RantWoman has been meditating on a recent week in Meeting's life including spells of words and silence, messages, new Friends working into worship, and people with specific concerns on their hearts. RantWoman writes in a spirit of Love and Truth and holds many in the Light. RantWoman promises to get to the Velcro. The road will wind a little. Tough.
Adult Education featured a pastor from the Interfaith Task Force on Homelessness. He had much to say. One story: he and a much younger advocate recently spent 8 hours walking alongside a guy who had been living in his car. The car got towed and impounded. The owner came up with money to get the car back from the towing company but it was obvious to everyone except him that the car did not run and continuing to try to live in it was untenable. It took 8 hours of him trying different things and falling short of goal after goal. Finally the guy realized that he needed a different plan. RantWoman does not even remember all the details such as what happened to the car or the guy's housing issues. RantWoman was simply transfixed by the 8 hours it took of walking with.
Off RantWoman and everyone else went to Meeting for Worship. RantWoman remembers hardly any trouble settling in. RantWoman remembers a long spell of blessed silence. Considering the disruptions to come for others, RantWoman has to consider the possibility that part of this blessed worship included a nap.
RantWoman completely missed matters of which she learned complaints later in the afternoon after those wading through John Woolman's journal chewed our way through a good deal of Woolman's essay on the keeping of Negroes.
In worship, after the long spell of silence or what RantWoman remembers as silence, there followed three nicely space messages:
--One was about something to do with suffering for one's faith and the possibly contradictory Biblical thought that when one is in line with God, one's yoke is easy and one's burden is light.
--One was a Friend reading Dietrich Bonhoffer in German with a message about "blessed are those who mourn," except that the German was Martin Luther's translation from the Greek, where the Greek usually translated as "mourn in English came out as "carry sorrow."
Language brain noodled about briefly around how different "the Lamb's War" sounds in English, Russian, and Spanish but none of those noodles seemed ripe for the rest of the room carrying sorrow.
--A third message RantWoman remembers poorly except that it came from II Corinthians and was a non-annoying message offered by a Friend whose messages sometimes annoy RantWoman.
RantWoman's mind wandered toward her standard "grab the blind person and bless them" / "I don't know what to do with all these blessings" meme but worship closed before anything came close to wandering out of RantWoman's mouth. Probably just as well.
The monthly meeting of the group meandering through John Woolman's journal turned out to be blessed sharing. RantWoman came without having done the reading and means to pen a separate item about texts and formats and why SOMETIMES it can be a gift just to work with what others digest of certain questions. RantWoman admits to considerable inconsistency about this point and an fact finds some people's print digestion efforts decidedly uncongenial, vexation, and annoying. Would anyone expect anything less than rabid flaming inconsistency of RantWoman?
Apparently RantWoman's call to listen extended beyond Woolman. After the reading group broke up, New Attender / Deeply Grieving Friend spoke to RantWoman and Weighty Friend of her grief and of multiple disruptions to her worship experience before she left worship and went to the library, apparently before the verbal messages.
The complaints RantWoman and Weighty Friend heard:
--One easily identifiable Friend, urk, a member of Worship and Ministry bounced into worship in his usual energetic way, LATE.
--Deeply Grieving Friend spoke again of her grieving situation and how she felt all the noise was just TOO MUCH disruption and going to sit in the library.
The things RantWoman heard from more listening:
--Another easily identifiable Friend disturbed the universe opening her velcro. This Friend admitted to feeling fidgety and RantWoman thinks was probably sitting near Deeply Grieving Friend. RantWoman just knows where these two Friends usually sit and has sometimes had the experience of feeling something close that others in a large room miss. Okay so that sounds a little woo-woo, somewhere between movements of Holy Spirit and emotional lie detector. Use what language you like. Sometimes it happens.
--Grieving Friend was so put out by the ripping Velcro that she fled and spent ther rest of worship in the Library. She later told RantWoman that she was just too overcome with her own grief. She had been reading Howard Brinton on worship and was worried about being too much for worship. RantWoman thought of all the others in Meeting grieving, of all the times that different people report being called to give a message and hearing from more than one person that the message was clearly for them. RantWoman has assured Deeply Grieving Friend that she should trust her Light because sometimes her message WILL also be for others in the room.
--RantWoman picked up one of those "it makes RantWoman fret when someone tells me..." points that RantWoman could not ignore and had to recognize the reality that probably she specifically was the one called to minister about.
--RantWoman also heard enough "Help" and felt enough "help!" on her own behalf that RantWoman AGAIN inflamed Friends' inboxes with email. The email bore all kinds of fruit for which RantWoman is VERY grateful.
So maybe the Velcro WAS the message.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Because God asked you to / All ministers
RantWoman has been saying prayers of humility and regret for two figures from her Meeting who died at some remove from Meeting life. When RantWoman speaks of humility, she means humility about her own capacity as much as anyone else's. But since RantWoman's sadness does not go away, let us at least offer prayers in memorial.
Warning: if you are "not interested in (RantWoman's) thought process, please consider some prayers about that issue and read all the way through anyway!
One of the women died over the summer. She suffered for a number of years from Alzheimer's. She lived for several years after the death of her second husband at one retirement community. When her funds were depleted she was moved into an adult family home in a different part of Seattle, at least two buses away from RantWoman. For a time she continued to come to Meeting on paratransit even though it was clear that she was not able to interact very much. In time that also stopped. RantWoman thinks she had little family other than Meeting.
The hard piece: this Friend died in July and Friends in Meeting did not even learn of her death until October. RantWoman is feeling a pang. It would have been HARD for RantWoman to go visit but it would have been possible. It also would have been possible to nag someone who lives closer or to do the phone work of scheduling paratransit so that perhaps we would have learned sooner if Friend with Alzheimers was no longer able even to take paratransit. Alzheimer's is SO hard. The visits would have been difficult. One can only guess whether familiar voices would have made a difference. It's not even that there is that much of formerly vigorous health for anyone even as seasoned as RantWoman to remember so more prayers on that account.
RantWoman is thinking of another Friend, someone RantWoman shared different blindness-related experiences with. This Friend also lived independently for several years. When she could no longer live independently, her son moved her to a retirement facility near where he lived in ID. Blind Friend did NOT like Idaho. She missed the moisture of the Puget Sound and all her social ties in Seattle.
Finally her son decided that he would move hist mother to Alaska with an intent also to move there. The move to Alaska happened; the son wound up not moving until several months after her death. Some other Friends from our Meeting had previously moved to the same town in Alaska. When those who knew Blind Friend learned of the move to AK, others supporting Blind Friend contacted the other Friends and asked them please to at least Look in on Blind Friend. They wrote back a couple times of ministering as they were able. One time toward the end of Blind Friend's life, the other Friends wrote to say they were unsure why they had been called to minister to Blind Friend.
RantWoman's response today would be sort of categorial:
1. You have only been worshipping together for a few decades. Why WOULDN't you look in if Blind Friend is close?
2. Because God asked it of you and did not ask whether you felt able to do this cheerfully.
By comparison with these situations, MAYBE RantWoman's thoughts of tending to others' grief closer by are supposed to look easy. RantWoman recently did a mental count. Besides the community in some way or other mourning Friend with Alzheimers, RantWoman counts 7 households in our Meeting where someone has lost a parent, spouse, or other close family member.
Urk! RantWoman forgot to count herself. A pillar of one's neighborhood is not the same as a spouse or parent, but today RantWoman walked past the pillar of her community's office and was just grabbed by grief!
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2012/12/still-remembering-donna.html
RantWoman, ever gifted and overachieving about conflict realized the grief count partly because also of thinking about people she is irritated with and needs to speak with. Sigh.
Then RantWoman did the again with the email thing. RantWoman is sorry. Too many phone calls are beyond her Light but RantWoman wanted to share sympathies. RantWoman also wanted to test whether anyone has found a resource they want to share and to commend the time after RantDad when Meeting had a facilitator come to Meeting to do one of her regular grief group series for several Friends at Meeting. RantWoman discovered:
--One Friend who thanked RantWoman for thinking of her and says she is fine for now.
--Various perspectives on the "do a grief group with people one knows/ do a grief group with people one is never going to have to see again" exercise.
--One grief group facilitator in Meeting who offered to convene a group if it is still needed in a year when she gets back from a planned year living abroad.
--Enough thought from Oversight that RantWoman THINKS she is going to be fine about "Make it So" and see what emerges from others' discernment. And RantWoman thinks we are all ministers of God and probably lots of us know one or more of the grieving Friends, so probably prayers and Light matter all around.
RantWoman is just saying...
Warning: if you are "not interested in (RantWoman's) thought process, please consider some prayers about that issue and read all the way through anyway!
One of the women died over the summer. She suffered for a number of years from Alzheimer's. She lived for several years after the death of her second husband at one retirement community. When her funds were depleted she was moved into an adult family home in a different part of Seattle, at least two buses away from RantWoman. For a time she continued to come to Meeting on paratransit even though it was clear that she was not able to interact very much. In time that also stopped. RantWoman thinks she had little family other than Meeting.
The hard piece: this Friend died in July and Friends in Meeting did not even learn of her death until October. RantWoman is feeling a pang. It would have been HARD for RantWoman to go visit but it would have been possible. It also would have been possible to nag someone who lives closer or to do the phone work of scheduling paratransit so that perhaps we would have learned sooner if Friend with Alzheimers was no longer able even to take paratransit. Alzheimer's is SO hard. The visits would have been difficult. One can only guess whether familiar voices would have made a difference. It's not even that there is that much of formerly vigorous health for anyone even as seasoned as RantWoman to remember so more prayers on that account.
RantWoman is thinking of another Friend, someone RantWoman shared different blindness-related experiences with. This Friend also lived independently for several years. When she could no longer live independently, her son moved her to a retirement facility near where he lived in ID. Blind Friend did NOT like Idaho. She missed the moisture of the Puget Sound and all her social ties in Seattle.
Finally her son decided that he would move hist mother to Alaska with an intent also to move there. The move to Alaska happened; the son wound up not moving until several months after her death. Some other Friends from our Meeting had previously moved to the same town in Alaska. When those who knew Blind Friend learned of the move to AK, others supporting Blind Friend contacted the other Friends and asked them please to at least Look in on Blind Friend. They wrote back a couple times of ministering as they were able. One time toward the end of Blind Friend's life, the other Friends wrote to say they were unsure why they had been called to minister to Blind Friend.
RantWoman's response today would be sort of categorial:
1. You have only been worshipping together for a few decades. Why WOULDN't you look in if Blind Friend is close?
2. Because God asked it of you and did not ask whether you felt able to do this cheerfully.
By comparison with these situations, MAYBE RantWoman's thoughts of tending to others' grief closer by are supposed to look easy. RantWoman recently did a mental count. Besides the community in some way or other mourning Friend with Alzheimers, RantWoman counts 7 households in our Meeting where someone has lost a parent, spouse, or other close family member.
Urk! RantWoman forgot to count herself. A pillar of one's neighborhood is not the same as a spouse or parent, but today RantWoman walked past the pillar of her community's office and was just grabbed by grief!
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2012/12/still-remembering-donna.html
RantWoman, ever gifted and overachieving about conflict realized the grief count partly because also of thinking about people she is irritated with and needs to speak with. Sigh.
Then RantWoman did the again with the email thing. RantWoman is sorry. Too many phone calls are beyond her Light but RantWoman wanted to share sympathies. RantWoman also wanted to test whether anyone has found a resource they want to share and to commend the time after RantDad when Meeting had a facilitator come to Meeting to do one of her regular grief group series for several Friends at Meeting. RantWoman discovered:
--One Friend who thanked RantWoman for thinking of her and says she is fine for now.
--Various perspectives on the "do a grief group with people one knows/ do a grief group with people one is never going to have to see again" exercise.
--One grief group facilitator in Meeting who offered to convene a group if it is still needed in a year when she gets back from a planned year living abroad.
--Enough thought from Oversight that RantWoman THINKS she is going to be fine about "Make it So" and see what emerges from others' discernment. And RantWoman thinks we are all ministers of God and probably lots of us know one or more of the grieving Friends, so probably prayers and Light matter all around.
RantWoman is just saying...
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Forgiving...or NOT Yet
RantWoman is having another spell of not knowing what to do with the blessings bestowed by those around her.
Recently, defined as time to season for a few weeks, the theme of Adult Education was "Forgiveness." Adult Education hour in RantWoman's Meeting sometimes offers the great gift of Friends speaking of things on their hearts without weight or opprobrium or agenda. RantWoman deeply appreciates that general ambiance.
RantWoman is not so sure about certain moments punctuating the ambiance. For instance, RantWoman has been reflecting on http://quakersusanne.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/the-hard-topic-of-forgiveness/
The flow of forgiveness moments that particular weekend in Adult Ed was such that RantWoman just blurted out "I would not mind not needing all 70 x 7 times of forgiving sometimes just for my own family."
Pedantic Friend: "Oh, in old Jewish tradition, 70x7 is just any arbitrary large number" RantWoman: "Look, I really do not care whether it's a precise number or an arbitrary one. The point is I am spending every forgiveness hit I have forgiving those close to me"
RantWoman heard some reference to infinity which may or may not be derivable from the "any arbitrary number." Miraculously RantWoman managed NOT to walk into a pedantry pissing contest, something like "well, if you had ever taken a Number Theory class you would know that there are several levels of infinity and if RantWoman says she is spending every bit of forgiveness she has, you don't even want to know what all that means. " NO RantWoman, if you want to talk about Number Theory, Adult Ed PROBABLY is not the most fertile ground...."
Back to forgiving
... and forgiving
and forgiving
and forgiving AGAIN!
. . . or . . . NOT yet?
Wait! Pedantic Friend is on RantWoman's list of people with whom RantWoman still needs to name problems before forgiveness is even going to make sense. Urk!
A nice blog post that says some of what is one RantWoman's mind only more nicely than RantWoman can:
http://peteraltschul.authorsxpress.com/2012/12/07/channeling/
Recently, defined as time to season for a few weeks, the theme of Adult Education was "Forgiveness." Adult Education hour in RantWoman's Meeting sometimes offers the great gift of Friends speaking of things on their hearts without weight or opprobrium or agenda. RantWoman deeply appreciates that general ambiance.
RantWoman is not so sure about certain moments punctuating the ambiance. For instance, RantWoman has been reflecting on http://quakersusanne.wordpress.com/2011/09/25/the-hard-topic-of-forgiveness/
The flow of forgiveness moments that particular weekend in Adult Ed was such that RantWoman just blurted out "I would not mind not needing all 70 x 7 times of forgiving sometimes just for my own family."
Pedantic Friend: "Oh, in old Jewish tradition, 70x7 is just any arbitrary large number" RantWoman: "Look, I really do not care whether it's a precise number or an arbitrary one. The point is I am spending every forgiveness hit I have forgiving those close to me"
RantWoman heard some reference to infinity which may or may not be derivable from the "any arbitrary number." Miraculously RantWoman managed NOT to walk into a pedantry pissing contest, something like "well, if you had ever taken a Number Theory class you would know that there are several levels of infinity and if RantWoman says she is spending every bit of forgiveness she has, you don't even want to know what all that means. " NO RantWoman, if you want to talk about Number Theory, Adult Ed PROBABLY is not the most fertile ground...."
Back to forgiving
... and forgiving
and forgiving
and forgiving AGAIN!
. . . or . . . NOT yet?
Wait! Pedantic Friend is on RantWoman's list of people with whom RantWoman still needs to name problems before forgiveness is even going to make sense. Urk!
A nice blog post that says some of what is one RantWoman's mind only more nicely than RantWoman can:
http://peteraltschul.authorsxpress.com/2012/12/07/channeling/
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Rapture? Raptors! Playoffs, Secondhand.
RantWoman is deeply amused. Recently, defined as a couple Sundays ago, there was a Game, a Playoff Game featuring the Seattle Seahawks and the Atlanta Falcons. The Game occurred in Seattle, within busborne spitting distance of RantWoman--if RantWoman were not otherwise engaged. RantWoman is nearly ALWAYS otherwise engaged when it comes to Football. RantWoman does not even care if it's a playoff game
The Game began at 10:00 am on a Sunday morning. Those who regularly consume religion in the form of religious services realize that this timing poses a peculiar dilemma: Raptors or Rapture? Except in RantWoman's world, that week it was Raptors or Business Meeting. Attendance at Business Meeting was down a little. Apparently the Raptors were a big draw.
RantWoman is a nerd. RantWoman did not even interact with the Raptors until Monday morning and then secondhand with a thoroughly amusing live sportscaster. The outcome of the game probably chattered past RantWoman on the radio but it did not register with RantWoman, until.... until the next day aboard a bus. One of RantWoman's fellow travellers was just FULL of news, overflowing with distress to boot. It seems that until late in the last quarter, it looked as if it was going to be a Seattle rout and then suddenly the Falcons roared back.
Here another passenger spoke up. He said he missed the game. He was in church. The bus driver seemed to know the passengers and she joined the recap. The fan who had been in church spoke of all the people in church watching the game on their electronic devices. RantWoman, gadfly at large about matters of worship and ministry gasped. Talk about "lead me not into temptation." Glory be to God: thank heaven RantWoman does not own a Smartphone.
RantWoman ALSO celebrates a peculiar economy in her accidental consumption of sports history: RantWoman appreciated the boiled down 5-minute highly digested secondhand version of the game aboard the bus far more than she probably would have cared if offered the opportunity to watch the whole game. Hallelujah! Amen!
Sorry Seahawks. Try again next year.
The Game began at 10:00 am on a Sunday morning. Those who regularly consume religion in the form of religious services realize that this timing poses a peculiar dilemma: Raptors or Rapture? Except in RantWoman's world, that week it was Raptors or Business Meeting. Attendance at Business Meeting was down a little. Apparently the Raptors were a big draw.
RantWoman is a nerd. RantWoman did not even interact with the Raptors until Monday morning and then secondhand with a thoroughly amusing live sportscaster. The outcome of the game probably chattered past RantWoman on the radio but it did not register with RantWoman, until.... until the next day aboard a bus. One of RantWoman's fellow travellers was just FULL of news, overflowing with distress to boot. It seems that until late in the last quarter, it looked as if it was going to be a Seattle rout and then suddenly the Falcons roared back.
Here another passenger spoke up. He said he missed the game. He was in church. The bus driver seemed to know the passengers and she joined the recap. The fan who had been in church spoke of all the people in church watching the game on their electronic devices. RantWoman, gadfly at large about matters of worship and ministry gasped. Talk about "lead me not into temptation." Glory be to God: thank heaven RantWoman does not own a Smartphone.
RantWoman ALSO celebrates a peculiar economy in her accidental consumption of sports history: RantWoman appreciated the boiled down 5-minute highly digested secondhand version of the game aboard the bus far more than she probably would have cared if offered the opportunity to watch the whole game. Hallelujah! Amen!
Sorry Seahawks. Try again next year.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
El Comite's Comprehensive Immigration Reform petition
RantWoman recommends:
After President Obama's inauguration, the debate over Immigration Reform will heat up, and the federal government is expected to come up with a deal in the first half of 2013. While Obama appears to have a public mandate for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, there are many concerns that this reform will: only provide a pathway to legalization for a narrow segment of people further separate and divide families strengthen systems for enforcement, identification, and tracking of migrating people strengthen employers' ability to exploit immigrant workers.
El Comite Pro-Reforma Migratoria y Justicia Social, a Latino immigrant worker-led membership organization based in Seattle and Auburn, WA, has created this petition to President Obama. The petition expresses the priorities and demands of their Latino worker base in 2013's round of Immigration Reform. The framework and demands for this petition were collected and distilled from a general assembly held in December, attended by workers, immigrants, and economic refugees in the Puget Sound region. The petition will be presented in Washington D.C. in the spring. Please sign this petition if you support the self-determination and voices of Latino immigrant/economic refugee communities in the debate over immigration reform.
https://www.change.org/petitions/tell-congress-to-use-immigrant-s-framework-for-immigration-reform-our-leaders-should-use-the-above-framework-for-any-immigration-policy
After President Obama's inauguration, the debate over Immigration Reform will heat up, and the federal government is expected to come up with a deal in the first half of 2013. While Obama appears to have a public mandate for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, there are many concerns that this reform will: only provide a pathway to legalization for a narrow segment of people further separate and divide families strengthen systems for enforcement, identification, and tracking of migrating people strengthen employers' ability to exploit immigrant workers.
El Comite Pro-Reforma Migratoria y Justicia Social, a Latino immigrant worker-led membership organization based in Seattle and Auburn, WA, has created this petition to President Obama. The petition expresses the priorities and demands of their Latino worker base in 2013's round of Immigration Reform. The framework and demands for this petition were collected and distilled from a general assembly held in December, attended by workers, immigrants, and economic refugees in the Puget Sound region. The petition will be presented in Washington D.C. in the spring. Please sign this petition if you support the self-determination and voices of Latino immigrant/economic refugee communities in the debate over immigration reform.
https://www.change.org/petitions/tell-congress-to-use-immigrant-s-framework-for-immigration-reform-our-leaders-should-use-the-above-framework-for-any-immigration-policy
Monday, January 21, 2013
Quaker Lobby Day
Quaker Lobby Day (Fifth Annual!)
Monday, February 18, 2013 (Presidents’ Day), 9:00-3:00
Olympia Friends Meeting House
Friends have been a leading voice for justice for several centuries. Our voice is critically important to many marginalized citizens of our state - including tens of thousands of state residents who suffer economic hardship - and the thousands of men and women behind bars who cannot speak effectively for themselves.
Friends Committee on Washington Public Policy invites you to participate in our fifth annual Quaker Lobby Day on Monday, Presidents’ Day 2013, February 18th.
The day will begin at 9 am at the Olympia Friends Meetinghouse, 3201 Boston Harbor Road, Olympia WA 98506 where we will discuss our key legislative priorities (taken from the areas of criminal justice, economic justice, and local responses to global challenges) before we go to the Capitol Building by noon to talk with our individual legislators about these issues.
If you've never lobbied before, you are not alone! Perhaps you're hesitant about lobbying because you're unfamiliar with the issues. If so, Quaker Lobby Day is the place to learn. And registrants from the same legislative district will have the opportunity to visit legislators as a delegation with appointments made with the legislators for that district.
Please join us! To register, send your:
Name
Email Legislative District (if known)
Postal address
with Lobby Day in the subject line to the Registrar, Rick Ells, at ells.rick@gmail.com (or 206-782-5509, 9209 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103). We'll send a confirmation … and later a schedule, updates on the issues, and directions to the Olympia Friends Meetinghouse – and set up appointments with your local legislators.
For more information about FCWPP activities, see our website at www.fcwpp.org.
Working together, we can do amazing things!
Friday, January 18, 2013
Interfaith Leaders Deplore Gun Appreciation Day
RantWoman gratefully receives the following items;
http://fanwa.org/interfaith-leaders-deplore-gun-appreciation-day/
http://forusa.org/blogs/john-lindsay-poland/hearing-other-voices-guns-gun-violence/11737
RantWoman, language nerd also needs this one forthe filing cabinet:
http://chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2013/01/18/match-grade-jargon/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
http://fanwa.org/interfaith-leaders-deplore-gun-appreciation-day/
http://forusa.org/blogs/john-lindsay-poland/hearing-other-voices-guns-gun-violence/11737
RantWoman, language nerd also needs this one forthe filing cabinet:
http://chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2013/01/18/match-grade-jargon/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
Fear and not talking wolves
RantWoman had a conversation with another Friend one time about how the most frequently appearing phrase in the Bible basically boils down to "fear not." Sometimes RantWoman finds oversimplification soothing; sometimes RantWoman is annoyed.
As a different way of coming atthe question of fear, RantWoman presents a recent TED talk by Karen Thompson Walker on fear:
http://www.ted.com/talks/karen_thompson_walker_what_fear_can_teach_us.html
RantWoman invites readers to put "wolves" into the search bar of this blog for an item about fear and talking wolves. RantWoman is quite frank about the thoughtt that she likes the TED talk becauseit aligns with what Light has already come to her but perhaps others will also find this talk nourishing.
As a different way of coming atthe question of fear, RantWoman presents a recent TED talk by Karen Thompson Walker on fear:
http://www.ted.com/talks/karen_thompson_walker_what_fear_can_teach_us.html
RantWoman invites readers to put "wolves" into the search bar of this blog for an item about fear and talking wolves. RantWoman is quite frank about the thoughtt that she likes the TED talk becauseit aligns with what Light has already come to her but perhaps others will also find this talk nourishing.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Marriage as God Ordained for our Good and Your Glory
RantWoman notes morning tidings of yesterday's opening of the WA State Senate. The WA State Senate needs the prayers of all Washingtonians. RantWoman finds perhaps unintended resonance between previous statements of North Pacific Yearly Meeting about marriage and the opening blessing offered by Jon Sanne, pastor of the Calvary Chapel in Olympia
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020134150_legiprayer15m.html
Pastor Sanne spoke of "marriage as You ordained for our Good and your Glory."
RantWoman does not want to speculate as to Pastor Sanne's understandings of marriage. RantWoman personally is very glad that WA law has caught up to North Pacific Yearly Meeting Friends' understandings of what God has ordained.
RantWoman calls Friends attention to the following previous statements of Friends about Marriage Equality
1997 Letter from North Pacific Yearly Meeting to the Governor of WA:
Our faith community has spent many years in prayer and dialogue regarding issues of marriage and family. One result of our faithful work has been that we approve wholly of the married union of same gendered couples. This position was taken as a result of listening for Divine guidance and seeking the Truth as best we could. Thus we do believe that God desires and accepts fully those couples, heterosexual or homosexual, who make loving commitments towards each other. We take this stand for marriage as a spiritual and personal commitment within a faith community.
As a result of this stand, it is our practice to approve and perform marriage and ceremonies of commitment (equally) for same-gendered and opposite-gendered couples. ...
Marriage and Commitment
from North Pacific Yearly Meeting1993 Faith and Practice http://www.npym.org/fnp/index.html
THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY of an individual can be enhanced and strengthened in a loving, committed relationship. ... Friends have long recognized that some couples are called into a covenant relationship, a ministry of caring, which with Divine assistance may open the door to deep and unreserved love, to forgiveness, to sharing strengths, to trust and to the nurture of each other’s growth.
Early Friends recognized that the joining of two people in such a covenant relationship “is the work of the Lord only, and not the priests’ or magistrates; for it is God’s ordinance and not man’s; and therefore Friends cannot consent that they should join them together: for we marry none; it is the Lord’s work, and we are but witnesses.” (George Fox, 1669)
from
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2012/05/marriage-equality-testimony.html
RantWoman acknowledges that the above blog post is full of Quakerese which may or may not be of interest to people of other faiths.
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020134150_legiprayer15m.html
Pastor Sanne spoke of "marriage as You ordained for our Good and your Glory."
RantWoman does not want to speculate as to Pastor Sanne's understandings of marriage. RantWoman personally is very glad that WA law has caught up to North Pacific Yearly Meeting Friends' understandings of what God has ordained.
RantWoman calls Friends attention to the following previous statements of Friends about Marriage Equality
1997 Letter from North Pacific Yearly Meeting to the Governor of WA:
Our faith community has spent many years in prayer and dialogue regarding issues of marriage and family. One result of our faithful work has been that we approve wholly of the married union of same gendered couples. This position was taken as a result of listening for Divine guidance and seeking the Truth as best we could. Thus we do believe that God desires and accepts fully those couples, heterosexual or homosexual, who make loving commitments towards each other. We take this stand for marriage as a spiritual and personal commitment within a faith community.
As a result of this stand, it is our practice to approve and perform marriage and ceremonies of commitment (equally) for same-gendered and opposite-gendered couples. ...
Marriage and Commitment
from North Pacific Yearly Meeting1993 Faith and Practice http://www.npym.org/fnp/index.html
THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY of an individual can be enhanced and strengthened in a loving, committed relationship. ... Friends have long recognized that some couples are called into a covenant relationship, a ministry of caring, which with Divine assistance may open the door to deep and unreserved love, to forgiveness, to sharing strengths, to trust and to the nurture of each other’s growth.
Early Friends recognized that the joining of two people in such a covenant relationship “is the work of the Lord only, and not the priests’ or magistrates; for it is God’s ordinance and not man’s; and therefore Friends cannot consent that they should join them together: for we marry none; it is the Lord’s work, and we are but witnesses.” (George Fox, 1669)
from
http://rantwomanrsof.blogspot.com/2012/05/marriage-equality-testimony.html
RantWoman acknowledges that the above blog post is full of Quakerese which may or may not be of interest to people of other faiths.
Monday, January 14, 2013
White Privilege Conference April 10-13, 2013
Mark Calendars. Save the Dates
The 14th Annual White Privilege Conference will be held in Seattle April 10-13, 2013, at the Double-tree Inn near the airport. Thisyear's conference theme is "The Color of Money: Reclaiming Our Humanity."
Friends General Conference Ministry on Racism encourages Friends to participate by offering a discount to those who register through the FGC website. www.fgcquaker.org
In addition, FGC is sponsoring a hospitality room where opportunities for gathering, discussion and worship will be offered. Registration will open soon after the first of the year.
If you are interested in helpingwith local arrangements, including spreading the word among nearby Meetings, welcoming Friends in the hospitality room, or providing lodging and transportation, contact Merlin Rain-water (merlinrain@gmail.com or 206-769-6549) or Gillian Burlingham (gillianxb@gmail.com or 206-325-0152).
Testimonials from Friends who have previously attended
http://www.fgcquaker.org/resources/how-attending-wpc-affected-quaker-living-kansas
http://www.fgcquaker.org/resources/quakers-reflection-white-privilege-conference
The 14th Annual White Privilege Conference will be held in Seattle April 10-13, 2013, at the Double-tree Inn near the airport. Thisyear's conference theme is "The Color of Money: Reclaiming Our Humanity."
Friends General Conference Ministry on Racism encourages Friends to participate by offering a discount to those who register through the FGC website. www.fgcquaker.org
In addition, FGC is sponsoring a hospitality room where opportunities for gathering, discussion and worship will be offered. Registration will open soon after the first of the year.
If you are interested in helpingwith local arrangements, including spreading the word among nearby Meetings, welcoming Friends in the hospitality room, or providing lodging and transportation, contact Merlin Rain-water (merlinrain@gmail.com or 206-769-6549) or Gillian Burlingham (gillianxb@gmail.com or 206-325-0152).
Testimonials from Friends who have previously attended
http://www.fgcquaker.org/resources/how-attending-wpc-affected-quaker-living-kansas
http://www.fgcquaker.org/resources/quakers-reflection-white-privilege-conference
Friday, January 11, 2013
Losing it with Jon Stewart
RantWoman is trying to summon thoughtful, well-grounded words for that borderland where powerful movements of Spirit meet the realm of Public Policy.
Instead, RantWoman finds herself sitting with ... Jon Stewart!
Bleeping. Offensive Content. Consider yourselves warned.
LA Times article: Jon Stewart vs Gun rights zealots
The clip, for those who do not want to read the article.
RantWoman will now leave the matter of gun violence in tehheands of better centered peopleth an she and will resume her work on other topics.
Instead, RantWoman finds herself sitting with ... Jon Stewart!
Bleeping. Offensive Content. Consider yourselves warned.
LA Times article: Jon Stewart vs Gun rights zealots
The clip, for those who do not want to read the article.
RantWoman will now leave the matter of gun violence in tehheands of better centered peopleth an she and will resume her work on other topics.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
March and Rally Against Gun Violence 1.13.13
RantWoman lost patience about putting in some visuals and decided to spend time labelling some urls instead. The event website does nicely in the visual area and the event has a Twitter feed and a Facebook page!
Please join The Church Council of Greater Seattle and Washington CeaseFire, as well as other civic, religious and education leaders, for a *march and rally on Sunday, January 13, 2013*.
On the eve of the next legislative session, let us join together to call for laws that will lessen the possibility of tragedies like the one that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Not only does this event spur us to action, but also the effect that gun violence, leading to countless individual murders, suicides, and accidental deaths, has on the fabric of our communities each day. The rally, called *StandUp Washington*, will include speakers, music and remembrance for those lost, as well as a strong message that gun violence can, and must, be responsibly curtailed.
The event will begin at *1:30 p.m.* on *Sunday, January 13*, 2013 at *Westlake Park*. We will march to the *Seattle Center Mural Ampitheater,* where the rally will be held.
For more information, including a flier to download and share, please visit the event website at www.standupwa.org
Sponsors include
Faith Action Network of WA
Western WA Fellowhip of Reconciliation
Washington Ceasefire
Cafe Paloma
The Austin Foundation
The Church Council of Greater Seattle
Interfaith Task Force on Homelessness
Plymouth Congregational Church
First United Methodist Church
University Temple United Methodist Church
Rainier Beach United Methodist Church
Please join The Church Council of Greater Seattle and Washington CeaseFire, as well as other civic, religious and education leaders, for a *march and rally on Sunday, January 13, 2013*.
On the eve of the next legislative session, let us join together to call for laws that will lessen the possibility of tragedies like the one that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Not only does this event spur us to action, but also the effect that gun violence, leading to countless individual murders, suicides, and accidental deaths, has on the fabric of our communities each day. The rally, called *StandUp Washington*, will include speakers, music and remembrance for those lost, as well as a strong message that gun violence can, and must, be responsibly curtailed.
The event will begin at *1:30 p.m.* on *Sunday, January 13*, 2013 at *Westlake Park*. We will march to the *Seattle Center Mural Ampitheater,* where the rally will be held.
For more information, including a flier to download and share, please visit the event website at www.standupwa.org
Sponsors include
Faith Action Network of WA
Western WA Fellowhip of Reconciliation
Washington Ceasefire
Cafe Paloma
The Austin Foundation
The Church Council of Greater Seattle
Interfaith Task Force on Homelessness
Plymouth Congregational Church
First United Methodist Church
University Temple United Methodist Church
Rainier Beach United Methodist Church
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Break from other Song and Dance
RantWoman is taking a break from other song and dance with....the Blind Boys of Alabana
Blind Boys of Alabama, I shall not walk alone
http://youtu.be/33z2N58HWXQ
Blind Boys of Alabama, People get ready
http://youtu.be/WbsJds6Tw08
Blind Boys of Alabama, I shall not walk alone
http://youtu.be/33z2N58HWXQ
Blind Boys of Alabama, People get ready
http://youtu.be/WbsJds6Tw08
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Epiphany
RantWoman is having one of her spells of getting herself lost in music and not worry one whit about the theology. Plus RantWoman is nostalgic for the arrangements RantDad used to do to showcase all of his music studio on woodwinds AND his children on string AND sometimes perussion or harpsichord. Use you imagination. This was practically before there wasdirt and certainly before there was YouTube.
A simple guitar setting of We Three Kings of Orient are, with lyrics over fairly simple visuals..
http://youtu.be/k8mjRxkMBkE
RantWoman is suddently tired of English
Los Reyes vienen del Oriente (villancico) Different text , different tune.
http://youtu.be/LAGeraQ_RIc
Los Reyes en Galilea
http://youtu.be/jiDwIKHoQO0
A simple guitar setting of We Three Kings of Orient are, with lyrics over fairly simple visuals..
http://youtu.be/k8mjRxkMBkE
RantWoman is suddently tired of English
Los Reyes vienen del Oriente (villancico) Different text , different tune.
http://youtu.be/LAGeraQ_RIc
Los Reyes en Galilea
http://youtu.be/jiDwIKHoQO0
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Course. Undigested
Perhaps RantWoman's holiday festival of song and dance is about to run its course. RantWoman went looking for something she remembers from Jr high Spanish class. RantWoman did not look very hard. Rantwoman also found some poetry she lacked the patience to digest late in the evening after a spell of being Recording Clerk for something.
See what you can make of this. RantWoman will think more about the poetry but not now.
Pandero en Guanajuato
http://youtu.be/dstbG1RnpYY
Drum show: Ramirez w drums. disco. techno
http://youtu.be/5YuRCifjdCE
La Gallina (the Hen) musica.jarocha.com
http://youtu.be/XLO051Yd4j4
See what you can make of this. RantWoman will think more about the poetry but not now.
Pandero en Guanajuato
http://youtu.be/dstbG1RnpYY
Drum show: Ramirez w drums. disco. techno
http://youtu.be/5YuRCifjdCE
La Gallina (the Hen) musica.jarocha.com
http://youtu.be/XLO051Yd4j4
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Kids, Growing, Music with Gustav and Gustavo
PS
Neurodiversity digression in the spirit of more of RantWoman's holiday festival of music and dance. Thank you morning radio.
The Seattle Youth Symphony promo video from their development office, performance with cellist Joshua Roman
http://youtu.be/4ExSJ--vzRI
Seattle Symphony, The Theme from Star Wars, with live program notes pointing out a certain thematic blurring with Star Trek.
http://youtu.be/M3WufSI7K74
Seattle Youth Symphony Junior Orchestra, Overture to West Side Story
http://youtu.be/5GMCbKLKaMA
Seattle Youth Symphony, 1976-1977 season, Mahler 5th symphony, Movement 1
http://youtu.be/ephyw8xyuY0
Gustavo Dudamel conducts Mahler, Symphony No. 2, Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of venezuela
http://youtu.be/hZzFruQCofM
Leonard Bernstein conducts Mahler's Symphony No. 2, Resurrection
http://youtu.be/Bdc5n562zZg
In other words, for RantWoman purposes, sooner or later one gets back to God no matter how one starts.
Neurodiversity digression in the spirit of more of RantWoman's holiday festival of music and dance. Thank you morning radio.
The Seattle Youth Symphony promo video from their development office, performance with cellist Joshua Roman
http://youtu.be/4ExSJ--vzRI
Seattle Symphony, The Theme from Star Wars, with live program notes pointing out a certain thematic blurring with Star Trek.
http://youtu.be/M3WufSI7K74
Seattle Youth Symphony Junior Orchestra, Overture to West Side Story
http://youtu.be/5GMCbKLKaMA
Seattle Youth Symphony, 1976-1977 season, Mahler 5th symphony, Movement 1
http://youtu.be/ephyw8xyuY0
Gustavo Dudamel conducts Mahler, Symphony No. 2, Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of venezuela
http://youtu.be/hZzFruQCofM
Leonard Bernstein conducts Mahler's Symphony No. 2, Resurrection
http://youtu.be/Bdc5n562zZg
In other words, for RantWoman purposes, sooner or later one gets back to God no matter how one starts.
Where are (y)our children?
Query: how are the worship practices and communities of distant Friends alive in our thoughts and in our Meeting?
RantWoman found herself brought up short recently. RantWoman thinks she and others who planned a Salt and Light event two years ago got eldered. RantWoman has not heard any indication that others besides RantWoman noticed, and RantWoman did not even notice until quite recently.
The exact eldering was a question near the end of a weekend with Aminda and Maudiel Arevalo. Maudiel asked "Where are your children?" He spoke about events among Friends in El Salvador always involving lots of children. However, in their travels in the Northwest, the Arevalos saw many fewer children.
There are in fact children about. RantWoman does not remember whether childcare was available but RantWoman definiely has the impression little was done specifically to speak to parents in advance. Considering the gifts and experience of the Arevalos, planning some activities specifically aimed at children might rather have suggested itself. It might have been a lot to ask of parents to help plan this event, but until now no one--urk, including RantWoman--thought of the idea of including children formally in the program.
RantWoman has been thinking recently about connections among communities of Friends and why anyone but RantWoman including busy, busy parents of small children in her own Meeting might even care whether someone's leading about connections with distant Friends addresses the subject of children.
RantWoman was asked a question which she heard as "is a clearness committee asking the right questions?" Rantwoman found herself both passionate about the need for connections and needing to tend several threads, including a sense from addressing a couple people, parents actually, of talking to a little kid with hands clapped firmly over ears about so many topics that RantWoman despairs of anyone getting near the question of connections between children.
RantWoman hopes someone can just hold that issue in the Light.
In similar Light RantWoman offers verbatim, a comment from
http://robinmsf.blogspot.com/2012/12/necessary-but-not-sufficient.html
"I grew up going to parties with my whole family and with other people's
whole families, from youngest to oldest, including unmarried singles, gay
couples, etc. Whole family parties seem to be a common part of the
experience of first and second generation immigrants. So my "automatic
setting" is to want to take my son too. I've sadly learned to ask whether
an event is kid-friendly and I've been quite disturbed at the number of
times that I'm told "No." Well, if my kid isn't welcome, then, effectively,
I'm not really welcome either. I can get a sitter and go anyway, but it's
not comfortable to me. I particularly don't like the narrow categories that
seem to have been imposed by single age education on who I'm "supposed" to
be friends with."
Beware: RantWoman, Inner Blowtorch Mode! Maudiel talked about 100,000 young people in their district involved with gangs and the Friends count themselves lucky to keep their youth free of that life. RantWoman does not necessarily need Quaker pastors to come all the way from El Salvador to hear about baby mareros. RantWoman can probably name half a dozen local bus routes where if one rides regularly one's odds sooner or later of encountering baby mareros or marero wannbes are pretty high. RantWoman has no idea what would happen if the subject showed up in Meeting for Worship.
RantWoman DOES need to hear the Arevalos' story of staring down extortion and refusing to fund violence. But the God of the Bus is already way too much for some in RantWoman's meeting, even though some of our children are also there.
RantWoman found herself brought up short recently. RantWoman thinks she and others who planned a Salt and Light event two years ago got eldered. RantWoman has not heard any indication that others besides RantWoman noticed, and RantWoman did not even notice until quite recently.
The exact eldering was a question near the end of a weekend with Aminda and Maudiel Arevalo. Maudiel asked "Where are your children?" He spoke about events among Friends in El Salvador always involving lots of children. However, in their travels in the Northwest, the Arevalos saw many fewer children.
There are in fact children about. RantWoman does not remember whether childcare was available but RantWoman definiely has the impression little was done specifically to speak to parents in advance. Considering the gifts and experience of the Arevalos, planning some activities specifically aimed at children might rather have suggested itself. It might have been a lot to ask of parents to help plan this event, but until now no one--urk, including RantWoman--thought of the idea of including children formally in the program.
RantWoman has been thinking recently about connections among communities of Friends and why anyone but RantWoman including busy, busy parents of small children in her own Meeting might even care whether someone's leading about connections with distant Friends addresses the subject of children.
RantWoman was asked a question which she heard as "is a clearness committee asking the right questions?" Rantwoman found herself both passionate about the need for connections and needing to tend several threads, including a sense from addressing a couple people, parents actually, of talking to a little kid with hands clapped firmly over ears about so many topics that RantWoman despairs of anyone getting near the question of connections between children.
RantWoman hopes someone can just hold that issue in the Light.
In similar Light RantWoman offers verbatim, a comment from
http://robinmsf.blogspot.com/2012/12/necessary-but-not-sufficient.html
"I grew up going to parties with my whole family and with other people's
whole families, from youngest to oldest, including unmarried singles, gay
couples, etc. Whole family parties seem to be a common part of the
experience of first and second generation immigrants. So my "automatic
setting" is to want to take my son too. I've sadly learned to ask whether
an event is kid-friendly and I've been quite disturbed at the number of
times that I'm told "No." Well, if my kid isn't welcome, then, effectively,
I'm not really welcome either. I can get a sitter and go anyway, but it's
not comfortable to me. I particularly don't like the narrow categories that
seem to have been imposed by single age education on who I'm "supposed" to
be friends with."
Beware: RantWoman, Inner Blowtorch Mode! Maudiel talked about 100,000 young people in their district involved with gangs and the Friends count themselves lucky to keep their youth free of that life. RantWoman does not necessarily need Quaker pastors to come all the way from El Salvador to hear about baby mareros. RantWoman can probably name half a dozen local bus routes where if one rides regularly one's odds sooner or later of encountering baby mareros or marero wannbes are pretty high. RantWoman has no idea what would happen if the subject showed up in Meeting for Worship.
RantWoman DOES need to hear the Arevalos' story of staring down extortion and refusing to fund violence. But the God of the Bus is already way too much for some in RantWoman's meeting, even though some of our children are also there.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Literate
RantWoman learned that January is National Braille Literacy Month. RantWoman herself basically spent New Year' Day being a vast vortex of boringness and certainly did not interact with football. RantWoman istoo happy to let the OH StateSchool for the Blind stand in for any and all holiday expectation about consumption of football. The Braille literay memont is that the band isknown for spelling out OHIO in braille in their marching pattern.
Band Marches Through Obstacles CBS News 2009
http://youtu.be/BIHtHWU2HVk
Script Braille Ohio
http://youtu.be/I9pyKWE-HOM
Script Braille near the beginning, but reasonably listenable all the way through
http://youtu.be/zKrRSxehfto
Script Braille Ohio at that 2010 Rose Parade Bandfest
http://youtu.be/lGlKQ1J5XYk
RantWoman finds the blind band director's enactment of many band diractor convetions his band cannot see somewhat amusing.
Band Marches Through Obstacles CBS News 2009
http://youtu.be/BIHtHWU2HVk
Script Braille Ohio
http://youtu.be/I9pyKWE-HOM
Script Braille near the beginning, but reasonably listenable all the way through
http://youtu.be/zKrRSxehfto
Script Braille Ohio at that 2010 Rose Parade Bandfest
http://youtu.be/lGlKQ1J5XYk
RantWoman finds the blind band director's enactment of many band diractor convetions his band cannot see somewhat amusing.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
New Year Address / Happy New Year
RantWoman sends her readers sincere good wishes for gains in health, wealth, patience, humor, joy in the New Year. May you always feel the presence of God, the spiritual, moral, intellectual forces that sustain you and may this presence ever flower in new ways every year.
This is RantWoman. Mercifully, God keeps showing up even when RantWoman falls far short of all that. Here is RantWoman's New Year's Day edition of holiday song and dance, bearing in mind that it's already long past New Year's for at least some of RantWoman's readers. RantWoman is starting from....Moscow!
Putin New Year Address from Red Square, and Russian National Anthem
http://youtu.be/gk37rm8Icuo
Presently, RantWoman's most frequent experience of President Putin comes either as occasional radio snippets from speeches or as Putinisms on translator boards. The latter is usually the more amusing. Putin likes to talk tough, worse in some respects than, say, Harry Truman. The question on translator boards is always just how graphic should one make Putin in English. Translators tend to be imaginative. Enough said?
RantWoman's main point: RantWoman has not looked at a picture of President Putin up close in a long time. But thanks to software that both gets close and blows things up, er, enlarges them, RantWoman noticed that the strain of office is showing up on President Putin's face. He does not look so good. Hold him in the Light at least.
Okay, maybe not exactly this light. Parody, from last year, the president and prime minister basically joined at the hip with Putin telling Medvedev what to say
http://youtu.be/XD2BocijK_k
RantWoman looked at former President / now Prime Minister Medvedev's address from last year. RantWoman can see why the young parodist trying to talk with eggs in his mouth looks just like PM Medvedev. Putin did not give exactly the same speech this year as Medvedev last year, but darn close. RantWoman THINKS only one of them mentioned 1000 years of Russian history, but the speeches were long on exhortations about moral uplift and the good of the nation. More translation than that is beyond RantWoman's Light but how about readers just go with the flow and see where you get.
RantWoman checked out http://lenta.ru and learned that at a publication called Vedomosti, the voting is in for Person of the Year. Among the awardees, a certain punk band and some volunteers who plunged into flood relief in Krymsk. RantWoman does nt assume flood relief in Krymsk is uncontroversial; RantWoman finds enough flavors of controversy at least for now with the punk band.
http://lenta.ru/news/2012/12/28/vedomosti/
Reprise of the famous punk performance at Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow. Warning: much to find offensive
http://youtu.be/yZKaBh9pX64
A news clip shortly after March 8, International Women's Day, "Celebration of Justice and Morality."
Women argue that they are prayerfully protesting the blurring of church and state; reference to other artistic protests including one against "Nuclear Orthodoxy"
http://youtu.be/Ee2NMYkzdVw
Interview with one of the band members, about art and protest, religion and society, sanctification instead of desecration
http://youtu.be/P6vCHXQlRig
More on her trial including a statement against her protest
http://youtu.be/qetOJFQSN2M
Another take:
Film Director Aleksandr Nevzorov, paraphrasing, "I am not a per son of God. I realy do not see the difference between one group of people in strange clothes dancing around and singing weird things and another group of people in different strange clothes singing different weird things.
http://youtu.be/bcjPZysMvaU
Does this give RantWoman's monolingual readers at least a nibble of what the protest meant for Russians. RantWoman would like to promise atighter set of thoughts, but it might now happen.
And now a word from the other side: The Cathedral of Christ the Savior before and after punk band.
History and some striking pictures
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/russia/moscow-cathedral-of-christ-the-savior.htm
The Destruction of the Christ the Savior Cathedral, 1931, with musical soundtrack
http://youtu.be/YFlx55OANg8
One clip about restoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior
http://youtu.be/rHq7ZX54fZA
History of the Cathedral, with choral background
http://youtu.be/ZZuSY10cFXE
RantWoman verdict: the cathedral has been through a lot worse than a certain punk performance. Probably it and Orthodoxy will survive this as well.
Plus, at the moment, RantWoman has other things on her mind. RantWoman heartily thanks RantMom for a rousing endorsement of the Home and Garden Channel commercial free broadcast of the2013 Tournament of Roses parade. RantMom consumes her video content through her television. RantWoman congratulates her for doing something different and looking for the Rose Parade in channel zones other than where she usually hangs out. Go Mom.
The Home and Garden Channel on the Tournament of Roses parade
http://www.hgtv.com/rose-parade-2013/show/index.html
Building the HGTV Tournament of Roses Parade Float, 65 stills
http://www.hgtv.com/on-tv/rose-parade-2013-building-the-hgtv-rose-parade-float/pictures/index.html
Speaking of the Rose Parade, in the category of "Oh Look, Blind people do that too," a clip of the Ohio State School for the Blind Marching Band appearance in the 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade. RantWoman finds herself peculiarly relieved: parade orbanizers put the band near the beginning of the parade. RantWoman thinks not having to march after too many equestrian contingents probably has a lot to recommend it.
http://youtu.be/SavfY5gHV70
10 whole minutes of the OSSB at a football halftime. Quakers who have fallen under the sway of the Gospel According to Harry Potter and who marvel about how several iterations of Harry Potter flick have somehow magically been released the weekend of different years' Annual Session will appreciate one number.
http://youtu.be/zKrRSxehfto
Another Opportunity to see Script Braille
http://youtu.be/I9pyKWE-HOM
RantWoman apologizes but she is too distracted by SUNSHINE to curate properly and view the whole clip; it's an act of faith that viewers will be offered some kind of overhead view to appreciate the whole effect.
An article from the fundraising phase of the OSSB trip to the Rose Parade:
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2009/12/marching-panthers-headed-to-rose-parade.html
And if RantWoman needed more reasons to whine, moan, grumble, exude dyspepsia and generally not deliver as much joy and peace as she MIGHT wish, RantWoman is called to a single standard of truth grumble. The article about the fundraising mentions a desire that people send checks rather than use some or another electronic contribution option. RantWoman wonders whether this is because the people doing the fundraising did not know of / research electronic options or whether the options available are inaccessible or whether a significant swath of contributors might not be all up for that electronic stuff anyway.
The single standard of truth point: it does not matter whether you want (PLEASE) to hire RantWoman to do something computery or you want to exploit RantWoman's volunteer zeal for free, either way the tools you / we chooise will have to be accessible. The exact scope of laboring with involved in that standard is a topic for another day. In the Meantime HAPPY NEW YEAR!
This is RantWoman. Mercifully, God keeps showing up even when RantWoman falls far short of all that. Here is RantWoman's New Year's Day edition of holiday song and dance, bearing in mind that it's already long past New Year's for at least some of RantWoman's readers. RantWoman is starting from....Moscow!
Putin New Year Address from Red Square, and Russian National Anthem
http://youtu.be/gk37rm8Icuo
Presently, RantWoman's most frequent experience of President Putin comes either as occasional radio snippets from speeches or as Putinisms on translator boards. The latter is usually the more amusing. Putin likes to talk tough, worse in some respects than, say, Harry Truman. The question on translator boards is always just how graphic should one make Putin in English. Translators tend to be imaginative. Enough said?
RantWoman's main point: RantWoman has not looked at a picture of President Putin up close in a long time. But thanks to software that both gets close and blows things up, er, enlarges them, RantWoman noticed that the strain of office is showing up on President Putin's face. He does not look so good. Hold him in the Light at least.
Okay, maybe not exactly this light. Parody, from last year, the president and prime minister basically joined at the hip with Putin telling Medvedev what to say
http://youtu.be/XD2BocijK_k
RantWoman looked at former President / now Prime Minister Medvedev's address from last year. RantWoman can see why the young parodist trying to talk with eggs in his mouth looks just like PM Medvedev. Putin did not give exactly the same speech this year as Medvedev last year, but darn close. RantWoman THINKS only one of them mentioned 1000 years of Russian history, but the speeches were long on exhortations about moral uplift and the good of the nation. More translation than that is beyond RantWoman's Light but how about readers just go with the flow and see where you get.
RantWoman checked out http://lenta.ru and learned that at a publication called Vedomosti, the voting is in for Person of the Year. Among the awardees, a certain punk band and some volunteers who plunged into flood relief in Krymsk. RantWoman does nt assume flood relief in Krymsk is uncontroversial; RantWoman finds enough flavors of controversy at least for now with the punk band.
http://lenta.ru/news/2012/12/28/vedomosti/
Reprise of the famous punk performance at Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow. Warning: much to find offensive
http://youtu.be/yZKaBh9pX64
A news clip shortly after March 8, International Women's Day, "Celebration of Justice and Morality."
Women argue that they are prayerfully protesting the blurring of church and state; reference to other artistic protests including one against "Nuclear Orthodoxy"
http://youtu.be/Ee2NMYkzdVw
Interview with one of the band members, about art and protest, religion and society, sanctification instead of desecration
http://youtu.be/P6vCHXQlRig
More on her trial including a statement against her protest
http://youtu.be/qetOJFQSN2M
Another take:
Film Director Aleksandr Nevzorov, paraphrasing, "I am not a per son of God. I realy do not see the difference between one group of people in strange clothes dancing around and singing weird things and another group of people in different strange clothes singing different weird things.
http://youtu.be/bcjPZysMvaU
Does this give RantWoman's monolingual readers at least a nibble of what the protest meant for Russians. RantWoman would like to promise atighter set of thoughts, but it might now happen.
And now a word from the other side: The Cathedral of Christ the Savior before and after punk band.
History and some striking pictures
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/russia/moscow-cathedral-of-christ-the-savior.htm
The Destruction of the Christ the Savior Cathedral, 1931, with musical soundtrack
http://youtu.be/YFlx55OANg8
One clip about restoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior
http://youtu.be/rHq7ZX54fZA
History of the Cathedral, with choral background
http://youtu.be/ZZuSY10cFXE
RantWoman verdict: the cathedral has been through a lot worse than a certain punk performance. Probably it and Orthodoxy will survive this as well.
Plus, at the moment, RantWoman has other things on her mind. RantWoman heartily thanks RantMom for a rousing endorsement of the Home and Garden Channel commercial free broadcast of the2013 Tournament of Roses parade. RantMom consumes her video content through her television. RantWoman congratulates her for doing something different and looking for the Rose Parade in channel zones other than where she usually hangs out. Go Mom.
The Home and Garden Channel on the Tournament of Roses parade
http://www.hgtv.com/rose-parade-2013/show/index.html
Building the HGTV Tournament of Roses Parade Float, 65 stills
http://www.hgtv.com/on-tv/rose-parade-2013-building-the-hgtv-rose-parade-float/pictures/index.html
Speaking of the Rose Parade, in the category of "Oh Look, Blind people do that too," a clip of the Ohio State School for the Blind Marching Band appearance in the 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade. RantWoman finds herself peculiarly relieved: parade orbanizers put the band near the beginning of the parade. RantWoman thinks not having to march after too many equestrian contingents probably has a lot to recommend it.
http://youtu.be/SavfY5gHV70
10 whole minutes of the OSSB at a football halftime. Quakers who have fallen under the sway of the Gospel According to Harry Potter and who marvel about how several iterations of Harry Potter flick have somehow magically been released the weekend of different years' Annual Session will appreciate one number.
http://youtu.be/zKrRSxehfto
Another Opportunity to see Script Braille
http://youtu.be/I9pyKWE-HOM
RantWoman apologizes but she is too distracted by SUNSHINE to curate properly and view the whole clip; it's an act of faith that viewers will be offered some kind of overhead view to appreciate the whole effect.
An article from the fundraising phase of the OSSB trip to the Rose Parade:
http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2009/12/marching-panthers-headed-to-rose-parade.html
And if RantWoman needed more reasons to whine, moan, grumble, exude dyspepsia and generally not deliver as much joy and peace as she MIGHT wish, RantWoman is called to a single standard of truth grumble. The article about the fundraising mentions a desire that people send checks rather than use some or another electronic contribution option. RantWoman wonders whether this is because the people doing the fundraising did not know of / research electronic options or whether the options available are inaccessible or whether a significant swath of contributors might not be all up for that electronic stuff anyway.
The single standard of truth point: it does not matter whether you want (PLEASE) to hire RantWoman to do something computery or you want to exploit RantWoman's volunteer zeal for free, either way the tools you / we chooise will have to be accessible. The exact scope of laboring with involved in that standard is a topic for another day. In the Meantime HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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