:: blogging: mccord style ::

Israel loves Iran loves America loves Israel...and so on...

I know I don't post much, but I DID want to post to this blog about another movement that a man in Israel started called "Israel loves Iran". It's so heartening to see the comments posted, not only from Israelis and Iranians, but people from all over the world who are crying out for peace, and who are so sick of the drumbeats of war. So, I posted a picture with our family, to add to the voices, that we love them all - they're people, just like we are. Who want to have the chance to have happiness, and family and joy, just like we all do. And the constant game-playing and maneuvering by the powers that be is getting so incredibly old. We need to get America out of all these countries, and start paying attention to the incredible needs our own country has. We need to focus on our corrupt, corporatocracy, our dismal education system, and getting our country back on its economic footing, because let's face it - we are not doing well people.

All that to say, our family stands with those families around the world who are (with what little small voice they have), saying no. No to all the war, the harrassment, the empire building and butting into other countries affairs. Yes, I believe there are times when we need to step in and say no to genocide or evil dictatorships and help other countries out. But the constant American military presence and 'policiing' everywhere; it's ridiculous.  We need to focus on our country and building it back up to where it needs to be. Focus on our children and families, and let other countries focus on theirs. This might sound naive, but ultimately we all want the same things. And that's why (even if this campaign is fleeting), I love it; it's filled with so much hope, and love for our fellow man. And it's how we should be comporting ourselves all the time.

From probably the greatest sermon of all time:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..."  Mathhew 5:3-10

Water, Water Everywhere...

As I mentioned earlier this week, it's VBS week, and I'm Photo Director (surprise!) =). And can I say? I am so exhausted. I haven't even been posting from VBS while I'm uploading photos, like I normally do.  I've made sure I have all my personal photos in a folder, so I can access them after VBS, but I just have been so crazy busy, that I haven't had time to post tons of my personal photos like I usually do.  So since I've been depriving you, here are a couple from today, Water Day (and in my opinion the best of the days of VBS). 

Here's a link to some of the photos I've taken, although not all are by me. Others were taken by my team(!). I have  a team this year, working with me, which has been fabulous. The past few years as Photo Director it's been Tami and I. (I miss you Tam!) And if you go see the ones at Coastlands, keep in mind that we can't post photos of the kids, so they're only adults, but you can get an idea of some of the great fun we're having. And we'll be in the Sentinel tomorrow, if you're local. I sent photos over this afternoon. (These two below being 2 of them, which is why I have them at the ready, unlike my personal shots, which I promise to post soon). Also, if you click on Wednesday a.m. there's a shot of my dad and I that's pretty cute, in the first row of shots that come up.

Here's Bella and her team:

And here's a shot I took while standing on top of the fire truck (that was spraying the hundreds of kids and adults at VBS). I love the rainbow, and the expresssions...

Good Friday Greetings

Here's a super-goofy picture of Bella from before the egg hunt last year. The reason she has that face is because she's imitating the Easter bunny (the sniffing nose, etc.). That's the garganutan basket I made her. And my mom made Fia a matching one.

...and Happy early Easter. I don't know if I'll be blogging this weekend, but just in case I don't. We'll be celebrating this weekend with our traditional pancake breakfast and Easter egg hunt tomorrow at church, then on Sunday we'll do children's ministries one service, and go for the last service. Then we'll head up to the parentals and have an egg hunt for the girls. Welll, Bella really, but we can make Sofie crawl in the general direction of the eggs for pictures, now can't we? =)

We're 'celebrating' Good Friday by fasting. I'm starving. We're going to eat at sunset. I have a pounding headache, I'm sure from lack of food, but we're almost there, so I can hold out for another hour or two (dang daylight savings!). =) Just kidding.

Happy Good Friday to you. And remember (not to get too religious here, but it is Good Friday), He died for you.

My timing is impeccable

Well, this certainly isn't going to be helping my case about nutjob Christians, now is it?

Dragging the Soapbox Into the Middle of the Square

"that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." Tennyson

What I'm about to write is something I've been thinking about at a low-grade level for quite some time. And I know I usually post about my kids, or friends, or our day-to-day or links to what I think are fun/funny or entertaining. But some things came to a head, and I felt like I had to write this out. In fact, I woke up at 6 this morning thinking about it.

The tagline of our site ('Just because we're Christian doesn't mean we have to like precious moments or country blue ducks') speaks to what I'm about to say. My thoughts came more to the surface when I read this post about 60 Minutes doing a story on 'evangelicals' at the Evangelical Outpost.

That same day I realized I needed to update my blogroll, because I read a lot more blogs regularly than I have listed. However, I felt a bit of a conundrum. On one hand, I'm a professing Christian, so I feel a certain pressure to have certain things only on this site. On the other hand, I'm me, and the things I read and enjoy aren't always thought to be 'super Christian' ( Gay Boyfriend and this t-shirt would be a case in point). And what's sad is, I'm not talking about anything that divergent, or different. I'm talking about sites I like to read that may not match up with my world view, or those who share my world view.

So, from those two things colliding in the space of a day came these thoughts. I am tired of Christians being labeled - and the label that is the most irksome is 'evangelical Christian fundie nutjob.' Can I just say that not all Christians are precious-moments-figurine-collecting, Thomas-Kinkade-loving, dowdy-dress-wearing, unhip, uninformed, classless, country-decorating, humorless, culture-less morons. There are those who are that way, and if I just described you, and you're offended, I'm sorry.

I can't speak for all Christians, but I can speak for us.

- We cannot stand precious moments, we think Thomas Kinkade is McArt. I took enough art history classes in college to talk flying buttresses and symbolic imagery with the best of them. My husband I both have degrees from a a great university. I plan to go back and get my master's degree (once I'm done breeding more children into our overpopulated world) in fine art. And you can love precious moments or Thomas Kinkade, and I promise not to hold it against you, either. In fact, some of our friends and family have an affinity - and we still love them. =)

- We love travel, culture (both popular and otherwise) and history. We've been to most of Western Europe (together and separately), and plan on seeing more of the world with our kids. We know how to go to other countries and absorb, and live amidst the inhabitants of said country without coming off as gum-chewing, mouth-breathing, camera-snapping, obnoxious, braying Americans.

- We love good food and good wine. I know a lot of Christians in our country have a puritanical view of alcohol, and that is totally fine with me. But I don't. And if I want to have a lemon drop in a cute glass with husband when we go out for a nice dinner together, I will. And I don't want to hear about it.

- And if I'm reallly mad, I might accidentally drop an F-bomb (even if I try not to), because as our pastor says, "When we're mad, sometimes we go back to our native language." I don't cuss in my day-to-day conversation, not because I think it's bad and wrong, but because I think it sounds coarse. In fact, when those letters as accesories started becoming really popular, Ross and I talked about getting an F and a U to put on a shelf right when people walked in - just because we thought it was funny!

- I am not a sheep, and I am informed. I read the news daily. I love to read (both high- and low-brow) books. I read voraciously. I love poetry, theater and music. And I gobble up as much of it as I can, whenever I can (in between the breeding and passing out of tracts, of course). I love Shakespeare, ee cummings, and I fell in love with poetry reading the Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock.

- I am not meek. I share my opinions. What I believe in, I believe in strongly. And that doesn't mean I approve of bombing hospitals that do abortions. That does not mean I get all up in arms (ba dum bum) about gun-rights. And I don't really think about gays in the military. Sorry.

- Humor is extremely important to us. My husband and I crack each other up. It's one of our greatest bonds. Our humor runs the gamut and is not limited. I find humor in tragedy and slapstick and everything in between. Because really, if you can't laugh, how can you make it through what gets thrown at you?

- I want a tattoo, and I used to have my bellybutton pierced (okay, that was about 10 years ago, but still).

- I like sex. I'm not a prude and my bodily functions don't freak me out.

- I can be sarcastic and I can rant (this entire entry, being that case in point). I am not meek, and I don't bend easily. If I have an opinion, I will usually let you know. This may not always be a good thing, but it's part of who I am. I believe God can shape and use it, so there it is.

- I love fashion. I like reading fashion magainzes. No - it's not the most important thing in life. It's not even very high on the list. But it's something I enjoy. I like style, and when I am not in my postpartum body, (when I refuse to buy lots of clothes, lest I get stuck in that size) I am usually pretty fashionable. I know how others see me isn't important, but it's something I've always liked, so if I want to read a magazine, and shop in cute boutiques, sue me. I don't have to wear a floral sack dress that hides my shape to be a Christian.

All that to say. I am not a stereotype. And when I see articles or news stories like this that are trying to come across as solid, serious reporting, it drives me nuts!

Here's a quote from the article:
Central to evangelicals' faith is an event that can happen at any time called the Rapture, when God takes all true-believing Christians and children under 12 to a better place while all others suffer the tribulation and are damned.

That is not central to my faith! That's not even what my faith is about! Here's a pretty good definition of what being an evangelical means (also taken from evangelical outpost):

British historian David Bebbington approaches evangelicalism from this direction and notes four specific hallmarks of evangelical religion: conversionism, the belief that lives need to be changed; activism, the expression of the gospel in effort; biblicism, a particular regard for the Bible; and crucicentrism, a stress on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

That about sums it up for me. And I'm greatly saddened that the word 'evangelical' has been hijacked. Because, in the Famous words of Inigo Montoya, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

My faith is about ultimate sacrifice and grace and love. It is not about some pharisaical, judgemental, hypocritical perversion of what Jesus died for. And it makes me really sad that when you tell someone you're a Christian in this day and age that they automatically jump to the wrong conclusion about you.I understand that perception is reality. But your perception is not my reality.

Christianity in China

Read this amazing story about the huge numbers of Chinese becoming Christians, and the inherent difficulties. It's super-fascinating...

Passion of Christ Movie

The trailer's up. Go check it out. I'll definitely be checking this one out in the theater.

I'm going to bed (hopefully) now.

Postmodernism and the Emerging Chuch

I've been reading on a lot of different sites and blogs like Vintage faith, (incidentally, my cousin is dating one of the guys starting it up and my best friend Jessica works with them) and Vintage Faith will be in Santa Cruz, tall skinny kiwi , naked church, , pomomusings (in the TITLE no less) , that are in the midst of talking with, living in, creating the emerging postmodern church. In fact, TheOoze (an online magazine/blog that I read) had an article about postmodernism that I thought was really interesting.

Anyhow, it's something I'm thinking about, and thought I would pass along. In case you're interested, theOoze article had a definition of 'postmodern' in regards to "The Church"...
Right now, 'Postmodern' is the biggest word in ministry discussion. Indeed, there was a time when 'modern' meant 'cutting edge' -- to modernize was to improve with features of the future. We needed a new word for the new, post-modern traits. According to Merriam-Webster, 'Post Modern' is "of, relating to, or being any of several movements (as in art, architecture, or literature) that are reactions against the philosophy and practices of modern movements and are typically marked by revival of traditional elements and techniques."

And just in case there aren't enough links... a whole list of liinks on the postmodern church...