My son and I have been playing a great new game. I remove his wet or smelly diaper, and try to get another one on him before he pees all over himself or all over me. Today I am down 2-0, and apparently he is trying to set some sort of distance record.

Shame on the Virginia and Metro DC Synods of the ELCA for getting involved in the dispute between the Virginia Diocese of TEC and CANA. They filed a friend of court brief along with other mainline bodies supporting the diocese in their quest to get control of property from congregations who voted to leave TEC. More about it here. Herein lies my issue with the Virginia Synod taking such an action: The ELCA doesn’t have a dog in this hunt…this is TEC business. Or do we????

I hope this isn’t an indication of things to come in the ELCA, but with this “One Church, Three Expressions” stance that is really being pushed in our own circles, I fear it may be. I hope all the ELCA congregations out there have it spelled out in their constitutions that their local congregations own all real property.

I know, I know, but this sort of stuff taps into both my Protestant streak and my libertarian streak.

• I’ve been working out my travel schedule for the rest of the year, and started getting excited about getting the hell out of Dodge. I think the most exciting trip will be a brief stay in Asheville, NC, sans kids at a fancy smancy resort. Wow…adult food…a nice room…time alone with my wife…I am pretty excited!
• I kind of bumbled Mother’s Day at our house. It is a little convoluted, but here’s what *I think* happened. First of all, my wife is the hardest person to buy anything for because she never says what she wants. So the oldest boy and I went and bought her a gift basket from Bath and Body Works that I thought was pretty nice. The problem was that we had like 20 people at lunch because it was also Pentecost and our oldest son’s confirmation. Anyway, needless to say we gave her her gift and cards and that was kind of it. The week before I had asked her about shifting Mother’s Day to Monday (you know, sort of a movable feast thing) which she flatly declined. So, I feel like the gesture we did make was weak, and was met with a true lack of enthusiasm on her part, which is no big deal for me, but kind of bothered our son because he picked out the basket. The last time I spent a lot of money on Mother’s Day I bought her this huge day spa package which expired before she used, so she called and got an extension, and then only used part of the services. It was a $300 package that she used half of, so I have been a little gun-shy about spending much money on these things since. Anyway, I know I botched this one, but I am kind of have that damned-if-I-do-damned-if-I-don’t feeling.
• So, speaking of traveling, we have to take my wife’s van to Florida. I know, a mini-van, how suburban of us. So this is a pretty nice minivan as minivans go, but we hate it. I mean, we really hate it. I can’t fit in it comfortably, and as you can imagine, long drives become physically painful because my legs are so cramped up. And she has hated the damn thing since we got it. There is rarely a week that goes by without a complaint. The problem is this: we need either a minivan or an suv because we have three kids and all the baggage that comes with three kids. It’s not like we can go buy a Civic Hybrid. Would buying an suv make me evil?
• MMMMM….bbq’d andouille for lunch!

An interesting article about Max Schreck, star of Nosferatu. In spite of rumors - and a movie - he wasn’t REALLY a vampire after all. If you haven’t seen this 1922 classic, drop what you are doing and go to the video store now. It is a beautiful movie in every sense of the term.

Yesterday I had the great privilege of presiding at the confirmation of my oldest son. I made it through the service without crying, even though I got very choked up a couple of times and had to look at my notes instead of directly at him.

We had a small party for him after, with friends and family in attendance. My dad even came in from Mississippi for the event, driving all night to make it. This was a big deal to my boy, who just adores his Pops, but to me as well, as it has taken a lot of years to mend the divide that erupted between my father and I. It was the first time he has seen me preach or lead worship.

Derek and Mother M and their brood were in attendance, which is always fun. The afternoon ended with lil G and lil H and my little girl chasing one another in circles and giggling the way only little girls can.

Anyway, I am really proud of my boy. He stood at the altar and professed the Christian faith as his own. May God grant him the spirit of perseverance as he continues to grow in grace.

Did anyone else notice that in the Psalm appointed for this week that the lectionary cops have removed part of verse 35?

Here’s what the omitted portion says: “Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more.” Psalm 104:35a (now suppressed by the church).

Ok, here’s my rub as a Protestant. Part of our MO is to put the scripture into the hands of the people, to let them wrestle with it and come to grips with it. Yet we take this Psalm, keep all the good stuff about praising God , and cut out this section. Why?

Think Jack Nicholson yelling, “The truth? You can’t handle the truth!”

When we edit the scriptures in order to take out something that a committee somewhere deemed offensive, then we are telling out people that they are unable to handle scripture except as mediated through the cleansing filter of the church.

Guess what?! We are reading the Psalm as written at my church. I, for one, trust my people.

We’re all just polishing brass on the Titanic…

…of course, that could be the fever talking.

…running a fever….feeling like I got hit by a truck…needing to finish my sermon…

This has been making the rounds, so I thought I would chime in. Derek, The Fogey, and Fr. Chris have all offered their opinions. The question at hand asks which books have been especially formative in your faith journey. I have pieced together a partial list:

1. The Bible (this should be a no brainer). It’s the book I get paid to talk about. Can you imagine a more awesome job!?

2. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer. Before I ever returned to the church, I found a 1928 BCP in a  library sale. It is what led me to the Daily Offices. Though I have been using another office book since December, the ‘28 seems to still be close at hand for me at all times. From this other Anglican liturgical gems have found their way into my life, including the St. Dunstan’s Psalter, The Anglican Breviary, The Anglican Missal, and the St. Augustine’s Prayerbook.

3. The Lutheran Book of Worship. Let me say first of all that this book was not chosen because I think it is is the finest liturgical work ever produced. I chose it because it is the service book that has been used since I became Lutheran, and the corporate worship contained in the LBW has profoundly impacted me. The first Eucharist I ever celebrated was a Setting II Eucharist 7 days after my ordination, and I can never forget what that was like.

4. Too many Merton books to list them all, but The Ascent to Truth, Contemplative Prayer and Life and Holiness all rank pretty high.

5. The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels. This book provided a sorely needed slap upside my head about a decade ago when I was getting a steady diet of Jesus Seminar stuff.

6. The Rule of St. Benedict. I’d always been more attracted to St. Francis than St. Benedict until 2004, when I really started to spend time with the Rule. It has shaped the way I view a lot of things, especially ministry. I am currently using the breviary Benedictine Daily Prayer for the offices.

7. The Book of Concord. Yep, the big book of Lutheran dogma. Read it. Love it. Live it. (Well, ok, there are a couple of things in there that drive me batty and that I can’t quite reconcile with what I have learned and experienced, but all in all it has formed me theologically in a way second only to Scripture.)

8. Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings, edited by Lull. As close as one can come to a Luther vade mecum. Think of it as the Sportscenter of Luther’s thought…it doesn’t have everything, but you get the highlights.

9. The Philokalia. I’ve been reading it for 2 years. I still haven’t made it out of volume 1 (except to snoop around in the other 3 volumes). This isn’t a book you read, so to speak. It is a collection of wisdom upon which to meditate. It is a partner for the journey. Read The Way of the Pilgrim before you decide to tackle this one.

I am too lazy to provide links for the books. You can google ‘em if need be.

Time has once again proven that print media is irrelevant by releasing their Top 100 most influential people list. Really folks, I think it is time for Americans to confess just how dumb we really are.