Clinginess

My son, who is 3, is harder to drop off at preschool now than when he was 18 months! Now he cries and clings and ducks and weaves to avoid his teacher. At a year and a half he trotted right in and started playing with the Little People Bus. Every day, same bus. Now I think he knows there are options. On Tues and Thurs we don't go to work/preschool, and he'd rather stay home with me every day! When I pick him up at lunch time, he's always playing happily and excited to show me what he made that day. He's my baby, though, and he just has a way of tugging at my heart -- and making my mornings just a little more stressful!

RGBP Friday Five: Top Chef

RevHRod writes:
This Fall my family has been energetically watching Top Chef on the Bravo channel. My teenage daughter watches with the dream of some day being a chef. My husband watches because he loves reality shows and I mean, really loves them. Plus the whole competition thing really works for him. Me, I love cooking and good food. Every so often I get an idea from this group of talented young chefs who are competing for big money and honors galore.

The winner for this season was Hung. Not the fan favorite, but he won fair and square. In his bio, he says if he were a food "I would be spicy chili - it takes a while to get used to, but once you eat it you always come back for more!" With that in mind, here is this week’s Friday Five.

If you were a food, what would you be? I think I would be a good multigrain bread -- reliable, earnest, basic, healthy, but maybe with a taste surprise. Sounds pretty boring, huh?
What is one of the most memorable meals you ever had? And where? Gosh, there are many meals with friends, both in the US and overseas, but I will go with an early meal my beloved and I had together when we were dating. He counts it as his best meal ever: Valentine's Day, 1989, in - get this - Muncie, IN! I count it as great b/c it was so memorable for him that it helped him fall deeper in love with me!
What is your favorite comfort food from childhood? Kraft Mac and Cheese, no question. I sneak big spoonfuls now when I'm serving it to my kids. I know it's a health disaster, but all the kids I know only eat mac & cheese from a box.
When going to a church potluck, what one recipe from your kitchen is sure to be a hit? My congregation does soup suppers during Lent, and when we bring my m-i-l's corn and sausage soup, everyone enjoys it.
What’s the strangest thing you ever willingly ate? Reindeer meat when I was an exchange student in Finland visiting Lappland.

Bonus question: What’s your favorite drink to order when looking forward to a great meal? I don't do mixed drinks, and I'm not not a very sophisticated wine drinker, so a glass of white zinfandel will do.

Sarcastic Jesus?

The Christian Century of October 2nd quotes Ann Coulter as saying the Jesus used sarcasm and jokes to make his points. Can anyone think of a sarcastic line from scripture? Accusing, pointed, yes, but I can't think of anything sarcastic. Sarcasm, I think, is meant to undercut the other, but Jesus, even when pointing out people's sins always speaks with the other's interests at heart. Boy, she just doesn't get it, does she?

Friday Five: B-I-B-L-E

1. What is your earliest memory of encountering a biblical text? I encountered not just one text, but the whole thing when I received a Bible from my church as a second grader. Of course I tried to start reading from beginning to end and came crashing to a halt in Exodus.

2. What is your favorite biblical translation, and why? (You might have a few for different purposes). My denomination uses the NRSV as its standard, and I usually prefer it, too. There are still times for the poetry of the King James, though.

3. What is your favorite book of the Bible? Your favorite verse/passage? My favorite book is the Gospel of Luke, the Magnificat and the Sermon on the Plain seems to highlight God's care for the least, lost and last. My personal favorite passage is the story of the Prodigal Son. The behavior of the older brother is so typical, and always convicts me (and the words of the Father, "All that I have is yours," give me hope). For proclamation I like Luke 4:16-21, which one of my sem profs called Jesus's Mission Statement.

4. Which book of the Bible do you consider, in Luther's famous words about James, to be "an epistle of straw?" Which verse(s) make you want to scream? I'm not ready to cut out a whole book, but any of the writings about women/wives being subject, quiet, etc. always creates trouble.

5. Inclusive language in biblical translation and liturgical proclamation: for, against, or neutral? Mostly I am for it, and I try very hard to avoid exclusively male language for God (or for people) when I preach or teach. However, the same sem prof as above noted that where the NRSV uses plurals to avoid the masculine singular pronoun, it sometimes dilutes the direct, personal message of the scripture. It is not just people in general who must take up the cross, but me.

Bonus: Back to the Psalms--which one best speaks the prayer of your heart? Depends on the day, doesn't it? That's the great think about Psalms, there is something for every mood from repentance to joy.

Trinity

I have to write a sermon and essay about trinitarian theology. Anyone have any good, short, contemporary articles that have been helpful? Thanks!

RGBP Friday Five: Thankfulness List

Five things I am thankful for:

1. My children. They are 5 (almost 6) and 3, and although they can be frustrating and maddening at times, they are constant sources of wonder and joy. Listening to them playing together (when they're getting along), reading together, my 3y0's belly laugh when I tickle him, the astounding rate at which my 5yo is learning new things in school, hugs, their amazing eyes (blue and green, compared to my brown) are some of my favorite things. They are healthy, happy, smart, strong and friendly. What more can I ask?
2. My husband. He is always ultimately my strongest supporter and ally. When I'm feeling rotten, talking to him usually really does help. He made the above children possible, and would do anything for them and does a good job with the day-to-day stuff, too. Sometimes we get to have a conversation w/o the kids around and I remember the intellect and humor that drew us together to begin with.
3. My parents and in-laws. Yes, even my in-laws! They are in relatively good health, stable in their own marriages, and close enough to be active parts of our lives. And they don't meddle or tell us how to raise the kids or run our lives.
4. Friends, old and new. Thanks for unlimited long distance, too, because I can spend hours on the phone with my best friend from sem. Also, a new clergy friend and a new non-believer friend have added great dimension to my life.
5. My therapist. I'm a woman with 2 young kids trying to become ordained. 'Nuff said.