Shinichi finally confesses to Akiyama sensei…but it looks like next week they find out that the two of them are living together so now he has to move. Hmm, I can still feel they’ll end up together. I still think it’s kinda weird lol. I mean I’m cheering for them, but I dunno something about it I just can’t get used to. I was able to deal with MatsuJun and Koyuki but something about this… But that drama (Kimi wa Pet) was pretty randy. This one’s pretty tame in comparison so I guess I’ll let it go xD. Also I recommend Anego for those who like these types of relationship dramas ^_^.

Quotes from Godard illustrated by his wife and early muse, my own style inspiration and personal patron saint, the lovely and talented* Anna Karina.

*Not sure if you’d noticed, but I only bill as “lovely and talented” those who take it off. Write that down.

All you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun. (Journal entry, 5/16/91)

“Light me up!” Still of Anna Karina as Natacha van Braun from Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution / Alphaville (1965)

I don’t think you should feel about a movie. You should feel about a woman. You can’t kiss a movie.

Still with Jean-Paul Belmondo from Une femme est une femme / A Woman is a Woman (1961), previously highlighted with “Look, Ma, no gag reflex!” still here back in September.

“In films, we are trained by the American way of moviemaking to think we must understand and ‘get’ everything right away. But this is not possible. When you eat a potato, you don’t understand each atom of the potato!” (Interview with David Sherritt, The Christian Science Monitor, 8/3/94)

Une femme est une femme / A Woman is a Woman (1961)

Art attracts us only by what it reveals of our most secret self. (Critique called “What Is Cinema?” for Les Amis du Cinéma , 10/1/52, a work which advanced the auteur theory but also kind of ripped off Bazin, which is weird cause Bazin would’ve read it and was a big influence on Godard but this was done contemporaneously of Bazin himself working on something titled this, about this, so maybe the quote is misattributed? … or maybe there is more to it than I know with my tiny ken of French movie guys, maybe it was a done thing to borrow titles from one another, or perhaps it was a continuation of a dialogue they were already having both in person and via publications, or, finally, it could even have been an “understood” question which anyone might use as the title of a book or article … I am probably over-reading it.)

Hands down my favorite picture of Anna Karina

Beauty is composed of an eternal, invariable element whose quantity is extremely difficult to determine, and a relative element which might be, either by turns or all at once, period, fashion, moral, passion. (“Defense and Illustration of Classical Construction,” Cahiers du Cinéma, 9/15/52)

Cover or liner art for her album, a collaboration with the dread Serge G

The truth is that there is no terror untempered by some great moral idea. (“Strangers on a Train,” Cahiers du Cinéma 3/10/52 — Godard wrote extensively and insightfully in his early career about the movies of Hitchcock, one of my favorite and I think misunderstood directors; I’ll try to share some good nuggets from time to time)

Anna cahorts about topless as Anne in 1968’s The Magus, also starring Anthony Quinn (Zorba the Greek), Michael Caine, and Candace Bergen (Murphy Brown) — no one seems to like this movie but me. That’s okay, because I like it a lot.

Photography is truth. The cinema is truth twenty-four times per second. (Le petit soldad / The Little Soldier, 1963.)

With Jean-Paul Belmondo again, this time as Ferdinand and Marianne in the sort of romantic-tragi-comedy-crime-caper Pierrot le fou / Crazy Pete / Pierre Goes Wild (1965).

To be or not to be? That’s not really a question. (unsourced)

Screencap with subtitles from Une femme est une femme / A Woman is a Woman (1961).

For a very long time, I considered myself a misanthrope. I strongly believed stupid people should wear signs. Actually, I still believe a sign would be helpful. It would ease the dumbfounded pain.

My general dislike, disgust and contempt of the human species meant I strayed away from those incapable of being real. Shallowness made me want to vomit and the inability to have an open and honest conversation really turned me off. Actually, I’m still like that.

So how can I no longer consider myself a misanthrope, if I’m saying that I still hold fast to the beliefs I’ve mentioned above?

It’s the funniest thing – I sold my 4×4 and removed myself from the driving public. Within one month of becoming a full-time pedestrian again, I started to consider myself a mildly reformed misanthrope.

No longer did I carry on a running profanity laced commentary about drivers. No longer did I feel profound urges to mount a gun turret to the top of my 4×4 and go on a fucking rampant bender of human carnage. The belief that the human species is a parasitic disease began to fade. I still think that, but it’s not as overwhelming as it once was.

Stepping away from being a part of the gas-guzzling world helped to put things in perspective for me. I have the benefit of living quite centrally to everything I could possibly need. Walking has once again become an integral part of my life, which pleases me to no end. Even the peasant wagon isn’t that bad. Granted, I tend to plug into my iPod and let myself get lost in my own little world. I’m a sensitive soul and sometimes the energy of people in general can really affect me. Listening to music helps create an energetic buffer.

Sometimes I unplug myself from my music to eavesdrop on some juicy bits of random conversation. The wagon is quite entertaining, you know – especially taking the last late night school bus home from downtown.

However, taking the bus is not the same as driving. It is what is and I’ll get where I need to in the time it takes to get there. The road is beyond my control and I’m no longer directly interacting with disconnected drivers.

When I drove, everyone was an idiot. I didn’t suffer from road rage and I rarely honked my horn or yelled. Yet I was constantly amazed at how the process of getting in a vehicle and turning the ignition key changed people. Wrapping yourself in three tons of steel does not make you invincible.

Reforming my misanthropic ways is still challenging. Not owning a car has helped immensely, but it doesn’t negate the fact that some days I still look around in disgust. The cruelty with which we treat each other, the environment and other animals fills me with melancholy, yet I don’t feel the deep loathing for humanity that I once did.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to drive and I think we’re all still doomed. Now, however, I like you all a lot more than before.

AA’s Fifth Step liberates us alcoholics, although AA literature describes it simply as we “admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” Details about this ancient tool appear in:

• Alcoholics Anonymous, which describes this step on pages 59, 72-75 and
• Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, which describes this step on pages 55-62.

Psychologists become frustrated with us alcoholics (my first-rate analyst certainly did). We shield secrets about our double life (our sober self versus our drunken self). We seldom tell them the full truth or follow their advice. So we need the therapeutic premise for the Fifth Step which according to the Big Book is that “we must be entirely honest with somebody if we expect to live long or happily.” There are also spiritual reasons for the Fifth Step—including that we need “outside help if we [are] surely to know and admit the truth about ourselves—the help of God and another human being,” as Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions explains.

In form, the Fifth Step is a confession—an intimate practice used by Jews, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians from ancient times to the present. Christian scripture directly links confessions, forgiveness and healing in Matthew 9:2-8, I Corinthians 11:27-30 and James 5:16. Even so, AA uses confessions in a spiritual and psychological (but not necessarily religious) manner. The human being who hears what we alcoholics admit may or may not represent a religious group. But at the very least, AA recommends one alcoholic, one other person and one Higher Power for the complete Fifth Step experience.

And the purpose? “Only when we resolutely tackled Step Five” did we know “we’d be able to receive forgiveness and give it, too,” Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions says.

But what about humility? How could something as unscientific as that affect healing in any way? For one answer, we turn next to a man known as “Dr. Bob” ….

Copyright © 2009 by Randall E. Greene

So, after the conflict with my husband on Friday, it reduced itself into a conflict with my daughter.  It was a rough start to this weekend-I overate Friday night, late, because I was so frustrated.  Not to sound like I am blaming my emotions, because I am not.  It was a choice. And I made it.

Saturday I was a little worried, but found I made it through the day well.  Thankfully I went to a meeting in the morning, and that helped a lot.  Also, facing the fact that I chose food over resolving it before the Lord did not make choosing food again very attractive.  When I used to lie to myself, and say I was not using food to cope with my emotions, then that made it “easier” to justify my overeating all the time.   But, facing the truth of the COE makes me think twice.

Which is a good thing.  I want to think twice, and eat only when I should.  Maybe a new slogan should be “Eat once, think twice”…ha, ha,ha…

I actually really like Raquel Gibson, Miss November 2005. She seems to be a fun, family-oriented girl, but also a serious multitasker with plans for taking on even more, so it resulted in a surprisingly entertaining Playboy interview.

Photographs by Stephen Wayda and Arny Freytag

Plus she has a stunning pair of eyebrows. Seriously, those things are wicked-great.

Raquel–who already has a culinary school degree [from Chef Jean Pierre Cooking School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida] and a real estate license–plans to go back to school to become a pediatrician someday, with a practice someplace warm. “I can’t stand the cold,” she says. “I can’t see myself dressed like an Eskimo walking down the streets of New York, and I’d miss going to the beach and playing football.” (“Raquel’s World Party,” Playboy, November 2005.)

Just don’t ask Miss November to go into the water–there are too many sharks. “The news will show a helicopter flying over with 200 sharks in the water and people just swimming and playing around them. I think, Are you guys dumb?”

Yes! Finally! Someone agrees with me. What the hell is the matter with you people who are all in to sharks? I believe I have the most logical phobia on the planet in my fear of sharks. I acknowledge it’s a little nuts to open my eyes in the shower every 30 seconds to check and make sure none have swum up the drain and are preparing to sink their zillion rows of teeth in to my foot, but still!

If you cannot at least muster enough care for your life not to place it in peril by descending in to the depths of the ocean (which is another planet to begin with; you cannot even breathe through your mouth under there and live), then show some fear and respect of God and his creations, both yourself and the shark. Just ugh all around and a heartfelt shudder to boot.

Raquel did not end up pursuing her degree in pediatrics, remaining busy in the spokesmodel and entertainment worlds instead. She often models these days with her older sister C.J. (one of her five siblings, of which she is the baby). They bill themselves as the Gibson Sisters.

CJ Gibson. Yes, I found and used the one picture of her in a Yankees jersey probably in existence. It’s my blog!

If you are interested in some lengthy flash presentations and embedded music that you have to scour the creatively font-faced page to turn off, give Raquel’s official site a spin. She asks that you please not contact her to attempt to book anything pornograhpic or TFP.

Oh my god, how dare you imply she would do pornographic modeling with her sister, what is the matter with you?!

TFP = Trade for Prints, a handy piece of largely-chicanerous-publicity practice in which neither party — photographer nor model — gets any money out of the transaction; it’s purely to boost notoriety for both and is generally a very bum deal for the model, as the photog pads his portfolio and can use the pics forever in gallery shows, etc, while the model just has one more nudie photoshoot out of probably a dozen jammed in her little notebook. It’s a move that a lot of amateurs fall for; glad to see she is too wise to go for it!

Speaking of The Girls Next Door, there they are.

Touching the rock of Calvary. Photo credit Nicky Morrison.

“That day will assault everyone,” says the Lord (Luke 21:35).

The Lord Jesus is saying that the day of judgment will assault everyone.

But let’s ask ourselves this question: Do the days already assault us now?

Does the alarm clock make an unwelcome sound? Does the morning news assault me? Is pulling out into traffic like being assaulted? Am I thoroughly pummeled by mid-morning?

An assault leaves the victim stunned, paralyzed, dazed, passive. An assault knocks the wind out of you, sucks the energy out of you, bewilders you. An assault can make a person lose his way, lose track of where he was headed. Immediately after an assault, it is impossible to focus on one’s goals; it is impossible to focus on the future. There is just pain and confusion.

The roughest part of everyday life can be boredom. The assault can be the oppression of deadening routine. Life comes at you slow—so slow that it hurts with a dull pain, like after a body blow.

What happens when even the special, fun things feel old? Like when you don’t feel like doing any daggone Christmas shopping?

“That day will assault everyone.”

The Lord says His day will assault us. Judgment Day will assault us. But we’ve got to keep trying to understand the assault of everyday life first.

In a war, when an army launches an assault on an enemy city, the important thing is to make the assault relentless. Day in and day out, beat them down.

The citizens might put up a brave defense the first day, or the first week—or even for months. Maybe even for years, like in St. Petersburg, Russia, during World War II. But the courage won’t last forever. If the assault is relentless, the defenders will give up eventually.

Let’s say I am subject to the relentless assault of an unwelcome alarm clock going off one day after another, and there is no snap, crackle, or pop in my Rice Krispies any more. What am I about to surrender? What am I going to give up–when my will finally cracks? The assault of deadening routine is an attack on the thing I need the most: my sense of wonder.

“Lift up your heads and see,” says the Lord (Luke 21:28).

The Lord told us He is coming with an assault. But He gave us a nice warning. He does not intend to blindside us like a free-safety barreling down on us at mid-field. “Lift up your heads,” He says.

Look around. The world is full of amazing things. There are beautiful surprises around every corner. Just when I was getting ready to surrender—just when I was bowing my head under the assault of monotony—just then the Lord says, Lift up your head. Lift up your head. And there He is, coming to our aid with gracious love. God is coming to help us.

Now, it is true that when the Lord’s Day comes, it will be a withering, all-out assault. It will make the siege of Baghdad look like tiddly-winks. It will make the fire-bombing of Dresden look like a garden party.

When everything is said and done, the Lord will assault us relentlessly with the ultimate weapon: the Truth. The truth about absolutely everything we have ever said or done, or not said or not done, or thought or not thought or half-thought. He will wield this truth like a barrage of ordinance.

He will rain down justice like hailstones the size of bowling balls. They will come pounding down.

One ten-pound ball for every Sunday I missed Mass for no good reason. A twelve pounder for every little lie. A thirteen pounder for every time I thought of something kind to do for somebody but was too lazy to do it. Fifteen pounder for every meanness. Fifteen for every time I skipped daily prayers. Etc, etc. This hailstorm of bowling balls is going to be brutal.

But: He has warned us. He has told us what to do. He has told us how to deal with the inevitable assault.

Lift up your heads and see your redemption:

Altar of the Nails. Photo credit Nicky Morrison.

Here is the beauty, joy, and newness of the world. Here is the fresh start for everything. Here is the way to peace on the great and terrible day of judgment.

Let us look up and behold the glory of this love. Let us fall down at His feet and confess our sins so that they can be washed away in His Precious Blood.

Then we can lift up our heads and see the coming of God.

God is faithful. The promises that He makes He will always fulfill. There is not a single one of His promises will He not bring to pass. All He asks is that we put Him first. Time and time again in the word of God we are reminded to seek God first. 

Matthew 6:33 (Amplified)
But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. 

The “all these things” in this verse refers to our physical needs, clothing, housing, food and so on. When we seek God first our needs will be met. God has promised this and He will always do what He promised. Why then, do we so often see Christians who do not have their needs met? Why do they not have adequate clothing, housing or food? Many of these Christians are the most active people in their churches. They spend time serving others; they give of their time and money. God certainly appears to be the first thing in their life. Perhaps you are one of these; seeking God yet puzzled because you do not have your needs met. There are many things that we do that stop the flow of God’s grace to us. I would like to focus on one in particular; not trusting God and instead trusting in our ability to believe God. The difference between seeking God first and trusting God and instead believing in our ability to believe for results in our life is a very fine one. It is often hard to spot, but once we do begin to see difference great changes can take place in our lives.

Romans chapter 4 speaks of Abraham. I believe that all of us know of the promise that God made to Abraham. God promised Abraham a child; a child even though he and his wife were well past childbearing years. It took a quite a while for this promise to come to pass and Abraham made mistakes along the way but in the end Abraham received the child that God had promised him. We find in Romans 4 a great verse regarding Abraham. 

Romans 4:3 (Amplified)
For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed in (trusted in) God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness (right living and right standing with God). 

The focus of Abraham was not on the specific promise of God, but instead on the fact that he trusted in God. What God desires us to see from this verse is not that Abraham “believed for” a child. He did not “believe for” a child. He believed God. He put his trust in God. He might have said to himself “God is faithful, and He always keeps His word, therefore I will have that which God promised me.” He did not say to himself. “I am believing for a child,” or even “I am believing God for a child.”

What is the difference you ask yourself? The first focuses on God and His faithfulness, the latter on the result. One puts God first, the other puts God second and the result first. This is also where that “God first” but poor Christian may also be making their mistake. They may be seeing their service as a trade. They may be doing the work of God in order to have their needs met. When they do this, they are putting their needs above God. They are not seeking God first; they are seeking their needs by seeking God. It is a fine difference but an important one. Seeking God first means doing His will because you honestly desire to do so; no other reason enters in. The result is that God will meet your needs. This is God’s promise. However, it is not a trade. It is the logical result of the loving relationship that you have with God. Let’s look closer at what God’s word says about Abraham and the promise concerning his son. 

Romans 4:18 – 22 (Amplified)
[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised. So [numberless] shall your descendants be.
He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb.
No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God.
Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.
That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God). 

Once again we see that the promise was made, but the emphasis of this passage is moved away from the promise and to the trust that Abraham had in God. Abraham was completely satisfied that what God promise he was as able to do. Abraham trusted, without any doubt or question that God would do what He promised He would do. God made a promise, and Abraham had such confidence in God that he new that God could and would bring it to pass. Now let’s look at the second person involved in this promise Sarah, Abraham’s wife. 

Hebrews 11:11 (Amplified)
Because of faith also Sarah herself received physical power to conceive a child, even when she was long past the age for it, because she considered [God] Who had given her the promise to be reliable and trustworthy and true to His word. 

The promise of a child was not just to Abraham. Sarah was involved too. There was a time when Sarah and Abraham doubted this part of the promise and tried to figure out how God was going to bring about His promise. The result was that Sarah tried to remove herself from consideration and gave Hagar, her maidservant, to Abraham in order that Abraham could have a son by her. I believe that at this point Abraham and Sarah’s thoughts and desires were on the son, the promise, more than they were on God and His faithfulness. God reminded them that the promised child would come from Sarah and Abraham, not some third party. Sarah had to believe and trust God as well. Sarah considered God to be reliable, trustworthy and true to His word. The result was Isaac, their promised child. 

Romans 4:22 – 24 (Amplified)
That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God)
But [the words], It was credited to him, were written not for his sake alone,
But [they were written] for our sakes too. [Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 

Remove the phrase “I’m believing God for;” and “I’m believing for” from out of your vocabulary. They focus on your ability to believe God and not on God himself. Instead, trust God that He is true and faithful to His word. Have confidence that He is able to do anything and everything thing He has promised to do. Our focus should never be on the promise, but the He who made the promise. You have or will have what God has promised because He [God] is reliable, trustworthy and true to His word. 

Proverbs 3:5-8 (Amplified)

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes: reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil.
It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.

This is the problem with sharing a connection with someone. This is the problem with sharing this kind of a connection with someone after not sharing this same kind of connection with someone for such a long time. The difference is that this time, my insecurities are at bay. Somehow, somewhere I gained enough actual confidence in myself to know that I am a desirable person. I know that I’m not as awful as I used to think I am, and that I actually have something to offer.

Drake is so good for my ego. And even if this amounts to nothing more than a wonderful memory of time spent together, that is good enough purpose. Though I do worry; I worry because I can’t remember a time that I’ve ever been this confident and it makes me wonder if I am in denial. I’ve been told I’m pretty good at being in denial about my feelings (*wink*). It scares me to think that someone I just met knows me so well as to know how I’m feeling before I do.

Changing subjects a little bit, I think my favourite thing about dating is being able to compare different characteristics and really determining whether I honestly like something about someone or not. For example, the other night Chase told me that he wasn’t very good at dealing with emotions. It turned me off of him a little bit (though not enough to stop seeing him completely) and I think it’s interesting to have the confidence not to question yourself when someone doesn’t call you back when they say they will.

I went on a date with Caleb today and shame on me but I couldn’t stop thinking about Drake. I immediately noticed that I didn’t laugh nearly as much or anywhere nearly as hard as I do when I’m with or even just talking to Drake. While there wasn’t much of a spark with Chris, I think that I’m still going to go on a 2nd date with him because I still had a good time. Yes, I know I was distracted but really there aren’t many times that I can say that I’m not distracted (but they do exist) so it’s not that bad. It does depend on where he suggests to go; I’m assuming he’s going to suggest the next one since our first date was my idea.

Ugh. I need sleep.

Tonight, I stayed in the shower longer than usual; I just desired the heat.

One of the products of this break’s paper writing…

It has been frustrating, but good to finally formulate a (working) hermeneutic extensively.

Methodologies of biblical study and hermeneutics of scriptural encounter and embodiment can reductively be mapped around four forks in the road of interpretation. These forks are found in the choices of (1) approaching the study of the scriptural text or as the study of the event “witnessed” to in scripture, (2) prioritizing criticism or categorizing scripture as canon, (3) perceiving biblical study as a descriptive or a confessional enterprise, and (4) recognizing scripture as diachronic or synchronic in nature.

The middle two plots in this map of elucidation could be traced to confrontations with higher criticism, while the first and the last plots result from gains made by higher criticism.[1] In the second choice, the choice between canon and criticism, the question of the authority of scripture is in play. Higher criticism approaches the text categorically, separating scripture into its individual sources and forms, articulating the traditio-historical and redaction patterns of scripture.[2] As such, any predicated recognition of the authority of scripture is seen as detrimental to the success of the overall enterprise, since it would imply perceiving scripture as a canonical whole prior to investigation, resistant or un-affected by splicing, dicing, and dissecting.

Such an enterprise, that is, higher critical biblical study, is built upon positivist philosophical assumptions which, through “objective,” “impartial,” and “scientific” study, relegate the history behind the text to the level of truth.[3] In this way, the choice of canon over criticism, or vice versa, predicts the choice of the third fork in the road of interpretation – perceiving biblical study as descriptive or confessional. If interpretative methodology is bound to critical biblical study there remains no other option then to critically describe the text and the history behind it.

Unlike the middle two departures, the first and last choices (text-event and diachronic-synchronic) available to biblical scholars result from the work of higher criticism and therefore do not primarily oscillate around conflict with higher criticism—a persistent quality of theology today. Unlike today’s theology, pre-critical textual interpretation did not face the choice of text or event; it would have seemed absurd to suggest such a choice as necessary. The very conscious opting for historical ratification of the text by higher criticism has made this distinction unavoidable.[4]

It has also made unavoidable the choice of perceiving scripture as diachronic or synchronic. Higher criticism has uncovered, especially in the Old Testament, variant voices which can appear to represent distinct and, occasionally, conflicting perspectives.[5] Perceiving scripture as synchronic most often occurs in efforts at systematic theology, since systems always strive for unity and clear and concise answers. A diachronic reading will refrain from voicing a complete systematic conclusion.

There is indeed a rich and complicated history and context in which the text was first given birth. However, the text seeks first to be a theological word, not a historical, social, or literary word.[6] Also in this way, theology, while always listening for historical, social, and literary nuance (since the best interpretation always arrives in contact with these springs), must be primarily theological.

As Karl Barth indicates, this is also a task theology proper has had to face, “Theology had first to renounce all apologetics or external guarantees of its position within the environment of other sciences, for it will always stand on the firmest ground when it simply acts according to the law of its own being.”[7] This law, according to Barth, is “the philanthropic God Himself.”[8]

The continuity between biblical study and theology is theology. Theo Logos – God Word, or, a Word about God is a fitting description for scripture and theology. Kevin Vanhoozer’s definition of biblical study as “theological criticism” is also quite fitting. [9] Theological criticism, realizes the text of scripture has itself sought to be theological. Even from within the domains of higher criticism, it is anti-ethical to not take the author, redactor, or compiler seriously about their intention for the text.

In this contention there is the realization that fruitful scholarship abides by the object of the study’s rule. So far, this has meant understanding scripture as a primarily theological text. Yet, it also implies that the form of the text, narrative and poetry, must also determine our methodology.[10] There is a terrible need to closely watch and enjoy the literary moves of the text, since this corresponds most honestly with the text itself.

Therefore, there is within the text alone enough to establish a manner or method of interpretation. If the interest of textual study is theological, the text will take precedence over the event. If the interest of the study were historical, the event would take precedence. The theological interest has also carried the choice of canon over criticism and confession over description. Since the text always seriously expresses encounter and relationship with God, a study of scripture which did not also seriously take this relationship and encounter seriously fails to be a full theology.

There is always and already an invested interest in our study, an acceptance of some canon or authority and the articulation of a confession in response to it. And, by determining a study as theological, a confession cannot be far behind, since a confession is the fitting response to theological awareness. In fact, it could be fairly stated that the form of theology will always be consciously or unconsciously confessional.

It does need to be noted that while opting for confession and canon, which indicates a break with higher criticism, a full break will not follow. Rather then discarding all the valuable tools and insights garnished by higher criticism, I simply confess my loyalty to the text first. In this way I seek to take the claims of the text seriously while utilizing the “tools and findings” of textual criticism for the sake of the text and theological encounter.[11]

The most appropriate reading of scripture and especially of the Old Testament is diachronic. Most systematic theology has long held the norming quality of scripture. In short, scripture must shape theology and theology must be shaped by scripture. Thus, a synchronic reading, perhaps valuable in topical interpretation, should not govern typical interpretation.

Additionally, the very form of scripture, narration and poetry, is rhetorical. Rhetoric always harbors a distinct perspective. It should not surprise us that a community as broad as the Covenant Community will harbor multiple perspectives. Nor should we fear it. Realizing conflict in scripture can itself become a Word from God which reveals our finitude to us. Or, more seriously, it can take the form of judgment, as Karl Barth’s NO! Additionally, it should be noted that the real continuity of scripture is found in the identification of the Covenant Community as the people of God and the consistent revealing of God as a “philanthropic God.”

[2] Higher Criticism actually divides into the individual disciplines of source criticism, form criticism, traditio-historical criticism, and redaction criticism. Birch et al. eds., A Theological Introduction to the Old Testament, 20.

[3] Ibid., 21.

[4] It seems that the methodology of Neo-Orthodoxy is an exception to this analysis. Karl Barth would appeal to the event over the text. It should be noted that Barth still considered the text an authoritative witness to the event. In other words, the text remained the best witness to the Word, the event was not given the duty of ratifying the text.

[5] As an example of variant voices at work in biblical interpretation see von Rad, Gerhard von Rad, The problem of the Hexateuch and other essays, trans. Rev. E. W. Trueman Dicken (New York: Oliver and Boyd Ltd, 1966), 206-.

[6] Kevin J. Vanhoozer, “Introduction: What Is Theological Interpretation of the Bible?,” in Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament, ed. Kevin J. Vanhoozer (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House Company, 2008), 17.

[7] Karl Barth, Evangelical Theology: An Introduction, trans. Grover Foley (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1963), 17.

[8] Barth, Evangelical Theology, 16.

[9] The turn Vanhoozer gives this definition is quite Levinasian. In the end, those who turn their gaze upon the text find themselves constituted by the face staring back at them. Vanhoozer, Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament, 21.

[10] Birch et al. eds., A Theological Introduction to the Old Testament, 22.

[11] Ibid., 21.

We continue our preparation for the celebration of Christ’s birth this week.  Though consumer and familial pressures may try to push the Christmas season into a time of materialist consumption, we Christians know it is a season to make room and make time for Christ in our hearts and homes.  Quiet time, prayer time, fasting, reading scripture, singing hymns are all part of the season for us.  In Orthodoxy, the weeks before Christmas are not just connected to shopping, but are within the Nativity Lenten period.    One of the many lists we might make and use this season is the list of what we need to say in confession to help us be true disciples of Christ.   We must ask ourselves: Does it make a difference that Christ has come into the world?  It should in our hearts, if we are in fact are Christians.  If any atheist or non-believer could be doing exactly what we are doing in these weeks before Chirstmas, then perhaps we have not given Christ the place in our hearts and homes that He should have as our Lord and King. 

Being a disciple of Christ requires conscious choice, discipline and hard work.

It does not come to pass so spontaneously as the development of the human personality of the innocent Adam on the fresh soil of human nature, but first of all through a conscious assimilation of Christ’s life or of Christianity; and then also through a mysterious penetration of the newly grace-filled nature of the Church into our personality. (Anthony Khrapovitsky, The Moral Idea of the Main Dogmas of the Faith).

Discipline and self-control, which we learn through fasting and abstinence, train us to be disciples of Christ.  Our goal in practicing self denial and discipline is to train ourselves to follow the Gospel teachings of our Lord rather than to follow our own selfish desires.

The aim of the Christian life is not to free the soul from the body, but to free the whole person—body and soul—from sin.    (Richard B. Steele, St. Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly 52:3-4, pg. 418)

Being a disciple, following a discipline, are not easy tasks, but rather reflect the fact that we engage in spiritual warfare as disciples of Christ.

We need, then, to observe that the Christian life, according to Jesus, is not all joy and laughter…The truth is that there are such things as Christian tears, and too few of us ever weep them. Jesus wept over the sins of others, over their bitter consequences in judgment and death, and over the impenitent city which would not receive him.   (John R. W. Stott, The Message of The Sermon on the Mount)

There is a deep joy at Christmas which we experience and live through God’s gift to the world:  the incarnation of His Son.  Christmas places responsibility for our response to God on ourselves.   Either we believe in the miracle of God’s Word become flesh and live accordingly, or we allow the Nativity of Chirst to be emptied of meaning  by reducing the time of salvation to how much we spend or get during the winter festival. 

Sometimes I can go weeks without accidentally injuring myself. However, some weeks are ripe for encounters with walls, sharp objects, pointy corners, objects on the floor, signposts, lamp standards, slippery patches of leaves or snow, curbs and stairs.

One of my favourite moments occurred a decade ago. I was walking up the stairs at college and I tripped. Tripping up stairs is a fine art, let me tell ya. The best part about that trip was that I spilt hot chocolate all over my face and hair in the process. My face and hair took the brunt of the lukewarm hot chocolate and nary a drop landed on the stairs.

The force of the trip sent the liquid upwards where it appeared to almost hover mid-air as a giant mass of chocolaty goodness – then, feeling the pull of gravity, it landed on my face and hair.

Klutz Summary for the Week of November 22 – 28, 2009:

• There is a nebulous black and blue bruise on my outer left thigh. This bruise is a mystery to me, though I vaguely recall crashing into one of the arms of the couch on Sunday morning.

• Late Monday afternoon I incurred fishnet burns on my knees. I will leave it up to your imagination to figure out how I got those fishnet burns. For those of you who have never seen a fishnet burn, I’ve included an image of one from years ago.

• Late Tuesday night I became entangled in a blanket on the couch. My struggle to untangle myself resulted in my right foot sliding under the sofa cushion. A firm downward yank removed my foot from its lodging, but in the process, I stabbed the top of my foot on a sharp corner on the base of my coffee table. The bruise is a dark purple isosceles triangle and only hurts if I poke it deeply in the centre. I don’t mind. It’s sort of pretty, though it’s ugly green sister is expected in a few days.
• Stabbing my foot on the coffee table hurt a lot. I fell off the couch because of the pain. That pain was immediately superseded by the pain in my upper right arm because I rammed my bicep into the sharp corner of the top of the coffee table – right in that spot in the middle of the arm that’s home to a big bundle of nerves. I saw spots and whimpered on the floor for a good thirty seconds. Surprisingly, there is no bruise. There is, however, a small gash. I’m hoping this turns into a lovely little battle scar.
• Early Wednesday evening, whilst walking out of the solarium (which is home to my office) I clocked my head on the wall. I don’t know this happened. I think the wall moved. The bump is hidden by my hair and not noticeable. The only casualty is an off kilter mirror.
• Thursday was uneventful.
• Mid Friday afternoon, I decided to make bacon and parsnip soup. Wielding a very sharp vegetable peeler to use on the parsnips, I peeled a very fine layer of skin and flesh off the knuckle of my left thumb with one exuberant stroke. The wound stings and reminds me of those very thin slices of human brain you often see in medical slides.
• Early Saturday afternoon, I organized my walk-in closet. This was long overdue. Propped in the back I found a long wooden dowel that I used as a curtain rod in my previous home. Having no need for this thick, round, long piece of wood, I decided the best place for it would be in my storage locker. My arms piled high with Rubbermaid containers and the wooden dowel perched precariously on top, I ventured downstairs via the elevator. I tripped as I exited the elevator. The wooden dowel rolled off the top of the containers, bounced onto the floor, and rolled away, but not before I somehow stabbed myself in the crotch as it bounced. There is no bruising, though my vagina is tender.

Guest star Aimee Teegarden as Annabelle and Bridget Regan as Kahlan Amnell -- Image via Legend of the Seeker Website

Kahlan (Bridget Regan) requests the help of night wisps in order to find more confessors. The night wisps find Annabelle played by guest star Aimee Teegarden (“Friday Night Lights”) who seems to be held captive in a tall tower. Richard (Craig Horner), Flynn (Michael Whalley), and Kahlan go on ahead in order to seek the girl, while Cara (Tabrett Bethell) and Zedd (Bruce Spence) head to Pomora to investigate the place that might hold the Stone of Tears. “Touched” is the fourth episode of Season 2 of “Legend of the Seeker”.

**POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD**

Richard, Kahlan, and Flynn are able to locate the place the night wisp spoke of and find that the girl they seek, Annabelle, was taken shortly after her father was poisoned by one of the servants, Tharla. The housekeeper explains in detail the origin of Annabelle’s parentage. Annabelle’s father was a D’Haran soldier who was confessed in battle by a confessor named Josephine. Before her father, Lord Callum, was confessed he was betrothed to a duchess whom he loved dearly. Although once he was confessed, Josephine took Annabelle’s father as her mate. Josephine died shortly after giving birth to Annabelle and thus releasing Annabelle’s father from her magic. Once Annabelle’s father was released, he realized all that he lost before he was confessed and he vowed that his daughter would not be given the chance to use her powers on another so he hid her from the world. Here are the rest of the episode highlights:

• Meanwhile Annabelle is brought to a cave. Tharla brings Annabelle to a sorcerer in exchange for money. The sorcerer conducts a test and uses a quillion to absorb some of Annabelle’s magic. He then uses some of the extracted magic and mixes it with his own blood. He dips a quill into the mixture and sticks someone with it and instantly that person became confessed. He orders the confessed soul to kill Tharla. Afterward Richard and Kahlan arrive to save Annabelle. Richard and Kahlan tell Annabelle to run (out of the cave) while they deal with the sorcerer’s lackeys. One of the lackeys follow Annabelle but Flynn knocks him out. Meanwhile in the cave, Richard and Kahlan continue to fight the baddies but the sorcerer escapes. Outside Annabelle and Flynn look longingly at each other, she touches his face and long and behold Flynn is suddenly confessed just as Kahlan and Richard rush out of the cave.
• Kahlan explains to Annabelle that she is a confessor and that she needs to go to Aydindril in order to be trained how to control her powers. Richard and Kahlan tell Annabelle that her father never told her of her powers and sadly he has died. Annabelle realizes that Tharla poisoned her father so that she can be sold to the sorcerer. Richard explains that the sorcerer wanted to take Annabelle’s powers but she’s safe in their company.
• Zedd and Cara are in Pomora and they find that the Stone of Tears may be buried in a tomb and the rune (the symbol on Flynn’s hand) is the key to the tomb. Darken Rahl has sent his men to try and open the tomb but they’ve failed countless of times. Now the tomb is guarded by banelings as Darken Rahl believes that the rune bearer would show up to the tomb someday.
• Richard, Kahlan, Flynn, and Annabelle have made camp for the night. Richard and Kahlan talk about how getting Flynn to Pomora may be difficult now that he is confessed. While Flynn and Annabelle chat about her dreams to see the world. Annabelle discusses with Flynn how she doesn’t want to leave his side but Kahlan said that she had to go to Aydindril while he assists Richard in Pomora. Kahlan declares that everyone should get some sleep. Flynn fetches some firewood but he comes back with a arrow stabbed in his shoulder stating that the sorcerer has returned. Richard and Kahlan investigate but find nothing and when they return the horses are gone and that Flynn and Annabelle have fled.
• Richard and Kahlan go looking for Annabelle and Flynn. Meanwhile Flynn and Annabelle come across some bad men and she confesses one of them.
• Zedd and Cara head to the site of the tomb and they see banelings guarding it. Zedd explains to Cara that the only way to get rid of them and ensure that they don’t rise from the dead again is to burn them. Cara acknowledges the plan and tells Zedd to use his wizard’s fire on them, however Zedd is hesitant which Cara notes because it occurs to him that Cara might use her Mord Sith powers to turn his magic against him. He shares his notion that Cara may want to steal the Stone of Tears but Cara defends herself and says that wasn’t her intention. Suddenly the banelings spot Zedd and Cara and Zedd has no choice but to use his magic to get rid of the banelings with Cara’s help.
• Richard and Kahlan find Flynn and Annabelle sitting around a camp fire with a bunch of men. Richard suggest that they need to head toward Pomora, but the men attack Richard and Kahlan while Annabelle and Flynn run toward the horses. Flynn tells Annabelle that no matter where they go, Richard and Kahlan will find them. Richard and Kahlan are still engaged in battle when Annabelle confesses Richard. Kahlan tries to stop it, but it is too late. Richard is confessed!
• Kahlan attempts to kill Annabelle in order to release Richard from her magic but Richard stops her. Kahlan then threatens to kill Flynn and convinces Annabelle to instruct Flynn and Richard to go with her to Pomora.
• Later they all meet up with Zedd and Cara in Pomora. Kahlan explains to Zedd and Cara the dilemma of Richard being confessed while the rest of them are out of earshot. Kahlan then takes Annabelle away from Richard and Flynn while Zedd casts a magical shield to hold back Flynn and Richard. Richard pleads with Kahlan not to kill Annabelle and he offers an alternate plan. He suggests to find the sorcerer who tried to take her in the first place, and use his quillion to take away Annabelle’s powers which would spare her life and possibly release the hold she had on Richard and Flynn. Cara chimes in and says that they are going to great lengths to save Annabelle while putting them all in danger and volunteers to off Annabelle herself. Kahlan stops her and says that Richard once went through a lot trouble to save her (Cara’s) life, so they are going to give Richard’s plan a try. Cara then asks Kahlan what will they do if the plan fails, and Kahlan responds that she’ll “do what needs to be done” but per Zedd’s suggestion – they’re going to the tomb first.



• The tomb opens when Flynn faces his rune bearing hand toward it. Inside they find a locket similar to the one Flynn opened in the episode “Baneling”, which is how he got the rune inked on his hand in the first place. They decide that Richard should be the one to open it, but they to find the quillion so that they can use it to drain Annabelle’s powers away and thus release Richard from her magic.
• Kahlan decides that she and Cara will go after the quillion, but before they head to the sorcerer’s cave they needed a story that looked convincing. So Kahlan has Cara use her agiel on her. Afterward Cara carries Kahlan on her shoulder to the sorcerer’s cave and offers the sorcerer the Mother Confessor in exchange for money. The sorcerer is wary as he believes that Kahlan might be dead. Cara assures him that she’s alive and that he can check for himself. The sorcerer takes a closer look at Kahlan, but is caught off guard when Kahlan springs awake and she is able to confess him while Cara holds off the sorcerer’s guards. Kahlan then instructs the sorcerer to call off his guards and give her the quillion.
• Before they take away Annabelle’s powers, she suggests to Kahlan that she (Kahlan that is) should mate with Richard. Since Richard was confessed, Kahlan’s powers wouldn’t work on him and hopefully she could bear his child and continue the line of confessors. After everything is said and done, then they could use the quillion on her (Annabelle) and Richard would return to normal. Zedd actually advocates the idea as strange as it sounds.
• Annabelle instructs Richard to make love to Kahlan. Kahlan is nervous as she waits for Richard. They kiss and make out a bit but she stops him and asks him if he was doing this because he was told to, and he answers yes. Kahlan then decides she can’t go through with it.
• Kahlan explains to Annabelle she couldn’t go through with it because Richard would never use magic to force someone to do something against their will. Annabelle tries to rationalize the situation and states that Richard would want to be with Kahlan if he wasn’t confessed. Kahlan responds that since he was confessed she couldn’t make that decision for him or make him a father without his blessing. Kahlan further explains the reasons why confessors don’t chose someone they love as their mates. They use the qullion on Annabelle and it works. Both Flynn and Richard are released from Annabelle’s magic. Since Flynn’s job was done he volunteers to escort Annabelle to where ever she needs to go and they ride off together.
• Kahlan takes a moment to realize that she is the last confessor when Richard approaches her. Richard reassures her that she is not alone and they have one another (including Zedd and Cara). Richard then takes a moment and expresses to Kahlan that he understood why she couldn’t go through with “the plan” but part of him wished she would of. Kahlan tells Richard she wished she could’ve too.
• Zedd and Cara approach Richard and Kahlan. Zedd hands Richard the locket. Richard opens it and it appears to be a compass. A compass that may lead them to the Stone of Tears!

Next week Shota is back in an episode titled “Wizard”.

Visit the “Legend of the Seeker” category section on this blog for more news, clips, and recaps related to the show, or just click here.

My home church in Portland is St. Andrew’s Presbyterian. Here in Whangarei, the closest Presbyterian church is St. Andrews Uniting Church, a joint parish of Presbyterians and Methodists, no doubt because mainline churches have shrunk. No problem–I grew up Methodist, and the Presbyterian pastor I know best assures me that I’m still relentlessly Methodist.

The sanctuary is in a classic white frame building with gothic windows along the sides and in the back. The communion table, lectern, and pulpit are Victorian, I’d guess, but part of the front wall has been painted white, for projecting song lyrics, announcements, and the like even during the traditional service, the one I prefer.

The hymnal is the Church of Scotland’s.  It has all the psalms, followed by the words, but not the music, to hymns. Thank goodness a lot of the hymn tunes are familiar, and many are Wesley hymns. There are some American hymns. This morning we sang one by Oliver Wendell Holmes–I hadn’t realized he’d written one. I stumbled across two versions of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” but the usual second verse about “the watchfires of a hundred circling camps” was omitted, I’d guess because it’s too strong a reference to the Civil War for Europeans to want to sing.

I’m surprised that the service includes no Confession and no Lord’s Prayer, although I’ve been in one US Presbyterian church that omitted them.

Naturally, mission’s important; this morning three high schoolers spoke about their coming month trip to Thailand.

After the service, coffee and tea are served in the fellowship hall. I introduced myself to a couple of people and got invited to a small group’s barbecue on Wednesday. I met a couple of native Kiwis, but also an Englishman, a Dutchman, and a Scot who grew up in Zimbabwe. Expats everywhere!

Female #1: “I don’t know what it is exactly, but it’s something.”

Female #2: “It’s spectacular.”

Female #3: “The hangover?”

Female #2: “Yes, the hangover. She (gestures to Female #1) hip checked me at work today and I said very loudly, ‘Don’t jostle me.’ This alarmed people. I think they were concerned I might vomit on you (looks at Female #1). Probably because I said, ‘Do you want me to vomit on you?’ Then people started teasing and saying, ‘I’m going to jostle you.’ That’s when I remembered someone asking me the night before, ‘Are you gonna party afterwards?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’ve been known to party.’ When I remembered that moment, I knew it was the hangover.”

I confess! Leicalady and I are obsessed with dogs…yes, we still love all of our nine horses, 4 goats, 4 cats, tortoise and of course Miss Piggy! Our love affair with dogs goes back over thirty years and is still being written. Christmas 1978 I gave Leicalady our first dog, Omar. (for you Leica fans, Omar’s name came from combining Leica’s founding father,  Oscar Barnack and his famous lens, Elmar – the O in Omar from Oscar’s first name and mar from Elmar) He was precious, in fact we went back to the breeder and got his litter mate and named him Tripod. Others that followed included Weston, Tiffen, T-Max, Rocky, Diogee, Kody,  Sunny, Muffy, Andy and probably a couple of others that I have forgotten. Today we have four – Sky Baby, Noche, Spooky and Oakie. Leicalady and are are so thankful for our concrete floors! I am not sure we could live without our daily “drinks” of dogs…

Sky keeping watch...

Noche and Spooky getting ready for their nap...

I am not sleepy!

Good night...

This next part is the last of the mouse saga. I can’t bring myself to write about it anymore. However, if something wonderfully embarrassing happens and I somehow manage to find myself down on all fours, with my hands stuck to a glue trap, once I manage to pull myself free, I promise to share the experience. Until then, this is all you get – a geeky open letter to my building, where I attempt to instill fear by way of factual information.

Dear Tenants of <Cici’s Building>,

The intent of this letter is not to create strife. Instead, the intent of this letter is to help educate and to put out a collective call for us all to do our part. Over the past few months, this building has been experiencing an increasing rodent problem. With the onset of colder weather, mice will be more inclined to come inside to nest. I’m writing this open letter to the residents of this building because I feel we all have a collective responsibility in ensuring we do our part to minimize the rodent problem. Whether or not you have actually seen a mouse in your home doesn’t negate the fact that they ARE here in this building.

A few facts about mice:

• Mice can fit through a hole as small as a dime.
• Mice have poor eyesight. That’s why you most often see them running along walls.
• Mice travel the same path time and time again, leaving a smudge mark – a build-up of dirt and oil from their fur – along walls, pipes and holes.
• Mice defecate every 10 to 20 minutes. Their feces attract other mice.
• Mice carry disease.
  • Mice can transmit salmonellosis (bacterial food poisoning) when food is contaminated with infected mouse feces.
  • Mice also transmit Rickettsia pox, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, leptospirosis, Ratbite fever, tularemia, dermatitis, and Hantavirus. Many of these are airborne and you CAN contract them.
  • You can also contract a variety of different types of worms from mice, including tape worm and ring worm.
• Mice love fatty foods. This is often why you find evidence of mice under your stove.
• Highly curious, mice explore their territory daily. They will come inside if you leave your door open.
• Mice usually only travel 30 feet beyond their nest. So if you see a mouse, you can be certain its nest is close.
• Mice see best in dim light. This is often why they are most active during dusk.
• Mice can chew through anything that is softer than their teeth.

Things we can all do:

• Check under and behind your furniture (couch, bed, stove, fridge, sink, etc.) to look for evidence of mice. That evidence will most likely be in the form of droppings.
• Check inside your cupboards where you store your food. If there are signs of mice, it is highly recommended you get rid of that food to avoid becoming ill.
• Clean up your balcony. I’ve heard from a few tenants that they have mice nesting on their balconies. If you know you have mice, it’s important that you do something about it. One female mouse can produce upwards of 100 babies per year.
• Check for holes and cracks and fill them with expanding foam or steel wool.
• Peppermint (mint) is a natural repellent to mice.
• Don’t leave food out on your counters.
• If you find evidence of mice, call <name of strata management company>.

Some notes about poison and traps:

• The bait traps currently being used in the building WILL kill the mice. However, it will take upwards of one week for that mouse to die of dehydration. It also changes the colour of their feces from brown to bright blue.
• Once a mouse has been poisoned from the bait trap, it’s droppings will decrease, making it that much harder to determine whether you have mice or not.
• It can take upwards of 8 weeks for a mouse body to decompose.
• In conjunction with the bait traps, <Name of Pest Control Company> has also provided live traps. Don’t let the name fool you. These are glue strip based traps. The mouse will get stuck and is as good as dead anyway.
• If your pet comes in contact with the bright blue feces of a poisoned mouse, your pet may become violently ill.

Kind Regards,

Cici (aka Crazy Mouse Lady)