January 25, 2009

Chuc Mung Nam Moi!

Chuc Tet rat quan trong. Vay ma dau nam Ky Suu minh da lam loi rat lon. Nguoi ban tu phuong xa goi dien, ma minh khong nhac dthoai de tra loi... Minh con dang nam ngu kho kho kho... Nhu the ma goi la don Xuan!

Khi biet minh da miss cu dthoai thi da rat muon. Goi lai cho nguoi ban ay thi gap cau "thua bao quy khach vua goi hien khong lien lac duoc". Co bao nhieu nguoi dang muon lien lac voi mot nguoi than o VN? Phai chang ho cung can goi dt cho nguoi ay de xin loi? Hoac la de chuc Tet an lanh, vui ve?

Bat dau mot nam moi, ma minh lai co mot cu "missed connection" that la buon. Nguoi do -- chac dang gian minh vo cung. Uoc gi HAT co the goi ngay luc nay de chuc Tet cho dang hoan. Dem giao thua vui khong? Don Tet voi nhung phao hoa co dep lam khong? Chac la bay gio khong khi Saigon rat nhon nhip... Uoc gi HAT dang o ke ben.

Mung Tet am cung nhe, du khong co o gan ben!

(Hinh anh Tet At Dau, lam minh nho Tet que huong vo cung!)

2009 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Day 8

Christian proclamation of hope in a world of separation


Our prayer intentions come full circle on Day 8 when we pray that the spirit of the Beatitudes will overcome the spirit of this world. Christians carry the hope that all things are being made new in a new order established by Christ. This enables Christians to be bearers of hope and artisans of reconciliation in the midst of wars, poverty, discrimination, and other contexts where human beings suffer and creation is groaning.


Scripture

Ezekiel 37:1-14, I will open your graves.
Psalm 104:24-34, You renew the face of the earth.
Revelation 21:1-5a, I am making all things new.
Matthew 5:1-12, Blessed are you...


Meditation

As reflected upon in meditations of previous days, Christians live in the midst of a world which is marked by various kinds of division and alienation. Yet the stance of the church remains one of hope, grounded not in what human beings can do, but in the power and abiding desire of God to transform fracture and fragmentation into unity and wholeness.

Christian hope lives on even in the midst of profound suffering because it is born out of the steadfast love of God revealed on the cross of Christ. Hope rises with Jesus from the tomb, as death and the forces of death are overcome; it spreads with the sending of the Holy Spirit, which renews the face of the earth. The risen Christ is the beginning of a new and authentic life. His resurrection announces the end of the old order and sows the seeds of a new eternal creation, where all will be reconciled in him and God will be all in all.

“See, I am making all things new.” Christian hope begins with the renewal of creation, such that it fulfils God's original intention in the act of creating. In Revelation 21, God's new beginning ends the sin, divisions and finitude of the world, transfiguring creation so that it can take part in God's glory and share in God's eternity.

When Christians gather to pray for unity, they are motivated and sustained by this hope. The strength of prayer for unity is the strength which comes from God's renewal of the created world; its wisdom, that of the Holy Spirit which breathes new life on dry bones; its integrity, that of opening ourselves completely to the will of God, to be transformed into instruments of the unity Christ wills for his disciples.


Prayer

Gracious God, you are with us always, amidst suffering and turmoil, and will be to the end of time. Help us to be a people deeply imbued with hope, living out the beatitudes, serving the unity you desire. Amen.


Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute

January 24, 2009

2009 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Day 7

Christians face to face with a plurality of religions


Day 7 finds Christians confronted with pluralism praying for their unity in God. Without that unity it will be difficult to build a kingdom of peace with all men and women of good will.


Scripture

Isaiah 25:6-9, This is the Lord for whom we have waited.
Psalm 117 (116):1-2, Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Romans 2:12-16, The doers of the law will be justified.
Mark 7:24-30, For saying this, you may go home happy.


Meditation

Nearly every day we hear of violence in different parts of the world between followers of different faiths. We learn that Korea, however, is a place where different faiths-Buddhist, Christian, Confucian-mostly coexist in peace.

The prophet Isaiah speaks of all tears being wiped away and a rich feast for all people and nations! One day, asserts the prophet, all the peoples of the earth will praise God and rejoice in the salvation he offers. The Lord “for whom we have waited” is the host at the eternal feast.

When Jesus meets a non-Jewish woman who pleads for healing for her daughter he initially refuses to help her. The woman persists: “even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” Jesus affirms her insight into his mission to Jews and non-Jews alike, and sends her on her way with the promise of healing for her daughter.

The churches are committed to dialogue in the cause of Christian unity. In recent years, dialogue has also developed between people of other faiths, particularly those “of the Book” (Judaism, Islam). And if we listen carefully to our neighbors of other faiths, can we learn something more of the inclusiveness of God's love for all people, and of his kingdom?

Dialogue with other Christians should not lead to a loss of a particular Christian identity but to joy as we obey Jesus' prayer that we become one, as he is one with the Father. Unity will not come today or even tomorrow; but together, with other believers, we walk towards that final, common destiny of love and salvation.


Prayer

Lord our God, we thank you for the wisdom we gain from your scriptures. Grant us the courage to open our hearts and our minds to neighbors of other Christian confessions and of other faiths; the grace to overcome barriers of indifference, prejudice or hate; and a vision of the last days, when Christians might walk together towards that final feast, when tears and dissension will be overcome through love. Amen.


Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute

Wrapping and Cooking Banh Tet for Tet

Wrapping banh tet is a tradition central to the celebration of Vietnamese Tet. These delicious rice cakes can be wrapped in the shape of a log (banh tet) or in the shape of a large square (banh chung). Both kinds are made of sticky rice, with mung beans and pork in the center. If wrapped well, when the cake is sliced, the mung beans and pork will sit right smack in the center. Looking beautiful, and tasting delicious!

(Sorry for the blurry photo) If you've ever eaten a slice of banh tet or banh chung, the key ingredient is the teeny bit of pork fat along w/ the bit of port that balances out the rich mung beans surrounded by sticky rice.

As many of you know, I dislike beans of all kinds. But, the great thing about Vietnamese cuisine is that I'm fooled into eating ANY kind of bean. One example is the abundance of beans that can be found in a banh tet.

Banh tet and banh chung are wrapped and cooked in banana leaves, and they are secured by grasses or strings -- and are traditionally cut by those same strings, not by knives (in the new year, you don't want to use knives to cut anything in half, since you risk cutting your good fortune and luck).





Banh tet and banh chung can have savory fillings or sweet. One popular filling is banh tet chuoi (made with a banana filling). The picture above is an image of the mungbean and pork filling, but the banana center is also extremely good!





All parts of the process are important, but everything hinges on the tying. You risk spilling everything if you don't hold the banana leaves properly, and if you aren't careful, each cake will not be watertight. Since they are immersed in water to steam, it's extremely important that you tie it very, very tight.







Here they are, wrapped and ready to cook (steam):


Pile up the "logs" and get ready to cook! There is a great deal of work in making banh tet, but there is much fun. Usually all the women will gather and wrap, all the while talking and laughing. Then they wait and watch as the rice cakes cook. As a young child, I used to love staying up late to "help" cook... But I never did anything other than watch. The joy, though, was in being considered a part of something much larger than a cooking party...


After all that talking, and waiting, the rice cakes are finally cooked & ready to eat:

Another way of enjoying these delicious rice cakes is by frying each slice in light olive oil. When fried, each slice is so crispy and chewy! Serve them up with some pickled vegetables and you've got a big hit!




January 23, 2009

2009 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Day 6

Christians face to face with disease and suffering


On Day 6 we remember in prayer all those who suffer and those who serve them. The psalms help us to see that language of crying out to God in pain or in anger can be an expression of a deep and faithful relationship with God. The merciful response of Christians to the plight of those who suffer is a sign of the kingdom. Together Christian churches can make a difference in helping to obtain for the sick the support they need, both material and spiritual.


Scripture

II Kings 20:1-6, Remember me, O Lord!
Psalm 22:1-11,Why have you forsaken me?
James 5:13-15, The prayer of faith will save the sick.
Mark 10:46-52, Jesus asked: What do you want me to do for you?


Meditation

Common to all our still separated churches is the awareness of our Lord's compassion for the sick. Christians have always followed his example, by healing the sick and caring not only for the souls but also the bodies of God's children.

The deep rooted faith of Hezekiah supports him through sickness. In a time of sorrow, he finds words to remind God of his grace. Yes, those who are suffering might even use words from the Bible to cry out or struggle with God: Why have you forsaken me? When an honest relationship with God is well established, grounded in language of faithfulness and thankfulness in good times, it creates space also for a language to express sorrow, pain or anger in prayer when necessary.

The sick are subjects of faith, as the disciples must learn in the story of the gospel of Mark. The disciples who wanted to prevent the blind man getting near Jesus have to become the messengers of the Lord's caring response: Come, he is calling you.

It is only when the disciples bring the sick man to Jesus that they come to understand what Jesus wants. A healing community can grow when the sick experience the presence of God through a mutual relationship with their sisters and brothers in Christ.


Prayer

God, listen to people when they cry to you in sickness and pain .May the healthy thank you and serve the sick with loving hearts and open hands. God, let all of us live in your grace and providence, becoming a truly healing community and praising you together. Amen.



Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute

Bong Phao Chuoi: Firecracker banana flower!



Day la hinh cua Phao Chuoi, rat tuong tua nhu la phao hoa, nhu la firecracker ruc ro mau sac Tet. This here is what we call a Phao Chuoi which I clumsily translate as Firecracker Banana. I'm not sure what the real name of it is in English, but looking at it growing in my former nanny's garden makes me happy... I think of the beautiful ways in which we name our flowers, and of the beautiful ways we imitate and flatter these gorgeous flora with our human, artificial fire-sounding, fire-crackling devices (almost every Tet I go down to San Jose and see little kids playing with horrid little popping things that they throw on the ground, making little popping noises which always manage to shock me; why do our children like to do such things? did i like to do that when i was a child? would i find such immeasurable joy if i were to buy me a boxful of that stuff and fling each one to the ground? maybe if i were to fling these things like i wanted to sting the earth then i might find more pleasure? maybe if i stopped wondering what would happen to the little carcasses of these poppers then i might possibly have more fun?)... No need to go further than our own gardens to see the astounding Creation of which we are part... Happy Tet!


Two for luck, two for double happiness

January 22, 2009

2009 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Day 5

Christians face to face with discrimination and social prejudice

On Day 5 we pray for the cessation of prejudice and discrimination that mark our societies today. As we recognize that our dignity comes from God, our unity as Christians witnesses to the unity of the one who creates each of us as a unique being of God’s love. The kingdom that we are called to build up is one of justice and love that respects difference because in Christ we are all one.


Scripture

Isaiah 58:6-12, Do not hide yourself from your own kin.
Psalm 133, How good it is when kindred live in unity.
Galatians 3:26-29, You are all one in Christ Jesus.
Luke 18:9-14, To some who trusted in their own righteousness.


Meditation

In the beginning, human beings created in the image of God were but one in his hand. Sin, however, entered the hearts of men and women and since then we have built up all kinds of prejudice. In his earthly ministry, Jesus showed himself to be particularly sensitive regarding the common humanity of all men and women. He continually denounced discrimination of all sorts and the pride which some of his contemporaries derived from it.

Psalm 133 compares the joy of a life shared with sisters and brothers to the goodness of a precious oil or the dew of Hermon. We are given to taste this joy with our sisters and brothers, each time we let go of our confessional prejudices within our ecumenical gatherings.

The restoration of the unity of all humankind is the common mission of all Christians. Together they must struggle against all discrimination. It is also their common hope because all are one in Christ and there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, man or woman.


Prayer

Lord help us to recognize the discrimination and exclusion which damage societies. Direct our gaze and help us to recognize our own prejudices. Teach us to banish all contempt and to taste the joy of living together in unity. Amen.

Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute

Looking for Tet


I didn't think it would be possible, but I am fairly certain that I am heartsick for Tet. The true Tet, the real atmosphere of Tet with all the colors and sounds, smells and images. As Tet approaches (four days and counting!), I feel sadder and sadder when I start reading the articles online and seeing it in the newspapers. The websites are the worse! They post pictures and photos in real time. They have recipes and contests. There are music downloads and articles about traditional costumes and rituals. Advertisements flash on left and right sidebars telling me to send e-Cards, flowers, gifts of all kinds to friends and family "back home."

Today, when it's only four days from Tet, I hardly see traces of the preparation and celebration -- not even a flash of red or a whisper of firecrackers. No vendors hawking their wares, no restaurants advertising special menus. Surely no one I know around here is painting their doors in new colors. I almost don't want to go to the bank to get new money for Lucky Envelopes (that is a tragedy, if that doesn't happen).

There is such a big contrast between my normal routine in these next few days, and what I see on the Vietnamese websites -- the feeling is as if everyone "over there" or "out here" is celebrating except me. Makes me wish I were there -- anywhere -- in the midst of Tet. I miss it. And it isn't even here...

January 21, 2009

Dressing in sackcloth for Tet

Here we are, once again in Ordinary Time, approaching the third Sunday after Epiphany. This Sunday's readings in Jonah 3 and Mark 1 talk to us about turning from life as we know it. In Mark, the first disciples were called to walk away from their nets, away from their vocation, in order to follow Jesus. This is not an easy decision to make -- to leave everything that they are familiar with and to immerse themselves in something completely new, and strange, and mysterious.

And the people of Nineveh were called to stop their current way of life, to put on sackcloth and fast and pray. Those things that they have always done, well, they've got to stop. Things can't continue the way they have been going. There must be change, and visible change at that.

These actions of turning away are not unfamiliar to me. I see these (re)enactments most often at the beginning of the new year when we make new resolutions and we promise ourselves that we're going to start afresh (eat more healthful foods, exercise more, pray more, recycle more, etc.)

This Sunday is also the end of the lunar year, and as we embark upon the new lunar year -- Tet Ky Suu - we remember the traditions of Tet Nguyen Dan: dress in your fineries, light up those firecrackers, forget old debts, clean and paint the house, make things new, etc. These things that we've always done serve to remind us of what is to come -- the spring that rejuvenates and refreshes. Ironic, right? They remind us of who we are as a people of very unique and diverse cultural traditions, and they remind us of who we can become as a nation, as one global tribe.

As Tet nears, I feel more and more nostalgic and I want to participate in these traditions. I'm reminded that I need to turn away from the old ways, to let go of this past year -- the mistakes and mishaps, the missed opportunities -- forget them all like forgetting the old debts, like forgetting the nets that might have trapped me in the old lifestyle. I also need to put on new clothes -- let them be fabrics of brilliant firecracker red or torn and dry sackcloth -- whatever they are, they should remind me of making a definitive turning away and turning toward newer things -- a release and freedom that will motivate me to live life to the fullest, to use my life just like Jonah was finally willing to do.

2009 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Day 4

Christians face to face with ecological crisis

The intention of Day 4 prays that Christians will realize that only together will they be able to protect the gifts that God gives us in creation, the air that we breathe, the earth that bears fruit and the creation that glorifies its maker.

Scripture

Genesis 1:31-2:3, God saw everything he had made and it was very good.
Psalm148:1-5, He commanded and they were created.
Romans 8:18-23, The destruction of creation.
Matthew13:31-32,The smallest of all the seeds.


Meditation

God created our world with wisdom and love and God saw that it was good. Today however the world is confronted with a serious ecological crisis. The earth is suffering from global warming as a result of our excessive consumption of energy. The extent of forested area on our planet has diminished while the deserts are spreading ever faster. Three quarters of ocean life has already disappeared. Every day more than one hundred living species die out. With the apostle Paul we can affirm: creation has been delivered into the power of destruction, it groans as in the pains of childbirth.

We cannot deny that human beings bear a heavy responsibility for environmental destruction. Together Christians must do their utmost to save creation. Before the immensity of this task, they must unite their efforts. It is only together that they can protect the work of the creator.

Christ shows great respect even for the smallest of all the seeds. With the biblical vision of creation as affirmation, Christians can contribute with one voice to the present reflection on the future of our planet.


Prayer

God our Creator, the world was created by your Word and you saw that it was good. But today we are spreading death and destroying our environment. Grant that we may repent of our greed; help us to care for all that you have made. Together, we desire to protect your creation. Amen.

Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute

Praise Song for the Day

Elizabeth Alexander's poem for Obama's Presidential Inauguration.

Sitting in the quiet of Easton Hall's Moore Library, I was stunned by this stanza in Elizabeth's poem:

All about us is noise. All about us is
noise and bramble, thorn and din, each
one of our ancestors on our tongues.


On certain days, I hear only noise and bramble... Even the deepest and longest search for refreshing words of poetry yields nothing. The radio plays classical music over the din of ringing telephones and boiling water for tea and hallway conversations, and all of that -- just noise. Some days, I can't even hear the words in my head, can't seem to recall poems like Jack Gilbert's "The Forgotten Dialect of the Heart" in which everything is substitute and language gets it "all wrong".

At the same time that I'm trying to discern the meaningful sounds (to retrieve something?), at the same time that I'm trying to cancel out the senseless noise (to release something?), I'm trying to make music out of the stories of our ancestors (to create something?)... These are the stories that we sell and retell "on our tongues" as a way of naming and un-naming who we are, who I am.

Praise song for the day that I find the right words and lyrics for whatever it is that I am writing and singing... our traditions, our his/her-stories, our challenges, our mysteries, our surprises, etc. "Someone is trying to make music somewhere" and he or she is doing it using the greatest tools known to human history: stories, poetry, words, art -- magic. What better way than to use our new technologies to tell the oldest stories -- to conjure up our ancestors and traditions, and thereby giving homage and honor to them, before recreating anew.

"We encounter each other in words", says Elizabeth. It's just that sometimes the music is so hard to hear, and my ears have been tuned in the last eight years to war stories, war recoveries, and war histories. Now, starting today, let us use different words to tell new stories, and create something new based upon the values we hold so dear.

January 20, 2009

Musical Composition for Obama Inauguration

"Air and Simple Gifts" -- a composition arranged by John Williams for the 2009 Inauguration of President Barack Hussein Obama.



See the joy on their faces!!

Itzhak Perlman (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Anthony McGill (clarinet), and Gabriela Montero (piano)

Text of Prez Obama's 2009 Inaugural Address

Visit CNN for President Obama's 2009 Inaugural Address.

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."


America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Muted but still heard: Gene Robinson's prayer

Did you read about the controversy surrounding Bishop Gene Robinson's prayer which was not aired by HBO? Read about it here at the Huffington Post.

I'm not ready to label this as another of President Obama's failed promises, and I'm not ready to accuse the PIC of any funny business. Nevertheless, I'm thinking about it and keeping it in mind.

Most of all, I lift up Bishop Robinson's prayer, especially when he prays for President Obama:

"And please, God, keep him safe. We know we ask too much of our presidents, and we're asking far too much of this one. We implore you, O good and great God, to keep him safe. Hold him in the palm of your hand, that he might do the work we have called him to do, that he might find joy in this impossible calling, and that in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity, and peace. Amen."

Amen.

Nhung Tuc Le Tet Nguyen Dan

Go here for a great article about traditions and meaning of Tet Ky Suu 2009. Make sure you have some kind of Vietnamese language program on your computer so you can read the article.

Cac ban oi, minh thay day la mot bai viet rat hay, va khi doc xong, lam cho HAT rat nho Tet tai que nha!

2009 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Day 3

Christians face to face with economic injustice and poverty

Day 3 will offer a meditation on the great disparity between the rich and the poor. Our relationship to money, our attitude toward the poor, is a gauge of our discipleship in the following of Jesus, who came among us to set us free and to proclaim good news to the poor, liberty to slaves and justice for all.


Scripture

Leviticus 25:8-14, The jubilee which liberates.
Psalm 146, (145), The Lord executes justice for the oppressed.
1 Timothy 6:9-10, The love of money is the root of all evil.
Luke 4:16-21, Jesus and the jubilee as liberation.

Meditation

We pray for the kingdom of God to arrive. Today the world community is confronted with the growing precariousness of labor and its consequences. The idolatry of the market (profit), like the love of money appears as ‘the root of all evil'. What can and must the churches do in this context? Let us look at the biblical theme of jubilee which Jesus evoked to define his ministry.

According to the Leviticus text, during the jubilee, liberation was to be proclaimed. The jubilee implied a community ethic, the freeing of slaves and their return home, the restoration of financial rights and the cancellation of debts. For the victims of unjust social structures, this meant the restitution of law and of their means of existence.

The priorities of today's world, in which ‘more money' is seen as goal of life, can only lead to death. As churches, we are called to counter this by living together in the spirit of jubilee and following Christ. As Christians experience the healing of their divisions they become more sensitive to other divisions which wound humanity and creation.


Prayer

God of justice, there are places in this world overflowing with food but others where there is not enough and where the hungry and the sick are many.

God of peace, there are those in this world who profit from violence and war and others who because of war and violence are forced to leave their homes and become refugees.

God of compassion, help us to understand that we cannot live by money alone but that we can live by the word of God, help us to understand that we cannot attain life and true prosperity except by loving God and obeying his will and his teaching. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute

January 19, 2009

Thiep Tet (eCards) tai Tuoi Tre Online



Tuoi Tre Online cung co rat nhieu thiep eCards de cac ban goi thiep Tet cho cac ban be... Hay di xem thu tai day!

Tim Kiem Tet Ky Suu 2009

One more link to help you find Tet Ky Suu online:

Tuoi Tre Online: Tet 2009

Nhin xem cuoi trang home, o ben trai, se thay Tet 2007 va Tet 2008. Makes me less nostalgic for Tet Viet Nam!

2009 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Day 2

Christians face to face with war and violence

On Day 2 the churches will pray for an overcoming and end to war and violence. We pray that as disciples of the Prince of Peace, Christians in the midst of conflicts can bring about a reconciliation rooted in hope.


Scripture

Isaiah 2:1-4, They shall no longer learn war.
Psalm 74:18-23, Do not forget the life of your poor forever.
I Peter 2:21-25, His wounds have healed you.
Matthew 5:38-48, Pray for those who persecute you.


Meditation

War and violence are still major obstacles to that unity willed by God for humanity and are the result of unhealed division which exists inside ourselves, and of the human arrogance which prevents us from recovering the real foundation of our existence.

Korean Christians long to put an end separation between North Korea and South Korea and to see peace established elsewhere in the world. The instability which prevails represents not only the pain of the one remaining nation in the world which is still divided; it also symbolizes the mechanisms of division, hostility and vengeance which plague humanity.

What can bring an end to this cycle of war and violence? Jesus shows us the power which can stop the vicious cycle of war and violence. To his disciples he teaches the renunciation of violence (Matthew 26: 51-52). Jesus reveals the truth about human violence. Faithful to the Father, he dies on the cross to save us from sin and death. Jesus' violent death marks the beginning of a new creation which nails human sin, violence and war to this very cross. He teaches the reestablishment of God's creation, hope and faith in the final coming of new heavens and a new earth. This hope encourages us to persevere in the search for Christian unity and in the struggle against all forms of war and violence.


Prayer

Lord, who gave yourself on the cross for the unity of all humankind, we offer up to you our human nature marred by egoism, arrogance, vanity and anger. Reach out to us with compassion and take care of your people, so that we may enjoy the peace and joy integral to the order of your creation .May all Christians work together to bring about your justice. Give us the courage to help others to bear their cross, rather than putting our own on their shoulders. Amen.

January 18, 2009

2009 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Day 1

Christian communities face to face with old and new divisions

Flowing from the central text taken from Ezekiel, our reflection during the “eight days” of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity brings us to a deeper awareness of how the unity of the church is also for the sake of the renewal of human community. With this awareness comes a grave responsibility: that all those who confess Christ as Lord should seek to fulfil his prayer “that they may all be one so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17: 21). This is why the eight days begin with a reflection on the unity of Christians.

Contemplating our doctrinal divisions, and our scandalous history of separation - and sometimes even hatred - among Christians, we pray that the God who breathes the Spirit of life into dry bones, and who moulds in his hands our unity amidst diversity, will breathe life and reconciliation upon our dryness and division today. On this and each of the eight days, we are invited to pray for situations in our world where reconciliation is needed, especially attentive to the role that the unity of Christians will play in bringing about this reconciliation.


Scripture

Ezekiel 37:15-19, 22-24a, One in your hand.
Psalm 103:8-13, 18, The Lord is merciful and gracious, ... abounding in steadfast love.
1 Corinthians 3:3-7, 21-23, Jealousy and quarreling among you... you belong to Christ.
John 17:17-21, That they may all be one… so that the world may believe.


Meditation

Christians are called to be instruments of God's reconciling love in a world marked by separation and alienation. Baptized and professing faith in the crucified and risen Christ, we are a people who belong to Christ, a people sent forth to be Christ's body in and for the world. Christ prayed for this for his disciples: may they be one, so that the world may believe.

Divisions between Christians on fundamental matters of faith and discipleship seriously wound our ability to witness before the world. In Korea, as in many other nations, the Christian gospel was brought by conflicting voices, speaking a discordant proclamation of the Good News. There is a temptation to see current divisions as a natural legacy of our Christian history, rather than as an internal contradiction of the message that God has reconciled the world in Christ.

Ezekiel's vision of two sticks, inscribed with the names of the divided kingdoms of ancient Israel, becoming one in God's hand, is a powerful image of the power of God to bring about reconciliation. It is a highly evocative metaphor for divided Christians, prefiguring the source of reconciliation found at the heart of the Christian proclamation itself. On the two pieces of wood which form the cross of Christ, the Lord of history takes upon himself the wounds and divisions of humanity. In the totality of Jesus' gift of himself on the cross, he holds together human sin and God's redemptive steadfast love. To be a Christian is to be baptized into this death, through which the Lord, in his boundless mercy, etches the names of wounded humanity onto the wood of the cross, restoring our relationship with God and with each other.

Christian unity is a communion grounded in our belonging to Christ, to God. Prayer for Christian unity is an acknowledgment of our trust in God, an opening of ourselves fully to that Spirit. Linked to our other efforts for unity-dialogue, common witness and mission-prayer for unity is a privileged instrument through which the Holy Spirit is making that reconciliation in Christ visibly manifest.


Prayer

God of compassion, you have loved and forgiven us in Christ, and sought to reconcile the entire human race in that redeeming love. Look with favor upon us, who work and pray for the unity of divided Christian communities. Grant us the experience of being brothers and sisters in your love. May we be one, one in your hand. Amen.

January 17, 2009

Introduction to Theme: "That they may become one in your hand"

"The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2009 is rooted in the experience of the churches in Korea. In their context of national division these churches have turned for inspiration to the prophet Ezekiel, who also lived in a tragically divided nation and longed for the unity of his people.

Both prophet and priest, Ezekiel was called by God at the young age of 30. Working from 594 through 571 BC, he was greatly influenced by the religious and political reforms which King Josiah had begun in 621 BC. King Josiah had sought to eliminate the destructive legacy of the earlier Assyrian conquest of Judah, through reforms which restored the law and the true worship of the God of Israel. But after Josiah's death in battle, his son King Jehoiakim paid homage to Egypt and worship to a variety of gods flourished. Prophets daring to criticize Jehoiakim were brutally suppressed: Uriah was executed and Jeremiah banished. After the Babylonian invasion and destruction of the temple in 587 BC the leaders and craftsmen of the nation – the young Ezekiel among them – were captured and taken to Babylon. There Ezekiel, like Jeremiah, criticized the “prophets” who were offering unrealistic hopes, and because of this had to endure the hostility and contempt of his fellow Israelites in exile.

Yet in such great suffering, Ezekiel's love for his people only grew. He criticized leaders who acted against God's commandments and sought to guide the people back to God, emphasizing God's faithfulness to God's covenant and solidarity with God's people. Above all, in this apparently hopeless situation Ezekiel did not despair but proclaimed a message of hope: God's original intention for the renewal and the unity of God's people may yet be realized. Ezekiel was encouraged in his efforts by two visions, the first being the familiar vision of the valley of dry bones which, through the action of God's Spirit, are restored from death to life (Ezekiel 37: 1-14).

This year's week of prayer materials are based on Ezekiel's second vision which depicts two pieces of wood, symbolizing the two kingdoms into which Israel had been divided. The names of the tribes in each of the divided kingdoms (two of the original twelve in the North, and ten in the South) are written upon the pieces of wood, which are then brought together again into one (Ezekiel 37: 15-23).

According to Ezekiel the division of the people reflected - and resulted from – their sinfulness and alienation from God. They may become again one people by renouncing their sins, undergoing conversion, and returning to God. Yet ultimately it is God who unites God's people by purifying, renewing and liberating them from their divisions. For Ezekiel this unity is not simply the joining of previously divided groups; it is rather a new creation, the birth of a new people which should be a sign of hope to other peoples and indeed to all of humanity.

The theme of hope is also expressed in another text which is dear to the churches in Korea. Revelation 21:3-4 points to the purification of God's people, to embody the true peace, reconciliation, and unity which is to be found where God dwells: “He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more…”

It is these biblical themes – unity as God's intention for God's people; unity as God's gift, but requiring conversion and renewal; unity as a new creation; and the hope that God's people may yet be one – which have inspired the Korean churches in offering these 2009 Week of Prayer materials."

Also visit the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle. This week, we pray for Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Western Sahara, Tunisia.

January 16, 2009

Goi Thiep Dau Xuan: eCards for Tet


If you're looking for eCards in Vietnamese to send for Tet, visit:

Thanh Nien Online


Photo courtesy of Thanh Nien Online

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

This Sunday, January 18th, kicks off the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity gives Christians an annual opportunity to continue their quest for the unity they already share in Christ. It is also a time to gather in praise of the Triune God and to deepen the understanding of the ecumenical movement. By joining in this annual celebration Christians raise their voices, hands and hearts to God seeking the fulfillment of the prayer of Jesus, the Son of God, “that they all may be one.”

The Church Unity Octave, a forerunner of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, was developed by Father Paul Wattson, SA, at Graymoor in Garrison, New York, and was first observed at Graymoor from January 18-25, 1908. Today, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity invites the whole Christian community throughout the world to pray in communion with the prayer of Jesus “that they all may be one” (John 17:21).

In 1966, the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches and the Vatican Secretariat (now Council) for Promoting Christian Unity began collaborating as a common international text for worldwide usage. Since 1968 these international texts, which are based on themes proposed by ecumenical groups around the world, have been developed, adapted and published for use in the United States by the Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute.

The Week of Prayer also invites those who participate to use it as an opportunity to examine the effectiveness of the ecumenical movement in seeking to end the divisions among Christians. From the smallest to the largest communities, from all cultures, races and language groups, from all the baptized to all those in ordained ministry, the Week of Prayer is also an opportunity to ask examine the level of support they have given to this important movement in the life of the Church. An accounting of each Christian's discipleship and faithfulness to the proclamation of the Gospel — the good news of reconciliation — can be taken every year during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.


Go to Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute for suggestions on how to observe this Week. They have the full history of how all this began, an explanation of this year's theme ("That they may become one in your hand"), homiletic notes, poster order forms, etc.

If you want the shortened versions and more resources, the World Council of Churches also provides a great PDF document prepared by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, a Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches. I think this document can be saved and redistributed.

Each of these sites offers ideas we can use to reflect and meditate on the meaning of Unity in God. I've looked at the daily meditations and scriptures chosen for each day of the week provided by Graymoor and I'm excited. Check it out here!

MLK, jr. Day

We give you thanks, Holy God, for the saints who have borne witness to your Word throughout the ages. We give special thanks for your servant Martin Luther King, Jr., who responded to your voice to serve and gave his life for the cause of love and justice in our land. May we too respond with the depth of commitment that will enable us to give of ourselves in full measure, even to the point of death. May the Holy Spirit guide and direct us, we pray, that we too might feel the call to serve your people. May we not tire of doing good in the face of wrong and evil. May we continue to work for a nation marked by justice, love, and fellowship as only you can create. Inspire our hearts, strengthen our wills, build up our resolve that we too might become worthy of the heritage that has been given to us in the witness of Martin Luther King, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Visit here for great resources for worship resources in observance of MLK, Jr., Day.

Somewhere Only We Know

is this the place we used to love?
is this the place that i've been dreaming of?

oh simple thing where have you gone?
i'm getting old and i need something to rely on
so tell me when you're gonna let me in
i'm getting tired and i need somewhere to begin

this could be the end of everything
so why don't we go
somewhere only we know


- Keane, Hopes and Dreams

January 15, 2009

Hats in 3s

What do these images conjure up in the crevices of your mind?

Top of Traditional Vietnamese Conical Hat, Vietnam by Keren Su
Top of Traditional Vietnamese Conical Hat, Vietnam


Stacked Hats and Blue Door, Morocco by Bruno Morandi
Stacked Hats and Blue Door, Morocco


Ten Gallons by Steven Mitchell
Ten Gallons

Your Mission, should you choose to accept it

No doubt you'll laugh when I say that being Mandated to provide coffee hour at my church is like being Asked to be sit on the church Board of Trustees when everyone runs the other way, is like being Commanded to carry Jesus' cross on Via Dolorosa, is like being Called to preach the punishment of the house of Eli.

You can laugh, but first let me back track: This past week, an announcement was sent out to the members in our congregation saying that a sign up sheet would be available for volunteers who wanted to provide refreshments for our after-worship Coffee Hour. We were also told that if we did not sign up, we would all be assigned dates on which we were responsible for providing refreshments for said after-worship coffee hour. After being involuntarily signed up, it is our duty to check the calendar to see when we needed to provide refreshments, and swap dates with a substitute if we "can't make it the week assigned." We were told that if everything worked out, "each family or pair" would only need to do this twice a year.

Coffee Hour in our church used to be a fun affair. We celebrated many birthdays, met with many guests and visitors, and ate a lot of great food (and a fair share of bad coffee). Sometimes coffee hour blossoms into a full-on 3-course lunch. Other times, we satisfy our taste buds with donuts cut in half. Regardless of what's offered at the table, Coffee Hour served up fellowship -- spiritual and physical nourishment for the weary soul.

Because of this, I believe strongly that Coffee Hour (in all its manisfestations) in any church ought to be a voluntary ministry of the people of the church. If the people in church find coffee hour an important ministry deemed good and beneficial for fellowshipping, then we need to do it -- graciously, willingly, unreservedly. Coffee Hour is a time to gather after we have worshiped together and greet one another, to inquire about each other's lives and work, to welcome new guests, and to visit with old friends; for many of us, it is the weekly time (in between worship and meetings) when we get to renew our acquaintances and inquire about each other's well-being.

When you think about it, isn't the table set up during Coffee Hour an extension of Christ's Open Table set out for all, to welcome all to celebrate the Love Feast? Is that not a way of opening ourselves up to partake of God's Love through food that nourishes the body and the spirit, to build community?

Seems to me you take all that away if you start assigning people dates. I wonder, if some people didn't want to volunteer to bring refreshments, you think assigning a date to them is going to help change their mind and spirit? And after you assign them a date, you tell them they need to check the calendar to know when to bring the refreshments that they didn't want to bring in the first place.

I don't know about you, but that is not a love feast set out with open hearts. Whatever that will be served certainly will not be served with sweetness and kindness. If the church believes this is an important aspect of our community, then perhaps the church budget should dedicate $50 bucks for coffee and donuts each Sunday.

I haven't even started talking about the unseemliness of putting such an announcement in our church bulletin. The language did not sit right with me. I believe strongly that anyone who feels like they're a part of the church family would want to join in Coffee Hour. If they do not, there must be a reason, and whatever the reason, we should not be printing such messages of "mandatory volunteerism" in places where our guests and visitors unfamiliar with our church traditions and customs might find confusing, strange, even ridiculously presumptuous. Might a visitor read the message as saying "Join our church and you're assigned this task whether or not you like it"? What else does it say about the way we do things at this church? What does it say about how we communicate (or not) with one another? What is this business of "telling it slant"?

And, yet. (Here's where I'm trying to speak to the other part of me.) Isn't being a member of Christ's family sometimes a little bit like being coerced into doing something you were originally unwilling to do? Yes, Christ's table is open for all to come and partake, but once you've partaken, baby, you're taken. There's no going back. You've started something that sometimes might leave you out of control. Whether you like it or not. (Yes, I'm skirting the issue of free will here, but let's just leave it there for the moment.)

I'm on the fence about this little issue, and I can't seem to decide one way or another how I feel. Like it, or not. Sometimes, it's not. I'm not sure why contributing to coffee hour has not been on my radar. (It has something to do with being a single, young professionals who is poor.) But I have contributed to Coffee Hour, and when I do, I do it wholeheartedly b/c I want to. Not because I'm forced to. Not because I want to impress them (though all the moms like to scuttle around and ooh and aahh that a single young woman can cook). Because I have a choice.

But, some say, isn't it more of a sacrifice if you do something that you don't really want to do? (I can't tell you how often I've heard "this is what it means to be a Christian making sacrifices." Puh-lease.)

This Sunday's lectionary includes I Samuel 3, in which good ol' Sam is called by Yahweh in the middle of the night for a secret message. This is not, my friends, a visit from the Tooth Fairy in which you get a shiny new coin beneath your pillow. Take away the over-whelming awesomeness of being called by name by God and you have to face the fact that little Sam is entrusted with the awe-ful task of revealing the vision of punishment and destruction dealt to the house of Eli, his teacher, guardian, master, father figure, what have you. He's called to say "ahem, your house has been marked by Yahweh." Not a pretty Calling. Not a mission that any boy, good or bad, young or old, could take lightly. All night Sam laid there, and with the morning coming on, he still was afraid of his task, afraid to speak his vision, to complete his assignment. He could not delay the inevitable forever. Even if he did not complete his assignment, the truth of God's vision would still be fulfilled. He had no choice but to speak.

Now take Mission Impossible: At the beginning of every tv show episode (and then movie), there's a mission that is assigned to a special agent or team. After every assignment is discussed, the agent or team is told they will be disavowed if they are caught. It's a mere t.v. show or blockbuster movie, but the idea is intriguing: When being called to a mission of jeopardy, when it is impossible, and might even fail, though you may not like it, and though you may want to reject it, the question remains unchanged, "should you choose to accept it."

It is not with a little embarrassment that I say I'm upset about the coffee hour assignments. Not because I don't want to bring refreshments (I make a mean Thai Dessert!). It's that there seemed to be very little choice, perhaps none at all. I'm not Moses or Abraham. I'm not Esther or Elizabeth or even the young rich man asked to sell all his possessions. And I know that sometimes when asked by God you do not bargain as if you have a choice. But, maybe, just maybe, I'll be petulant and demand that unless I, too, get my directives from God (preferably in a great booming voice) I don't want to be assigned anything as if I supposedly volunteered to do something I don't want to. And definitely not in the weekly newsletter.

(Oh alright, just so you don't think I'm merely a complainer, I eventually did sign up for Coffee Hour. For Father's Day.)

January 10, 2009

"He saw the heavens torn apart"

As I was pondering about this week's lectionary and the painting below by He Qi, I wanted to blog about the words "torn apart" in Mark 1:10, mostly because I don't always envision the scene as this painting depicts it: a holy ray of light shining down on Jesus's head with the Spirit descending like a dove. I wanted to say that sometimes, I think about the ragged edges that are "torn" -- not something that can be seamlessly sewn together after being ripped asunder. I wanted to say that even if the heavens were torn, the scene probably wasn't as beautiful and peaceful as we often imagine it to be. I wanted to talk about so much more. But then I found this incredible sermon by the Rev. Dr. Barbara K. Lundblad, who articulated everything I wanted to say, and much, much more.

Here is a small excerpt:

But the torn place is where God comes through, the place that never again closes as neatly as before. From the day he saw the heavens torn apart, Jesus began tearing apart the pictures of whom Messiah was supposed to be--

Tearing apart the social fabric that separated rich from poor.
Breaking through hardness of heart to bring forth compassion.
Breaking through rituals that had grown rigid or routine.
Tearing apart the chains that bound some in the demon's power.
Tearing apart the notions of what it means to be God's Beloved Son.

Nothing would ever be the same, for the heavens would never again close so tightly.


Does that not blow you away? Read it here. Dr. Lundblad is Associate Professor of Preaching at Union Theological Seminary in New York, and is ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.



In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." - Mark 1:9-11

the artist He Qi



The above painting of the Baptism of Jesus is by the artist He Qi. His art is the mastery of traditional Chinese folk art with Western modern art. If you visit his gallery, you can see paintings rendering biblical passages with images from Chinese culture and tradition. In the example below, the Adoration of the Magi, you can see the wisemen being dressed in the garb and makeup of traditional Chinese opera. Asian Christian art -- I see it more and more as our awareness expands about the rich diversity of the gospel. How refreshing to not always see a Jesus with blond hair and blue eyes.

January 6, 2009

You Must Revise Your Life

"My life in writing, or my life as a writer, comes to me as two parts, like two rivers that blend. One part is easy to tell: the times,the places, events, people. The other part is mysterious; it is my thoughts, the flow of my inner life, the reveries and impulses that never get known--perhaps even to me. This second part wanders along at its own pace, caught up in a story that touches the outward story but is not the same. Often this inner story hardly belongs to the place where I'm living. Whatever the calendar says, whatever outsiders demand, this other part of my life doubles back and becomes involved in its own chosen events." -- William Stafford, You Must Revise Your Life

January 5, 2009

Calculate your lunar calendar dates

Enter in the dates of the Gregorian calendar (duong lich) and you can find out the corresponding dates in the Vietnamese calendar (am lich) -- check it out here.

Stems of the Vietnamese lunar calendar (am lich)

A lesson on how to calculate and name the Vietnamese years:

Unlike our centuries of 100 years, the Vietnamese calendar is divided into 60-year periods called "Hoi".

This "Hoi" or 60-year period is divided into two shorter cycles; one of a ten-year cycle and the other of a 12-year cycle.

The ten-cycle, called "Can" is composed of ten heavenly stems. Their names and approximate translation follow.

1. Giap: water in nature
2. At: water in the home
3. Binh: lighted fire
4. Dinh: latent fire
5. Mau: wood of all types
6. Ky: wood set to burn
7. Canh: metal of all kinds
8. Tan: wrought metal
9. Nham: virgin land
10. Quy: cultivated land

The 12-year cycle, "Ky", has 12 earthy stems represented by the names os 12 names in the zodiac. Their names and translations in order are:

1. Ty: the rat
2. Suu: the buffalo
3. Dan: the tiger
4. Mao: the cat
5. Thin: the dragon
6. Ty: the snake
7. Ngo: the horse
8. Mui: the goat
9. Than: the monkey
10. Dau: the cock (the chicken)
11. Tuat: the dog
12. Hoi: the pig

A Vietnamese year is named after the combination of one of the names of the ten heavenly stems and one of the names of the 12 earthly stems.


So, for example, my birth year is called "Ky Mui" (wood set to burn; goat) -- which is why some Chinese horoscopes and astrology might say that I'm a fire goat. I think last year I discussed how I'm more a goat and less a sheep. It will be 60 years before the year Ky Mui will return because 2003 was the year Quy Mui. Long live the woodfire goat! Well, hopefully at least for 60 years.

January 4, 2009

Pennies for Peace

So despite the fact that I lost my copy of Three Cups of Tea, I was able to get online to browse the website of Pennies for Peace.

What is the Power of a Penny?

The penny, 1% of a dollar, is symbolic of the '1% of Gross Domestic Product' goal set by the United Nations. The goal was for wealthy countries to give foreign aid to impoverished nations each year. Pennies for Peace teaches children the rewards of sharing and working together to bring hope and educational opportunities to children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. A penny in the United States is virtually worthless, but in Pakistan and Afghanistan a penny buys a pencil and opens the door to literacy.

The mission of Central Asia Institute (CAI) focuses on community-based education, especially for girls. A 5th grade education for girls improves not only the basic indices of health for her and her family, she will also spread the value of education within her community. Literacy, for both boys and girls, provides better economic opportunities in the future and neutralizes the power of despot mullahs and other extremist leaders

To read more about the program, and/or to participate, go here.

Vietnamese New Year: Tet Ky Suu 2009

Chuc Mung Nam Moi!! We're only four days into the Gregorian calendar, and soon it will be time to celebrate Vietnamese New Year!

2009 is Tet Ky Suu (the Year of the Ox; the Year of Ji Chou). It is the second year in a brand new 12-year cycle. New year's eve (dem giao thua) falls on 25th January, and the new year (tan nien) begins on 26th January.

A word on Tet from Vietname-Culture.com (a word to the wise, read this website, um, discerningly): "Tet" is a word of Chinese Origin. It is the phonetic deformation of "Tiet", a Sino Vietnamese term which means "Joint of a bamboo stern" and in a wider sense, the "beginning of a period of the year". The passage from one period to the next may cause a meteorological disturbance (heat, rain, mist) that must be exercised by ritual sacrifices and festivities. Thus, there are many Tets throughout the year (Mid-autumn Vietnamese New Year, Cold Food Vietnamese New Year, etc.). The most significant of all is "Vietnamese New Year Ca" ("Big Vietnamese New Year" or simply "Vietnamese New Year"), which marks the Lunar New Year. Vietnamese New Year occurs somewhere in the last ten days of January or the first twenty days of February, nearly halfway between winter solstice and spring equinox.

And a word of schmultz, just because it's all about starting anew:

"The lunar year festival, or Tet Nguyen Dan, is the largest festival to take place every year in Vietnam. It starts on the first day of the lunar year and lasts for entire week.

Tet is, according to Vietnamese traditional customs, a family-oriented celebration. The most sacred moment is at midnight on Tet Eve, when it is time to bid farewell to the past year and to welcome the New Year. It is also the occasion for people in every house hold to light incense in remembrance of their late relatives, pluck the plant buds, invite the first New Year’s visitor, and toast to each other.

The lunar year festival is the occasion for family members to meet each other. Tet is also the time when every house hold cooks traditional dishes, such a rice cake, a cake made from of sticky rice filled with bean paste and pork meat. The Lunar New Year festival is the most sacred celebration in Vietnam during which people wish each other health and happiness."

There are many differences between the new year of the Gregorian calendar and the new year of the lunar calendar. One tradition that I find quite fascinating (and, frankly, too frustrating since it reveals too much of my failures) is the making of resolutions. In the Viet culture, we don't busy ourselves with lists of things we resolve to accomplish in the new year. More often than not, it's about forgetting the "debts" of tat nien because letting go of the old is better than bringing it into the brand new year (tan nien) -- it's along the same lines of sweeping out of your house the dust and dirt before the first of the year. Everything that is undesirable is swept away, forgotten, to make room for the new. This is about new health, rejuvenation, re-synergizing. For me, that sounds a lot more interesting, challenging, and mentally healthy -- more so than making lists. Well, at least, just for me. I'm not often successful at fulfilling my resolutions; most of the time, after January ends, I've forgotten the list that I dutifully jotted down. When I was much younger, most of my resolutions were insignificant (eat less chocolate, write more). At this age, I'm a bit less romantic, and facing our world condition, my more realistic resolutions are much tougher than I'd like them to be (help end world poverty, for instance).

Let us hope that the new year will bring us greater challenges as well as the strength and courage to meet them head on.