November 22, 2008

AN ADVENT CONSPIRACY   
Author: E. Dale

Posted in PastorAlien | |
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During my first Christmas season as a commercial retail warehouse associate in 1977, I started wondered if the whole holiday had been completely shanghaied by commercialism. In a secular sense, absolutely!
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At the end of the second annual commercial-Christmas hullabaloo in 1978, I even suggested the secular world might one day drop Christ out of Christmas altogether and just call it Commerce Day. At the time, I had never heard of Advent, but in the following years, it really saved Christmas for me.
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So, besides becoming an ardent supporter of the Advent celebration, (as well as recognizing the whole tri-annual Christian calendar), I continue to wonder if there might be more we could do for Christmas.
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The resistance to change or even mere alterations in our, not so deep, but widely rooted Christmas traditions are very strong. Still, I want to introduce a larger concept for which I have found some logistical support, it’s called The Advent Conspiracy. The theme for the Advent Conspiracy is:
Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, Love All.
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Now, rather than reinventing the wheel, I’ll let you check it out on your own, but let me know what you think… http://www.adventconspiracy.org/ .
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And for ideas on homemade gifts, try: http://www.rethinkingchristmas.com/.

November 16, 2008

Thinking “Coffee”   
Author: E. Dale

Posted in Uncatagorical Miscellany | |

Morning Coffee

Hey, just thought I’d share one of my favorite things. Since your USB port just can’t handle a fresh upload from my coffee pot, I’ve put one of my favorite artistic renderings of morning coffee by Oliver Ray. It always amazes me how the cup seems almost three dimensional…if colors could evoke aroma, I can almost smell the java.
Oh, and one of my favorite coffee songs by Guardian: Click the Title for song sample; Lyrics to follow.
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Each night the dream began
We were sitting here, waiting on our coffee cans
Eyes fixed upon the skies
I was thinking of You, and if I qualified
Then when the trumpet blew
The reality hit, this wasn’t pay-per-view
My can lifted up and out
‘Til the siren wailed, and a megaphone shouted
Pull that bucket over
Let me see your registration
You’ll be questioned at the station
By a good cop, bad cop
If they find you guilty
They’ll impound your can in Hades
Where the grounded lads and ladies
Had it good ’til the last drop
I watched the others fly
On their coffee cans, as they waived goodbye
Freed from the earthly grind
They had escaped the roast, I’d been identified
Dream police nowhere to be found
I was left choking on the muddy grounds
I calmed down and reached for my Pez
But the head on the dispenser was Juan Valdez
Pull that bucket over
Let me see your registration
You’ll be questioned at the station
By a good cop, bad cop
If they find you guilty
They’ll impound your can in Hades
Where the grounded lads and ladies
Had it good ’til the last drop
Tossing in my sleep again
The metaphor was wearing thin
‘Til my nightmare stretched it even more
Lord you placed the bitter cup
Against your lips, and drank it up
To bring me where you are
I can’t believe I’ve wandered off this far
Woke up and smelled the coffee
I don’t like what caffeine does to me
God’s got a pull I’ve felt first hand
I’ve gotta stop believing my coffee
can
Pull that bucket over
Let me see your registration
You’ll be questioned at the station
By a good cop, bad cop
If they find you guilty
They’ll impound your can in Hades
Where the grounded lads and ladies
Had it good ’til the last drop
Bad dream, but I understand
That you can’t get to Heaven on a coffee can
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