*Some* of Josh's fans. 

Josh Pawluk. Note the blurry hands! 

Farewell Kevin Fredlund: May 1/05

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Brief thought for Pattywhacker

Re. Pattywhacker's comment on "Compliant..." post below.

Not a complete response at all: But after pondering things a bit, I would say that I may be confusing things somewhat by imprecise use of various terms such as The Faith, The Gospel, A (Particular) Statement of Faith, The Bible etc. which are not all the same thing. (After analyzing my use of these terms I may provide a glossary, but not today. Gotta get my taxes done.)

Briefly, I think when I talk about considering revising The Gospel I primarily have in mind "The Gospel" meaning formulations of it such as The 4 Spiritual Laws, the Romans Road, ABC etc. (and also less simplistic versions). So, that is whatever some people might mean when they ask, "So did you get a chance to 'share' the Gospel with him?" So this may sound as if it *is* simply revising methodology, but I suppose I am influenced by "The medium is the message."

I think I know who Pattywhacker is and he is no dummy. So this is not intended as anything near a complete response. As well I think he wants me to avoid jumping on a pop-post-modern bandwagon and that is certainly a legitimate concern.

Eric's Birthday: Apr. 28/05

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I sang last night at The Apollo's Open Mike Night. The applause was...um...polite (except possibly for "We want Rick Three!" 

The Actor's Nightmare/Sister Mary Ignatius: Apr. 15 - 23/05

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Cambrian Players' Production of
The Actor's Nightmare
/Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You
by
Christopher Durang
Directed by Sheena Albanese & Jim Hobson
April 15 - 23, 2005

These pix are not hosted on blogger, and will open elsewhere. If this doesn't work, try here.

I was sound designer and tech for this production.

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To Cambrian Players' website.

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To Menu of Cambrian Players' Productions and Events since Mar. '02.

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Richard Pepper's Main Page

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Happy Anniversary to Me

Some dates stick in one's mind and heart.

Thank you note

Yeah, so there was the Camp Gitchigomee Reunion this past Saturday. Yesterday (Wednesday) I received a thank you note in the mail from the Roberta, the Personnel Chair. From what was written on the note, it was clear that they had not all been pre-written and then just dumped in the mailbox that day.

These little touches are so valuable, especially with volunteers. All I did was show up, eat the food, strum along with a few songs and lead one song. Roberta is really on the ball with this sort of thing: similarly I received a thank-you note just a few days after the Fund-Raising Dinner, simply for singing one song.

It appears that blogs are supposed to be about sharing inner feelings and I realize I don't do that often. (One needs to be prudent about pouring out all feelings "positive" and "negative" to the entire WWW anyway.) However, I should share here that I really do appreciate all those who have expressed their appreciation of me (deserved or not) recently.

Matt's Goodbye Party: Apr. 10/05

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My Feb/Mar. '05 Activities and Pics

http://my.tbaytel.net/rpepper/mar05.html

Gist of Sermon

Okay briefly my thought re. suffering goes like this:

If we are in Christ (and that could be a whole long discussion), God treats us as His children -- in fact, like His "favourite" child -- His Beloved Son. How did He "treat" Jesus?

He gave Him everything He needed for His mission -- that is, to be betrayed or rejected by friends (and by God Himself on the cross) and crucified by His enemies -- AND THEN to be vindicated eventually.

Why should He treat us any "better" than that? Out of His love for us, He gives us what we need for our mission which may (will?) include betrayal, rejection and suffering -- AND final vindication (eventually).

Probably 30 out of 33 years of Christ's earthly life were reasonably comfortable and fit well with the picture we get of God taking care of the birds by feeding them (forgetting temporarily that many birds starve to death or are killed by predators).

Well, there's more (such as, in what ways might our missions differ from Christ's), but I'll leave it there for now.

One day I will blog my sermon (about suffering)

At tonight's service we stopped at Luke 12:32 while reading about God promising(?) to provide for us.

So we left out Jesus telling His listeners (including us?) to sell our possessions and to give alms. Can we claim the promise (if that's what it is) if we don't follow the command (if that's what it is)?

No greedy, stingy person can claim Phil 4:19 and insist that God "honour His word". The promise was made to friends of the Apostle Paul who gave beyond their means to support him, apparently (but not certainly) without doing so for a reward. Why do I think I can just flip my Bible open and think God has said this to me?

I'm not asserting that this promise was made only to 1st century generous Philippian friends of Paul -- but I suspect there is a principle here that God's provision is for the extremely generous (or at the very least not promised to the stingy).

(God may and does bless to a ridiculous extent many of us stingy people anyway. But that's His seemingly crazy grace at work -- intended to bring us to Himself -- it's not necessarily God fulfilling His promise to me. Maybe it's showing how much Grace we should show to the undeserving or those who anger us.)

As for God providing for Christian organizations: I'm of the opinion that the only "organization" that God has promised to keep in existence even despite its own blunders, mismanagement and evil is The Church Universal (in Matt 16) and not individual churches or ministries.

I'm not convinced by people who claim "This is God's work and so He will sustain it." First of all, the work is only temporary and He may choose to sustain it for a shorter time than we think He should. (After all, as they say, it is His work.)

Secondly, there are so many Christian efforts that have gone bellyup over the years that I find it hard to believe that all of them strayed so far from God's will (in sin or apostasy) that He had to abandon or punish them as no longer "His". I am willing to accept that mundane issues of mismanagement etc. are responsible. (But often the Devil gets blamed anyway or the "lack of volunteerism" or generosity in the consituency.)

I have come to believe that God values any one individual human over any organization -- the latter are just a temporary means to an end (the "end" being the healing of eternal individuals and incorporating them into His eternal Catholic Church).

(Yes, "Catholic". You may wish to check a dictionary. I didn't say -- nor exclude -- "Roman Catholic")

Thus you are infinitely more valuable to God than _________ Church or __________ Camp.

So am I.

See post below for more thoughts, including clarifying that I am not contesting annika.mindsay.com 's confidence re. her financial needs for her Inter-Varsity ministry.

Easter: Mar. 27/05

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She likes Tim.

Derek & Friend

Breakfast

Egg Story

In the Garden

Eggs!!

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Birthday

I certainly want to blog my thanks and appreciation before too many days pass by to everyone who participated in my special birthday party and/or gift.

Thank you especially Tim and Miriam (Kia, Juliet & ?) who hosted the party and had special roles in the gift -- the makeover shopping trip(s). Tim was Exec. Producer and Glasses Expert. Miriam was one of my beautiful and stylish fashion advisors. (I suppose ? was, too.) The others were Erica and Sylvia. Charisse had signed on too but last minute circumstances intervened. Travis was the videographer and editor of the recorded version of our outings.

It was a fun day -- tiring due to late night hockey, Robin's Donutting and blogreading the night before. But really it was the ladies who did most of the running around up and down the aisles. For the most part I was just walking in and out of the changing room (accidentally locking it several times). I simply had to make decisions about what I was modelling at the time based on the amount of ecstasy expressed by the women's ooohs and aws.

It was nice to have several circles of my friends overlapping there, ranging from many from my Dorion Bible Camp years to some from Cambrian Players. The timing was a bit awkward for my new Anglican friends (due to Holy Saturday events) but several did wish me well in advance (well in advance).

Pictures

Thanks Shroom for phoning from our nation's capital.

(Ottawa)

FWIW

I am the Girl Next Door! I'm caring, warm, and the girl that nice guys want to marry. Uncomplicated and simple, I've got an easy going attitude guys love. But this doesn't mean I'm dull - far from it! I'm a great conversationalist, and I'm an expert at living the good life. What Kind of Girl Are You? Take This Quiz :-)

I saw this on a couple of girls' blogs and figured I might as well give it a try.

(Too much hanging around at mindsay.)

Thankful

Thankful
I was sitting in the sauna at my parents' condo today and thinking how thankful I am for them in helping me in so many ways (such as the meals I have with them usually 2x a week) and all the help & support they've been over these last couple of painful years

-- plus saunas!

(Like some people after a big event -- I won't list all you other people you have been of similar support, lest I forget anyone. As well, it might appear as if I'm listing references.)

PS Just trying to make sure I don't make onto Shroom's Blogger Hall of Shame (due to staleness).

This is for you, Robin. 

Frontline Cafes: March 2005

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In no particular order.

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The Bible

I really like the following paragraph from Brian D. McLaren's More Ready Than You Realize which we are studying together with Frontline.

"If you have grown up with the Bible, you have no idea how difficult the book can be for the uninitiated -- until you enter a spiritual friendship with someone like Alice. Meanwhile, we preachers constantly reassure people that the Bible is simple and easy to understand, I suppose motivated by a desire to encourage people to read it. But our reassurances are counterproductive as well as dishonest. We would be better off preparing people realistically: The Bible is an extremely difficult book for modern and post-modern readers alike. (The Bible is more honest about itself in this regard than we are. See 2 Peter 3:15-16, for example.) It is definitely worth
the effort, but make no mistake, it will take much effort.

... We are asking [readers] ...to step out of their modern and postmodern
paradigms and into the worldviews of people far removed geographically
and historically." (Emphasis mine)

I suppose this appeals to me, because -- besides the fact that this just plain seems to be true (but what is obvious to one is not necessarily obvious to another) -- I do tend to believe that life, faith and everything are not simple or answered "patly". I despair at people who disdain my attention to detail and am tempted to think of them as lazy and unintelligent, which, without a good knowledge of their thought patterns, is not fair. Just as people who pick at my my "pickiness" are not being fair either. I do realize that some people are Big-Picture people. OTOH I do believe that there are some people who are, in fact, neither. But they have other valuable contributions to make.

But I digress.

My only concern about the quoted paragraph above is that it may put the Bible back into the hands of the experts. But that is not McLaren's intention. I believe that he wants the Bible to be understood in the context of the entire community (throughout the world and all HISTORY). This can get messy. It will probably result in there often being a lot of possibly right answers and not just one. But I'm comfortable with that, too. I think that's how it is.

(To be honest, I'm comfortable in principle. Sometimes in encountering specific divergent points of view I may become agitated. However, these tend to be those POVs that arise from a simplistic reading of one proof text.)

Past week pastimes

Let's see if I can do this from memory.

Last Sunday afternoon was the Frontline Monthly Gathering at Pentneys'. In the evening was our church's Coffeehouse #5 and I premiered "Free Stanley" and also sang "Fanatics" from my never-to-be-performed musical "Philippi".

Monday I must just have worked on email, webpage and blog stuff. I think that's what I did in the evening too.

Tuesday "Free Stanley" was played locally in the a.m. and on As It Happens in the evening. I managed to catch it live at Lappalas' before Tim and I went off to the Steve Earle concert. Lots of music (and some ranting) for our money. I don't remember what I did during the day, probably email, webpages and so forth.

Wednesday: Met with Eric and Tim in the morning at Tim's and stayed there for lunch. Church Worship Ministry and Pizza mtg at supper time. After that I recorded a simple version of Free Stanley at home.

Thursday afternoon I had cawfy with Annika at Seattle Mem and then supper with my parents, followed by church Small Group at Lappalas'.

Friday: webpage stuff again and church worship planning. In the evening I attended St. Thomas' Anglican's youth's Soul Survivor night. Then I played hockey (not for Stanley). Eric, Matt and I clicked well. I got a couple of assists from my "office" behind the net.

Saturday: worship planning, church open skate (& hockey) at PA Arena. Christine Clark of Frontline was working the concession stand and told me that some of her friends had come with her to the Frontline-Attend-Silvercity-Together night the night before, which was good to hear.

Sat. evening was a goodbye party for Sylvia's roomie Ruth. Good food plus Battling Tops, Rummy and Pit-Spoons. Tim clobbered us in the latter.

This morning. Led singing, prayer and communion at church. Wendy's salad here at my parents' condo. Sauna followed by blogging.

Tada!

Skating Party: Mar. 5/05

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JHMW

MCW1

"Move it!"

Bailey

Fri. Night Guys

Friends

"Buy a hotdog."

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Sic Transit Gloria Mundi

To hear my song "Free Stanley" as it was aired last Tuesday on the national CBC Radio-1 show "As It Happens" click here. Advance the real audio 17:46 to locate the song.

Thank you Brian Jones (who has also been on national CBC Radio-1) for locating this. (A slightly different version was aired on local CBC-1 that morning as well.)

Millie Pytyck

Millie Pytyck
Carol Sainio (Camp Dorion assistant cook and former board member) writes,

Millie (former long-time head cook) is currently staying with her sister, but this is a temporary arrangement, and she is in need of a place to stay soon. The apartment has been totally gutted [by fire] -- all drywall has to be replaced, so the repairs will take some time -- no one has said exactly how long it will take.

Millie lost almost everything and will be in need of furniture, clothes and household items. Here dishes were saved and some of her books. Please, ask your contacts to pray for a place for her soon. She would like to be in the Port Arthur area. Thanks for your concern for her. I'll let her know that you are praying.

In Christ, Carol.
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I am reasonably sure that Millie has *not* decided to curse God and die over this, but it is a disturbing reminder that someone can serve God for so long (far better than I ever did or do) and still suffer tragic loss. An aggravating reality of life -- or, as I say, disturbing or even frightening. Gives some perspective. Shakes up the easy answers. I don't really know what to say. But anyway maybe there is something we can do to help.

Free Stanley

Yesterday morning local CBC radio aired my "Free Stanley" song (sung into the phone). Last night "As It Happens" aired it nationally and host Barbara (or was it Mary Lou?) responded "orgasmically" (as Shroom says, that is, with a lot more excitement and enthusiasm than I'm used to from women).

When I premiered it at St. Thomas' Anglican dinner I felt a little odd, because of what I called the "almost profanity". This isn't an apology and, if you've heard the song, you get the joke and you don't need an explanation. I just didn't want the kids to catch onto the sing-songy chorus and go around annoying and slightly-shocking their parents singing it (and me getting the blame!) I was probably giving myself too much credit!!

Pondering:

I've changed quite a bit in my attitude towards what people call swearing (and what I prefer to call "taboo language") in the last several years. I used to be quite proud of myself that I didn't "swear". Even now I want to tell you that I don't frequently use taboo words, not so much because I think that makes me good, but because I don't want you to think I'm bad. I still care what people think. This is a problem.

Now it *was* years ago in my university studies that I learned that most of the "bad words" (of the bathroom/bedroom variety, not the religious kind) acquired their unacceptable status because of class snobbery (the fact that these were the words which the common Anglo Saxons had routinely used for these functions and parts, while their conquerors, the French-speaking Norman nobility, used longer words of Latin or Greek origin and considered these polite).

Conquest of another people group with resulting racist attitudes about language doesn't strike me as an adequate basis for moral judgements.

But the guilt of association does make some people uncomfortable and even here I will observe the illogical conventions of blanking out letters to avoid unnecessarily making readers such as my mother uncomfortable.

Sometimes we do become aware of associations or origins and adjust our language. I remember when Shroom made us aware that he was uncomfortable with "that sucks" because of its original reference to fellatio (note: Latin word!) C'mon, don't pretend you didn't know that! Anyway, he had a good point.

But some word origins are so buried in history that it is useless to say "do you know what the really means?" when it now means what "everybody" understands it to mean (for better or for worse). I guess this also applies to the Anglo-Saxon origin concept given above BUT still knowing that helps me not to treat the current conventions of language as absolute and a moral issue in themselves. (The moral issues is how we treat people, which is reflected somewhat, but imperfectly, in how we speak.)

Another step in my change in attitude was experiencing disapproval of the word B-S- by B-S-ers (those with little regard for accuracies of detail). Objecting to the word, but not the practice. When I was young and (more) judgemental of people's "dirty" language, I must have fallen into this pitfall. God, help me avoid it in the future.

Once someone chided me for a (written) instance of "vernacular" language (not realizing "vernacular" simply means the language that people speak rather than "official" languages like Latin). This was Anglo-Saxon "bathroom" language to describe how I felt at the time. Later I heard this person say "damn" in vain. Well, to my mind referring lightly to damn(ation) is worse than "potty mouth" (although this is not recognized by the secular movie-ratings people). I'd rather land in a pile of crap (to use an acceptable vulgarity) than in damnation.

Well, I could say that I was feeling extremely emotionally provoked at the time. So was s/he at his/her time -- and if we had engaged in an arguement over which means of expressing those emotions is worse, especially if we were to ignore the emotions behind the words, it would have been the overflow of petty minds.

(Yes, I've given my opinion here, but I acknowledge that there are other factors of perception etc. that make the issue more nuanced -- if it even matters at all.)


Both of these conversations were relatively private, btw, which might be a different matter than performing a song or routine full of gratuitous "swears" in front of impressionable minds -- that is, pretty much anyone. But on the other hand reminding people [like me] who don't give a flying f--- about democracy by saying it in so many words might indeed solidly underline the point.

But what is "gratuitous"?

Usually your "swears" but not mine.

In "Demolition Man" citizens are automatically fined every time they use such objectionable language. A buzzer goes off, an announcement is made and a ticket spews forth from a slot in the wall. However, no buzz is heard when the various characters insult one another using "clean" language.

I realize that you parents face these issues in a different way than I do day to day (although I did face them at Camp Dorion and other camps -- in my earlier years with far too much reactionary legalism).

I was greatly influenced by Monty Parks (who was no potty mouth) in a staff meeting in which we were "freaking out" about the great amount of "swearing" among the campers. I sat through sessions like this every few years. Monty wisely reminded us that if all the campers learned that week was that they shouldn't say certain words, then we had missed the point of the week.

I guess that with very young children it may be necessary initially to teach them that "stupid" is a "bad word" even though it isn't always (is it?). I imagine it is probably easier to explain to them why that word is (usually) bad (that is, used to hurt people) than to explain why "sh--" is bad, "crap" is kinda bad and "poo" is cute. In many cases it might be most accurate to tell them that "sh--" is just a word that I don't want to hear you say, but which I might occasionally say myself. Now that would be hard to explain, but, as I say, in many cases, it might be the truth. Shouldn't we tell our children the truth?

But I would prefer myself to explain sooner rather than later to children that it is the *use* of words that can be bad. Fine "God talk" mixed with half-truths, "facts" undiscussed with the "accused" and altered details, in other words B--- S---, can be really used to hurt people and is a "bad" we need to eliminate from our lives.

(And it's stupid, too.)

Coffeehouse #5: "Espresso" Feb. 27/05

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Amethyst

A fan

"It's a long way...."

Stickman

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100 Years of Rotary

The following are people who attended the Centennial of Rotary International Dinner I attended with my parents on last Wednesday evening. I am fascinated by connections that I have with people and they with each other. So here's a brief blurb on each.

Dr. Lois Wilson -- Guest speaker -- Her husband was our minister in the early sixties when we used to go to First Church United. I think she was co-minister for the 2nd half of the sixties.

Katie Ischkin -- President of Rotaract (youth branch of Rotary) -- I believe she was a camper at Dorion Bible Camp.

Len and Marg Landy -- All three of their daughters Katrina, Karol and Kyla went to Dorion Bible Camp. Kyla is married to Michael Gilmour and he was (an excellent) acting Assistant Director during Andy's last summer, with a view to becoming Camp Director with Elaine Kalnbach as Executive Director. The board chose not to go this route, although I was not privy to their reasoning. Len and Marg go to St. Thomas' Anglican and I sat with them there at a dinner this past Saturday. Karol was co-director of Senior week at Camp Gitchigomee when I was there last summer.

Rev. Paul Carr is the retired rector of St. Paul's A and our paths have been crossing regularly recently.

Rev. Dave Silliman -- His daughter Amy helps lead The Edge worship service at which I played on Valentine's Day.

Karl & Marianne Wahl -- Good friends of my parents -- It was they who invited my sister and me to attend Dorion Bible Camp with their daughters (and so it was nice that they also attended my 30+1 Years Party at Camp Dorion Party in 02 (my last summer there). They are also associated with Cambrian Players.

Barb Philp -- Wife of a Rotarian -- She (as a Morrison) and I were in ISCF together at Churchill. Their son came at least once to Dorion Bible Camp. I see her from time to time at Waverly Library where she works.

Jim. Mucklow(?)-- Rotarian -- attends men's breakfast I go to on Friday mornings.

Dr. Harold Cumming -- Husband of Rotarian -- He was a staff advisor at times for LUCF and used to host our Christmas parties year after year. He also ran a Sunday afternoon study at his home which I attended. For a while he was a member of writers group, Inkwell. His daughter Christine Regehr directs Girls Camp at Manitoba Pioneer (which is where I last saw Harold when they were visiting).

Kendall House -- Director of FW Male Choir -- Was principal of one of the schools at which I taught Religious Education for 2 years when I first joined CSSM Canadian Sunday School Mission.

Henry Konrad -- member of FWMC -- Taught me English at Churchill and sponsored the ISCF club there. His son Richard and I did a project together on the history of Classical Music. Richard recently emailed me out of the blue. I see Henry's daugher Marina from time to time in theatre contexts or at Redwood church.

(Jerry Williams -- a Rotarian but was absent that evening -- Jerry is the Chair of the Inter Varsity Area Committee on which I serve. He was also a member of the Dorion Bible Camp board for a while. I suppose his daugher Laurie and I attended Churchill at the same time and his daughter Debbie was on staff at Dorion Bible Camp for one summer. I could look up all these dates btw, but I'm just not bothering to.)

This is not to mention numerous other Rotarians there who are friends with my parents and, I realized after the dinner, who, in several cases, have been in my house when it used to belong to my parents.

Feb 8 - 14

Last Tuesday: Drove downtown to pay a bill. Then I stopped by to visit annika at her office and ended up helping her move (almost) all her stuff back into her space, since it had been moved out for renovations. Hers is the only cubicle office I've ever seen that includes a couch and a tree.

That evening I helped out with Pancake Supper at St. Luke's. They kindly gave me half a ham and a bunch of pancakes & a bottle of syrup to take home. I brought my syrup into the Cambrian Players Board mtg that followed, asking "So did everyone remember to bring a bottle of syrup?"

Wednesday morning I met with Tim and Eric and then Joe re-installed a sensor in my car's engine so that it won't overheat. Then I had a sauna and supper at my parents' place, followed by Ash Wednesday service at St. Luke's.

Thursday I met with Deb at Seattle River St. to plan Saturday's Visioning Day. After lunch and tea at Tim and Miriam's I did some shopping at Value Village, Stupidstore and InterCity. At InterCity I chatted with Lee Ann (nee Grootenboer) who used to be a TBCS student, Dorion Bible Camp er/Staff and filled her in on the goings on in my life.

That evening we had small group at Lappalas' but it was unremarkable.

Friday morning I went to the men's breakfast I attend at Fat Cat's (attended mostly by Jims). After email, blogging and photocopying I had lunch at Tim's again with T and Rick Three. Because I was (and am) still battling a cold and I needed to get up early the next day, I took a rest in the afternoon.

In the evening after I'd worked on choosing some songs for the next day and some budgetting, Tim came over to hang out and then drive us to hockey. I got one assist. I had two really good chances on open corners, but missed both times.

Saturday I helped out (mostly with music) at St. George's Visioning Day during the day and attended the Camp Gitchigomee Dinner in the evening. There I sang with-cold-and-without-soundsystem '69-'74.

Sunday I attended St. Paul's Anglican and then caught the sermon (by Tim) at my own church. My family went to Kelsey's for lunch (and so did Eric and his boys and Tim and his girls). Another sauna after that.

That evening I sat in as a guest at St. Thomas' Youth Ministry Support Committee, chaired by a fellow who had been one of my earliest ISCF retreat chaperones (when I was in highschool) and also my associate when I was a student teacher (of Mike Hurlbert's class at Westgate) and father of one of my very first Dorion Bible Camp ers.

Yday I babysat Juliet for Tim and then he took us to supper at Hoito. I led singing at The Edge that evening, capably assisted by Robin on his superior green bass. I must say that Robin's bass playing really adds a lot and his leading the ladies' echo parts was much appreciated as well.

I wish I could make this wilder and crazier, but that's the way it goes.

Gitchigomee Valentine Dinner 2005

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Laser Tag

My team was last out of four. I came in 2nd out of 12 in the individual game. The one person who beat me turned out to be a young girl who hardly ever plays and who had been on my team! Go figure. Apparently I last played (as "Worf" anyway) in 1997!!

With my tokens I tried to kill raptors (but after the first game it kept on asking for more tokens and not starting the game). I also did some "ancient" flying and shooting, some racing, Simpsons pinball and one of those coin throwing games at which I won 2 tokens=1 teeny tiny dinosaur "eraser".

To quote my "pastor": "@#$%^&%$ Snow"

But I agree.

I got stuck in my driveway again last night. I just wish it would stop going from really cold to quite warm (when the frozen snow thaws and acts like mud). But if wishes were horsepower....