Branching Out

Two new adventures today.

1.) The house was visited by a city inspector to make sure the manager made required changes to get the house up to code. This was actually quite a pleasant experience--apart from the nasty stench in the basement coming from who knows what.

2.) My alb is being dry cleaned today. While I have been with other people to have clothes dry cleaned, I have never gone on my own. I found out there is a 15% off coupon for incoming orders on Tuesdays which motivated me enough to get it done today. This should have been done when I got back from internship. A year later...

Motion to Reframe

While watching the CWA (ChurchWide Assembly) for the ELCA today I read the captions (sound off while at work) a man who was attempting to compare the homosexuality debate with the inclusion of gentiles into Jewish Christianity in the early church. This is one comparison I have not thought about before. Is it similar enough to make a legitimate comparison? Are the two examples on level playing ground?

Perhaps the issues are too different. One involves the inclusion of a different culture and ethnicity of people while the other involves the inclusion of a different lifestyle of people from varied cultures and ethnicities. Each situation offers groups playing by their own sets of rules devised from separate standards.

Should Christians, specifically Lutherans, be more exclusive? Perhaps the issue is more properly stated: Should we be more restrictive of the benefits of being part of the church?

Regardless of whether you believe homosexuality to be morally right/wrong or a sign of the variety/degradation of society, we all have to live together. Would that we focused more on those issues (community) than black/white, rationalized proofs of who is correctly holding the absolute truth.

Here's To Missed And Mixed Up Syllables

Weds. Chapel
Shahat = (plug your ears, avert your eyes!)
Resurrection mistakenly called (e)rection.

Take A Bow To Temptation

Yesterday I went to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to satisfy my art craving and support a friend. When I arrived, I met up with part of the group on the 3rd floor where most of the modern, impressionist and early American history is housed. It was stunning to see a room full of tables and chairs throughout history. Standing in the room with well known pieces from ~5-6 major painters in history (Renoir, Van Gogh, etc.) was inspiring and breath taking to think about what remains over time and how people can communicate across time and space centuries apart.

Eventually I wandered off to the 2nd floor where more of the cultural art is housed. I started in a corner with Islamic pieces and wound my way through Greek, Roman and Southeast Asia collections. Eventually I made it to the Asian section and roamed the beautiful artifacts.

What caught my attention was the Buddhas and sculptures of various Hindu gods/goddesses spread throughout the different rooms. There I stood before Buddhas roughly twice my size made from wood or stone and decorated in gold, brilliant colors and surrounded by tiled/jeweled walls or other finery. As I stood there staring at the beauty before me of what had been created, I felt this compulsion to bow down.

I'm sorry, did you just imply that you felt compelled to idol worship. Yup. I did.

Thoughts flowed into my head from Daniel of the 3 young men who would not worship the local idol as the king decreed (Daniel 3). I thought of the first commandment. I thought of Isaiah and his sarcastic commentary on idols (Isaiah 44.8-23).

Then came the questions. What makes something sacred and holy? What does it mean to worship and bow before an image or statue? Why do I feel this compulsion to somehow honor or reverence this sense of holiness before me? What in the world is going on? Is this God speaking to me, another deity or some form of evil? Why am I so mesmerized by these artifacts? What is so fascinating about these other cultures and religions?

This posting is the first chance I've had to reflect on my adventures. I honestly don't know what to make of all this. When more develops, I'll update you.