Water Fountains

Today was one of those remarkable days when timing works out just so perfectly. I made it to the San Fransisco airport and passed the circus that they call a security check point and then to my terminal just in time to board my plane and walk right on board. You know what? I even had a bit of extra time to get something to drink and low and behold the public water fountain was there at my service.

This is one aspect of the United States that I really love--free, clean, accessible water in public. Now I am sure there are those out there who would say that it is not really THAT clean because it does might taste chemically to them, or that it is not filtered properly. What I have found is true for myself is when I am REALLY thirsty... I am a lot less picky on if there is copper in the pipes through which my water flows.

From my travels outside the United States, I can tell you that it is not a ubiquitous truth that a water fountain will always be there to refill your Nalgene or Sigg bottle. Sure you could always use the tap, but what is the fun in that, and in certain countries one set of pipes runs to the tap and the other to water fountains for a reason...

Which brings me back to my original praise of the airports in the states. Yes, we are ridiculously over the top for security for even domestic flights, the food is expensive, but you know what? I am never left thirsty and that seems to make everything a little bit brighter :) or at least better hydrated.

Music Fantasticness

One of the great aspects of living in Berkeley is the constant stream of gigs flowing through the city. Such a torrent of quality music shuffles through San Fransisco and Berkeley that it is sometimes even a bit frustrating that I can't make it to every gig- there is just no way! It would, however, to be fully satisfied with life and fill most moments of your day with enriching activities in this area... without doing any school work or being employed! This weekend there are two bands that I very much like coming through town. Relatively new to my music mix.

The Weepies



Hot Chip plays in San Fransisco on Sunday evening. This is a great upbeat band. I would have loved to see live...

Then there is, of course, one of my most favorite and newest (for me) find: BellX1, you can listen to their music here: BellX1 music.



So I am grateful to live in such a lively city! But alas, I don't think I will make it to these concerts because I will be hitting the books for midterms. Don't feel too sorry for me though because I've already seen Frightened Rabbit, Mason Jennings and Cloud Cult since I've been in town. All very good shows in different ways. Sometimes I am left wanting for some new music to plug into my itunes and God has answered that prayer manifold with putting some pretty incredible people with good taste in music in my life. :) If you are feeling that your play list is getting a bit stale, I would recommend checking out any of the bands listed above to spice things up. Unless, of course, you already have all this incredible music... in which case... let's catch a gig together soon.

Peace Vigil

A few weeks ago, Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb visited our seminary, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, and spoke about the perspective of Palestinian Christians in the conflict between Palestine and Israel. The discussion reignited a passion in both me and my classmate, Paul to increase community awareness of the occupation as it currently stands. We decided to see if PLTS would let us hold a peace vigil with the theme of breaking down the walls in our world using PLTS facilities. The staff was very supportive and before we knew it we had the means to share a bit of what Paul and I had both experienced during our respective times in the Middle East. Paul has a more extensive experience because he lived in Palestine for a year, whereas I lived in Egypt and visited Palestine. However, we found that the difference in time spent there did not lessen or increase how the deep sadness of the situation affected each of us. Deeply saddened and inspired to action.

For the evening service we opened with a poem by Langston Hughes, "As I Grew Older"

As I Grew Older

Langston Hughs

It was a long time ago.
I have almost forgotten my dream.
But it was there then,
In front of me,
Bright like a sun--
My dream.
And then the wall rose,
Rose slowly,
Slowly,
Between me and my dream.
Rose until it touched the sky--
The wall.
Shadow.
I am black.
I lie down in the shadow.
No longer the light of my dream before me,
Above me.
Only the thick wall.
Only the shadow.
My hands!
My dark hands!
Break through the wall!
Find my dream!
Help me to shatter this darkness,
To smash this night,
To break this shadow
Into a thousand lights of sun,
Into a thousand whirling dreams
Of sun!

We read one of the bible verses that we think helps to emphasis the way in which God works through people to build new life and community and break down the walls within us and between each other: Ephesians 2:14-22 (New International Version)

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

¹⁹Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, ²⁰built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²²And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

All this presentation and prayer took place around the back of the PLTS chapel. Thanks to Casey Kloehn for her great picture above! I'm the blur on the left. Thanks also to the prayers from my house group back in Chester. Is so great to connect across the Atlantic through prayer!

Paul crafted the slide show which we projected onto the outside wall of the chapel. I tried to upload it to this post for a few hours, but with no luck. You will have to take my word that it was powerful. Sometimes I find that these issues of occupation seem so overwhelming that there is no hope to be found. What can I do as one person to help? There are a few answers to this question I have asked myself repeatedly. The first answer is that you can pretty much do eff-all.. which is an easy answer to which we can default. However I challenge myself (and you all!) to take the more empowered approach of Margaret Mead when she says: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
As I continue the discernment in the seminary process, considering what I have to offer the world? Where could I possibly be best used by God to make a difference and more toward peace? I find it difficult to not feel so very small in the tapestry of this life. But I think that recognizing that tiny brokenness, which is reality in which we live, allows me to be free! Free to know that whatever I do is God through me to break down barriers and walls in my own life, and in the world around me.

Quidditch

As part of our seminary journey, my friends Paul, Kelsey and I decided to join in the inter-faith event of a weekly Quidditch match down at the Pacific School of Religion. That's right! Once a week, most weeks, I like to take a break from my studies head down the hill don a cape and hop on a broom to play a muggle version of the Harry Potter sport event.... and it is really fun. :)

This is what the full uniform looks like, but we are hoping to make our own Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary capes in the near future. Happy to take recommendation on colours or if there are any keen seamstresses amongst the tens and tens of folks that read this blog that would like to volunteer their services to the end of our team capes, please let me know :)

so a little how Quidditch works when you can't fly or actually cast spells. Above is a picture of when I was playing the position of seeker. The "chasers" are charged with getting control of the slightly deflated volleyball that you see me reaching for and making it through one of the two hoops in your team's goal. The red dodge balls that you see on the field are used by the "beaters." As you can see, my friend, Kelsey, was hit by one of the dodge balls, or bludgers, and instead of falling off your broom you have to run and tag your teams goal to resume play.

It can get pretty intense and there are usually 2 chasers and 2 beaters on each team. Other position includes one seeker whose job it is to catch the golden snitch and of course... the keeper... who has a job just like the goalie... keep the ball away! Now, of course we do not have a magical flying gold snitch, so instead we rotate one player into position of the snitch and they run around with fairy wings and a tennis ball stuffed into a sock tucked in his/her belt loop. The game is over when one of the team's seekers catches the snitch.

This is our group! From left to right: Andrew, Paul, Kelsey, Sarah, Me, and Danny. Good times. I highly recommend starting a Quidditch team of your own. It is all the best parts of dodge ball, basketball and tag... plus you get to run around with brooms! So much to enjoy :)

Extreme Pilgrim

One thing I really miss about England... one of many things I miss about living in England... is the access to BBC iplayer and the myriad educational and entertainment programs offered on the BBC. I've watched a few series with Peter Owens-Jones, an Anglican minister who explores various aspects of religion and Christianity in general. In our History of Christianity class we are working through the early church and in particular this week the desert fathers and monastic movement. A friend of mine sent me a link to a blog, Father Lazurus: Coptic Monk in Egypt, that has the full first episode of Extreme Pilgrim where Peter Owen-Jenkins looks at the life of St. Anthony and what it might be like in the life of the desert fathers. Take a look at the first video on the top of the blog that says "update, I found the entire program online" It is an interesting look at the struggle with inner demons, silence and with what we would be confronted if all of the distractions of the world were erased for a time, would we want to return?

The Freedom of a Christian- Martin Luther

I was thinking this morning about all the ways in which I travel through this world. That my physical movements and mental meanderings are not the only possibilities for roaming in this life. A particular reading for my course invigorated my spiritual growth. One of the happy side-effects of travel, in any form, is growth! I have felt that not only with moving from country to country, but also within me and my relationship with God and with the way that God lives in us and our world. I was particularly struck with a reading for our Living Traditions class.We read "The Freedom of a Christian" by Martin Luther (Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings, Second Edition)and whilst reading it I felt like I was rediscovering, redefining and refining in turn my personal theology on faith and belief.

“The Freedom of the Christian” by Luther states in the introduction that the document is for the “unlearned.” However, I would argue that the simplicity of the representation of ideas and the accessibility of the metaphors and similes used does not make the thesis less crucial and central to our lives as Christians...Here and Now. The main thesis that is reinforced throughout the piece is the advocacy, and in fact, insistence on a faith first Christian life that grants us both righteousness and freedom. Luther says succinctly: “That a Christian has all he needs in faith and needs no works to justify him, and if he has no need of works, he has no need of the law, and if he has no need of the law, surely he is free from the law” (396). I began to reflect anew on the reality of what it means to be truly humbled and reduced to nothing, finding nothing to justify salvation in me. The word "grateful" seems almost inadequate to describe the feeling associated with the realization of receiving God's saving Grace.

I have often struggled with the idea that "God takes away our sinful nature." Though this idea was repeated in my christian education since I was putting pennies in the offering birthday box at Messiah Lutheran it still seemed an elusive and airy concept. It was an idea and not much more in the way of real life application. I don't claim to now have a completely actualized understanding of my belief in the saving power of faith in Jesus Christ, but the image of bride and bridegroom hit home for me whilst reading Luther. I enjoy that Luther states, and I will also emphasis that our idea of marriage here on earth is an imperfect example of the divine and complete marriage with God through our belief in Jesus, but it is the best we have! I was thinking about the human and God combo in terms I could relate to here and now. The idea that the sinner, or person in debt, or me (or you) could marry a billionaire that would absorb all of our debt. All my debts he would then absorb and my debts wold be replaced with great riches. Though money is a piss poor example for the amazing grace-filled righteousness that belief in Christ brings us, it is the most visual one that this newly aspiring theologian can make. But enough apologies for my literary lacking... how incredible is that reality of the saving grace given through our belief? (really incredible!) our faith that unites our souls with Christ and that in that unification all of our sin, death and damnation are replaced with grace, life and salvation for Christ takes our wicked nature upon himself with his death on the cross. That is agape; that is a God of love.

Luther reiterates this idea stating: “There is nothing so good and nothing so evil, but that it shall work together for good to me, if only I believe” (399). This term... work.. works... such a slippery slope to use that loaded term in the discussion of salvation and righteousness. Luther gives the example of works when one first has faith being like Adam in the garden, entirely pure and his works are only to please God and not to obtain righteousness. It is then a question of where our faith and heart are in our actions. We can not obtain righteousness with works, but through faith we are already given righteousness through our belief and union with Christ; the good and evil work for the good in me because I believe! It is unbelief that damns a person. (403) . Luther emphasizes that humans do not live to argue within oneself but in community. That is to say, because we embody the Grace and righteousness of Christ we should become a Christ to the other so that we are then Christ to one another and Christ may be the same in all and we may truly be called Christians. (406) .Amen.