I guess I have not been a good peep. Maybe I am depressed because I was so severely thrashed at Balderdash by (e:Jim). Really, that's my game and I am not used to losing, let alone being dominated.
Seriously, I think it has just been a lot of stuff happening at the church. I thought that this was going to be my week to catch up, but it only takes one memorial service to change that.
Anyway, on to the question at hand. I have been invited to apply to be on the board of a certain village association. I am leaning towards doing this (pending a talk with (e:Janelle)), but have not decided yet. Frankly, I like much of what they do, but not all of it. The way I see it, is it is better to get involved than to complain, but really, not getting involved is so much easier.
What say the peeps?
Drew's Journal
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01/23/2008 13:31 #43000
Should I?01/15/2008 15:44 #42893
Happy Birthday, Rev. KingCategory: religion
Every white Christian should read "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" regularly. It still makes me shiver. This quote seems to have been downright prophetic:
So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent and often even vocal sanction of things as they are.
But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust.
mrdeadlier - 01/17/08 11:30
That scary quote was enough to entice me. I'm going to go check it out.
That scary quote was enough to entice me. I'm going to go check it out.
janelle - 01/15/08 16:02
I think every Christian should probably read this. It applies to a number of social situations.
I think every Christian should probably read this. It applies to a number of social situations.
01/14/2008 10:54 #42877
Eating in NOLACategory: nola
Ok, everything about the trip was great. I did some good work, met some good people, and had some good thoughts. But another thing sticks in my mind, too. The Red Fish Grill.
Everybody told me to eat there, which, in normally means that I would not eat there. But we were walking through the French Quarter with Vic (I should post about him, too) and he suggested it, and I was not in a mood to suggest something else. I am glad I did not.
I have not eaten a better meal in a LONG time. Fortunately, the recipe for what I ate is available on their website, so I can hopefully eat it again without spending big bucks. Here it is:
I honestly have not had seafood so good. Kook can back me up on this. It didn't taste fishy, but instead it was smokey-rich-spicy-sweet. Amazing.
Everybody told me to eat there, which, in normally means that I would not eat there. But we were walking through the French Quarter with Vic (I should post about him, too) and he suggested it, and I was not in a mood to suggest something else. I am glad I did not.
I have not eaten a better meal in a LONG time. Fortunately, the recipe for what I ate is available on their website, so I can hopefully eat it again without spending big bucks. Here it is:
I honestly have not had seafood so good. Kook can back me up on this. It didn't taste fishy, but instead it was smokey-rich-spicy-sweet. Amazing.
kookcity2000 - 01/14/08 22:51
oh man that was a fucking great dinner.
Between that, the medley we sharted waiting at the airport, and the PoBoy I got for lunch Friday, that was the only local faire we ate down there.
Everything else was dinners made at the camp.
The camp dinners were actually very good, all things considered.
oh man that was a fucking great dinner.
Between that, the medley we sharted waiting at the airport, and the PoBoy I got for lunch Friday, that was the only local faire we ate down there.
Everything else was dinners made at the camp.
The camp dinners were actually very good, all things considered.
mrdt - 01/14/08 19:40
If you're eating in restaurants or buying fish that tastes fishy it's really important for you to stay away from those places and find/develop a relationship with a reputible fish monger like Hayes Seafood. Being on the coast NO has exceptional fish quality because it goes from the boats and the farms to the plate faster. I would have recommended shrimp or crawfish as this is harvest time and it may have been an opportunity to eat fresh as opposed to frozen which, unless in Europe, is the way we eat shrimp in 98% of the country. There is no taste comparison like that of fresh sweet shrimp!!!
If you're eating in restaurants or buying fish that tastes fishy it's really important for you to stay away from those places and find/develop a relationship with a reputible fish monger like Hayes Seafood. Being on the coast NO has exceptional fish quality because it goes from the boats and the farms to the plate faster. I would have recommended shrimp or crawfish as this is harvest time and it may have been an opportunity to eat fresh as opposed to frozen which, unless in Europe, is the way we eat shrimp in 98% of the country. There is no taste comparison like that of fresh sweet shrimp!!!
jbeatty - 01/14/08 16:24
Looks like a tasty recipe. Glad you had a good time.
Looks like a tasty recipe. Glad you had a good time.
mrmike - 01/14/08 11:01
I know you had a full schedule, but it is pretty easy to eat well there. Hope you were able to try Cafe Du Monde and their fine beignets. Those are worth investigation as well.
I know you had a full schedule, but it is pretty easy to eat well there. Hope you were able to try Cafe Du Monde and their fine beignets. Those are worth investigation as well.
01/13/2008 18:40 #42871
Catching up.Got back from New Orleans. It was great. I should give more information but Janelle and I are watching Simpsons DVDs, and I don't feel like thinking.
I am tired, and I have a long list of things to do. I have church stuff 3 evenings this week, and all of them are kind of time consuming. And I have decided to launch TWO new classes in February, so I have that coming up, too. That and there are a couple of other new initiatives that I don't want to blog about, yet. Oh yeah, and I am supposed to help another church begin a process of transformation
I still haven't written thank you notes, I am working with two couples that are going to get married, and there is a woman that is very sick. I need to visit her often, and I really should get out to see the other homebound people soon.
Oh right, I have to lead worship/preach on Sunday, too.
This is just me on Sunday night feeling tired. I'm sure it will all get done.
I am tired, and I have a long list of things to do. I have church stuff 3 evenings this week, and all of them are kind of time consuming. And I have decided to launch TWO new classes in February, so I have that coming up, too. That and there are a couple of other new initiatives that I don't want to blog about, yet. Oh yeah, and I am supposed to help another church begin a process of transformation
I still haven't written thank you notes, I am working with two couples that are going to get married, and there is a woman that is very sick. I need to visit her often, and I really should get out to see the other homebound people soon.
Oh right, I have to lead worship/preach on Sunday, too.
This is just me on Sunday night feeling tired. I'm sure it will all get done.
mrdeadlier - 01/15/08 10:29
Nice. Class two really interests me. How long do you expect it to run for? Not the individual meetings, but the duration of the series I mean.
Nice. Class two really interests me. How long do you expect it to run for? Not the individual meetings, but the duration of the series I mean.
drew - 01/14/08 10:59
The classes:
Who is Jesus? I am excited about this one, because it is for non-church people (although churchy types are welcome). It was going to meet at the Lexington General store on Sunday nights, but now we have lost that location, so I am now looking for another public, non-church space that we can use.
Class two: Unbinding the Gospel. How progressive/mainline/normal Christians can talk about their faith with other people in a way that is good for everybody involved. Thursday nights, starting in February. Worship will follow, but people can come for just the class or just worship if they choose. Most likely in partnership with First Presbyterian Church.
Class Three: Introduction to Lafayette Church. It's for the new people showing up that might want to become members. As yet unscheduled.
The classes:
Who is Jesus? I am excited about this one, because it is for non-church people (although churchy types are welcome). It was going to meet at the Lexington General store on Sunday nights, but now we have lost that location, so I am now looking for another public, non-church space that we can use.
Class two: Unbinding the Gospel. How progressive/mainline/normal Christians can talk about their faith with other people in a way that is good for everybody involved. Thursday nights, starting in February. Worship will follow, but people can come for just the class or just worship if they choose. Most likely in partnership with First Presbyterian Church.
Class Three: Introduction to Lafayette Church. It's for the new people showing up that might want to become members. As yet unscheduled.
mrdeadlier - 01/14/08 10:51
What are these classes you're talking about and when will they be held? I'm done as a Trustee at my church (for now at least) and might have a night to sacrifice up for the sake of edumacation. Might...
What are these classes you're talking about and when will they be held? I'm done as a Trustee at my church (for now at least) and might have a night to sacrifice up for the sake of edumacation. Might...
fellyconnelly - 01/14/08 09:58
but the good thing is... Welcome back!!!
but the good thing is... Welcome back!!!
01/08/2008 19:01 #42794
NOLA IICategory: new orleans
I'm on a borrowed computer, so all I can say now is that there is an update on elmwoodjesus.org
imk2 - 01/08/08 19:25
drew, you are so awesome! and so is kook!
drew, you are so awesome! and so is kook!
Just to clarify, the association isn't invite only, but they have to recruit people for the board.
Why not give it a shot? Like Gandhi said, Be the change you want to see in the world.
Is this some sort of invite-only association? No community group worth a damn would do so. The thing that (e:janelle) mentioned really frosts me - it epitomizes what I hate about living here but then again you cannot have it all. EV residents are waaaaaay up their own asses sometimes.
From my perspective (and I have reservations w/respect to the ev association as well) you should do it, if anything to simply infiltrate them and inject a bit of sense.
Also keep in mind that this sort of organization is virtually invisible except for a handful of occasions a year... or unless you need something that they have. Ultimately I question their relevance to the prosperity of the neighborhood, but if you do join I hope that you inject some good ideas that will ultimately benefit the neighborhood for the sake of the people who live here, rather than the greedy business owners who tend to populate these sorts of hifalutin organizations.
Good luck man - I'm a cynic so take what I say with a little dash of salt, but I think you are the perfect person to be involved in this sort of thing. Maybe what we don't like about these orgs can be changed for the better with a guy like you being involved.
You know my opinion on said association. I'm no fan of an association that will chase away a non profit rather than allow it to become a permanent tenant of a vacant retail space. Blech.
yeah, do it.
Congrats on the invitation to join by the way - and sorry for being too awesome at balderdash for you to handle ^_^
The put up or shut up theory says that joining is the way to go!
If it is a certain association I'm thinking of, I'm sitting on their marketing committee. Give it a go. If it goes down in flames, at least we know people.