Terrapin Station

Friday Five: Calendaria

Anne says at RevGals:

Whether or not we make resolutions with the new year, we all transition to a new, physical calendar. In recent years my favorite wall calendar is called Pooped Puppies, a monthly collection of sleepy, or sleeping, pups that can’t help but evoke an “awwwww.” for many years my godmother gave me a flat, weekly desk calendar that featured National Geographic photos. One of the great things about calendars is that for each of us they fulfill the “form and function” requirement–a place to indulge an interest while serving a purpose.

For today’s FF, tell us about five calendar themes that you like to see hanging on your walls or going with you to appointments, or that you WISH existed to adorn and accompany your life.

1. My new 2014 office calendar is "Dogs Doing Yoga"

here is a selection. :) This is over my desk and not really convenient to write on, but I love the photos and it gives me handy calendar reference.

2. My home calendar doesn't have a photo theme, just very large grids for each day. It will be useful for filling in class assignments, doctor appointments, meetings, etc. Also, it's the place I put the little stickers to remind me that I need to give the dogs their heartworm meds...!

3. I had a Georgia O'Keefe calendar years ago that I adored:

4. For the last two years, my city has sent a calendar in the mail with all the information on garbage and recycling pickups, city events, etc. It's been exceptionally useful, but I haven't received one yet, so I guess I won't. Boo!

5. And finally, probably my favorite calendars have been ones that family members have compiled with photos of reunions or family members. My brother Don's family did a great one a few years ago, and my sister Nancy had one with her kids on it. I LOVE, LOVE those. :)

oh, and a bonus? As a MONSTER church geek, I always get (from somewhere) an Episcopal Kalendar. It looks like this:

it has all the liturgical colors/seasons, and on the back is the lectionary for each day and Sunday. :)

Because that's how I roll, y'all.

Alleluia in Lent

The first time I did it, I was 26. 

I was in Boston for a training session, and prior to the first event, I had some wandering time to myself.  It was Ash Wednesday, so I looked up the Episcopal cathedral and went for service. 

It was the first time I saw a female priest (!!! and that's a whole 'nother story!!!).  And it was the first time I really HEARD the Gospel from the Ash Wednesday liturgy. 

It's, like, crazy, man!  It says "do one thing," (wash your face, smile, don't complain)  and then the liturgy leads us to completely do another (get ashes on your face and walk around with them on you all day long).  WHAT!?

So I got my ashes, and I rode the train back to my hotel, thinking about that paradox, and noticing that I seemed to fit right in, in Catholic Boston; more people had ashes than didn't.  In my hotel room, I met my roommate and we watched TV news together.  The Gulf War was on and that night SCUD missiles were falling in Israel.  I learned that she was Jewish. 

Before we left for the opening reception, I washed off my forehead ashes.  My roommate hadn't remarked on them before, but she said, "I thought you were supposed to leave those on!"  I said, "I don't think there's really a rule about it." 

There's not.  And ever since then, I've washed away those ashes as soon as possible after I've received them.  It's important to me to get them, and to remember my mortality and that of those I love, and those I DON'T love, and everyone in the world.  To participate with my faith community in that liturgy.  And then, it's time to move on. 

The whole Ash Wednesday liturgy is a church history thing...not a Jesus thing.  It's a tradition, a practice.  Nowhere in the Bible does it say to do the things we do.  That doesn't mean they are bad; but it does mean we might want to look at them with new eyes to see how they really work for us.  In my tradition, we "bury the Alleluias" and do not use the word during Lent.  And mercy, does THAT sometimes get to be silly.  If it's accidentally uttered, oh no!  such comment!  We refer to it as "the a-word."  Oy. 

 

I don't "give up" things for Lent anymore, either.  It ends up not meaning much to me besides a contest of wills, which becomes an obsession.  I know that I can have the strongest will in the world; it's a way of showing off to myself.  But that doesn't get me any closer to Jesus. (My friend Songbird wrote a great homily from which I borrow the "show-off" language.) 

 Yesterday I posted a link about a positive way of looking at Lent.  And that really "hit me where I live" later,  in reading  my friend Kirstin's latest blog post.  Kirstin has metastatic melanoma.  She's been living (and I mean LIVING) with this disease for three years now and blogging her journey. She writes, for Ash Wednesday: 

I need to claim Easter now, because I have no idea if I’ll be here on the liturgical date. My hope is in the Resurrection; I’ll be damned if I’m putting that off for six weeks because the church tells me it’s time to. I’m with the Orthodox; why are we ever proscribed from praising? God’s nature does not change because of our season. 

What am I doing for Lent? Saying alleluia and living in the moment. Seizing the joys that I can find. Looking for perfect nows. Spending time with friends. Being alive and awake in love.

And I say, with Kristin and for Kristin, and for all of us in the world and our fears and pains and hopes:   Even at the grave we make our song:  Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Christ the King Sunday

One more Sunday before Advent, which we celebrate as Christ the King Sunday.  What does that mean?  I've done a little research.

Here is a good sermon on it from Duke.  It's the end of Ordinary Time (which doesn't really mean "dull" or "unremarkable" time, but rather "counted" time).  Here's another resource. 

I am determined to stay in Advent this year, rather than rushing forward to Christmas too soon.  And part of that will be staying in Ordinary Time until Advent comes! 

Enjoy.