WHERE HELL IS

For decades pundits have been saying that The New Orleans Saints were so bad at playing football that Hell would freeze over before the Saints would ever win The Super Bowl.

On Sunday, February 7, 2010 The Saints won the Super Bowl.

On that same Sunday, Washington D.C. was paralyzed under several feet of snow and the Government was shut down.

I suppose we now know where Hell really is.


Thank Doug, because the joke is fittin', jes' fittin'.

WORN DOWN

Oh dear! I'm having an unproductive blogging day. I've started a couple of posts and not finished them. Whether I'll ever finish them is questionable. Through a link from Americablog, I came upon the following news from ABC:

White House officials tell ABC News that in his remarks tomorrow President Obama will indicate a willingness to work with Republicans on some issue to get a health care reform bill passed but will say that if it is necessary, Democrats will use the controversial reconciliation rules requiring only 51 Senate votes to pass the "fix" to the Senate bill.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been awaiting the president’s remarks direction on how health care reform will proceed.

Can we truly believe that some form of decent health care reform will be passed by both the House and the Senate and signed by the president? For a year now, the path of my emotions, paralleling the course of health care reform, have been a roller-coaster ride, hopes up, hopes dashed, hopes up, hopes dashed, and no bill signed into law yet. Can our Democratic legislators in the Congress come together and produce a bill, and pass the bill through both houses, and get the bill on the president's desk for him to sign? Why not six, eight months ago? Or if substantive legislation is really about to be passed, should I not even ask the question?

I confess that when I hear the words, "Obama will indicate a willingness to work with Republicans", I begin to hyperventilate from anxiety. Mr President, please!

The president will outline the plan to pass the bill, including having the House of Representatives pass the Democratic Senate health care reform legislation as well as a second bill containing various “fixes.”

He will say that if Republicans refuse to allow and up or down vote in the Senate on the fixes to the bill, Democrats will use the reconciliation rules.

"[I]f the Republicans refuse to allow an up or down vote"? Mr President! You simply cannot be credulous enough to believe that there is any chance whatsoever that the Republicans will allow an up or down vote.

I confess that I'm worn down. I'll believe in a health care reform bill when I see President Obama signing the bill on the TV. And then, I'll start praying that the bill is, at least in some ways, better than what we have now.

Note: John Aravosis thinks the news is great. I'd love to be as hopeful as John.

WENCHOSTER CALENDAR - MARCH

 

Pretty Boy Procession 1899

 

Shown above is the official calendar for the month of March from the Diocese of Wenchoster. Once again, the feast days are somewhat different from the calendar of the Episcopal Church and includes saints of whom we may never have heard. After all, the Diocese of Wenchoster is in England, and we should expect that their calendar will be a bit different from ours.

As usual, click on the pictures for the larger view.

I must tell Grandpère about St Mulch of Compostella. Dedicated gardener that he is, I'm sure he will want to adopt the saint as his patron.

Is it just me, or do others judge that not all the boys in the procession are pretty? Still what a grand and glorious ceremony the Crowning of the "Pretty Boy" must be. Is it a bit odd that such a ceremony would take place in the solemn season of Lent?

As to the "Cutting of the Ears" ceremony, my question is, "Whose ears?" Not the Pretty Boys' ears, surely.

Note that the calendar appears only one day late. Not bad, all things considered.

ONLY A MOTHER WOULD KNOW

Cup of Tea

One day my mother was out and my dad was in charge of me.

I was maybe 2 1/2 years old. Someone had given me a little 'tea set' as a gift and it was one of my favorite toys.

Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news when I brought Daddy a little cup of 'tea', which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my Mom came home.

My Dad made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him a cup of tea, because it was 'just the cutest thing!' My Mom waited, and sure enough, here I come down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy and she watches him drink it up.

Then she says, (as only a mother would know... :)

'Did it ever occur to you that the only place she can reach water is the toilet?'


Don't blame me. Blame Doug. :-)

GO GET 'EM, MARY!

From the Houma Courier:

Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu offered a blunt and personal criticism today of Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal's health secretary as the senator hardened her support for the health-care overhaul sought by President Barack Obama.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Landrieu said of state Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine, "I just think he's wrong, usually morning, noon and night, and as far as I'm concerned, he can go get another job."

She said Jindal had the "wrong priorities."

Now ain't that the truth? How much difference Levine's departure would make I can't say, because he's very likely implementing policies that Jindal wants. Levine moved forward with Jindal's policy to privatize the care of citizens with developmental problems in group home to reduce costs. Levine says that contracting out the care will result in better care and cheaper care. That's always the way it works when the government pays the profit-making companies to take over, right? More for less and the companies still make a profit.

Not only that:

In addition to the privatization effort, which is expected to save $11.5 million a year, the state is cutting reimbursements to hospitals, doctors, nursing homes and other health-care providers who care for the poor and indigent. Mental health, addiction treatment and public health services such as family planning also are being reduced.

Sweet. How many health-care providers will now refuse to treat the poor and indigent? Mental health care and treatment programs for addictions were in sorry shape before the cuts. Our Republican governor, like many of his fellow party members, always looks to impose cuts on the most vulnerable of our citizens.

Back to Mary:

The comments come as Landrieu offered her full backing for the health revamp proposal Obama outlined earlier this week, a proposal that Jindal and Levine oppose.

For Mary Landrieu to sign on to Obama's health care proposal is a big deal. I hope that Mary senses a weakness in Jindal's popularity, partially due to the draconian budget cuts the governor ordered in higher education and the Department of Health and Hospitals, the only two big budget areas in which funding is not constitutionally dedicated, and I hope she's right. Higher ed and H&H bear the brunt in years with budget deficits. A good many employees of the two departments have already or will likely lose their jobs. The universities and colleges are reeling from the cuts. And as you probaly know, Louisiana doesn't score at the head of the class in measurements of educational achievement compared to the rest of the country.

So, yes, go get 'em, Mary. And stick with the health care bill. In two years, you may find that you have a vote that you can run on and real differences with Republicans that you can emphasize on the campaign trail.

GOOD NEWS!

From the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles:

The U.S. Supreme Court today announced that it has denied a petition to hear an appeal from a breakaway congregation seeking claim to the property of St. Luke's Episcopal Church of La Crescenta, California. The court posted its action, together with dozens of other petitions denied, on its web site.
Meeting in conference on Feb. 26, the high court declined to hear the petition filed by St. Luke's Anglican Church of La Crescenta, whose members voted in 2006 to disaffiliate from the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Los Angeles.

The property, a landmark stone church complex at 2563 Foothill Blvd., was returned to the Diocese of Los Angeles by court order on Oct. 12, 2009, following the California State Supreme Court's Jan. 5, 2009 ruling affirming that Episcopal Church property is held in trust for the mission of the local diocese and the wider church.

A statement from the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, bishop of the six-county Diocese of Los Angeles, follows here:

"I thank the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court for their clarity in declining to hear an appeal regarding Episcopal Church property in La Crescenta, California, which has served local residents for more than 80 years."

All right! Maybe now the breakaways from the Episcopal Church get it. My plain words to those thinking of departing: I hope that you decide not to leave, but if you do, you cannot take the property with you.

H/T to Jim Naughton at The Lead.

"IN GOD'S PRESENCE"

Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki's book titled In God's Presence clarified my thinking about the nature of God in a direction that I was already headed. As I read, I found myself saying, "Oh yes! That's right." With respect to the subtitle, "Theological reflections on prayer", I entered new territory in a way that surprised me, and pleased me, and answered a good many of my questions about prayer, such as, "Why do we pray?" and "What happens when we pray?" Of course, the nature of God and prayer would inevitably reflect one on the other.

That brings us to the basic supposition of a relational theology of prayer: God works with the world as it is in order to bring it to where it can be. Prayer opens the world to its own transformation.

The book resonated powerfully. Suchocki's analogies work quite well for me as descriptives of exactly how God is present to us.

But if God's power is presence, think of the difference this makes to the knowing of God. God's presence, like water, pervades the nooks and crannies of existence--what is the boundary of water? the boundary of God? A stone marks the edge of the water and its own existence; What marks the edge between our own and God's existence? Where does our existence begin and end?--for surely we neither start nor stop with our skin. Would it be so strange to consider that the omnipresent God pervades us without at all displacing us?...Why can't the higher life form that is God co-occupy us, flowing through and around and in us, even while remaining God, and while we remain ourselves?

Why indeed? We needn't call God to us, nor need we go to God, because God is always present. Sushocki's words make so much sense. The ideas she expresses so well are not entirely new to me, but what had been somewhat fuzzy in my thinking about God's presence became clear after reading Suchocki's words.

But the image of God I am proposing is of a God pervasively present, like water, to every nook and cranny of the universe, continuously wooing the universe toward continuous transformation toward is greater good.... I am proposing an image of a God who interacts with the universe not partially, but totally. Such a God creatively gives to and receives from all forms of existence.

Not only does God presence affect us, but we affect the present God. Interaction is a two-way street. And God's interaction is not just with humans, but with the entire universe. God woos humans and the entire universe, and in turn, God is affected by us and the whole universe.

So then: God gives to the world and receives from the world; the world receives from God and gives to God. God gives creative and suggestive energy to the world, and the world gives the results of what it has done with this energy back to God. Prayer in such a world is an openness to God's own creative energy, and to the good that God intends for us. It is also an offering back to God, giving God the offering of ourselves.

I've thought of our images of God having the attributes of omnipotence, immutability, omniscience and how the images do not square with the God of the Hebrew Testament, the God who has emotions, the God who has changes of mind. How can God be immutable if, at one point in time, God came down to become one of us to live amongst us?

On omnipotence:

What would it mean for our understanding of omnipotence if in fact God is interdependent with the world? Omnipotence means literally all power. But given the reality of the world with its many forms of existence, omnipotence may be a self-contradictory term, even when applied to God. To exist at all is to have some mode of power, for instance the power for being. Even the most minute form of existence pulsates with its being radiating an energy that affects others.

On intercessory prayer:

Were the God-world relation one where there were absolutely no limitations on God, then the universe would be a place where intercessory prayer would be absolutely unnecessary. But in a God-world relation of interdependence, where the world's power must be taken in to account, where God's power is exercised in the form of possibilities that the world has the power to reject, then intercessory prayer is of the utmost importance. It's not just that we need to pray--it's that God needs us to do the praying. Our prayers actually make a difference to what God can do.

Sushocki's book came to me highly recommended by more than one person. In turn, I recommend the work highly. The author writes on process theology, which several friends suggested that I explore. I'm half-way through one of her theology books. Yes, I read more than one book at a time.

Note: Post edited to rearrange quotes and include omissions.

ON TIME!

 

Today I got me to the church on time. Yay! I was even a few minutes early, which is so much better than rushing in late all flustered and never really settling down until well into the service. When I'm late, I miss the wonderful preludes by our talented organist. Today La Donna played Bach. I intended to name the prelude, but I forgot my bulletin in church. We sang one of my favorite communion hymns by William Bright, "And now, O Father, mindful of the love...." I tend to tear up when I sing the hymn. We sang a couple of other hymns that I really like, too, but they've slipped my mind and no bulletin to refresh my memory.

Above you see St. John's altar dressed for Lent. The altar frontal is simple, but lovely - or at least I think so. Perhaps for the rest of Lent and even after, I will be able to time my arrival early. When I do, no question but that I choose the better part.

I remember Jesus' plaintive cry from the today's Gospel:

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
(Luke 13: 34-35)

"THE RED RYDING TRILOGY"

 

In the February 15 issue of The New Yorker", which I'm just now getting around to reading, is a review of a movie called "The Red Ryding Trilogy". Generally, I like the way the Brits do mysteries, but the "sensationally violent" puts me off. I avoid violent movies because I spend much of the time looking down and shielding my eyes not quite fast enough to avoid the bloody scenes.

“This is the North—we do what we want.” These defiantly jocular words are spoken by a policeman as he throws a young reporter out the back of a van. The scene takes place in “Red Riding: 1974,” the first in a series of films, “The Red Riding Trilogy,” made last year for British television’s Channel 4, and now released in theatres as a mammoth, sensationally violent and beautiful five-hour movie. (The trilogy is also available on cable, as a video on demand under the rubric “IFC in Theaters.”) The North in the policeman’s boast is West Yorkshire—the city of Leeds, mostly, but also featureless pale-green moors and, among them, small, rubbly towns with dead-looking brown houses.

Hey! I've been to the scary places, Leeds, and the pale-green moors, although I didn't see a lot of green, pale or not, when I was in the Yorkshire Moors in March.

The books on which the movies are based are fictionalized accounts of the North of England's most recent and horrific serial crimes, such as the "'Moors murders,' of five children, between July, 1963, and October, 1965; the murder of thirteen women by Peter William Sutcliffe, known as the Yorkshire Ripper, between 1975 and 1980; 80; and a miscarriage of justice that saw Stefan Kiszko, a twenty-six-year-old tax clerk from Rochdale, serve sixteen years for a 1975 murder that he did not commit."

Forgoing digital effects, or any presence of the supernatural, “The Red Riding Trilogy” nevertheless achieves a terrific sense of the uncanny, an atmosphere so spooked and suggestive that it becomes oddly attractive, like an enchanted forest in a children’s story. Flowers of evil are growing in the stony Yorkshire soil.

Who knew? The only place in Yorkshire in which I experienced the uncanny was in my visit to Rievaulx Abbey, which was, for me, one of the thin places, where I felt the presence of the holy, a place where the prayers of many seemed to linger in the the Abbey.

But wait! The Los Angeles Times says:

The powerfully disturbing "Red Riding" trilogy will haunt you waking and sleeping, night and day. If you survive the watching of it, that is, which is no easy thing.
....

Rather, the hard paradox of this project is that what makes these merciless films at times almost unbearable to watch also makes them frankly impossible to get out of your mind. Not only do they create a gritty, compelling world thick with the fetid air of venality, corruption and desperation, but they also periodically traffic in ghastly and horrific torture, sometimes shown, sometimes merely described, but always circling back to a series of sadistic, soul-destroying murders of women and little girls.

Although I'm intrigued by the reviews of the film, scenes of torture, or even descriptions of torture, would probably be a deal-breaker for me.

Have any of you from across the pond seen the series? Or anyone from the US, since the film is showing now at theaters?

FROM OUR FRIEND LUIZ COELHO

Dear friends in Christ,

As you might recall, last November, I sent you all an e-mail regarding my being chosen as one of the Anglican Communion representatives to the Edinburgh 2010 Mission Conference. Since there was a writing contest and a multimedia contest, I decided to join both, so I sent them an article (on the Ecumenical Role of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a model for mission) and an art project. Well, I've recently heard that the art project was pre-selected. I still don't know if it got any of the top prizes (haven't had any word regarding the paper either), but it is going to be exhibited there.

I decided to upload the project to lulu.com and self-publish it, as a means of offering it to people as a Lenten resource. It's called "The Stations of the Cross of Globalization" and it's probably the last piece of a series of artwork I've been working on for the last 1.5 year, which focuses on labor rights and exploitation, especially in poorer countries. As some of you might know, my work deals mostly with a dialogue on the power of imagery in contemporary world. I'd dare to say it's a conversation with some of the ideas put forward by Baudrillard in terms of hyperrealities, simulations and simulacra, and appropriate responses we should present to it. I'll continue exploring this idea, even though I might tackle new subjects other than labor rights.

So, here's the booklet. It's free to download, and available as paperback for 13 dollars. Unfortunately, it can't be cheaper, because it is a full-color booklet.

Also, all of those paintings are currently in Atlanta. I don't think the Edinburgh 2010 will have the necessary budget to pay for their transportation to Scotland, so we'll have prints instead. But if any of you is interested in having them exhibited somewhere else, please let me know. My friends Susan and Lisa are keeping them in Atlanta, and might be able to help with that, if it's not too troublesome for them.

I hope you all enjoy it. May all of you have a Holy Lent.

-
Luiz Coelho
http://www.luizcoelho.com

Luiz adds:

I'm going to send an update re: the prize and the competition, but until that happens, I didn't want to miss the opportunity to release this in early Lent.


Blessings to you!


Luiz, it's good to hear from you. Thanks for letting us know about your paintings and the booklet.

To my readers: The beautiful Madonna icon pictured on my sidebar, titled "Lady Enthroned" was written by Luiz. The icon rests in a place of honor in my house, and I consider it amongst my prized possessions.