Manhunt..."Out for the Kill!"

Genesis 3:16 (ESV):
"To the woman he said,
'I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be [against [1]] your husband,
and he shall rule over you.'"

An alternate translation for the Hebrew word that is translated as "for" in 3:16c is "against" (ref. ESV translation). I've opted for the "against" translation because it draws a stronger correlation between the curse here in Genesis and this song, "Manhunt".

I don't know what is more disturbing, Kamon's understanding of the relationship/courtship between men and women, or the penultimate lyric at the end of the song: "I'm out for the kill." This statement, alone, typifies the "against" in Genesis 3:16. She's looking not only to reverse the gender roles, but to subject men to the very thing she feels (and many women felt) women were subjected to. She's not gonna be hunted, she gonna hunt. Kamon is very blunt: she's out for total domination over man--and possible extinction.

Kamon subverts feminine equality and liberty to a twisted (even warped?) understanding of interchangeability--so much interchangeability that the other gender is extinguished by the other. There is no need, in Kamon's view, for man or the communion with man outside of domination.

From Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics, Book III, Vol. IV, Section 54, "Freedom and Fellowship", Chapter 1, "Man and Woman"

"The position to which we were directed as the true and distinctive position for each sex is for each man and woman whether within marriage or without, a position which is open to its opposite. One cannot occupy it, nor fulfill the requirement of fidelity to one's sex, without being aware of woman if one is a man, or of man if a woman. And openness to the opposite is not an incidental and dispensable attribute of this position; it constitutes its very essence. All the other conditions of masculine and feminine being may be disputable, but it is inviolable, and can be turned at one into an imperative and taken with the utmost seriousness, man is directed to woman and woman to man, each being for the other a horizon and focus, and that man proceeds from woman and woman from man, each being for the other a centre and source. This mutual orientation constitutes the being of each. It is always in relationship to their opposite that man and woman are what they are in themselves" (163).

Book Review: Darkness Is My Only Companion

Kathryn Greene-McCreight's Darkness Is My Only Companion is an astounding account of her battle with mental illness (severe depression and bi-polar disorder), with the final chapters filled with resources for those who are suffering from mental illness/depression, and suggestions for those who have friends, loved ones, clergy, and parishoners who suffer from mental illness/depression.

Greene-McCreight's ability to verbalize-- with amazing acumen--her experiences, offers the reader the chance to engage with that very tumultuous and almost-despairing existence. Almost-despairing. Darkness brims with the expectant hope in the power of the Triune God. While the reader is cast upon the undulating sea of depression and mania that is coursing through this one woman, this one woman is consistently returning to the hope in the One, Almighty, Powerful God, the Source of comfort for the afflicted, the Hidden in our Suffering Abba Father. The author does not leave the reader only in her experiences; thus, this is not a book only about experience. The author is a continual beacon pointing to Jesus Christ and the Cross; thus, the book is about Jesus and His love.

Kathryn Greene-McCreight has her finger on two points of sensitivity about mental illness within the church. First, generally, Christians view mental illness as a direct result of bad-actions/lack of actions. As an ordained minister and a PhD in theology, one would naturally expect that she would be the least likely candidate to suffer, especially from mental illness. She knows her Bible, she knows her Doctrine, and she loves--evident through every page--Jesus and knows that He loves her. In spite of all this knowledge and love, she still suffers; thus, she asks the necessary question: Why am I still suffering? To this question, the church, in general, has failed to provide an adequate answer. The common, Christian advice given to those Christians who suffer from all forms of depression and other mental illness is: read your bible more, be rejoiceful, repent of your sins, evaluate the effectiveness of your quiet time (or start a quiet time). Mental Illness/Depression is seen as the result of one's own actions; thus, correct the action and rid oneself of the nasty result. The stage is now set for the overwhelming introduction of guilt on top of one's illness.

Second, admitting and seeking clinical help for mental illness/depression is a source of shame. I'm left questioning: Why? Using Greene-McCreight's words to answer,

"...we are ashamed to admit that we can't handle illness, especially mental illness, on our own. It can be devastating blow to one's sense of self, after all, to admit to mental unrest. But when we have a bad cough we are usually not similarly ashamed. Why, when we are mentally ill, should we not react with the same dispatch in calling the doctor as we would when we find a lump in the breast....But what makes us think the Christian can or should be able to handle such difficulties alone, much less any other diffiuclty? The assumption that one can go it alone is at heart Pelagianism....Pelagianism shrank the grace of God" (146).

Kathryn is a sufferer, and points other sufferers to the One Who Suffered and is present in our suffering.

Darkness Is My Only Companion should be on everyone's bookshelf from pastor to layperson.

--Lauren R. E. Larkin, Post Partum Depression sufferer.

Ministry in the Power of the Holy Spirit

The Rector of my home church, St. Paul's Darien, is teaching a non-credit class at Trinity School for ministry on Ministry in the Power of the Holy Spirit. Here is a link to a brief description:

click here and scroll to the bottom of the flyer, the description is in the lower left corner.

This is a non-credit course and only costs $50. The course is offered through Trinity School for Ministry, running from June 8-10, 2009.

From experience, The Rev. Christopher Leighton is one of the most grounded and charismatic leaders in the church. He is also one of my theological mentors (side note). I attended St. Paul's Darien for a couple of years--this is where I gained my start in theology and Christianity, under his tutelage (and that of The Rev. Dan Morgan)--and also was given the chance to work on staff for two summers as a Youth Ministry Intern; thus, I was able to witness The Rev. Christopher's leadership as guided by the Holy Spirit. He is a man who is submitted to and in love with Jesus; it's beautiful. I doubt one could find a higher degree of erudition combined with this passion for Jesus and the Power of the Holy Spirit.

If you are curious about the role of the Holy Spirit in your ministry or even in your life as a Christian, I highly recommend taking this class...There really is no one else I would feel as sure of and as comfortable recommending.

Book Review: Better Than My Dreams

Disappointment is real and we all encounter it. We each have dreams that fall to the ground and shatter into a million pieces (or so it seems). And, somewhere along the way, we've been told that these disappointments and shattered dreams aren't supposed to be; however, they still are a fact of life. Paula Rinehart, in Better than My Dreams: Finding What You Long For Where You Might Not Think To Look, addresses suffering and loss and it's place in the life of a Christian.

Place?

That seems offensive to some...where is there a place for suffering in a Christian's life. I mean, really, aren't we supposed to live victoriously, have a life marked with the accolades of victory? Well, I guess, as long as you define the 'victory' as Jesus' victory over death and sin and the accolade the cross we bear as we walk His path; I guess not if you mean that we are supposed to have lives that are never marked by suffering or loss or hurt or disappointment or shattered dreams and are all happy all the time.

Paula really puts her finger on the sensitive point, the hurting point: pride. She writes,

"Lots of us suffer form an inflated picture of what it means to live a lie that matters. I know I have. You assume that if God is writing your story, then surely something great will come of it. It's like one of Lily Tomlin's stand-up comedy lines: I always though I would grow up to be somebody, but I found I should have been more specific.

"The real problem, I believe, is in what we are prone to call great. We look at the children Jesse Copeland touched through the years and see the profound impact. But I don't think it ever felt great to Jesse. She just answered the simple call of God to remain where she was and love children who came her way. She offered biscuits and a nurturing heart, and God did his work.

"It's no different for us. The irony is that whatever our gifts are, they feel ordinary in side our own skin--like, what else is new? You encourage others because you love doing that. Or you study and teach because you love seeing the light come on in other people's eyes. Or you direct a corporate board with exemplary ethics because that what it right. You do what you do because God has laid his hand on your life--and because you can. But it rarely feels special or extraordinary" (165-6).

I love that part. That which we were created to do rarely feels extraordinary or special; but, rather, natural. In a culture where everyone and everything is "gifted" or "special" or "talented", where no one "loses" or "comes in last" or "fails", Rinehart's words stop me in my place. Wait, what? When I'm operating in my "gifts" I may not or will not feel special? Isn't that a freeing word? When the feeling of awe and the energy of inspiration ware off, it doesn't mean that you are no longer doing what you were created to do--because gifting and operating in those gifts can feel more like "of course" rather than "ah ha!":

"There's an awful ordinariness that goes with any sort of gift or calling. It tests your motivation and strains your nerves. Or as Flannery O'Connor, author of some the last century's best Sourthern novels and a woman who died in her thirties from lupus, once wrote, 'You do not do art the best you can for art's sake, but for the sake of returning to the invisible God your increasing talent to use or not to use, as he sees fit'" (Rinehart 167).

God is in control...even in the suffering and even in the success. Suffering isn't for not, it produces fruit...though that fruit is often hard to see and pain can make it difficult to even look for fruit. But we don't have to "look" for fruit...God does love us, but that doesn't mean that we will be exempt from suffering and loss and broken hearts and dashed dreams. Everthing is in the hands of the Almighty.

The Amighty Creator does not need us--there is nothing that He has so hinged on us that if we fail His plan fails. His plan, His work is an ALREADY event with current and future manifestations...we, the humans, the created, are only along for the ride (Rinheart 167-8); and, this ride will bring us through storm and sun.

Recommendation: Although there were some points of slight semi-pelagian influence, I think they are washed out by the stronger message of suffering as part of our life and Jesus with us in that suffering as the One Who Truly Suffered. I recommend this to read if you are finding yourself in a season of disappointment and loss.

Book Review: Hello Cupcake!

Check out: these cupcakes!

If you like baking and have a creative flare, I highly recommend Hello Cupcake!, by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. These designs are completely "doable". There are plenty of great holiday and birthday designs, as well as designs that say, "Yeah, I was bored and thought (fill in the blank) would be fun!" Plus, if you are in the never-ending, always-exhausting competition of being the "BEST MOM ON THE BLOCK"--as I am...praise the Lord my block is primarily old people--then why not solidify that title...make cupcakes that look like Dogs! Or, Van Gogh's "Starry Night" (honestly, I don't know if I'm that ambitious...but my pride tempts me to want to try)!

Seriously, the techniques and tools used for making the cupcakes are really simple. I highly recommend this cook-book, esp. if you are geared toward baking and artistic expression.

Some Days

There are just some days when things just seem or are pretty bad. And then, almost out of the blue, someone--your husband--says, "Hey, you should listen to this Bill Mallonee song"--almost out of the blue...you are married to a Bill Mallonee Uber Fan. And you think, "I guess, I mean he says this all the time." So, you do listen. And you hear the beautiful message of Easter and you know that you are not alone, that this isn't permanent, and that you are forgiven and that there is hope that you can forgive and be forgiven by others. You hear love. And, just like that, the day is just that less bad. And you love that Uber Fan all the more.

Coming Out of Hiding

To find the lyrics on the MySpace page, look in the bottom left portion of the window (in the section "Work Progress Administration: General Info").

"She Is Love"

A good friend of mine [shout out to Nate Lee] introduced me to this song.

I love it.

Because I've never encountered a song that echos the Love of the Cross so well.

It doesn't even matter if the "she" in the song is a "real" woman or the feminine that is wisdom (Prov. 8; as wisdom is the fear/love of God (Prov. 1:7)); because, Love, described as such, is never separate/can never be separated from Jesus and the Cross. Love is the Cross; and, the Gospel, which is the proclamation of the Cross, is all love and all "Yes". St. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, writes, "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things". In the Cross we are in the realization of this love, this true love, this truly all "yes".

Be ye prepared to enter into this Easter week.




"I've been beaten down, I've been kicked around,
But she takes it all for me.
And I lost my faith, in my darkest days,
But she makes me want to believe.

"They call her love, love, love, love, love.
They call her love, love, love, love, love.
She is love, and she is all I need.
She's all I need.

"Well I had my ways, they were all in vain,
And she waited patiently.
It was all the same, all my pride and shame,
And she put me on my feet.

"They call her love, love, love, love, love.
They call her love, love, love, love, love.
They call her love, love, love, love, love.
She is love, and she is all I need.

"Cause when that world slows down, dear.
And when those stars burn out, here.
Oh she'll be there, yes she'll be there,
They call her love, love, love, love, love.
They call her love, love, love, love, love.
They call her love, love, love, love, love.
She is love, and she is all I need,
She is love, and she is all I need,
She is love, and she is all I need."
(lyrics: click here)