Random ruminations

This has been an unusual spring. In April and May, I had jury duty which meant being on call every Tuesday of the month not knowing until the night before. I reported only two Tuesdays, but it was stressful not knowing when I would have to serve. I like having some idea of the week ahead so spur-of-the-moment isn't my preference.

It's gardenia time. I've cut dozens of flowers over the past week, and my house is filled with the fragrance. All the wet weather we had since last year seems to have made the gardenia bushes happy because they are full of blooms. Even though creation is under curse, even though there is so much that is wrong, there is still so much beauty in the world for which I am grateful. The book of nature, while limited, still speaks loudly of its Creator.

If you like audio books, the freebie from Christian Audio this month has been very thought provoking. Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren picks up the same ideas as in You Are What You Love by James K.A. Smith in a rubber-meets-the-road way. Warren walks through a normal day and examines the every day habits that we have that could draw us to worship and dependence or move us in the opposite direction. I was especially convicted about the need for rest. She mentioned that the Jewish day begins with sunset. So rather than beginning with our activity, the day begins with rest and sleep, an act that demonstrates our dependence on God. Because of this, I have been trying to get to bed earlier and taking the time to unwind in the evening rather than cramming it with more things to do. 

I finished Water Tossing Boulders, and I hope to write a review. There were times I had to lay the book down and just pause to grieve. The most difficult things about reading history are the injustices of the past, not just the actions of individuals but the laws enacted by the government and their justification. Yes the past is the past, but the past shaped us to where we are today. Ignoring it for the sake of making us feel better about ourselves doesn't help. How can we reject what was wrong if we don't have the courage to face it? 

Speaking of history, my public library honored my request and added A Fiery Gospel: The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the Road to Righteous War by Richard Gamble. I will probably get my own copy because I am itching to write notes in the margin and comments like "Argh!" regarding the religious nationalism that The Battle Hymn propagated. I'm planning to write a review on this as well in addition to Dr. Gamble's In Search of the City on a Hill. If you want to maintain the myth of American exceptionalism and Christian nation status, these books will rain on your parade, but for the 9th commandment's sake, I would still challenge you to read them all the same. 

Now that I've had a break writing this post, it's time to go back to work.