Remembering Both Sides of Thanksgiving

Here's an article that discusses educators current roles in trying to tell both sides of the Thanksgiving story.

Growing up, I struggled with the full story and myths of Thanksgiving. I always wanted to know what the Native Americans perspective was about this holiday and whether they believed it was the same or different. Sometimes I think that we have really missed the meaning of the Thanksgiving story.

They had their shot... and failed

The OSU-Michigan game was everything I thought it would be. I love the fact that since Jim Tressel had been at the helm they OWN the Wolverines with a record of 5-1.

What I am getting tired of hearing is that Michigan deserves another shot at my Buckeyes in the National Championship game. I don't believe they are that deserving. A recent Dan Wetzel article on Yahoo! Sports makes the most rational argument as to why USC, Florida, Arkansas even Notre Dame deserve to go to Arizona for the BCS title game:

Ohio State controlled this one, racking up 503 yards on what was supposed to be an airtight Wolverines defense. Troy Smith and his receivers had their way with Michigan's secondary. The Buckeyes running backs peeled off two touchdown runs of 50-plus yards. Yes, anything could have happened at the end, and yes, the final score is what it is. But if Ohio State doesn't commit three turnovers to Michigan's none and commit two third- and fourth-down defensive penalties (de facto turnovers) to Michigan's one, then this isn't that close. Two of Ohio State's turnovers were near their end zone (one on the nine-yard line, one on the 25). This isn't to say things wouldn't be different next time. But to call this a true back-and-forth, anyone's ballgame is dishonest. Only once in the second half did Michigan even have the ball with the chance to take the lead. There is just no definitive way to say that Michigan, after getting scorched on defense and kept in the game mostly because of Ohio State turnovers, is more deserving than those teams.

So factoring in if OSU didn't turn the ball over and allow Michigan to score on two of the three turnovers the score would have been 56-25. Any person on the street would tell you that is a blowout. And had that score been the final we wouldn't even be having this debate. So Mike Hart, quit whining and be content with your 143 yards of rushing and 3 TD's and recognize that you and your team were beat by a much better team (who only kept you in the game because of 3 turnovers) and let someone else get a shot at OSU!

Untamed Faith

After finishing nearly five years of pastoral ministry, I decided to walk away from it for a time, choosing to focus on school and other employment opportunities in the city. I will be the first to admit that I do miss it. I mean, in 10 years of work experience Pastoral ministry encompassed half of that. Now my life is in a different season and it feels weird. Brenda and I have settled into a local CoB congregation and believe that is where we are to be for now. Even though for me it doesn’t feel like A Place Apart or Taize. So after nearly two months of unemployment I finally found something that looks like it will work for a time but all the while I keep looking back at my time in the church. It’s funny how you can simultaneously hate it and miss it in the same breath.

I mentioned in an earlier post that living in the city does not agree with me at all. Maybe that is why my spiritual journey of late has resembled the same sentiment. In a book that I have been reading on the side, I found a bit of wisdom by Howard Macey that really encompassed my journey of late:

“The spiritual life cannot be made suburban. It is always frontier, and we who
live in it must accept and even rejoice that it remains untamed.”

Many of you know (if you’ve talked with me or read this blog) that I am experiencing what I can at best call Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD) and believe it to be the longing that God is instilling in me to pursue my heart’s desire. I have to get away and do my Vision Quest or get to Tracker School by the end of next summer. To make a long story short, I feel as though I am being held captive by a suburban faith when all along it needs to be dwelling on the frontier, untamed by culture and the church. I’ll get deeper into that in my next post or so. Are there any of you that feel the same way?

Guess this makes all of us cowards and traitors!

The Democrats now have the majority in the Senate, House and Governors! This is cause for a celebration! (Unless you’re a Republican) Even though I align myself more with the Green Party, until they are a viable 3rd party I am enthused to see the Democrats finally get the opportunity to put this country back on the right track. It is still amazing considering what happened on the ‘04 election.