Author Archives: Jen

About Jen

Jen isn't quite sure when she lost her mind, but it is probably documented here on Meditatio. She blogs because the world needs her snark at all hours of the night... and she probably can't sleep anyway.

Lenten Worship Music (V)

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Today’s music is the song “Down in the River to Pray” made popular by the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?. I first heard it at a seminary potluck being held in someone’s room and had to have it. Since then, I’ve heard it done by gospel choirs and sang it at church camp during Vespers next to Flathead Lake. I love the simplicity of it as well as the fact that it can be extended indefinitely by adding people being invited to go “down in the river to pray”. Another reason I love it: it’s one of the songs I sang to Daniel during our PICU experience last year and that I probably sang to him in the NICU during our post-bath cuddles one night.

Some words on the history are here.

I have a YouTube video of the song with images from the BBC. The singer is Allison Kraus.

15 Reasons Why I Stay in the Church

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Earlier today, Rachel Held Evans posted 15 Reasons I Left the Church. The seminary president of my Lutheran sect denomination posted a rebuttal of 15 reasons why I came back to the Church. Having read both, I decided to post my own response.

01. I stay in the church because while worship and Bible study are important, I find that our monthly Ladies’ Night Out blesses me and causes me to grow in unexpected ways.

02. I stay in the church because when we talk about sin, we also talk about God’s love and forgivness.

03. I stay in the church because sometimes I have the answer to the questions others ask. Sometimes, they can help me find the answer to the questions I ask. It’s all about “working out our salvation with fear and trembling” in the words of Philippians 2:12b.

04. I stay in the church because if it’s going to be anything other than a cult or a country club, there needs to be a voice speaking up, welcoming people, and advocating for the viewpoint that we’re a hospital for sinners.

05.) I stay in the church because whether or not the earth is young or old is not a hill on which I care to die and somehow it isn’t the most pressing issue that we’re being called to engage.

06.) I stay in the church because during those times I have doubt, I have a community of people picking up the slack in my faith and being present for me in the midst of my doubt. In this fashion, they are helping me to stay with God even during the times I put Him on notice.

07.) I stay in the church because it was someone trying to make me into their “project” that helped me find my voice and my assertiveness. It doesn’t hurt that I’m also the focus of God’s love and that in serving Him and immersing myself in the Word, I become a better person.

08.) I stay in the church because I believe that in Christ, there is no Democrat or Republican. I also respect that people have to make their own political decisions and that their decision may not be mine.

09.) I stay in the church because I believe in engaging and struggling with the passages in the Bible that include violence, misogyny, and genocide.

10.) I stay in the church because I need the reminder that I am dependent on others in such a way that I am part of a community of faith rather than a lone wolf Christian. Being dependent on others means that there are people to catch me when I fall and that I sometimes have to do the catching.

11.) I stay in the church because whether or not I believe in having a woman behind the pulpit, I know that I am part of the priesthood of all believers and can minister to others that way.

12.) I stay in the church because our outreach enables us to help a wide spectrum of people through things like food banks, helping out at homeless ministries, and raising funds for charities. Quoting Grey’s Anatomy, “it’s what Jesus would fricking do!”

13.) I stay in the church because it spawned people like William Wilberforce and organizations like International Justice Mission. Having a food pantry box in the narthex reminds me that I’m blessed to have food. Working with a local homeless mission through the church reminds me of how lucky I am to have a roof over my head.

14.) I stay in the church because I had people who held me through those times when I doubted God’s existence and who ministered to me during my “dark nights of the soul”, helping me to keep the faith even when I wasn’t sure I had any to begin with.

15.) I stay in the church because someone needs to gently remind people that those signs violate IRS rules concerning organizations with 501(c)3 status, one of which is that churches cannot tell their parishioners how to vote or they risk losing their tax-exempt status.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.
— 1 Corinthians 12: 27-31 (NIV)

Despite everything I’ve been through as a pastor’s wife, I’ve chosen to remain in the church because I know that I am part of the Body of Christ. I also know that I would fall flat if I ever stopped being part of the church because I’ve tried doing it on my own and I fell flat. Being part of the Body means being part of a community where we ideally journey to heaven together and help those who have fallen along the path.

Some C.S. Lewis for Today

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I’m having a seriously tough time trying to come up with something so accept some C.S. Lewis today.

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would be either a lunatic ?? on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg ?? or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
— C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity

Our Song

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For the link-up at NFP and Me

What’s your song? Share a video if there is one?

It’s called “Take Her in Your Arms” and it’s off of a Celtic compilation album that Jon had when we were dating. I heard it the first time and we were hooked. We also didn’t have dancing at our wedding so we’ll use this one as “our song”.

Did you always have a song or did you have to find one?

This just kind of became our song after we first met in person for the first time in March 2000.

Why did you pick this song?

Well, we’re huge Celtic music fans. (Well… we’re Celtophiles in general.) It’s completely silly and snarky but it has a great message — “Take her in your arms and tell her that you love her/ Take her in your arms and hold that woman tight/ Won’t you take her in your arms and tell her that you love her/ If you’re going to love a woman then be sure and do it right!” It’s honestly that simple.

What does it mean to you?

It’s just a reminder that love doesn’t have to be a huge and complicated undertaking.

How was the meaning changed since you first chose it?

It hasn’t changed. We still love it and we still believe in the simplicity of it.

Won’t you share a picture of you two dancing? (Doesn’t have to be a wedding picture!)

We don’t have one of us dancing so here’s just a wedding one.

Us on March 23, 2002

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: March 19, 2012

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY March 19, 2012

Outside my window… mildly sunny and in the 50’s.

I am thinking… that I hate allergy season.

I am thankful… for Daniel signing “more” on his own while I was bouncing him on my sister-in-law’s exercise ball. After he spontaneously signed it, he got LOTS more bouncing.

In the kitchen… making pasta salad at some point this week.

I am wearing… black zip-up hoodie, light blue v-neck shirt, and Left Behind shorts.

I am creating… clean dishes.

I am going… to do laundry at a parishioner’s house tomorrow. (Our dryer is demon-possessed.)

I am reading… Fearless by Max Lucado and Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner.

I am hoping… Daniel goes down for his nap soon.

I am looking forward to… my anniversary dinner on Friday. (10 years!)

Around the house… doing dishes. Whee.

One of my favorite things… Bertolli’s frozen soups for two.

A few plans for the rest of the week: PT tomorrow, speech and mid-week Lenten dinner on Wednesday, OT and leaving for San Jose on Thursday, haircuts for Daniel/me and dinner out for our anniversary on Friday, and coming home on Saturday.

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

101-in-1001: Catching Up

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Last night, I was having difficulty sleeping so I decided to go through my 101-in-1001 list and see what I could tick off.

007. Yearly exams every year until deadline. (2009, 2010, 2011)

My deadline is May and I’m not due for my 2012 one until October.

010. Keep Lenten discipline faithfully once during this time.

This would be my Occupying Lent posts?

018. Perform a serious classical work for voice.

Vivaldi’s Gloria, a Hallelujah Chorus flash mob, and parts of other classical works during my time in the choir at Christ Lutheran Church in West Covina.

024. Grow an herb garden.
025. Plant a garden and harvest it one year.
026. Grow my own pumpkins for Halloween.

Did this in 2011 and will do it again in 2012.

028. Teach Daniel sign language.

Finally got him to use “more” and “all done”.

036. Give a speech or presentation of some nature.

I do this semi-monthly for Ladies’ Night Out because I usually get tapped to do the devotional.

038. Send out Christmas cards every year. (2009, 2010, 2011)

I’ve sent out picture ones all three years. Thank God for reward points from Pampers.

059. Twitter daily for three months.

That would be December 2011 to present.

095. Do a walk/run for charity.

I did the Promise Walk last year and am doing it again this year.

100. Blog daily for a month.

By the time Lent is over, this will be accomplished.

Hymns That Speak to Me Right Now (II)

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A hymn that you hear on a lot of Christian hymn compilations is “Softly and Tenderly”. It is one of those hymns that people think of when they hear the words “altar call” and a number of famous Christians including Martin Luther King Jr. had it sung at their funerals.

A story from the Net Hymnal page for it: When the world-re?nowned lay preach?er, Dwight Ly?man Moody, lay on his death bed in his North?field, Mass?a?chu?setts, home, Will Thomp?son [the hymn’s composer] made a spe?cial vi?sit to in?quire as to his con?di?tion. The at?tend?ing phy?si?cian re?fused to ad?mit him to the sick?room, and Moody heard them talk?ing just out?side the bed?room door. Re?cog?niz?ing Thomp?son??s voice, he called for him to come to his bed?side. Tak?ing the Ohio po?et-com?pos?er by the hand, the dy?ing evan?gel?ist said, ??Will, I would ra?ther have writ?ten ??Soft?ly and Ten?der?ly Je?sus is Call?ing?? than an?y?thing I have been able to do in my whole life.??

The words (with the refrain bolded):

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He??s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

The first two lines of the refrain are probably some of the best sentiments put to music in Christianity — “come home, come home, you who are weary, come home.” How awesome and wonderful is it that our God is calling us to come home to his presence when we are so weary and beaten bloody by the world? The last two lines aren’t so bad either — “earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!”

As always, here’s a YouTube video of the song. It’s a duet with Selah and Cynthia Clawson. The tune is what is sung at the beginning. Selah comes in doing harmony toward the middle. I chose this one not because I like the harmony but because it was almost impossible to find any other ones where it was sung in a non-twangy country way.