Odin's Wain

Most nights I go outside after most people are in bed. I like to go out and look at the stars. I love to gaze up at them. This was one of the worst things about living in New York City; I never got to see the stars. I don't look at the stars and wonder what it would be like to see them up close or wonder where they came from or wonder what it would be like to fly through the gas giant Jupiter. Instead, I have this odd sensation that they are looking out for me, protecting me. When I am standing out in the dark on the banks of the Mississippi and watch the barges float past in the night I imagine that Orion has watched over me when I was in trouble and that he there with me. He is a god who does not know the future and god who cannot do anything for me, but he is there watching. Orion says to me, "J I know it is hard, but I am here."
Recently I read a book that caused me to rethink my relationship with Orion, and has caused me to look at the stars with a wary eye. Neil Gaiman is book American Gods tell the story of the big dipper.

"Odin's Wain, they call it. The Great Bear. Where we come form, we believe that is a, a thing, a, not a god, but like a god, a bad thing, chained up in those stars. If it escapes, it will eat the whole of everything. And there are three sisters who must watch the sky all day, all night. If he escapes, the thing in the stars, the world is over. Pf!. like that"

Now when I go out at night and look at Orion and his counterparts I understand that he is not a god, but a thing. He is thing that could come down and destroy me. I understand him now, not to be my watch in the night but to a picture of my sin.

My sin has been there through it all, watching me. Grinning at me saying, "It's ok J; I will take care of everything." But I understand Sin, that thing, is simply a bear waiting to escape and eat my whole world, and Pf!. just like that its all over. I understand that, by way of Christ's substitutional death, I am no longer sin-full. It is a fact that when God looks at me I am clean and pure, but sin is still a problem. The truth is still there that this thing wants only to bring about death. It is waiting to devour my life. Sin can't have my soul, but this life is still up in the air. God has promised me so much. I mean how much more can He promise for this life than an abundant life filled with peace? But sin is there waiting for me to unleash it and give it reign over my life.

So what must I do? I must understand that there are three persons watching out for me. They are holding the monster in check. They have promised that he cannot get to me unless I want him to. Therefore, I must be vigilant and watch the night sky and tell him that he cannot have me, for my life is not mine to give.

The digital divide

A friend of mine is having her freshman English class maintain a blog for the duration of the semester. I think is a great idea. For one it is a way of incorporating technology into the class work. Moreover, it an innovative way of have the students respond to what is done in class. While I think this is a good idea, it does cause me to ask questions about the digital divide.

I understand that every student as this school has access to computers with internet access, and I would imagine that they each have a computer of their own. However, I wonder at the implication of assuming that students have and know how to use a computer. Has a computer become a necessity for a citizen in the US and if so has internet access become just as necessary?

just a thought....

January 16 2006

In C.S. Lewis' book Prince Caspian the high prince of Tashbann set out on an errand to conquer the land of Archerland. He set with only the tacit approval of the king and therefore his god. Upon arriving his Archerland he was defeated in a battle with the army of Narnia. The honorable god of Narnia Aslan punished the prince by turning him into a donkey and forced him to return to Tashbann in shame. The prince had every intention of returning to his homeland as a conquering knight. Instead, he was forced to return in ridicule and lived his entire life as fool.

hmmm......this sounds somewhat familiar.

Epiphany

The common trend among many evangelical (and yes fundamentalist) churchs is to have a theme that lasts for several weeks. During those weeks the Sunday sermons follow the theme, and in the more organized churches even the small group classes as well. For example, my home church right now is returning to the basics of Christianity. (However, I think we should spend much longer on the basics and define "the basics" in a more useful manner, but that is another conversation all together.) I think many of these churches would find themselves in less of a quandary finding a good theme if they would simply returned to the basics of the Christian tradition.

I am suggesting a return to the liturgical calendar. I am not suggesting that these churches subscribe totally to the high church ways of organizing their church services. Instead, I would encourage them to simply adopt the calendar. For example if they were to simply follow the
calendar, this season would be a time to focus on Jesus and who he is. This time of the
year is called Epiphany (http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001191.cfm -- an article by Lauren Winner explaining the season). Epiphany then leads us into the Lenten season and that into Easter.

I simply think this will allow us to focus our worship service and thereby our churches.

Just a thought....