15 books

This was a list I was tagged to make over in the alternate reality that is FBook; I thought I'd share here, too.

Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.
In no particular order...

1. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
(This book was the first time I discovered "classic literature" could also be a really good read.)

2. Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
(I loved Shakespeare's use of the language, even when I was little; this was the first of the plays I ever studied though. Wow.)

3. The Shattered Chain, Marion Zimmer Bradley
(The first of her Darkover books I read; later I devoured them all.)

4. The Naked Sun, Isaac Asimov
(My initial foray into the world of science fiction, courtesy of my father.)

5. The Lord of the Rings (the whole trilogy), J. R. R. Tolkien
(I read these annually; they are such "spring" sorts of books.)

6. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
(My grandmother handed me a copy of this when I was very small.)

7. Faith Seeking Understanding, Daniel L. Migliore
(Assigned reading in one of my early theology classes; after some of the "denser" works, it was a breath of fresh air.)

8. Opening the Prayer Book, Jeffery Lee
(I taught adult ed at church years ago, and read this in preparation for the class. My first exposure to the history of the BCP.)

9. De Doctrina Christiana, St. Augustine
(AKMA introduced this in Early Church History class; marvelous!)

10. Theories of Culture, Kathryn Tanner
(I still have no idea what this book is supposed to say, other than intimidating newbie seminarians. Okay-- so no one said they all had to "stick with me" in a good way.)

11. The Bible, God only knows
(I mean the whole thing, even the boring/inscrutable/ugly bits. It all still kind of amazes me when I think about it.)

12. The Book of Common Prayer, Thomas Cranmer, et. al.
(I am so steeped in this it's sometimes hard to tell where the book leaves off and my own prayers begin.)

13. Amazing Grace: a Vocabulary of Faith, Kathleen Norris
(A sanity saver once, when I was away from home and still struggling with my mother's death.)

14. Great Lion of God, Taylor Caldwell
(A fictional biography of the apostle Paul.)

15. Gown of Glory, Agnes Sligh Turnbull
(A simple small town love story, but also my introduction to classic poetry.)

What are your 15?

Parting the seas... or not.

Yesterday's lesson at camp was about Moses, who followed God's command to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. According to the account in Exodus, Moses raised his staff over the waters of the Red Sea, the waters parted, and he led them all across on dry land.

Sounds like a nifty idea, yes? So we figured if Moses can have faith enough to do it, so could we-- that we'd part Flathead Lake so we could walk over to Wild Horse Island.


We learned that having faith in ourselves is a fine thing, but not quite the same as faith in God. And that commanding miracles doesn't work so well when it's not God's idea in the first place-- even if you do have vestments and a really cool Moses-like staff.


"...God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe."

(1 Cor 1:21)

Camp Marshall 2009

No, I've not dropped off the earth; it merely feels like an alternate reality. I'm at our diocesan campground this week, serving as chaplain for several dozen kids, counselors and staff. The seasonal theme is "Equipping the Saints," which this week means we are spending some time in what Jesus knew as scripture-- the Old Testament.

As the collect states, we are trying to "read, mark, learn and inwardly digest" the stories of our faith.One of the ways we do that, of course, is in worship. This is a shot of folks gathering for morning chapel.




But there is more than one way to encourage. This was dessert Monday night.





In addition to the Christian Ed program going on, we've had a lot of activities. Once the weather allowed, we've been hiking, swimming, kayaking, and running all over everywhere.




Even some arts and crafts get done outdoors. Today some of the kids had a lesson in watercolor painting.






If you look carefully, you can see the young artist above is doing a marvelous job capturing her chosen subject:





Long days, and cool nights, and a wonderful part of God's creation in which to work. Hard for a gig to get better than this.

Honoring ALL our heroes

Decades After WWII, Female Pilots Finally Honored

These were the first women to fly military aircraft. During World War II, they volunteered for noncombat duty, as test pilots and trainers. They freed up their male counterparts to go to Europe and fight in the war.

But even though they wore uniforms and worked on bases, they were never considered members of the military. Their contribution to the war effort was so controversial, in fact, that all records pertaining to their service were sealed and deemed classified in 1944. That pretty much consigned the WASP to the dustbin of history for decades.

Please, listen to the whole interview here.

As test pilots and trainers, the Women Airforce Service Pilots flew the same aircraft-- fighters and bombers-- and flew them as well as or better than their male counterparts going into combat.

Although they did not fly in combat themselves, their jobs were not without risk. Of the more than 1,100 WASP who enlisted, 38 died in the line of duty during WWII. However, remains were not shipped home to their families until a collection was taken up to pay for it, nor were caskets covered in the flag of the country they served, nor were their grieving families permitted a gold service star. Survivors were never recognized as veterans, nor entitled to benefits.

I'm glad they're trying to make it right now; but I honestly wish I could understand what it is about women's capabilities in different roles that makes some men feel so very threatened.

Independence Day

A song has been running through my head the last few days... especially the verse below. Sorry I couldn't find a video or soundtrack of it. Something to remember, as we celebrate the birth of our country and honor the sacrifices so many have made for its ideals in the last 233 years.

So what do you call justice,
And what is freedom for?
Don’t let the town crier decide if we go to war.
'cause this ain’t about your medals,
The choice is of the soul;
And hate is never brave
While mercy’s always, always bold.

Adrienne Young, "Blinded by Stars"