Thursday, December 29, 2005
Politics
Although I do not normally blog about political issues, I recently came across two articles that seemed unusually important. The first is the most impartial evaluation I have seen published about our government's justifications for beginning the current Iraq war. The second shares some of the ways in which Radical Islam is able to be intimidating in America.
Snowmen and Snowmen
Someone collected a supposedly complete collection of Calvin and Hobbes snowmen cartoons.
Happily, there is no snow in my neighborhood this Chanukah. January might have a few days of snow at this rate; December had only a couple very icy days where we could not safely back the car down the steep driveway.
Happily, there is no snow in my neighborhood this Chanukah. January might have a few days of snow at this rate; December had only a couple very icy days where we could not safely back the car down the steep driveway.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
An Article in Progress
P'nei Adonai has been invited to participate in a local newspaper project, in which different religious traditions contribute 100 words or less "about how you pray and think from your spiritual beliefs and teachings when you see someone holding up a cardboard sign asking for money".
That's a short enough composition that I thought I might as well share my work draft by draft here, as an insider's view of the project.
My challenge is threefold. First, I should keep this somewhat personal since I cannot speak for all of Messianic Judaism. Second, I mentioned this project on Shabbat at services and so I need to incorporate the feedback I have received from congregants. Third, I need to reply to not only the explicitly assigned statement but also the underlying issue of how to help the homeless.
Those of you not living in Eugene need some context: Eugene, OR, is a gathering-spot for transient beggars whose friends have told them of success amidst this liberal and caring community. So the easy answer of simply sharing wealth does not work, since the more free assistance is given the more homeless arrive in town. The local resuce mission strikes a balance by asking the people it shelters to help with cleaning, and eventually aims towards job placements for those who have a work ethic and are reliable. This is sensible, but the community needs other answers as well. For example, my essay hints at how the local utility company (EWEB) is gracious about working with charities to help people struggling with electric bills; I have worked with others to "sponsor" a disabled woman who is unable to work despite a strong desire to be more productive.
My blogging about my visit to the Eugene Rescue Mission is here.
[After the first draft, the allowed article length was increased to 150 words.]
[This project vanished until the end of February, when I was again contacted and told the article length was now limited to 100 words.]
Draft One (Morning of 12/21/05)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission, and for meals and shelter my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide. So our monetary giving is mostly to needy individuals (EWEB allows anonymous payments to a name and address) and programs we know use it well. Most strangers feel valued even if given little.
Rabbinic and Christian traditions use Mark 12:41-44 to debate if charity’s value is from help to the needy or as expressions of humility and gratitude. Messianic Judaism says, "Helpful caring".
Draft Two (Morning of 12/23/05)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission, and for meals and shelter my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide. So our monetary giving is mostly to needy individuals (EWEB allows anonymous payments to a name and address) and programs we know use it well. Most strangers feel valued even if given little.
Rabbinic and Christian traditions use Mark 12:41-44 to debate if charity’s value is from help to the needy or as expressions of humility and gratitude. Messianic Judaism says, "Caring helps everyone be more human".
When praying, I prefer if they pray aloud and I agree with what they say (more spiritual authority than me praying assumptions about what they need). Sometimes I share my spiritual weaknesses and we pray together as needy people and dependent on God. Sometimes friendships start.
Draft Three (Evening of 2/26/06)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission incognito, and for meals and shelter my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide. Most strangers feel valued even if given little.
If I pray with them, I prefer that they pray aloud and I agree with what they say. This has more spiritual authority than me praying assumptions about what they need.
Caring should help all people involved be and feel more human, significant, and valued.
Draft Four (Evening of 2/27/06)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission incognito, so I know that for meals and shelter for others, my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide.
If I pray with them, I prefer they pray aloud while I agree with what they say. This has more spiritual authority than me praying assumptions about what they need.
The sages wrote, "Charity done right involves looking each other in the eyes." Caring should help all people involved be and feel more human, significant, and valued.
That's a short enough composition that I thought I might as well share my work draft by draft here, as an insider's view of the project.
My challenge is threefold. First, I should keep this somewhat personal since I cannot speak for all of Messianic Judaism. Second, I mentioned this project on Shabbat at services and so I need to incorporate the feedback I have received from congregants. Third, I need to reply to not only the explicitly assigned statement but also the underlying issue of how to help the homeless.
Those of you not living in Eugene need some context: Eugene, OR, is a gathering-spot for transient beggars whose friends have told them of success amidst this liberal and caring community. So the easy answer of simply sharing wealth does not work, since the more free assistance is given the more homeless arrive in town. The local resuce mission strikes a balance by asking the people it shelters to help with cleaning, and eventually aims towards job placements for those who have a work ethic and are reliable. This is sensible, but the community needs other answers as well. For example, my essay hints at how the local utility company (EWEB) is gracious about working with charities to help people struggling with electric bills; I have worked with others to "sponsor" a disabled woman who is unable to work despite a strong desire to be more productive.
My blogging about my visit to the Eugene Rescue Mission is here.
[After the first draft, the allowed article length was increased to 150 words.]
[This project vanished until the end of February, when I was again contacted and told the article length was now limited to 100 words.]
Draft One (Morning of 12/21/05)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission, and for meals and shelter my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide. So our monetary giving is mostly to needy individuals (EWEB allows anonymous payments to a name and address) and programs we know use it well. Most strangers feel valued even if given little.
Rabbinic and Christian traditions use Mark 12:41-44 to debate if charity’s value is from help to the needy or as expressions of humility and gratitude. Messianic Judaism says, "Helpful caring".
Draft Two (Morning of 12/23/05)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission, and for meals and shelter my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide. So our monetary giving is mostly to needy individuals (EWEB allows anonymous payments to a name and address) and programs we know use it well. Most strangers feel valued even if given little.
Rabbinic and Christian traditions use Mark 12:41-44 to debate if charity’s value is from help to the needy or as expressions of humility and gratitude. Messianic Judaism says, "Caring helps everyone be more human".
When praying, I prefer if they pray aloud and I agree with what they say (more spiritual authority than me praying assumptions about what they need). Sometimes I share my spiritual weaknesses and we pray together as needy people and dependent on God. Sometimes friendships start.
Draft Three (Evening of 2/26/06)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission incognito, and for meals and shelter my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide. Most strangers feel valued even if given little.
If I pray with them, I prefer that they pray aloud and I agree with what they say. This has more spiritual authority than me praying assumptions about what they need.
Caring should help all people involved be and feel more human, significant, and valued.
Draft Four (Evening of 2/27/06)
When time permits, I buy strangers food, chat, and offer to pray. I share that I have stayed at the Rescue Mission incognito, so I know that for meals and shelter for others, my family or small congregation cannot better and safely provide.
If I pray with them, I prefer they pray aloud while I agree with what they say. This has more spiritual authority than me praying assumptions about what they need.
The sages wrote, "Charity done right involves looking each other in the eyes." Caring should help all people involved be and feel more human, significant, and valued.
Why Wookies Do Not Record Holiday Song Albums
My wife said this is "a little weird but fun". I'll simply let it speak (sing? growl?) for itself.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
December
Final Exam week at LCC is done, and with a break from my math teaching I will try and be better about blogging.
It's cold in Eugene this week. Not really cold, but quite cold. However, being Eugene, it is only getting below freezing at night because there is no cloud cover -- which means there is no snow, since if we had clouds it would be above freezing. So the roads safe, but gloves are suddenly popular.
Lately I've been reading H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu stories, which I find delightfully corny through a combination of the out-of-date science in which anything can be attributed to "vibrations", the notably frequent use of the adjective "Cyclopean", and his writing style of hinting at some amazing and surprising horror which is finally revealed to be no more than what you expected all along. As short stories they work well on my PDA.
Currently the P'nei Adonai website does not say anything about Chanukah on its holiday page. My job today is to fix that, and also use the essay to give a talk this evening, as a guest speaker at the local Masonic lodge. They had called last week asking about how to do a Chanukah display in their decorating, since they have a Jewish member. I tried to be helpful, and was invited to talk. They seem to prefer guest speakers who talk about world travel with a religious theme, but are willing to settle for me tonight. The essay's outline is ready, and now it's time to write.
My other chore today is to wrap Chanukah presents for family, and mail them. Except for the baked goods, which we'll keep in the freezer until Chanukah is nearer.
Happy December!
It's cold in Eugene this week. Not really cold, but quite cold. However, being Eugene, it is only getting below freezing at night because there is no cloud cover -- which means there is no snow, since if we had clouds it would be above freezing. So the roads safe, but gloves are suddenly popular.
Lately I've been reading H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu stories, which I find delightfully corny through a combination of the out-of-date science in which anything can be attributed to "vibrations", the notably frequent use of the adjective "Cyclopean", and his writing style of hinting at some amazing and surprising horror which is finally revealed to be no more than what you expected all along. As short stories they work well on my PDA.
Currently the P'nei Adonai website does not say anything about Chanukah on its holiday page. My job today is to fix that, and also use the essay to give a talk this evening, as a guest speaker at the local Masonic lodge. They had called last week asking about how to do a Chanukah display in their decorating, since they have a Jewish member. I tried to be helpful, and was invited to talk. They seem to prefer guest speakers who talk about world travel with a religious theme, but are willing to settle for me tonight. The essay's outline is ready, and now it's time to write.
My other chore today is to wrap Chanukah presents for family, and mail them. Except for the baked goods, which we'll keep in the freezer until Chanukah is nearer.
Happy December!
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