Peace on Earth

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”


~ Henry W. Longfellow, 1864

Christmas break fun!

Grades are in...and I'm pretty stoked. :) Looks like my teachers liked my term papers and the TFC articles. It seems like most of my senior friends had similar experiences with getting better grades as an upperclassmen. I guess you get better as it as you go along. The moral of the story is that I'm so glad that I worked really hard this term. It definitely paid off! It makes me feel less nervous about grad school and I'm fairly confident now that everything I am sending in makes me look like a really good candidate. I've finally finished my essay, so I should be able to send everything in today or tomorrow, and then I just have to wait until April.

I've been at Georgetown for the past two days visiting with Caelah while she's been finishing up her finals. Her roommates are really sweet and it's been fun to chill in a college dorm again. We went and got Ben and Jerrys last night (which kept me up for hours) and I felt really nostalgic for freshman year, going to the Co-op with Rachel and Christine for ice cream runs around 10:00. Good times. :)

Jesse and I played squash yesterday at the gym. Neither of us are particularly good, but we had so much fun. We didn't keep score and just rallied back and forth, switching the serve when we would have otherwise. It was a good way to get the essentials of the rules down and to practice hitting good shots and returning them. We also went to Jana's apartment on Monday night for a party she was hosting and to meet some of her grad school friends.

So, all in all, I'm having a relaxing and rewarding break. I think it might be time to give back to it and do a little more writing than I've been getting done. ;) Perhaps "Something Brilliant" and "Heart of Gold" chapter 12 will be finished this week! That would be brilliant. ;)

Something Brilliant

It's good to be home. :) It's 10:36 right now and I'm sitting in bed with Kirby (the family Sheltie) who is curled up in delightful slumber with his head resting against a paw, but I know he's not completely asleep because his ears are perked up, listening to my fingers pattering across the keyboard. He sort of looks like a little fox.

I haven't done much of anything in the past two days, mostly because I haven't been feeling well. I was actually told that I wasn't allowed to do anything productive by Mom and Mike, heh. Well, I was still a little productive around the house and such. But I did follow their advice and spend most of my time in front of Nick Games and Sports (Legends of the Hidden Temple, GUTS, and Family Double Dare anyone??), ABC Family (Full House), and watching movies. I do feel better, which is nice. Still waiting for my voice to return.

I've also started a new story, "Something Brilliant." Here is an excerpt...

“I’m a failure,” Ron groaned.

“You’re not a failure,” Harry
reassured.

“I’m too dense.” Ron threw his wash rag on the
floor.

“You’re not too dense, you’ve had some very inspired
moments,” Harry countered.

“I’m an idiot!” Ron insisted, jabbing
his thumb into his chest.

Harry considered this. “Erm, well,
you might be an idiot. Sometimes. But usually you’re
not.”

Ron slumped against the counter of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes
and held his head in his hands.

“She’d be daft to accept me.
There’s no point.”

“For heaven’s sake, Ron, you’ve already bought
the ring!” Harry exclaimed. “What have you got to lose?”

Ah, dear Ron and Harry...hopefully Harry will help Ron get his act together. ;) Chapter 12 of "Heart of Gold" is also coming along swimmingly, and should be up sometime soon. I hope. I'm also hoping to go to Georgetown and visit Caelah within the next few days, and I have a whole mountain of books that I want to read! Break is looking to be awesome. :)

Through the narrow wood

Finals are almost over! I finished my article series on The Falls Church for my opinion writing class late last night and turned it in this morning (more on that below), today I took my microeconomics exam, and tomorrow I will take my European history exam. I've already taken Islamic history, on Saturday, and that will be all of my exams for this term. It's been a very challenging term academically, and busy as well. I've hardly had much time to myself! Christmas break will be interesting as I'm not working this year, so I'll have a lot of time to write, read, and spend time with friends.

I have posted my articles series about The Falls Church in the several posts below. I posted them in reverse order to make reading easier. They are meant to be read in order, and though they are not meant to be entirely comprehensive, I think that I did a good job of describing the debate and issues. There is so much more that I could have included, but I had a 700 word limit for each article, and I was either right on it or just barely below it for all! Happy reading.

I very much enjoyed summarizing and reading over the debate again. I feel like I know more about it now and am much better equipped to discuss the particulars with anyone. John Yates, Martyn Minns, Peter Akinola, and the others have really done such a great job expressing their beliefs in a strong but humble manner. They are such an encouragement to me! It is so good to be amongst Christians who aren't afraid to publicly and respectfully express their faith.

Well, I must get back to revising for my European history test. I've been watching the movie "Miss Potter" while going over my notes. I love these quotes:

"There is something delicious about writing the first few words of a story. You're never quite sure where they will take you. Mine brought me here." ~ Beatrix Potter

"Stories don't always end where their authors intended. But there is a joy in following them, wherever they take us." ~ Beatrix Potter

Part 1 - A New Beginning

It was an Advent Sunday like any other. The priests and acolytes filed in to the sounds of choir and organ lifting Christmas praises to the heavens. The cross proceeded in front of them, a reminder to the overflowing room of the reason they gathered together.

John Yates stood to welcome his congregation to the service of lessons and carols. He then made reference to the results of a church vote, gesturing to the television crews waiting in the upper corner of the church.

The crews would have to wait. Yates explained that they would announce the congregational decision at the end of the service.

It was December 17, 2006.

The vote would determine whether or not Yates’ congregation, The Falls Church of Falls Church, Va., would disaffiliate with The Episcopal Church in favor of the greater Anglican Communion. It would be the culmination of more than three years of debate, and the beginning of a property dispute that went to trial Nov. 13, 2007.

The Episcopal Church brought suit against ten Virginia churches last January over their church property after the churches voted to secede over doctrinal issues. The Falls Church was among them, with 90% of the eligible church body voting to break communion.

The Falls Church was established in 1732 as an offshoot of Truro Church, another seceding church located in Fairfax, Va. It is one of the largest churches in the Diocese of Virginia, and existed as part of the worldwide Anglican Communion before the creation of The Episcopal Church after the Revolutionary War. The Episcopal Church makes up only 3% of those in the world who affiliate with the Anglican Communion; missionaries have spread Anglicanism not just in the West, but also to Africa and Asia.

The central issue for the seceding churches is the place and authority of the Bible in church practice. Specifically, the churches are concerned with the election of Gene Robinson, an openly homosexual man, as a bishop in 2003 and the election of Katherine Jefferts Schori as presiding bishop, the highest Episcopalian religious authority. Schori has publicly broken with biblical teaching by asserting that there is more than one method of attaining salvation, ignoring the biblical principle of Jesus Christ as the only means through which one can approach God.

Yates referred to these issues as symptoms of a bigger problem in his statement “Can Two Walk Together, Except They Be Agreed?” from June 2006. Though Yates has sought reconciliation with the Diocese of Virginia and Virginia Bishop Peter Lee, he stated in this document that the time might come when the church would have to choose between their beliefs and staying in the denomination for tradition’s sake.

Yates sought reconciliation until the Episcopal General Convention in June 2006, when Schori was elected as presiding bishop and the convention failed to pass a resolution affirming the Bible as the supreme authority over the church.

For Yates, the tide had turned. These decisions deepened the rift, and the time had come to consider affiliating with the wider Anglican body who had previously affirmed the stance of The Falls Church.

The churches banded together and wrote a protocol for secession, which was endorsed by Lee until Dec. 1 when it became clear that the churches may actually vote to leave.

In his sermon that December Sunday, Yates remarked that while he bears “no ill will” toward Schori or The Episcopal Church, “when two groups have irreconcilable differences, the pastoral thing to do is find a gracious way to separate.”

The Diocese of Virginia brought suit despite these efforts, claiming an interest in the property of the church. However, The Falls Church has argued correctly its right to keep the property according to the Virginia Division Statute, Virginia Code § 57-9, which recognizes the right of congregations to keep their property when separating from a divided denomination or diocese.

The Falls Church has the legal right to secede from their mainline denomination if they are confronted with an irreconcilable difference. Further, they have a right to their property under Virginia law. The following articles will examine these issues in greater depth as we await the decision of the Fairfax County Circuit Court.

Part 2 - Is Property the Issue?

Last January, the Diocese of Virginia declared that the rectors and other leadership of the ten seceding Virginia churches had severed ties with the Episcopalian communion and therefore do not recognize the authority of The Episcopal Church, and “have openly renounced the doctrine, discipline, or worship” of The Episcopal Church.

As such, the diocese declared the real property of each church abandoned and stated their wish to take charge of it. However, the rectors and congregations had not vacated the premises, and therefore the diocese felt it necessary to bring suit against them.

Further, the diocese claimed that the parishes belonged to The Episcopal Church and not to individual congregations because the denomination is hierarchical in nature and property is held for the use of its overall mission. As the churches wanted to leave the denomination, their use of the property could not be for its greater good.

The diocese asked the court to declare that each parish’s property was held for the benefit of an Episcopal congregation and must be used for its mission, that the parishes could not use the property for any other purpose except that provided for in its own constitution, and that the court issue an injunction to stop the churches’ use of the properties.

The requests were made in response to the churches’ filing under Virginia Code § 57-9, the Virginia Division Statute, informing the state of their majority voting decisions to separate from The Episcopal Church.

The code was passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 1867 in response to denominational schisms over slavery and the Civil War. It provides that where a “church or religious society” experiences a “division,” affiliated congregations may vote to determine which “branch” of the divided overall body they wish to join. The church must report the results of this vote to the local circuit court and its approval is “conclusive as to the title and control of any property held in trust for such congregation.”

In essence, if a religious body is split over an issue and congregations are forced to take sides, they have the right to keep their property. A claimant under this code must prove that they belong to a religious body that is in dissention, that a majority vote has been conducted, and that the congregations are joining an affiliated branch of the church body.

Clearly, The Episcopal Church is a church in crisis. The dividing issues of sexual behavior and biblical authority have been widely publicized in the news and its leadership has made statements about them. Likewise, The Falls Church has been affiliated with The Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion for centuries. It has sent representatives to leadership meetings and has participated in discussions about its place in both bodies in recent years.

Further, it is easily proven that The Falls Church acted according to the stipulations of Virginia Code § 57-9 – a vote was conducted, resulting in 90% of the eligible voters declaring that they wished to secede, and the results of that vote were reported to the Fairfax County Circuit Court.

The Falls Church also expressed its wish to align with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) and the Anglican District of Virginia (ADV). These bodies were “created in response to the subject division as an offshoot for Episcopal congregations that desire to remain part of the Anglican Communion,” according to a statement from the defendants.

Virginia Code § 57-9 leaves the decision up to individual congregations and provides every means for the government to stay out of the decision. However, the requests of the Diocese of Virginia ask the court to take the property because it can only be used to further the mission of The Episcopal Church. In essence, they request that the government impede on The Falls Church’s right to exercise what they believe by taking their property.

The Episcopal Church is asking the court to crush a smaller body. Their interest is not so much in the property, but in asserting their authority, whereas The Falls Church wishes to secede peaceably.

The court should uphold their filing under Virginia Code § 57-9.

Part 3 - Two Diverging Roads

The Falls Church did not arbitrarily conduct their vote and decide to leave without warning. In fact, the church has been engaged in dialogue over this issue and the issues of contention with The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion for at least a decade.

In 1996, Assistant Bishop Righter of the Diocese of Newark performed the ordination of a practicing homosexual. The greater Anglican Communion condemned this action in 1998 decennial Lambeth Conference, a meeting of the leaders of the worldwide Anglican Communion. However, The Episcopal Church continued to defy the greater church authority with the election of Gene Robinson in 2003.

The Archbishop of Canterbury appointed a commission that issued the Windsor Report in October 2004, criticizing the consecration and stating that the worldwide communion had made its position clear. The report called for a moratorium on additional consecrations.

Further actions by The Episcopal Church continued to fly in the face of the Windsor Report, so much so that in 2005 the Anglican leadership asked The Episcopal Church to withdraw its members from the council until the next Lambeth Conference in 2008.

Virginia Bishop Peter Lee voted to approve Richter’s actions at the 1997 General Convention, and adapted the policy of the Virginia Theological Seminary to match them. He also supported the elections of Robinson and Schori.

In contrast, The Falls Church has upheld the standards of the greater Anglican Communion and engaged in dialogue with Lee and The Episcopal Church about them. Such dialogue led them to ally themselves with like-minded members of the Anglican Communion in the United States, and to withdraw their monetary support of the Diocese of Virginia.

Yates, the vestry, and the leadership of the other ten churches have written innumerable statements regarding their beliefs and viewpoints, and have made every effort to reconcile with the Diocese of Virginia.

When it became clear to them that reconciliation was no longer an option, they drew up a statement of protocol through a council appointed by Lee.

This protocol called for a period of discernment and reflection on whether to leave The Episcopal Church of at least 30 days, voting on the issue at a special congregational meeting called by the vestry, a majority of at least 70% for the motion to pass, that any dissenting vestry be given voice to submit their opinions, and a second vote over whether or not the congregation wishes to keep the church property. The Episcopal Church agreed that the churches could secede if both votes passed by majority.

The Falls Church and its cohorts acted according to these principles, only to be sued by the Diocese of Virginia once they had been carried out.

Granted, The Episcopal Church has an interest in its flock. It also has an interest in expressing its concerns and beliefs and ensuring that those who align with them are given a voice.

However, it is pointless for the diocese to bring this case to court because the law clearly favors The Falls Church.

Lee and other Episcopal leaders, including Schori, gave the churches the impression that while they would be saddened by their departure, they respected their protocol and decisions.

Further, the dissenting minorities in the majority of the seceding churches are so small that it is ludicrous for The Episcopal Church to attempt to seize the property on their behalf. There are over 1, 300 adult members of The Falls Church, and only around 100 of them voted not to break communion.

It is clear that the majority of members wish to align with the greater faith body that shares their beliefs. It is The Episcopal Church who is expressing a minority opinion in this case, comprising only 3% of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

As Yates said last December, the best thing that a leader can do in an irreconcilable dispute is to find the most gracious way to separate. The other leaders and he never wished to fight the case in court.

One road has diverged into two. The best road for peace would be for The Episcopal Church to end litigation and resolve differences cordially and respectfully, instead of trying to bully the churches into giving in to their demands.

--------------------------------

Reports referenced in the articles can be accessed at the following web sites:

www.thefallschurch.org
www.americananglican.org
www.episcopalchurch.org
www.globalsouthanglican.org
http://kendallharmon.net/t19
www.thediocese.net
www.40daysofdiscernment.org

A new beginning

I am working on a 3 article series for my opinion writing class about the Anglican realignment. Hence I have been reading innumerable articles and statements from The Episcopal Church, the Virginia Diocese, The Falls Church, Truro Church, etc about perspectives, history, the court case, etc. The court case seems to have gone very well. We'll know the fate of the church properties in about two months when the judge announces his decision, but the trial could hardly have gone worse for TEC. At one point the presiding bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori basically admitted that she had lied to Archbishop Rowan Williams, the bishop of Canterbury.

Anyway, so I've been going through all of the documents again, and I just can't believe some of the things that TEC is claiming! They've basically written their own gospel! I just can't see how someone can say that they believe in the Bible and use the Bible to prove their own points, and then say that all expression of human sexuality in any context is okay.

To validate a church statement because it's societally acceptable is logically, and theologically, incorrect. That's like saying that if it became societally acceptable to lie, we should get rid of that commandment. Mike and I had a bewildered discussion about this after reading through TEC statements together while I was working on my articles. Will post them later today after they are done.

"A New Beginning," by the way, is the title of the series. Let's hope.

To tide you over, here is my series proposal:

The organization of the Christian church is a pressing issue of our time. In recent years, debates have centered around theological differences and methods of church leadership. Such debates have been divisive and caused rifts in more than one historical denomination. These rifts have lead to further discussions about church property and whether or not a denomination can legally halt the secession of a member church. The Episcopal Church is currently suing over ten Virginia churches that have voted to disaffiliate with the overarching church body over theological differences. The lawsuit over the church properties went to trial on Tuesday, November 13.

I would like to examine the arguments and actions of The Falls Church and Truro Church, the two Virginia churches most invested in the debate, to validate their dual claims that they should be able to split from the church body and keep their church property. I will not consider their theological arguments; that is for them to defend. Rather, using historical evidence from the Virginia Division Statute, Virginia Code § 57-9, which recognizes the right of congregations to keep their property when separating from a divided denomination or diocese, and examining their actions from 1996-2007 I will show that they are well within their right legally to disaffiliate and that they did their best to resolve the debates before taking drastic measures.

My main opinion is that the churches have acted in accordance with the law and should be allowed to part ways. My first piece will introduce the debate and the main opinion, setting the tone for a more thorough examination in the latter pieces. My second piece will examine the Virginia Division Statute and my opinion will be that the court should hold up the law and allow the churches to keep their property. My third piece will examine the actions of the churches to seek reconciliation with the overarching church body and my opinion will be that they sought every means necessary to close the rift, felt that there was no other option, and so conducted their vote in a reasonable manner. They should be allowed to part ways.

Free Rice

Quote of the Day:

"Each act of procrastination can become a time of planning and preparation [when writing]. The writer can say with conviction to the skeptical parent, teacher, or editor: 'I am not procrastinating, Minion, I am rehearsing.'"
~ from Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark, Chapter 41 "Turn procrastination into rehearsal," page 202

Above quote is an excerpt from one of the writing books my opinion writing class has read this term. Great book, I highly recommend it. One thing that I'm passionate about is that everyone can learn how to write. Seriously. It's true, if they would just believe that they can. Clark agrees, and does a great job about making writing accessible. I might just use his book when I teach writing in my future classroom. ;)

The quote is also a great response to all critcism regarding the fact that I have not posted here for two months. And it's just funny.

Ok, so the real point of this post is that I found the coolest thing today, www.freerice.com. It was launched on Oct. 7 as a way to boost vocabulary and combat world hunger. It's a game that tests your vocabulary with quite challenging words (GRE anyone?) and for every word you get right, the company donates 10 grains of rice through the United Nations to developing nations.

It may not sound like much, but it adds up. My sister and I donated around 4000 grains combined today. ;) Go forth, rehearse, build your vocabulary, and feed the hungry!

Lexington love

I'm back!! and it feels really good. :) I arrived back in Lexington this afternoon and did some unpacking/rearranging/waiting for the cable guy to show up and hook up my television and internet. Well, he still wasn't here by 6, so Jenny and I went to dinner and then came back when he called us at 7 to let us know he was on his way. An hour and wonderful high-speed internet later, we headed over to Alice's house for a little hanging out fun.

Today was a great day. I was reminded of why I love being here while Jenny, Alice, and I were sitting on Alice's deck staring up at the sky. It's so great to be able to go meet a friend who lives less than 10 minutes away...and most of my friends do!! And then we just sit outside and talk and laugh and share stories. Even our trip to Walmart, though normal, was exciting.

I love Lexington because I love the way we live here. I love sitting under the stars and talking about plans. I love that I can be at my best friends' houses/apartments in under five minutes flat. I love how silly grocery shopping can be.

I love this life. :)

No more GRE!!!

It's done! Over! Kaput! And I'm happy with it. Sorry for the lack of interesting posts in the past week, but making my graduate school application look nicer took precedence. I took the GRE this morning and I'm happy with it, but most of all, ready to go back to school. Good thing that that's Friday's activity! Not that I don't want to be here, but I miss everyone a lot. On to more interesting thoughts...

Recently I've been thinking about what it means to have faith like a child. These thoughts came from two TFC sermons Sunday, one last week, watching the Chronicles of Narnia, and thinking about being an adult. The sermons were, in chronological order, about the following: the 9th commandment (thou shalt not bear false witness, ie no lying), the 10th commandment (thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's possessions, ie rely on God and don't grow jealous over what someone else has), and the parable of the prodigal son (did you know that prodigal means extravagant? GRE knowledge of the day).

Okay, I admit, from that list it might be hard to see what I mean by having faith like a child, but TFC's current 10 Commandment series has been focusing on applying the commandments to New Testament teachings. So for false witness we talked about not only not lying, but watching all of our words and making sure that they are edifying and building others up rather than taking them down. For covetousness, we talked about how the reason we become jealous over what someone else has is underlying fear. If you are jealous over someone else's job, then you might be afraid that your's is not good enough. Jealousy grows with comparing yourself to someone else and ends with a lie, a shadow of what you really want. The pastor (David Glade) noted that there are two great tragedies of life: not getting what you want, and getting it. The real issue here is not trusting God with our future, relationships, security, money, etc.

Then I was watching Narnia and it struck me how Lucy just trusted Aslan just like that. There was no question. She knew he was good and that she had nothing to fear from him. It took Peter and Susan a little longer and it was hard for them, especially for Peter, to realize what power they had because of Aslan. It's the same thing with us and God. It is so easy to trust when we're still innocent, before we go through tough times in life, because tough times cause us to doubt that maybe this time, God isn't going to come through for us.

Of course, that's a lie. He's always going to come through. A true adult faith is a faith like a child that is informed by life experiences. This kind of faith allows us to forgive and bring our fallen brothers and sisters back into the fold, and welcome new ones (see the other brother in the prodigal son story). This kind of faith recognizes that we are God's and He is our Father. He is going to welcome us home no matter what. This faith allows us to yield our dreams and hopes to God's will, knowing that His plans are good and for our future, realizing that even though others may fail us, He never has and He never will.

I'm not who I was

I've been thinking about a friend who I haven't seen in a very long time recently, one of those friendships that didn't end in a way that I had wanted. I don't really have any idea how this person is doing, but I'm at a place now that I feel like I really could talk to and hang out with them again and it would be okay. But at the same time, there's the question of whether or not I should do something about it. I've forgiven them in my heart, but would contacting them be a poor decision? I like what Brandon Heath has to say...

I'm Not Who I Was, by Brandon Heath

I wish you could see me now

I wish I could show you how

I'm not who I was

I used to be mad at you

A little on the hurt side, too

But I'm not who I was

I found my way around

To forgiving you

Sometime ago

But I never got to tell you so

I found us in a photograph

I saw me and I had to laugh

You know, I'm not who I was

You were there, you were right beside me

And I wonder if you ever loved me

Just for who I was

When the pain came back again

Like a bitter friend
It was all that I could do

To keep myself from blaming you

I reckon it's a funny thing

I figured out I can sing

Now I'm not who I was

I write about love and such

Maybe cause I want it so much

I'm not who I was

I was thinking maybe I

Should let you know

I am not the same

But I never did forget your name

Hello

Well the thing I find most amazing

About amazing grace

Is the chance to give it out
Maybe that's what love is all about

I wish you could see me now

I wish I could show you how

I'm not who I was

Song of the Moment: Be Lifted Up

Being musically inclined, I often have songs that I listen to over...and over...and over...just because there's something about them at that particular moment that just makes me feel something. Right now, this is that song:

Be Lifted Up, by Paul Oakley

Be lifted up

Be lifted up

As we bow down, be lifted up

Be lifted up

Be lifted up

As we bow down, be lifted up

Let the heavens rejoice

Let the nations be glad

Let the whole earth tremble

For you are God

Come and worship the Lord

In the beauty of holiness

As we bow down, be lifted up

This song is an E-A-B chord progression, with a C#m chord late in the chorus, so it's very easy to play, and simple, which is probably why I like it so much. I actually prefer the version sung by The Livingstone Collective on their CD "Portrait of Worship" to the version sung by Paul Oakley, in case anyone wants to check it out on iTunes.

Cogent = well-reasoned

My recent existence has been consumed with studying for the GRE. Besides cogent, I have discovered the following:

• capricious = changing one's mind often
• ameliorate, alleviate, attenuate, and assuage all mean the same thing...in short, to lessen or make more bearable
• diffident is the opposite of confident (really hope that comes up in the antonyms)
• JK Rowling was completely wrong about the word enervate...it actually means to take energy away from something, not to give it back...thank you, Ms. Rowling, for hurting the chances of millions of college students trying to get into graduate school
• however, Ms. Joanne Kathleen was correct about impervious...it means impossible to penetrate ;) and imperturbable is not capable of being disturbed
• malinger is a word that means to evade responsibility by pretending to be ill...I didn't realize that there was a word for this...
• castigate = to punish or criticize harshly...kind of sounds like castrate
• dirge, eulogy, and elegy are all sorrowful, mournful speeches
• inchoate = not fully formed, disorganized = in chaos ;)
• insipid = lacking interest or flavor = it has no flavor, so it cannot be sipped

These are all valuable discoveries, I feel. At the very least, they will help me get into graduate school. Of this I am certain. I'm not sure if I will have to take other tests; I might have to take the Praxis II??? Not quite clear on that at the moment.

Other than GRE studying, I have been working on organisation to prepare to return to Lexington (yay!), which so far has consisted of sorting all of the books I own and storing them in boxes. I also have plans to sort through mountains of paper. But not yet.

I went to Lexington on Monday and Tuesday, after singing at Kairos on Sunday (which was great!). Had the privilege of experiencing one of Michael's tours, and I also got to see Jenny, Paul-Devin, Kelly, and various other people who happened to be around town. Then Rachel came up yesterday to watch High School Musical 2 here with the fam!!! SO good!!! Caelah and I think that the best part is Troy's solo, just because it's so cliched and awful...but really...HSM2 was pretty good. Good enough for me to have listened to the soundtrack all day today.

Jesse went back to Tech today, and Caelah is getting ready to go to Georgetown next Saturday. A little less than two weeks, and then it's back to normalcy...or at least, as normal as it gets...

I can't wait!!

Dwell in the midst of us

Worship practice last night was exhilarating. I haven’t had a singing experience like that since being in Germany with University Chorus in April. One of the things I love about Kairos worship is that the worshippers understand that we are there to lead worship, not to be a band; but that doesn’t mean that we can’t be artistic.

Kairos worship isn’t afraid to take risks. Hey, they’re allowing a college senior that they’ve only known for a couple months to take her turn at singing this Sunday. :) I’d say that that’s a bit of a risk. They usually have people come to practices for a while before allowing them to sing or play on Sunday evening. But they take other risks, too, like writing their own harmonies, or including new instruments that haven’t been a part of the team ever before. There is a great girl who plays violin sometimes, and it adds such a different and beautiful element!

That’s not to say that worship teams need to include different instruments and harmonies to be successful. Sometimes that isn’t practical, or there just aren’t enough people to really do it right. But this Sunday there’s only going to be four of us (Steve on drums, Matt on piano and male vocal, Jordan on guitar and female vocal, and me doing female harmony) and last night we didn’t sound too shabby when it was just us practicing. We sounded great with everyone else, too.

The other thing I love about Kairos worship is that it really IS a worship TEAM. The line-up changes every week. I think this is such a good idea, if you have enough people to pull it off. It allows for more creative expression and a fresh perspective every week. I feel like worship can get boring if it’s the same thing every time, and worship should be anything but boring. It also allows you the opportunity to work with different instruments and singers, and really challenge yourself and make your own musical skills better. I learned last night that I really need to see notes if I’m going to be singing harmony! It was neat to incorporate skills that I’ve been learning in classes at W&L into an extra-curricular activity.

Finally, I think that Kairos does a very good job at including the community in worship. Weekly worship practice on Thursday night is open for anyone in the ministry, not just for worship team members on Sunday. We always take the time to get to know one another and pray beforehand, and people can participate as much or as little as they like. The leader always tries to make enough music copies for anyone who might come. I’ve always felt included and refreshed afterwards. It’s especially cool to see how other worship teams handle practicing and taking their craft seriously.

I truly believe that worship is a craft that must be honed. It’s not just singing the right notes and embellishing well, because worship isn’t just about music. It’s a lifestyle, and it’s about serving. It’s really cool to engage in a ministry that allows worship to flourish in a unique way that I think should be more common.

I’m really looking forward to this Sunday!

What is right is not always popular...

"Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same" ~ The Fray

Sometimes we need to do things that aren't what we really want to do, but we know that we have to do them. We do this because we know that in the long run, it will be better. There will be less hurt and heartbreak and good will be preserved.

But that doesn't make those decisions any easier.

I got to hang out with Adrianne tonight, which was great. It's been a while since we've had a hot tub discussion, so we were due for another one. :) It's great to see how even though we're growing up now and facing different things, deep down, we're still the same. There are some things that will never change.

I also watched "The Bourne Supremacy" with my parents. We're getting ready to see "Ultimatum" on Friday!!! Major excitement. Then on Saturday we're going to the boat and on Sunday I'm singing at church after work. I'm a little nervous, but I think it will be fun. Worship practice is tomorrow night, so pray for me if you think about it!

Time now for sleep...

Only just beginning

I've had the most excellent feeling lately that I'm only just beginning my story. I'm nowhere near the end of it. Even if I feel that there's no way I can move forward at times, that's just not true. I can move forward because there is somewhere to go, even if I don't know the exact definition.

For some, the end of college is a finality. It's over. The fun is gone, and now it's time to emerge into the sunlight of reality (or maybe they're train headlights). It's hard to see how leaving a community and moving to something totally new is a good thing.

Yet, even though I will not graduate for another ten months, I still do not feel like this is the end. Of course, I will leave W&L and Lexington and go one to somewhere else, but it feels fluid, as if the journey remains continuous. I am not starting and stopping, rather, I am just continuing what I began long ago.

It's a refreshing feeling.