I've finished Chapter Five of "Days in the Cold"

I've finished chapter 5 of "Days in the Cold" and I've also gotten pretty far in "Gnosis," I've finished chapter one and it is already around 5,000 words longer than "Days in the Cold."
Peace,
Chris

Check out the current Ozy and Millie story

The question is asked why do nerds love muscle-bound super heros that have more in common with a Jock than with a nerd?
Peace,
Chris

Goooaaalll

This article is about an interfaith football match. Perhaps a more spiritual take on the game than the red crosses on white flags I'm seeing throughout England?
Also I found out that The Lutheran has a blog.
Peace,
Chris

The Iran story wasn't true

Sorry that I linked to that.
Peace,
Chris

Okay... now Iran frightens me

Human evolution explained

A funny site. Check it out.
Peace,
Chris

The May Epistle of Chris Halverson

Greetings all. May has been a slow month here in Uttlesford county, where all the men drink tea, the women are English, and the dogs outnumber the humans at an obscene ratio. Of course after such an eventful previous month anything short of the Second Coming or finding true love would be under-whelming.

The most exciting news this month is that the sun, after a pro-longed absence, has returned. That said, as I sit here writing this while eating brunch at Costas (think Starbucks, except British), holding a large white Amercano, served in a cup the size of my head, in one hand and putting pencil to paper with my other hand, it is grey outside and rains on and off. Each time the sky turns on the spigot the ever proper British, nearly in unison, pull out their umbrellas from some hidden marsupial-like pouch (people watching in a foreign country often becomes culture watching). This human adaptation to its environment does not take me totally off guard; after all I’ve lived in Oregon where natives all have webbed feet.

With the coming of spring has come a change of wardrobe. Not only have we St. Mark’s volunteers began wearing T-shirts, but we’ve been so bold as to put on shorts and sandals as well (unfortunately the unpredictable Essex weather tends to force the shoes back on our feet rather quickly). I’ve imported the Left-coast sport of "Hacky-sac" and Yan, with his long Slovakian legs, has caught on quick. The local sports season is starting up too. We’ve already squished the grass down in the backfield to create a Cricket pitch and you can not miss the fact that the World Cup is on. English flags (not the Union Jack, but the English flag, white with a red cross) are everywhere. One almost wonders if a crusade is going on with so many crosses flying. Along with the joys the nicer weather has brought us, new chores have come as well, (isn’t that what Spiderman’s marvelous sage uncle, Ben, once said, "With great power comes great responsibility.") namely cutting grass. This is done on a weekly, or even bi-weekly basis. Last week I, yes I alone, like Hercules amongst the Aegeans, mowed the entire college grounds in a single day. It was a task I fear I shall have to repeat like Sisyphus, and shoulder like Atlas is said to shoulder the world (by the way if you read a lot of Tolkien and Lewis, the big two of British Christianty’s Literary canon you run across a lot of ancient myths…)

Another kind of mowing has been triggered by the coming sun. Yan and I, with hair as long and unkempt as Samson, have bowed to the blade and shorn one another’s manes. Or, to paraphrase Eric’s words in last month’s newsletter, after Yan and the clipper got through with me I once again, "look like a harbor seal."

This month I’ve had two visitors, both whom you may remember from my December Newsletter, Kate, a fellow YAGM volunteer, and Luke, a Lutheran violin maker who has came here to better the skills of his trade, both from London. I treated them to all the area had to offer, Archery, trampoline, a United Reformed Church service, and a good rummaging through of the book sections in Saffron Walden’s charity shops. Kate left 12 books richer, her booty including the entire Lord of the Ring’s trilogy and The Hobbit for a mere 5 quid! Bowing to peer pressure I bought a book myself, Tolkien’s history of Middle Earth, The Silmarillion.

Later on Sunday my guests joined St. Mark’s RYPpers for a worship service led by yours truly. Because of a projector malfunction, and my own luddite tendencies, the power point presentation that went along with my sermon on Jonah didn’t work. On top of that my sermon notes were on the computer, which decided to be temperamental. So it was truly Chris Halverson: Live and Unplugged. The poor RYPpers, St. Mark’s staff, and my Lutheran-American compatriots were subjected to 40 minutes of quips, melodrama, musings, and corny references to Monty Python. In the end, I think the RYPpers came away with a few good points from the book of Jonah; God is in control, God loves folk we might not think He loves, and the worm that ate Jonah’s favorite plant sounds suspiciously like the Knights who say Ni from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

We St. Mark’s volunteers have reached a strange point in our year. We’ve got our plans ready for returning to our respective countries worked out; our work here has become, while still challenging at times, routine and old hat. It is like, as Vik said to me recently, "When October rolls around, you’ve bought everyone’s presents, you’ve made plans for Christmas and New Years, yet you still have two months until Christmas comes. Your ready for it, but it isn’t ready for you." I thought of mentioning that my own Christmas shopping tends to be of a more slapdash mid-December variety, but none the less I think he was expressing a feeling that we all are kind of feeling.

I thought of our current situation in more theological terms (after all I can be quite theological at times). It’s like we are living in the "already-not-yet." Christ has already conquered Sin, Death, and the Devil, yet here we are living in a world filled with Sin, Death, and the Devil. Likewise, we have already lived into our time here at St. Mark’s and got our heads around moving on, yet here we are at St. Mark’s. Yet, we also think forward, realizing that when we actually leave this place the present reality and now-ness of it will come as a complete surprise and shock to our system in the same way the actuality of people saying "Merry Christmas" sneaks up on us "like a thief in the night."

How to conclude this caffeine fueled epistle? I suppose in the same way I have closed each letter I have written so far, with a story or poem.

Already Not Yet

"They say the sunrise from here is the most beautiful in the world," said Drake.

He said such a thing into a fog bank. Into clouds and sheets of rain. The three of them had been camped on the ledge for three days. Nothing but darkness, nothing but rain. Steven’s lungs had filled with sputum and phlegm, his wife, Mary, was begging Drake to abandon his quest to see the beauty that was all around them, yet invisible through the rough and deadly elements.

"If not for me, for Steve," she pleaded.

"Just wait for it. Please," he replied. His own worry for Steven was great, but his yearning for what he knew to be around him was greater still. He also was convinced that the mere beauty of the rising sun would warm his friend’s lungs and bring him to new health.

"One day," she said, "then we are going, whether the sun comes out or not.

"Fair enough," said Drake, clinging to the rock on which the camp was based.

PS I thought I’d give you all a heads up. I will be flying into Oregon on the 2^nd of August and will be giving a presentation about my time as a Lutheran Missionary in England at Centeral Lutheran Church in Eugene Oregon sometime between the third and 10^th and will be doing a similar presentation at Christ Lutheran Church in Cheyenne Wyoming between the 13^th and 17^th. Hope to see many of you there!

Peace,

Chris

A little more up at Universalbones

It's interesting, I've started writing another novel that I've been planning for a while (think tolkien's "subcreation") and its almost as long as all of "Days in the Cold" already and I've only been doing the actual writing on it for two weeks now.
Not much else to report. Mom and dad are still doing well in Alaska, they went bike riding and saw a moose recently.
I finished Jim Wallis' "God's Politics" not a bad book, though I don't think he really answered "Why the American Right gets it wrong and the left doesn't get it" he gives lots and lots of examples of folks getting it wrong or not getting it, but all he can say as to the why is that the Right is full of bad theology and secular fundementalists on the left dislike theology.
Wallis' view of a godly centerism would be pro-peace, anti-abortion, pro-family, anti-tax cuts for the rich, and pro-third world debt relief. Also it would be for implimenting policies instead of getting elected. The parts of his book I liked best was his concrete examples, witnesses you could call them, of Godly people who put their faith into action. Examples included Desmond Tutu, the 6 point solution for the Iraq conflict people, all those who contributed to the 2000 Jubilee year, and future Labor Party leader Gordon Brown.
Another shining part of this book is the chapter entitled "Dangerous Religion" in which Wallis picks apart Bush's religious rhetoric. He of course hits on the words "evildoers", "mission" "calling" and so on, but he also contextualizes this into a bigger picture, that Bush sees America as a proxy for God! In a 9-11 comemerative speech Bush showed this in the most blatent way, he refered to America as "a light shining in the darkness, yet the darkness will not overcome it." I felt quite insensed by this one and have to say to the Presient. Sorry, as for me and mine we worship the Lord, and that's Jesus, not the home of the free and the brave, the land of military might and high ideals, but a lowly carpenter's son born in the corner of the Roman Empire, a preacher of love and compassion, justice and humility, killed by his own people and by Rome, raised by God.
Peace,
Chris

Chris Halverson Unplugged

Had a bit of a scare during my RYPpers (Rural Youth Project) worship service. I have this whole "Jonah" sermon/power point presentation that I intened to give to them. Then the projector and computer broke. I had no notes, no cute slides of whales, nothing. Still I was able to preach for 40 minutes using only brains, bible, heart, and Holy Spirit. Among other things I've found my quirky sense of humor comes out a lot more when there are no notes (I referenced Monty Python probably 7 times... apparently the worm that eats Jonah's plant goes "Neep, neep")
Peace,
Chris

Iran's letter to Bush

Hat tip to Here We Stand.
Interesting, the president of Iran seems to be a pluralist, in that he thinks he and Bush worship the same God. He asks Bush a lot of questions, talks some about history, but seems to be saying we'll do our own thing one way or another.
Peace,
Chris

The man who will defeat Barbara

Wyoming has got a shot!

Looks like my old nemesis Barbara Cubin may be going down! HUUUHRRAH! It makes me want to switch voter reg. back to Wyoming from Oregon.
Peace,
Chris

I AM

I've written a brief play/presentation about the Trinity for Pilots, the URC youth group. What do you think? How can I make it better? More doctrinally sound? Should I add a refrain about the Godhead in which all three characters speak at once?
Peace,
Chris

FATHER: I am the creator of the universe. Before the world was, I am. I know every hair on your heard. I formed you form the mud of the earth. I chose Abraham and his descendents to be my people, making a promise to him that I shall keep. I was with Moses in the desert and on the mountain. I rebuked David for his sin,and comforted him for his lose. I went with my people to Babylon and brought them home.
Then I led my only son Jesus to the cross and death, and brought him back from death to new life that all of you may follow. I am God the Father.
SON: I am the redeemer. When the Father spoke at the start of creation I was his Word. I came into the world as you did, a human child, born in a stable at the edge of the Roman Empire. When I came of age I was baptized by John and then started to talk to people about the things of life. I said people should love God. I said people should see themselves in others and love them accordingly. I said religion is about worshiping my Father, not being unflexable and having power. I thought all the world should be freed from sin, death, and the devil, and so I hung out with people considered unwanted. I healed the sick, and even raised a friend from the dead. When I was in Jerusalem I disrupted worship in a temple. After that I was killed on a cross.
That wasn’t the end of me though. I conquered death by coming back from the dead in glory. I told the people I hung out with to continue my work and that I would return. I am God the Son.
SPIRIT: I am the sustainer. At the beginning of things I hovered over the uncreated universe and after the Father had fashioned you He breathed me into you, giving you life.
When the Son’s cousin, John, baptized him came to him in the form of a dove and I declared him the Son of God.
After Jesus was resurrected and returned to heaven I came to his companions, the disciples. I came to them so they could communicate to others that Jesus lived, died, and rose again, in any language. The book of Acts says if you are Baptized you shall receive me. I am with Jesus’ followers to this day, leading them to follow him. I am God the Holy Spirit.

The first half of chapter 6 of Days in the Cold is up

Days in the Cold continues on. In other news I'm starting to write a Fantasy novel, titled Gnosis. I've finished the Prologue and started the first chapter.
I've also finished reading "Stories of Emergence: Moving from absolute to authentic." I feel this book is what "a Generous Orthodoxy" should have been. It is a set of 15 autobiographical essays of Emergent Church folk. The people who contributed are quite diverse, from Jay Bakker, son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, to Parush Parushev, a formerBulgarian Communist, to George Baum, a former Lutheran who has a touching story about loosing his brother and his faith to aids, and regaining his faith in a very Lutheran way, remembering his Baptism.
I've also started reading Jimmy Carter's "The Hornet's Nest" and Jim Wallis's "God's Politics." I have to say Jimmy is letting me down, as for Jim, check out his letter to Jessie Ventura.
Peace,
Chris

"There is no Justice"

As I was hoovering the floors today I got thinking about Hamarabi’s law (just hoovering by itself is boring). Hamarabi’s law, is for all intensive purposes a law of retaliatory justice, which is in many ways traditional justice, and at the time of its inception a liberal law used to restrain overzealous, vengeful forms of "justice."

Todays Justice system seems focused on deterrence, keeping people from committing crimes and keeping criminals away from the rest of society. This type of Justice could be called a Restraintative Justice.

Now the question for us Christians is what kind of justice are we called to practice? Jesus says "You’ve heard it said ‘love your neighbor and hate your enemy’ I say unto you love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you." This is in some ways no justice at all. Then I think deeper it’s a Relational Justice. This goes back to loving others as ourselves. It is projecting the I into the Thou, it is admitting that in general people do things not because they are our enemy, not because they are "evil" but because what they have experienced in their life has made them see the world in the way they do.

Now, one might say, "that means everything is relative, we should let rapists rape us, murderers murder us, and terrorists terrorize us, after all they are just acting out in a way rational within their world." By no means, after all loving our neighbor includes loving oneself, and further loving someone doesn’t mean letting them do whatever the hell they want. Instead it includes entering into dialogue with them so they get a wider understanding of why we feel their actions are wrong?

So what of "punishment" or "enforcement" or "education" or whatever we want to call it? My first thought was to create a situation in which they would experience their crime through their victim’s eyes. Basically a symbolic version of Retaliatory Justice. I thought about this for a while. It might foster empathy within the criminal.

Then I thought of the case of Dolstoyevski’s mock execution. When the writer Dolstoyevski was still a young lad he was quite radical, which isn’t a lauded thing in Czarist Russia. He and some of his radical brethren were caught being radical and the order went out "off with their heads" and the first two radicals were killed, next was that author of yore, and the Czar’s horseman came, galloping quickly, and said "the Czar pardons they all, they just have to live in Siberia." Those radicals who remained swore fidelity to the Czar, gave up their radical ways and were emotionally scarred for life.

Now it could be said, in favor of symbolic punishment, that the Czar’s methods were not proportional to the crime, neither in the first action, mock execution, nor in the secondary punishment. Still, when I think of Clockwork Orange and such I wonder about the results of non-physical punishment.

This post is pettering off. If anyone has any thoughts about justice that they had while cleaning rooms in an old abbey post them…

Peace,

Chris