Calendars

As I was enjoying the fresh sounds of spring winds blowing in the newly sprouted leaves of our backyard, I realized how much I enjoy seasons ... again. It has been particularly nice to enter into spring. Tomorrow, the forecast is for thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, while enjoying the passing of time through seasons, I was reading a book discussing the church calendar, which is also meant to mark the passage of time and to help us find particular meaning in the seasons that unfold.

For thousands of years, human beings have enhanced the reality of their lived experience by setting time to seasons and specific occasions in the lunar, solar or agricultural cycle. Often, calendars are created to reinforce certain cultural beliefs - social, theological, political. The Gregorian calendar for instance is largely dependent upon Christianity and was begun to help fix the problem of when to celebrate Easter.

Today, however, I realized that my own sense of time has also been largely determined by two other calendars: scholastic and athletic.

I was particularly struck by how much sports dictates my understanding of time and seasons. For as far back as I can remember, my world rotates around football, basketball and baseball. But, those are not the only three. Various other sporting events mark other occasions on my internal calendar: the Masters in April, the "500" in May (which will probably become the "Derby" in May), Wimbeldon in July, etc. Then, of course, there are the leap year events (every four years): World Cup, summer and winter olympics.

I have noticed this more and more since deciding ministry will be my calling. Weekends are slowly (and sometimes painfully) being adjusted away from the learned calendar of sports to the somewhat foreign, but pleasing calendar of liturgy.

Still, I really don't quite get Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, ordinary time (1st), Lent, Easter, Pentecost, ordinary time (2nd). I would be ashamed with myself if I had this calendar planted in me long, long ago. But, in reality, the church calendar is like a new seed, a new rhythm I am hoping to conform to. Honestly, it's taking time.

In fact, most weekends, I struggle to forge new habits more in step with resurrection, waiting and birth and less in step with world champion, super bowl and October series. I find myself divided like St. Paul was: that which I want to do, I cannot and that which I hope to become, I fail to observe.

I am not alone in this. It is very American like me - considering that every major holiday now features some sort of sporting event: football on Thanksgiving, basketball on Christmas and Easter, baseball on the 4th of July and during the harvest of fall.

There's something else here: it may have been different when sports were a type of recreation in American culture. Nowadays, sports are entertainment, so every major season in our culture is marked by a type of "watched" (not participated) entertainment.

Perhaps that is why I have a hard time "getting" the church calendar; it demands more than my subtle, passive observation - say merely turning on the boob tube and laying down for two to three hours. To really feel the rhythms God has given to shape us (those that follow our more ancient cycles of nature) require a deeper observation and even participation.

It's really hard to learn a new rhythm on down the road of life.

Wes

Pull Up to the Table for this Year's Pulitzer

Amongst the many distinguished persons who won a Pulitzer Prize for their witty, insightful writing this year was Jonathan Gold - food critic for LA weekly. This is the first time a food critic has ever been awarded the Pulitzer Prize. He is also the same person I've referred to here in an earlier blog. Again, I highly recommend his book Counter Intelligence: Where to Eat in the Real Los Angeles - even if you never step foot in Pie 'n Burger or deem it necessary to stop by Casa Bianca for a heavenly slice of pizza.

Gold's work can be read at LAweekly.com, and here is a great sample of his work. This story is on The Donut Man, which has also been discussed here. I think you'll quickly see the difference between a Pulitzer Prize winner and some schmoe like me.

Also, the LA Times received a Pulitzer Prize for its editorial piece on the deterioration of the world's oceans. You can read the article again at latimes.com, or by clicking here.

Finally, here is some other great writing from the car critic at LA Times.

Enjoy.

Wes

The Great Sea Harvest

"In America, you have the steak. In Japan, you have tuna." - Robert Wiedmaier, chef

If you have ever eaten sushi or if you simply enjoy eating Chinese food in the middle of the United States, this is a worthwhile read about the pleasures and risks that come from global markets:

Rare Tuna.

Wes

Sabbath

One more reason NOT to go to the dentist

"A British dentist has been found guilty of using the sink in his operating room as a urinal. A medical tribunal also found that dentist Alan Hutchison, 51, routinely used his dental instruments to clean his fingernails and his ears. A former assistant of Hutchison's testified that while she hadn't actually seen him urinating in the sink, she once walked in on him 'tucking something into his trousers before zipping them up hastily." - reported in This Week: vol. 7, Issue 306/307 - pg. 14.