Even Less Cowbell

Convergence of Thoughts

2009-09-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

So, several things have got me started again.
First, the Leadership Team at my school read a fascinating (and easy-reading) book on business theory: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni. Second, I heard one of the most genuinely heart-felt sermons from Lakesha at the end of her internship, and read a blog about the same day's events by our 'regular' pastor, Jan. Third, I attended a staff workshop today on the 'four patterns of thought.'

Jan blogged about exorcising demons. I have come to believe that our biggest demon at Fairlington Presbyterian Church is also the first dysfunction of a team: absence of trust. Specifically, trust that each others' intentions are good and that we can be honest and open in front of 'the team.' This demon is being fed by our approach to the first 'pattern of thought:' identity. Specifically, 'what is FPC and what is it not?'

We have two somewhat distinct groups within our church community, with widely diverging views on this question. Some of us (myself included) are trying to find the common ground. I see the value in the old ways, having been raised successfully in them (thanks, Mom and Dad). I also see the desperate need for change as I observe those around me who were not successfully raised in those ways. I think I am not alone in this - far from it. Many of us are starting to see and feel the convergence between old and new.
But there are entrenched groups on both sides, who do not yet see the value of other positions. Some seem to view all things old as automatically inferior to the 'new way.' Others seem to regard all things new as unnecessary encroachments on the traditions that have fed them for so long. It is difficult to determine at first glance whether either group is truly motivated by the Holy Spirit, or merely by their pre-established worldview. Thus, the absence of trust that so plainly manifested itself this summer.

For the uninitiated: at some point this summer, a sign on church property was permanently disfigured. By whom? Don't know (and don't want to). This was, as Lakesha put it, deeply disturbing. However, there is more to the story. The vandalism consisted of adding the word "Church" to a sign that had been printed, "Welcome to Fairlington Presbyterian." This was part of a larger pattern in which the word 'church' disappeared from signage, bulletins, and other places where we declare our identity. Now, the web-savvy among us are well aware that we had an extensive dialogue about the various meanings and uses of the word "church" this summer. Personally, I disagreed with removing all reference to our community, worship service, and facility as a "church." However, I was in on the dialogue so I understood that the motives behind it were far from sinister. But this points to the fatal flaw in the dialogue: it was held mostly online (see: "all things new are autmatically better"), so a significant number of people were excluded by default. In hindsight, this is equally disturbing.

Now, it would seem that a silly thing like whether we include the word "Church" on our signs and in our bulletins shouldn't provoke so much angst. Certainly, I agree with the comment made elsewhere: I don't want to worship words. I want to worship God. So why all the fuss? Because this word cuts to the core of some people's identity. There are faithful people in our midst who genuinely feel that their identity within the group was changed without their consent. They came 'to church' only to find that, suddenly, it wasn't a 'church' anymore. That last sentence may sound silly in print (it certainly feels silly typing it), but it's real. Keep in mind - the word church wasn't just removed in connection to the building. It was removed, period.

So how do we exorcise this demon? It is only through thoughtful and prayerful dialog that we will overcome our absence of trust. All need to be heard, honestly and openly, with none judged unfairly. Decisions need to be made and explained carefully to build more trust, little by little. This is how we must forge our new identity together, not through the hasty subtraction and addition of words. It will frustrate type-A's like myself but we will persevere. I think we will be surprised at how easily people can accept decisions with which they don't agree, if that decision is made in the best of the democratic tradition our denominational heritage has to offer.

Most of all, through this whole process we need to be less hasty to question others' motives. This particular demon lies within all of us. We have been watching the speck in our brothers' eye, without seeing the plank within our own.

2009-04-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I'm still alive. I thought I was about to surface but got pulled back under.
Blogging is a worthwhile way to express yourself but a little time-consuming.

Mini-blogs:
1. It shouldn't take a pending disaster for us to let our President have his pick for health secretary.
2. Glad to see Virginia is finally going to pony up for expanded and expedited Amtrak service.
3. Dreading the megaconstruction delays in Tyson's: Toll Lanes on the beltway, and metro extension. Looking forward to the results, sometime this century.
4. Excited to meet our supply pastor for Jan's sabbatical.
5. I shouldn't be up at 11:48 on a school night.

Electrictiy

2009-04-16T18:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back. Something had to get me going again.

It WASN'T turning 35. I feel my naps coming on a little earlier now. Alas, I rarely get them.

If you haven't seen this yet, you should:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Most commentators have focused on the crowd's (and judges') initial low expectations: wholly unfair, and based only on appearances.

I want to focus on something else: electricity. It's nice to see a skeptical crowd so easily won over by such obvious talent. It's nice to hear that talent from the most unexpected places. It's nice to see so many people, many of younger generations, that excited about an essentially classical-sounding piece of music.

It would have been nice to feel the electricity in that room, first-hand.

So Much To Say

2009-03-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

And so little time....

I love teaching intersession. It's great to get to teach a different subject / grade for a couple of weeks, and go more in-depth. A major flaw in American education is that our system requires us to "cover" a lot of material, and cares little for real understanding. Standardized testing has only made this worse.

But to be successful in life, our students need to understand things. So, intersession gives us a chance to build broader background knowledge and deeper comprehension.

A lot of students in this country are gradually disengaging from their own education. It's telling that several years of focus on multiple-choice testing has not increased our high school graduation rate. So it's comforting to see that students do, in fact, still love to learn - when given the chance to do it right.

We can do it right during the regular school year, of course. And we're getting better at it all the time - the delicate balancing act between what politicians demand and what professionals know.

I just love this time when the balance can tip 100% towards the children.

Sunday

2009-03-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

8:00 AM - AM stuff.
8:40 AM - Drive to church (thankfully a short drive)
8:50 AM - Warm up and practice for morning worship
9:30 AM - Attend discussion about Holy Grounds community in the church parlor
10:30 AM - Choir warmups and prayers.
11:00 AM - Play and participate in worship
12:15 PM - Go to Rockland's with Chris and Brooke for BBQ. Frequently consult phone for SU Basketball Info. Drive home via Harris Teeter for quick grocery shop. Finish watching SU game (go 'Cuse!). Start on Sunday Post.
2:30 PM - A nice walk outside.
3:30 PM - Naptime.
4:40 PM - Household stuff: laundry (3 loads), clean kitchen and bathroom, take out recycling, etc.
6:30 PM - TV time. Simpsons, Family Guy, and some TIVO to catch up on. Also make supper (mustard dill salmon, garlic mashed potatoes, peas, salad, girl scout cookies). Make lunch and get clothes ironed for tomorrow. Replace missing buttons on 2 shirts and 1 pair of pants.
10:00 PM - Early bedtime today.

Saturday

2009-03-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

6:30 AM - still asleep.
7:30 AM - see above.
8:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:30 AM - see above.
11:30 AM - finally getting up. Breakfast etc. Read the Post and skim the ones I didn't get to spend much time with this week.
1:00 PM - walk outside for a while, gym for half an hour.
2:30 PM - clean out inbox (snail mail and email) and deal with things that need dealing with.
3:15 PM - house cleaning for a little while.
4:00 PM - a little nap.
4:30 PM - get ready to go out. Metro to Kennedy Center.
5:30 PM - walk around Kennedy Center and enjoy the atmosphere.
6:00 PM - Eastman Trombone Choir concert on the Millenium Stage.
7:00 PM - meet up with an old acquaintance from the concert. Agree to meet at Elephant and Castle for dinner at 8:00.
7:45 PM - after metro and walk, decide to use GPS feature on new phone to locate Elephant and Castle. (I've been before but not from that direction.) LOVE having this feature on phone!
10:00 - Metro home well satisfied with food (and drink) from pub.
10:30 - Watch old British sitcoms on PBS for a while.
12:00 - Bed.

Friday

2009-03-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

6:30 - Start again.
7:00 - Drive time.
7:30 - Staff Breakfast (a regular monthly one, no special occasion this time.)
7:45 - Kiss and Ride. (Last day! Won't have this again until May. :) )
8:15 - Morning Meeting, 6th grade.
8:45 - Teach 4 hours of music classes. Eat with a second grade class in need of support, and some of their 6th grade 'big buddies.' Find a crew to put instruments away for intersession. Do same for colleague. Get 25+ sixth graders who signed up for chorus (or might want to) into a meeting with the middle school director. Help try to figure out why most of the people who already signed up, aren't even on her list. Go to 6th grade presentation of Restaurant Concepts (an exercise in creative use of language for advertising).
2:55 - Dismissal.
3:15 - Go home. Stop at Macy's Ballston on the way for new shoes. Come out with shirt, cufflinks, socks, and tie as well. Thank self for single-handedly rescuing the local retail trade. Light snack. Gym for an hour. Charge and activate new phone (yay). Phone calls re: weekend plans. Get ready for weekend plans, wearing new shoes +etc.
9:00 - Nowruz / Uncle Bashir's Birthday party at "Aghan Restaurant" in Alexandria.
12:30 - Home and to bed.

Thursday

2009-03-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

Well, not normal. But a little relief.

6:30 - Up and get ready. No need for breakfast.
7:00 - Drive time.
7:30 - Staff breakfast in the Library. Superintendent comes. Good news about AYP from last year. It's a long story for another post.
8:15 - Morning Meeting in a 3rd grade.
8:45 - Regular day begins. 1st hour class is out testing. 2nd class is late due to testing and needs a little extra recess. Only end up teaching 1 and 1/2 hours of actual music. Also, an hour with fifth grade science. Use extra time to: clean a couple of shelves in my storage room, meet with strings teacher about the instrument grant, answer more emails, file forms. Use lunch to: shop for a phone (finally something good from Sprint: a $200 voucher for an upgrade!) Also, make final arrangements for middle school chorus teacher to come meet 6th grade students who want to register for middle school in 7th grade. Proofread bulletin. Find midi file so I can listen to new hymn.
3:15 - Leave at the bell for a change. Get cash and gas. Drive to Alexandria (blissfully, only 35 minutes today. Almost a record for a weekday afternoon!)
4:00 - Eat at Atlantis. Read the post, almost all of it.
5:00 - Practice at church for 2 hours. Walk to Starbucks for madeleines and a latte.
7:30 - Choir practice for hour and a half.
9:15 - I'm home. Watch Hell's Kitchen. Make 3 new rehearsal CD's for All-County kids who lost/broke theirs. 12-year-olds: gotta love 'em!
10:30 - Ready for bed.

Wednesday

2009-03-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

Ah, normalcy. Sort of.
6:30 - You know the drill. Also get on Facebook and wish my sister a happy birthday. Hope to dickens it goes through - new Facebook slightly confusing. I JUST got used to the old one and they changed it again. AAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH.
7:45 - Kiss and Ride.
8:15 - Morning Meeting with a 6th grade class.
8:45 - Teach a total of 5 hours of music classes. 3 days to go until a 'break' and it shows. We manage to keep it together. Eat alone for a change. Help out colleague who's taking her son to check on his broken collarbone by supervising cleanup and dismissal.
3:15 - Set up room for grad class tonight. Go over agenda. Etc. Decompress.
4:30 - Class.
7:30 - Clean up. Go home. Gym. Supper. Urgent email from boss - we're all meeting the Superintendent tomorrow. I think it's a good thing.
9:45 - Post this blog entry. Will do dishes and go to bed.

Tuesday

2009-03-18T18:30:00.001-07:00

Ok, Mark, sorry about the dig on Whitman. But I think you understood my general point. :)

Tuesday:

6:30 - Morning stuff, same as Monday but different breakfast.
7:15 - Drive time.
7:45 - Kiss and Ride.
8:15 - Check in with my sub. She's all set.
8:20 - Start marathon meeting and planning day to: 1. Work on grant application for musical instruments. 2. Get roster for my 2-week intersession class, starting next Monday. (28 5th and 6th grade GT/Young Scholars students will be exploring careers of interest and learning/practicing basic communication, teamwork, and time management. I have 14 kids AM, and 14 PM.) Interview all 28 children about their interests. Look for online resources (God Bless 4H). Consult with counselors and GT teacher. Email several outside people. Check out 83 library books on 14 possible careers. Re-attempt to hex the same three printers that didn't work on Monday. Prepare reminder packet for All-County Chorus students that has to go home pronto. Try to figure out why 2 kids I was expecting aren't enrolled in my class. Try to figure out why several kids who signed up for middle school chorus for next year aren't in it now.
2:50 - Recheck with sub. All is well. Help with dismissal. Set up room for dance team.
3:15 - Dance team. 18 sweaty children and 2 tired choreographers.
4:30 - Clean room and set up for Wednesday. Double check grades for a few kids before report cards get printed. Read homework for grad class I'm co-teaching on Wednesdays.
6:00 - Meet Fasih of soccer fame after his practice to make sure he knows how to fill out financial aid forms (Mom speaks little English and has no college experience in the US).
6:30 - Drive time.
7:15 - Gym, supper, read. Put away Sunday's laundry while watching Last Restaurant Standing.
10:30 - Bed.

Monday

2009-03-17T13:46:00.001-07:00

This week I am taking my cue from Pastor Jan, who shared informally last Sunday about her week. This is hardly a typical week for me (it's the last week before a 3-week intersession/break). But anyway.

Mine will go day-by-day. Here's Monday:

6:30 - shower, dress, breakfast (bacon and eggs, toast, yogurt w/fresh strawberries).
7:15 - drive 30 minutes and 18.7 miles to work.
7:45 - Kiss and Ride duty. Open doors and make sure children get inside safely.
8:15 - Set up chorus chairs and music. Help colleague carry juice and donuts. Copy CD of accompaniments.
8:45 - 2 chorus rehearsals, 45 minutes each. This week, boys' sectionals - 1 for 6th grade, 1 for 5th. In between, talk to admin. about a behavior situation (wouldn't sit where the chorus needed him to.)
10:45 - meet with L., my co-director,re: how sectionals went. Answer emails re: church organ, SOL testing schedule, FGMEA constitutional amendment. Start writing sub plans for Tuesday.
11:30 - lunch with 15 6th graders.
12:00 - Make sure everyone has rides for All-County Chorus practice this afternoon. Double-check building use form for spring concert. Take another stab at sub plans. Interrupted by:
12:30 - Dismissal. Make sure nobody gets plowed over.
12:45 - Team Leaders meeting. Discuss how we can help our teams plan and collaborate more effectively.
2:15 - Staff meeting on budget update.
2:30 - Leave early to go to All-County rehearsal at a nearby school.
4:30 - Come back to Dogwood to finally finish my sub plans. Attempt to hex at least 3 printers for technical failures. Answer emails re: AGO, Church finance, piano tuning.
6:00 - Go to South Lakes High School to: walk the Lake Thoreau trail (a beautiful 2 miles and my only hope of excersize today). Stop at CVS, Starbucks, and SunTrust along the walk. Then,
Varsity Boys Soccer vs. TC Williams. Had about 10 former students on the field, and 4 from the travel team I currently work with. SOUTH LAKES WINS! (For the NY people reading this, this is the equivalent of Whitman beating Fairport in, well, anything). I love SLHS but Williams is at least twice the size and this usually isn't a fair match.
9:15 - Meet Fasih after game, give needed college aid forms.
9:45 - Home. Email. Read. Bed by 10:15.

Tuesday will be a very different day.

Making Disciples

2009-03-13T09:00:00.001-07:00

"The Great Commission:"

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

We seem to be doing at least OK (not super, but OK) with the 'going out' part. We deliver furniture, serve meals, offer classes, and fund clinics. But I think we're doing it only in light of the commandment:

Love your neighbor as yourself.

We have neglected the full meaning of the commission, because we are weak on the "making disciples" part. We do our good works, but are embarassed to mention Jesus in the process. Understandably so - some elements in the Evangelical movement gave Christianity in general a bad name, by using the Gospel as a weapon rather than as a tool. The minute many people hear "Jesus" or "Church," they think of judgmentalism, fear, and divisiveness. Or they think of the message, "Repent and come to church right now or you're going to hell forever." This was not a productive way to make disciples.

But neither is never bringing it up. When we are allergic to talking about Jesus, we can't claim to be doing good works in the name of the Lord. We might as well be good Buddhists, good atheists with a dose of liberal guilt, maybe even morally defunct souls who have been ordered into community service by a court. When our good works are repeated, over and over again, without ever a mention of WHY we do them, we are equally ineffective at making disciples.

The song says, "They'll know we are Christians by our Love." That love certainly includes caring about people's bodies enough to feed, clothe, treat, care for them. It includes caring about their minds enough to train them.

It also includes caring enough about their souls to tell them about the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Not as a weapon - "I'm doing this as a way to conquer my enemies." Not as a bribe - "Join my church or I'll stop helping you." Not as an instrument of shame - "I'm trying to embarass you into joining a church." Not as threat - 'Join me or you'll go to Hell.'

As an instrument of Love - "Jesus calls us to make earth more like the Kingdom of Heaven." When we are serving people, ostensibly in the name of the Lord, we ought to be able at least to say that much.

An extended comment

2009-03-04T18:25:00.001-08:00

This started as a comment to another's blog but I felt I would rather give it its own place here:

The concept in question is that 'the glory days of the institutional church are over.'
In general, agreed, if by "glory days" we mean "lots of people show up, but a lot of them attend only because they're expected to, not because they really mean it or because they're trying to live as Christians in the day-to-day." Personally, I'd rather have 100 sincere Christians than 1000 just trying to be seen. But...

I'm not sure it's entirely fair to call them "THE" glory days of "THE" institutional church.

The church as an institution has been through many life cycles and always reinvented itself. The circuit-riders of the early-19th century Methodists were an institution. So were the camp meetings of the great revivals. The monasteries of 8th century Ireland. The town churches of reformation-era Holland. The missions of 17th century New Spain. The underground house churches of the 1st century AD. Etc. Etc. Etc. All of these had their glory days, and then evolved - or faded.

It may be more accurate to speak of "SOME" glory days of "OUR" institutional church. It doesn't ring as well in the ears, but it may be more accurate.

As Jan said in church on Sunday, "Jesus will always have a church."

The true glory days of the institutional church are still in the future: the church will become one with the Kingdom of Heaven. No other institution will be necessary.

Where I Did My Best

2009-02-27T18:52:00.000-08:00

Monday, I posted about a few of the challenges of my work. (See "Never Dull," Feb. 23).

I see progress on all fronts but one. And I am happy to report some big successes:

1. Still pouting, but for shorter times, and less overt crying.
2. Child number 2 has successfully had THREE half-hour lessons with me without a single snide remark.
5. Found new mentor for one, reading buddy for another, special job as setup assistant for yet another. Baby steps, but adolescence is superhard when it's fresh. And the toughest case - managed to catch him smiling and working at the same time. He had remembered how to find the least common multiple of 2 numbers, without any prompting or reminders, and he was SO proud.

Unfortunately, no. 6 remains a heartbreaker. But I did my best with this colleague today.

"Did I Do My Best Today?"

2009-02-27T18:31:00.000-08:00

Just got back from the annual Blue and Gold Banquet. For those unfamiliar with the term, this is the awards ceremony for Cub Scouts.

Frequent readers will (hopefully) remember that I talked about how diverse my school's neighborhood is, both economically and ethnically. Scouting, on the other hand, is often seen as a bastion of the white middle class. Indeed, our local pack was started a few years ago by a group of professional families of Caucasian descent. In many areas it has remained so.

But in this instance, Cub Scouts is a VERY good thing.

Tonight I witnessed 5 second-year Webelos scouts (fifth graders) receive their Arrow of Light award and graduate to Boy Scouts. This group included: 1 African-American, 2 Hispanics, 1 White American, and 1 German/Middle Easterner. There were 2 Catholics, an Evangelical, a Baptist, and a Muslim. They speak 2 languages and came from 4 different countries. They include 2 ESOL students and 3 with IEPs.

This group of 5 (and the roughly 35 younger boys behind them) came together for two reasons. First, the founders of the pack did not keep it as their own bastion of privilege - they openly sought out their childrens' classmates (not just their friends) and consciously invited the whole school community to participate. Second, the invitees, mostly immigrants and often seen as outsiders by society at large, accepted the invitation. It's almost like human alchemy: from several distinct elements, a new thing of great value is being born.

These five young men (they were called that officially tonight, probably for the first time) have taken what should prove to be a significant step: they have united as a community, set goals for themselves and their group, and accomplished those goals. They have learned from the example of last year's crop, and set a continuing example for the group to follow.

During the ceremony, we were all reminded of a motto of scouting. "When you go to bed each night, ask yourself: Did I do my best today? How can I do better tomorrow?" I can safely say, they have all learned to ask and answer these questions. I can remember a time when they didn't - I've known 4 of the 5 since kindergarten. I am astounded at what this new community has done to improve their lives.

Memo to the GOP

2009-02-24T19:43:00.000-08:00

THE MARKET IS NOT GOD.

Enough theo-capitalism already.

There are situations in which the market is a perfectly acceptable way of solving things. I do not want to see it abolished from our lives.

But it's time to acknowledge the market's chief limit: it is motivated solely by profit. The market is not motivated by morals or ethics. Certainly there are individual capitalists with a greater cause. But the market itself is driven by the love of money.

So there are some things the market just can't solve. Like health care: As we were reminded tonight, Teddy Roosevelt called for reform nearly a hundred years ago. We have spent the greater part of a century waiting for the invisible hand of the market to produce morally acceptable results. But that is not the purpose of markets! The market did exactly what it is meant to do: it maximized money. It cannot be trusted to do anything else. Our century of reliance on free-market principles has produced double-digit profit margins, multiple layers of corporate overhead and bureaucracy, and a system where every decision is made based on the ability of someone to profit from different courses of action. Given the purpose of markets, we should not be surprised.

But we should be outraged. This is NOT how we are called to care for the sick. History has proven that the market can't, and private philanthropy won't, do what is necessary to solve the moral and ethical issues is this area.

But rather than address the problem, the GOP blindly insists on worshiping the free market. They still think that if we "give the problem to the market," it will get solved. We're supposed to be giving our problems to God.

How God calls us to solve this problem together is a subject for another post. But it's clear to me that simply trusting the market - giving in to our love of money - is definitely NOT the answer.

Never Dull

2009-02-23T15:26:00.000-08:00

So, I'm a music teacher, right?
Yes, but I'm also a consulting teacher on classroom management / social skills / community building. Confidentiality and professionalism prevent me from divulging many details, but here are some things I've been chewing on over the past week:

1. The second-grader who cries/pouts when he can't sit with the teacher.
2. The second-grader who just can't seem to let one go without comment.
3. Do we call CPS on _____? (A tougher call than you might think.)
4. The fifth-grade girl making a "bad people" book and writing in it things that aren't necessarily the whole truth.
5. The sixth-grade boy embarrassed at his deficits and struggling to see his strengths. (Actually, several of these.)
6. The colleague struggling to see good in a child I personally adore.
7. Boy-girl issues with 12-year-olds (I always seem to be the default relationship counselor.)
a. Should I ask __ out? (answer always: what do your parents think?)
b. I'm going out with __. What should I get her? (answer always: a teddy bear)
c. Should I maybe get her earrings instead? (answer: NNNNNNNOOOOOOOO)
d. I like ____ but she's going out with ___. (answer always: It's not your time. Let it go.)
8. A colleague who asks for suggestions, but I experience tells me they won't be tried.
9. Better ways to acknowledge students' social success without feeling like we're buying them off. Right now, we don't buy children off - with candy, Mt. Dew, etc. - and that's a good thing. But our recognitions seem a little lacking somehow.
10. What to do with boogers (always a kindergarten issue this time of year).
11. A class that is ostracizing a newcomer who seems perfectly happy being ostracized, and overtly plans how to keep it that way. Deep down she wants to belong (we all do,) but she has a veneer of alabaster.

February is a long, long month. But I know that discussing these issues now will help us have a bountiful spring.

A Question for Roland

2009-02-18T18:41:00.000-08:00

I don't write as often as I'd like because it's hard to form coherent thoughts sometimes. But this one was too easy.

Roland Burriss,
My question for you is NOT "how dumb do you think we are?" You said today that you don't want us to rush to judgment. You want us to wait and get the facts.

You have now had five (count'em, five!) opportunities to tell the truth. Three of these came under oath. You have given five different responses on these five occasions.

So, my question for you is, "How dumb do you want all of us to think you are?" Stop digging yourself deeper. Stop talking. I don't see how anyone can actually believe any of your answers at this point, knowing that tomorrow we'll just get a different one.

2009-02-15T18:52:00.000-08:00

Great weekend with Mom and Dad. Day off Monday. Really REALLY plan to write on something...

2009-02-10T15:17:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's been longer than I thought.
We DID get a snow day that Wednesday (see below) but no luck with the blogging.

Things like a Tuesday (yes, Tuesday) wedding - held on the date for zodiacal reasons - and the minutiae of life keep interfering.

But I've come to recognize the spiritual discipline of blogging, if only because it gives me something to focus on when I'm talking to myself.

I hereby resolve: at least twice a week.

2009-01-26T16:06:00.000-08:00

So, eventually, I'll get around to blogging about this event. You've probably seen the pics on facebook anyway...

I have a slip of about 40 possible blog topics on my desk. Maybe we'll get a snow day Wednesday and I can tackle some. :)

A Poem

2009-01-26T15:51:00.000-08:00

Believing
Aspiring
Reaching
Ascending
Calling
Knocking

(Hears Us, Sees Synergy, Even In Need)

Opening
Brightening
Achieving
Making
Alive

It Was So Worth It!

2009-01-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

Preparing

2009-01-19T15:57:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a while.

Preparing for the inauguration tomorrow. Many, many friends have told me I'm crazy for trying to go downtown. But I can't help myself.

I could sit at home and watch on TV, and see and hear every word. It is quite possible that, by going, I won't be able to see or hear anything. But I can't help myself.

I've always voted but never gotten involved beyond that point. But it's time to stop spectating. I can't help myself.

I have 4 possible travel plans, a great travel buddy, and an itching desire to be a part of something this powerful, not by sitting in comfort on the couch, but by getting up and doing something - anything - to be involved.

The best argument I've heard not to go, is that the work presidency should be more important than a single celebration. In other words, we didn't vote for Obama so we could throw a party - we voted for Obama so we could get to work. He used the analogy of matrimony - the wedding is nice, but it's the marriage that really counts.

On those terms, I'm looking forward to a great presidency. But I'm also going to the party. Yes, I want to have my cake and eat it, too. I can't help myself.

Who's on the Outside?

2009-01-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

Yet another thing there's been a lot of talk about lately:
Reaching those "on the outside." According to the Great Commission, this is one of the core functions of the church. But it requires us to identify who's out there.

A group we've focused on a lot lately is young, digitally connected millenials. This group is, indeed, on the outside as far as Christianity is concerned. Over half of them have never set foot in a church. But as far as society and culture are concerned, they're very "in."

But my life so far has been focused on a very different group: recent immigrants, the underemployed, families in poverty. This group is also often on the "outs" as far as Christianity is concerned. (Many of them claim religion, of either Roman Catholic or Evangelical background. But they don't identify with the parishes in the area because those denominations aren't meeting their current needs.) But they're also "out" in terms of society and culture. They live 2 families to 1 townhouse, work 3 jobs to feed their kids, drive a 1994 Corolla, and don't have regular internet access. Or dental care. Or, sometimes, jeans that fit. Their kids know how to use technology, but lack the financial resources to take advantage.

But it seems like all our creative and financial energy is going towards tech-ing up the church. (I speak not of my own congregation specifically, but of church leadership and membership in general). Are we deliberately excluding this second group?

This is my main objection to the debate about things like setting up online groups, killer websites, twitter networks, and using Facebook to conduct church business. These tools will help us reach one underserved segment of society, but by their nature come at the exclusion of another.

Of course, one congregation can't be all things to all people. But it seems that a whole lot of congregations have decided to go one way here, and there is a dearth of groups effectively reaching out in other directions. I'm not even sure we've all genuinely considered them -

Back to the Grind

2009-01-04T16:49:00.001-08:00

I haven't written much lately. On purpose.
Tomorrow, vacation ends and back to the grind.
I'll probably feel compelled to write in this space again as well.

Barnaby and Me

2008-12-29T17:56:00.000-08:00

I went with my parents to see "Marley and Me" last night.

If you've never had a lab, there are things you don't quite connect with the same way. Fortunately for me, we had one. I was young when he died, so I don't recall some of his key moments (like when he pulled a five-pound box of nails of the shelf in the garage and started chewing through it). But I do recall running with him, camping, playing with my red wagon and my cowboys, and generally getting licked all over. I was old enough to know that he was indeed the best dog ever. I have loved our later dogs too, but he will always be special.

I didn't cry when they put Marley down. But I cried when their oldest son Patrick put in the home video and started watching scenes of himself as a little boy, with Marley always in the picture. I remembered exactly how I felt when Barnaby died. I didn't have a video to play (no VHS) but no matter. That's the first time I can remember crying. It was my first experience with death. And it was the first time my life flashed before my eyes: a little piece of me died that day, too. At least through memory, and cute dog movies, a little piece of him lives on.

I Am Not Alone

2008-12-23T17:20:00.001-08:00

Sunday, I went to the National Cathedral for a Lessons and Carols service. I love going there, whether it's for a Eucharist or not. There was no Eucharist this time, just Lessons and Carols, a homily, a litany of peace....

The cathedral choirs are amazing, especially the choir of men and boys. Somewhere along the line, one group sang my favorite arrangement "Away in a Manger" - by Reginald Jacques, to a tune not in the hymnals.

The pageantry is always incredible. I love a full processional. Especially when it happens twice (!).

One of the anthems was an African carol. The choirs all together sashayed down the full length of the nave while the drums pounded. I've taught this carol at school and love it. But there was something especially powerful about the juxtaposition of gothic nave, victorian-esque choir garb, and traditional African Drums. For a moment there were no eras, no continents. Just joy.

From the back, they gave a wonderfully mystic rendering of "O Magnum Mysterium." When it was time to re-process, it didn't even feel like a rerun. Even though it was. The pace of the service had led us from an anticipatory procession to a celebratory one. I absolutely love when this type of things comes off right.

But thing I loved the best was that I Was Not Alone. I didn't know a soul in the place. And there were easily 1500+ there. I didn't speak to anyone. But we all shared this experience, and that was enough. We were all anonymous, and all united in Christ.

There was no need to meet later and talk it out. Sometimes it's better just to absorb.

2008-12-21T16:02:00.001-08:00

I held on to that guiro for dear life. :)

Success.

2008-12-19T18:31:00.001-08:00

No, I haven't posted in a while.
The last two weeks before Christmas are a hectic time in the education and music fields. Doubly so, if you're in both.

We had a fantastic cantata at church, and a fantastic concert at school.

I finally got a certain kindergarten class to put the plural in their Jingle Bells. ("Jingle Bell. Jingle Bell. Jingle all the way." That was one lonely and overworked bell!)

The tail fell off the guiro at choir practice. Twice. Mad funny. Hope I can hold on to it better on Sunday b/c I forgot to get the better one from school for the weekend.

My Eli Manning jersey FINALLY came after much arguing and wrangling with the NFL Online Store. (Hint: worst shopping experience EVER. But totally worth it). Much needed as my former player recently shot himself in the leg.

If I'm rambling, that's because that's the type of week this always is for me.....

Ecclesia semper reformanda est.

2008-12-12T10:22:00.000-08:00

Another thing I've heard a lot about lately is the Emerging (/Emergent) Church Movement. Maybe it shouldn't be capitalized - not sure, as it's hard to define, so I don't know if it's a proper noun or not.

But that's the least of my concerns. I have some reading and discussing to do before I really get my head around what's going on here. But since I refuse to be assigned to someone else's boxes, I at least ought to find out what those boxes are.

Here are some of my initial reactions:
1. It seems firmly attached to the needs and whims of the millenial generations, to the exclusion of others. The 'traditional' church made this same mistake with the baby-boomer generation. This strikes me as somewhat hypocritical - the movement claims to be a reaction against 'seeker-sensitive' worship. But the movement is by its very nature seeker-sensitive - as in "I don't get the old way so it has to change to suit me."
2. The emergent movement fails to recognize the fundamental difference between 1st century and 21st century. In NT times, Christians were executed, often on sight. In current America, you can't be President without confirming your Christian bona fides. The emergent movement seems to be pushing for a 1st century paradigm without considering the complexity of our current situation.
2. By striving to abolish the denomination/congregation structure of church, some emergents will actually make it harder to bring about God's kingdom on earth. Having no building, no doors, and no set worship time would make it difficult for others to find. The great weakness of house churches is that they are, by their very nature, closed groups. They are hard for outsiders to find and even harder for them to fit in.
3. Even when emergent worship is institutionalized in form (set day, time, place, publicly known and advertised), it can be very intimidating. The smaller group size and emphasis on narrative, dialog, and interaction is uncomfortable for many. There is a risk of strong implied pressure to join in the conversation right away even if you're not ready to.
4. Ironically, the same thing that makes it so unapproachable for some makes it too easy for others: a simple chat over coffee at any given time of the week doesn't require the sacrifice, the personal approach to God in a strictly spiritual time, that I think is essential to worship. Traditional worship's strenght is that it requires us a to set aside the world for a while and put all of our attention on God.
5. The emergent movement, like post expressions of postmodernism, has contradicted itself. Postmodernism seeks to eliminate the 'boxes' created by modernist either/or logical thinking. But the emergent movement seeks to define traditional church, place it in a box, label it "horrid," and dispose of it forever. This is an inherently modernist act.
6. Postmodernism disallows the existence of absolute, knowable truth. In embracing this idea, many emergents deny the most foundational truths of Christianity. True, there are many ways of knowing God. But our faith is built on one fundamental truth. I find it in expressed in John 3:16. Emergents sometimes argue that this truth is not necessary to the faith. I beg to differ. Faith lived is important, but is not a subsitute for faith genuinely believed.
7. To put it another way, the emerging movement focuses on the Great Commandement (Great! Yay!), but risks losing sight of the the Great Commission (Oops!). Living as a Christian day-to-day must at some point lead to baptism - our own, and others'. Which leads us back to: an institution.

So, now, let me tell you why I appreciate the emergence and am glad to see it happening at FPC regardless of my concerns.

1. Relationships over Roles.
2. Love over Rules.
3. Tolerance and inclusion over Restrictions.
4. Personal narratives.
5. Meaningful dialog among believers and questioners.

I don't want the emergence to go away. These new things are worth keeping. But so are some of our old shared traditions. So is the institution of church - the one that started computer CORE, hosts countless 12-step groups, hosts Food and Friends, and spiritually guides hundreds of people on a weekly or even daily basis. My biggest worry is that Emergence, in it's adrenaline-driven rush to postmodernise everything, will box up all the good and discard it as a worn relic of the modern era.

Attention, Anyone?

2008-12-11T14:03:00.000-08:00

I've heard a lot about "continuous partial attention" these days. The younger generation is admittedly better at the whole multi-tasking thing.

But many of them are not as good at it as they would like to think they are. I've seen young professionals surf and text their way through meetings, only to leave without clearly understanding what was discussed and agreed upon. I've seen them hand in reports and make comments that are clearly a half-baked attempt to keep up. Multi-tasking is only effective if the tasks are done well. But we have given these people an excuse not to learn focusing skills ("the younger generation just doesn't work that way"), and thus have not set them up for success.

Yes, the old folks (and I'm only 34) could adapt our ways of doing business to suit the younger generation. But the young folks would do well to try meeting in the middle. Demanding that long-established routines change overnight to suit their own tastes is both selfish and wrong. But it's been suggested over and over again - the old folks just don't get it, and they need to step aside and stop blocking progress.

So, some 'postmoderns' have, ironically, adopted an essentially modernist viewpoint: that there is a duality between the old way (always bad) and the new way (always good). They try to put the old ways in a box, the better to discard them.

I, for one, refuse to be shut inside either box. Let's all learn the difference between when we should multi-task, and when we should focus on the one most important thing in our lives at that moment.

2008-12-09T17:17:00.000-08:00

Well, the holidays make it hard to keep up with this kind of thing. Especially for a musician. But:

1. Barbecue - good.

2. Ham in salads - good.

3. Key Lime Pie - good.

4. Eating with interesting and caring people - good.

An extra long workout for the rest of the week - not good. But totally totally worth it.

2008-12-06T20:39:00.001-08:00

Holiday Party.

Ham.

Hennepin Ale.

Happy People.

Hooray.

Friday

2008-12-05T11:17:00.001-08:00

High point of today:

We decorated my classroom for the holidays. Nothing like a gaggle of 2nd graders for that job!

I witnessed:

about 75000 tiny little pieces of paper (from cutting out snowflakes) get picked up in 2 minutes flat.
an athletic Salvadoran boy who loves drums but sings halfheartedly at best, whistling the March from the Nutcracker - note-perfect.
4 boys who sometimes don't get along decide to take their four pieces of paper, tape them together along the edges, and make a bigger poster together. Without anybody suggesting it. And without fighting.
Numerous children doing their best impression of "on point" while going to the shelves to get more supplies. Only a few of them fell over. No children were harmed in the decorating of this space.
Pictures of everything from the manger to Santa to Frosty to a one-horse-open-sleigh to general outdoor winter scenes. (This is a very multi-cultural school)
Not one student arguing or complaining about another person's picture - as in, "Santa isn't real," "Jesus isn't real," "You just made snowflakes?" Because we have taught our children to respect one another, they respect different ideas of what "Winter Holiday" decorating might look like.

It's finally starting to feel like the holidays for me.

Remembering

2008-12-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

Last year, we lost a beloved student to cancer. A. was a cheery, athletic, friendly, and persistent soul who lightened every room she entered. And I'm not just saying that - she was almsot always ready with a smile and a laugh. And when she got down, it didn't usually take much to bring her back around.
She was a stellar athlete and a die-hard Steelers fan. In her battle we saw why: she had the same tough, ground-it-out, in-your-face approach to her battle that Pittsburgh's lines bring to their games. And she still managed to smile after every round.

We had a reception in her honor today that was beautiful in its simplicity. When our student council was trying to find a way to honor her, one of her friends suggested getting a Steelers jersey for her. She had been to a game through the make-a-wish foundation and it seemed like such an obvious idea - why didn't any of the adults think of that? - that it won the vote overwhelmingly.

So now we have it. It's got her number on it, and her name, and it's beautifully folded and framed with a little plaque. Looking at it you can almost imagine her in it. If ever a woman broke into the NFL, it would have been her. Now she's got her place with them forever.

Jingle Jingle

2008-12-02T15:42:00.000-08:00

It's December. Hence, time for music teachers to haul out the old stand-by's for yet another round. Jingle Bells gets so incredibly annoying after about the 10th time around.

However:

It's absolutely impossible to be grumpy when you're walking down the hall with a box full of jingle bells, on your way to the preschoolers (who don't come to the music room yet because travelling is so difficult for them). Most of them don't know this song. And the noise they make with those bells is one of the best kinds of noise there is.

Oops I forgot

2008-12-01T18:55:00.000-08:00

Another thing to love about Thanksgiving:

On the drive from the Knoxville airport to my sister's house in Williamsburg, KY, you pass:

Rusty Wallace Kia.

Every year I wonder what induces a race-car giant to endorse, of all things, a Kia. But maybe it's not an endorsement - maybe he just sold out on the principle of 'power' for automobiles. Or maybe he wants people to think these are jumped-up Kias that can do very un-Kia-like things. Either way, it's kind of hilarious.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T16:05:00.001-08:00

Things to love about Thanksgiving:

1. Seeing your family, alive and whole, all in one place.

2. Stuffing.

3. Seeing how much taller your nephew and nieces have gotten.

4. Stuffing.

5. Walking on a country road in the Kentucky Mountains, to work off the

6. Stuffing.

7. Spiral Ham and Turkey, to go with the

8. Stuffing.

9. A REAL dog (the Pointer) win the National Dog Show.

10. Stuffing.

11. Coming home in time to go to Fedex Field and see the Giants trounce the Redskins.

12. Did I mention the stuffing?

The Change You Keep

2008-11-26T08:33:00.000-08:00

There's been some trepidation about Obama's early cabinet picks. I shared some concern about the type of "change" we were getting.

Now, a very promising sign: Obama keeps Gates. On the surface there's no change - Washington insider keeps job. Big headlines, right?

Plenty of recent presidents have had the "token opposition" in their cabinet somewhere. But this is different: keeping one of the BIG FOUR from the outgoing administration, with a change in party control. We might as well have expected Bush to keep Clinton's Attorney General, or Clinton to keep Bush 1's Secretary of State.

Obama clearly doesn't agree with Gates on all things military. But he shouldn't have to. Filling a cabinet full of ideological yes-men hasn't turned out too well in the past. Looking beyond party to think about what's best for the country is the type of change we should keep.

Short Week

2008-11-24T13:22:00.001-08:00

Thank God for short weeks!

I'm leaving Wednesday right after school (yes, some school systems have school the day before Thanksgiving. Talk about non-family-friendly!) to visit my sister and the family in Kentucky. I haven't seen my sister, her husband, or their 3 beautiful children in a long long long long time. Can't wait to see how they've grown!

But it means the next 2 days, just like every year, are one of the longest short-weeks ever.

Boxing People Out

2008-11-21T10:59:00.000-08:00

The church today is largely defined by boxes. Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant. Mainline or Evangelical. Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, etc.

My church has 2 big boxes right now: ‘11 AM Traditional’ or ‘6 PM Coffee House.’ Both are full of dedicated believers who are looking for God. Both share a common purpose in our church mission statement. But we don’t always see each other that way.

Sometimes the AM group seems to think the PM people are trying to ‘take over’ too much too soon, and they are worried that what feeds them spiritually will be taken away in the name of ‘progress.’ Sometimes the PM group seems to think the AM people lack spiritual drive and are only there because they’re used to it. But these perceptions are as wrong as they are harmful.

Here’s the perception I’m struggling with: The other day, a member of the PM shared this experience in a meeting: She had encountered a stranger in the parking lot. The stranger expressed a desire to return to church after a long hiatus and asked if this was a ‘good church’ to try out. Her response as I heard her tell it in the meeting: a semi-disparaging remark about the AM, and an invitation to try the PM.

Now, I don’t know if the stranger said something in particular to prompt this particular response, or if it was a snap assumption based on his race (not white) or appearance (kind of scruffy). Maybe I missed something in this story. But I heard an assumption here: “you don’t seem like ‘their kind’ of people, I don't think you'll ever fit in the AM box, so I’m going to try to put you in my PM box instead.”

The church person in question doesn’t feel fed by traditional worship. That’s fine. And I should state, in all fairness, that some 11AM people would probably have done the same kind of thing had the question come to them. But the reality is that both services serve people from a variety of generational, cultural and economic backgrounds. Some people even attend both. So we shouldn’t be prejudging which side someone belongs on. Maybe we shouldn’t even be thinking of it as two different sides.

We should simply be offering a choice: “This is a great church! We have traditional worship at 11 AM and coffee worship at 6 PM every Sunday. You’re welcome to try either, or both. Or come to a small group meeting on Wednesdays. Or.....” Because both services have something valid to offer as part of the body of Christ.

Opus

2008-11-19T09:24:00.001-08:00

I am currently in mourning (again) for the loss of my favorite comic strip character: Opus the Penguin. Whether from "Bloom County," "Outland," or just plain "Opus," he always spoke to me. His creator, Berkely Breathed, has terminated the strip due to the rising level of venom in our nation's political discourse. Apparently, he felt it was no longer possible to have Opus contribute without his anger going over the top.

I love Opus because he could say things regular people couldn't. His innocent indignation at wrongs both great and small was not just humorous, it was priceless. He also lived precariously in that boundary zone between fantasy and reality where I think we should all spend a little time, for our own sanity. And he did it so well.

I have a stuffed Opus in my classroom at school. He is our class mascot. He doesn't engage in political commentary or borderline-adult-world-fantasy-stuff like he does in the comic strips. But he's a class favorite. Just like in the papers, my Opus can say things that regular people wouldn't. And the kids love him for it. Even right up through 6th grade, being Opus' guardian for the day is a treasured job. he even came on our class trips to Philadephia and D.C.!

And I am reminded that even in our complicated postmodern world that can be so difficult for children to navigate - they're still kids. Even 12-year-old boys need a little stuffed-animal comfort now and then. And Opus is so trusting.

2008-11-14T19:40:00.000-08:00

Overheard this evening at the Smithsonian Teachers' Night at the National Portrait Gallery:

"Just make sure you all don't take none of that food into none of them galleries." How many teachers do you think winced at the security guard's grammar? But her meaning was crystal clear - far more so than many lines delivered by teachers (sometimes including myself) when we are trying oh-so-delicately to discuss a child's behavior without questioning their character.

Seen on a WWII poster in the museum: "We will win, because we're on God's side." Normally I would say its presumptuous at best, defining what "God's side" really is. WWII was a rare moment when the answer was crystal clear. I also found it refreshing - it wasn't "God is on our side," but the other way around. Many politicians (and regular folk) have it backwards - they put country first, and assume God will come around to us.

2008-11-13T19:17:00.000-08:00

Thought for the day:

If you went back would you find myth dissolving into history or history into myth? Somebody once said, I forget who, that the distinction between history and myth might be meaningless outside the Earth. It think it might at least get a great deal less sharp on the Earth, further back.

-- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Notion Club Papers

They're Paying for What, Now?

2008-11-11T15:10:00.000-08:00

The D.C. Public Schools has begun a social experiment: they are paying middle schoolers to get good grades.

At a conference in Colorado last week, the Chancellor Michelle Rhee was attacked by an upset participant with the comment, "It's a sad day when we are paying kids to be doing something they should be doing anyway." He had a point.

But she has a point, too: "Yesterday was a sad day, when only 8 percent of our eighth-graders were at grade level for math, and we weren't really doing anything about it."

I certainly get the sense of urgency. Someone had to take drastic measures to start turning the system around. But it shouldn't have come to this. Consider the message she has sent to thousands of students in the D.C. public schools:

"We don't think you'll ever be able to do well unless we bribe you."

One of my core beliefs is that all children can, and want to, do well. That innate ability and desire is often buried deep. It is our job as educators to find it, and unlock it. Having the government officially pay for grades will certainly get short-term results. But the long-term consequences could be horrendous. What if the D.C. Public School System never gets past the short-term stimulus of grade payments - what if this works, and becomes an excuse not to do the real work of education?

I have yet to hear Chancellor Rhee genuinely address the moral and ethical dangers of her plan. I can only hope she will do so before it's too late.

What's in a Name?

2008-11-09T15:28:00.000-08:00

Stadiums are named after many different things. Some are named for people, or streets, or their city, or their team - like my faves, the Giants and the Yankees. But most nowadays are named for a company that shelled out the big bucks on naming rights

Growing up, we had an arena in Rochester called the War Memorial. It was a venerable place for a smallish city. Of course, the time came for renovations, and suddenly... Welcome to the Blue Cross Arena! Technically, it's "Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial." But nobody bothers to say the whole thing anymore. It's just "Blue Cross Arena." But to me, it will always be the War Memorial. (I could question whether a supposedly non-profit public service entity like Blue Cross should be throwing money at an arena rather than at their core mission, but that's a topic for another blog.)

Around here (Arlington, VA) we've got tons of War Memorials. You would expect it, what with the Pentagon and all. But with another Veterans Day approaching, I think it's a shame the rest of the country now has so few. Sure, there are statues and monuments all over. But they aren't the major public facilities and landmarks they should be.

The Giants play the Eagles tonight. Time was, the game would have been at Veterans Stadium. But no more. Now, it's at Lincoln Financial Field. It just doesn't sound (or feel) right. I'm no Bears fan, but at least they still play at Soldier Field.

2008-11-08T17:33:00.001-08:00

Beautiful day today. Nothing more to say, except that

Life is good in MY 'real America.'

Who hates whom?

2008-11-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

I've been following the headlines from around the world, and the upswelling of hope is truly remarkable.

The last time America experienced such global goodwill, it was an outpouring of sympathy following a massive tragedy. It didn't last. But this is different - it's built on something positive.

My second great hope from this election is for America's place in the world. Our recent bout of global discord may have been just a family quarrel among allies. Or it may have run deeper. Our leadership has spent a lot of time drawing lines in the sand ("you're either with us or against us") and exaggerating our differences ("they hate us and they hate our freedoms"). Certainly, there is a small cadre of hard-liners who do, indeed, hate us on the most fundamental level. But I maintain they are just that - a small cadre.

The outpouring of good will we have seen this week I think proves my point: most of the world doesn't hate us. They hate our policies. They desire the same type of change as us: a move towards more reasoned discourse and shared responsibility. Now, they have reason to hope.

I want America to have the pre-eminent place in the world. But that place ought not to based on a fear of our bombs, or an addiction to our money. It ought to be based on genuine respect for how we use our position. America deserves not a place of supreme power, but a place of supreme honor.

"Where have all the good candidates gone?"

2008-11-05T17:09:00.000-08:00

One of my high school classmates, now a manager at Xerox, expressed this frustration on her Facebook after an apparently frustrating bout of corporate recruiting. I could go in any of a number of directions on this quote. Here's today's take:

Hopefully, in the near future, they'll be gone to the civil service. Not the bureaucracy, mind you, the civil service. This is more than mere semantics.

The civil service is supposed to be a marketplace of ideas. The President's role is to articulate a vision, and let the professionals work out the best implementation. The lower-level workers, those in the field and closest to the problems, come up with creative solutions and present them to their bosses. The best ideas percolate up the chain of command, ultimately reaching the cabinet-level posts. Sadly, it hasn't worked this way for a long time in our country. That's why we call them the bureaucracy now.

I know many people who work for the government. Contrary to what some politicians will tell you, these are all intelligent, well-meaning people who came in hoping to serve their country well. But they been stifled for too long. The poll-tested, focus-grouped, top-down dictates of successive administrations has stripped them of their creative purpose. The anti-government rhetoric of successive campaigns has stripped them of their morale.

Especially since 1980, we've been burdened with a movement that insists that government is the root of all evil. Nothing the government does will ever be successful and we should just strip it all away. Then, we are astounded when our government continues to fail. DUH. How many times can you tell people they're hopeless or incompetent before they give in? An entire generation of promising minds has gradually succumbed to the mantra: don't bother trying because it won't work anyway.

My greatest hope coming out of this election is not that government will magically solve all our problems. My greatest hope is that the civil service will once again be an honored place where our best and brightest are empowered to work on possible solutions, rather than be held back by our own low expectations.

2008-11-04T18:53:00.000-08:00

Last night, I stayed up hoping the Redskins would lose. Not to be negative, but I needed the Giants to have a little padding in their lead. :) I couldn't go to sleep without knowing the outcome - just had to be sure. I will admit to a smug sense of satisfaction last night, and a little gloating this morning.

Tonight, I stay up hoping Obama will win. Again, I can't go to sleep without knowing the outcome - just have to be sure. I hope to avoid the smugness (though I will still be satisfied). I hope also to avoid the gloating. NoVa and RoVa will never get together if we can't learn to win (and lose) graciously. Joe Biden put it best: don't question their motives. Question their judgment, question their policies. But don't question their motives.

I can only hope my students won't suffer tomorrow from my lack of sleep.

God is Where?

2008-11-03T17:30:00.001-08:00

Okay, I won't usually do 2 posts in 1 day. But the Keillor one was meant to be Sunday's. Here's today's.

Carol Myers, Chillicothe, OH, explaining why she is volunteering for McCain:

"I'm 65, and if I do one more thing in my life, it's to put God back in our country" (Washington Post, Nov. 3, 2008)

Really? REALLY? I didn't even know He'd left. Granted, we no longer require tens of millions of schoolchildren to recite the Lord's Prayer blindly, without concern for whether they or their families understand or believe what they're actually saying. But God is still here. I know, I see Him every day.

He is in the faces of my students who try every day in spite of their obstacles. The parents who gave up everything and risked death to come to America and build a better life. The sun rising (or setting) over the Potomac. The sermons I hear every Sunday. I could go on and on - but what do I know? I live (proudly) in liberal Arlington, VA - where supposedly we all hate God, and the Real America too. Right....

So how come I see God every day? The truth is: no matter what the Republican party might tell you, God is alive and well - even inside the Beltway. And in the rest of America too. Far more so than we could ever hope to realize. He certainly doesn't need the endorsement of a mere political party to remain present, and relevant, in our world.

Which leads me to wonder: What if God was off-limits in campaigning? What if we just let God works his wonders without all the political interference on the ground? God is doing great things all over our country - and many in the GOP won't even give him credit for it.

Let's be Clear

2008-11-03T16:03:00.001-08:00

To Michael:

Let's be clear.

- Garrison Keillor

I've had this autograph for 13 years now. I've often wondered what he really meant.

Back in my halcyon college days, I got to meet Garrison Keillor. He came to Eastman to narrate a student's composition, and several of us were 'selected' to have lunch with him in the director's dining room followed by a chat. The lunch was typical college food, but the chat was something else entirely. The conversation took several unexpected (and highly amusing) turns before it came down to this:

"What was your clarifying moment?"

I don't recall who asked first, but ultimately we all 'had to' share one. I was stumped. I was the only person in the room who couldn't at least fake my way through a decent answer. So I just looked at him and said, "I don't think I've had one yet." He gave me a very empathetic look - not sympathetic (thank God), just empathetic. He said, "You will one day." And he gave me the autograph in the picture (sorry it's sideways, I haven't figured that out yet - it looks right on my computer but not on my blog).

Last Wednesday I took a large group of sixth graders to their high school for a special chorus get-together with college, high school, middle school, and elementary choruses combined. It was a great experience for all, but especially for me. I saw lots of former students roaming the halls. Some have been in touch over the years. Some almost daily, or weekly (mentoring and coaching pay off in contacts). Some I've gone out of my way to keep in touch with - just thought they needed the extra encouragement. But many, I've totally lost track off, and I often wonder if they remember me.

So, anyway, I also saw S. He's a junior now. I haven't spoken with him for several years. Very bright, athletic, popular, well-adjusted, an all-around great kid. But the thing is, truth be told, he never stood out to me in music class. He always behaved, but I often wondered in the 3 years I taught him whether he was ever really 'on board' with what we were doing - it just seemed, on the outside, like music wasn't really his thing. Then, last Wednesday, he took me aside in the hall on his way to lunch. "I just wanted you to know, you were my favorite teacher I had in elementary school. You're the best." Something to that effect.

And now, it's all perfectly clear.

Getting Started

2008-10-30T18:40:00.001-07:00

Will take me a while. At least I got the thing up and running.