August 30, 2003
You can take the girl out of the church but you can't take the Anglican church out of the girl...
On Friday I attended the funeral of an old friend, Father Ed, minister of the church I grew up in. Friday was also the first time I'd been back to that church in several years. There were so many faces I recognized, so many reminders of my spiritual beginnings.
There was a time when I carried around a great deal of baggage about my beginnings in the Anglican church. I was frustrated at not having any true idea of who God was, of where I stood with him and the waffling I saw in some people around me. But as I sat there in the tiny, packed church and recited the easily-remembered liturgy, and truly read the words, I was really touched. I was honoured to remember the life of a true spiritual father to me, and a friend and loved one to many. I should be so blessed as to be remembered for affecting so many people in so loving and quiet a way as his.
Thanks, Father Ed. I'll miss you.
On Friday I attended the funeral of an old friend, Father Ed, minister of the church I grew up in. Friday was also the first time I'd been back to that church in several years. There were so many faces I recognized, so many reminders of my spiritual beginnings.
There was a time when I carried around a great deal of baggage about my beginnings in the Anglican church. I was frustrated at not having any true idea of who God was, of where I stood with him and the waffling I saw in some people around me. But as I sat there in the tiny, packed church and recited the easily-remembered liturgy, and truly read the words, I was really touched. I was honoured to remember the life of a true spiritual father to me, and a friend and loved one to many. I should be so blessed as to be remembered for affecting so many people in so loving and quiet a way as his.
Thanks, Father Ed. I'll miss you.
Quote:
"Fighting for Social Justice is like taking a bath: you have to do it every day or soon you'll start to stink."
-Maude Barlow (via Thursday's Sounds Like Canada on CBC radio)
"Fighting for Social Justice is like taking a bath: you have to do it every day or soon you'll start to stink."
-Maude Barlow (via Thursday's Sounds Like Canada on CBC radio)
August 28, 2003
Frustrating morning
So frustrated with our medical system. I called my doctor today to find out when I was supposed to have all of those tests he ordered, only to find out that not only had they not been ordered, but he either changed his mind about my having them or forgot that he told me he wanted me to have them. Frustrating.
Interesting that I'm so embarassed about these happenings, especially when they are no fault of mine. The power my doctor has to make me feel stupid and hypochondriac is amazing. I will resolve to not take any of this onto my shoulders!
Grrrr.
So frustrated with our medical system. I called my doctor today to find out when I was supposed to have all of those tests he ordered, only to find out that not only had they not been ordered, but he either changed his mind about my having them or forgot that he told me he wanted me to have them. Frustrating.
Interesting that I'm so embarassed about these happenings, especially when they are no fault of mine. The power my doctor has to make me feel stupid and hypochondriac is amazing. I will resolve to not take any of this onto my shoulders!
Grrrr.
An update on the fire situation:
As far as I know, the fire is almost under control in Okanagan Mountain Park, and people are being allowed to go back to their homes. Several of my friends have experienced thefts and vandalism of their homes while they were under evacuation.
In my humble opinion, that sucks. It's not enough that thousands of people were evacuated, but also their homes were victimized. Why do people do these sorts of things? Do theives not feel the repercussions of a provincial emergency too? Some people are just plain stupid and heartless.
You'll have to excuse me because I seem to lose my capacity for coherent and witty repartee when I'm mad.
You out there who pray: please continue to pray for the people as detailed below. To excuse a horrible and unintentional pun, they are not out of the woods yet.
As far as I know, the fire is almost under control in Okanagan Mountain Park, and people are being allowed to go back to their homes. Several of my friends have experienced thefts and vandalism of their homes while they were under evacuation.
In my humble opinion, that sucks. It's not enough that thousands of people were evacuated, but also their homes were victimized. Why do people do these sorts of things? Do theives not feel the repercussions of a provincial emergency too? Some people are just plain stupid and heartless.
You'll have to excuse me because I seem to lose my capacity for coherent and witty repartee when I'm mad.
You out there who pray: please continue to pray for the people as detailed below. To excuse a horrible and unintentional pun, they are not out of the woods yet.
August 26, 2003
Pray for those in the path of the Okanagan Mountain Park Wildfire
248 homes have now been destroyed by a huge forest fire now burning out of control in the interior of BC, in the south of Kelowna. Please pray for those who have lost their homes, emergency personnel and those in the path of the fire, including my friends Jamie and Karen Osborne. As near as I can tell, their home in the hills of southeast Kelowna is directly in the path of the fire if not already affected. Also for Lynae Moser, a Kelowna resident and for nearby Penticton residents Rene and Sylvia Pawlitzki who sent me this e-mail:
Please pray for our area. Kelowna has evacuated 20,000 people from downtown, as the fire that started south of there has blown into the city. If you know where the big mall is, you can see the fire from there already.
Also, another fire has started in OK Falls, 10 min. from Penticton and along the east side of the lake, back towards Penticton. It is huge and the highway is closed.
The earlier fires along the east side of the lake between Kelowna and here are still burning, but haven't spread into Naramata yet. The winds have blown the fires east into the bush.
It has started raining here, pray for more rain and that the wind would stop and that the forcasted lightning would not happen.
If you haven't seen the fire yet, here is the picture I sent some of you. So far nothing is on fire in Summerland but we lost our phone and power for most of the afternoon. We are on a total watering ban and we are supposed to conserve water and energy. So we ran to the gas station to get some supplies as we didn't have anything in the house and everything was closed down.
Thanks for praying, Sylvia & Rene
248 homes have now been destroyed by a huge forest fire now burning out of control in the interior of BC, in the south of Kelowna. Please pray for those who have lost their homes, emergency personnel and those in the path of the fire, including my friends Jamie and Karen Osborne. As near as I can tell, their home in the hills of southeast Kelowna is directly in the path of the fire if not already affected. Also for Lynae Moser, a Kelowna resident and for nearby Penticton residents Rene and Sylvia Pawlitzki who sent me this e-mail:
Please pray for our area. Kelowna has evacuated 20,000 people from downtown, as the fire that started south of there has blown into the city. If you know where the big mall is, you can see the fire from there already.
Also, another fire has started in OK Falls, 10 min. from Penticton and along the east side of the lake, back towards Penticton. It is huge and the highway is closed.
The earlier fires along the east side of the lake between Kelowna and here are still burning, but haven't spread into Naramata yet. The winds have blown the fires east into the bush.
It has started raining here, pray for more rain and that the wind would stop and that the forcasted lightning would not happen.
If you haven't seen the fire yet, here is the picture I sent some of you. So far nothing is on fire in Summerland but we lost our phone and power for most of the afternoon. We are on a total watering ban and we are supposed to conserve water and energy. So we ran to the gas station to get some supplies as we didn't have anything in the house and everything was closed down.
Thanks for praying, Sylvia & Rene
If you're like me and a bit of a medical scientist, you might be interested in these pictures from the History of Medicine.
U.S. fines former Iraq ‘human shield’
Retired teacher charged with violating financial sanctions
A retired schoolteacher who went to Iraq to serve as a “human shield” against the U.S. invasion is facing thousands of dollars in U.S. government fines, which she is refusing to pay.
I can't help but think that, instead of fining this woman, the US government should quietly ignore her or even better, allow her her peaceful protest. US Military are allowed to be consciencious objectors, why can't civilians?
Retired teacher charged with violating financial sanctions
A retired schoolteacher who went to Iraq to serve as a “human shield” against the U.S. invasion is facing thousands of dollars in U.S. government fines, which she is refusing to pay.
I can't help but think that, instead of fining this woman, the US government should quietly ignore her or even better, allow her her peaceful protest. US Military are allowed to be consciencious objectors, why can't civilians?
August 25, 2003
My dad forwarded this article to me, an article on Jesus, history and Judaism called Hiding and Seeking.
My thoughts: I've often felt that there will be far more people in heaven than the modern american christian leaders would lead us to believe from their doctrine. This article seems to hint at that with it's thesis of "many Christianities." However, whether a play to protect the sovereignty of the Bible or as a sound piece of Theology, modern western Christians (and much of the rest of the Christian world) believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, and therefore the council of Nicea was inspired by the Spirit when it compiled the scriptures into the Bible. That Thomas was left out and John included is neither here nor there: Modern theology dictates that John was willed by God to be in the main book of Christian study, and Thomas wasn't. Although I believe sound study into the Bible and its origins is warranted, I often wonder what the point is to over intellectualize the Truth that is meant to be felt with the Spirit and thus illuminated by God. Some Bible Scholars and the infamous "Jesus Committee" could be dangerous not because they think critically of the scriptures, but because they think ONLY critically, and miss the proper intent of Biblical Study, and that is to allow the spirit to be taught by God.
Just some of my initial thoughts, and I have to be honest in the fact that I didn't read the whole thing. Limited internet time, you know. What do you think of the article?
My thoughts: I've often felt that there will be far more people in heaven than the modern american christian leaders would lead us to believe from their doctrine. This article seems to hint at that with it's thesis of "many Christianities." However, whether a play to protect the sovereignty of the Bible or as a sound piece of Theology, modern western Christians (and much of the rest of the Christian world) believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, and therefore the council of Nicea was inspired by the Spirit when it compiled the scriptures into the Bible. That Thomas was left out and John included is neither here nor there: Modern theology dictates that John was willed by God to be in the main book of Christian study, and Thomas wasn't. Although I believe sound study into the Bible and its origins is warranted, I often wonder what the point is to over intellectualize the Truth that is meant to be felt with the Spirit and thus illuminated by God. Some Bible Scholars and the infamous "Jesus Committee" could be dangerous not because they think critically of the scriptures, but because they think ONLY critically, and miss the proper intent of Biblical Study, and that is to allow the spirit to be taught by God.
Just some of my initial thoughts, and I have to be honest in the fact that I didn't read the whole thing. Limited internet time, you know. What do you think of the article?
