The Magdalene Relic

A relic of St. Mary Magdalene will be at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers for one day (Sunday, November 29th). As my friend Carl McColman says, "Look at it this way: if it’s an actual relic of Mary Magdalene, then… wow. And if it’s not, it still represents an interesting piece of cultural history as well as an object of fervent devotion for many centuries. So either way, this is worth putting on your calendar." It's on my calendar; I plan to be there, if only to pay homage to a saint who is very dear to my heart.
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Update on Dad: Home Now, with Surgery in December

Dad came home last week, after spending 30 days doing physical therapy at a rehab center in Woodstock, GA. The surgery he needs, to repair a large hernia on the scar on his abdomen (from his previous pancreas surgery) and to rebuild part of his abdominal wall, has been scheduled for December 17th. He will be entering Emory University Hospital on December 14th in preparation for the surgery. He will probably be in the hospital for about 2 weeks after the surgery.

Many thanks to all of you who continue to keep Dad and my family in your prayers.

Darrell
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The Big Book of Christian Mysticism

The new book by my friend Carl McColman, The Big Book of Christian Mysticism, will not be released till August 2010, but you can go ahead and pre-order it now on Amazon. Visit Carl's webpage for the book for details.
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Dad in Hospital for Pre-Surgery Tests

It has been quite a while since I've written about my Dad's health situation, because it has remained basically the same. Since coming home from the hospital in April (actually a series of 6 hospitals over a 10-month time period), Dad has been growing weaker, because he is no longer able to do physical therapy because of a large hernia on the surgical scar on his abdomen. He was admitted to Emory University Hospital last night for a week of tests to see if he is strong enough to have surgery to repair his abdomen. If he can have the surgery he needs, the hope is that he can begin physical therapy again and regain some of his strength.

Many thanks to all of my friends, online and in "real life," who are continuing to hold Dad and my family in your prayers.

bearhugs ~
Darrell
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Kato: Over the Rainbow Bridge

My feline companion, Kato, passed away on Wednesday morning, August 12, 2009. He was 17 years old. He had been diagnosed on Saturday with chronic renal failure, a swollen spleen, and a urinary tract infection. He was having trouble with balance and walking because, according to the vet, his kidney failure was affecting his brain.

The decision to euthanize Kato was extremely difficult, but it was the truly merciful thing to do. Over the last four days of his life I had been giving him fluids from an IV drip bag subcutaneously. He would sit very quietly and patiently as I injected him and administered the fluids. The fluids were only keeping him alive each day; they were not healing his kidney condition, which would only worsen if he remained alive.

Kato was put to sleep at Cat Care Hospital in Marietta. My dear friend Cathy was present, and so was Michael, my ex-partner and still good friend. It was a very difficult and emotional time, but it was also a sacred time. I was very grateful for the presence of my friends as we let Kato go, and for the prayers and well-wishes of other friends I had shared with over the last four days.

On Tuesday, the day before, Kato continued to perform his ministry as a feline massage therapist. I wrote about this in 2003, in the article Ministers in Fur [click here to read it] for Whosoever.org. On Tuesday morning he noticed a wound on my leg where I had banged my shin while working out. He sniffed the wound, then stood up against it for a while, purring - even though he was having trouble standing or walking at that point.

On Wednesday morning, before taking him to the vet, I carried him in my arms and took him for one last walk through the woods behind my apartment. He did not try to get down from my arms - he knew he was having trouble walking - but he looked around intently at the trees and birds and butterflies. These are the woods where Kato spent many happy hours hunting and exploring. Only last week, he had brought me a mouse. I was working at the computer and did not notice the mouse in Kato's mouth when I let him back inside. When Kato started meowing proudly and I saw the mouse (still twitching) on the floor at his feet, I let out a surprised scream. Kato calmly leaned down and chomped the mouse one time so it stopped twitching, then looked up at me as if to say, "Is that better?" [Carl McColman says Kato brought me presents of mice, chipmunks, and birds (and once a garden snake), because he felt sorry for me and was trying to teach me how to hunt.]

Kato also sat in front of the TV for a while on Wednesday morning, purring as the jazz music channel played. As Michael and I took him to the vet, we played the CD of Kato's favorite song, "St. Thomas" by the Sonny Rollins Trio (1959). I've written before about Kato's love for classic jazz from the 1950's and 1960's. He especially loved extended drum solos (there's a great one in "St. Thomas"), including Mickey Hart solos in Grateful Dead songs. He also loved Trevor Harden's CD, "Parachute." Kato would not tolerate Bob Dylan, though - he would meow loudly at the speakers till I turned off Dylan's music.

I know it will take me a while to go through the grieving process. It feels strange coming home to an empty apartment. Kato was with me for over seven years. Kato was fully aware that he was winding down over the past four days, and he often sequestered himself in a corner (on his catnip scratcher) or under my bed. He always came out when I called him, though, and he was very affectionate to the very end, nuzzling my beard and purring as I held him in my lap.

I believe in the Communion of Saints that transcends death (and space and time), and I believe that communion includes our beloved animal companions. I can easily imagine Kato now nuzzling the beard of St. Francis, or sitting in the lap of St. Julian of Norwich - or enjoying a heavenly jam session with Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane. Kato lived a long and complete life, and I will always be grateful for the companionship, joy, and healing presence he brought into my life.

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BookLog: The Cloud of Unknowing: A New Translation

The Cloud of Unknowing is a 14th century Christian classic, the primary source-text for Centering Prayer and other forms of meditation and “prayer of the heart.” This beautiful new translation by Carmen Acevedo Butcher has a more devotional quality than most previous translations of The Cloud and its “sequel,” The Book of Privy Counsel. Butcher’s versions of these texts are easy to read, and she captures the passion, deep faith, and occasional humor of their anonymous author.

Butcher begins with an extended introduction to The Cloud, giving us the history of the book as well as what we do and do not know about its author. This introduction also gives us a summary of the theology and spirituality of the text, which, while solidly rooted in 14th century Christian faith, has been a deep inspiration to contemplatives of many other faith traditions throughout the last five centuries. The fact that this new translation is published by a Buddhist press shows that The Cloud transcends barriers of tradition and is a truly timeless classic.

One of the “hidden treasures” of Butcher’s translation is the Notes section at the end of the book, which give us a wealth of insight into the text. She occasionally quotes the Middle English to show us the wordplays and other aspects of the original text, and she also includes references to Scripture and other writings to illuminate various passages of The Cloud. It’s definitely worth the trouble to flip to the back of the book to read the endnotes.

I fell in love with The Cloud of Unknowing about 15 years ago through William Johnston’s classic translation, and now I’ve fallen in love with it again. I feel like I’ve been re-introduced to an old friend. Even if you’ve read The Cloud in other translations, I highly recommend reading it again in Butcher’s new and vibrant translation.

If you live in Metro Atlanta, please join us at The Group of Unknowing, a small group of interfaith friends (Christians, Sufis, and others) who are gathering to read through The Cloud together. For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page.

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Doctrines of Grace: BEERS, not TULIPs

Whoever blogs at Kingdom Grace (I couldn't find the name of the author) is offering a great alternative to the Five Points of Calvinism, traditionally written as TULIP:

* Total Depravity
* Unconditional Election
* Limited Atonement
* Irresistible Grace
* Perseverance of the Saints

Kingdom Grace is offering BEERS:

* Broken Eikons
* Eternal Purpose
* Extravagant Atonement
* Response to Grace
* Shalom

I prefer Kingdom Grace's Doctrines. How 'bout you?

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“Word” by Madeleine L'Engle

I, who live by words, am wordless when
I try my words in prayer. All language turns
To silence. Prayer will take my words and then
Reveal their emptiness. The stilled voice learns
To hold its peace, to listen with the heart
To silence that is joy, is adoration.
The self is shattered, all words torn apart
In this strange patterned time of contemplation
That, in time, breaks time, breaks words, breaks me,
And then, in silence, leaves me healed and mended.
I leave, returned to language, for I see
Through words, even when all words are ended.

I, who live by words, am wordless when
I turn me to the Word to pray. Amen.

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by Madeleine L'Engle
quoted in Praying Our Days: A Guide and Companion
by Bishop Frank T. Griswold

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“Night of Hope”

Becky Garrison has written a great review of the Joel Osteen “Night of Hope” concert in New York City. Her review is at the “God's Politics” blog at Sojourners.

I have mixed feelings about Joel Osteen. His book “Your Best Life Now” was one of two motivational books that gave me the confidence to go into full-time, self-employed private practice a few years ago. (The other book, which actually had more practical advice, was “The Success Principles” by Jack Canfield.) I really don't have a problem with Joel Osteen as a motivational speaker or writer - he is actually more balanced and realistic than many of the motivational speakers out there. For example, I'll choose Osteen over most of the teachers featured in “The Secret” any day. (And yes, I know Jack Canfield was one of those teachers.)

So while I might occasionally listen to Joel Osteen's podcasts (as motivational speeches, not for theology or for spiritual guidance), I just can't bring myself to watch him on television. He is shown on TV standing in a huge stadium that calls itself a church - but there are no crosses, no symbols of the Christian faith. There is, however, a ridiculously large American flag, which the camera shows from time to time as it pans the well-dressed, mostly-white, affluent audience. Gigantic flag; no cross: it's clear what's really being worshipped in this “church.”

Addendum: Check out my friend Carl McColman's excellent (and thoroughly biblical) reflections on “abundant living” at his Website of Unknowing.

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Emergent in the ’Burbs

Matt Scott has written a great blogpost about this past Tuesday’s meeting of Cobb Gathering: An Emergent Cohort, the new Emergent Christian group that formed three months ago. We meet on the second Tuesday of each month, at Johnnie MacCracken’s Celtic Pub, on Marietta Square.

Unlike Emergent groups I’ve attended in downtown Atlanta (which tend to be almost 100% liberal or “progressive”), the Cobb group – being rooted in suburban Cobb County, north of Atlanta – is truly diverse, encompassing people on many different points on the theological and political spectrums. Interestingly enough, one of our Cobb folks who is frequently on the “conservative” end of our conversations is viewed as a “liberal” by many of his friends.

We want to provide a “suspended space” (beyond labels of “liberal” or “conservative”) where we can wrestle, reflect, and ask honest questions. When we disagree with each other, we are able to do so respectfully – which I greatly appreciate, since I’m often on the “heretical” end of the spectrum. What brings us together is a desire for conversation and to create a safe place to explore what it means to be a follower of Jesus in a postmodern world.

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Celtic Mass at St. Paul’s

My friend Donnie and I went to Tybee Island and Savannah for a mini-vacation last weekend. We only stayed three nights, but we were able to devote one day (Sunday) to Savannah, with its coffeehouses and beautiful historic squares, and the next day to Tybee Island and the beach. The waves were too choppy to float peacefully in the ocean, but I had fun bobbing up and down in the waves. And of course we had lots of great seafood! Highlights: the blackened “tuna bites” appetizer and crab cakes (the world’s best!) at Café Loco, and the panko-encrusted mahi mahi at The Breakfast Club. On Tuesday, before heading back to Atlanta, we met with my favorite living artist, Brian MacGregor, and I purchased a beautiful painting of his called “Key of the Soul” – I’ll post more about that soon. We also had lunch at Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub on River Street with our friends Tommy and Trevor, two of the creative forces behind RockOm, a wonderful webzine devoted to music and spirituality.


One of the highlights of the weekend was attending the Celtic Mass at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Savannah on Sunday night. This was a deeply moving worship service that was both contemporary and ancient, grounded in Celtic and Anglican tradition. There were moments of silence throughout the service, which added to the contemplative nature of the Mass.


One thing that was new to me was Tírechán’s Creed, which we said together in place of the Nicene Creed:

Our God is the God of all humans,
the God of heaven and earth,
the God of the sea and the rivers,
the God of the sun and the moon,
the God of all the heavenly bodies,
the God of the lofty mountains,
the God of the lowly valleys.

God is above the heavens,
and he is beneath the heavens.
Heaven and earth and sea,
and everything that is in them,
such he has as his abode.

He inspires all things,
he gives life to all things,
he stands above all things,
and he stands beneath all things.
He enlightens the light of the sun,
he strengthens the light of the night and the stars,
he makes wells in the arid land and dry islands in the sea,
and he places the stars in the service of the greater lights.

He has a Son, Jesus, who is co-eternal with himself,
and similar in all respects to himself;
and neither is the Son younger than the Father,
nor is the Father older than the Son;
and the Holy Spirit breathes in them.
And the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are inseparable.
Amen.

I don’t know the history of this Creed, other than that it dates back to Tírechán, a 7th century Irish bishop and biographer of Saint Patrick. If anyone knows more about its history, please post it here as a comment. Perhaps this creed resonated so deeply within me because of my Celtic roots (I’m a Scottish and Irish mix, with a wee bit of Cherokee). As a lover of Creation Spirituality, I appreciate this creed’s emphasis on God’s creation as well as the everywhereness of God.

This is from the Celtic Mass’s Offering of the Bread and Wine:

Celebrant:
Thank you, O Lord God Almighty,
Thank you for the earth and the waters.
Thank you for the sky, the air, the sun:
Thank you for all living creatures.

All:
Come, O Lord, in the bread of life.

Celebrant:
Praise be to you, our Father and Mother, for our homes, and families, our friends, and loved ones. Praise be to you for all the people around us everywhere in this wounded world.

All:
Come, O Lord, in the cup of healing.

St. Paul’s is a beautiful church, a lovely Anglo-Catholic parish with lots of icons, candles, and statues of Mary. This Celtic Mass seemed to make it an even more beautiful and sacred space.

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Update on Dad: Home from the Hospital at Last

My Dad, Lloyd Grizzle, came home from the hospital on Easter Sunday. He has been in six different hospitals and one rehab center since his medical odyssey began last July, and he has only been home for one short week during all that time. He was incredibly happy to be home at last! His little dog Muffy Joy (shown below) was happy to see him too.

The pictures below were taken in the sunroom of my parents' home in Jasper, Georgia, overlooking the North Georgia mountains.

The view from my parents' sunroom (through the screen)

Grateful Bear with Papa Bear

Springtime beauty in my parents' backyard

Dad is still not able to walk, and he will have regular visits each week from his home health care nurse and physical therapist. Please continue to keep him in your prayers, as well as my Mother, who is now his full-time caregiver.

Darrell
Grateful Bear
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Update on Dad: Back in the Hospital Again

My Dad, Lloyd Grizzle, was re-admitted to the hospital late last night, with another infection and suffering from gastric distress. Since last July my Dad has been in six different hospitals, and this is his fourth admission to this particular hospital. His medical odyssey started with acute pancreatitis (two gallstones got lodged in his pancreas), which led to a domino effect that included lung failure, kidney failure, and other problems. The most significant injuries were from an episode a few months ago when his heartbeat and breathing stopped and it took medical personnel six minutes to revive him.

I haven't written much about Dad's condition in recent months, because there haven't been any major changes to report. He has continued to have good days and bad days, but overall he has been making steady progress at the inpatient rehabilitation center. He is still not able to walk, but he had gotten to the point where he could get in and out of his wheelchair with only minimal assistance.

Please keep my Dad in your prayers, as well as my Mother and the rest of my family. I deeply appreciate all the messages of support from my wonderful blog-friends, Facebook friends, and others. Knowing that you are keeping my Dad in your thoughts and prayers makes this difficult time a lot easier.

With a truly grateful heart,
Darrell
Grateful Bear

Atonement & Emergents

My friend Mike Morrell is posting some very well-written and thought-provoking reflections on atonement theology at his zoecarnate blog:

February 6, 2009:
Re-Visioning Jesus’ Atonement: Beyond Liberal and Conservative

February 7, 2009:
Re-Visioning Jesus’ Atonement: Possible Reconstructions

As Mike puts it, “it’s exceedingly difficult to take Jesus’ teachings on nonviolence and peacemaking seriously while also taking seriously a punitive model of Jesus’ atoning death.” In revisioning the atonement, Mike is attempting to overcome this difficulty while still remaining true to the historic Christian faith.

Actually, that last sentence is a pretty good summary of what I love about Mike and others in the Emergent Christian conversation: “In revisioning or deconstructing [insert doctrine or tradition], the Emergents are attempting to overcome [insert difficulty or contradiction] while still remaining true to the historic Christian faith.”

My own view of Jesus’ atonement is the one taught by Peter Abelard (1079-1142). I have quoted Abelard on this blog before, back in 2005, but I believe these quotes are worth repeating.
Abelard writes of Jesus’ death as a supreme act of love and self-sacrifice, drawing us to God through love, not fear: we are

“reconciled to God, because by the life and death of His Son He has so bound us to Himself that love so kindled will shrink from nothing for His sake. Our redemption is that supreme devotion kindled in us by the Passion of Christ: this it is that frees us from the slavery of sin and gives us the liberty of the sons of God, so that we do His will from love and not from fear. This is that fire which Our Lord said He had come to kindle upon earth.”

The incarnation, the life and death of Jesus illustrates God’s love for humanity and moves us to love of God. This love is what saves us.

“The purpose and cause of the incarnation was that Christ might illuminate the world by his wisdom, and excite it to love of himself.”

“Our redemption through the suffering of Christ is that deeper love within us which not only frees us from slavery to sin, but also secures for us the true liberty of the children of God, in order that we might do all things out of love rather than out of fear. . .”

Obviously, this view of the atonement is at odds with the prevailing views that describe Jesus’ death as appeasing an angry God, or as somehow satisfying “the demands of a righteous God,” or as a ransom to Satan. Indeed, Abelard was declared a heretic in his own day (most of my theological heroes were!) and his books were ordered burned. Thankfully, a few copies of his works escaped the flames.

Abelard’s view is often called the Moral Example theory of the atonement, and it is sometimes caricatured as minimalizing Jesus’ death as “only an example.” To me, though, Abelard’s view elevates Jesus’ sacrifice as the “suffering servant” archetype of Isaiah 53 and affirms a relationship with God based not on fear but on love.

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In the News: 25 Random Things

Not only am I getting repeatedly tagged in the 25 Random Things meme (which is only fair, since I tagged 25 people when I wrote my own list), I'm now starting to see news stories about 25 Random Things. It looks like those of us who have succumbed to this online diversion are now part of a bona fide sociological phenomenon. Or maybe it's just a slow news week.

Google "Facebook 25 Random Things" and click on News, and you'll get 159 news stories, as of this writing. Here are just a few:

MSNBC/Washington Post: 25 things about ... Facebook fads

Salon: The random beauty of "25 Random Things"

New York Times: 25 Random Tips for the Busy Facebook User

Feel free to post any others you come across. No reason the news reporting about a meme can't become a meme itself. How very postmodern.

Remembering John Updike

One of our greatest novelists, John Updike, passed away last week at the age of 76. I have read and enjoyed many of his novels, and I'm glad to have a signed, leather-bound edition of his novel The Witches of Eastwick in my collection of limited editions.

From Christianity Today: Updike was a deeply theological novelist.

Here's a remembrance from The New Yorker, the magazine for which Updike wrote for many years.

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Update on Dad: Rehab Center

Many thanks to those of you continuing to ask about my Dad, Lloyd Grizzle. He was moved last Thursday from the hospital to a residential rehabilitation center. He is getting physical therapy and occupational therapy on a daily basis, with the eventual goal of being able to go home again. He is still not able to walk but can stand for short periods of time, which is a great development after being bedridden since his medical problems started last July.

I am grateful for all of my friends, blogfriends, and Facebook friends who continue to keep Dad in your prayers. I deeply appreciate your prayers and support.

Darrell
Grateful Bear

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25 Random Things

OK, I’ve been tagged by several friends with this Facebook meme, so here goes. I’m posting it here for those of you who are not on Facebook:

25 Random Things About Darrell:

1. I’m a bit of a coffee snob, unable to drink inferior coffee. I’m lucky because there’s a wonderful coffeehouse, Cool Beans on Marietta Square (within walking distance of my office), that sells my favorite coffee by the pound: organic fair-trade Sumatra coffee, fresh-roasted on their own roaster. That’s what I usually buy for morning consumption at home. The baristas at Cool Beans know me by name, and they know I like a double-shot of espresso in a big cup of their coffee of the day.

2. To a large extent I have built my whole career as a counselor on a fictional character: Dr. Berger, the therapist played by Judd Hirsch in the movie Ordinary People.

3. My favorite living artist is Brian MacGregor, who incorporates dreamwork into his art.

4. I’m still mourning the loss of my favorite restaurant, Three Bears Cafe on Marietta Square, which closed in December.

5. My favorite restaurants, now that Three Bears Cafe has closed, are The Vortex in Little 5 Points and The Flying Biscuit (the original one, in Candler Park).

6. When I was a little boy I wanted to be Perry Mason, and I wanted to have my law office on Marietta Square. I did not become a lawyer, but I do have my office on Marietta Square and I do work in the court system. (I’ve been told by two different attorneys that I am “an imposing presence” in the courtroom – I’m not sure I believe them!)

7. I collect Perry Mason and Frasier on DVD. I have all 11 seasons of Frasier, and I’m collecting Perry Mason as each season is released (currently up to Season 3). I’ve read about 40 of the 82 Perry Mason novels by Erle Stanley Gardner.

8. If I had to live anywhere other than Marietta, I'd live in Savannah or Asheville.

9. I love trail-walking on Civil War battlefields, and sometimes I’ll have a sandwich for lunch at the Confederate Cemetery near Marietta Square.

10. I’m fascinated by the life of Leonidas Polk (1806-1864), an Episcopal bishop who was also a Confederate General. He fought in the battle of Picketts Mill, one of the battlefields where I love to go trail-walking.

11. I get most of my news from the two NPR stations in Atlanta, WABE (Classical) and WCLK (Jazz and Gospel).

12. I spend way too much money on books: not just regular books but antiquarian books and limited editions from the Easton Press, the Folio Society, and other specialty presses. If you’d like to see my collection, stop by my office sometime. Call me first, to make sure I’m not with a client.

13. I have “action figures” of Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allen Poe, and William Shakespeare.

14. The oldest book I own is a 1783 edition of Poems Upon Several Occasions, by one of the “Graveyard Poets,” Thomas Parnell, published by Alexander Pope.

15. I once defended myself and disarmed a mugger in Washington DC who was trying to take my wallet at knifepoint. When he came at me with the knife I broke his thumb, causing him to scream, drop his knife, and run away.

16. I love the compilation CD’s Starbucks sells (especially the jazz and indie-rock CD’s), although my commitment to independent coffeehouses dictates that I only go to a Starbucks when there is no locally-owned coffeehouse nearby.

17. I will sometimes read “cozy” mystery novels with my cat, but this does NOT mean (as my roommate sometimes claims) that I am turning into a cat lady.

18. I also love reading Hard Case Crime novels. I plan to write a Hard Case-style novel someday, loosely based on my experiences as a Probation Officer and Parole Officer. Working title: First Offender.

19. I love Turner Classic Movies, especially film noir and old Barbara Stanwyck movies.

20. I am ready for the new season of Holly Hunter’s TV show, Saving Grace, and the new season of True Blood.

21. I recently bought a leather-bound edition of my “desert island book” – the Book of Common Prayer and the NRSV Bible, together in one volume. My cat Kato appreciates that the deutero-canonical books are included, but he wishes some of the Gnostic gospels had been included, especially the Gospels of Thomas and Mary Magdalene.

22. My favorite holy days are Ash Wednesday (the most existentialist of holy days) and Easter Sunday.

23. I identify with much of the Emergent Christian movement, and I claim the label “Anglimergent” (although no one can really define what “Emergent” means), but I think I’m too much of an existentialist to truly be postmodern.

24. I sometimes think seriously about memorizing a book the way the rebels did in Fahrenheit 451. If I do, the book I memorize will be the same one Guy Montag memorized in the novel (but not the 1966 movie): the Book of Ecclesiastes.

25. I would love to learn Hebrew so I could read (and maybe memorize) Ecclesiastes in its original language.

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More About Rick Warren’s Inaugural Prayer

Surfing the blogosphere in this week following Obama’s inauguration, I’ve been intrigued by the passionately emotional responses to the inaugural prayer offered by the Rev. Rick Warren. It’s amazing how different people can hear the same prayer and have such drastically different responses to it.

I’ve never been a fan of Rick Warren. I haven’t read his books, I’ve never heard him preach, and I strongly disliked his recent comments against gay marriage. But I found myself deeply moved by his prayer as I watched it on TV on Tuesday. I thought it was very beautiful and very inspiring. It moved me to the point of tears, and those tears kept flowing through Aretha Franklin’s song and into the swearing-in itself.

My friend Candace Chellew-Hodge (whose new book Bulletproof Faith I highly recommend) found Rick Warren’s prayer too “aggressively Christian.” I respectfully disagree. To me, being “aggressively Christian” means imposing one’s beliefs on others. Praying a Christian prayer at the invitation of a Christian president-elect is not, in my mind, an aggressive act. If Rick Warren had prayed in the name of Jesus “our only Savior” or “the only name whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12), then yes, that would have been exclusionary and offensive to some non-Christians. But he didn’t. Rick Warren prayed in the name of Jesus, but only after emphasizing that Jesus is, in his words, “the one who changed my life” – making it personal, not imposing his belief in Jesus on others.

And when Rick Warren prayed the name of Jesus in four different languages, Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish, and English, I saw that as being inclusive – emphasizing that many others have also had life-changing experiences with Jesus, in differing languages and cultures. The Wall Street Journal wrote that Rick Warren “gave his words a multi-faith hue by invoking the Christian figure as he is referred to in other faiths.” Doing so shows that Warren “is appreciative of, or at least courteous to, people who don’t share his particular faith,” said William Martin, senior fellow at the Baker Institute at Rice University. “He is trying to be as inclusive as he can be.”

I’ve read more than a few comments on the internet this week from Jews, Buddhists, Neo-Pagans, and other non-Christians who have written positive reactions to Rick Warren’s prayer. The majority of comments I’ve seen against Warren’s prayer have been from Christians: liberal Christians who thought the prayer was offensive to non-Christians, and evangelical Christians upset that Warren used the Arabic name of Jesus, Isa. This week I’ve seen a lot of evangelical bloggers identify Isa as “the false god of Islam.” When conservatives talk about “false gods” it makes me wonder how many gods they think exist. Who knew evangelical Christianity could be so polytheistic?

And when liberal Christians get upset when a Christian minister prays a Christian prayer, it makes me wonder if they’re truly comfortable with their faith. Within the gay community there is a phenomenon called “internalized homophobia” – when a GLBT person has not fully reached a point of self-acceptance and continues to internalize our culture’s homophobia. Maybe there’s a similar phenomenon among liberal Christians who feel some sense of embarrassment or discomfort about their faith: “internalized Christophobia,” perhaps? I do NOT think this is the case with my friend Candace, but I’ve read others in the blogosphere this week that make me wonder.

As my friend Jon Zuck so wonderfully put it, “It’s time for ‘liberals’ to actually be liberal in the fullness of that word, open-handed, open-minded, tolerant, generous, forgiving.” To that, and to Rick Warren’s beautiful and inspiring inaugural prayer, I say Amen.

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Lost Gospels: “Secret Mark”

The Nation magazine has an interesting article this week about “secret” passages allegedly deleted from the canonical Gospel of Mark. We may never know for sure if these passages were authentic or an elaborate hoax. My fellow theology geeks will enjoy the article, Gospel Secrets: The Biblical Controversies of Morton Smith, by Anthony Grafton.
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Change: Part 1

For the first time ever, the official White House website includes a section titled "Support for the LGBT Community." Check it out, on the Civil Rights page of whitehouse.gov.
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Rick Warren's Inaugural Prayer

AMEN to Rick Warren's beautiful and moving prayer.
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Bishop Robinson's Prayer

Here is the full text of Bishop Gene Robinson's prayer for Barack Obama, a prayer that was excluded from the HBO broadcast of the pre-inaugural concert but will reportedly be re-aired today as part of the Inauguration Day events.
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Connections @ LinkedIn

I just joined the professional networking site LinkedIn, at the invitation of an attorney friend who has been gracious enough to refer clients to me for court-ordered evaluations and counseling. Here's my profile.

If any of my Blog of the Grateful Bear friends are also on LinkedIn, please feel free to send me a "Connection" invitation!

Dad in Hospital (Again)

My father, Lloyd Grizzle, was re-admitted to Kennestone Hospital on Tuesday evening, January 13th. He had been home for exactly one week, being cared for by my mother and receiving regular visits from home health care workers. We took Dad to the doctor's office on Tuesday morning, and he was sent back home with new prescriptions for his flu-like symptoms. When those symptoms persisted into the evening, the doctor told Mother to call an ambulance and have Dad taken to the hospital.

We're not sure how long Dad will be in the hospital this time. I updated my Facebook status bar as I was waiting in the emergency waiting room and already had several responses before I got home that night, from friends and cyberfriends who are praying for Dad and wishing him well. I deeply appreciate everyone who continues to hold my Dad and my family in their prayers.

Darrell
Grateful Bear
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Sun Cat

Kato in his rocking chair, enjoying the sunshine on a January afternoon
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Advent: The Irrational Season

This is the irrational season
When love blooms bright and wild.
Had Mary been filled with reason,
There'd have been no room for the child.

~ Madeleine L'Engle

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Advent: Returning

The season of Advent – the time of waiting for Light in the midst of darkness – is an appropriate time to address the “dark night of the soul” I’ve been experiencing over the past six months. I’m feeling very deeply drawn to return to the Episcopal Church, my spiritual home from 1993 through 2007. I'm feeling a need for the stability and familiarity of the Liturgy, and the deep connection with ancient traditions that the Anglican Communion provides.

I’m joining the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta. St. Philip’s offers a wealth of resources to explore the contemplative aspects of the Christian tradition: centering prayer and lectio divina, the labyrinth, Taize services, morning and evening prayer, and more. I feel a need to sink my roots down deeply in these ancient traditions and practices. I am also drawn to the beauty of the Cathedral itself, as well as the beauty of the prayer-book Liturgy and especially the Eucharist. St. Philip’s has stated as one of its goals for 2009: Providing Solace in Times of Anxiety.

When he was here in Atlanta last month, theologian Peter Rollins said (to a crowd of 60 “Emergents” packed into the back room of Tilt Coffee Shop): “God is not the patch we put on the wound of our unknowing. God is the wound.” I am returning to the Episcopal tradition looking for a deeper connection with that Wound, and a deeper relationship with Jesus the Healer.

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Thanksgiving

I was truly grateful to have a Thanksgiving dinner-to-go with my family in my Dad's hospital room today. Dad continues to improve - he no longer has any tubes or machines hooked up to him, and although he continues to experience some discomfort he is well on his way to being “his old self” again. In the coming week, he will probably be moved to a physical therapy unit for a couple of weeks, then he should be able to go home. Many thanks for everyone who continues to hold my Dad and my family in their prayers.

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Cube

In the dream I was given a sheet of construction paper and a pair of scissors and I was told to construct a theology in the form of a Rubik's Cube.