Tag You Are It

I have been tagged by the Why Man and here are my responses. I tag Rivera Blog and Dr. James ,


I will only tag two to be gentle to the blogosphere: So you'll have to answer these questions dudes.



1. Male or Female: male


2. Married or Single (or religious): Single but hoping to be taken


3. Dream vacation: Barbados, barefoot on the beach


4. Birthplace: Aruba, Netherland Antilles


5. Area I live in currently: Danvers, MA close to The world's coolest city - Salem, MA


6. Someone you wish you could meet: Karl Marx


7. Biggest "pet-peeve": Lack of communication


8. Favorite Religious devotion: Lectio Divina is nice and my night prayers


9. Favorite Saint (besides the Blessed Mother): Saint Jude


10. Favorite sport that you play: Soccer and Tennis


11. Favorite food: Arroz con Pollo


12. Tridentine or Novus Ordo: Novus Ordo


13. Would you (or are you) home school or public school: Neither Catholic or Mainstream Protestant School


14. How many kids do you have: none, hopefully two in the future


15. Ever been in an auto accident: Yes, twice


16. Ever seen a pope in person: Nope.


17. Languages that you know fluently: Spanish, English and almost in Portuguese


18. Last movie you saw in theatres: Georgia Rules and Spiderman 3


19. Favorite Blog: Square No More, Why Man and John Smulo


20. Your thoughts on Barney, the Easter bunny, and Santa Claus: Evil, Needs to be gone since Easter is about Christ and keep the jolly guy.

SynchroBlog - Christianity and Film

Steve Hayes was the impetus behind this month's SynchroBlog topic about Christianity and Film. I don't watch enough movies to even have come up with this topic, so I needed a more movie-manic personality to get me to post about it. Below are the links to the people who will be writing about this subject. As expected Spidey rules the web here as he does elsewhere.

Steve Hayes ponders The Image of Christianity in Films
Adam Gonnerman pokes at The Spider's Pardon
David Fisher thinks that Jesus Loves Sci-Fi
John Morehead considers Christians and Horror Redux: From Knee-Jerk Revulsion to Critical Engagement
Marieke Schwartz lights it up with Counter-hegemony: Jesus loves Borat
Mike Bursell muses about Christianity at the Movies
Jenelle D'Alessandro tells us Why Bjork Will Never Act Again
Cobus van Wyngaard contemplates Theology and Film (as art)
Tim Abbott tells us to Bring your own meaning...?
Sonja Andrews visits The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Christ in Spaghetti Westerns
Steve Hollinghurst takes a stab at The Gospel According to Buffy
Les Chatwin insists We Don't Need Another Hero
Lance Cummings says The Wooden Wheel Keeps Turning
John Smulo weaves a tale about Spiderman 3 and the Shadow
Josh Rivera spells well with Christian Witchcraft
Phil Wyman throws out the Frisbee: Time to Toss it Back
Sally Coleman is Making Connections- films as a part of a mythological tradition
Dr. Kim Paffenroth investigates Nihilism Lite

Internal Grace

This past weekend, God for People Who Hate Church Conference took place. It was quite successful and insightful. However, something happened on Saturday morning which for the most part was extremely shameful and put a small sour note to start the conference. Even though I offered a public apology and I asked and was given forgiveness. I felt my heart break in two, as well as sorrow for extremly disappointing those who love me from the Church.

Many individuals have been extremely concerned telling me: Do not beat yourself? Let it go if not the Devil continues to mess with you. We love you and realize life is messy.

Here is the problem even though through the death and resurrection of our Lord we are accepted the way we are and grace allows us to redeem ourselves, how do I forgive myself and allow grace to enter my heart. How do I create or allow INTERNAL GRACE to set in. Nothing I have done to attempt to make amends gives me the atonement and comfort I seek.

I guess only time will heal my wounds. I write this posting not for answers, but to seek insight into Christ's workings. I try every day to walk down that path of righteousness and even though I stumble, I get up. Sometimes I guess it seems its not enough.

Again I say, I am confess to you all bloggers that I have sinned through my own heart, my thoughts, my words, what I have done and what I have failed to do. I ask for forgiveness and grace to continue to fight the battle for the Kingdom. Amen

Pagan and Witch Panel

Having many questions about why a 5 year old orthodox jewish girl cannot play with her bff since she is catholic? Why don't Dogs go to heaven? Such questions are posed by neo-pagans/witches on the panel and why they rejected the standard Church and questioned God. Also these experiences led the women on the panel to search for connection or pursuit for authenticity in the spiritual realm. That realm is polytheistic where there are multiple deities and they are honored. Honor of a deity or deities is essential to acknowledge our connection to the supernatural

There are many different types of witches/pagans/druids from the Celtic background to the aborigines from the Australian outback. Despite the differences they all are trying to reach the top of the mountain and come to a common ground. Common ground is where Christians and Pagans must come to in order to begin a relational dialogue.

One of the jokes is people believe that people during Halloween, witches will eat children, suck the life force out of people. In the past they were like hookers promoting themselves until they moved inside of their stores. Its a shame that these individual have been misrepresented who are just partaking in their religion which is just a little different.

Neo-Paganism today is a blanket term, we all believe the same thing its just a matter of the practice according to Suzy Wade. Sounds like Christianity, we basically believe the same thing we just come to the goal in different ways.

Finding God Outside the Church

On a panel, key emergent voices are huddled together in the hopes of trying to discuss ways to find and proclaim God's way in unorthodox means.

Karen Ward states that in her ministry, they bring the redemptive purpose to parties that they sponsor. The party takes place and Jesus comes in slowly

Jay Baker, he states that in a conversation with an atheist. The atheist says that he does not believe in God since he has a problem with hell. How can God be so living and at the same time if you do not believe in him then you will be barbecued.

Other people discovering the Gospel is an argument presented by Tony Jones rather than presenting the Gospel to others. By allowing Christianity be a mosaic it brings a beautiful color into the masterpiece. So a ministry like the Gathering is creating a beautiful mosaic where atheists, pagans, witches and others bring the magnificent color for its culmination.

Jim Henderson and Atheists

9:00-10:00am: Jim and his wife talked about Simplicity Spirituality and how we can be closer to God and develop a closer relationship to Christ.

Interacting with Christ is quite easy; come to him with an open heart. Be not afraid . This is kind of like studying sociology. Come with an open-mind and be prepared to put one self in their place in order to understand their predicament better(sociological imagination).

10:00-11:00am: Panel on Atheists by Jim Henderson

The argument is that they are humanists and heavy on scientific background. The ideal is if you cannot refute then it cannot be truth. Sociology argues that human behavior can be predicted using statistical analysis, however its important to note that within the field: quantitative vs qualitative(argument over deep understanding vs finding truth); the field can be quite understanding by using ethnographic skills and obtaining a deep insight in the issue being studied.

Those on the panel applaud Pastor Phil for developing warm relations in order create dialogue and discussion.

Jim Henderson

No one gets bored and trying to get Christians to be 'normal', Jim Henderson on why he picked evangelism. That strikes an accord since Church can be blah sometimes at the sametime, many Christians are looked at as judgemental hypocritics, who talk the talk, but have a hard time walking the walk.

Jim Henderson says: To call people lost is what is done behind people's back and not in their face. This sheds an insight into the fact that Christianty has backstabbed those who do not believe. They offer their hand, but as they pat your back they plunge that judgemental knife into one's back.

As a sociologist the actions of people who do harm to those they do not agree makes no sense. They expect to hold power over them by saying you will be damned if you do not accept Christ. But power relations have no business in the spreading of the word of Christ. Bureacracy and rationalization as expressed by Weber corrupt and damage the message of Christ. Love and Fellowship are the keys to this endeavor.

"Jesus called for the Kingdom and the Church appeared", that is scary since they have not made much progress and need another 2000-5000 years to get the message right.

In talking about his experiences in India, he discusses how some of the people become followers of Jesus and rally for the ending of the Caste system. The tackling of social injustice and human rights is the start of dialogues which allows us to reach souls and love them through Christ. A step forward is crucial. If we begin with Buddhism, then Paganism, ultimately if it leads to a spiritual experience and continues dialogues, then Christ will come.

The Opening

Its T-minus 17 minutes until the opening of the God, For People Who Hate Church. The Opening will be Phil and some members from Church singing the the Gargoyle Song followed by a talk by Jim Henderson. Wish us luck and God Bless to everyone.

The Breeze

Like the winds which are blowing through the trees on this beautiful friday afternoon, so is the word of Christ that will be debated and dialogued.

4:10pm: People have had lunch at the Wyman's and they are returning back to the Church. Its less than 3 hrs until the opening of the conference. The Streams Gang as well as us members from the Church are quite excited. In the corner Carly is drawing a mural of a gargoyle, Stephen R and John Smulo are talking on the couches, and Karen Ward and Beth are reading the materials that came with their registration packet. Its quite quiet at the Church, but the voice of the voiceless will be heard soon(Atheists, Pagans, Witches and possible Satanists)

The emergent voices had lunch and realized that they are coming from different parts of the country. Northwest, West-Coast, the South, etc.

Like the song by Dar Williams, the Christians and the Pagans, we are coming to getting wherever there is common ground.

First Day Part II

Well its still very mellow, no news. Met with John Smulo and Jim Henderson. Very cool guys and myself, as well as the church are looking forward to their comments.

2:03pm: At this juncture the Streams gang are doing Dream Interpretation outside of the Church and in the inside they are setting up the audio for tonights grand opening, as well as the music.

"Hi from the Gather-violachick Elizabeth!"

Until the next posting.

First Day

Hello People,

Today is the opening of the God, For People Who Hate Church Conference at my Church, The Gathering. The gang from Streams have arrived and so have the Olive Branch Booksellers who are setting up. The next 2.5 days will be a opportunity to dialogue with Pagans, Wiccans, Neo-Pagans and others who have felt excluded by the Church for the last eons.

I will be joining with others in blogging live from the conference as well as volunteering in different venues.

Its 12:08pm and Ben Harper is playing in the background and people are settling in.