Last week pics

The little one "on the go". She is a busy girl - full of energy and life...and emotions!! A true joy!
The contented and happy family at Kenny's parents' - 1st bonfire of the year.
Miriam sporting her valentine's hat given to her from Aunt Laura - she wears it around the house on a regular basis.

A Recent Visit

Becky, Miri, and I attended a Twin Cities postmodern or "emergent" church yesterday. We like our current church but occasionally we discuss looking for something a little different. So we figured we'd check it out. Those of you who know me well shouldn't be surprised that I encourage a "post" modern approach to theology/christian faith. Those who simply dismiss postmodernism or equate it with relativism are just not aware of philosophical history and the discipline of self critique. (Like putting on a worldviews seminar without looking at the problems with pressuppositionalism. Or, saying your taking the Bible literally from a surface reading while being unaware that your method of biblical interpretation comes straight from the commonsense realism of the Scottish Enlightenment.) I could go on and on... Well, back to yesterday..... Although I encourage fresh reconstructions of the christian faith I was a bit dissappointed with the service at this church. My fear prior to attending this church was that it would exemplify postmodernism culturally but in the process lose the substance of the faith needing fresh reconstructions- Emphasizing a new package while forgetting what got this thing called christianity started in the first place (in short, become relativistic). The service was different, people were friendly, discussion was encouraged, but the message was so fluffy I still don't really know the point of it. In fairness, I can't totally criticize a church based on one service yet I do think it can be dangerous if in the process of attempting to accept the trends of culture we lose sight of the message that is meant to transform culture. The christian hope of the already-not-yet kingdom of God must be what leads to the love, acceptance, and community that attracts others into fellowship. It can't be the other way around. I hope that christian churches can find a balance in the future of reconstructing beliefs and doctrines steeped in Modernist thinking and hold to the Gospel that claimed in the first century ,"Jesus is Lord and Ceasar is not!" This claim did not accept culture as is but radically challenged the culture and powers of the day. I pray that this claim, and the hope that is in it, is what defines us as christian communities rather then the trends (modern or postmodern) of the day. To be continued

Thoughts to Depress the soul.

The snow has mostly melted, the ground is brown and bare, the hormonal smell of spring fills the air. The sky is hazy today and although one can hear the happy chirping of the birds the world feels dark and empty. Just when one feels that the world could not get any more depressing, it does. I decided I would ban the news - that lasted one, maybe two, days. It's like a drug - I hate the effects of it on my mind, my spirit, yet, I gravitate to it like honey. Why is that I wonder. It's the same story over and over again, so and so was shot last night...a family of three was killed early this morning....the girl's lost dog was beheaded and placed in a box on her doorstep. It's sick stuff like this and it kills the joy inside, grieves the spirit, makes the heart cynical. Taking a walk on a sunny day isn't as relaxing as it once was as one becomes skeptical of every passerbyer - cautious of the lone walker's motives. I once asked my tutor at L'abri in Switzerland "why" to all of these questions about the existence of evil, the absence of good. He basically said "why not, are you doing anything about it". I'd have to say I'm not doing a whole heck of a lot about it. As sad as that is. And to be honest - I'm afraid to, yet that statement alone reveals my part in the presence of hell on earth. Where is the hope, the trust, the promise, the strength? I pray that I will be more open, less afaid, and that love will somehow take over me. Even this prayer seems empty - Not because God is bad or absent because I do believe that God is present in the pain, again not as it's cause but as the hope. It's the empty prayer feeling of saying something over and over again expectant of change but seeing none. That is the mustard seed of faith that I have today - that perhaps there are things happening, good things that I cannot see but nonetheless exist. What can I say, it's a gloomy day and this is what I have today. Becky-

More snow fun!!!!!!!

"things are getting worse but I feel a lot better....."
"today is just a day fading into another...."
"and meanwhile the days just go drifting away..."
"the only thing she said was she feels alot better and that's all that really matters to me."

Another weekend of snowplay!!!

Saturday at Gary and Joanne's (Ken's parents)
The snowbaby nestled in between the snowman and snowwoman (who later proudly displayed Donna's black bra - not the snowbaby but the snowwoman).
Miri kissing the snowbaby!!!

Snow-shoeing

Last weekend Kenny and I went snow-shoeing in back of his parents house in the wooded pine trees. It was beautiful!!! The only tracks in the snow were from the various critters abiding in the woods and the tracks that we made with our snowshoes. Minnesota is a truly lovely place especially in winter!!

The Magpie - Claude Monet

One of my favorite Monet paintings - "The Magpie". It's tranquility and peaceful elegance resemble our Minnesota landscape right now. As I look out our dining room window I can see the soft flecks of snow softly dancing in the sky. Reminds me of my time in Switzerland at L'Abri. I wrote a poem there. It goes like this:

The snow falls softly on this place

silently, while the village sleeps

The cows have gone

their bells no more are ringing.

The peace of this place

stills my heart, quiets my mind

even my soul at rest today

away from longing.

A gift is mine this early morn

indiscriminate in it's falling;

I think as if it falls for me

hope falls on me.

Becky - November 2001