Petitions

Over at Slacktivist (a blog I read on a regular basis), there was a link to a petition for Christians to affirm that same-sex relationships are not inherently immoral.

With a very loud group of conservative Christians proclaiming that homosexual relationships do everything from steal children to causing the downfall of human society, it's about time to point out that Christianity isn't based on those we hate.

Here's the petition:

Change.org|The Proven Petition Site

You might want to think about signing.

Eugene

There are times when, from a purely practical point of view, I wish I had landed a church in Eugene.  Eugene is basically the midpoint of the diocese, so there are a lot of meetings held there.  This past Monday I was there for a Program & Budget meeting.  Thursday I'm there for the Fresh Start program.  Friday I'm there for a Council meeting.  Next Tuesday I'm there for a Diocesan Dean's meeting.

It's a good thing that the church, or God for that matter, isn't always practical -- because I rather like the parish I've got.

R.I.P.

I just found out that one of the local characters from my former home, Jersey (the character, not the home), died either today or last night.  He was found dead in his home.

Jersey was an interesting fellow with a back story that was just as interesting.  He came from New Jersey, hence the name.  He had diabetes, and the townspeople kept an eye on his medical condition.  He smoked too much.  Story was that he was a former CIA translator as well as a lawyer.  That is, up until his accident that left him brain damaged.

He and I had some interesting conversations, both in and out of the bar.  When I moved from Montana, I left him with my crib board because he loved to play the game but didn't have a board of his own.

We're going back to Montana in about a month for a visit and graduation.  He was one of the guys I was really looking forward to seeing again.

That small town in Montana is a little less colorful.

Ants

We've got them . . . by the thousands.

I talked with my landlord this morning after service and said that when they were just little trails here and there I could deal with them.  But when then invade the girls' bathroom and are crawling on everything from walls to toothbrushes, it's time to get serious.

She said she'd have someone here Monday.  Let's hope they can make them all go away.

It's a great day for a ride

After a week of cool temps and rain, it cleared up last night and it's going to be a gorgeous weekend.  So I thought it would be a great day for a bike ride -- and it was.

It's been awhile since I've actually gone for a ride, and with the weather, I haven't been running much either.  I don't mind running in the rain, per se, but I don't want to start my regimen in bad weather.  So the running has been off and on at best this year. 

Last week we had some decent weather, so I thought I'd go for a quick ride.  After stopping at Les Schwab to get new air, I headed out.  The good news was that I didn't die when I got back, nor did my legs fall off.

So today, I threw a load in the dryer, pushed the start button, and grabbed the bike.  I managed to do 16 miles before the dryer had reached the end of its cycle.  That made me happy -- especially since I had a pair of slacks and two dress shirts in there.

And I need to get serious about biking/running, because there's only four months until the football season starts. 

Grrrrrr

The Chiefs were winning until I got home from the bar and, like an idiot, turned on the game.

Game over.
Season over.

Good luck Americans.

Game Seven

I like hockey just slightly less than I like football.

I attended Thunderbird games when I lived in Seattle, and I attended Spokane Chiefs' games regularly when I moved to that city. While living there, the WHL put an expansion team in the Tri-Cities and called them the Americans. That put two teams in Eastern Washington in close proximity; and that meant instant rivalry.

This year the Chiefs and Ams are facing each other in the Western Conference semi-finals; and game seven is tomorrow night (Wednesday, 4/18).

For my good friend Jane, who is the rector of All Saints in Richland (one of the aforementioned Tri-Cities), I have three little words:

Go

Chiefs

GO!!!

Because I have a daughter

Be true to yourself and no other.

Go get 'em.

Wow . . . Just . . . Wow

Found this on the Faith Goes Pop blog while I was surfing around the intertoobs on my day off.

Enjoy.

Movie Night

One of the things I started here was a monthly movie night. Always looking for new and creative ways to get people involved in the church beyond Sunday morning, a movie night was the perfect fit. Come to the church for a potluck dinner, enjoy a movie, and then discuss the movie through a theological framework. Movies we have watched have included UP, Michael, Toy Story, and The Matrix.

One benefit of Movie Night is that if the first Thursday of the month falls during a time when I'm on vacation, I can have other people in the parish lead the program.

Recently I've been going to physical therapy for my shoulder. I injured it several years ago, of all things, during a play in which I threw my flag on a foul about 20 yards downfield. I was finally convinced to see if we could help make it less sore.

At my last visit, I had a conversation with one of the people who work there about Movie Night. Well, I'm not sure conversation is the right word, since she talked and I sat there making polite-type noises and nods.

She took that topic and ran with it -- giving me a litany of "good Christian films" I need to be showing instead of those other awful films I've chosen. Apparently only films properly labeled as Christian are appropriate for showing to a congregation.

So I made polite-type noises, nodded occasionally, and said she was welcome to join us on May 3 for the showing of The Shawshank Redemption.

In the darkness the fire is kindled

Dear friends in Christ, this is the night . . .

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Triduum begins

Maundy Thursday today. Agape meal, foot washing, Holy Communion, stripping of the altar, dark.

The liturgy went well. I always stress about the dinner, but it came together great. We had a lower turnout than last year, but that happens. The sermon wasn't awful, but it didn't hang together as well as I had written it. I felt like I was rambling. Maybe that comes from writing three sermons in short succession and not being able to focus on one for very long.

Tomorrow is Good Friday. Ecumenical noon service at the local Catholic parish, then a 7 p.m. service at my place. Hopefully tomorrow's sermon will make more sense than tonight's did.

Then Holy Saturday, with a very quiet service at noon.

The Easter Vigil follows at 6 a.m., a festive champagne brunch, and the the Easter Day service.

I can deal with my MT and GF sermons not following script, as long as my two Easter sermons do.

Here's hoping you have a blessed Triduum.