Two Years Later

Today is the two year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Several months before, I read an extensive and alarming article in the National Geographic that persuasively described the structural problems with the levee system in New Orleans and accurately predicted the devastating results of a strong hurricane's direct hit on that city. It all came to pass just as the article predicted.

The really sad thing about Katrina is that the death, destruction and dislocation it caused so many people was largely preventable. Louisiana officials had diverted funds for levee repair and reconstruction to other projects. Too many residences and businesses were located below sea level. As New Orleans rebuilds, I pray that the lessons learned in Katrina will be taken to heart and the mistakes of the past are avoided.

A series of feature stories in the Houston Chronicle this week mark the anniversary with reports on the more than 150,000 former residents of NOLA who now live in the area. Think about it. That's far less than the number who were fled here immediately after the storm, but it's still the size of a good sized city. These people are now part of our community and most of them will stay here. They've found jobs, homes, and better educational opportunities for themselves and their children. But they are still suffering from emotional trauma as well as economic loss.

It hasn't been easy. The Houston crime rate spiked up and there's no doubt that some of the bad actors from NOLA continued their activities while living in the area. That causes resentment and conflict between Houston residents and the evacuees. It's been different, to say the least, to see Louisiana and NOLA officials campaigning for office in Houston -- complete with billboards, radio ads and free bus rides back to the Louisiana polling places to relocated residents. How long you can reside in Texas and continue to vote in Louisiana?

On the whole, I think Houston is doing a good job adjusting to this massive social change. It helps that we have a vigorous and growing economy. It helps that the metro area has a tradition of welcoming people from all over the world. There will be more bumps along the way because the process continues. Let's pray for understanding, patience and God's guidance as we all continue to adjust to the future wrought by Hurricane Katrina.

Dog Days of Summer

So here's the story. My niece, Aunt Sissy, and her three little girls were so taken with Beatrice that they visited the Doxie Ranch where we got her and came home with not one, but two dachshund puppies.

James is the black and white long hair piebald puppy. Dainty Dolley is the chocolate long hair puppy in the pictures to the left. James has the same father as Beatrice!

James and Dolley are named for President James Madison and his wife Dolley. Dolley Madison was very petite and her namesake puppy is the runt of her litter.

The little girls are thrilled with their new pets and their father is relieved to have dachshunds instead of the bulldog they were previously begging him for.

Beatrice enjoyed romping with them, but we're not sure James was her favorite brother.

Grants, Overture and a Good Meeting

Yesterday was spent at the presbytery meeting. I got to make what will probably be my favorite report of my year as Moderator-Elect. It was the announcement of the Vision Initiative Grants which awarded a total of $120,000 to 10 different churches and groups in the presbytery for the purpose of supporting our vision: "Growing congregations that passionately engage their communities to make disciples. "

As Moderator-elect, it was my job to chair the committee that reviewed the applications and made the recommendations to General Council for their approval. Money for the grants came from a recent generous bequest to the presbytery, so in this first year our committee had to develop the process from scratch. This was a fun job--everyone loves to give away money--and it was a great hard-working committee.
Some of the projects the grants will support are the planting of a new missional church in our presbytery, the implementation of a program to train pastors to develop lay leadership, the redevelopment of another church, a lay leader training program for an ethnic church, and an innovative outreach to the Hispanic community by another church in a changing neighborhood. I can't wait to see how these projects develop and look forward to seeing more innovative proposals from folks in presbytery next year.

Presbytery passed what will probably be a unique overture to the 2008 GA:
The Church Addressing Intergenerational Injustice in America. (Go here and scroll down to pgs. 42-43 for the full text.)

This is a call for the church to "declare that federal government practices and policies which create ever-increasing debt and unfunded or underfunded obligations for future generations of Americans are a grave moral concern as well as a clear danger to the republic." The original overture was amended on the floor to add a call for a national day of prayer to consider the issue. There wasn't much debate and the overture was adopted by a vote of 132 to 53. One pastor quipped, "It's nice to have an overture that addresses the boardroom rather than the bedroom"!

A balanced budget was presented, thanks to additional contributions from churches and individuals. We have made our first repayment to the General Assembly of the special offerings funds that weren't paid. We now have a new permanent Business Manager and have set up an Audit Committee. Woo-hoo! We're working our way out of the Million Dollar problem.

Worship was led by the youth who attended Triennium and they did a wonderful job with it. New Covenant sends one of the largest delegations to that event. We got everyone who wanted to make announcements to send the information on slides and set up a rolling slideshow before and after each session and during all breaks, and I prepared a powerpoint of the Vision Initiative Grants that was projected behind me while I made that report. This all worked really well and we finished early! We will continue to try to use technology to streamline the meetings.

All in all, it was a very good day. My good friend was recognized for completing the requirements to be a certified Director of Christian Education, and two candidates for ordination were examined and approved. Everything's looking up in New Covenant Presbytery at the moment! I hope it's looking up where you are as well.

Talk To Your Family

It's a good thing that I wrote my posts about the Presbyterian Global Fellowship meeting right after it was over, because most of this week we've been at the hospital with El Jefe's father. He's doing better now and will hopefully go home soon where he will be more comfortable in his familiar surroundings. But at 91, his systems are failing and so the family has had to make some difficult decisions.

This has been made so much easier because many years ago he had a very specific discussion with his daughter (now his primary caregiver) about his wishes in addition to making out advanced directives. She and El Jefe have no doubt in their minds about what he would want them to do for him.

So I'm getting up on my soapbox to urge my gentle readers not only to be sure you have advanced directives and a medical power of attorney, but to TALK to those who you know will be called on to make these decisions if necessary so that they don't have to wrestle with uncertainty along with the other emotions that will come up. I've seen cases where family members got into ugly conflicts with each other because this discussion never took place.

We are blessed by my father-in-law in so many ways, and this is just another example of that blessing.

PGF--Conclusion and Reflections

Saturday, the Houston Chronicle's Saturday Religion Section had notices from several Presbyterian churches about guest preachers who were speakers at the PGF conference. Michael Frost, the founding director of the Centre for Evangelism and Global Mission at Mowling Theological College in Sydney Australia was the guest speaker at my church on Sunday.

Last year when the PGF had its first conference, many people wondered what this group was really all about. Its leadership is predominately from the evangelical, conservative wing of the PCUSA so there was speculation that, like the New Wineskins proved to be, it was a "stalking horse" of sorts for the formation of a splinter group or denomination. In the context of church politics after the GA of 2006, that concern was understandable.

What then is the PGF all about? Michael Frost stated it explicitly in his sermon on Sunday:

Just as God reveals Himself through Jesus as the sent and serving God, His Son and Spirit sends us into the lives and needs of others. We need to abandon the church attitude of "come to us and see Jesus" for going into the world to represent Jesus and to invite others to be disciples. The issue is about the stance we adopt to the world around us.

The purpose of the PGF seems to be like that of the plowman, who dangles the goad in front of the ox so that it will keep dragging the plow through the earth. (Not my metaphor, I'm borrowing it from Michael Frost.) PGF is trying to encourage and empower individuals and congregations to represent Jesus in the world and invite others to be disciples.

The evidence of the last few decades should be enough to convince anyone that churches that take the "come and see" stance are not likely to be around a few decades from now. We need to find, in the words of Paul, "a yet more excellent way." That's what I think the Presbyterian Global Fellowship is trying to be about. Checkout their website here and the PGF blog The Outbox, here and see what you think.

Friends, I've been as guilty as anyone for spending more time, energy, thought and prayer on the PresbyPolity wars than on the Great Commission. Isn't it high time that we change our priorities and lay down our verbal swords and legally-drafted shields for a while?

PGF Report 3-A Voice From the Middle East

"I am a Christian Palestinian. I am your forgotten brother," said Father Elias Chacour who is the Melkite Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Galilee and a three time Nobel Peace Prize nominee as he began his address to the PGF.

I read his book Blood Brothers which recounts the story of his life and the little known struggles of the Palestinian Christians in the land of Israel where they are literally caught in the crossfire between the Palestinian Muslims and the Jews. Even more compelling is the story of the Mar Elias school he founded, which now includes a university, where 4,500 students of all faiths (60% are Muslim) study side-by-side in the land of Israel. " Life is very different from what the press represents it to be," he observed in his presentation to the Presbyterian Global Fellowship's Friday session.

Father Chacour believes that education is the key to peace and justice for the Palestinians and that the Palestinian Christians can be the bridge to peace between the Muslims and the Jews in Israel. But he warns, " Immigration is threatening Christianity to disappear from the Holy Land. There are only 147,000 Palestinian Christians left in Israel. "

What can American Christians do? "Go and visit the Palestinian Christians who are feeling isolated and marginalized," urged Father Chacour. "Be the friends of the Jews, but do not be the enemies of the Palestinians. You must be the common friend."

He closed with an appeal to the Presbyterian Church, saying that we have something the world needs--we are not part of the "weird separatist fundamentalist subculture." "You are in the lifesaving business," he concluded.

Some in the audience were not comfortable with his appeal because they thought it critical of Israel. I think he is remarkably unbiased, considering the fact that his family was forcibly removed from their land by Israeli authorities when he was nine years old at the time of the establishment of that state. A few years ago I heard an extensive presentation about the good work of the Mars Elias Educational Institutions, and that wasn't discussed in any detail at the PGF. I wish it had been, because I'm sure Israel, the Middle East, and all of us need to learn that it is possible for young Muslims, Jews and Christians to study, work and play in peace in the midst of the most intractable conflict in the Middle East.

PGF Report 2--Voices of Africa

El Jefe and I have a very close friend who grew up in Nigeria. His father was killed in the Biafrian War and his impoverished mother managed to get him accepted at the local mission school, run by Presbyterians from Canada. He subsequently made his way to the US where he entered the University of South Carolina for premedical studies. The local Presbyterian Church there adopted him, and his sister, and made it possible for him to get his medical degree. He has established free medical clinic in his home village and members of that church are among the doctors and nurses who accompany him on his missions there. He has always says that he is a proud "product" of the mission school. Today he is sought-after internist in Houston and an elder in his Presbyterian church.

Which brings me to the testimony of two other Africans who spoke at the PGF conference about the importance of overseas mission. Urgessa Biru grew up in Ethiopia in a Muslim family and clan. He came to faith in Christ because of his education in a Christian mission school. Although he was estranged from his family after his conversion, they have since reconciled and he has returned to his hometown to build better relationships between Christians and Muslims. Dr. Amon Kasambala is a minister of the Uniting Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa and is now Director of Partnership Development and Africa Initiatives for Focus on the Family Africa.

Both of these men echoed the story we have heard for years from our Nigerian friend: the importance of partnership in mission with people in Africa. Dr. Kasambala said, "We've lost our inspiration and motivation" for mission in the West. "When a congregation closes its doors on mission, it is heading to its demise." He also stressed that there is no shortcuts in mission, but rather effective mission partnership requires a long-term commitment.

Here is Dr. Kasambala's prescription for effective mission partnership:

1. Equal fellowship
2. Reciprocal interaction
3. Mutual respect and interdependency
4. Love for each other
5. Keen interest in what each other is doing, and offering to help in practical ways

Truly we have as much, or more, to learn from our African friends as we have to teach and share.

Introducing Beatrice

We interrupt QG's coverage of the Presbyterian Global Fellowship meeting for this special announcement. Please welcome the newest member of the QG family, Beatrice!

Beatrice is a 12 week old white piebald mini dachshund and too cute for words. Portia found her in Brenham, Texas! We all drove up to get her and bring her home. She'd been returned to the breeder by her first family, a septugenarian couple who had never had a dog--never mind a puppy--before and realized it was too much for them. She's just right for us!

QG will return tomorrow with another report from the PGF.

PGF Report 1--International Justice Mission

I'm planning to write a couple of posts about the Presbyterian Global Fellowship meeting in Houston this weekend based on my own experience and observation. For more comprehensive coverage of this event, check out the Presbyterian Outlook and Presbyterian Layman reports which I'm sure will be posted since both Jack Haberer and Parker Williamson were in attendance.

Gary Haugen, President of the International Justice Mission, made a powerful presentation about the work of his group. A former federal prosecutor, Haugen was appointed by the United Nations to investigate the Rwandan genocides in Africa. Haunted by his experiences there, he founded the IJM which is an international human rights agency that rescues victims of violence, sexual exploitation, slavery (yes it still exists) and oppression.

Haugen believes that the root cause of suffering for much of the world's poor is violence. Violence is intentional, scary and causes deep scars. Therefore in his opinion the traditional mission approach of the church--food, medicine and shelter-- are not effective. Christians must confront the violence in the world that manifests itself as sexual violence, police abuse, illegal detention, forced labor and violent land seizures.

The problem is that Christians have not prepared their minds for action against violence, but IJM has discovered that with the power of God, violence can be stopped.

My whole being will exclaim, "Who is like you, O Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them."
Psalm 35:10

Haugen says that the vulnerability of the victim contributes to violence. If the poor and oppressed have a consistent strong advocate, the oppressors fade away because they are not brave. IJM's goal is to change the fear equation by finding those trapped in these violent circumstances, bringing in local authorities, rescuing them from their situation and then providing extensive aftercare services to help them recover. This is a dangerous mission for those who are involved in the investigations and rescues and some of them have been subjected to physical violence themselves.

Among the examples of people rescued by IJM was a family in India who had been held in forced labor in a brickyard. Undercover work by IJM led to the intervention of local authorities and the freeing of dozens of families who had been trapped in slavery by the owners of the brickyard. A couple of other examples involved very young girls who had either been sold or kidnapped by prostitution rings in southeast Asia. The foreign predators who flew thousands of miles to exploit them were also charged and punished thanks to the work of the IJM.

As a former prosecutor of child abuse cases, this is a mission that really speaks to my heart. Benefit dinners for IJM are being held in several cities this fall, including Houston. I'm planning to attend.

Quick PGF Report

center

Today was spent at the Presbyterian Global Fellowship Conference in downtown Houston. About 800 people attended from all over the country. The convention center is so large that it seemed like we were rattling around in it!

I'm stuffed full of information from plenary speakers and workshops and will write in more detail about them later this weekend. But in the meantime, here are some quick highlights of the day:

~ Hearing Gary Haugen describe the work of the International Justice Mission which rescues people from slavery and the sex trade all around the world;
~ Rev. Dr. Li Mei Lan of China pastors two churches--of 8,000 members EACH--proving that it takes a real woman to be a minister in China!
~The plea on behalf of Palestinian Christians from Father Elias Chaucor,Archbishop of Galilee of the Melkite Greek Orthodox Church;
~John Ortberg's analogy of life as a Monopoly game which was compelling but too long to attempt to recreate on a blog.
~There was no arguing about ordination issues, amendments to the BOO, or overtures--just lots of talk about bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to a world in need.

Goodnight, friends. More later.

What Summer's Heat Brings

A few days ago I was bemoaning the uber-hot weather down here in southeast Texas. Now the temperatures are 15 degrees cooler....thanks to Tropical Storm Erin which is rumbling outside my house even as I write. It came in south of here, so we're on the "dirty side" of the storm.

Here's the deal: the hotter it gets, the more likely tropical storms and hurricanes are likely to form in the Gulf of Mexico and blow inland, reducing the temperatures with the rain and clouds. I've seen this phenomenon all my life as a native of the area.

As tropical weather goes, this is not a concern. Even the hysterically overanxious local tv weathermen are relatively laid-back about it. For them.

But it's only two years after Katrina and Rita, so we find ourselves paying much closer attention to every blip on the radar screen in the Gulf of Mexico then we did before 2005. Now whenever I see the temperatures climb into the 100's, I begin to watch for the formation of the storms.

This is one reason why August is not the best month to plan events in Houston, but hopefully the Presbyterian Global Fellowship event that kicks off this evening will be unaffected. Welcome, Presbyfriends! I hope you packed your umbrellas!

Distracted by Distractions

Last night I went to the Presbyterian Coalition's service of repentance at Grace PC in Houston. The Coalition is meeting in Houston in advance of the Presbyterian Global Fellowship's meeting later this week, and I was invited to attend their service.

It was very interesting--they said that the order of worship was a traditional form that was used by Calvin. There was lots of singing of traditional hymns, which I loved. It's always uplifting to sing with a congregation full of ministers who sing with gusto!

Unfortunately I found myself so distracted by concerns at home that I just couldn't focus on the service when it became clear it was going to last much longer than the hour I expected. Since I was sitting at the back, I finally crept out of the service, but felt like a heel. Then I was late for the next thing I was going to.

Now I'm repenting of being distracted by my own distractions and resolving to focus better next time.

Something We're Pondering

Last week Portia decided that old Mom and Dad need a puppy--to replace Babs when she moves out on her own. Portia thinks Dad is ready for Gretel The Noble Dog's successor. Why don't Portia and DK get their own puppy? Because they have two cats and aren't home much, that's why.

Babs agrees and even has a name for the prospective pooch: Beatrice. This is a reference to Princess Beatrice, the youngest child of Queen Victoria who lived with her mother to keep her company, even after marrying. (The picture to the left reminds me of El Jefe's saying: "as cute as a speckled pup in a red wagon.")

Babs thinks a dog is a good replacement for her. Not true. Although a dog might watch "Big Medicine" and "What Not To Wear" with me, it wouldn't help cook dinner or have her witty sense of humor. She promises to train it while she is home. Hmmm. Now that she's an adult, I could hold her to that promise, couldn't I? We all know who will be primarily responsible for a puppy now, don't we?

Still...it's an appealing thought. El Jefe is all over it, but his one requirement is that the puppy must have different coloration than Gretel, who was a red dachshund.

Stay tuned....we're pondering the idea.

We Need Ice, Ice, Baby

Houston's got really hot weather.
Here's a cool place we can get together.
When it's one hundred and five,
You need ice to survive.
Summer's heat is now worse than ever!

More Theology of Nudgment

A friend from El Jefe's hometown visited us this weekend. He and El Jefe had a wonderful time reminiscing about growing up in that small town in the Texas Panhandle. We showed him around the area and took him to the Astros game on Saturday night. When he showed interest in our plans for attending church Sunday morning, we invited him to come with us before driving home, and he readily accepted.

This afternoon he called me while driving back to Dallas to thank me for our hospitality. "I really needed to hear that message from your minister," he said. " I can't tell you how much it meant to me today! I made a point of meeting your pastor and thanking him for that sermon. I'm going to start looking for a church home in Dallas now. I loved our visit and your hospitality, but that service was the highlight of my trip." (The sermon topic was Managing Expectations and the scripture was the first beatitude: Matthew 5: 3.)

And to think that it hadn't occured to me that he would be interested in coming to church with us until the Holy Spirit gave me a nudge and made me listen to our guest more carefully! I can almost hear God saying: " That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

Embracing My Inner Bossy Cow

I guess this explains why I was tapped to be the Mom-derator of presbytery.

PGF blogger meetup?

Presbyterian Global Fellowship is having its meeting in Houston next week--August 16 through the 18th, to be exact.

More than 100 members of my church (Memorial Drive PC in Houston) are registered and the presbytery staff is also planning to check in. I'm looking forward to attending a national PresbyConfab that focuses on mission rather than sex for a change! I'm also hoping some of the PresbyBloggers will be attending.

The schedule says that Friday night's dinner is "on your own in Houston", so if any of you would like to meet up with other PresbyBloggers, leave a comment or email me (link through the "about me" link in the sidebar for my email address) and I'll reserve a table for us at Josephine's--a nice Italian restaurant in walking distance of the Brown Convention Center.

Hope to see some of you there!

Book Review: The Sparrow and Children of God

If there is intelligent life on other planets, in other solar systems, then how does God fit into that reality? The Sparrow and Children of God by Mary Doria Russell explore that question with a blend of science fiction and religious themes.

The premise is that the Society of Jesus sponsors a team of Jesuit priests, medical personnel and computer techies on a journey through space to explore the planet Rakhat in the Alpha Centauri system. Otherworldly enchanting music from Rakhat is picked up by radio signals on earth which convinces those who hear it there must be civilization on Rakhat.

The major theme of these books is the encounter between two different civilizations as the Jesuit mission encounters the inhabitants of Rakhat. There are obvious parallels between this storyline and the history of the Jesuit missions in the New World at the time of European colonization of North and South America.

Father Emilio Sandoz, the main character of the novels, suffers unspeakable abuse on Rakhat as a result of the misunderstandings between the two cultures. He returns to earth a mental, emotional and spiritual wreck at the end of The Sparrow. His story continues in Children of God as he is forced to return to Rakhat and discovers much that he didn't understand before. Father Emilio is a complex character whose commitment to God, loss of faith and subsequent redemption are a compelling reading.

I'm not a science fiction buff, but I found these two novels intriguing and thought provoking. They are well-crafted and full of suspense and memorable characters who raise serious questions about the nature of the universe, faith and God.

Hall of Fame Report

We had a great time at the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend as we traveled up there to see our friend Bruce Matthews honored as a member of the class of 2007! The folks in Canton, Ohio really know how to plan and carry out a wonderful festival weekend.

Above are a couple of pictures from the front of the Hall and at Fawcett Stadium, where the Hall of Fame game was played Sunday night. The pictures below show Bruce giving his acceptance speech and the HOF mug that I won as a keepsake at the Friday night dinner.

Some quick observations about the weekend:

~ Lots of ex-players were in the crowd. They are Big and Tall. They made me feel, if not petite, at least almost average in height.

~ Big Men do cry. A lot. They supplied each inductee with an athletic towel. A couple of them made ample use of it. (Not Bruce).

~The guests were very friendly. We met lots of interesting people, including the current head of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes who, along with his wife, were seated next to us at the Friday dinner.

~The dinners were similar to industry or corporate events where awards you never heard of are given to people you don't know (unless you are a die-hard sports fan and consumer of sports news).

~Whenever I hear someone invoke their "spiritual advisor" I am immediately on my guard. Michael Irvin began his way-too-long and way-too-confessional acceptance speech with these words. Let me just say--too much information IMHO.

~The most poignant moment was when three of the members of the HOF wheeled out Gene Hickerson, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease during the ceremony. His son had to give his acceptance speech.

~Every member of the HOF is represented by a bronze bust. Some are better likenesses than others. Bruce's doesn't look like him much at all. He joked that they had to pay extra for the bronze to cover his "dome" (high forehead).

~ There was a family-friendly carnival party for the Matthews' guests after the ceremony complete with jugglers, carnival games, an ice cream soda fountain, popcorn, funnel cakes and cotton candy. A perfect reflection of the family-focused Matthews clan.

~ Bruce must be exhausted. He was constantly being greeted, giving autographs, posing for photos and being ushered around from event to press opportunity along with the rest of the group. He's not someone who seeks or enjoys a lot of personal attention. I bet he was really glad to get home.

~El Jefe was really flattered when a former-player-looking-guy came up to him with a Hall of Fame football and asked him to sign it! We are still wondering who they thought he was, but as El Jefe quipped, "whoever he thought I was, I'm definitely down from my playing weight!

Bruce Matthews: My Favorite Hall of Famer

This weekend our friend Bruce Matthews will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio. If you're interested in reading about his remarkable 19 year career in the NFL you can go here. I'm going to share some things about Bruce that you won't read in the sports reports.

El Jefe and I got to know Bruce and his family years ago when we attended the same church. There are seven children in the family--five boys and 2 girls--which keeps Bruce and his wife Carrie hopping. Nonetheless they filled up a couple of pews on the side of the sanctuary every Sunday they were in town. El Jefe and my girls usually sat near them in what Babs termed "Testosterone Row" (because of all the boys).

Bruce has a wonderful singing voice, too, but because he needed to corral his restless band of cowpokes in worship he couldn't join the choir. But one year the children's choir director persuaded him to play the role of Goliath in the children's musical presentation of David and Goliath. My friend Dorothy and I had to create his Goliath costume from scratch. There's no pattern in the McCall's catalogue that will fit a strapping NFL center! Bruce was a great Goliath and it was a memorable performance.

Once the Houston Oilers morphed into the Tennessee Titans, the Matthews family spent football season in Nashville and the rest of the year in Houston. The first year they returned after football season was my first year as Director of Christian Education. Bruce came to me the first Sunday he was back and asked if he could help teach Sunday School. Could he ever! Bruce led the high school Sunday School class for several years. He was a wonderful teacher because he related easily to the kids. An evangelical Christian, Bruce shared freely with them how important his faith in Christ was for him in his personal and professional lives and encouraged their spiritual growth. That class had its highest attendance in the years he led it.

Bruce has a degree in industrial engineering from USC, so he began a small construction business that he worked with in the off season. He often loaned the services of his company to do repairs or upgrades for the church's physical plant. One time I asked the session for bookcases for my office when Bruce was serving as the elder in charge of buildings and grounds. Lo and behold a few days later Bruce appeared toting two extremely heavy tall bookcases that he assembled for me himself. El Jefe nominated him to the board of our presbytery's conference center and he was very helpful there with their building and expansion projects.

El Jefe and Bruce shared a deep interest in the history of the Civil War and had the same political, religious and theological viewpoints. Every Sunday between services they solved the problems of the world and the church on the porch outside the sanctuary. Every Sunday that he played football we were looking for number 74 on our television screen. In the past couple of years both of our families moved to different churches and we miss seeing them every Sunday.

With all the scandals today erupting around professional athletes in almost any sport you can it is important to recognize someone like Bruce Matthews, who not only excelled in his sport but lives a life of integrity and faith worth emulating. El Jefe and I were invited to attend the festivities at the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend with the Matthews' family and friends this weekend. We're off to Canton, Ohio tomorrow morning for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Hooray for Bruce!

HP and the Dark Lord Waldemart

I totally stole this from Presbyterian Gal who totally stole it from Barbara B. who stole it from someone else. Why break the chain, I say? B-wahahahahah!

A Modern Pilgrims' Progress

Years ago--just about 6 months after the birth of Babs to be precise--I had emergency surgery to take out my gall bladder. The surgeon was a young personable guy from South Africa. A few years later El Jefe went under his knife for the same reason. Dr. Bob Davis is a memorable character, but nonetheless I was startled to see him on TLC as the star of a new reality show Big Medicine.

"Big D" and his son, Garth, are now partners in medical practice, specializing in bariatric surgery. I have no idea how they came to have their own show, but I'm now a faithful fan. Seeing familiar faces and places around Houston is part of the appeal of the show for me, but I find universal themes in Big Medicine as well.

There's something fascinating to me about the journeys of their patients as they struggle to renew and redeem not just their bodies from obesity, but their minds and souls from the crippling emotions and habits that brought them to that place. It seems to me Big Medicine is a Pilgrim's Progress for our time as the stories of the doctors and the patients illustrate many of the spiritual struggles we encounter our lives. Temptations, sin, self-discipline, the need for community support, and appeals for grace and mercy are familiar to all of us as we strive to transform ourselves and become the people God intends. It's not just about the weight.

El Jefe can't abide medical shows of any kind, so his curiosity about what Big D was up to these days was quickly satisfied by a brief look at the screen. But Babs joins me every Monday night to catch up with Big Medicine since she is interested in the psychological aspects of the show.

As a bonus, it reminds me to keep my own head out of the feed bag.

Moving Day

El Jefe and I are waiting at the house, after attending the early service and Sunday School, for the movers bringing Babs' stuff back from Austin. She and I made room in closets and spare bedrooms for the few pieces of furniture she is bringing back and for the boxes of paraphernalia from her apartment that she won't need until she moves out again.

El Jefe is delighted that both of his daughters are back in Houston and out of Austin. He never figured out how to drive in Austin and he often remarked that he couldn't wait to get both of them out of there. I think he just missed them and wanted them living closer to home.

So Babs will be living at home for a while as she looks for a counseling job in our area now that she has completed her masters in counseling and has her temporary Licensed Professional Counselor certification. We'll enjoy having her company, but know that the time will soon come when she moves out on her own.

Welcome home, Babs!

Friday 5: Floods and Drought

Today's RevGalBlogPals Friday 5 is brought to us by Sally, a UK blogger, who is weathering some flooding right now. I identify with her as we are enduring the rainiest July ever in southeast Texas.

1. Have you experienced living through an extreme weather event- what was it and how did you cope?

Hurricane Alicia passed directly over our home in Houston in 1983. We didn't try to evacuate, because it was a low level storm and we didn't live near enough to the Gulf of Mexico to worry about tidal flooding. Portia and Babs were 2 years and 6 months old, respectively. The winds had that eerie "howling" for about 18 hours before the storm hit land.

Afterwards there was a strange energy in the air. I remember how silent the neighborhood was since the freeway near our home was shut down and there was no traffic noise. El Jefe kept fielding phone calls from lawyers and bankers in New York City who didn't understand why the firm was closed. There was broken glass everywhere downtown and the police cordoned off the area until it could be cleared.

We had no power in sweltering heat for 3 days. Just as I was packing up the babies to go to my sister-in-law's home the lights came on. Glory Hallelujah! But our across-the-street neighbors had no power for 2 weeks. I kept my friend's perishables in my refrigerator for her.

2. How important is it that we wake up to issues such as global warming?

I think people are concerned about it. But we need much more thorough "hard science" to determine what is the best way to address the issue than we have at the moment.

3. The Christian message needs to include stewardship of the earths resources agree/ disagree?

Most denominations address this issue, as far as I know.

And because it is summer- on a brighter note....

4. What is your favourite season and why?

I love fall, but we don't get much of it here. It's wonderful to get that first cool front of the season in late September and know the unrelenting heat is about to break!

5. Describe your perfect vacation weather....
I loved the weather in Aruba--warm but not stifling, breezy and low humidity. Perfect for sipping margaritas and reading on the beach.

Prayer for El Jefe's New PC

Today El Jefe's firm made him turn in his laptop computer for a new model. This is a high anxiety moment for El Jefe, who is NOT the least bit geeky. That makes QG the resident geek. So I'm offering up this prayer as I attempt to install software on the darn thing. I'm a Mac girl, myself, but the firm's network is not. I did not need this aggravation today!

From Windows and crashes
And error messages
And endless downloads of printer drivers and updates,
Good Lord, deliver us!

P.S. Dear Lord, make the firm go Mac.
Amen.

Help Wanted: Adult SS Topics

Well, you knew it wouldn't be long before I found myself involved in working with adult Sunday School classes again.

The class that El Jefe and I have been attending at church wants to revitalize and renew itself. For the rest of the summer we will be using The Wired Word curriculum. But then we need to find a new topic and/or study that can bring in new participants this fall.

I'm convinced that there are a good number of folks in any church who can't become involved in adult Christian education or small groups during the week, but can do so on Sunday mornings. I've made a list of some possible topics and books, but would love some other ideas.

Can any of you offer some advice about a study or topic that you are familiar with and think would help a class reach out and attract new participants?


UPDATE: QG readers responded with a wonderful discussion of different ideas for adult classes in the comments. If you are looking for some great suggestions for adult groups, check out the comments below and give us your ideas, too.

RGBP Book Discussion: A Vision of Light

(Cross-posted from the RevGalBlogPals blog, where I'm leading this discussion today. QG readers who would like to join in can go to RGBP or leave their comments here.)

Since we’re well into the summer vacation season, the RevGalBookPals chose a “lighter” selection for this month’s book discussion. A Vision of Light by Judith Merkel Riley features one of the most engaging heroines in historical fiction, Margaret of Asbury. I hope you enjoyed traveling back to fourteenth century England to meet her.

There are a lot of interesting characters in this story, but let’s start our discussion with Margaret.

Why do you think Margaret was granted the Vision of Light and its healing power?

Do you think that Margaret’s faith and her relationship with God are portrayed convincingly in the book?

The gift of healing got Margaret into trouble with the church of her day. How would your church react if a member claimed to have this gift?

Brother Gregory is Margaret’s antagonist at the beginning of the story. How and why does his attitude toward her change?

Why is it so important to Margaret to learn to read and write?

In my opinion, Margaret’s second husband Kendall is the hero of the book. Do you agree?

Contemporary historical fiction depicting strong women protagonists often ascribes anachronistic attitudes to them or to other characters in the novel. Do you think the author avoided this common problem?

In some ways the church in fourteenth century England is also one of the characters in the book. In what ways did the church of that time provide for the needs of the people and in what ways did it fail to do so?

That’s enough from me. Now it’s your turn to join in the discussion by leaving your comments. Like it? Love it? Meh? Fie --Away With It?

There are two sequels to Vision of Light that carry forward Margaret’s story. If you’d be interested in the BookPals reading the next novel in the trilogy, The Water Devil, please let us know.

The next RevGalBookPals discussion is August 27. The book selection is Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott.

El Jefe's Harry Potter Movie Review

Ten minutes into HP and the Order of the Phoenix:
El Jefe--" I haven't got the foggiest idea what is going on here."
QG--"Muggles are ordinary people without magical powers."
El Jefe--"Got it."

Twenty minutes later:
~sound of snoring to QG's left~
*gentle elbow to the ribs*
"Whaa??"

Ten minutes later:
~repeated sound of snoring~
Heads turning around
*another gentle elbowing*
"Was I asleep?"

Big laser fight scene at the end of the movie between Professor Dumbledore and the Dark Lord.
El Jefe now awake and riveted to the screen.

Movie over.
Babs-- "Did you like the movie, Daddy?"
El Jefe-- " That was a great fight at the end between Bumblebee and whoever. Isn't the guy who played Bumblebee the same guy who was in Lord of the Rings?"

Score one for El Jefe.

P.S. He snagged two HP and the Deathly Hallows books right after the movie. One for each of Babs' friends. Good Daddy Jefe.

The Gospel According To Tammy Faye

From the QG Department of Houston Religious Oddities:

The Gospel According To Tammy Faye, a new musical, debuts at the Alley Theatre in Houston this weekend. The performances are being staged by a local Methodist church with proceeds benefiting the church's support network to assist those affected by HIV/AIDS.

You might think that this musical is a SNL- style parody of the famous televangelist--her hair, makeup, propensity to shed tears, and general over-the-toppedness. Not so. Apparently the playwright and composer, both of whom are gay, intend a sympathetic portrayal of her rise from poverty to the lavish lifestyle a televangelist, the fall after her husband Jim Bakker was imprisoned and their ministry bankrupted, and her re-emergence as a gay-friendly, albeit fundamentalist Christian public figure now battling cancer.

They're hoping to take the play to Broadway eventually.

The Many Hats of the Mom-derator

It's been a busy few weeks down at presbytery. In order to keep up with all the action, I've found myself looking for these hats in my closet:

• Head-Hunter
• Reporter/Editor
• Attorney
• Real Estate Developer
• Editor
• PowerPoint Expert
• FinanceWoman
• Cheerleader

What's my real job down there? Oh, yeah. Mom-derator 2008. Who knew?

Is The Ark Here Yet?

With a month of rainy days in the last 6 weeks, Houston fashionistas flock to buy the newest ladies' footwear.

El Jefe, Meet Harry Potter

This Friday El Jefe will meet Harry Potter for the first time at the movies.

No, he hasn't read any of the books or seen any of the previous movies. El Jefe is not a fan of most fiction and definitely eschews fantasy, which he calls "whimsey", at all costs. He is not amused or edified by references to the Lord of the Rings trilogy in sermons at church ("not the hobbits again, he moans) and you can bet he'll feel the same way about Harry Potter, despite his otherwise pronounced Anglophile tendencies.

But here's the deal: one of his clients invited him to a late night showing of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix this coming Friday night. After the movie, he gets a copy of the new HP book as a "party favor." Knowing that his daughter Babs is a huge HP fan, El Jefe the Good Daddy agreed to take me, Babs and two of her college friends to the showing so Babs can get the book.

Now the movie is way past his normal bedtime, so he's trying to decide how to stay awake. He's thinking a late supper with all of us and coffee might do the trick. I told Babs that she needs to give him a little instruction in Harry Potter 101, since I've only read the first book and part of the second. She's thinking about it. Any advice, Potterites?

Book Review: Boomsday

It took me longer than usual to finish Boomsday by Christopher Buckley. That's because I was enjoying it so much that I didn't WANT to finish it and rationed myself to a couple of chapters per day.

Christopher Buckley (son of William F.) is a master social and political satirist whose novels (Florence of Arabia, No Way To Treat A First Lady, Little Green Men, God is My Broker) pillory the hypocrisy of the American political and social elites with a trenchant mordant wit. His best known book is Thank You For Smoking, which was made into a moderately successful film.

Here's the premise of Boomsday in a nutshell: Blogger Cassandra Devine turns her justifiable rage at her self-centered Boomer Dad into a crusade to persuade the government to solve the social security problem by encouraging senior citizens (the Boomers) to kill themselves in exchange for tax breaks. This proposal is called "Transitioning. She's not serious about Transitioning, but hopes that by advancing this radical idea she will force the government to take real action to reform the Social Security system that is placing an increasingly inequitable burden on the earnings of the younger generation to fund the retirement of the older generation.

Along the way Cassandra meets double dealing White House staffers, romances a one-legged Senator with Presidential ambitions, and sends the ratings of Congressional hearings through the roof with her memorable sparing with fellow commission member Rev. Gideon Payne, head of SPERM, the nation's most influential right to life group. This all culminates in the most outlandish Presidential campaign ever. The Vatican even gets involved as Pope Jean-Claude the First issues a Papal bull excommunicating any American voting for anyone supporting Transitioning.

Buckley masters the art of revealing absurdity by being absurd. Despite his conservative pedigree, he is an equal opportunity satirist skewering the ways in which all sides try to "spin" anything and everthing to their own advantage. Those of you who are news junkies and/or enjoy social and political satires will really enjoy Boomsday.

Real Church Without Walls

Less than a mile from my home stands this church without walls. It's a Catholic church that is expanding its sanctuary with several hundred additional seats, in addition to some other renovations and expansion.

The walls have been knocked out and only the skeleton of the building with its pointed roofs and stained glass windows remain at the moment.

The congregation is worshiping across the street in the gymnasium of its education building for the next year or so until the expansion is complete. This is a very large, growing congregation with several thousand families in the parish. Masses are celebrated almost around the clock from Saturday evening through Sunday evening. El Jefe and I plan our weekend driving in the neighborhood around its schedule. A parochial school that goes from preschool through middle school is on this site and operated by the church.

While my denomination is threatened with yet another in a long line of schisms over theology and practice, the growth of this church is not fazed by the controversies within the Catholic Church. And they have their share, too: the scandal in the American church involving pedophilic priests; disagreements over the ordination of women, birth control, abortion, divorce, priestly celibacy etc.

It's interesting to note that my friends who attend this church say the only thing limiting the growth of this parish is the shortage of priests. Priests from the Third World are routinely rotated through the parish to assist the resident pastor. In contrast, there is a surplus of Presbyterian pastors in the PCUSA--especially in urban and suburban areas.

This week the Pope kicked up some controversy by reiterating the traditional Catholic position that Christ established one true church on earth and that is the Catholic church. Many of my Catholic friends would demur on this point, as they do on some of the other official policies and doctrine of their church. But I don't hear or read a lot of talk about schism in their church.

We Protestants are well-named. We protest and divide when we don't agree. Our heritage is one of division, not unity. The Presbyterian Church emphasizes in its ordination vows the pledge to further the "peace unity and purity of the church." Unity and peace seem to be more valued by Catholics, while purity in theology and practice has historically been the most important value for Protestants.

I think each side could learn from the other and bring those values into better balance.

Random Wrapup

Whew--got out on an earlier flight than scheduled. Thank you, Delta!

Give it up for--

• Questing Pastor, official RevGal chauffer and Factotem *air kiss*
  
• Reverendmommy, official hostess and her assistant, Chaos
• Songbird, President Extraordinare
• St. Casserole, VP, Presidential Purseholder, and RGBP Answer to Comedy Central
  
• Cheesehead, second tallest and undeterred by o-dark-thirty flights
• Mary Beth, Treasurer, fellow Tall Texan, and FRF (favorite roommate forever)
  
• Will Smama !!!!
  
• Natalie (Take My Hand)--World's Youngest RGBP'er
• Making progress on the Big Event (details to come on the RGBP blog)

Later, friends.

RGBP Inc. The Photo Essay

We ARE meeting at LAST!

Facing the camera: Natalie (Take My Hand) our special youngest RGBP'er, Reverendmommy, Songbird, me and Mary Beth.

The gorgeous gals with the amazing hairdos are: St. Casserole, Cheesehead and Will Smama.





Cheese, Mary Beth, St. Casserole, Songbird and I compare pedis.

These wreaths remain from the Fourth of July on the front doors of the church. This one's for zorra.

Mary Beth and I are missing our pal Spooky Rach so we're sending her a shout-out from the cemetery next to the church where we were meeting.

More later....

RGBP Inc. F2F

I'm off by the dawn's early light tomorrow morning to Atlanta for the first RGBP Inc. face-to-face meeting of the board of directors. I'm so pumped!

We formed the corporation, approved the by-laws, elected the officers and had several business meetings through the miracle of modern technology. However there comes a point when trying to conduct a meeting via chatroom and/or email is just too inefficient.

So we're gathering in the Atlanta area today through Wednesday, thanks to Reverendmommy who arranged for her church to host our meeting and who is acting as facilitator for the meeting. Each director is traveling at her own expense, too. That's how dedicated this group is to making RGBP Inc. successful. The main item on the agenda is planning for the Big Event (a conference for RGBP Inc.), in 2008.

Mary Beth, fellow Texas blogger, is the only one of the group I've had the pleasure of meeting in person. I've talked on the phone to Songbird several times, but other than that only know these friends through their blogs and comments. Yet I feel like they are already good friends. What a blessing.

Bloggers that we are, I'm sure we'll be posting from Atlanta the next couple of days.

Legal-Type BoilerPlate and Small Print: QG has picked up several new readers in the last few months who may not be familiar with the RevGals webring or why we formed a non-profit corporation. (Click on the hyper-linked text for more information.) We received our 501-c-3 designation from the IRS and so we are eligible to receive grants and tax-deductible contributions.

Ark Wherefore Art Thou?

The rain came down in TORRENTS this afternoon. That makes rain for more than 2 weeks straight.

Swapping my car for an ARK....

Soppily yours,

QG

Found On the Newstand

Hat tip: Decently and in Order.

Next RevGalBookPals Selection

Dear Readers:
I'm cross-posting this post from RevGalBlogPals. You don't have to be a member of RGBP to read the book and comment on the discussion I'm hosting on that blog July 25. Join us!

QG’s TOP TEN REASONS FOR READING
A VISION OF LIGHT by Judith Merkle Riley

10. You need a book to read on vacation that is diverting, but not ploddingly predictable or a bodice ripper that you will want to hide from the children or the disapproving gaze of your in-laws.

9. It was written by a professor of political science, but is NOT about politics.

8. Historical fiction depicting women with appropriate sensibilities to the era of the novel is hard to find. There’s no “ Gwynth plead with her father for a suit of armor so she could joust like her brother Garth” type stuff in this book. That sort of thing makes QG toss a book away in disgust.

7. Margaret of Asbury is one of the best characters in modern historical fiction—she’s complex, charming and intriguing.

6. God makes an appearance (or two or three) in the story.

5. If you thought your ex-husband or ex-boyfriend were Bad News, read about Margaret’s First Husband From Hell and be comforted.

4. One of the themes of the book is the power of knowledge and the importance of reading and writing.

3. A second theme is the ways in which the church of the Middle Ages failed to meet the spiritual needs of the people.

2. The most important theme is the ways in which God can choose an ordinary person, like Margaret, to heal people injured in body and spirit.

And the number 1 reason to read A VISION OF LIGHT is:

It’s the topic for the RevGalBookPals discussion on July 25 and you still have time to order it from the RevGals Amazon store, read it and join our discussion that day!

July 4th in Houston

Happy Independence Day!

Overwhelmed by Basil

It's been coolish and very very rainy the last couple of weeks here in southeast Texas. As a result, my little herb garden is now overwhelmed by three varieties of basil: Sweet, something smaller more pointy and less fragrant that I'm calling Mystery Basil, and Purple Basil (really strong yummy flavor !).

Donde esta el cilantro? It vanished, choked out by its basil bedmates. Somehow these basils are surviving my notorious Black Thumb.

This morning I felt myself morphing into Forrest Gump, but trying to think of all the ways to use up the basil instead of shrimp. Basil pesto. Tomato basil soup. spaghetti sauce with basil, pico de gallo con basil, cheese omlettes with basil: basil leaves in salad greens, basil basil everywhere and even more than I can share.

Question for the 4th

Zorra's reflections on the Fourth of July service prompted me to join her in pondering the question of how we can "express gratitude to God for the advantages and blessings we enjoy in the United States, and ask for God's blessing and guidance for our country and its leaders, without all the bombastic, non reflective flag waving?" There's no question that sometimes patriotic enthusiasm spills over inappropriately into worship on the Sunday nearest to Independence Day.

Yesterday's sermon at our church was one of the more unique Independence Day related sermons I have ever heard. The text was 2 Samuel 6:6-8: the story of Uzzah who was struck dead when he tried to steady the Ark as it slipped from an oxcart while being transported into the city of Jerusalem by King David. The king and everyone else is shocked and afraid, so the Ark is left in a nearby home. After a few months word gets out that the family who lives in that home has been remarkably blessed--presumably by the Ark. So King David regains the courage to complete the Ark's journey into Jerusalem where it ultimately finds a home in the temple built by King Solomon.

The gist of the sermon was the exposition of an analogy between the story of Uzzah and the tension between our relationship with our religion and faith and the obligations of the state, focusing on the twin concerns of either leaving God out of the political realm and or having God represented in an abusive way.

History is full of examples demonstrating the struggle between these two concerns. In response to a visitor to the White House during the Civil War who said, "God is on our side", President Abraham Lincoln responded: "We trust, sir, that God is on our side. It is more important to know that we are on God's side."

We should focus in worship on getting ourselves on God's side.