i hope i am theologian...at least a little bit

Speaking of theology. I'm in the midst of writing my very last paper of the semester: a 12-15 page paper for Systematic Theology. I'm trying really hard to get it done tonight because tomorrow I have an exam and Friday I fly to Regina. Time is short. The thing I find frustrating with a theology paper more than any other is that I never feel as though I've said everything that needs to be said or qualified every statement that needs to be qualified. I'm writing about the idea of a suffering God (hence the appropriateness of my theologian quiz results) and there is so much to say - I could write a dissertation. I know I'm not going to say everything that should be said, particularly because I'm running short on time. Maybe that's the real problem. I'm kicking myself for leaving this paper so late that I won't have time to do a bang up job as I'd like to. Frustrating. But at least I'm leaving town right after handing it in. That way I can literally leave it behind me and not think about it until January, when I'll have more chances to write substandard essays on really interesting topics. On that note, I think it's time to eat some food to energize myself for at least a few more hours of essay writing.

am i theologian?

Leah had this posted on Rhett's site (www.rockstarpoet.ca) and I figured I had better also take the quiz. This thing is surprisingly accurate...at least I liked the description they gave me. I'll take it ;)

You scored as Jürgen Moltmann. The problem of evil is central to your thought, and only a crucified God can show that God is not indifferent to human suffering. Christian discipleship means identifying with suffering but also anticipating the new creation of all things that God will bring about.

Jürgen Moltmann		67%
Karl Barth		60%
Martin Luther		47%
Paul Tillich		40%
John Calvin		40%
Anselm		13%
Augustine		13%
Charles Finney		13%
Friedrich Schleiermacher		13%
Jonathan Edwards		7%

Which theologian are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

The Little Towns of Bethlehem by John Terpstra

For unto us
in Aklavik
is born a child, in
Attiwapiskat
Gaspe
Cornerbrook, Newfoundland.
And a son is given, in
Westaskiwin
Bella Coola
Flin Flon.
And the future of the whole earth
is placed upon the shoulders of the daughter of
Tuktoyaktuk
Tignish
Swan Lake.
And the place of their birth is called
Vermilion
Temiskaming
Nain
Picture Butte.

An angel of the Lord appears in the night sky
over Rankin Inlet, over
Iqaluit, saying
This shall be the sign: you will find the babe
wrapped in cast-off flannel, lying
on a bed of straw, in
Esther, Alberta
in a winter feeding stall
an open boxcar, outside
Kindersley, Saskatchewan.

And sure, several hours north
from Hogg's Hollow, just this side
Englehart
you see a one, sleeping in its mother's arms
on the soft shoulder, where their car broke down.
And the dark highway shines
imperishable life
while helping them
beneath these northern lights
and driving on, through
Cochrane
Kapuskasing
Hearst
past Nipigon, and on
to the little town of Emo
Rainy River Region,
and least among the little dots
that lie scattered as stars
and litter the map
of Northwest Ontario,
where they're expecting you,
as in so many other
of these least likely dots
this expectation
also is; in
Miniota
Pickle Lake
Ohswekan
Glace Bay.

For unto us.
For into all
this night
is born a child, this night
bearing each,
and the places of their birth,
and nativity is given
every name.

awoo

sit back, close your eyes and drift away to...

http://radio3.cbc.ca/play/band/THE-HIDDEN-CAMERAS/Awoo/

thoughts after midnight

tonight we had our final church and ministry course for the semester (it's a practical theology course where we look at different issues that arise from the context of ministry). one of our classmates, cindy, spoke about her experiences as a transsexual woman. and i've been sitting in front of the computer for a while now wanting to write some thoughts but still working things through in my head. it was a really neat experience. i've gotten to know cindy a bit over the semester but this was the first time i've heard her reflections on her own experience. and it was also helpful because she explained so much basic stuff like what is transsexual (transsexual is a person who chooses to live their life as the opposite sex. interestingly, transgendered is slightly different and is in fact an umbrella term meaning anyone who dresses as the opposite sex for whatever reason - transvestite, cross-dresser, drag queen, etc. so transsexual is a more specific category within transgendered).

the first thing that struck me from cindy's talk is how although she does not feel excluded or unwelcome by the church it is difficult for her to find things that speak specifically to her as a transsexual. she commented on the way we usually lump together lgbtq (lesbian/gay/bi/trans/queer) but that these are all very different. in fact, trans people are often excluded by the gay/lesbian community because in reality, their situation is very different. the thought had never even crossed my mind. cindy pointed to a couple of passages in the new testament that speak about the eunuch and used this as a symbol for the transsexual. matthew 19:12 made so much more sense in this light: For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can."

the most incredible part of cindy's story is that she was not a christian when she first came out of the closet. she started going to church because she wanted community. and she found community at the church (a united church congregation). as she says, "i came for the community and i stayed for the christ." in light of all the awful things that happen in the name of religion my heart burned within in me when she said this. and it wasn't that everyone in her congregation are raging liberals...they've just decided to make inclusivity a part of their mission.

what makes it all the more wonderful and exciting is that cindy is now starting theological studies in the mdiv program. it's such an incredible thing that the united church openly affirms the wholeness and worth of all people in this way. and if we believe that we are saved not by what we do but by god's grace alone...well...you see where i'm going with this. i guess there's a long way to go and a need for thoughtful and prayerful dialogue and reflection.

i leave you with a story from acts of the apostles:

26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a wilderness road.) 27 So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. She had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning home; seated in her chariot, she was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it." 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard her reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31 She replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And she invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture that she was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth." 34 The eunuch asked Philip, "About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" 35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to her the good news about Jesus. 36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?" 38 She commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized her. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on her way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Who's the Squirrel with the Bling?

You must check out wondercafe.ca if you have not yet done so. It's the United Church's new hip website for those seeking "open-minded discussion and exploration of spiritual topics, moral issues and life's big questions." And while you're there be sure to take a look at EZ Squirrel as well as the Ad Campaign (lower left sidebar). I promise you smiles. And I'd love to hear what people think of this approach to 'spreading the news.' It's been met with mixed reactions round here.

Let's try this again...

I know it's been a while since I've posted. I went to the CN Tower last week and tried uploading some pictures but was having some technical difficulties. So here's trying again. And I guess if you're reading this that means I've been successful! Just some of the different views from the top of the tower. Note the one looking down as I'm standing on the glass floor. I've also drawn a yellow arrow to show where I live. That view is looking north from the Tower. Anyways, still making out just fine here in Toronto. I can't believer there are only 5 weeks left in the semester. Still lots to do before then!

reading week

So I definitely can't complain about getting a reading week in the middle of the fall semester. That's pretty sweet. But I really could do without this take home midterm for Systematic Theology. In theory it shouldn't be difficult (two 4-5 page essays) but in reality it's driving me crazy. I mean, I've picked my questions, re-read my notes, the pertinent parts of the text books and even some extra readings. But for some reason it just won't come together for me. I have partial outlines for each topic but can't seem to wrap them up. I actually think I'm just starting to psych myself out - I got a 79 on my first paper for New Testament and I was not happy with that at all. And I've heard that my Theology is prof is one of the hardest markers at TST. But I've decided that tomorrow I start writing. Cause I have so much other stuff to get done before class starts again next week that I can't afford to lose any more time. Let me know if anyone feels like reading some short essays before they need to be handed in on Thursday ;)

So reading week is going well. I have in fact been doing things other than reading. Tonight I went to a volunteer orientation for Out of the Cold - a homeless meal and overnight program. I've really been missing that connection and it will be good to have something to do besides school. That and my yoga class ;) I also went for lunch today with one of the girls in my program. So I'm not hitting the books too hard, but hard enough of course. Speaking of which, time to get back to work. Maybe a little Greek this time.

One more sleep until party time...

Or reading week, whatever you want to call it. And yes, can you believe we get a reading week in the fall semester. These crazy Ontario universities. But I'm not complaining. I can really use the time to catch up on the massive amounts of reading I have. Somehow I just keep accumulating more and more each week. I should never have let myself fall behind at Thanksgiving ;) It's all been downhill from there. Speaking of Thanksgiving, I made it out to my aunt and uncle's place outside Waterloo for the most gorgeous weekend ever, and some really amazing food. I can't begin to articulate just how wonderful it is to have some family near by when I'm so far from home. So nice to see some familiar faces. Plus they live down the road from a bunch of Mennonite farms. My aunt and cousin took me for a little tour of the area and we saw people ploughing the fields with their team of horses, driving in their buggies, and the yellow road warning signs with an image of a horse & buggy on them! It's a really beautiful area. And driving through the Niagara escarpment was breathtaking.

On Sunday I went to a black baptist church with a couple of other Emmanuel students. What an experience. The music was pumping and the floorboards were shaking. It was great. The only downside was that the service didn't start until 11 and went for two hours, and I hadn't eaten anything beforehand. I was just a little hungry by the time we wound up the final hymn. Kind of interesting, the pastor is in my Greek course. He preached a very nice sermon on the topic of "Joy Cometh in the Morning." He had us turning to our neighbours and telling each other this and then the congregation repeating it back to him over and over. Definitely hit the message home.

Anyways, only one more day to go and I have freedom. Can't quite believe it's already the halfway point in the semester. But my thoughts are already on Christmas vacation...hopefully I can stay motivated for school until then.

Toronto Islands

On Sunday afternoon I had the wonderful opportunity to escape the big city and check out the Toronto Islands. Just a short ferry ride from downtown Toronto. My friend Carolyn (a fellow Emmanuel student) took me for an afternoon tour. We managed to escape the rain. The skies opened up the minute we got to the islands but fortunately we found shelter until the rain let up. And the rest of the afternoon was gorgeous. I've included a few pics for your enjoyment.













The Toronto skyline from Centre Island.














In front of Lake Ontario. We thought we could see the other side. Or maybe our eyes were just playing tricks on us




















These signs are posted as you leave the "clothing optional" beach. As it was a chilly day there weren't any sunbathers to be found. We too opted for clothing this time ;)















Sun streaming over lake Ontario. Of course the picture never does justice.

Whoever is not against us is for us

Each week in my Church and Ministry course we look at the weekly gospel lesson from the lectionary. This week it was a passage from Mark (9:39-50). The disciples have just told Jesus that they saw someone casting out demons in his name and they tried to stop the man because he was not following Jesus. Jesus, however, tells them not to stop the man..."whoever is not against us is for us." This short story is followed by admonitions against committing wrongdoings.

Tonight we had a guest speaker - an ordained priest in the Anglican Church who is also Cree and a residential school survivor. Although he spent most of the class speaking of aboriginal history in general he also shared some of his own stories with us. He offered us a complex view of the role the residential school had played in his own life. Initially he only had positive things to say about this experience - he received a good education, he learned to play football and hockey. Later on in the class someone asked him about his own discernment process, how he had come to be an Anglican priest, and how he reconciled this with his identity as an aboriginal person. In this moment he shared with us that he had indeed suffered severe physical abuse while he was at the residential school but that he now sees these experiences as a blessing in his life. These experiences have allowed him to identify with those to whom he ministers. It was so impressive for me to see how he had been able to take such negative experiences and find goodness in them. Obviously not an easy task and many people struggle to make meaning of traumatic experiences in their own lives and to move beyond them - of course never forgetting (and nor should they be forgotten). In terms of discernment, he emphasised how it important it is to first know yourself. It's hard to imagine becoming a leader in a church that has caused you so much pain. But knowing who he is as a native person and who he is as a Christian allowed him to work through this process and to redeem his experiences. Invaluable insights.

Returning to Jesus' words: "whoever is not against us is for us." I wish this message was proclaimed more loudly these days. I think we're much more accustomed to hearing "either you're for us or you're against us." Wouldn't the world be such a better place if we adhered to the first statement. What would Canada look like today if our ancestors hadn't mistreated the aboriginal people as history has played out? We certainly can't say the reserves were created to protect us from these 'dangerous indians who were out to get us'; it simply is not true. What if we realised and truly believed that we're all in this together. Just because we have different cultures and traditions does not mean that we're in opposition. Our goals may not be 100% identical yet I would argue that most of us crave for similar ends. We want to live in peace, we want to be loved, we want the freedom to express ourselves and our beliefs without fear of judgement or reprisal. If only we were more blind to our differences and more able to recognise our similarities.

In this course our weekly assignment is to reflect upon what we have experienced in class. These are just my initial thoughts - rough indeed. It truly pains me that aboriginal rights don't seem to be a mainstream issue in Canada. We seem blind to the injustices that exist in our own backyard. Why are aboriginal rights not a more prominent social justice issue?

I Hart House

Ok, so I should be doing homework right now but I'll get to it soon enough. I just wanted to write about my new favourite discovery at the U of T: Hart House. It's this gorgeous old building (and huge) that is now a student's services centre. They have a theatre, athletics facilities, a beautiful courtyard, and lots of other clubs and activities. The very best part is that it is 5 minutes from my dorm. This morning I had my first yoga class (10 beautiful more weeks of yoga left!). What a great way to start the day and real quality instruction. And after my Greek class this afternoon I tried out the pool. A 4 lane 25-yard pool just as I like ;) But it beats the Regina Y hands down because of its incredible vaulted ceiling. So much nicer to look at than water stained ceiling tiles (don't worry Y, I still like you too). Anyways, I have no excuse now not to lose those 10 lbs I put on while south of the border. I'll just need to pace myself with this cafeteria food (dessert with lunch & supper! - good thing I only eat 6 meals a week there). Well that was a nice break. Back to my reading...starting with more of Who Wrote the Bible?, which I totally recommend reading (it's very non-academic and well written).

my room

The beginning of the end....

Well not really, although I think I will indeed be working my butt off this semester. I've now been to all my classes and have my 4 day weekend! Which will actually be spent doing all the reading and assignments due next week because yes, there really is that much to get done. But it really shouldn't feel like work because I'm in love with the subject matter. At least that is my hope.

My first course is Intro to New Testament Greek which I have twice a week. So my most recent task has been trying to memorise the Greek alphabet using some homemade flash cards. I think I'm starting to catch on which is good because we're already expected to be able to "read" - that is sound out - greek words and passages. Our textbook is highly motivating though. After only 4 chapters we've already learned 26 words which means we can already read 11.65% of the New Testament. This is because there are actually only 5,437 total different words in the New Testament, and the word and (kai) occurs 9, 153 times and accounts for 6.7% of the total word count. So I guess I still have a ways to go before I can actually read and understand but it's encouraging none the less.

Wednesday was a longer day. I had Intro to the Old Testament in the morning. The profressor for this course formerly taught at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary (until her position was cut because of financial reasons - so now Waterloo doesn't even have an Old Testamant professor - which is kind of ridiculous and especially unfortunate). But it's nice to know I'm not the only Lutheran on campus. We have several former Lutherans but none that have stuck with it ;) I think this course will be a fair bit of review for myself but also learning some crucial things. Like the order of the OT books, historical timelines, etc. Plus exploring all the crazy stories which is half the fun.

Wednesday evening I have a Church and Ministry course. I'm still not entirely sure what will be covered in this course as we don't have any books or a syllabus. We are spending the first two weeks of class introducing ourselves. This means sharing as much or as little as you would like. Our first class was pretty intense. Hearing someone's story is such a powerful experience. And being able to recognise our shared experiences and our differences is so cool. Unfortunately it's a larger class (as are all of my classes - between 30 and 40 people) and so is not quite as conducive to sharing but it seems to be working. Next week the other half will be sharing their stories (myself included). One common theme that seems to be shared is the amazing courage people have to take this leap of faith and come to seminary. It doesn't seem to have been an easy decision for anyone I've met yet but we're all glad to be here. This class will also be a really good balance as the rest of my timetable is heavy on the academics.

My days become longer as the week progresses. Thursday I have 3 classes! We'll that's also because Greek is twice a week (Tues & Thurs) as opposed to once a week like the rest of my classes. Thursday mornings begin with Systematic Theology. I have yet to totally understand what the Systematic part is. On our syllabus the professor titled the course Intro to (Systematic) Theology. He hasn't yet explained why the parentheses but next week our class topic is "what is theology?" so perhaps that question will be answered then. This should be a fun class where we get to delve into those questions of who is god, why is there suffering, what does all this mean for our own life and action. We'll see what kind of answers I come up with at the end of the semester.

In the afternoon I have Greek once again. Yes, the alphabet is coming along. And I've also learned how to pronounce the diphthongs. Thursday night I have Intro to the New Testament at St. Michael's college (it's one of the Catholic colleges at the Toronto School of Theology). The professor seems really great - somewhat of a free spirit and very excited about the New Testament. It seems that this course won't be so much an intro to the books of the New Testament as an intro to the different methods of studying the New Testament. I think this will also be some review for me since I've taken a similar course in my undergrad, from an equally amazing but completely different professor, so I'm looking forward to getting some new insight and different perspectives. Provided I'm still awake by the time this class comes around ;) Thursday is a very long day.

And now my weekend begins. Today my plans include picking up some spider plants from a woman I met on craigslist, going to the bank so I can pay my U of T bill, and heading to the library to use their printer. Tonight is Foot Liberation Night at Emmanuel College. There will be an hour long Salsa class followed by a dance in the chapel. The great thing about this program is that it includes people of all ages and all life circumstances. This event is a family event and will have things for the kids to do. They will also have a cash bar for the rest of us ;) I think I will fit in here just fine, even if I am Lutheran.

Tomorrow it begins

Well I've been in Toronto for one week now and I'm still surviving. I've eaten at the residence cafeteria 3 times now and it's actually really great. They have some pretty impressive vegetarian fare which makes me very happy - Thai curry, lentils, mixed bean casseroles ;) yummy. I don't think I need to worry about going hungry this year. I guess I've been keeping pretty busy since I last posted. I've done a lot of neighbourhood exploring. There is just so much here - anything you are looking for you can find here. And there are all these wonderful quiet residential areas just off the main streets. You turn the corner and all of a sudden all the noise disappears. It's a thing of beauty. My friends Michael and Mandy took me to their favourite sushi restaurant on Sunday night. Now I haven't had much sushi but I have to say that this sushi was very good. I would definitely go back. And apparently if you order for pickup you get 20% off your order, which I will have to take advantage of. What else did I do this weekend? A visit to Honest Ed's which is most certainly an experience. They blow Wal-mart out of the water, plus it's not Wal-mart. It's probably the gaudiest store you'll ever set foot in (flashing lights and giant signs everywhere) but it's Honest Ed's. You just go there for the experience (and some really good deals). Saturday night we also did a bit of star searching seeing as the Film Fest is on. We didn't have a whole lot of luck. Our biggest brush with fame was seeing the writer(?) who won the Academy Award for Crash. We were holding out for Heath Ledger but it just didn't happen for us. Today's big excitement is that I finally have a phone!!! Very excited about that. Let me know if you'd like the number and I'll pass it on. I like getting phone calls.

Anyways, I have my first class tomorrow. Greek in the afternoon. The rest follow on Wednesday and Thursday. I have to say I'm really looking forward to starting class. Exploring has been fun but I'm yearning for a little more structure in my life. What can I say? I like order ;) But not too much of course. So, I hope to have another post later on this week for all of you who are interested in my classes and so forth...

Toronto may be a big city...

But as I was getting my student card this morning I ran into one of the 3 people I knew were in Toronto. John, one of the former chaplains at Campion College in Regina, is also in town beginning an MDiv at Regis College (also part of the Toronto School of Theology). I had been told he was in Toronto but knew nothing more than that. So what are the chances we would both be getting student cards at the same time. Strange how those things unfold. So far Toronto has been pretty awesome. But my next big challenge is to find a job. Keeping my fingers crossed that it won't be too difficult a task. It's kind of unfortunate that my phone won't be hooked up until Monday. That definitely adds an element of difficulty to the whole process. But we'll see what I can get done in the meantime. I just realised that I have a Thursday night course this semester which will interfere in my weekly Grey's Anatomy. We'll also have to see if there's any way to remedy this tragedy. I guess I'll have to befriend some unsuspecting generous stranger who owns a vcr. But I likely will survive even without my weekly fix of Grey's Anatomy. I might be grumpy but I'll survive.

I still have 4 days before classes start so hopefully I can keep myself busy until then. The Weakerthans and Metric are playing for free tomorrow evening as part of first year orientation. I also need to find some furniture to fill up my spacious suite. It's definitely a little larger than I was expecting. Part of my mission this weekend will be to find some decent thrift shops. Until then...

Me & the Boys

Our Final Retreat

Rainy Days and Fridays...

I'm sitting here on a Friday afternoon staring out at the pouring rain, thinking about how I rode my bike to work this morning and if this keeps up, well, I may have to rethink how I'll be getting home. I just finished up house/dogsitting for a few days. How wonderful it was to have air conditioning (ours in on the fritz and apparently someone is coming to check it sometime). But it's good to be home again too. I went to hot yoga last night with the roomies. Why hot you ask? For many reasons, foremost being the room is heated to body temperature so you sweat a whole lot. It feels amazing. My roommate Lauren managed to get each of us a one-month pass to the studio so I'll be yoga-ing it up this month and see how flexible I can get. The rain is tapering a little...maybe in an hour it'll be okay to bike. I'll be so wet anyways. But rain is beautiful...and it makes me happy...looking forward to a weekend of wedding showers and speaking to youth about homelessness.

Since when is armed robbery just across the line from "having a good time"

I was watching So You Think You Can Dance last night following which the headlines for the 10 o'clock news came on. Top story was about an armed robbery at a Smoothie King (which looked suspiciously like the one across the street from my work). Sure enough I was right. So apparently the story goes that on March 30th, 5 local highschool seniors hatched some plan to rob this store and in fact did so, with a gun. (News report can be read at: http://www.nbc4.com/news/9275046/detail.html

These comments from DCist.com illustrate how ridiculously this crime is being treated by those in the community:
"Whitman Students Charged In Robbery: "There's a fine line, sometimes, between going out and having a good time and committing armed robberies." Those words of wisdom come courtesy of Maryland State's Attorney Doug Gansler. He was referring to the five Walt Whitman High students who were charged yesterday with the armed robbery of a Smoothie King. NBC4 brings us the details of the alleged robbery: the kids netted $463 and celebrated at Pizzeria Uno's. Other key quotes from the story include their principal being "disappointed" that the students made "idiotic decisions", and the aforementioned Gansler lamenting that the crime was committed by young men from "good families" with "bright futures". Hmm... What's that noise? Could it be the sound of affluent white kids getting probation?"

My sentiments exactly. If the same crime had been perpetrated by 5 black kids do you think there would even be any discussion about how to proceed with prosecution? Simply ludicrous.

feministing

I recently disovered this website. This is after I just finished reading the book Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy. I've been thinking about feminism a lot the past week or so. What does it mean? How is it relevant? There's no doubt in my mind that it is still relevant today...but it is different than in past generations. Because, like anything it evolves along with society and culture. In her book, Levy talks about the "raunch culture" that many women have embraced and claim as liberating for women. In other words "girls say they're tired of acting "hot" just to get a man, and scoff at the notion, relentlessly pushed in magazines, movies, music and on MTV, that acting raunchy -- stripping or imitating porn stars in their dress or behavior -- is a feminist act that empowers women." (see http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05285/586648.stm). I think this raises a lot of questions...and probably a few eyebrows, and ultimately is very problematic. I personally wonder how this could be liberating for women. Being in control of one's own sexuality is crucial. But how does/should one live this out? To say that acting raunchy is an act of empowerment for women just doesn't sit right with me. I get the impression that those who espouse raunch culture as liberating for women do so at the exclusion of other expressions of sexuality and empowerment for women, which is not cool. When I think of feminism I think of the freedom to be what you wish, what is fulfilling for you personally (this should go for both men & women). If a woman chooses to stay at home and raise a family that is her choice. If a woman wants to dedicate her life to a career that is her choice. The key word here is CHOICE. True liberation comes when one can make a decision about how to live his or her own life without societal or cultural constraints. While this definition raises a whole slew of others questions I think it is a necessary starting point...and the thinking continues...

If only I were Jew-theran

Once again it's been awhile since I've posted on here. I guess I should just stop apoligizing because it will be a recurring theme. I had a great weekend. On Friday I attended my first Shabbat service (http://tikkunleilshabbat.blogspot.com/). I've always been intrigued by Judaism but this was my first non-academic experience with Judaism. It was incredible! I went along with my good friend Ilana who is in Avodah (the Jewish volunteer corps). The service was so beautiful. It was very informal, just a gathering of 20-30 20-something's in a room sitting in a circle. Different people took turns leading and the majority of the service was sung (all in Hebrew!) accompanied by guitar. It was so inspiring and powerful to hear different people explain their own feelings towards certain parts of the liturgy. They also spent a lot of time explaining the different pieces of the service because many of them come from different backgrounds. It was just very cool - did I say that yet? And afterwards we all partook (is that even a word?) in a vegetarian potluck. To finish off the evening, Ilana and I and her friend Josh went out dancing. Makes me wonder why we don't have church on Friday or Saturday nights ;)

I also had a busy weekend with speaking engagements. I haven't had to speak in public in over a year and I got to do it twice in one weekend. I had a blast. On Saturday night I spoke about homelessness at a youth event at a local church (http://www.wilsonlaneyouth.org). I was very impressed that the kids listened seeing as they were really there to hear some local bands play. Good music...brought back good memories of high school (glad they're memories though). And on Sunday morning it was my turn to share about my work placement at the church that sponsors my program. I made sure to do a mini sermon ;) And I think it went over alright. If you're interested...

One of the aspects I enjoy most about my work at Bethesda Cares is the time spent in our drop-in center. The clients we see are predominantly male, the majority of whom are either alcohol or substance addicted and/or mentally ill. This has been my first experience working directly with this population and while initially I found myself outside of my comfort zone it has truly been an amazing learning experience. My comfort zone has increased by leaps and bounds.
In our office, it is always amazing to me what I witness each day. It is a community in its own right. Our clients are homeless; most live on the streets or in emergency shelters. For many of them, our office is a safe place for them to be and for many of them our office is their home – something which I need to remind myself of on an ongoing basis. As in any community, there are good days and there are less good days. Many days are filled with good conversation - sports, music, current events – the knowledge base that fills our office never ceases to amaze me. We also have days where there are disagreements and heated discussions. When you have an office full of people, many of whom are mentally ill, suffering from the effects of their addictions or simply just tired from spending night after night on the street, there are bound to be conflicts. And while we must have some rules in order to keep the community functioning, there is a tremendous amount of forgiveness. Many of these individuals have burned all of their bridges with family and friends and truly have nowhere else to turn. As such, we try to be a constant in their otherwise chaotic lives and give our clients as many second chances as they need, of course within reason. We always ensure that there is a basic level of respect held for both clients and staff. I think one of the biggest lessons I have learned over these past few months is the invaluable importance of human connections - and developing connections with a population that I otherwise would have very little contact with. These homeless individuals are no different from anyone else – they have their problems like the rest of us – the only difference is that society places them on the margins because of their differences.
I am always struck by how frequently the poor are mentioned in the Bible. Jesus continually reminds us to remember the poor. He says “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.” I like to reverse this phrase so it reads “You will not always have me, but you will always have the poor.” For me, this is a calling for us to be with the poor. Not something that is done easily in our society – we have busy lives and lots of commitments. For this reason I have been so grateful for this year where I can spend time “being with the poor.” Not in an act of charity but an act of mutuality – or so I hope. I have learned so much from my clients – about their lives, about relating to other humans, about connecting with other humans, and about my own strengths and weaknesses. It is my hope that I am able to offer something in return, even if it has only been a listening ear.

May Days

I knew this year was going to pass quickly, but when it actually happens it's still a bit of a surprise. Only 3 months and a bit to go before my time in DC ends. I celebrated my 24th birthday last Friday! The celebrations were pretty low key but just what I needed. I had lunch at my favourite spot in Bethesda - McCormick & Schmick's for their Friday blue plate special: Fish Tacos. In the evening the roomies and I ordered in sushi and tuned into Austin Powers for a Friday night movie. I'm not quite sure how it happens. For the last three birthday's we've celebrated in our house there have been big plans to go out and party. And then the day arrives and we decide to be bums and stay in. We're such awful party animals.

I spent the weekend dog/house-sitting for a couple at the church. Magnus, the dog, made sure I got my exercise in giving him plenty of walks. And I got my fill of cable tv for a while - I've become a complete Food Network convert - so long TLC. On Saturday I headed down to Cleveland Park and treated myself to a pedicure & manicure (well, thanks to mum). And took a stroll through the National Zoo. It's just so beautiful here already - I'm going to miss DC spring so much.

And work continues on as usual. Our clientele has transitioned however from being predominantly addicts and alcoholics to the mentally ill. Which makes for some interesting occurences at work. Yesterday we had a client try to throw a chair at another. This morning however was quiet, fortunately. This afternoon I have a meeting with the pastor from one of our supporting congregations. As a special project I'm setting up these meetings to touch base with our supporting congregations and to look for ways in which we can collaborate. It's nice to have something a little different to keep me busy - a big change from working with our clients.

I'm so lazy...

Well, I've been back in DC for over a week now and I've been doing some cool things. But I just can't seem to get it together to post anything on this blog. Sorry for those of you who actually do read this and notice when I don't post anything. Anyways...

Last Monday was a big day here in DC. I made it down to the immigration rights rally at the Capitol - I even got to leave work early to bike down there. A few observations...there was a sea of American flags (first rally I've been to here where it was so predominant)...the crowd was by and large hispanic (you might have seen the odd caucasian or african american). It was very cool, Si se puede! And lots of Spanish. I don't know if anyone has been following the immigration debate down here but there could be some pretty big implications if certain bills pass into law.

Easter was nice here. Lots of church. I attended a Christian seder meal on Maundy Thursday. The first part of the service was based on a traditional Jewish Seder, followed by a full meal and then a Eucharist liturgy. I also made it to my first Easter Vigil on Saturday at the Franciscan Monastery. Also my first Catholic service ever, can you believe! It was nice though. With passing the light and the different readings. But the most amazing part had to have been the setting - the monastery is beautiful. They have wonderful gardens full of tulips (yes, everything is green and blooming here!) and a beautiful sanctuary. And Sunday morning I had my wonderful Lutheran Easter service complete with Christ the Lord is Risen Today, breakfast and brass quintet. A very different Easter but good all the same.

My Date with the President

Would you believe it?!? I got to see Bush give a speech last Thursday. Wasn't that my lucky day ;) Joan (the social worker from BCares) and I got to go to a conference put on by the White House for Faith-Based Community Initiatives. This faith-based thing is pretty big here and I'm not quite sure what I think about it. I've been observing this weird reverse separation of church and state phenomenon. The Bush administration is handing off what I would think to be one of their duties as government, the delivery of social services, to the churches. Meanwhile, they are incorporating all this religious language into their speeches and such. I went to a similar conference put on by the State of Maryland at the end of February where the incorporation of religion (specifically Christianity) into politics was especially blatant. I think it's kind of scary. Please let me know if anything like this starts going down in Canada! It bothers me that churches are being burdened with providing social services. I realise that the church has a long history of doing this but to make it a duty of the churches and then to have them compete for grant money so that they can continue to get "great results" just seems wrong. Anyways, the speech was pretty awful. Bush quoted some statistics about how teen pregnancy is declining, abortions are declining (could that be because they are being outlawed?!?), etc. But he made no mention of homeless, poverty or dropout rates which are all abysmal and are probably the three biggest social problems currently. He also made some really bad joke about how he knows what it's like to live in temporary housing. But he did have some good news. His government is working on some initiatives. For example, they are want to give tax breaks to those individuals and corporations who donate food to the hungry. Can you just hear the applause? We did meet some cool people though. Like Ahmed who works for the Muslim Political Affairs Council on Capitol Hill. He was pretty worked up about the lack of diversity among those attending. He wanted to know if we could spot any other Muslims. How do we know what Muslims look like? Even he didn't look particularly "Muslim." But I really appreciated having him at our table. I don't think I would have been so aware of the very strong Christian focus of this faith-based conference. You could pick out the odd Jew but otherwise it was white Christian. I guess that reflects something...but I don't know if I want to explore that thought further.

Anyways, here's a link to a short article by the Associated Press about the conference.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/031006D.shtml

How Time Flies!

I can't believe February is nearly over! This month has just flown by. And it seems that this year is quickly passing too. Hard to believe that I've been in DC for almost 6 months now. Starting in March we will be having next year's prospective volunteers coming for their interviews. It kind of feels like the beginning of the end...well, maybe that's a little extreme. But I really like DC and there's still so much going on here. Last week I went to see the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Corcoran with my housemate Katelyn. It was so neat to see some of those famous works of art in living colour. And I was also impressed with some of his other work. He really did have a diverse range of work. Very cool. I also got to do a little baby sitting this past weekend at the Lutheran church we've been attending. The parent's group met after church and my housemate Lauren and I got to be the lucky sitters. Little kids are so wonderful, and we really lucked out as there were no poopy diapers or crying eyes. Tons of energy though. Hmm, what else. I've been busy keeping up on the olympics here. I must say that the NBC coverage isn't quite the same but they did air the women's hockey gold medal game, so I can't complain too much. This past Monday was President's Day, aka no work day. So I took a nice little bike ride down through Rock Creek Park. DC is really an incredibly beautiful city. There is so much green space. I went on a ~20 mile bike through the city but for most of the time you would never have known you were in the city at all. Lots of beautiful bike trails here.

So weird story. We were sitting around tonight watching tv when the doorbell rang. Our neighbour from across the street, whom we have never met, was at the door with a bucket full of oysters. I think he was maybe offering to give us some but either he was drunk or very socially inept because it was really difficult to figure out what he was intending. He was telling us about the oysters, how he got them, if we knew how to open them, then saying "stupid idea" multiple times. Very awkward and strange. So he just took his oysters home. Weird.

Well it's Sunday night and that means Grey's Anatomy will soon be on and I must be off. Until next time...

Church Cancelled!!

Unbelievable but true. Who's ever heard of cancelling church? Welcome to DC. We got dumped on last night, for the first time since December. And it's so beautiful. Everything is white. Now if only I had my cross-country skis here I'd be 100% content. I had a nice week here. Thursday night Katelyn and I went with a couple from the church to see Rosa Passos (a Brazilian singer) perform. This couple had been in the Peace Corps and spent quite a few years living in Brazil and actually knew this woman's sister from the time they spent there. She was really wonderful. Unfortunately she spoke very little English. Unfortunate because I'm sure she was very funny and interesting. She actually spoke very little during the performance but she really didn't need to. Such a beautiful voice, just her and her guitar. Going back, on Wednesday we watched "What the Bleep do we Know" for community night. I'm not quite sure how to describe it other than interesting. It explored the relations between quantum physics and spirituality. A little too new agey for my liking but it sparked some good thoughts (ie. what is reality, how much control do we have over our external world, addiction to our emotions, etc.). Definitely a movie one needs to see more than once to get everything that's being said.

Looking forward, my agency is moving this Friday back to our previous location. Fortunately it's not too far, only a few blocks away, but this whole packing and moving thing is a little crazy. I'll be glad when it's over. And I'll finally have my own space and my own computer! Which will be very good.

But I think it's time to go and enjoy this snow. By which I mean, shovel the driveway. Boy, I sure do miss my brother ;)

Thankfulness

I found out this week that I should have applied for a Social Security Number when I first arrived but somehow I didn't realise that. I got paid and that's what's important of course so I never thought much of it. Apparently I now have to file income taxes, for which I will need an SSN#. So yesterday afternoon I took a trip over to the social security office in Wheaton. What an experience! When I arrived I got my number (A84) and since it was standing room only, found a spot by the wall to hang. After waiting a few minutes they finally called the next number - A34! Needless to say, I spent a little while at the SS office yesterday afternoon. Fortunately I had a book to help pass the time. It was a neat experience though. When I first arrived I was one of two white people in the entire office. I heard at least 4 or 5 different languages being spoken. And I was really impressed with how patient both the employees and the clients were. It could have been total chaos and you could tell that people were tired of waiting, but everyone was so civil and respectful. There were a couple of families who came in and didn't speak english but others who were waiting helped translate. For one man who spoke only Spanish (which isn't uncommon here) and another family who looked like they were North African (I have no idea what language they spoke but there was a woman waiting in the office who was able to translate). It was really cool to see these people working together and helping each other out when you know they must be so tired and annoyed. After more than a 2 hour wait my number was finally called. I went up and very nicely, the woman told me that in addition to my visa and my passport, I also needed a supporting letter from my sponsoring agency (which I did not have). Not at all surprised, I'm now waiting for this letter so I can head back to Social Security to wait once again. Frustrating, but it was really humbling to walk in the shoes of my clients. They face this daily when trying to access services to meet their needs. It really is incredible what people have to go through in order to survive.

Looking cool after a nice long ski 

Attack Dog Abby! 

Skiing at Duck Mountain - December 27-28, 2005 

Election Fever in DC

Well it's finally over. Too much excitement for me. I headed down to the Elephant & Castle last night to join every other Canadian in watching the election coverage. I also brought along some of my American friends for the cultural experience, and of course, the $2 Molson beers. It was pretty wild there. Lots and lots of people. The Conservatives had a pretty vocal cheering squad but I feel that there was pretty good representation accross the board. We had our own little NDP cheering section. And one woman even had a "Parti Vert" sign! It so happened that I met a fellow from Balgonie there so we shared a few Saskatchewan stories, Corner Gas and such. It was a really great time, and I can't say I'm all that unhappy with the outcome. It was really nice to see the NDP make some gains, and I think it was time for the Liberals to be humbled. It should be pretty interesting to watch the Canadian political scene for the next little while.

Long Weekend in January

I think that having a long weekend in January is a wonderful idea. Particularly when it is in celebration of the life of such a remarkable man as Martin Luther King Jr. It was a good weekend in DC! Saturday I met my friend Ilana for lunch at a French crepe restaurant - sooo good. We had a great time catching up - she got to go home to San Diego for the holidays - must be nice. Although I really can't complain, I do like Saskatchewan winters, especially when I only get to spend a few days there. The rest of Saturday was pretty much a loss. I was really tired so I went home and had a nap. It was also really nasty outside - crazy Saskatchewan-like wind all day. Our garbage cans were blowing all over the place. I spent Saturday night watching the US figure skating nationals and drinking vanilla vodka and coke with two of my roommates.

Sunday was a much more active and productive day. Valentine, Katelyn and I headed off to services at Christ Lutheran Church in the morning. I love that church so much - and not only because of it's name! The people are so welcoming and the services are really good. In honour of Dr. King's birthday they read 3 excerpts from his writings instead of a sermon. It was very touching and powerful. Sunday afternoon was the inaugural meeting of the Pre-clergy book club at my friend's Carolina's and Sylvia's. A bunch of us - all seminary bound at some point - are planning on meeting monthly to shares thoughts on whatever it is we've decided to read for that month. It's a good group. Lutherans definitely represent, one Episcopalian, one Presbyterian, one UCC and one Reform Jew. I'm excited! This month, in honour of Martin Luther King's birthday we've decided to read "Why We Can't Wait" by King, "Jesus and the Disinherited" by Howard Thurman (an important influence in King's own life) and a short essay by King as well. A fair bit of reading but it should be good discussion. And these topics are right up my alley.

Sunday night we went back to CLC for the monthly Taize service and potluck. Did I already say that I love that church? I think we've found a really great community there which is just really exciting.

And another week begins. I'm holding out for this coming election. I've found a place in DC where they will be broadcasting the CBC election coverage!! And also having specials on Canadian beer. Probably close to the best combination ever. I'll feel very close to you all up there in Canada watching the election in shared time.

back in town

Well it's been some while since I've put anything up here. I definitely caught slack for that when I went home for Christmas so I apologise to those who actually do read my blog. I appreciate you ;)

I arrived back in DC on January 3rd after 10 days in beautiful Saskatchewan. Very nice to be back home, I got in a little cross-country skiing, lots of family time and even some friend time. But it is good to be back in the US again. I have to say I'm getting used to life here...it's pretty alright ;) My return flights were fine. Short layover in Minneapolis, long ride home from the Baltimore-Washington airport. After a bus ride, two metro rides and another bus, I finally made it to my home sweet home, two and a half hours after landing. And of course, right back to work on Wednesday. It was almost as though I never left...things were pretty much the same although quieter than before Christmas. My agency will be moving locations soon so that's the next big event at work. We have yet to set the moving date however, so much is still up in the air.

My first weekend back was wonderful. Saturday was pretty packed with a staff/board retreat from 9-1 at the Bethesda Country Club (very ritzy - but hey, this is Bethesda). In the afternoon I went for a nice bike ride down to the harbour (yes, a bike ride in January - and not through snow). The weather here has been gorgeous. Yesterday it hit close to 15 degrees celcius! Not typical for January, even in DC. And Saturday night my housemates and I checked out the Wizards basketball game against the Boston Celtics. Not too much action at the start but the last quarter was pretty thrilling. It came down to the last few seconds with Washington down by one and two foul shots (both of which were made! - winning the game for Washington 103-102). Afterwards we went home and celebrated by stripping our dried out fired hazard of a Christmas tree. All in all a pretty good day. And Sunday, of course, was our day of rest. I went to church, came home, and didn't leave the house again that day. It was a beautiful thing. And again, a new week has started. Hopefully more adventures to be had. I will say I'm looking forward to my long weekend!