Dearest Duchess

Our sweet little dog Duchess died on Tuesday, March 25, 2008. We only got to love her for 6 months, but we are glad for the time we had.

(This was taken her first day with us.)

Duchess came to us in October 2007 as a rescue dog. She had quite a story. She had been abandoned in an apartment when the tenants were evicted. She was found a week or so later. She was covered in fleas and had no hair from the middle of body to the tip of her tail. She had to have 8 teeth removed, and she was covered in scabs. It took quite some time for her hair to grow back.

She was quite the scraggly one until we got her groomed.

Her eyes seem to tell the whole story.

She never seemed to learn how to play with others. You could toss the ball and she would simply chase it and then throw it for herself. Her other favorite thing to do was to put the ball or chew toy on her blanket and then shake the blanket to throw the toy. She always made us laugh.

I think today is the first day I haven't balled my eyes out for this sweet girl. It didn't matter that she was with us for such a time, but we really loved her. She died in my arms after a nice long walk. She didn't want to come up the stairs to the apartment, so I carried her.

Those who met Duchess knew she was quite a character. She always wanted to be near everyone and was often underfoot so often that we would trip trying to avoid her. We had tons of nicknames for her...Duchess of Barrington, Duchess Kitty (you'll notice the picture of her sitting on the arm of the chair like a cat), Duchy, Duquesita, and on and on.

She loved to look out the window and would go to any lengths to get a good view!

Easter ~ The New Beginning!

I must say that it was this song (Sunday Morning) by K-Os that pushed me to finally put together this playlist. The refrain repeats over and over "Everyday is Saturday night, but I can't wait for Sunday morning." It is such a happy and upbeat song, and I realized it fits perfectly into that transition between the emptiness of Saturday and the joy of Sunday. I heard or read part of an interview with K-Os, who spoke of the night life of Toronto and how everyone is so focused on the Saturday nights - the parties, the clubs, the hook-ups, etc. But there is just something different about Sunday morning that calls to us. Sunday hearkens back to memories of our grandparents' church and family meals. For us as Christians, there is also the sense that too often we get caught in the pain of Friday or the emptiness of Saturday. Every day of the week becomes a Saturday night - a time of excessive living in this world. But week after week, I find I can't wait 'til Sunday morning - Sunday when everything is made new, Sunday when we become aware of the risen Christ all around us, Sunday when we celebrate the joy of God's promises fulfilled.

Of course, I couldn't end with Saturday night. Even Mel Gibson threw a few seconds of Resurrection in at the end of his movie. Now that Sunday is here, we need to be reminded that Jesus is still here with us. Ben Harper speaks of the Picture of Jesus, which we keep with us "for the times [we] feel lost." Not only that but we ourselves are called to be a picture of Jesus. Though it may lead to our own crucifixion, we are called to continue to be a picture of Jesus for the rest of the world. We must listen to the prayers of those around us. We must use the gifts God has given us to be a blessing to those in need. As Christians, we claim to be the continuing body of Christ in this world. We are baptized into this body, and then the body is fed at the table. So this Sunday, and every Sunday, look at those gathered with you at the table to see a picture of Jesus. Then make sure that Jesus' ministry is carried on, so that others may know God's love.

Christ is risen indeed!

The Triduum ~ The End...?

The Triduum, the last three days. Jesus has entered Jerusalem, knowing what is to come, while his disciples are still trying to figure it all out. This is where it is all supposed to happen. Passover...when we remember God's deliverance. Gathered in a small room, Jesus calls the disciples to serve others, to carry on all that he has begun. He again tells them that he will be going on without them, that they will have to continue the works of mercy and healing that he has shown the world. And this call is what I hear every time I hear Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance. When the song asks if we will "be the savior of the broken the beaten and the damned?...Because one day, I'll leave you" I always think of Jesus' call to continue his work once he is gone. And I respond with the song that "we'll carry on" in the memory of the one who came to save.

Of course, it couldn't end there. Not all of the disciples were happy about things. If Jesus is the Messiah, shouldn't things be different? Why are we traveling around healing people and talking to the poor instead of kicking out the Roman oppressors? Judas had become disillusioned; why, we may never know (at least not this side of heaven). But out of his disillusionment, he betrayed the one he had also come to love. Ani di Franco's song, Dilate, shows just this sort of struggle, the struggle between love and disillusionment, between devotion and betrayal.

And then of course, there is Peter. After Jesus is arrested and taken away, Peter is "accused" of being one of his followers. He is afraid to admit it, and yet he is ashamed once he realizes his denial. I tried to imagine something in our contemporary world that evokes the same feelings of denial and shame. When I heard In Denial by Pet Shop Boys, I knew I had found my song and my example. The song portrays a father who denies that he is gay and feels ashamed both of his sexuality as well as his "need" to deny it. Throughout the song, his daughter tries to encourage him to be true to who he is. Even in a world with greater openness for all people, there are still those who feel they must deny who they are, while at the same time feeling great shame for their denials.

After Jesus has been arrested and abandoned by those he was closest to, he is tried, beaten and nailed to a cross as a criminal. I imagine this must have been the loneliest day of his life, to the point where he feels abandoned even by his Father. But at least he survives. It was a tough choice between two different System of a Down songs for Friday. Chop Suey includes some of the last words of Jesus, but ultimately Lonely Day spoke more of the sense of loneliness that I felt Jesus must have experienced.

And then we come finally to the loneliness of Saturday. It was all supposed to turn out differently. Jesus was supposed to be the one to change things, the Messiah, God's chosen one. But today, he is dead, buried, and the Romans are still in charge. As I thought of the sense of emptiness that the disciples must have felt, I thought of My Immortal by Evanescence. There is just something about the haunting voice, the sense of emptiness and loss, that speaks to what the disciples must have been feeling this day. And yet, in the midst of this we have the ability to remember that Christ is still here. The story hasn't ended quite yet.

Palm Sunday ~ Queen - We Are the Champions

Though many churches have begun celebrating the last Sunday of Lent as Palm/Passion Sunday, I decided that for the purposes of this list, I could actually keep the traditional feasts separate. Traditionally, the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was celebrated on the last Sunday before Easter, and the passion was celebrated beginning on Thursday night. Of course, I think that "triumphal entry" is both highly accurate and extremely misleading. Palm Sunday is the day we commemorate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. After his time of ministry throughout Israel, he enters Jerusalem amidst cheers and calls for God's saving strength. But this is where we come to the misleading part - Jesus did not come to lead a violent uprising. Everyone was expecting him to come in strength and power, and instead, he comes riding a donkey. So I label this song The Disciples' Song, because I feel it better represents their feeling on entering Jerusalem. Jesus enters in his power, but also knowing that the victory to come will not come as others expect. Jesus knows what the coming days will hold. The disciples, Jesus' friends that never seem to catch on, are the ones with the expectations of what this entry means. And so, much as my friends and I after winning an academic team competition, the disciples are entering town with the trophy raised high while Queen blares from the stereo...while Jesus again tries to help them learn what it means to be a servant king.

Resurrection of the Body Campaign

As many of you know the season of Easter begins next week with Easter Sunday. And during Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the victory over death.

What we sometimes forget is that Easter lasts not just one Sunday but for 50 DAYS. That's right...50 FULL DAYS! A few years ago, to celebrate the 50 days of Easter, I decided to "take on" something...sort of the opposite of "giving up" something for Lent. I decided that since we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus...the resurrection of the body...that I should spend the season of Easter trying to resurrect my body! So, I took on some exercise.

Well, I've decided that it's time to resurrect the RESURRECTION OF THE BODY CAMPAIGN. Won't you join me? Here's what's involved: For 50 Days beginning on Easter Sunday (March 23, 2008), add something to your life that will be good for your body. My plan is to add at least 30 minutes of exercise three times per week. I'm also considering giving up diet soda...that stuff can't be good for me.

I'm always more successful with these things if I have friends who are willing to join me. So, think about it....and let me know if you are willing to join in. Let me know how you will be resurrecting your body this Easter season. Will you take the dog on an extra long walk? Will you add a workout into your week? Will you watch less TV and get out more? Will you walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator? What will you do to join my campaign?

I am working on a calendar to hang in my house to track my workouts. If you'd like a copy, let me know. I can't wait to hear what kind of resurrecting you will be doing!

Fifth Sunday of Lent ~ U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name

One of the themes for the fifth Sunday of Lent is "God does a new thing." In other words, God is making all things new and the old ways of doing things pass away. Our criteria for measuring success are no longer based on earthly models, but on God. As I thought about this theme, I was reminded of a retreat that I participated in once. The theme of the retreat was Spiritual Formation through the Arts. During the primary presentation, our speaker was using themes from music to point to spiritual realities. He talked about the eschatological theme behind this U2 song. In certain areas of Ireland, he said, what street one lived on could say a lot about what camp the person falls into. Protestants live on certain streets and Catholics on others. So a person would be judged based on what street they were from. Bono's wish is for a place where the streets have no names, a place where these petty distinctions will no longer be used as criteria to decide who is in and who is out. This is the promised land that God is ushering in through the Messiah - a place where our differences are included but not used to discriminate. What a wonderful place that will be! So let us work together to "tear down the walls" that we have put up to divide ourselves.

Fourth Sunday of Lent ~ Indigo Girls - You and Me of the 10,000 Wars

The primary themes for the fourth Sunday of Lent are mercy and forgiveness. Of course, in a culture where we are not actually to blame for anything we do, what is the point of forgiveness? When we are not actually the cause of anything we do, where does mercy come in? The truth is that regardless of who is at fault, we are called to live in peace with one another. This requires forgiveness and mercy. When we see the pain in another's life, when we recognize our own participation in the sins around us, when we begin to discover the pain we carry with us from past hurts - this is where we find the need for mercy and forgiveness. It is difficult to start on the road to healing with obstacles in the way; mercy and forgiveness begin the process of clearing the road blocks that get in the way of our relationships with one another. This Indigo Girls song speaks well of both the fine line that we walk in our relationships with one another and the need for forgiveness. This song speaks to the constant flow of hurts - both big and small - that are a part of our relationships with one another - the 10,000 wars. But there in the midst of it all, we find recognition of mercy - the open arms inviting us back, even in the face of the wrongs we have done. So let us "sweep the ashes" away and enjoy the silence that comes when we cease to fight. "A moment of peace is worth every war behind us."