Panorama at the Battle Mountain Cairn

At the top of Battle Mountain (Tabor to the Twelve), Fr. John distributed crosses that my Dad had made. So they are laid on the cairn. This is us listening to Fr. John before he gave out the crosses... gives you some sense of this place at almost 3000 metres of elevation.

Snowfight on Mount Tabor

"then will burnt Ryvita be offered on your altar"

I am back home, and, along with my compadre Christian Bugslag from Victoria, I look like I have a mild case of leprosy. But, I do not... just some rather unromantic mosquito bites earned from being a part of the inaugural group of twelve. Anyone have any folk remedies? As soon as I can figure it out, I'll post the video of the snowball fight on top of Battle Mountain. Until then, dave pasivirta, Muryn, and Mira have some photos on their sites, that evoke some of the spirit of the week. Those Opus Dei guys have nothing on you, Dave!
In the words of a beloved Nazarene hymn, the Group of Twelve journey was "joy unspeakable and full of glory."

The refrain of that hymn is:"Joy unspeakable and full of glory, full of glory, full of glory...Joy unspeakable and full of glory, full of glory, full of glory...Oh, the half has never yet been told."
To paraphrase St. Peter, "It was good to be there." And it's also good to be home. Krista and I are enjoying having Gabe with us a little while, and we're all heading out to the Wilco show in a short while. And to quote them, "there's no love as random as God's love..." That's all for now.

Evdokimov's brilliance

This book is challenging me and greatly helping me understand some things I've been struggling to understand for some time.

In Evdokimov's words: "We proceed from Christ, the Alpha in whom there is neither male nor female (which means that everyone finds his or her image in him); as men and women we move towards Christ, the Omega, in whom there is neither male nor female. But this time, the differentiation is overcome within the Body of Christ, the human pleroma (fullness) entirely integrated in Christ" (pp.24-25).

What does Evdokimov - or Paul, for that matter - mean when they say that in Christ "there is neither male nor female?" Obviously, the Incarnate One was male... is he saying that in Him the brokenness of humanity (male and female), created in His image, is being redeemed?

Admittedly, part of my questioning on these issues comes from my upbringing and formation in a Christian denomination which historically ordained women, from its beginning (in 1895). In fact, one of my professors in Manchester (who also grew up in the Church of the Nazarene) as a kid was sort of surprised men could preach as his childhood pastors were women! While most Nazarene clergy today are men, to this day, some of the most gifted ministers in that tradition, including some good friends of mine, are women. What I had to understand is that the understanding of the ministry is somewhat in a different key, and that the issue is not really so much about rights (on the one hand) or preaching, teaching or pastoral skill, but about revealing basic issues about Creation and the whole economy of its sanctification. Thus the liturgy is a microcosm of that, which can only be enacted by certain players. Only after reading For the Life of the World, did the maleness of the liturgical priesthood begin to make any sense to me. Thankfully, Evdokimov is filling in the many gaps that remain in my understanding.

work stuff

The website for the program I work for is now up... after much labour last week! Just in time for the Minister to launch it on Monday.

Pandora's Box has been opened...

I write this from my hotel room in Canmore, Alberta...(down here for work). I just had a great evening's vist with our friends Dave and Sara (not sure if it's with an "h") down here. Suffice it to say, they rock. I've known Dave for a while from Calgary, and Krista knew Sara back in Saskatchewan. They gave me homemade yogurt with rhubarb! So good. They're expecting to become parents for the first time on Friday. God bless you guys!

Two things:

1) I have become quite enamoured with Pandora, "the musical genome project." Pandora is a website that allows you to type in a favourite band or song, and then it mysteriously creates a personalized radio station that plays music kinda like what you like. For me, it's like having one of those awesome friends around who always knows all the cool music that makes you say, "who is this?! I like this!" That's what Pandora does. So cool.

2) On the way driving down here I heard about these ridiculous art thieves in Britain that are stealing major public sculptures, such as Henry Moore's "Reclining Figure" (below). This has happened just recently. They come into parks, etc., with welding equipment, trucks, blocks and tackle hoists, and make off with their bounty. The thieves are not, however, trying to sell these large, mainly bronze, sculptures on the black market to art enthusiasts for the millions they are currently valued at. Rather, they are melting them down and selling them to scrap metal dealers! Is this not the most bizzare thing you've ever heard? I think I could have some sort of respect for these sneaky thieves if they were actually trying to try to get them into the art black market. That, at least, is somehow romantic, though I don't suspect it would be easy. Imagine: "Hey, buddy, you wanna buy a two-tonne bronze sculpture... it's in the back of my van..."

I remember vividly from childhoood the Henry Moore sculpture at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver. How could someone steal something like that? Any ideas?

In the meantime, now that Pandora's box has obviously been opened, enjoy the music.