*** ADVENTURES OF A MINISTER-IN-TRAINING ***
Monday, December 29, 2008
Last rant for '08
Monday, December 22, 2008
Love...
Over the last four days I encountered the kind of love that simply tore my heart a new one. They had nothing to do with Christmas [thankfully...I'm already burning out] yet couldn't have turned up in my life at a better time.
The first came on the form of a novel: The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I downloaded the audiobook [plug:emusic.com] for the road-trip here and was not disappointed by this Pulitzer prize winner. If you read only one book next year, let this be the one. The author Junot Diaz weaves a story of three generations, which takes a while so hang in there-I think it's so worth it. The depth of pure love and heartbreak he ascribes to the main characters was almost too much to handle while driving. And as the title suggests, it wasn't about happy endings. Love often isn't about happy endings.
Last night I had the honor of being invited to the 50th anniversary and re-commitment celebration of Al & Edith Henderson. They are an elder couple here at the church in Raleigh and they , Al especially, have taken a liking to Jennifer. Al was just the dapper romantic: reading poetry to his new-again bride, pulling out her chair, soft guiding touches. I had thought it strange the Edith seemed a little underwhelmed by the event until Jen told me that a few years ago she had a massive stroke and was in a coma. The doctors had been pessimistic. Her very existence was somewhat of a miracle. Al took care of her through it all. I'm about to hit the 10 year mark and it's wigging me out a little [ok...a lot, don't ask me why...working on it]. I can't begin to wrap my mind around what it would take to make a relationship last that long. That level of commitment and compromise seems beyond me right now [to be clear, I can see myself with Jen forever, I'm just not able to quantify what I'll need to do to get there]. They left us with some clues. My favorite: "Yesterday ended at midnight."
And if that wasn't enough, we left the party to go see Seven Pounds. We were forewarned [so heed the warning] that this was a heavy movie. Critics said it was too heavy for the holidays, but I disagree. Granted, I had to engage in a round of deep breathing to control my heart which felt like it jump out of my chest and go save the world. This was a story about love, loss, redemption, and giving on a level reserved for those who are emotionally imbalanced to unspeakable degrees. Perfect for the season! And on a side note, Rosario Dawson, even in that sickly pallor, never looked hotter. Wow is all I gotta say [to the movie...and to Rosario too].
I acknowledge that two of the three examples were fictional. Yet the fact that such levels of love can exist at the very least in someone's mind gives me the hope and inspiration that they can exist in reality. And they do. People make unfathomable sacrifices for others every minute in every corner of the world. The economy may be causing some of us to lament about the smaller piles under the tree this year. But the best gifts are usually not the material ones. Just give of your heart.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
It's not how big you are...
And with a Santa hat to boot! I was suddenly eleven years old again thinking this was freakin' awesome! The Official Superman Museum on the opposite corner was cool too. Any and every Superman relic had a home there. There were at least eight of us awed and befuddled tourists snapping pics and no doubt revisiting our childhood. But this little town apparently had a thing for big men and on my way out I found the true hero to errand-running housewives in this southern tip of Illinois...
It was BIG JACK the giant grocery-toting mascot. I'm not often at a loss for words [not a good place to be for a blogger] but I was fairly silenced by Big Jack. Seriously... what can you say when you see this?
I'm thinking this town holds the record for giant statues per square mile. A worthy detour indeed.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Thank Ye!!
It's moving day. It's the first time we're using a moving company. We've come to the point where I'm huddled in the "safe corner" with things that won't be packed, trying not to get packed myself. I'm clearly in the way and these guys haulin' ass trying to do in one day what they had scheduled for two. The driver said something about wanting to be back in time for Xmas but I was busy thinking that under no circumstances am I ever moving myself again. This is friggin' great!
So since I got nothing to do right now, I want to take this opportunity to thank the three (3) [tres] [now four 4 cuatro since first posting] wonderful souls brave enough to admit they read this drivel through subscribing. Their only reward, besides my perplexed and humbled gratitude [and more drivel] is to be proudly displayed in the side-bar. Now I know more people read this thing. They've started conversations with things like, "Hey, I saw on your blog the other day..." or "I liked your last post about..." or "Do you know anything about blogging?" [I think maybe the last group might not be actually reading my blog].
So here's my invitation: if you read this or any of the other fine blogs I have listed [most of which are funnier and more insightful than this drivel] please subscribe. Why? 'Cause my ego says so! No seriously, as I discover how far down the rabbit hole the blog world goes, I realize I'm still at ground level. We could all use the support as we honor whatever inexplicable reason draws us to do this. Plus, if you subscribe, my eloquently verbose postings will be delivered straight to a reader of your choice or your inbox [I think-ground level, remember?] saving you the few precious seconds it would take to pull up this page. What you do with those seconds is up to you [I recommned coming back to post a comment but that just destroyed my time-saving rationale-oh well]. That reminds me... post a comment! If subscribing isn't your thing, posting comments are a great way to let bloggers know their efforts aren't for nil.
I've rambled on enough about this. Read. Subsribe. Comment.
And once again, a big THANK YE!! to my three (3) [tres] [four 4 ...you get the idea] subscribers [ok...all my closet readers too] for taking a few seconds out of your life [which you're not getting back by the way...sorry] to check in on mine.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Play it again Sam
My friend showed up with movers and the piano is gone...and I'm sad.
We made some good memories with that cheap never-stayed-in-tune studio upright. I wrote some great music on that thing. We did have our share of sing-alongs with family and friends. It's gotten me laid quite a lot 'cause the wife loves it when I play & sing to her, especially original stuff. I've used it for venting, processing, sorting out my thoughts, catharting, meditating. There'd be times when I was in some kind of mental or emotional vortex and couldn't see a way out. I'd sit, play the first chords that came to me, next thing I know an hour's disappeared and all's right with the world again.
So why are we, two music-therapists-turned-ministers and still occasional song-writers getting rid of it? Simple. We're tired of hauling that thing around the country. Pianos are friggin' heavy! Ten years, four houses, two states, and one child later, we're just tired of hauling it around. It was gifted to us by our former [and pretty much still present] minister who hauled it to Virginia from the mid-west. We hauled it back here to Missouri and figured it didn't need an east coast sequel.
Yes, I used the word 'haul' in some form repeatedly because it is a haul; there ain't nothing easy about moving a piano. Unles you're professional movers who strap it on a dolly which they strap to themselves and lift it down icy steps in under 5 minutes. I don't feel they suffered enough to have hauled off a bunch of my favorite memories.
I guess I still got the memories.
I just don't have a piano.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
It's a Crying Shame
Tivo Guilt is the phenomenon of feeling bad about all the TV shows you've got piled up on your DVR that you know you won't find the time to watch but can't bring yourself to erase because you have some strange attachment to having them on your DVR. What?! Anybody else old enough to remember when the VCR came out and the fact you could actually watch something other than what was on TV anytime you wanted was the greatest technological miracle EVER!! And now we're feeling guilty because we can horde retarded programming at the lazy touch of a button? C'mon folks....IT'S JUST TV! ENTER-FRIGGIN'-TAINMENT!! NOT REAL LIFE!!!! And don't get me wrong, I'm a big TV fan-boy myself (was bawling my eyes out today at this week's Private Practice...yes, I'm a sensitive guy, love me anyways), and I looooooove my DVR, but if I miss something, it's ok. If I can't find time to watch it, it's ok. My standing rule is this: If it's a series I'm dedicated to (Grey's, Private Practice, Eli Stone, Terminator:SCC, Daily show, Colbert Report, Sunny in Philly) I'll hold an episode for up to 3 weeks. If I haven't watched it by then, it proobably ain't gonna happen. Learn to let go...make room for something better (Chocolate News anyone?).
But Luxury Shame really had me at a loss. Apparently some richer-than-God folks feel bad about spending their money on useless crap-as-usual because us poor folk aren't doing so well. How messed up is that?! I don't want your pity. You feel bad? Buy me some crap-as-usual and we'll all feel better! The irony here is, as I best understand it (which ain't saying much), lack of spending is one of the biggest reasons the economy is in the toilet. And the rich folk are feeling bad and not spending because I can't? Don't they get they're actually making things worse! GIVE YOUR MONEY AWAY IF YOU FEEL BAD ABOUT HAVING IT ALREADY!!!!! I got a mortgage you could take care of, and some credit card bills, and my daughter's only 8 but next thing you know it's college time.
I can guarantee you that I will never feel shame when I have too much money to spend. Why? Because I'mgoing to give away BOATLOADS of it. I believe in the principle of flow; give and receive; universal reciprocity, if you will. I believe Bill Gates continues to be one of richest men in the world because of how much he gives away through his foundation. Yeah, Microsoft can suck it (love my Zune tho!) but his foundation has done worlds of good.
The only thing I'm ashamed about right now is eating waaaay too much sausage for breakfast.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Try a little harder...PLEASE!!
So I had a hankering for some yummy Orange Chicken from our favorite fast-food-disguised-as-gourmet Chinese joint Panda Express. I wanted some noodles but there were only a few scraps in the pan. The cute server asked if I was willing to wait a couple minutes for a fresh update. I was going to downgrade to the rice but a saw the chef (and trust me when I say I'm using the title 'chef' sparingly and generously) stirring a wok as big as my SUV with fresh steamy noodles and thought 'What the heck...no rush'
I was literally drooling when they brought up the fresh noodles and fresh Orange Chicken too!! Oh baby! Then my joy turned to horror as not-cute-anymore server scraped the old crusty noodles on top of the fresh batch! And to add insult to injury she scooped up those scraps and dumped them onto my plate!
HELLS NO!! I had to say something to avoid misery dinner. "Excuse me, but you asked me to wait then give me the same old noodles? At least stir 'em up a bit!" She looked at me as though I was at Burger King trying to have it my way, and then asked for a second opinion from one of her workmates. At least that woman had the good sense not to care to make it an issue and gave me fresh noodles from the bottom. Dinner saved.
So what's my point? We all find ourselves in situations we may not want be in. We sometimes gotta do what we gotta do. But I say do it to the best of your abilities and do it in excellence. Why bother? 'Cause everyone involved will feel better. Customers will feel honored and workers will feel that coming back to them.
No one wants a slacker on duty...and I've done some slacker time, so I'm not taking a holier-than-thou position...just a been-there-done-that position.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The Big "M"
Yes, that piece of paper is important in the legal context of marriage, but that's not what it's about. To be clear, I'm not using this to contradict my support for gay marriage...denying one group of people a right afforded to another group is discrimination, plain and simple. Even if that right is the intricately complex gift called marriage.
I can only speak for myself (and in part Jen but I've learned NOT to do that without prior agreement...did I mention the intricate complexities?), but something happens when you make a pledge of commitment in front of others and before God, however you understand God to be. It's like you're saying I'm going to make the effort and sacrifices to make this relationship work because I love this person standing across from me and who I am when I am with them. And marriage is work...any relationship is work if you want it to last. And, yes, you make can those promises to any significant other without 'signing a piece of paper' but again...something different happens when you do.
The best analogy (and y'all know you love my analogies!) I can come up with is this: Dating is like getting a bachelor's degree, and marriage is like getting a Doctorate! It takes a higher (and deeper) level of commitment, maturity, flexibility, sacrifice, connection, surrender, willingness. To play devil's advocate (and I do so love to play the part) perhaps I can make the case that this is an argument for lifetime commitment, and the best we have right now as a legal and religious 'catch-all' is the institution of marriage.
Could Jen & I have chosen to spend our lives together without getting married? Sure.
But trust me on this one...something deeper happened when we did.
Friday, November 21, 2008
How do you wake up?
I usuallly wake up too dazed to even remember my name so I let music set help me start the day right.
Here's what I wake up to:
1. GOOD MORNING (INTRO) - John Legend - Birds chirping, yawning, strings, soft crooning
2. GOOD MORNING - John Legend - "Before we start the day I'm whispering in your ear...Good morning." Wake up love song. It's a new additiong to the list & Jen hasn't heard it yet but ikm thinking it'll lead to some morning suga.
3. GOOD MORNING - Lenny Kravitz - "Good morning, nice to see you, how ya been, the beginning of another lovely day." Mellow Lenny walks us through morning routine including cold shower. It is nice to see the family first thing.
4. RAINBOW - G. Love - "I woke up this morning rainbow filled the sky...that was God telling me everything's goona be alright." Nuf said.
5. THREE LITTLE BIRDS - Bob Marley - "Don't worry about a thing cause every little thing's gonna be alright." I believe I always see the glass-half-full because I grew up embedding songs like this into my consciousness.
6. I SAW GOD - Victor Wooten - "I saw God the other day...she looked like you...he looked like me." On the latest solo album (Palmystery) from Bela Fleck's bassist. It ain't easy seeing the divinity in some folks so it helps to start with a daily reminder.
7. YOU ARE THE UNIVERSE - The Brand New Heavies - "You are the universe, and there ain't nothing you can't do...you're a driver not a passenger in life" A fun affirmation song by my favorite British imports.
8. CITIZEN OF THE PLANET - Alanis Morrissette - "I am a Citizen of the Planet...my laws are of attraction...my favorite pastime is stretching." I don't need to go on again about my big love for AM. This song humbly reminds me that it ain't all about me...most of the time ;)
9. ENERGY - The Apples In Stereo - "And the world is made of energy...and the world is synchronicity...and the world is possibility" Fun pop romp just in case I'm actually still in bed at this point.
10. ALLE-ALLELUIA - Rickie Byars Beckwith - "Surrounded by the Presence...the source of all creation all creation allows my heart to sing again." Just in case the day before sucked, I got another chance to sing & smile. This song actually starts with annoying old-school alarm bell ringing so it's last onthe list.
So my early holiday gift to all of you who might be reading this: go to http://www.box.net/shared/hegnx86g07 and download the tracks. No cost to you but I no guarantees they'll all play since not all are in mp3 format.
So reply and tell me...HOW DO YOU WAKE UP?
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Why is this prop 8 issue important to me?
I was surprised by my own interest and call to action on this issue. It may not seem like much, but for me to go protest in 30-degree weather is a BIG DEAL for the man from de islands! I think it was my first protest ever, which says something about my aptitude for civil unrest. But I felt compelled to act for a variety of reasons.
There was a time I would've been the one on the other side of the street holding a sign about 'Salvation' and 'Homosexuality is a Sin.' But in college I became good friends with people who were gay, and I learned that not only were they no different than me, some of them were actually BETTER PEOPLE than me! I was jealous of anyone who was so clear about who they were and could stand in that clarity.
I was also somewhat empathetic to the discrimination they suffered. Coming from a country where blacks are the majority, I did not feel the sting of racial discrimination until I lived in small town Virginia. The same state which until 1967 enforced the 'Racial Integity Act'-a law that made interracial (specifically whites and non-whites) marriages illegal...talk about a misnomer-where's the integrity in that? Not only am I in an interracial marriage, but Jen (not Jenny in pics!) and I lived and were married in Virgina. It was inconceivable to us that there was a time we would have been imprisoned for an act of love.
That insipid law was overturned by the Supreme Court in landmark civil rights case Loving v. Virginia (1967). In its decision the court wrote, "Marriage is one of the "basic civil rights of man," fundamental to our very existence and survival...." Yet today many of us would deny that right from others because we have accepted a certain theological interpretation as universal truth. I am in school to be an ordained minister, and I was appalled by the contributions from various religious movements supporting Proposition 8 (I always maintained that separation of church and state was a sham, but there wasn't even an attempt at subterfuge here!) If being called a Christian associates me with that kind of bigotry, I want to renounce the label. But instead, and even better, I will demonstrate with my life the true Christian compassion that Jesus modeled.
One of my favorite wedding memories occurred two nights before our wedding. Jen's best friend from college was delayed so we went to the Lincoln memorial to wait for her flight. We sat on the steps with a high-school civics class as their teacher played Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech from a boom-box held high above his head (a la John Cusack in 'Say Anything'). We appreciated fully in that instant the immense sacrifices that were made so that we could sanctify or love through marriage.
I was proud have my daughter at my side, teaching her that love has no limits...not color, not gender, not anything. I know that there will be an end to bigotry. The walls continue to crumble. I know that our protesting knocked a few more bricks out of this one.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
So Glad She's Not A Pyromaniac!
I had a neglectful parenting moment the other day. I was exhausted and fell asleep for an hour. Fortunately, my child's not the type who likes to set fire to things when left unattended...like I was. I woke up and found her under the tree in the front yard... drawing. I feel so fortunate and blessed to have Joy as my daughter. So much so that I simultaneously want to have more and let her be an only child. As absurd as it sounds, I don't want to run the risk that number two doesn't turn out as well. Is that crazy?
My Daughter the Negotiator
I walked into the kitchen this morning to find a note from my sweet 8-yr-old scribbled on a napkin and clipped to a bag of potato chips. It read: "These are not for Daddy! respond? Love, Joy."
There are many nuances not to be missed. First, the implied declaration of ownership. She didn't write "These are mine" or "For Joy only". There's only two of us here right now, so if the chips aren't for me, by process of elimination...
Second, she actually gave me the opportunity to respond! In writing-there was a pen there too. I wasn't sure how to respond-there didn't seem to be room for a response; there wasn't even a question, but a declaration. So I asked her how I should respond. She said, "I don't know, but have fun with it!"
Third, she's claiming the chips, not planning on being affected by my response, but doing it all in Love.
Proud to be her Dad!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Gains and Losses aka Life101 - Part.2
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Gains and Losses aka Life101 - Part.1
I was sadly reminded of that by a jolting phone call that brought me back from my post-election-celebration high.
One of our closest family friends called to tell us her father had passed away after a long battle with lung cancer that developed from exposure to asbestos.
Dementia had begun to also take its toll and our friend was his full-time care-giver.
So although no surprise it was no less painful.
I'm writing this from the Lyceum at Unity Village.
Bishop John Shelby Spong reminded of the beautiful gift and responsibility and sometimes burden of being arguably the only conscious species on the planet.
As a result of this gift we spend our lives questioning.
We question our very existence; the meaning of it and our purpose.
We also question the end of it, and the after of it.
But in the moment of loss we can simply be with it.
In our culture we tend to rush our grief.
But true process can never be hastened.
We cannot rush wholeness.
Feeling loss and sadness and deep profound grief are important steps to wholeness.
So in the midst of this historic global moment I'm taking the time to feel my sadness for my friend and her loss.
How much time? As much as she needs.
--
www.facebook.com/people/Ogun_Holder/684743628
www.rants2revelations.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/nugo
zune tag: nugo74
Friday, October 31, 2008
Alanis Live (aka My Night of Bliss)
My admiration...ok, obsession, begins with the fact that we share the same birth date. Not just the same date, but the exact same day. Sure...I might be making too much of that tiny fact but it's the music too. I've loved her music from day one. It reflects the complexity that I am: a perfect blend of anger, pain, love, hope, healing, gratitude, spirituality, surrender, and some great rock.
I was genuinely surprised by the intergenerational representation at the concert. There were folks in their late 50's if not 60's, and it was a sweet moment when the musicians handed some their paraphernalia (sticks, picks, playlist [playlist...?]) to what looked like an eleven year old at the edge of the stage. I look forward to the time when I am the designated 'concert parent'... yes, I actually want to take Joy (and no doubt a car full of squealing tweens) to her first concerts. I'll have to pack the earplugs 'cause my dear child is not a fan of loud (that she gets from her mother) and Alanis was L O U D. The exquisitely classic midland theater held the sound perfectly and drove it straight to the heart bypassing the ears. I had forgotten how sweet it is to feel the music before I hear it.
This was a tour promoting the new album FLAVORS OF ENTANGLEMENT. Some of my favs from the album were covered: Moratorium, Versions of Violence, and the achingly beautiful break-up ballad Not As We. But she also indulged her fans with favorites spanning as far back as JAGGED LITTLE PILL: You Oughta Know, Hand In My Pocket, Head Over Feet, and Ironic. Favorite crowd moment: changing lyric in Ironic as follows-"...it's meeting the man of my dreams, and the meeting his beautiful husband!" That brought the house down. And it was pretty brave in the conservative mid-west.
But was it brave enough? My only disappointment all night was that she didn't perform the lead track of the new album: Citizen Of The Planet (see video in side-bar). I waited (enjoyed) through two encores but no Citizen. Jen's theory is that the song is too political for performance. Political? The song is actually anti-political and really what we need now in a time of political over-saturation. I'd prefer to think the absence of Citizen from the playlist was for musical reasons. That's the story I'm sticking to.
And yes...I bought a t-shirt.
I am a Citizen of The Planet.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Obama vs Webkinz
We continue to ignore the simple fact that our world is not going to change if we continue to model evidence of our ignorant insanity for our children. I say 'we' so I don't offend 'them' but I'm pretty clear I'm not one of 'them'...yes, I know we're One and all that but indulge me on this one.
Joy came home quite disturbed because one of her friends told her (as told by her friend's parents) if Obama became president he would shut down the Webkinz website! WTF?! WTF?! I know there's a lot Obama stands for and against, but I hardly think he's taken issue with hairy/furry stuffed animals and their online likeness (which often turns out more appealing than the actual toys...but I digress). Then another neighbor kid comes over to play and stomps on our Obama sign! Another hearty WTF?!
What are we telling our kids?! Now a bit of backstory: Joy's school held a mock election a few days ago. In her school McCain edged out Obama; Obama won among all the elementary schools combined. Do ya think some parents might have had a hand in making sure their kids cast their vote a certain way?
To be fair, I'm sure it's coming from both sides. Joy knows we are Obama supporters and we've tried to communicate what his presidency would mean historically without McCain bashing (which wasn't hard til he picked Tina Fey...I mean Sarah Palin as his running mate). Kids (at least younger elementary age) will tend to emulate their parents. But do we really need to start the fear-mongering before the kid can write cursive?
C'mon folks.... we can do better than this.
Our children deserve better than this.
--
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Still here...
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Win or Lose
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Welcome To My Yard - Part.2
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Obama's Moment
Sent to you by Ogun via Google Reader:
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Rolling Stone: Features using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Friday, October 17, 2008
IS IT OVER YET?!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Welcome to my yard
(Disclaimer: The talk had to follow a particular format, so if it seems rote and repititious and non-spontaneous [i.e. so NOT me!] it's not my fault...i promise)
During the summer of 2006 I had a camping experience I would just as soon forget. I was part of a wilderness adventure in the Wind River Range outside Lander, WY. After trudging through mosquito infested woods and mud for 4 days with 9 strangers at 10,000 ft while carrying a 40lb backpack, I developed High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (or fluid on my lungs), and I had to be evacuated and hospitalized. So when my wife said we were going camping I thought my objections were well justified.
But after my camping experience this past weekend, I realize that camping is an invaluable family experience.
You see, camping creates unbreakable bonds.
Camping creates unbreakable bonds in two ways: first, it creates opportunities for cooperation, and second, it promotes a sense of belonging.
Many aspects of camping call for cooperation: assembling the tent, gathering firewood, building a fire, cooking, and cleaning up. These tasks are accomplished with greater ease and speed when done together, leaving more time for another valuable cooperation opportunity: fun & games.
I say again, camping creates unbreakable bonds.
Camping promotes a sense of belonging through the working, playing, and sharing together as a team. As she sat on my lap during share-time around the campfire, my 8-year-old daughter made me feel like father of the year when she said, and I quote, “I feel appreciated here…like I belong.”
Through camping, your family can experience cooperation and a sense of belonging that will remain long after the trip.
Because, camping creates unbreakable bonds.
So make some time to go camping. It just takes one weekend.
I may want to forget my Wyoming experience, but I can’t wait to make more camping memories with my family.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
I think I'm a REVEREND AGNOSTIC!
My major piece of unpacking & examining is around my belief in God. I think I've released the last vestiges of God being anything other than myself (and you too) and haven't decided what, if anything, to replace it with. There's both an empty-grief feeling and completeness all at the same time.
I just finished reading (listening actually) A YEAR OF LIVING BIBLICALLY by A.J.Jacobs. Jewish by birth, agnostic by choice, he lived the laws of the bible for one year-literally lived them; the obvious easy ones (not killing) to the inexplicable (not wearing clothes with mixed fibers). I highly reccomend it...the book, not the mixed fibers thing-that would put a serious dent in anyone's wardrobe. At the end of the year, he didn't believe there was a God, but that there was something sacred and neccesary about religion and spirituality and custom. He called himself a REVEREND AGNOSTIC.
I liked the idea, but not the terminology. It seemed minister & agnostic didn't go hand in hand. Yet that is where I am-not able to prove or disprove God's existence yet still believing. In what? Maybe nothing. Maybe it's just faith in our inherent divinity contrary to all earthly appearances. Perhaps Divine Nature is the God I can believe in now, but where is that divinity is those who commit the acts of unspeakable horror? Buried so deep that it's never seen the light of day? Perhaps the balance between divine inspiration and human psyche shifted too far over on the spectrum. But I digress...that's another rant for another day.
REVEREND AGNOSTIC...I'll try it on for a while see if it fits.
--
Sent via Empower HTML Mail Viewer For BlackBerry
http://www.mobylo.com/emv/
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
don't ask god why: insights from a funeral
Thursday, October 2, 2008
believing in believers
that's their way of saying 'you're not ready'
it think maybe there's a little of them not being ready too
this friend of mine is here enrolled in classes at the institute-stepping out in faith
a risky and admirable move all at once-i did the same
what makes a person ready for anything?
can someone else really decide that for them?
the further i get in this program the less ready i feel yet someone thought i was ready enough to be hear
i got another friend about to give up on her singing dream
hurts me 'cause she's got magic pipes, but she doesn't think she's good enough
those who push on in the face of adversity succeed, even when the biggest enemy is themselves
it's how i get through the day
i stop listening to myself
i trust others are right about me
i believe in my believers
hopefully one day i'll catch up to them
--
Find me on Facebook
Twitter: www.twitter.com/nugo
zune tag: nugo74
Sunday, September 28, 2008
beyond death...LOVE
Friday, September 19, 2008
Some notes from Arun Ghandi
We need to channel anger (like electricity) for good use; anger journal is a tool
We must understand our own levels of violence (active/physical & passive) before we can change
Passive violence generates anger in victim who seeks justice via active violence
A friendly study of all religions is our sacred duty
MG prayer services were interfaith
Punishing children sends first messages of violence
Arun's parents did penance (e.g. fasting) when he made mistakes; his sympathy (positve guilt) for their suffering made him change his behavior
MG conceded we might minimum violence for protection not excess violence for destruction
--
Sent via Empower HTML Mail Viewer For BlackBerry
http://www.mobylo.com/emv/
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Thursday, September 18, 2008
The Ghandi Legacy lives on
He rightly believes that only through full appreciation and understanding of each other's religious and spiritual beliefs can we begin to heal the scars of intolerence and violence that continue to plague humanity.
My favorite admission from Arun: he thought Unity was some kind of interfaith denomination where he would find aspects of all faiths. He was disappointed to learn we were just another Christian interpretation. He urged us to live up to our name. :)
Healing & Peace through Understanding.
An aspiration for us all.
--
Sent via Empower HTML Mail Viewer For BlackBerry
http://www.mobylo.com/emv/
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Monday, September 15, 2008
Reflections from a Silent Retreat
Rather than providing excerpts, the entire paper follows:
"No, thank you." These were the only words I uttered during the twenty-four hours that would comprise my silent retreat. When I began the retreat, I had resolved that I would not break the silence by the comfort of my own voice. Unfortunately, I bumped into the custodial staff on the way out for my walk in the rain, and they asked if I needed service in the cottage that day. I couldn't think of a clever non-verbal response fast enough, so I spoke. Only six hours had passed since I last spoke, and, surprisingly, my voice sounded foreign to me.
I began my silent retreat around eight o'clock in the morning on September 12. Although I had some anxiety about doing the retreat so late in the term, in retrospect I could not have chosen a better time. It was the day after World Day of Prayer at Unity Village. I had been to two prayer services and read names at the Silent Unity Chapel. That night was also choir practice for the Unity Southeast Chorale, of which I am director. There's a saying that those who sing pray twice, so I considered that more prayer time. I also saw a performance of "Les Miserables" at the Starlight Theater that night. My favorite line in the musical: "To love someone is to see the face of God." So I considered myself prayed up. My timing was perfect for another reason: it had been raining for two days and today promised more. I was staying the Harmony House cottage at Unity Village so I practically had the grounds to myself since the rain kept virtually everyone indoors.
I was also anxious about the retreat because this was the first retreat I vowed to honor the silence completely. I did not take any books, only my journal for jotting down any insights that should come. There was no TV or computer. The biggest stretch was not taking my Zune (ipod-like digital music player) that contained my collection of almost 7,500 songs. I usually never leave home without it, and I usually always have music playing in the house or in the car except during sleeping and some meditation times. Music feeds me in ways I cannot describe other than to say I feel empty in its absence, whether I'm listening or creating. I did take my other piece of electronic comfort: my BlackBerry. Under the guise of being a 'responsible parent' I rationalized that I needed to have it, but that gave me access to emails, text messages, and the internet. I reluctantly admitted I needed to go without it so I locked it in my car, trusting that all would be well without me for at least one day – talk about an ego trip! Besides, if there really was some emergency my wife Jen knew where I was and could get a message to me.
By ten o'clock I sat to meditate in the too comfortable recliner with only the patter of raindrops as accompaniment, and woke up three hours later (note to self: no more meditating in the too comfortable recliner). I evidently could not deny the exhaustion I was feeling, and succumbed to rest the first chance I gave myself. I woke up rested and hungry, and after eating lunch in silence I decided to try a walking meditation. Aside from breaking the silence with the custodial staff, the walk was a source of insights. I preface these insights by stating my own belief that nothing of itself has meaning except that which we give it. "What does this mean?" and "Why did this happen?" are, in my opinion, cruel and unnecessary questions. I believe it is of greater value to ask, "What does this mean for me?" or "What is mine to do?" or even "What is mine to give or love?"
As I explored the grounds of Unity Village in the lightly falling rain, I realized I could divide them into three sections. The first section comprised professionally manicured areas (golf course, campus) that obviously got attention on a regular basis. The second section was the natural woods where the wildlife (deer, turkeys, bobcats, who knows what else) live and seldom visited by humans. The third section was made up of separate areas that looked like ruins or dumping grounds. I drew a parallel between the grounds and my Self. The manicured sections reminded me of the areas of my life and Self I am actively working to improve, such as my spirituality, physical well-being, and intellect. The woods reminded me of the untapped spiritual potential that I access from time to time and is home to the true wonders of who I am. Then the ruins: those scars of past hurts or my personal failings that I want to ignore until hopefully there are overrun by the natural forest growth. And like the actual village grounds, those areas were partially overrun with growth and wild flowers bloomed, just as divine love shines light into those dark corners of my soul. Yet remnants of what was originally there will remain until real work is done on them.
During the walk I kept running into spider webs. This happened most often when I was off the walking path and exploring the woods. I was initially frustrated by the repeated icky feeling of the webs on my face and arms, but then I realized this was a lesson in awareness. When I took the time to look, there were signs that I was about to walk into a web: small leaves floating in mid-air, suspended water droplets, thin branches bent against gravity's pull. In life, especially in unfamiliar situations, I don't have to be a victim of the unknown. I can increase my level of awareness and look for the signs that can guide me to right choices.
Another interesting lesson came to my attention during my walk in the rain and it was thanks to my raincoat. The humidity was so thick my walk was really a swim, and as perspired, it became unbearably hot and sticky under the coat. At the time the rain was just a light drizzle, yet I was becoming soaked from the inside. The very thing that was intended to keep my dry was having the opposite effect by trapping my perspiration and soon I was dripping with sweat. I weighed my options and took off the jacket, betting that I wouldn't be as wet from the drizzle as from myself, and sure enough I started to cool off and dry off a little even though it was still drizzling. It made me realize how often I think things (namely having more money) will grant me safety and security yet are the source of great worry and anxiety. Sometimes it's god to have a raincoat, but only if it's doing what it's supposed to, otherwise time to let it go.
I did eventually settle into times of sitting meditation later that evening and the following morning. I became acutely aware of how much noise and busyness are in my life, and I need to cut back on both. I survived one day without the music to keep me company; perhaps I should have a no-music day at least once a week so I can hear what else there is to hear. The retreat also made me aware that my prayer practice is not currently a daily one and it needs to be. Today is Monday and so far I have met the goal of daily prayer, although I'm admittedly playing music while I type. Rome wasn't built in a day, and my day of silence will come later this week.
I have realized the value in the Silent Retreat and will take at least one, if not two, each term. Doing it during the last week of term (aka 'Crunch time') helped to ground me during a time I have usually grown more stressed, and I am grateful.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
angry after all?
she might be right, and maybe these things just triggered anger that was swirling around underneath. i honestly don't know if i'm angry about the move. i'll admit that it does throw a wrench in an expeditious conclusion to the program, but it's about the journey, not the destination, right? i'm actually ooking forward to being bicoastal-well more like bilocational-with one place providing breaks from all that goes slong with the other.
maybe it's the hidden curriculum at work, continually wringing out any vestiges of who i thought i was coming onto this program. maybe it's my fraud complex and self-doubt doing a number on me. maybe i just need a break. i've got a one day silent retreat scheduled for friday...right in the midst of crunch time (again, i'm more ahead of the curve than usual so not so much crunch this time). i'm hoping it'll provide the breather i need and give me some insight into what's going on for me.
i think i'm becoming too complex for even me to handle!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Me Update
in ministerial school.
They said it would be helpful as we process and develop our Credo.
Well we all know my history with journaling...I finally cleaned up the
office and found 3 different journals.
I'm just not disciplined with it, and the blogging hasn't been that great
either.
But enough on the pity party already...I got some things to say now.
We're moving...AGAIN!!
Jen's accepted the job in Raleigh, NC and we're off to the next
adventure...sort of.
I actually put my foot down for the BOTH/AND which we've never done to this
extent.
I said I won't give up school...it's mine to do...I'm clear, but that didn't
mean she had to stay at UCOP (Unity Church Of Purgatory!).
She will probably leave for Raleigh in October, and I will stay here with
Joy and finish the term.
Then we'll join her and I'll continue school online and travelling.
It took her a while to get clear.
It took me a while to admit that I didn't feel worthy as asking here to stay
at UCOP for 2 more years so I could finish.
It took me a while to admit that I was angry about the idea of moving just
when I was starting to be happy...it only took me about 4 years to get to a
happy place!
But I realize this move gets to be different for me.
Sure all the cool people (Ned, Nneka, Rachel, etc) are looking to be here
next year...but now I'm slowed up a bit it'll probably mean more time with
them as I come back for my terms.
Sure I just started to create new friendships (James, Jess1, Jess2, Kevin,
Anita, Jenny)...but this time I get to sustain them, and make new ones when
I move...I'll be rooted in 2 cities.
Sure I'm investing myself in a new spiritual community (USE)...I can do that
again
I realize I never made DC my home...I just lived there.
I have my own co-dependency to blame, my inability to demand balance between
friends & family.
So I'm not angry about moving, but I am beginning to feel the impending
sadness of separation.
Which is pretty new for me, Mr. After-the-fact-guy.
And the Universe is rushing in to support us.
Two days after both Jen & I got clear and honest about this, the house
behind Curt & Cindy went up for sale.
They had been toying with the idea of buying it as investment property, but
once again their generosity to us took on a new level.
They bought it and will rent it to us for what we're paying for our house
here...a steal beyond steals.
And the elementary school is a language immersion magnet, with IB middle &
high school programs.
I don't believe in God-out-there or predestination, but DAMN!!
I do believe that the desires of our heart set the Universe in motion, and
it responded in ways we could not have contemplated.
HOLY WOW!
So I'm here and present, enjoying life, being happy, being me.
And I'll be there and present, enjoying life, being happy, being me.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Not really doubt, but rather disbelief
Disbelief causes questioning
Questioning causes re-examining
Re-eaxmining causes a paradigm shift
In the moment that shift occurs there is emptiness as we have let go our previously held belief
We replace it with a new, hopefully deeper, more open idea which we hold for some time
At some time we begin to disbelieve
I am beginning to disbelieve God
Not really God itself, but what I have believed about God
Yes...maybe God itself
This a wonderfully depressing park bench on which to set for a spell, all things considered
Namely, I have just began my studies as a minister-in-training
Dare I disbelieve what is and will be my vocation
Naturally
--
Sent via Empower HTML Mail Viewer For BlackBerry
http://www.mobylo.com/emv/
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Reading by thunderstorm
Urgently gentle strains of strings and piano with the fragile voice of A FINE FRENZY
Noisily peaceful solitude
In bliss
Alone
--
Sent via Empower HTML Mail Viewer For BlackBerry
http://www.mobylo.com/emv/
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Monday, April 21, 2008
RE: AIDS Memorial
Rev. Jennifer Holder
Associate Minister / Service Ministry
Unity Church of Overland Park
(913) 649-1750 x3025
"We are divine in creation, and limitless in potentiality."
-----Original Message-----
From: ogunholder@gmail.com [mailto:ogunholder@gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2008 10:00 PM
To: BLOG
Cc: JENNIFER HOLDER
Subject: AIDS Memorial
Earlier tonight I had the humbling experience of playing piano at KC's 20th
Annual Aids Memorial Service.
It was good to be playing in service again. I accompanied Jen & Teri Wilder,
and improved with a drummer who created a heartbeat rhythm that propelled me
inward to a place I can't remember ever being.
The stories massaged my heart unlike anything I've experienced. I've not
been touched by AIDS on a personal level...not like these folks. From every
walk of life they shared. Some losses were recent. Some almost two decades
ago. All equally sad and profound. The survivors are still grieving.
I could feel some anger still behind the grief. Anger for the disease. Anger
with God? Time and forgiveness work slowly, but effectively.
I know the answer, yet I still ask why...why do we have to bear the pain of
loss?
To make us better lovers, I believe.
--
Sent via Empower HTML Mail Viewer For BlackBerry
http://www.mobylo.com/emv/
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Sunday, April 20, 2008
AIDS Memorial
It was good to be playing in service again. I accompanied Jen & Teri Wilder, and improved with a drummer who created a heartbeat rhythm that propelled me inward to a place I can't remember ever being.
The stories massaged my heart unlike anything I've experienced. I've not been touched by AIDS on a personal level...not like these folks. From every walk of life they shared. Some losses were recent. Some almost two decades ago. All equally sad and profound. The survivors are still grieving.
I could feel some anger still behind the grief. Anger for the disease. Anger with God? Time and forgiveness work slowly, but effectively.
I know the answer, yet I still ask why...why do we have to bear the pain of loss?
To make us better lovers, I believe.
--
Sent via Empower HTML Mail Viewer For BlackBerry
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
But the one line that stuck like toffee to the roof of my mouth was the contradiction of the unsincere declaration of happiness by the female lead (played by dazed-but-still-hot Keri Russell): "You can't be happy-You're a musican (or was it music teacher) who doesn't play!"
In 10 years I have gone from to late-night impromptu jams in college to...honestly...nothing. I no longer enjoy making music with my students who have a depressing distaste for anything non-urban. I no longer play at church, and my composer spirit seems lost in the ethers.
As always, there is hope. I still listen. Every free moment is filled with music. It is my narcotic of choice...my zune: my needle for swift injection. On Sunday I rediscovered Debussy. Something about the classical moderness of his works; almost jazzy with a loose unpredictability and chords you want to play just to feel their sweet complexity. I played a few pieces in college and I dug up the book.
I'm not a fan of relearning, but it's time to play again.
It's time to play...just to play.
--
Sent via Empower HTML Mail Viewer For BlackBerry
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Saturday, April 5, 2008
I hear it constantly.
I can't not have it in my life.
I'm scared to fall in love with making it again.
I am sad.
I am a musician who doesn't make music.
--
Sent via Empower HTML Mail Viewer For BlackBerry
http://www.mobylo.com/emv/
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Back to work
Return to long days
And short nights
Return to leaving home with only the thought of returning
Missing family
To be in a passionless existence
There are lessons to learn
Patience
Humility
Sacrifice
The challenge to carve time for life's joys is ever-present
The question of what is important always being asked
Happiness is paramount
Love matters
--
Sent via Empower HTML Mail Viewer For BlackBerry
http://www.mobylo.com/emv/
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Sunday, January 6, 2008
balance
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
shall we dance?
of infinite complexity
full of grace and allure
a sumptuous feast of sensuality
to be coveted by those who watch on the sidelines
yet unseen within the dance
am i leading
are you leading
watch the toes
what shall we dance today
is this a new dance
are we doing this dance again
let's keep dancing
my feet hurt
my back hurts
let the music play
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
pure joy
today i saw an adult meet her inner child
and they briefly enjoyed their time together
i watched with amusement as a plump must-be-near-60-year-old woman discover that
gravity can be her her friend on the water slide
she emerged from her first trip down with a look of sheer delight
and squealed (yes, squealed) to the also amused teen-aged lifeguard
"that was fun! i'm doing it again!"
and she almost ran to do it again
she emerged from her second trip down with only a look of content
her inner child and her inner adult parted ways
the child was visible no more