Yesterday I wrote that I thought Rod Parsley's beliefs, as expressed in the Washington Post, were inconsistent with my understanding of Jesus' teachings. Then I began to wonder if his views are being distorted and taken out of context, as Jeremiah Wright's view may have been.
I haven't yet googled Parsley. I had never heard of him, despite his 12,000 person megachurch and best-selling books.
I wish he didn't live in a million dollar, 7,000 square foot home, but at the same time, can I condemn him? Would I turn such a home down if I could have it? I hope I wouldn't want it. But then I look at how I struggle with moving to a smaller house in August. Part of me says smaller is better; part of me wants to hang on to the bigger and nicer. There's always that struggle between two worlds ...
I don't know about getting "off" on war ...the Bible seems clearly to condemn violence and look towards a peaceable kingdom. Psalm 5 says "bloodthirsty people are hateful to you Lord." But the Bible is filled with violence and with images of people like King David, roasting bulls and banging cymbals, dancing and exulting over military victory. I tend to think Jesus new version of kingship as nonviolent sacrifice wipes away the old model ... but I can't deny the old model is there.
I have been told (and have sometimes seen) that many people who have grown up in the chaos and dysfunction wrought by rapid social and economic change can thrive within the strict boundaries of more authoritarian churches. I have known some women who have flourished in fundamentalist environments. They saw their parents divorce and lead chaotic, impoverished, damaged lives, they saw their siblings struggle with addiction and single parenthood. Then these women were invited ... to church. At church, they found an alternative culture in which they could marry someone committed to marriage, have children, stay home with their children and be supported by a community that values marriage and motherhood and where there's no pressure to drink or use drugs. While the rules might be rigid and those out of bounds punished, inside the fold they have found a structure to pursue abundant life.
Mostly, I think God works through people like Parsley to bring other people to a true understanding of God. These other people will read the Bible, talk about it, think about it, pray about it, be informed by the Holy Spirit, and become true servants of God. And in doing so, they will reject a message of gross materialism and exultant violence.
Friday, May 30, 2008
On Tiredness
I went to my doctor Wednesday, complaining of fatigue. I think I need to go back on Armour, a thyroid med that's helped me in prior years, but it's out of fashion and I am now taking Sinthroid, which doesn't seem to work as well.
I went round the robin with my doctor, who said I had a "good" dose of Sinthroid: I "should" be fine. Am I sure I'm not depressed? I told her I think not and reminded her that the protocol is to exclude anything physical before addressing depression. Too many women who are physically ill get told their problems are in their heads.
She hastened to assure me she always followed protocol. The upshot is she's ordered a series of blood tests and a stress test. I meant to go get the testing done, but was too tired and groggy this morning to remember, one of the ironies of dealing with this syndrome!
I eat a healthy diet (I've lost 7 pounds) and exercise. I do have stress in my life with the move coming, but not excessive stress, and I do have good support systems in place. I have a good life and work I love. Most importantly, I have an underlying faith that keeps me from getting too panicked or worried.
Yesterday, Roger was home from work. I drank two cups of coffee and applied for some freelance work in the morning, then ran some errands. Roger and I had lunch at home, then went to Home Depot and the local Farmer's Market. When we pulled into the driveway at around 2:30, I could feel the exhaustion hitting. This was after a not terribly strenuous day! And why am I crashing ... I haven't had sugar or many carbs? Of course, I did miss exercise class ... and I drank morning coffee ...
A little after three, I crashed into a deep, exhausted sleep. (Again, I had hardly endured a difficult day). A little after five, I pulled myself up, knowing I needed to say goodbye to Roger and the boys as they left for a baseball game. I knew I needed to pull myself together to get Sophie from work and get the two of us to the game.
I tried hard to be alert but was irritable underneath because I was still sleepy. John Buck called urgently about rescheduling the camping trip. Mike called about e-mails and getting paid. I tried groggily to pray for patience and a line of energy. Sophie and I got to the game. It was a beautiful evening. We set up our chairs. I was a bit groggy, but managed to enjoy watching the boys get hits (I'm so proud of Nick's progress), and in Will's case, catching a ball for a double play. (He also hit a home run.) Sophie and I went out for coffee at a restaurant on Catonsville's main street, as I had promised her we would. (We ended up splitting shrimp quesadillas.)
I had a relaxing and enjoyable time out with Sophie. I was tired when we got home, but not in an irritable way, which was wonderful. At home, Roger started dealing with rearranging our camping trip (it's supposed to rain this weekend) and Susan Furth came over unexpectedly to drop off tents. I read to Will from his assigned school book, a fictional work about the Revolutionary War. And off to bed ...
I get frustrated with the tiredness, but remind myself that all sorts of people, from the apostle Paul to Galileo to John Woolman, dealt with physical afflictions. John Woolman, in fact, was compassionate toward the plight of slaves in part because he knew he would never have survived the physical labor their owners expected of them. He knew that a physically robust owner would have dismissed his physical limitations as laziness or lack of character, and probably would have worked him to death. This was a very real fear to him as he followed a leading to enter Indian territory. Not only did he see slavery as a reality in his own culture, he knew that disgruntled Indians were enslaving whites. He worries in his journal over the death sentence that enslavement would be should an Indian chief turn on Woolman and his fellow travelers.
The other day, was trying to make an appointment with a different doctor (and to make a long story short, it didn't work out) and in the process, I had a conversation with the woman who answered to phone, who kept demanding to know "Why" I wanted to come in. I told her, the gatekeeper, that I was tired and didn't think my Sinthroid was working. She told me, snappishly, that she was on Sinthroid too and it wasn't working for her either and she was tired all the time too. I just had to get to used to it, she told me. I wondered why we are all taking a med that doesn't work: does this make sense? And is tiredness something we just have to accept?
I went to an herbalist at one point for help with fatigue. Herbs don't seem to do it for me, but it was good to visit her. She would always tell me: If you are tired, sleep. If you are tired, sleep. Listen to your body. Well, I resist that! I'm afraid I would sleep my life entirely away. The Puritan in me says, stay awake! Force yourself through life! And mostly I do. Until I can't.
One of my fantasies about moving to Barnesville is that fresh air and a quieter life will renew my energy, so that I can go a full day without exhaustion hitting halfway through and derailing my plans. Of course, I'd hoped taking a break from working full time would "cure" me too! Relief would be wonderful, but I think I will still have to accept and work around and through this affliction. I both try to address it and also try to embrace it. As with Paul and John Woolman (and I'm guessing Galileo) it helps me feel compassion for others who are overworked and weary and who need a lighter burden. It helps me put aside my own ego needs, which say I "deserve" high energy because of all the "important" things I have to do.
I went round the robin with my doctor, who said I had a "good" dose of Sinthroid: I "should" be fine. Am I sure I'm not depressed? I told her I think not and reminded her that the protocol is to exclude anything physical before addressing depression. Too many women who are physically ill get told their problems are in their heads.
She hastened to assure me she always followed protocol. The upshot is she's ordered a series of blood tests and a stress test. I meant to go get the testing done, but was too tired and groggy this morning to remember, one of the ironies of dealing with this syndrome!
I eat a healthy diet (I've lost 7 pounds) and exercise. I do have stress in my life with the move coming, but not excessive stress, and I do have good support systems in place. I have a good life and work I love. Most importantly, I have an underlying faith that keeps me from getting too panicked or worried.
Yesterday, Roger was home from work. I drank two cups of coffee and applied for some freelance work in the morning, then ran some errands. Roger and I had lunch at home, then went to Home Depot and the local Farmer's Market. When we pulled into the driveway at around 2:30, I could feel the exhaustion hitting. This was after a not terribly strenuous day! And why am I crashing ... I haven't had sugar or many carbs? Of course, I did miss exercise class ... and I drank morning coffee ...
A little after three, I crashed into a deep, exhausted sleep. (Again, I had hardly endured a difficult day). A little after five, I pulled myself up, knowing I needed to say goodbye to Roger and the boys as they left for a baseball game. I knew I needed to pull myself together to get Sophie from work and get the two of us to the game.
I tried hard to be alert but was irritable underneath because I was still sleepy. John Buck called urgently about rescheduling the camping trip. Mike called about e-mails and getting paid. I tried groggily to pray for patience and a line of energy. Sophie and I got to the game. It was a beautiful evening. We set up our chairs. I was a bit groggy, but managed to enjoy watching the boys get hits (I'm so proud of Nick's progress), and in Will's case, catching a ball for a double play. (He also hit a home run.) Sophie and I went out for coffee at a restaurant on Catonsville's main street, as I had promised her we would. (We ended up splitting shrimp quesadillas.)
I had a relaxing and enjoyable time out with Sophie. I was tired when we got home, but not in an irritable way, which was wonderful. At home, Roger started dealing with rearranging our camping trip (it's supposed to rain this weekend) and Susan Furth came over unexpectedly to drop off tents. I read to Will from his assigned school book, a fictional work about the Revolutionary War. And off to bed ...
I get frustrated with the tiredness, but remind myself that all sorts of people, from the apostle Paul to Galileo to John Woolman, dealt with physical afflictions. John Woolman, in fact, was compassionate toward the plight of slaves in part because he knew he would never have survived the physical labor their owners expected of them. He knew that a physically robust owner would have dismissed his physical limitations as laziness or lack of character, and probably would have worked him to death. This was a very real fear to him as he followed a leading to enter Indian territory. Not only did he see slavery as a reality in his own culture, he knew that disgruntled Indians were enslaving whites. He worries in his journal over the death sentence that enslavement would be should an Indian chief turn on Woolman and his fellow travelers.
The other day, was trying to make an appointment with a different doctor (and to make a long story short, it didn't work out) and in the process, I had a conversation with the woman who answered to phone, who kept demanding to know "Why" I wanted to come in. I told her, the gatekeeper, that I was tired and didn't think my Sinthroid was working. She told me, snappishly, that she was on Sinthroid too and it wasn't working for her either and she was tired all the time too. I just had to get to used to it, she told me. I wondered why we are all taking a med that doesn't work: does this make sense? And is tiredness something we just have to accept?
I went to an herbalist at one point for help with fatigue. Herbs don't seem to do it for me, but it was good to visit her. She would always tell me: If you are tired, sleep. If you are tired, sleep. Listen to your body. Well, I resist that! I'm afraid I would sleep my life entirely away. The Puritan in me says, stay awake! Force yourself through life! And mostly I do. Until I can't.
One of my fantasies about moving to Barnesville is that fresh air and a quieter life will renew my energy, so that I can go a full day without exhaustion hitting halfway through and derailing my plans. Of course, I'd hoped taking a break from working full time would "cure" me too! Relief would be wonderful, but I think I will still have to accept and work around and through this affliction. I both try to address it and also try to embrace it. As with Paul and John Woolman (and I'm guessing Galileo) it helps me feel compassion for others who are overworked and weary and who need a lighter burden. It helps me put aside my own ego needs, which say I "deserve" high energy because of all the "important" things I have to do.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Rod Parsley: A Christian?
I read in the Washington Post that presidential candidate John McCain rebuked the Rev. Rod Parsley, a minister that he had initially courted.
Parsley, according to the Post, is part of a nondenominational group of prosperity-gospel churches called "Word of Faith." Parsley endorses the prosperity gospel and owns a million dollar gated home. He preaches violence: "We were built for battle! ... We get off on warfare!" He thinks that the Holy Spirit brought him to Columbus, Ohio, because Ohio is a swing state in national elections. He believes "in the geographic locating abilities of the Holy Spirit," according to the Post.
Parsley may call himself a Christian, but the beliefs named above are not consistent with Jesus' teaching as I understand it. I do believe Jesus preached a prosperity gospel: but NOT prosperity as the world knows it. I don't think Jesus found that it prospered a person to own a 7,000-square foot gated mansion. In fact, I think Jesus found such ownership damaging to a person's happiness and was directing people to find a different kind of treasure, a treasure in heaven, a pearl of greater price, that would lead them to joyfully abandon the opiate (or poison) of excessive materialism. I believe that if Jesus had truly believed our treasure lies in material goods, he would have acquired them. But he didn't.
Second, while as carnal humans we may (or may not) get "off" on warfare, Christianity preaches a transformed self, a new birth, a new spirit. This new self is explicitly a spirit of peace and love. It is not a spirit of war. It is a spirit that a creates a new heart of charity within individuals. It is a spirit that does good to one's enemy.
Parsley has, in my opinion, twisted the gospel to accord with his desires, not submitted himself to the transforming power of the gospel.
As for the "geographic locating abilities of the Holy Spirit," all I can say is that my family is moving to Ohio too.
How we as Quakers and Christians challenge (and love) people like Parsley? Do they do more damage to themselves and their followers or to the rest of us?
Parsley, according to the Post, is part of a nondenominational group of prosperity-gospel churches called "Word of Faith." Parsley endorses the prosperity gospel and owns a million dollar gated home. He preaches violence: "We were built for battle! ... We get off on warfare!" He thinks that the Holy Spirit brought him to Columbus, Ohio, because Ohio is a swing state in national elections. He believes "in the geographic locating abilities of the Holy Spirit," according to the Post.
Parsley may call himself a Christian, but the beliefs named above are not consistent with Jesus' teaching as I understand it. I do believe Jesus preached a prosperity gospel: but NOT prosperity as the world knows it. I don't think Jesus found that it prospered a person to own a 7,000-square foot gated mansion. In fact, I think Jesus found such ownership damaging to a person's happiness and was directing people to find a different kind of treasure, a treasure in heaven, a pearl of greater price, that would lead them to joyfully abandon the opiate (or poison) of excessive materialism. I believe that if Jesus had truly believed our treasure lies in material goods, he would have acquired them. But he didn't.
Second, while as carnal humans we may (or may not) get "off" on warfare, Christianity preaches a transformed self, a new birth, a new spirit. This new self is explicitly a spirit of peace and love. It is not a spirit of war. It is a spirit that a creates a new heart of charity within individuals. It is a spirit that does good to one's enemy.
Parsley has, in my opinion, twisted the gospel to accord with his desires, not submitted himself to the transforming power of the gospel.
As for the "geographic locating abilities of the Holy Spirit," all I can say is that my family is moving to Ohio too.
How we as Quakers and Christians challenge (and love) people like Parsley? Do they do more damage to themselves and their followers or to the rest of us?
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Back from Barnesville I
What a lot of driving: Will got bored on the return trip and started counting road kill to pass the time. Quite a lot in West Virginia, especially deer, then it tapered off. We don't know why there's so much dead fauna on the side of the road in that state: more wildlife, faster drivers, a slower removal schedule, some combination of the three? Or just happenstance? Who knows?
Anyway, we returned Monday evening from our weekend in Barnesville. I got as far as posting a few pictures yesterday evening as I try to process the upcoming move.
We took a closer look at the Towe house, where we'll be living. It's being "scraped" as a prelude to painting. We're delighted it's getting a new coat of paint. The handymen took down the glassed-in porch, which was apparently falling apart, so now we have more light from the south coming into our big living room.
I was told the kitchen floor, which looks original to the 1950s-style house, is being replaced, as are the damaged yellow linoleum counters. Dan, the handyman who told me the news, said he wasn't sure when the replacement would happen, as there are certain repairs that have to made over the summer while the students are gone and they have priority. I may have to live with the kitchen "as is" for a few months, but that's OK. There's nothing like knowing relief will come!
I'll have to coexist more permanently with the "cuckoo clock rustic" (as I call them) knotty pine cabinets. They are well made and in decent condition, so no reason to replace them ... except of course the small matter of aesthetics, but I'll live. I do hope to take down the wallpaper.
Anyway, the move continues to be an exercise in perspective. Is the cup half empty or half full? I think if I could get beyond some of the tension of the move, I could enjoy the half full more ...
On the half full side:
The rooms in the new house are big.
A smaller house will be easier to care for.
We don't have to mow the lawn.
There's a clothesline (not allowed in Columbia)!
Our upstairs bathroom is big, and I misremembered it's appearance. It has pretty pearlescent white tiles on the wall, bordered with black tiles.
We have casement windows and terrific views.
The kitchen is big and has lots of cabinets, including a broom closet.
The kids love the barn.
Have I mentioned how much I am going to enjoy not cooking?
The campus meals are healthy. The school grows much of its own food.
We went to the Stillwater meeting and it had a warm, lovely, spiritual feeling. We can walk to meeting.
We can walk to town easily, at least one end of it, where we find a grocery store and a Rite Aid.
There's a big library in town.
No more $600 heating bills to pay!
Enough for now ...
Anyway, we returned Monday evening from our weekend in Barnesville. I got as far as posting a few pictures yesterday evening as I try to process the upcoming move.
We took a closer look at the Towe house, where we'll be living. It's being "scraped" as a prelude to painting. We're delighted it's getting a new coat of paint. The handymen took down the glassed-in porch, which was apparently falling apart, so now we have more light from the south coming into our big living room.
I was told the kitchen floor, which looks original to the 1950s-style house, is being replaced, as are the damaged yellow linoleum counters. Dan, the handyman who told me the news, said he wasn't sure when the replacement would happen, as there are certain repairs that have to made over the summer while the students are gone and they have priority. I may have to live with the kitchen "as is" for a few months, but that's OK. There's nothing like knowing relief will come!
I'll have to coexist more permanently with the "cuckoo clock rustic" (as I call them) knotty pine cabinets. They are well made and in decent condition, so no reason to replace them ... except of course the small matter of aesthetics, but I'll live. I do hope to take down the wallpaper.
Anyway, the move continues to be an exercise in perspective. Is the cup half empty or half full? I think if I could get beyond some of the tension of the move, I could enjoy the half full more ...
On the half full side:
The rooms in the new house are big.
A smaller house will be easier to care for.
We don't have to mow the lawn.
There's a clothesline (not allowed in Columbia)!
Our upstairs bathroom is big, and I misremembered it's appearance. It has pretty pearlescent white tiles on the wall, bordered with black tiles.
We have casement windows and terrific views.
The kitchen is big and has lots of cabinets, including a broom closet.
The kids love the barn.
Have I mentioned how much I am going to enjoy not cooking?
The campus meals are healthy. The school grows much of its own food.
We went to the Stillwater meeting and it had a warm, lovely, spiritual feeling. We can walk to meeting.
We can walk to town easily, at least one end of it, where we find a grocery store and a Rite Aid.
There's a big library in town.
No more $600 heating bills to pay!
Enough for now ...
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Barnesville photos
View from the back of our house across the pond to the Olney Friends School campus. 
The Towe House, where we will be living in Barnesville. This is the back view, looking across the pond and towards the campus. The house looks to have been built between 1955 and 1960.
View of our bathroom, which has pretty white tiles with black trim, not formica, as I misremembered. That's a view of me in the mirror.
View of girls dorm from the back of our house.
The Towe House, where we will be living in Barnesville. This is the back view, looking across the pond and towards the campus. The house looks to have been built between 1955 and 1960.
View of our bathroom, which has pretty white tiles with black trim, not formica, as I misremembered. That's a view of me in the mirror.
View of girls dorm from the back of our house.
Peace symbols and Rebel flags
When we were in Barnesville last weekend, we walked to town from the Olney guest house--the Edgerton House-- and saw a Confederate flag flying in front of an old-fashioned clapboard home. I was startled. Will called it racist. I cast about looking for some meaning in the iconography of the flag beyond the evident racism. I found intimidation. There's something scary about a house that flies a Confederate flag. But maybe the owners are, on Memorial Day weekend, remembering relatives who died in the Civil War. I think about the Sheppard Fairey control icon (discussed in my first post of a few months past) that had no intended meaning. So possibly I am projecting my own interpretation onto this flag. Maybe it means something entirely other to the people flying it.
My reaction to the Confederate flag made me think of other people's reactions to the peace symbol. As I would drive to a job in Laurel a few years ago, I would pass a peace symbol someone had drawn on the wooden backing to an American flag draped over an overpass to Route 95. One woman who saw the peace symbol wrote to the local newspaper that it disgusted her and turned her stomach because it was a sign of hatred of America. I also remember news reports of a woman in Colorado who objected to her neighbor displaying a peace symbol in her window during the Christmas holidays.
Some people I know who embrace the peace symbol get angry at the suggestion that for many people, it stands for something other than peace. "It's just a peace symbol," they say. "How can anyone object to peace?" But is it truly a peace symbol if other people see in it hate, chaos, drugs and rejection of their values? If it makes them fearful? In that case, it can be like putting up a swastika and saying, wide-eyed, "oh, but it' just a symbol of ancient India."
While I can't say for others why they display either rebel flags or peace symbols, one thought is that they are expressing their identity and reaching out in a public way to the like minded. I've heard members of both groups get defensive about their "right" to show their symbols and their sense that it is other people's problem if they misunderstand the intent. To many, I suspect, the symbols bring back warm fuzzies from childhood. I know in my case, the peace symbol was a positive sign in my childhood, and I've had to step back and see it through other people's eyes. At first, I was surprised that others would object to it. Now, I try to be sensitive to that fact, and see that displaying a peace symbol is perhaps not the best way to build peace.
People do have a free speech right to display symbols that create a fear reaction in others. People who display rebel flags and peace symbols are probably right to say that their most vocal opponents misunderstand them. However, in the interest of civility, should some symbols, like the Confederate flag and the peace sign, that evoke so sharp an emotional response, be handled with greater care?
My reaction to the Confederate flag made me think of other people's reactions to the peace symbol. As I would drive to a job in Laurel a few years ago, I would pass a peace symbol someone had drawn on the wooden backing to an American flag draped over an overpass to Route 95. One woman who saw the peace symbol wrote to the local newspaper that it disgusted her and turned her stomach because it was a sign of hatred of America. I also remember news reports of a woman in Colorado who objected to her neighbor displaying a peace symbol in her window during the Christmas holidays.
Some people I know who embrace the peace symbol get angry at the suggestion that for many people, it stands for something other than peace. "It's just a peace symbol," they say. "How can anyone object to peace?" But is it truly a peace symbol if other people see in it hate, chaos, drugs and rejection of their values? If it makes them fearful? In that case, it can be like putting up a swastika and saying, wide-eyed, "oh, but it' just a symbol of ancient India."
While I can't say for others why they display either rebel flags or peace symbols, one thought is that they are expressing their identity and reaching out in a public way to the like minded. I've heard members of both groups get defensive about their "right" to show their symbols and their sense that it is other people's problem if they misunderstand the intent. To many, I suspect, the symbols bring back warm fuzzies from childhood. I know in my case, the peace symbol was a positive sign in my childhood, and I've had to step back and see it through other people's eyes. At first, I was surprised that others would object to it. Now, I try to be sensitive to that fact, and see that displaying a peace symbol is perhaps not the best way to build peace.
People do have a free speech right to display symbols that create a fear reaction in others. People who display rebel flags and peace symbols are probably right to say that their most vocal opponents misunderstand them. However, in the interest of civility, should some symbols, like the Confederate flag and the peace sign, that evoke so sharp an emotional response, be handled with greater care?
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Barnesville Weekend
Tomorrow, we head for Barnesville. I will be bringing my measuring tape so we can decide what furniture will fit in Towe House on the Olney Friends School campus.
We received this cryptic message:
"Saturday the
ninth graders are cooking a Greek meal for dinner that features the goats
they raised."
I'm going to assume this means goat's milk and goat's cheese.
We're informed the weather is supposed to be good in southeast Ohio this weekend. We're looking forward to the trip. I will probably post again on Tuesday. I hope everyone enjoys the Memorial Day weekend.
Question: Do people in this country actually eat goat meat?
We received this cryptic message:
"Saturday the
ninth graders are cooking a Greek meal for dinner that features the goats
they raised."
I'm going to assume this means goat's milk and goat's cheese.
We're informed the weather is supposed to be good in southeast Ohio this weekend. We're looking forward to the trip. I will probably post again on Tuesday. I hope everyone enjoys the Memorial Day weekend.
Question: Do people in this country actually eat goat meat?
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