People
Last week, I got this query: Hello Anna, As I walked to work this morning I saw posters for a “Hell-oween” event…I called the number on the poster and learned that it is going to be a haunted house similar to “Hell House” which highlights “real-life” terror such as abortion, suicide, homosexuality, etc. I am concerned, and frustrated. You [...]
Read the Response
Rogue Waves
The other day, my good friend told me that she’d watched a show about the Rogue Wave Phenomenon. I’d never heard of the things, but wowza. You don’t want to meet one in a dark alley, or anywhere else for that matter. Here are several links to give you an idea about why a whole [...]
Read the Response
On Else’s Birthday: Of Knowing History and Hope and Peace in a Bundle
Eight years ago yesterday, daughter Else was born. A baby’s birth isn’t just the event itself, but is a symbol of new beginnings, of uncountable possibilities, of history and hope and peace in a bundle. Else was almost Petrea. Petrea was my paternal grandmother’s sister’s name, and is the middle name of my sister. In [...]
