Take My Hand

Finally...

Yes,  I know half of my posts begin with "I know I haven't posted in a while. . ." so I'll do my best to skip that and avoid being redundant.

School is still crazy right now.  The end of 2nd semester Junior year is something I'm glad I'll never have to do again.  Between having recurring nightmares about failing AP Psych (actually, I have a 'B' and will end up with one) and cramming for End of Course Tests that are 15% of our grades and then 10% finals on top of that I'm pretty stressed.  Especially when so many of my teachers seem to be trying to waste our time with busy work/test prep. It feels like we are just going through motions to appease the state of Georgia.

Today though,  there was a bright spot.  During one of my busy work-learn nothing classes,  one of the school administrators came in.  Somehow, someway half of the class ended up having a very involved conversation with him.  The other half of the class slept, but that's their loss.  We talked about everything from the theory of evolution to Bible study classes in public school.  We talked about the fuel crisis and how we might solve it,  about taxes and tax cuts, Reaganomics, speed limits, Hitler, school re-districting, self-actualization/Maslow, whether or not we should give out grades to students, the attendance policy, both Bushs, Clinton, King Cotton economy, Darfur, and the attendance policy.  In short about 8 of us students and he spent a good almost hour and a half in lively discussion.  Not only did we actually learn something and feel engaged,  we spent time with some one that we've never spent time with before.  It really impressed us that some one that "important" just shot the breeze with us for that amount of time and took us seriously.  I guarantee you that all of us who where there today that were involved will remember it for a long time to come. . .

And here's the tie in,  I know you've been waiting with great expectation.  Or not.  But, I'll tell you anyway.  I wonder what it would be like if the church was like that?  I wonder what it would be like if we would take the time to actually sit down -- or stand around -- and talk about things. I wonder what it would be like if we really took time for one another when we really don't think we've got that time to spare.  I think we as a people are a little too stingy with our time;  with think we know what we're supposed to be doing with it.  But what if we in actuality are passing what we're supposed to be doing by?

What sort of positive impact can we have on people if we truly meet them where they are and take time with them? 

I don't know. . .  Kinda makes you grin though, don't it?

...

So,  I know it's been a while since the last post.  I've tried for a few days now to get my computer to let me post audio of a sermon I preached last Pentecost in a blog entry and it gets to the download part and then just freezes.  So,  no sermon.  This week has been crazy,  so allow me to ramble and sort of semi-decompress.  Our Senior class president got arrested and spent the night in jail.  He has to pay a $5,000 fine for stealing an $8 pair of sunglasses on a school field trip to UGA.  He can't walk at graduation.  He can't make his speech.  The air conditioner at school doesn't work.  And, oh yeah,  there is a "Urinator" at my high school.  That's right folks the "Urinator" is on the loose.  Apparently,  someone is going around school peeing all over the place;  he -- yes,  we're assuming it's a he -- has peed down our main stairway, in the cafeteria,  and in the elevator numerous times.  And get this:  The administration's solution is to not allow us out of our rooms during class so that we can't go to the bathroom!!  Gee,  that's brilliant. . .  Prom is also this weekend.  I will not be in attendance for various reasons.  I'm not really too worked up about that though as I've got next year.  I just hope everyone uses just a little bit of self-control.  I'll leave it at that.

By the way,  I've become addicted to The Weepies.  Thank's Kevin. . .

Alleluia, He is Risen!

"Christ is risen from the dead,
Trampling down death by death
And upon those in the tombs bestowing life!"
   — Pascha Troparion from The Divine Liturgy (Chrysostom, Orthodox Church)

Good Friday

         

     "Dripping blood our only drink,
The bloody flesh our only food;
In spite of which we like to think
That we are sound, substantial flesh and blood-
Again, in spite of that, we call this Friday good."               

-T.S. Eliot "Four Quartets"

Great News...

After long months of waiting for word,  I finally found out last night that I've been accepted into YTI (the Youth Theological Initiative) at Emory University!! 

I've felt like a little kid on Christmas Eve ever since. . .

silence, explanation and a poem

Yes, the blog has fallen silent for a few days, and will probably remain so for a few more.  I've been in Dahlonega for the past five weekends on staff for our Conference wide Spiritual Life Retreats (SLR), and tomorrow marks the beginning of my Spring Break.

I posted a reply to the two comments I received from the "60 Votes" post over at Wesley Daily.  I hope it makes sense, however I'm crossing my fingers at this point as I've had three total hours of sleep today and about seven total for this whole weekend and the past five weekends.  I don't do too well on too little sleep.

I'll leave you with this poem though; for a while now I've meant to put something up from my first semester's Creative Writing class.  It's written in the form of a Shakespearean Sonnet.                           

     Cool Cherry Standard

My hot tears drip down my face like ice cream

runs down a brown waffle cone in summer.

Slow, then turning into a steady stream.

Is a plain - vanilla life mine?  Forever?

You've found me out for what I truly am;

I'm just plain - vanilla trying to be

Cool Cherry.  Dyed red from color in a can.

Can I offer you my apology?

They said Cherry was what you desired.

And that's how I looked before the heat came.

The heat came.  It made me into a liar,

stripped me bare.  I'm plain - vanilla now.  The same?

Even though I'll never be Cool Cherry,

Could you?  Would you? Are you,  still in love with me?

Peace,