In my view we have two options. Either we give up the concept [of religion] and replace it with better concepts, or we find a justification for the concept which addresses the concerns of the critics without drawing their conclusions. The first option has been tried, but the more neutral concepts like ideology, culture, knowledge, or discourse fail to capture differences and complexities the concept of religion is able to address. This may also explain why some critics who maintain that the concept of religion should be given up still use it in their book titles....If even the critics cannot come up with a more convincing alternative, then it makes sense to pursue the other option of thinking about a better justification of the concept of religion.
In order to do so I propose to counter the discursive deconstruction of religion as a universal concept with its referential legitimation.
Hello, all. I have no idea if I will ever get to a place with an internet connection. So, this will probably be a long post. Sorry. Another thought, read all of this with a slight southern accent. I have one. It reappears whenever I am around family.
Chp. 1 - Tuesday: Selling Cows
Trish's daddy raises some beef cattle. It is a small herd, nothing to get real excited about. Well, Tuesday Trish and I had an appointment at West Manor to see the house and grounds. We thought that it would be too opulent for our tastes, too expensive for the budget. Well, we were right...and not so. Barely too expensive. Barely too opulent.
We also went to the church, Mentow Baptist. The sanctuary sits 175...200 if they love one another. There is our cap, ladies and gentlemen. 200 people who love one another, or are at least a little loose, will receive invitations to the grand happenings in Huddleston next September.
All this to say that when you have only 150-200 folk for a reception at West Manor, it becomes almost affordable. We were telling Trish's daddy (Jerry Austin, gentleman farmer and all around good old boy) about it and the cost. He shook his head, and in his always understated humor he said to his wife "Well, Janet, it looks like I sellin' some cows. Yep. That'll do it." For some reason this just cracked me up. It probably has to do with Father Abraham from the dioceses of Sudan who told me once that Trish was very attractive and that she would be worth a great number of cows. Who knew?
So, now I think in terms of how many cows something is worth. One. Few. Some. A bunch. This is my new currency.
Chp. 2 - Wednesday: Roughing it with Mom
My mother and I are staying in a cabin on Smith Mountain Lake. It is a beautiful spot. Janet works for some people who own property down here so she gets to use some of these place for cheap or free at Thanksgiving. Most of Trish's family comes to this function. That's 50-plus people to house. My mother and I are doing quite well in our little three room cabin. It has an eastern view of the lake. The sun rose this morning over the hills. There is a mist rising off the lake. It is a cold morning for this time of year. The holly and the pine trees are evergreen and it is their time to shine. You can see the Blue Ridge Mountains from here. Mom has been thinking of where she wants to retire. I imagine she would love to be here. Who knows.
Several friends appeared in my dreams last night. My brother, Leo (with a blonde afro), Susie (with her longer hair), Jane Ellen, Rich and myriad Seaburians were there. It was an odd dream. I did not know that I needed potted plants for my classes next term. Well anyway, I was reminded in my dream of a sermon I once heard. In the dream I was preaching to people who were in line with me.
You see, its like this, brothers and sisters. We do not come to Jesus because we are curious about God. We never get to "know Christ." That is an illusion. Upon further reflection we realize something else. We realize that it is we wish to be known. It is we who can feel so alone that we need to know that whatever challenges we face, no matter how isolated we feel, there is someone, a person, who knows us. There is someone to whom we never have to explain ourselves. He knows our inmost thoughts. We were known since before we were in our mothers' wombs. This is the love of God. This is Christ.
Any search for Self is really a search for the presence of God in our souls, our lives. It is that search for that relationship with the Universe. That is the search for Christ. It is healing. It is peace.
It preached really well in the chekout line in my dream.
Chp 3 - Meeting Tim Mathias
You know, we met the pastor on Tuesday. There is something incredible about the guy. He went to BTSR and has been at Mentow for all of nine months. He wanted to talk to Trish about what the church was like in her days there and how it may have played a part in her moving to Chicago to explore a career in acting. It seems such an irony. These are homegrown people. They spend generations here at the feet of the Blue Ridge. How could one of their own leave? The church gave her the strength and courage to do so. Powerful, really. Tim must be seeing some stuff he cannot quite put his finger on.
Tim is a great guy. When I mentioned that we would like him to perform the Lord's Supper liturgy in our service he seemed honored. When I told him that there might be Episcopal clergy and seminarians in the midst, he said he was a little nervous. "Those guys do eucharist for a living." Funny. He also suggested that we should do what we want when we talked Tuesday. So, we may very well process forward to receive the elements. Who knows. Stay tuned for further developments.
Tim is a great guy. He suggested we use wine.
Chp. 4 - Thursday: Let Sleeping Turkeys Lie
Insomnia seems to be the rule of the cabin. Mom was awake at 4:45. I was awake 30 minutes later. There is no good reason. Maybe I am anxious about playing golf with the boys today. I know. I have not played golf since college when I took a "Fencing and Golf" phys-ed course. Yes, I went to that kind of liberal arts university. I learned how to make a very nice Bombay and tonic there as well. Has anyone seen my cufflinks?
Really. I need them.
So, I will don my golf apparel and attempt to win the coveted Crowder's Cup. It goes to the worst player. I have been thinking of it as "the least of these." This may be as close as I ever get to sainthood. Ha!
Happy Thanksgiving, gang.
Chp. 5 - Thursday: The Pilgrims Invented Golf
I was not the worst. That is good. I was second to worst! But I'll take whatever accolades I can get. Dinner was at 6pm. The food and the chaos were both welcomed. There were 50 or so people. It was no lie. Chuck, you need to go next time I do. Wow.
Chp. 6 - Friday: Off to Gum Tree and Saturday's return
I went to see Dad and Judy all by myself. Sigh. Trish had many people to see and places to go. So, I ventured to the Hanover Hinterlands alone. The visit home was a good one. I really missed Trish, though. We have many kinks to work out where family visits are concerned. Urg.
I saw Scott and my uncle Sam. My uncle Joe and his son Mark visited. Mark is 21 now. That seems impossible but there it is. What can you do? Dad, Joe, Mark and I sat around and played all the "Hudgins Men" B.S. cards we could before I had to leave Saturday to drive back to Huddleston. It was, um, inspiring?
UVA beat Tech. I can't help but be glad. Sorry, Chuck.
Chp. 7 - Sunday: The Return Trip
13 hours in a car, especially a wee small red one (45mpg highway!), is arduous. But we's here in Chicago now. That's all I have to say about that.
It is Monday morning. I am off for three days of interrogation and personality testing. "Yes, doctor. He has a personality." "It is as I feared then. He definitely should not go into the ministry. No one with a personality should preach."
