A Tennessee Driver

Yup, I'm officially licensed to drive a car in the state of Tennessee. I'm not sure why there's a little heart in the right hand corner of my picture. Weird. Anyway, it was actually a pretty painless experience, except for having to run next door to an ATM because I forgot my checkbook and they don't take debit/credit cards. I also registered to vote in Davidson County. Now I can write my senators and representatives as a concerned voter in the Volunteer State. Anyway, with the license and the plates on my car, I guess I'm officially from Tennessee now. Wild.

So, I decided to take the picture of my license offline, after the comments below. I don't need anyone stealing my identity, although, I think it would be difficult without my social security number or mother's maiden name, but still, better safe than sorry. Thanks for lookin' out for me folks.

Silly pop songs

• W - O - R - D Up (repeat) Yes, today in the car, I heard that song "Word Up" by
  Cameo??? (I'm not sure if that's right). I mean, they actually spelled the word "word" and then said "up." Silly...totally silly. It made me think of that great SNL skit when Tracy Morgan was dressed up as the guy from Cameo??? and came to testify before congress. All he would say was "Word up." It was hilarious. For some reason, I remember watching that with Lindsey Wade. Thankfully, she shares my great appreciation for Tracy Morgan..."I'm Brian Fellows!!"
• I had a great time in Columbia, MO for Thanksgiving. It was wonderful to chill out with the fam and just enjoy being in my childhood home. Highlights of the weekend include the car rides with my sister, breakfast at Ernie's with Dad, lunch at Taco Bell with the whole Bancroft clan, seeing Grandma, lunch at our house...my parents are awesome cooks, Flat Branch with Jeff and Samantha (I had the Porter if anyone cares), and sleeping until I woke up(meaning no alarm clock) in the cave that is my room.
• Finally, David and I are team preaching tomorrow. It should be a fun experience. I love the idea of trying something different for the Advent season. I do think that every year, as we anticipate the arrival of God on earth, we're called to do a new thing. Isn't that what God says..."Look, I am about to do a new thing." I really do love Advent. We look forward, we anticipate, we yearn to see the birth of a baby. That's right...a little baby boy born to a carpenter and his wife in a stable of all places. It really is a ridiculous story, and I love that. I guess my question for the week is: How am I preparing myself for the arrival of Immanuel (God with us)?
  

Random thoughts

• There's something great about small towns. As I was on my way to Atlanta last weekend, I stopped at a BP in a random small town somewhere in Tennessee. I purchased a "cake in a cup" coffee and a h0ney bun. The lady behind the counter only charged me for the honey bun. I mean, how sweet is that? I don't know if it was because I used my own travel mug for the coffee, or if she was just feeling nice. Either way, I chalk that up to one of the great things about small town america.
• On my way back to Nashville from Atlanta, I heard a little segment of the John Tesh intelligence hour (or whatever it's called). He said that when girl servers write "thanks" and draw a smiley face at the bottom of a check, their tip goes up by 5%, but guys get no such love. WHAT??? All tolled, I probably wasted hours of my life writing "Thanks" and drawing a smiley face on my checks at Flat Branch. I can't believe it got me a big fat nothing. Bummer.
• I'm headed back to the Show-Me state today. I'm looking forward to some good food and good times with the Bancroft clan.
• Finally, my trip to Atlanta was awesome. It was great seeing seminary friends. Having dinner with them felt some comfortable. Spending time with Tom and Nicole was equally wonderful. A big thanks to them for letting me bunk out in their hotel room. It was fun lounging around with them all day on Saturday. I especially enjoyed the part of the morning when Nicole wanted Tom and me and get up, and we just layed there telling her it wasn't time yet. AWESOME!!! :)
• Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope everyone can find something to be thankful for.
  

What I'm excited about

This is a list of the things I'm currently excited about:

• Going to the ATL to hang out with some seminary friends and Tom and Nicole. I've missed my boyfriend tremendously and look forward to laughing in that "milk coming out of your nose" type way.
• The session of Harpeth Presbyterian Church. last night, the session discussed a very difficult issue and did so with respect, love, understanding, and passion. I just love it that people who think differently about issues can come together and love one another.
• Harpeth Presbyterian Church in general...There are so many wonderful people at Harpeth. I can't think of a better place to start out as a pastor.
• Heading home for Thanksgiving. This will include a night at my sister's house and a ride back to Columbia with her. I love having that brother/sister time.
  
• The new Harry Potter movie. I think I'll see it with Dad while I'm home for Thanksgiving.
  
• Walter Cronkite Newsflash (the frisbee team I played with this fall) won the fall league championship. On a related note, I'm excited about going to practices in the future and learning more about the sport.
• Advent...We get to come to church every week and know that we're one step closer to the incarnation of God...the incarnation of the almighty YHWH into a little baby. Forget Santa Packs. Jesus Christ is coming, Jesus Christ is coming, Jesus Christ is coming! (sung to the melody of those cheesy Coca-Cola commercials that announce the arrival of Santa Packs).
  

My Driver...Carl Edwards

That's right, NASCAR fans. My driver, Carl Edwards, won another race today. He won the Dickies 500, which puts him within 77 points of the Nextel Cup. Carl's a great guy, and I'll be rooting for him to pull out another win and take the cup. Bring home the glory, Carl! Bring home the glory!

No recycling for you!

So, I just tried to drop off my recycling at a Williamson County Convenience Center and was turned away by the attendant because I don't live in Williamson County. The tags on my car gave me away as a resident of Davidson county. That's right. I made the effort to gather recyclable items and bring them to a recycling center because nobody around here bothers with curbside (hello 21st century) and I was turned away. That, my friends, is one of the many things wrong with America. Heaven forbid Williamson county might pick up the tab for my recycling when most of its residents probably don't give a crap about recycling. That kind of stuff really pisses me off.

Picture I like

This is a picture that Patrick Marshall, Kimberly Warwick, and I used during our senior chapel week at Columbia Theological Seminary. It's entitled Hannah. I think it's supposed to represent the power of God coming to Hannah as she rose and called upon the Lord. In case anyone cares, I totally want to name a daughter Hannah Rose. It seems empowering.

Unbelievable

So, I sat down tonight to watch Tom Brokaw's report entitled In God They Trust and instead found a special program sponsored by the Billy Graham Foundation. That's right...The Billy Graham Foundation bought out the hour Tom Brokaw's story was supposed to air. They paid off the TV station. I have now lost all respect for my local NBC affiliate. The only reasons to preempt a news story like the one supposed to air are sporting events, breaking world news, or an address from the President. Unbelievable...Simply Unbelievable.

Mixed feelings about this Miers thing

I have some thoughts on the Miers situation:

• First, I don't buy the conspiracy theory. I don't give Bush enough credit. I really think that Bush thought he had enough political capital saved up to be able to appoint someone with no record as a judge for the supreme court, simply because he felt good about the person. It sounds naive, but somehow, that's the vibe I get.
• I feel bad for Harriet Miers. Did she feel competent to be a supreme court justice? I don't know, but I imagine that when the President of the United States asks you to do something, you say yes. I imagine she feels hurt, and maybe a little bit betrayed. I imagine she trusted Bush to know what he was doing, and apparently, he didn't. I was reminded of my days in the Beta Theta Pi fraternity when a group of brothers convinced me that I should run for pledge educator. They assured me that there were a number of people in the fraternity who were looking for a change. Nope. I put myself out there and lost the vote. Yeah, I feel bad for Harriet Miers.
• I'm a little bit pissed that the criticism from some republicans and members of the religious right had to do with whether Harriet Miers was conservative enough. What about whether she has the proper credentials? What about whether she's a person who will hear cases and judge fairly? What about her integrity as a person? I'm getting enraged just thinking about the absurdity of it all. "She just isn't conservative enough." What the hell does that mean? Is that what we've come to in this country? What the hell does conservative or liberal really mean? Is that what we want in supreme court justices...totally conservative or totally liberal? I thought they were supposed to hear cases individually and judge fairly by the merits of the case presented.
  
• It's unfathomable to me that people from "the right" are now criticizing Bush for not being conservative enough. What? Are you kidding me? When are we going to quit playing the blame game? When are we going to quit looking for ways to criticize "the other guy?" When will our elected officials start acting like those pursuing what John Calvin called "the highest calling" and quit acting like little kids who demonize anyone who roots for the "wrong" team? I'm just wondering.

Music you must listen to

• I recently bought Jackie Green's new album Sweet Somewhere Bound on itunes. It's spectacular. I think it's classified as blues, but it has kind of a rock feel to it. He's clearly influenced by Bob Dylan, but not a copycat or anything. If you're looking for some quality music for a Saturday afternoon drive through the country, this is the CD for you.
  
• Fall has fallen here in Tennessee. There was actually frost on my car this morning when I went out to head to the gym. FROST!! I couldn't believe it. On my way home from work in the evenings, I have a beautiful view of a hilltop full of trees whose leaves are changing. The cooler temperatures and crispness in the air make me happy somehow. I just love the feeling in the air that comes with the fall. As I've noted before, some of that may have to do with fond memories of marching band in high school and college, but all in all, I think fall/autumn is my favorite season of the year.
• What else comes with fall? That's right...The World Series. John Weicher's White Sox are one win away from their first championship since 1917 (Czars in Russia!!!). Apparently, the Houston Astros heard that you only have to play five innings in the world series. They've been in control the last two games until the 6th inning. I mean, last night, they had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the ninth and couldn't get a base hit or a sac fly. Pitiful.
• I visited some homebound members of Harpeth today. Most of them were folks who are experiencing the autumn of earthly human existence. I hope that I handle aging with the same kind of grace that all of these Harpethians have. I worry, sometimes, that if I get dealt a bum hand healthwise late in life, I'll become bitter or angry. I worry that when my mobility wanes and I'm unable to come and go as I please, I'll get grumpy or crotchety. I hope I won't...I hope I'll face aging with grace and give thanks to God for each day, even if I can't get out of bed. I hope I'll be a blessing to those who take care of me and not a drain on their emotional reserves. These members of Harpeth give me hope for aging gracefully.
  

No Coffee in the Sanctuary

• I attended my first presbytery meeting as an actual minister today. It wasn't any more exciting as a minister. Bummer. Anyway, as I was about to walk into the sanctuary with my coffee cup (containing cake in a cup, you know, those cappuccino drinks at the gas station) in one hand and my green nalgene water bottle in the other, two very anxious looking men blocked my entrance and stuttered nervously, "Um, sir, um, we don't allow coffee in the sanctuary." I then took the coffee and water bottle as if they were bombs or something, and set them on a coat rack/shelf in the back of the narthex. When I was finally allowed into this coffee-free sanctuary, I noticed that the floor was tile from wall to wall. Granted, the pews had cushions that weren't removable, but still, I thought it was funny that coffee was a banned substance. After our mid-morning break, I had to give up my first born and agree to give generously to their next capital campaign in order to get the water bottle in. The two anxious men had to have a quick conference saying, "Well, water doesn't stain, so I guess it's OK."

• I found the situation quite humorous. OK, I know that we should take care of our church buildings and that the sanctuary is a place set apart, but this was a presbytery meeting for heaven's sake. I'd hate to be the first kid who spills grape juice during communion (well, they probably use white grape juice in order to keep the place looking pristine), or the first mother with a baby who spits up on the pew cushion, not to mention someone who comes in with dirty clothes or muddy feet from having spent the night on the street (fat chance in Franklin or Brentwood).
• As all of you probably know, The Cardinals blew it. I think they only hit two or three balls out of the infield the entire game last night. Awesome. I will say that I was pretty proud of the St. Louis fans. After a brief moment of mourning, they began applauding both The Cardinals and The Astros. I think at one point they were all chanting, "ASTROS ASTROS ASTROS!!!" Classy.
• I'm headed to a youth fall presbytery retreat this weekend. This is my first time to this camp and to any youth event held by the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee. I'm eager to see how it all goes. I'm sure it'll be no Shepherds and Lappsley (sp?) event, but still. :)
• Here are the people I thought of today for various reasons:
• Tom Katona because I went for a bike ride today and because I totally needed a night at The Flying Saucer when I was done with all of my meetings
  
• Jennifer Reid because we sang Prince of Peace at presbytery...well, I guess all of the middle schoolers from Shandon too, but especially Jennifer.
• Carrie Simpson because I rode my bike through Percy Warner Park where we went for a walk once.
• Jonathan Knipping because we sang Take My Life at presbytery and he played me a rad version of it when I hung out with him in Chicago.
• Mark Shivers because we listened to a two hour report from the Peace, Unity, and Purity taskforce today that focused on how to maintain the unity (and implied) existence of our denomination and the whole time I was thinking, "Um, maybe you guys didn't get the memo, but institutions are totally out." :)
• Lyndsay Slocum because we're playing phone tag and I saw her Aunt Suzie today.
• If you aren't on this abbreviated list, chances are I did think of you today, but just can't remember at this very moment. Today was one of those days when everything seems to remind me of somebody...somebody who doesn't live here...somebody who I wish I could see and hang out with. Anyway, now I'm thinking about a ton of people because of that whole, "So, this person makes me think of that person who makes me think of another person, who makes me think of this thing, which leads down the road of never getting to sleep."
• OK, Renderings fans, enough rambling for tonight. Keep it real.
  

Pujols is the Man!!!!

That's right, folks. Bottom of the ninth, two outs, nobody on, and the Cardinals come to life. Eckstein slaps a base hit...Edmonds draws a walk...and then Albert Pujols breahtes new life into the St. Louis Cardinals (while knocking the breath out of the Astros at the same time). They're headed back to St. Louis to dispense of the dirty rotten Astros.

GO CARDINALS BABY!!!! GO CARDINALS!!!!

Walter Cronkite...Newsflash

Walter Cronkite...Newsflash is the name of the ultimate frisbee team I'm playing with this fall. It's a fun group of folks, and so far, we're doing well. We're 2-1 and and in first place. Today was not my best game. I think I touched the frisbee three or four times. We won the game 15-3, and 2 out of the other team's 3 points came as a result of me getting beat on defense. Granted, this is the first time I've played in such an organized way, but still, it was a bit frustrating. I probably need to be more aggressive with my cuts, but some of it is that I'm not always sure where to be and when. I should probably just ask Daniel or Keith to diagram it out a bit before the next game. Regardless, I had a fun time, and enjoyed going to lunch with some folks after the game.

GO CARDINALS!!!

They're at it again

Well, I see that folks in Texas are working for a state constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages. I mean, are there no other pressing issues for their legislature to deal with? Do we not have people without homes after hurricanes Katrina and Rita? Are young men and women not dying daily in Iraq? It just makes me so very sad that people spend their time and energy working so hard to keep people who love each other from professing it in a public way. This Texas amendment will also include a clause prohibiting the creation of any similar legal status with a different name. I mean, what's the rationale behind that? Don't give me that "sanctity of marriage" bullshit and then prohibit similar legal rights with a different name. Just admit that you think gay people aren't entitled to the same justice and equality that heterosexuals are. "Oh, I'm not prejudice, I just don't want homosexuals redefining marriage." Fine (well, not fine, but we'll move past that), but why not an equivalent way to join with another person whom you love? Use your brains people. Division of church and state anyone?

Funny Bumper Stickers

So, a couple of weeks ago, I saw these bumper stickers on the back of a red mini-van. I would have peeled back the corner of the white one so it was more visible, but I thought people might not like me touching their car. Anyway, asyou can probably tell, it says, "I proudly pledge allegiance to one nation under God" However, while this person proudly pledges allegiance to a nation under God, but not necessarily God, apparently, Christ is The Answer. Something about this struck me as ironic.

• First of all, the allegiance to a nation is above Christ is the Answer. Apparently Christ is the Answer, but really, the allegiance is to a nation.
• Second, all of that "under God" stuff drives me absolutely bonkers. They act as if the pledge of allegiance was written by the founding fathers (many of whom weren't really Christians anyway) and they included under God in the beginning. Well, click the link at the end of this bullet point, and you'll find that it was written by a Baptist Minister, and it didn't originally include anything about "under God." It wasn't until 1954 that the words "under God" were added to the pledge. Anyway, I'm not a fan of the "our nation was founded on Christian principles so we ought to shove our concept of God in everyone's faces" rhetoric. Pledge of Allegiance History
• Finally, kind of going back to the first point, I wonder if this person really believes that Christ is the answer. One might ask, "What's the question?" How does Jesus's life and ministry answer the questions of our contemporary world and society? Do we really trust Christ to be the answer, or do we allow substitutes like politicians to be the answer? Do we substitute patriotism and "allegiance" to our nation for really seeking Christ as the answer? I don't know. I just think that we, as Christians, owe our utmost allegiance to God and participation in God's kingdom. I'm thankful that I live in a nation where I can feel free to post anything I want on my blog and not fear for my life, but in the end, it isn't America that will redeem me and make me into a new creation...scratch that...that will redeem creation and remake creation.
  
• Anyway, I just found the stickers to be ironic. Anybody have thoughts?
  

It's been too long

Yes, Renderings fans, it has indeed been too long in between posts. I can't believe it's been almost three weeks since my last post. Neglectful, I know. Over the next couple of days, I plan on filling you in on many things.

First of all, on Sunday, September 25th, I was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). That's right...I'm a minister, a reverend, a man of the cloth. I pretty much wear my robe all the time now. :) I'm kidding, of course. The ceremony was amazing. There really are no words to describe all of the emotions I was feeling. Mom and Dad each played a prelude for the service. They are so talented. Susannah Cook came preached and did a marvelous job. I think the laying on of hands was the most powerful moment. I had my head bowed as the Moderator of the Presbytery prayed over me and elders, ministers, and deacons took turns placing their hands on my head. It was truly a powerful experience. Big thanks to everyone who was present in that place on that day, both physically and spiritually.

This past weekend, I was in Chapel Hill for the wedding of John Weicher and Laurie Taylor. Laurie was a beautiful bride and John was a confident groom. It was great being a part of their celebration of love. It was also great seeing so many of my seminary classmates. I don't think I realized how much I missed people like Dan, Matt, Lindsey, Wes, Shelli, Kevin, Davis, and so many others. Good times with good folks.

OK, it's Sunday night, I've talked to my parents, and I have a fresh episode of The West Wing waiting for me in the VCR. I'm gonna sit down and enjoy the brilliant dialogue and witty banter. In the coming days, look for some pics I find humorous, as well as a shout out to my new ultimate frisbee team "Walter Cronkite News Flash."

informational text messages

You know that little skip in your heart when your phone beeps to tell you have a text message? The thought that someone is trying to reach out and touch you in the form of a quickly entered message with their keypad? Well, I had that feeling today until I realized that it was a text message from Cingular, telling me I can make international calls with my phone. How lame is that? I mean, there I was, thinking somebody loved me enough to text the very best, and it was only an advertisement. Thankfully, it was from Cingular, so it was free. I'd rather get random text messages from Weicher's pocket, because at least that tells me I'm in somebody's phonebook. Oh well, such is life.

Tomorrow, I'm headed back to Columbia, MO in anticipation of my ordination on Sunday afternoon. I'm pretty excited about the whole thing. Being ordained in my home church should be a truly wonderful thing. I've experienced God in so many ways in that church. I can't wait to celebrate God's call on my life in that place. Prayers for safe travel for me and everyone involved would be appreciated.

I ate Taco Bell for lunch today, and it was AWESOME!! I mean, that first bite of my soft taco and sip of Mountain Dew made me feel so good inside. There's probably something bad about that...desires of the flesh and all...but I loved it.

Finally, thanks to my good friend Wes for giving me a shout out yesterday. I was having one of those weeks, and it was great to hear the voice of one much beloved. I enjoyed having a conversation with someone who knows me in ways that only close long-term friends can know. Thanks Rabboni. If you think I wasn't psyched to hear your voice, well...you know.

Tennessee State Fair

This past Saturday, I ventured out to the Tennessee State Fair. The more I attend state fairs, the more I think that the Missouri State Fair is the king of state fairs. I have to say that this one was pretty lame. Unfortunately, most of the animals had already gone home, and the remaning attractions weren't very interesting.

This picture is of a Showbot. If I ever figure out how to put video on my blog, I'll include a video of their performance. They're basically these big shiny robot looking characters who "play" funk music and dance around and tell kids to stay in school and stuff like that. If you ever get to see the Showbots, you're in for a treat. :)

I was intrigued with the cross section of people I saw at the fair. The rich soccer Moms of Brentwood probably weren't there, but other than that, I saw people of different races and socioeconomic status milling around.

If I had had more money, I might have gone in to see the world's smallest bearded woman woman or the two headed turtle or one of the other random "freak show" type things. I mean, who wakes up one day and decides, "I'm gonna travel around the country and show weird stuff to people."?

Anyway, I attended the Tennessee Stat Fair and I was less than impressed. I probably won't go next year.

Daily Manna

Nothing like getting ahead of the game, right? I'm preaching on Exodus 16:2-15 this Sunday...God providing quails and manna. I'm emphasizing God's desire that we trust God for our daily bread. The Israelites had to harvest the manna every day except the sabbath. What does it look like in a world of refrigeration and canning to trust God for our daily bread? Is it merely acknowledging God's provision, or is it more than that? Couldn't the Israelites have given thanks for manna that lasted more than a day? What do you say to people who have no food, especially at the end of the month? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Two Neighborhoods

Yesterday, my day was framed by two neighborhoods. After getting worked by a trainer at Delta Fitness, I came home, recovered, and after a shower, sat down on the couch to eat lunch and watch some TV. As I was flipping channels, I came upon Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood. What a great show!! I was mesmerized. I learned how crayons are made, labeled, packaged, and shipped. It was really interesting stuff. Mr. Rodgers did a drawring with crayons and talked about how if we only think about things, they stay in the world of make believe. He went on to say that sometimes we have to take action on our thoughts...we have to act in the world, not just think and talk about it. He admitted that his picture wasn't amazing, but that drawing it was what it was all about. I sat there and thought about how our offerings to God of time and energy may not be perfect (in fact, I'm pretty sure they aren't) but that it is in doing them that we find some sort of joy. As King Friday was telling Ms. Cow (the teacher in the land of make believe) about his idea for a drawing contest for the people in his kingdom, the phone rang, and I had to come back to the real world.
Then, last night, at our service and mission committee meeting, a woman came and spoke to us about her work at Martha O'Bryan, a local mission in "the black spot of Nashville" as she called it. She talked about children and youth who simply need people to come and read to them. She talked about how so many people on the gulf coast couldn't leave town because it was the end of the month so they didn't have money left to buy a bus ticket. She talked about a neighborhood in which the norm is to drop out of high school. She talked about a girl whose family is shunning her for going to a good college instead of the local Tennessee State.
It was really two different neighborhoods that I encountered, but both Fred Rodgers and Marcia Edwards were calling upon people to act on their thoughts and feelings...to leave the land of make believe and make a difference in the world.
I think that I'll begin using my Fridays as days to volunteer at Martha O'Bryan. It's time to quit talking about revolution and actually get into the thick of it.