My mom attends the same church we attended when I was in high school, but it's so huge now (eight thousand-ish members) it doesn't really seem like the same place. When she first asked me if I wanted to go (it took me about six minutes to say OF COURSE I DO), I assumed it was a huge group going. I was fascinated by the idea of a cruise ship full of Southern Baptists, because they're supposed to be teetotalers. Is it possible to cruise with no alcohol?
But it turns out there are only about 35 of them, so I suspect no one will care how much alcohol is consumed. Mom went to their first meeting last week and she says she's the youngest one. Again I say: oh, lordy. But at the very least I will get to spend a week sitting on the deck, watching gorgeous scenery, and reading a stack of books, so I think it's a no-lose proposition. Stay tuned for the post trip report from Mom and me, the Party Girls.
2. My original plan was to pre-write a couple of posts for next week--trying to avoid taking another blog break so soon after the last one--but I ran out of time. This week has been a bit crazy. So no posts from me next week. Sorry about that. There's an outside chance that I'll be able to post along the way, but I've gone on vacation before thinking I would write blog posts while traveling, and it never happens. So probably not.
3. I really, really want to see the Northern Lights. Sadly, the weather forecast looks like it is going to be gray and rainy the entire week, so it may not happen. If you think about it, send up a small northern lights prayer for me.
4. A couple of nights ago on a recommendation from a FB friend, we watched an old Cary Grant/Audrey Hepburn movie called Charade. I'd never even heard of it, but it was pretty fun. A romantic mystery story that manages to be both silly and (slightly) suspenseful. Recommended if you can keep a sense of humor about the sexist stereotypes. And while I'm collecting movies for my Netflix queue, let me know if you have any good ones to add.
5. Did I tell you I missed the deadline for submitting continuing ed courses to teach this fall? I was having a really hard time thinking of something new and interesting to teach, and the courses that the CE people wanted me to teach weren't really all that interesting to me. And then suddenly I realized that the deadline had been the day before. So I'm taking a semester off. But I decided that I could still take classes, so I signed up for a knitting class. Yup. Go ahead and laugh. It started this week, and I survived the first meeting. I'll let you know if I manage to actually knit something.
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| My entire output from a TWO HOUR knitting class. Yup. I have no idea where the hole came from. |
6. I wrote and wrote and wrote in my last blog about how I am a Christian AND a supporter of gay rights. This is not an issue for me--in my theology, those two beliefs are not even slightly in conflict. I've avoided commenting on any of the recent flap about same-sex marriage not because I don't strongly support it (I do), but because I know many of you disagree, and if you'll forgive the overly complicated grammar, I know you know what I think and you know I know what you think. I just don't get the point of alienating each other over it. Sadly (to me), in some circles opposition to homosexuality and same-sex marriage has become equated with being a true Christian, when--at least in my opinion--at most it is one of the side, peripheral issues. They'll know we are Christians by our love, not by our moral code.
7. So although I've considered doing a detailed description of what I think about the few verses in the Bible that address homosexuality, I've always ended up deciding not to, because there's no point--I'm not going to change any Evangelical's mind because I read the Bible in a way that would be irrelevant to what an Evangelical reader believes. I read the Bible as a historical document, the seriously important founding document of my faith, but not as the perfect, inspired word of God that requires obedience in every particular from contemporary readers. Some of you disagree.
However--finally I'm getting around to the point, and the reason why I'm bringing this up in a 7ToF post--this week I found a fairly long analysis of what the Bible says about homosexuality by John Shore, a popular progressive Christian author and blogger whom I've mentioned before. He does read the Bible as the inspired word of God, so he argues differently than I would, but we end up in the same place. It may not change your mind, but if you're curious what at least one progressive Christian thinks about the Bible and homosexuality, it's worth a read. I have some reservations about recommending that article because I know back in the day when I believed in the inerrancy of Scripture, his arguments would not have convinced me. But I still find him interesting. Caveat lector.
OK, that was kind of scratching for seven things, but there you go, seven things. Have a great week!
1 comment:
I posted a link to an article about Kim Davis and the Pope on my Facebook. I think you might enjoy it. If you have a chance take a look. I've enjoyed reading your blogs so much and kept thinking "I should do that" though I couldn't possibly put in the thought and effort to make them as fun and interesting as yours. But, with my new empty nest status I decided to write a few blogs any way and give my children the link so, if they're ever in the mood, they can read their mother spouting. It's kind of nice. I can say things I wouldn't necessarily say in conversations with them because that would be awkward and they can read them if and when they want and skip the ones that bore them to tears. It's kind of fun. Thanks for the inspiration.
Oh, and by the way, my poor mother has tried to teach me to knit, but I constantly fail even the remedial knitting tutoring. My stitches just never add up properly on the return. I haven't given up though. Mom and I are going to spend once a week together -- kind of a kid replacement for me. I'm lucky she's close by. I've told her she can't die until I master the knitting thing. She's on her way to Reno now to visit her "knitting buddy" so I'm sure she'll come back all excited about some new skein of yarn.
Have fun in Alaska!
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