One Christian's Story

There's a retired pastor who lives in the Boise area. He spent many years on the African continent in missions. He's a man who's very curious, and the other day he asked if I knew a book that would help him learn about the religious culture of the Pacific Northwest. So I recommended this title. I'm just now finishing reading it. I give it four out of five stars. A pretty good read.

The author Don Miller lives in Portland Oregon and tells a rambling and honest story about (using language familiar in Lutheran circles) "living into" the Christian faith. The subtitle, "nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality" is a great way to begin describing the book. His story is told autobiographically, and he twists and turns around corners of doubt and poignant courage in speaking from his heart of faith.

It's a good book for those who want to have some of their own questions articulated (we all have these questions, or variations on those themes), and for those who want to learn more about the religious culture, or climate, of the Northwest. I have a lot to learn! As I finished this book tonight, I asked myself, "what would my story sound like?" A good reflective exercise for anyone.

Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe

While in the LA area, we took a day to visit the Getty Center. What a beautiful place, a beautiful view, there's an atmosphere of wonder there, and curiosity.

On display were many paintings, illuminated manuscripts and altar pieces representing Christ. From what I could tell the collection was exclusively European and because of the age of the pieces, mostly Roman Catholic.

I didn't participate in one of the learning tours, but my path intersected theirs a few times. The docent's approach surprised me, as well as the kinds of questions that came from the touring group.

What were the surprises? The questions asked by the group were so elementary. "The Holy Family fled to Egypt after Jesus' birth, didn't they?" The docent's response was equally foggy. "Yes, that's right. And they were fleeing from . . . Nazareth, I think."

I decided that instead of trying to be a know-it-all and setting the story straight (and then feeling like I'd scored for Jesus), I wanted to quietly continue my random route through the galleries, listening as I went.

But a thought hit me. The story of Christ, for so many, is a thing of cultural curiosity. His story is one among so many others. The devotion of the artists and the religious culture of that time are not at all disputed, in fact they are honored. The audience was awed by the artistic achievements of the past. Yet I thought to myself, why not partner with a Catholic professor in the LA area, one who is steeped in the tradition and story? Couldn't someone from the inside do a better job describing the details of the paintings and the culture?

Then another thought. My faith is one of cultural curiosity. The people are making their way through an "Olde Curiosity Shoppe," picking up the Christian faith as if it were a spoon rest with a price tag stuck to its bottom, examining it, and then setting it down. Wow. The core of my personal identity and the purpose of my vocation are met with some level of indifference. Brings about a change of perspective!

summer read for the Lincoln enthusiast

J. Wilkes Booth is infamous for becoming the first assassin of an American President in history. This is the story of the crime and the chase that followed. Swanson weaves a suspense-filled historical account of those days. How surprising it was to read about, for example, the day of the crime, the joy that had filled Washington at the news that the end of the civil war was a foregone conclusion. Lincoln was celebrated by the people, his own spirits lifted, and then comes the famous actor Booth, who is loyal to the cause of the south.

I hadn't realized until seeing this book, that William Seward was also attacked that night and barely survived. He lived many years after, and his leadership secured the purchase of Alaska from Russia. The city of Seward Alaska is named after this interesting man. He was a member of the Lincoln cabinet as Sec. of State. Before Lincoln was elected, Seward was his opponent which is another remarkable story, told very well by Doris Kearns-Goodwin in "Team of Rivals."

We're in the midst of summer, but if you'd like to read about some of the most remarkable moments of American history, this would be a great book for you.

Daddy?

We just observed Fathers' Day on Sunday. My family and I worshiped with friends at Payette Church of the Nazarene. I had the opportunity to sit with my girls during worship, up to the point where they went to children's church. Natalee was cold, so I put my arm around her. What a great experience that was, one that is rare for me as their father, since most Sundays I'm standing in front of the congregation. Once in a while at St. Paul, I notice my wife struggling a bit to keep the girls' interest.

Yesterday was the beginning of Vacation Bible School. As she was getting ready to leave, Emily said "Daddy, when are you going to come to Sunday School again?" At that moment a new perspective hit me over the head.

Changing my pattern (work, or home, vacation, etc) influences the relationships we have with individuals around us. The benefit is the opportunity to have moments like this, where the value of these relationships is recognized and appreciated. The "downside" would be that there is no way to predict how these changes would affect those individuals. The human being is a thing of change, if it's living. After even a short period of time, change comes, not necessarily with plan or purpose. This change in my pattern has been a little much for little Emily. She wants to get back to the regular pattern.

Last week, Emily and I went on a date. We went to Nampa and visited the Pet store, saw a movie (Horton Hears a Who), and went to Carl's Jr. because they have a great play area. We returned home after a great day of, according to Emily, "Two Time."

Short Schrift

So I realized that I have a bunch of NW Airline frequent flier miles. Through an email I received it looks like I can redeem these miles for magazines. Looking through a list of magazines I decided on Time, Newsweek, and The Atlantic. Among those, the mag with the longest articles is Atlantic. They seem to choose fewer subjects but they let them go more "in depth."

Ironically, the article that I noticed this time was one about reading ("Is Google Making Us Stoopid?"). The point of the article is that in our internet generation, our attention span for text is getting less and less. The short text involved in headlines and emails is creating a new way of reading. The irony is, this article about shorter articles goes on and on!

So, if you were able to stick with me to the end of this email, note that this article points out that the human brain is amazingly malleable, that new pathways are made very quickly, even in adulthood. I think this is so interesting.

Anaheim

On our way home from California, we're at a motel in Minden NV and will be home tomorrow. We had a great time of renewal and family fun in Disneyland and Sea World. We spent a few nights at the home of Bill and Sonja Speer, people we befriended when they came to their first Mission Builder project at St. Paul in Ontario. Now Bill is the project manager of a new-build in Duluth MN. Unfortunate for us, Bill and Sonja were in Duluth the whole time we were in their home. So we had a "home away from home" for a few days.

If you're ever at Disneyland, try the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad after dark. We have lots of other advice for you, should you so desire! A lot of great entertainment, good food (pricey!) and friendly people.

Sea World is a blast. The whale show and the dolphin show are awesome. They give a person a few moments to pause and wonder about the rich diversity of this creation. Way to go, God.

Looking forward to home and a different pace.