World In Prayer prayers

World in Prayer has a spiffy new website!

It was my week to write the prayers and I simply didn't have the time I would have liked to give to them. The salt of the earth, light of the world reading from the lectionary this morning was a natural jumping off point, but my reading of the news was more of a skim of the headlines. I found myself thinking, "Blah blah blah, Syria, Russia, drought. Isn't there anything new and interesting going on?" I feel like I didn't do justice to any of the things in the news, and so I am grateful to other people for holding the prayers for me this week.

The other piece I added was about how we can be salt and light in our local situations. With all my blah-de-blah attitude, one thing I pondered was how we need to be salt and light right where we are, and that there is so much that needs salt and light that will never make it in the papers. So I wanted to bring that out. 

But as I said, these prayers were quite rushed and I feel I didn't hit the mark I would have liked. Still...here they are.


World News This Week in Prayer – Thursday, February 6, 2014

Jesus, you call us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. May we shine the light of your peace and love to its farthest corners as we remember your world in our prayers.

We pray for Russia as it hosts the Winter Olympics in Sochi, for the athletes who have come to compete, and for those displaced from their homes to make way for the sporting venues.

We pray for North Carolina (USA) where tons of coal ash spilled into the Dan River have affected the area’s drinking water.

We pray for Pakistan and the Taliban as they enter into peace talks.

We pray for Syria where the government has reached a deal allowing civilians to leave the besieged city of Homs.

We pray for the more than 1,100 African migrants rescued by the Italian navy, and for all those fleeing their home due to conflict or lack of resources.

We pray for California (USA) as it suffers from severe drought and for other parts of the US experiencing extreme cold, and for those affected by these conditions.

We pray for women throughout the world, especially for the women of Iraq, thousands of whom are detained illegally and subject to abuse.

And we pray for those needs close to home and close to our hearts.

We pray for those areas of pain and conflict that never reach the headlines and yet are still of immense importance to us and to you, O Lord.

We pray for strength and courage to be salt, to be light, to be peace, to be love to our neighbors here at home and to our neighbors throughout the world. Amen.

A somewhat incomplete sermon on sin

A very abbreviated and slightly altered version of the sermon I preached on Sunday.

I've been noticing a theme running through my recent sermons and blog posts: you can't tell by looking. You can't tell who's hungry by looking; you can't tell who's poor by looking; you can't tell who's suffering by looking. And now, a new variation on the theme: you can't tell who's sinned by looking.

So let's talk a little bit about sin today. Won't that be fun?

First of all, the readings today are fun because of the way that they talk to each other. When you hear the gospel and it talks about the "woman in the city, who was a sinner," I don't know about you, but my mind immediately goes there, and I think you know what I mean. But then when you look at the Old Testament reading about David, who has just been caught out after his affair with Bathsheba and having Bathsheba's husband killed, he doesn't say, "I am a sinner." He says "I have sinned." And the reading from Galatians really drives the point home that this isn't about sex when Paul writes, "We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners." So a sinner in this context is someone who does not live according to Jewish law.

But how very different it is to hear that someone is a sinner as opposed to someone has sinned. The first says sin is a person's identity, and the second that sin is an activity. And those sound very different.

So Simon the Pharisee has in his mind that sin is not his identity. But in this gospel story, Jesus turns identification upside down by pointing out to Simon what the woman did -- and what Simon neglected to do. Things done and left undone, as we say in the confession. Simon didn't do anything wrong; he didn't break any laws. But there is a lot he left undone, and Jesus points that out to him. Simon didn't offer water for Jesus' feet; he didn't greet him with a kiss; he didn't anoint Jesus' head. And the woman did all of those things. Simon thinks he's gotten it all right, and what Jesus points out to him is that he's missed the essential point of loving God and loving neighbor.

That's what Paul is trying to drive home in his letter to the Galatians: that it's not in following the Law exactly right that we're going to be free from sin. Instead, it's in what we do, what we offer, what we share, how we love.

And if and when we sin, Paul promises that grace abounds more. It's not in our own goodness and our carefulness not to break the rules that we are free from sin, but in God's forgiveness freely given. God's grace comes to us not because we have been good, but because God is good.

Maybe instead of worrying about what we have done wrong, we should be looking at those around us and asking, "What has been left undone?" How can we offer our love to others today?

Garden update, June 2013

I meant to get to the update this weekend but, well, I just didn't. But since I have a couple of free minutes now, I have a little blooming action to share.

Let's start with Wolverine the hydrangeas.

I'd find them terrifying if they weren't so spectacular. They are seemingly impervious to pruning.

Also in the front yard, I finally got the tomatoes planted.

There's a few beans in there, but they're not sprouting like I'd want, possibly due to the shade of the boysenberry vines behind them.

Also in the front yard, the roses are still going strong.

As are the sweet peas...

...which are mixed in with some rather fluffy-headed sunflowers, not your usual giants.

And the dahlias are starting to make their dramatic appearance, both in the front yard:

And especially in the back:

This one is known as "Kapow."

That bed is coming along nicely, with zinnias about ready to pop, and this lovely thing, which is called Minoan Lace.

I wish I could say the same for the side beds, which are just a sad mess this year. I really haven't done anything with them.

Over on the other bed, the gardenias and the marmalade bush seem to be...Harper! Get out of there!

So things are slow this year. But even so, the flowers we have allow for things like this:

Which make me quite happy.

Best. Fortune Cookie. Ever.

Technially, it's the best fortune cookie fortune ever, but that didn't make as good a title. The truth is the cookie itself was just about average. The fortune, though, was fantastic! Here it is:

Try it with several different line readings. Also, what do you think is in a handsome dose?

Various & Sundry: Clearing out the pantry, both virtual and actual

Isn't that beautiful?

As of yesterday, I finished (I think) all the edits for CnC for Adults and I've gone crazy with freedom! I cleaned out the pantry and put out a bunch of canned goods for the Boy Scout collection this morning, sorted the spices, and then, because as I say, I'd gone crazy, I tidied up the tupperware. Yes, that's the kind of life I'm leading.

And now it's time to clean out the virtual pantry. Are you ready?

Are election reactions past their sell-by date? Well, I'm willing to chance it. Here's one I think is worth reading: Letter to a future Republican strategist regarding white people from an official midwestern white person who explains why he did not vote for the Republican candidate, "purely for your education, such that you might be interested in winning an election on the national level at some point in the future." Hint: it's not because he wants free stuff.

You may have heard about people signing petitions about seceding from the union. A) Didn't we try that before? Didn't work out so good. And B), this post explains exactly what that would mean. Hint: no Social Security benefits.

One could almost call that passive-aggressive behavior. I thought this post offered an excellent primer in how to be passive-aggressive.

In other news, remember how I followed the Ivory Coast election about a while ago? Almost two years ago now--wow! Well, the new president dissolved his cabinet this week. Why, you ask?

"the decision came after a dispute Tuesday during a parliamentary committee debate over a possible amendment to the country’s marriage law. The change would make the husband and wife equal heads of a household. Under the current law, the husband is the head and makes decisions in the name of the family. Ouattara’s party supported the change, but other parties within the coalition opposed it."

I have to appreciate that the conflict came to a head over women's rights. Good luck, President Ouattara.

In the obituaries this week, David Durk gets his due. Remember Serpico? Well, it was really Durk and Serpico, testifying about police corruption in NYC in 1971. “It would be fair to say that without Durk, there would have been no police corruption exposé in The New York Times, no Knapp Commission investigations into the matter,” according to one source. Impressive and brave work, and boy were the rewards in heaven. He retired with a police pension of $17K a year in 1985.

I loved this story about a homeless boy taken in by a high school football coach. Very touching.

I am also often very moved by this blog from a contractor working in Afghanistan. A recent post answers the question, "So Ryan, what are most soldiers like?" Another explains The Best Phrase They Have in Afghanistan.

Here's a practical suggestion: Let's stop calling people leaders until they actually lead.

At the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, we use the simplest definition of leader that I have come across: people follow you. This definition intentionally omits any reference to rank or role. We see leadership as behavior-based. "Leader" is not a title you are handed just because you sit in a certain spot in a hierarchy; you have to earn it from those you aspire to have follow you.

Amen to that.

And finally, Ken Levine offers a reflection on his role model: Shari Lewis, in a wonderful story of generous professionalism. May we all be so good.

Sunday Funnies

This will make more sense if you know about this.

Sunday Funnies, July 22 (and a half-assed review of I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron)

I finished Nora Ephron's book I Remember Nothing yesterday and it was wonderful. So charming. Such a fun read. Rather poignantly ends with some reflections upon mortality. I encourage you to read it.

And as a teaser, here is her reflection

Twenty-five Things People Have a Shocking Capacity to Be Surprised by Over and Over Again

1. Journalists sometimes make things up.
2. Journalists sometimes get things wrong.
3. Almost all books that are published as memoirs were initially written as novels, and then the agent/editor said, This might work better as a memoir.
4. Beautiful young women sometimes marry ugly, old rich men.
5. In business, there is no such thing as synergy in the good sense of the term.
6. Freedom of the press belongs to the man who owns one.
7. Nothing written in today's sports pages makes sense to anyone who didn't read yesterday's sports pages.
8. There is no explaining the stock market but people try.
9. The Democrats are deeply disappointing.
10. Movies have no political effect whatsoever.
11. Men cheat.
12. A lot of people take the Bible literally.
13. Pornography is the opiate of the masses.
14. You can never know the truth of anyone's marriage, including your own.
15. People actually sign prenuptial agreements.
16. Mary Matalin and James Carville are married.
17. Bagels don't taste as good as they used to.
18. Everybody lies.
19. The reason it's important for a Democrat to be president is the Supreme Court.
20. Howard Stern is apparently very nice in person.
21. In Manhattan a small one-bedroom apartment that needs work costs $1 million.
22. People look like their dogs.
23. Cary Grant was Jewish.
24. Cary Grant wasn't Jewish.
25. Larry King has never read a book.

Various & Sundry, June 29

Happy Friday, everyone! Are you ready for a miscellany? Let's get to it!

The only good thing to come out of the death of Nora Ephron is a bunch of Nora Ephron stories, such as this great tale she tells of seeing Steve Wynn accidentally destroy a Picasso. Not just any Picasso. This Picasso. I also appreciate a woman who likes to eat.

A couple of posts explore how to be a good do-gooder--or perhaps more accurately, what are some of its challenges. This article, titled Post-Humanitarian Advertising: Because You're Worth It! is a fascinating analysis of #Kony2012 in the larger context of how aid and development is now being marketed. Key quote:

Kony2012 did not spread like wildfire because it stood in opposition to individualism and consumerism, but because it managed to turn the pursuit of global justice into an individualistic, consumerist activity. It did not aim to inspire feelings of universal moral responsibility, but commodified ‘universal moral responsibility’ into a consumable product that can operate within the capitalist culture most people readily understand.

The second is called Why the word "missional" bugs me and raises some worthwhile concerns, such as what is the difference between being somebody's mission and somebody's friend?

I loved this brief article on why you should hire introverts, and why you should leave them alone.

I also loved this much longer article on why the House of Hufflepuff kicks ass. It made me want to be a Hufflepuff, I tell you what.

Pulling from the vault, I found (after last week's church service) that I had this brief examination of the David and Goliath story that I think is worth sharing again. It's not the story we've been told it is. As I said,"I noticed David took 5 stones for his sling. Five. He's a confident little twerp, but he's not stupid." I love the David saga.

And while we're doing Toepfer promotional stuff, my sister has a cool YouTube channel. You should check it out.

Various & Sundry, the "I'm on deadline" edition

So I thought I'd take a break from revising Confirm not Conform (which is why blogging has been so sparse) and do a Various & Sundry post. And then I realized that I haven't been collecting items for the V&S post either. So this is going to be sparse as well.

Best obituary, hands down, goes to Artisanal, Reluctant Branding Pioneer, Dies at Age 474. "He is survived by his wife, Organic, and their two small boys, Natural and Green, as well as his cousin Hipster, though the two had fallen out in the '70s and were no longer on speaking terms." Oh, do read it.

Church Geek Alert! Scott Gunn has been writing a series of posts on the resolutions coming up before this summer's General Convention. My personal favorite related to the general principle he offers for proposing political resolutions. Namely, "Let us tell the world what we are going to do about political problems, rather than telling the world what they should do about political problems." Amen to that. Oh, and some lovely snark in that post.

I think the exhibit on A Girl and Her Room is fascinating. I wish there were photos from even more countries.

Finally, and for no particular reason, try to find the real cat in this photo:

Then ask yourself what kind of destruction he has on his mind.

Back to work for me.

Happy Halloween!

Is this not the Most Sincere Pumpkin Patch you have ever seen? We managed to get 5 pumpkins this year. Four of them were mostly orange.

In case you're counting, I had already picked one (hence, ouch).

And did you know that those stems are prickery? I actually used sandpaper on them so I could pick them up--after experiencing some serious ouch.

 Also, before it's no longer pertinent, I wanted to pass along this recipe for Carrot-Ginger Quinoa Pepper Jacks which sound really good, though I doubt I'll be able to get them so picture-perfect. Just the thing with leftover Snickers.

Braaaains!

Happy Halloween!

Curb Appeal on a block I know

Friends of mine recently had their house re-done by the good folks at Sex Curb Appeal: The Block and very kindly invited me to the wrap party. Let's start with this, shall we?

Sally H., the ridiculously handsome John Gidding, and me, looking goofy

I will not subject you to the huge number of photos I took. Let's just say I didn't see a bad angle on the man.  At one point, I was talking to my friend Heather, who is the homeowner, and said, "He's even better looking in person." She said, "You realize I'm still miked, don't you?" So I leaned over and said loudly, "He's even better looking in person." Probably why he's leaning away from me in the photo as he mutters to Sally through his teeth, "Save me..."

Aside from gazing at John Gidding the wrap party, which was a blast, it was great watching the process day by day as Heather posted the work in progress. I won't go through them all, but I would like to share the before:

and after:

Fantastic! And couldn't have happened to nicer people.

BTW, if you're in the SF Bay Area and want to have one of these makeovers, you can apply for one!

Sunday Funnies

At last! Truth in advertising!

h/t Ellen DeGeneres

Yoohoo, Hollywood!

This morning a friend of mine emailed me her thoughts about the damage done to personal relationships and lives in the light of the critique of certain political ideologies and asked if I had any brilliant insights. I told her, no, I had far more important business to attend to: critiquing the Oscars.

Yes, indeed, Hollywood is waiting to hear my pronouncement on this year's Oscar broadcast, a show that Roger Ebert called "the worst Oscarcast I've ever endured. It's time for the Board of Governors to have a long, sad talk with itself."

Well, Board of Governors, I am here for you. With just a few simple tweaks, you CAN make the Oscarcast bearable without strong drink. Trust me. I'm a liturgist.

First, a few commendations:
Choreography and I don't mean dancing. I mean year in and year out, people get on and off that stage at the right time in the right way without stumbling. Believe me, that is not nothing.
Huge high marks to your orchestra which is always spectacular and always helps move people on and off that stage without drawing (much) attention to itself.
This year's set design was fantastic. Just like art direction, set design is only noticed when it's bad. This year was pretty amazing.

Now. Here's six simple steps to a better Oscar show.

1) Always, always, always have a stand-up comedian host. This is not because you need someone funny (though that helps). This is because you need someone who can feel and work the crowd, who can adjust on the fly, who is not scared of dead air--or at least knows what to do when it happens.

2) Do NOT have two hosts. Here's the thing: if you have one host, that person has to engage and interact with the audience. If you have two hosts, they have to first and foremost interact with each other.

3) Your hosts don't need to use witty banter to present the hosts who will be using witty banter to present the nominees. Got that? In fact, I think just a voice-over as they enter, "And now to present the award for excellence in sound..."

4) Witty banter in general is overrated. When you're reading from a teleprompter, it's hard to sound witty. Cut the witty and go with things that make sense as pronouncements. Leave the witty to your comedian host.

5)Present all nominees at the same time. I'm looking at you, best song award. I know you're thinking, "We need some musical numbers in there." No, no you don't. You know what? We don't need to hear all the best song nominees all the way through. Just announce 'em with a bit of the song in the background, and give 'em the award. Really. It's better that way.

6) Five nominees for best picture is enough. It was a good thought. But no.

I would also like to say that I miss the Thalberg award, Humanitarian award and honorary Oscars. Those speeches, from people who knows they're getting the awards and have time to prepare and reflect, tend to be the best. And they go to giants in the field. Why on earth did you take them out? Knock out the song performances and you have time for at least one.

Board of Governors, I await your call.

Teaser Tuesday, December 14 -or- how I met Portia de Rossi

So I'm reading Portia de Rossi's new memoir, Unbearable Lightness. My new, autographed copy of Portia de Rossi's new memoir, Unbearable Lightness. She was at the Barnes & Noble in El Cerrito last night, so I went with a friend to see her in person. Talked with her for this and that for, oh, hours.

Right.

Actually, here's what it was like:

When we got to the Barnes & Noble, there was a little table in front of the store with three people with tickets. If you wanted a ticket, you needed to buy a book. She wasn't doing a meet and greet. So I went in the store to buy a book, expecting there to be a huge pile of them somewhere. After wandering through the store, I finally asked a staff member where they were. They were all behind the counter. Why? I do not know.

So I bought my book and went back in front to get my ticket and also got a little speech. We were told, "Don't ask her about Ellen. [She's Mrs. Ellen de Generes, you know.] Miss de Rossi will include a personal name, but no personalized message. No photos."

OK, then.

Wandered around the store some more and accidentally entered a no-fly zone where a uniformed security woman said, "No standing in this aisle until after Miss de Rossi comes through." OK. We shuffled off to the business book section, but noted the table set with bottles of water just behind her.

Over the PA system, those with tickets 1-10 were invited to gather in the cookbook section "on the right-hand side of the store." Ummm...which way are you facing that it's on your right? I was ticket #14, so I looked to see if there was any clue from the way people were moving, but I didn't see it.

And then, in the distance, in the back of the store...a procession, and a woman with a blonde ponytail in the middle. It was she! She apparently made her way up the aisle unmolested, but then those with tickets 11-20 were called to the cookbook section.

Which was on the complete opposite side of the store, of course. "Do not ask about Ellen. She will include a name, but no personalized message. No photos." Did I want the book personalized? No...no... The truth is, I'm thinking to sell it on eBay once I'm done. My friend astutely and truthfully noted, "We don't know who we're going to give it to yet."

Those of us in line chatted about this and that. I heard about other celebrity book signings and how this compared (pretty standard, apparently), and then we were all marched in a line around the store to stand behind a pink line of tape and be ushered one by one into the presence.

"Don't ask about Ellen. She will include a personal name but no personalized message. No photos," said the staff person. "You will hand in your ticket and you will be escorted to see Miss de Rossi," each person was told as they reached the pink line. The woman ahead of me was walked around the corner. I reached the pink line.

"Don't ask about Ellen. She will include a personal name but no personalized message. No photos," said the staff person. I handed in my ticket. My friend and I were escorted to...the table.

Afterwards, I realized that what happened there was amazingly similar to this:

We arrived at the table where Portia sat and I put her book in front of her. "Welcome to El Cerrito!" my friend said. Portia (now that I've met her, I feel I can call her Portia) said, "Actually, it's lovely here." She turned to me. "No name?" Slack-jawed, I shook my head. She signed her name. "Garden state of the East Bay!" said my friend. "I've never had a chance to be here before," Portia said. "I've been to San Francisco many times, of course." I think she said something else. Or my friend did. I don't remember. It's all a blur, until I said, "East Bay all the way!" and we quickly decamped.

As my friend said later, we choked. But I did get an autographed book.

At any rate, I started the book, which is really good. Painful, but good. Here, at long last, is the teaser:

I sat on the dark green vinyl sofa facing the kitchen and smoked four cigarettes in a row to try to take away the urge for the icy-cold sweetness, because only when I stopped wanting it would I allow myself to have it. I didn't take my eyes off the freezer the whole time I sat smoking, just in case my mind had tricked me into thinking I was smoking when I was actually at the freezer binging.

So what are you reading? Any good story behind getting the book?

Two weeks worth of various and sundry, Friday after Thanksgiving edition

It bothers me that I haven't been writing much on the blog in recent weeks. There are things I still have on my list to write about at greater length...but in the meantime, here are some other folks who have actually done the blogging I have neglected to do.

In case you're still hungry, Phillip Oliver who mostly blogs on gardening at Dirt Therapy (awesome photography!) posted a recipe for Carrot and Pineapple Cake which looked really good. Personally, I'm still digesting this fantastic apple pie which beat out pumpkin in last night's pie face-off. The hostess offered to send the last piece home with the maker; the host simply scooped the last piece on to his plate. It was mighty good.

I really liked this iMonk classic entry on Archie Bunker, "the patron saint of Christians who can’t stop making their point." So true no matter where you are on the theological spectrum.

On a completely different level of self-righteousness, The Shadow Scholar is an article about a man who writes assignments for college students for a custom essay-writing company. In other words, he helps them cheat. Fascinating essay. But what it makes me wonder is why someone so completely amoral is only earning $66K a year. You would think someone as unscrupulous as this, who blames other people for the fact that students cheat, would find a more lucrative and less draining career.

The author of this article is talking about climate change, but I think his notion is true in other areas as well: that change in behavior sparks change in belief and not vice versa. It's kind of a companion to the Errol Morris dictum I've mentioned before: that believing is seeing and not the other way around. And to the Anglican dictum (OK, it pre-dates Anglicanism, but we love it) Lex orandi, lex credendi -- "The law of prayer is the law of belief" -- meaning (very roughly) that how we pray shapes what we believe. See? I would have written a whole blog entry on that, but now you've got it in one paragraph.

The reliably interesting blog Design Fetish featured this monkey made of flip flops. Isn't he awesome?

Meanwhile, at Hyperbole and a Half, I thought this story about how the author's dogs handled an interstate move was hilarious. Favorite quote: "making high-pitched noises won't solve your problem if your problem is a complete inability to cope with change." Oh so true.

Finally, I was glad to read Abraham Lincoln's proclamation on the original Thanksgiving in 1863. Did you know that the Thanksgiving holiday was established in 1863? In the midst of the Civil War? I did not.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore...It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

Smart man, that Lincoln. And for all the many blessings we have received, including being able to share my thoughts with you, I am indeed most thankful.

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend!

Really good stuff that other people wrote (or said), October 22

It's my cop-out Friday blog post! Still, I hope you will enjoy something you find here.

First of all, thanks to Margaret for posting a great reading from Ecclesiasticus this morning. As someone often distressed by the nastiness in the blogosphere, I particularly liked this verse:

Do not find fault before you investigate; examine first, and then criticize. Do not answer before you listen, and do not interrupt when another is speaking. Do not argue about a matter that does not concern you, and do not sit with sinners when they judge a case.

Wise words. So hard to do.

One opinion I tried hard to listen to this week and found fascinating was this comment about the crazy way we compensate teachers. Such a hot-button issue, but I thought this made a lot of sense:

Work environments hospitable to continual innovation tend to have relatively low barriers to entry, and relatively low barriers to exit. Schools invert that. Many have extensive up-front credentialing requirements, forcing novice teachers to invest substantial time and money at the beginning of their careers, before they can even decide whether they are indeed well-suited for the job. Early career teachers tend to get the least desirable assignments, and to be paid barely enough on which to live. On the other hand, most compensation packages are grossly back-loaded, offering lock-step seniority raises and substantial retirement benefits. So it's tough to get in the door, and once you do, leaving entails abandoning the rewards for which you've already labored before you can enjoy them. That's crazy.

I hadn't thought of it that way.

In total nerd mode, I found these definitions of philosophers' names using their philosophies amusing. eg: voltaire, n. A unit of enlightenment. Yes, I know. Sad, really.

In movie news, I liked this Guide to Romance Cliches.

Teen romances have their own separate cliches. Actually, they have one separate cliche: teens from out of town find it hard to fit in so they start hanging around with social misfits or goths or beatniks or vampires suffering from social anxiety disorders.

Ha.

Finally, if you have the time, here's a talk from one of the co-founders of Kiva. One of the things I like about this is that she speaks directly from the outset about how she was motivated to take up this work due to what she learned about Jesus in Sunday School. I think this could make an excellent Adult Education offering.

Brainwashing

One of the words I keep coming back to in NY gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino's speech last Sunday was the word "brainwashed." As in:

I just think my children, and your children, will be much better off, and much more successful getting married and raising a family. And I don't want them to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option. It isn't.

[emphasis mine]

It struck me as odd at the time because, as I understood it, one of the major techniques of "reparative therapy" used to "cure" gays was a form of brainwashing. I tried to see if I was remembering correctly and found this article from the BBC:

Those who volunteered for such treatments - often in preference to jail terms - were shown pictures of naked men and given a series electric shocks or drugs to make them vomit.

When they could stand it no longer, they were shown pictures of naked women, or films of nudist colonies, as a relief from the pain - or, in some cases, taken out on "dates" with young nurses.

All of which sounds to me like the traditional understanding of brainwashing, a la The Manchurian Candidate.

But in the course of finding this article, I saw far more often this trope of "brainwashing" applied as it was used in Paladino's speech.

Here, for example, is a rant from a website called Tradition in Action, reviewing a video called It's Elementary, "The groundbreaking film that addresses anti-gay prejudice by providing adults with practical lessons on how to talk with children about gay people." (In light of the need to eliminate bullying from our schools, this actually seems useful to me.) What I'm going to do is post the preview for the documentary and then post the rant, and then some thoughts. So first, take a look at this.



OK, got that? Here's how the writer at Tradition in Action views this:

Must-See Video!
Homosexuals Brainwashing Our Children

I am very concerned about what's shown in these videos and think that everyone should view them so they realize how our children in public and private schools are being taught tolerance for the homosexual sin, the sin that cries out to Heaven for vengeance. I do not want my grandchildren being brainwashed by the pro-homosexual rot that is portrayed in these videos...

There are no adequate words to describe these sub-humans who would turn every country on the face of the earth into pro-sodomite totalitarian States. How dare they be allowed to commit spiritual abortion on the souls of our children without an outcry loud enough to be heard in Heaven!

[emphasis mine]

***

Here's the thing. Is it "brainwashing" or is it "repeating things I don't believe to be true"? Are some Christian schools "brainwashing" children not to believe the theory of evolution, or are they teaching what they believe to be true?

And though I believe it's the latter, I have to have some sympathy with those who claim brainwashing. Because people are hearing over and over and more and more often that homosexuality is not evil--"big whoop," as the little guy says in the video. For those who think it is evil, it really must be intolerable. And as more and more people agree that homosexuality is not evil, "brainwashing" must be the reason. It can't possibly be that people have weighed the evidence on both sides and come to their own conclusion.

BUT--the "sub-human" thing? That is not on. You can see why gays are bullied, beaten, and murdered if that's the message people are taught.

Is it brainwashing if that's what you've heard all your life? Not if my own definition holds. But it sure is repeating things I don't believe to be true.

My strong opinion is that the messages that get repeated to us do form us. I don't think that's brainwashing, but I do think that's brain-shaping. I can understand why some people don't want the messages they loathe repeated. But I also believe they hate the message because of the hate-filled messages of their past.

Because this is what I'm spending all my time thinking about

In these times in which we live, with questions of civil rights and religious liberty and the ongoing struggle for truth and justice for all, I think it behooves us on this beautiful Friday to think about last night's episode of Project Runway. Not in any deep way, mind you. Just in a "Holy crap, can you believe that?" sort of way.

Oh my. Oh my my. I won't go into detail here since there's many a recap blog out there. (This one captures the gist nicely.) Suffice it to say that at the end of the episode and all of today, I've had this aria running through my head:



Is Beverly Sills Tim Gunn? Or is she Michael C., who in the previews for next week's episode is out for vengeance? Or is it Gretchen, turning on her team when the judges don't like (let's face it) her collection?

I may yet have some more, you know, worthwhile things to say about what that episode showed about bossiness vs. management, and how women use "just trying to help" as an excuse for bullying while men use...some other phrase. (If you can think of what that phrase is, let me know.) Or pondering why Tim Gunn is so magnificent; that's worth some consideration.

OK, so maybe you're above such things. But if you've read this far, don't know what the heck I'm talking about, and still want to know what happened, I think this captures the tenor of the episode nicely:

(h/t Oddly Specific)

There's sermon fodder here, for sure.

If you watched Project Runway, what did you think?

Ramadan

I learned that today is the first day of Ramadan. I will be praying for my Muslim brothers and sisters as they fast through the month to come. I will pray especially for their safety and for their freedom to worship as they choose.

There are days when I cannot believe the times in which I live. I cannot believe I live in a time in which people protest mosques as unAmerican. Frankly, the very use of that word should give people pause. Luckily, Jon Stewart is on the case.

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I say God bless NYC mayor Mike Bloomberg for his great speech in support of a group wishing to establish an Islamic Center in Manhattan.

The government has no right whatsoever to deny that right – and if it were tried, the courts would almost certainly strike it down as a violation of the U.S. Constitution. Whatever you may think of the proposed mosque and community center, lost in the heat of the debate has been a basic question – should government attempt to deny private citizens the right to build a house of worship on private property based on their particular religion? That may happen in other countries, but we should never allow it to happen here. This nation was founded on the principle that the government must never choose between religions, or favor one over another.

The World Trade Center Site will forever hold a special place in our City, in our hearts. But we would be untrue to the best part of ourselves – and who we are as New Yorkers and Americans – if we said ‘no’ to a mosque in Lower Manhattan.

I miss the Republican party. I miss the Republican party that gave a damn about the law of the land rather than the law of its own convenience. Ronald Reagan signed and stood up for the UN Convention on Torture in 1984. Even George W. Bush--W. himself--understood and was adamant that Muslims are Americans also. I am quite certain that we will look back on this period of our history with shame and astonishment and wonder how it could have happened. I wonder how it can happen even now.

July snarkfest continues! Today's topic: SEXISM

Because I haven't been snarky enough this week, let's talk about sexism for a moment, shall we?

There's been a bit of a kerfuffle around The Daily Show hiring only its second female correspondent since 2001. An article on Jezebel claims that "it's a boys' club where women's contributions are often ignored and dismissed." In response, the women who work on The Daily Show posted an open letter saying, "while it may cause a big stir to seize on the bitter rantings of ex-employees and ignore what current staff say about working at The Daily Show, it's not fair. It's not fair to us, it's not fair to Jon, it's not fair to our wonderful male colleagues, and it's especially not fair to the young women who want to have a career in comedy but are scared they may get swallowed up in what people label as a 'boy's club.'"

In response, another writer, at the end of a fair analysis of the sexist forces at work in the world (of The Daily Show, comedy, and everywhere), made a huge gaffe as she ended by saying, "if you respond to suggestions that your hiring practices may be sexist with a letter signed by all the women on your staff dismissing these claims out of hand, then your hiring practices are almost certainly sexist." Thus hurting her own arguments by claiming that the ladies can't be trusted to speak for themselves or their own experience.

All this for me personally is a backdrop to a) my recent ranting about Elizabeth Cady Stanton & co.; b) the current debate before the Church of England about whether and in what manner women can be bishops; c) the recent "mitregate" debacle; and d) my own hunt for work in the church. So I'm glad for The Daily Show issue to be able to explore this at a one-step remove. Because, the truth is, it's complicated. Here are my vague thoughts about what might be more productive in addressing any sexism at The Daily Show--or perhaps the church.

1) Get your data in order

You know about me and data. I love data. Data is helpful. One of the things that's hardest for me to grapple with when considering sexism is the question: Is this real or am I imagining things? Hard data can help with that. Jezebel didn't do a bad job getting their facts. I think they weakened their argument, however, when they went for personality, saying, "The host and executive producer's onscreen persona is lovable mensch, but one former executive on the show tells us 'there's a huge discrepancy between the Jon Stewart who goes on TV every night and the Jon Stewart who runs The Daily Show with joyless rage.'" That just opened them right up to the "disgruntled employee" line. Much harder to argue with "only one female correspondent since 2001" or "this year alone, the show’s roster of guests has featured 63 men, but only 13 women."

2) It may be counterproductive to tell someone they're sexist.

One of the things that I find problematic in the critique of The Daily Show is that what they seem to want to conclude is "Jon Stewart is sexist and should stop being sexist." To which the women of The Daily Show say, "Jon Stewart is the opposite of sexist." So that didn't get anybody anywhere except to get women arguing amongst themselves about who's right about who's sexist. And if he is or if he isn't, what has changed? Of course, their goal may be getting readers and sparking debate rather than actually changing The Daily Show, in which case, mission accomplished! But if that wasn't what they were after...

3) Figure out the goals

One thing that might have changed this debate would have been for Jezebel to figure out what actual, measurable result they would like to see. It's one thing to say an organization is a boy's club; it's another to say, "By 2015, we would like to see that 50 percent of the employees of The Daily Show are women, with at least 1/3 of the on-air personalities and 1/3 of the guests being women." It's more fun to tear people down, but it seems to me more practical to find goals and move toward them.

4) Humor is a powerful tool

Weapon, even, I'd like to say. I don't want to give the impression that this is all about being nice and saying please and working within the system. But one way in which the Jezebel piece lost (rhetorically) to the letter from the women of The Daily Show is that the letter was funny, leaving readers with the impression that those complaining about The Daily Show weren't hired because they weren't funny, which is a problem for a comedienne. Remember that "joyless rage" quote above? Compare it with how the women at TDS describe Jon Stewart:

But what's he really like? Well, for a sexist prick, he can be quite charming. He's also generous, humble, genuine, compassionate, fair, supportive, exacting, stubborn, goofy, hands-on, driven, occasionally infuriating, ethical, down-to-earth and--a lot of people don't know this--surprisingly funny (for a guy brimming with “joyless rage”). How else to describe him? What's the word that means the opposite of sexist? That one.

(emphasis mine)

If you can laugh at your opposition and find ways for others to laugh at them too, they are hugely defanged.

5) Do NOT undermine other women!

I still cannot believe that writer suggested that Stewart had the women who work for him write a letter on his behalf. Way to ruin your credibility, there! They may be wrong, but suggesting that these women were somehow brainwashed into writing a supportive letter--it just boggles the mind. Women can certainly disagree, but to suggest that the disagreement is because of The Menfolk suggests your argument has no merit.

OK, I have a lot more thinking to do about this, and this is incredibly long and yet still very incomplete. Your thoughts and comments, as always, most welcome. More snark, no doubt, next week.