Weekend In Seattle

I spent this past weekend (Friday-Sunday) in Seattle with Jennifer, Nicole, and Benja. We left Vancouver late afternoon, around 6pm, and while the rest came back on Sunday afternoon, I came back early on Sunday by Greyhound, in order to be present at my dad's birthday celebration. It was a fun, though rushed, time in Seattle with friends. Highlights:
* underground tour of city
* Pike's Place
* coffee at Le Panier
* dinner at Kingfish

Here are some pictures of our time together.

A rainy saturday morning, just after the underground tour:

Lunch at Kells:














Pike's Place Market:










































































































Le Panier:














Kingfish:






























Pijamas!

A Bittersweet Celebration

Today was a special day, as we celebrated my dad's 70th birthday (and my parents' 48th wedding anniversary). Mom asked me to do a short reflection on this special occasion. She picked Psalm 71 as a foundational text on which to reflect, not only because it address the theme of aging well (not to mention that it almost coincides with my father's age), but also because it's the 71st day after Ralph's tragic accident. We are still saddened, even numbed, by that horrible event. Suffice it to say, it was a bittersweet celebration.

Here's the reflection on Psalm 71, followed by a few pictures:

It is a great privilege to be here today, and be part of this celebration - and I think it is important that we call it a celebration: we are celebrating my father Ernst’s 70th birthday, we are celebrating my parents (Ernst and Adina)’s 48th wedding anniversary, and finally, we are celebrating friendship with you, a friendship that has shown itself to be true in the days and weeks following our beloved Ralph’s car accident. So ultimately, we are here to celebrate God’s goodness and his faithfulness, because all of these - birthdays, marriage, and friendship - are expressions of God’s goodness towards us.

To put this celebration in its rightful place, in its rightful context, however, I would like to look to Scripture and share some thoughts from a text, and particularly, the text that I will draw from is Psalm 71. My aim is to take a few minutes and draw out some thoughts from this Psalm, in the hopes that some of these words will encourage us to further contemplate the goodness of God.

Psalm 71 does not address birthdays, anniversaries, or friendships directly, but indirectly, by instructing us and encouraging us towards a particular way of being. Psalm 71 is a Psalm of wisdom, you might say, in which the Psalmist - probably King David in his later years - points us towards a particular way of living, and he shows us this way of living by way of personal examples, from a young age (71:17) to his current old age (71:9, 18). Actually, he even refers back to a time before he was born: “Upon you [God] I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb” (71:6).

David lists some of the difficult times he went through during his life, and there are many trials and tribulations: dealing with enemies who criticize and mock him (71:10), some who accuse him falsely (71:13), and others who want to hurt him (71:4, 24). Along the way, David has encountered doubt and helplessness, pain and shame.

And yet, amidst these “troubles and calamities” (71:20), David keeps a single-minded perspective on the Lord, he stays focused on God, who in his righteousness has done “mighty deeds “71:16), who is the author of his salvation (71:15, 23). So we have good reason for looking towards this Psalm for wisdom: wisdom in times of joy and celebration, but also, wisdom in times of adversity and great sadness: wisdom in the bittersweet moments of our lives.

There are 3 attitudes of heart in particular that are very helpful for us, that I would like to draw out. And they are: 1- trust in the reliability of God (71:3), 2 - hope that God will make right the things that are wrong (71:14), and 3- praise: the Psalmist praises God for his goodness (71:6). These attitudes are gifts that God grants us, absolutely, but they are also personal disciplines: disciplines that King David cultivated throughout his life, from a young age on.

For example, he says, “Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth” (71:4-5). He actually insists on God’s reliability right from the get-go of the Psalm: “In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame!” . . . “Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come” (71:1, 3) The word continually here indicates repetition: again and again and again. It’s like he’s saying ‘Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may come again and again and again.’

God as our refuge is like a young boy hiding behind his mother when in danger; God as our rock is like a young daughter holding on to her father while crossing a river. I saw a tv clip earlier this week, which showed a woman in Japan holding on to a tree, while the tsunami waves came in. While everything around her was moving - bicycles, cars, even airplanes and houses - she was holding on to this tree for dear life. She survived the disaster, because the tree was firmly rooted and withstood the waves. In the waves of life, God is our rock and our refuge.

Moving on to hope, hope that God will bring light despite of darkness all around, health and safety amidst great danger, and redemption in circumstances where all seems lost, the Psalmist is convinced he has good reason to hope that God will not leave him alone in trouble: “...I will hope continually...” (71:14). I will hope [in you] again and again and again...

His enemies thought that God was not present in suffering: “God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is none to deliver him” (71:11). But time and again, David moves the attention away from himself and his enemies, and upward (71:5): God will finish the work he started. In the midst of old age and weakness, David appeals to God: “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent” (71:9). Throwing ourselves at the feet of God is never an escape from reality; it’s always an escape to reality.

Finally, a few words on praising God. This Psalm is full of praise, as most Psalms are. I believe only one Psalm - Psalm 88 - doesn’t have praise as its obvious aim. All the others include praise, and lead to praise.

The main tone of praise - and the centre of the Psalm - is towards the end of the Psalm (71:17-21):

O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come.
Your righteousness, O God,
reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depth of the earth
you will bring me up again.
You increase my greatness
and comfort me again.

The Psalmist is eager to praise God, and proclaim to others the “wondrous deeds” (71:17) from which he has benefited in times young and old (71:17).

But he also does not lose sight of the big picture. He has experienced God’s faithfulness, in the same way that Israel has experienced faithfulness in the miracle of the exodus, when God led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt (71:19, cf Exodus 15:11). Many years later, the apostle Paul would teach us in a similar way, to relate our own personal difficulties within a bigger, fuller perspective (Romans 8:11):

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead
dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus
from the dead will also give life to your
mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

In God unapproachable majesty and light, meet with covenant love and compassion. In God love and faithfulness meet together, and righteousness and peace kiss one another (Psalm 85:10). It is no wonder, then, that the Psalmist concludes in an exalting theme of praise (71:21-24): God has delivered him, and silenced the enemy. Now David, embattled, weak, and tired, can rest his mind at ease: his faith is confirmed, and his fingers, lips, hands, and heart can continue singing the praises of God and the telling of his story.

To my father, to both my parents, to the rest of our family, and to all of you - our friends - who are gathered here on this bittersweet day, may these words serve as encouragement in our walk of faith: may we - along with the Psalmist and the rest of Christ’s church - trust in the character of God, hope in the fulfillment of his promises, and praise him for his goodness.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Amen+

_____

Source: Kidner, Derek. Psalms. An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. D. J. Wiseman, gen. ed., Volume 14a. Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1973.

No More Car

I found out today that as I'd initially thought, my car is a write-off.

For the past year's I've been telling my friends that the only reason I still drive a car is because I own one. If I didn't own one I'd just take transit everywhere. Well, now I don't own a car anymore. So if I stay true to my previous statements I should not replace my old vehicle with a new one.

I think I'll do it: no more car.

Here's 3 cheers to my now defunct VW Jetta that served me so well over the past 12 years: hip hip, hoorah, hip hip, horrah, hip hip, horrah!

Car Accident

Well, whereas yesterday was a fantastic day, today was horrible.

After the usual Holy Communion service at church I went hiking with Shane.

Then, on my way back, I rear-ended another car downtown (West Pender and Richards). There was some kind of parade going on, I got distracted, and before I could even react, BOOM, I hit the car in front of me! Thankfully, everyone is ok. The passenger in the car I hit (a woman) complained of mild neck pain and was taken away in an ambulance but I'm quite certain it was only for precautionary reasons. The driver, presumably her husband, wasn't freaking out or anything.

After filling out the accident report and answering some questions by the police, I was able to go home.

Once home, I immediately called Jennifer. My neck was sore, so she came over and accompanied me to a walk-in clinic to get it checked out. I think I'm fine, but will likely do a few massage therapy sessions to alleviate the discomfort.

As far as my car is concerned, I have a feeling that it's a total write-off. The airbag went off, and I've heard that the cost of repairing an airbag is around the $2,000 mark. The front end is also quite crunched, and so given that the car is 13 years old they likely wont fix it.

Rachmaninov With Charlene

Tonight was sort of a Russian themed night. Charlene and I went for dinner at a Russian Restaurant on Kingsway, and afterwards we went to the Orpheum for Rachmaninov's Vespers: a lovely evening.

I have listened to this sublime musical masterpiece many times before: indeed, it's my favourite musical piece (I have the cd with the performance of the St. Petersburg Chamber Choir, Olga Borodina, Vladimir Mostowoy, and Nikolai Korniev). It was special, therefore, to hear it live. In my view, the most amazing feature of this piece is in the beautiful way in which the soprano and bass combine. The sopranos take you to the heights of heaven, and the bass, well, they provide the perfect accompaniment for the journey! Perhaps Rachmaninov is the only one to be able to achieve such feats of glory.

And whereas a few weeks ago I had a hard time maintaining my distance from Charlene, tonight I didn't hesitate and put my arm around her quite often. Things went so well that by the end of the night she said "Are we still only friends?" Good question...

Spanish Bibles, Suitcases, Mexican Bakes, Haircut, And A Rift

Spanish Bible: today I went to the bookstore and picked up the Spanish Bible I'd ordered for Patri a few weeks ago. Very soon I'll be going for dinner with her and at that point I'll give it to her. My prayer is that she would find God in the pages of Scripture...

Suitcase: Jennifer and I are going to Mexico at the end of April. At the end of my World Tour last year my big suitcase was broken, so today I went to pick up a new one in preparation for our trip. It looks like our itinerary will be Mexico City - Puebla or Veracruz - Cuernavaca - Mexico City.

Mexican Bake: as planned, I tried a Mexican recipe from the new cookbook I got a few days ago. I'd rank the finished product a disappointing 5. Very bland. I will try it again with more spicy ingredients (the ones the recipe actually calls for!) and see how it turns out.

Haircut: Got my monthly haircut today.

Rift: even though Jennifer and I are planning to go to Mexico (the plan's been in the works for a while), there's a rift happening between us. The reason: Charlene. This should be no surprise. The rift is psychological on my part, because I have not mentioned anything to her yet at this point about Charlene and I, but that day is coming very soon. I have every intention to preserve our friendship but realize that this will be very difficult to do.

Angels Recognized

Today my family attended a ceremony at which the angels that saved Ralph's life were honoured by the police. They received plaques of merit. We are humbled by their unselfish acts. God bless them.

Here they are:

Vegetarian Cooking

A few weeks ago someone left a vegetarian cookbook at the "giveaway corner" of our apartment building, so I took it and have been cooking vegetarian since. This book's essentially a "gift" to me, because I've decided to give up meet for Lent, so vegetarian recipes is exactly what I need!

Here are the recipes I've tried so far (and the rating, out of 10):
* green pea soup (7)
* corn chowder soup (9)
* pasta with green peas and celery in a cream sauce (6)

Later this week I want to try and make a mexican bake. It looks delicious.

Just Like That

So I did it. I told Charlene this afternoon that I liked her. Just like that.

She came to my place for a visit, and while we were in the kitchen I told her. Maybe not the most romantic context, come to think of it, but I'm glad I did it.

As I suspected, the interest is mutual. We decided that for the time being, our relationship was best served by staying friends and continuing to get to know each other.

I briefly held her hand. I tingled all over. Her smile really is lovely.

Tingling

I have to say it: my interest for Charlene is getting more and more intense.

Yesterday we attended an Ash Wednesday service together at a local anglo-catholic church, and throughout the entire service I pondered holding her hand and putting my arm around her. I was completely distracted. My reason for attending the service was totally overrun by my psychosomatic urges. Good thing the season of repentance is only starting...

We've been out a few times - coffee, dinner, hiking, symphony - and lately we've been in touch more often, 2-3 times a week, on the phone or email. I have a feeling that our attraction is mutual, and that something's going to happen with us soon. Not sure what yet, but something...

But even so, there's still a lingering cloud of doubt over my head. We share the same faith in Jesus, but we look at the world from almost opposite angles (how is that possible!). In terms of our personalities, I think we're also very different, even opposites. I know that in some cases "opposites attract", but in this case I just don't know if attraction will see us through.

She has many good qualities: she's intelligent and attractive; she's friendly, gentle, and good-humoured. She's a woman of integrity and has many of the same concerns that I do: in a nutshell, she's on about the kingdom of God. Most notably for me has been her presence the past 2 months, since Ralph's accident. She's been there always, praying, encouraging, and supporting. No one has been more present to me the past few months.

And yet, on the other hand, we clash, and we clash often. Our biggest struggle in terms of how we view the world has to do with matters of gender relations. It's the usual problem: I'm not on-board with the direction Western society has chosen. Men and women are equal, but we're different, God has created us differently. And from a Christian perspective, approaching matters of human worth from the point of "rights", "justice", "skills and talents", and "fairness" is wrong-headed. Our conversations should be based on the premise of "service" and "self-giving". This goes for both, men and women. I'll leave it at that.

We've both acknowledged our differences all along, and we've tried to learn from one another rather than preach to each other, but in the end, our differences are still so vast that I see great difficulty in making things work.

But for the time being, I'm putting the cart in front of the horse. What I know right now is this: my body was tingling at the thought of holding her hand yesterday. Let's see how things go in our next few get-togethers.

Ash Wednesday

Joel 2: 1-2, 12-17: The Day of the LORD

1- Blow a trumpet in Zion;
sound an alarm on my holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near,

2- a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness!
Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains
a great and powerful people;
their like has never been before,
nor will be again after them
through the years of all generations.

...

12- "Yet even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

13- and rend your hearts and not your garments."
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.

14- Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
for the LORD your God?

15- Blow the trumpet in Zion;
consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;

16- gather the people.
Consecrate the congregation;
assemble the elders;
gather the children,
even nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her chamber.

17- Between the vestibule and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep
and say, "Spare your people, O LORD,
and make not your heritage a reproach,
a byword among the nations.[a]
Why should they say among the peoples,
'Where is their God?'"

Accepted!

I found out today that I was accepted into the spring CPE unit. Yay! Thank you Lord Jesus!

Jennifer's Birthday

Today was Jennifer's birthday, and we celebrated her in good form: we took her for dinner at the Afghan Horseman! I've been there a few times now, and have never been disappointed. We ordered their specialty platters - both, vegetarian and meat - they really hit the spot. The pakarwas (potato slices fried in a batter) are divine. The afghan tea they serve there is not to be missed either!

For some people (ehemmmm) the highlight of the evening was the dancer who came out after dinner. :)

Anyways, happy birthday Jennifer!!!

Dinner On Bowen Island

Tomorrow is Jennifer's birthday. True to my form of-late, I bought a plant (zebra) for her as a birthday present. I also bought a croton plant for myself.

To celebrate her birthday we went to Bowen Island for dinner. When I'd visited the island late last year, I noticed that the Tuscany Wood Oven Pizza restaurant looked like a nice Italian restaurant to visit on a special occasion. So tonight I surprised Jen and took her there. It was quite a nice evening. Unfortunately we didn't take any pictures!

This wont be the last time I visit the island for a meal. It's very do-able. We drove to Horseshoe Bay, parked the car there and went by ferry. But there's no reason you couldn't take the car across, or for that matter, the best way to go is probably to leave the car at home and opt for the bus and ferry combo the whole way.

Taize

Over the past few months I've been learning about Taizé and have really come to love the music. I also went to a few Taizé services, and tonight I went to another one. I really enjoyed it.

I went with Charlene, and I really enjoyed her company again. She's quite gentle and she constantly smiles.

But again, whatever enjoyment we had with one another, it was matched by a difference in viewpoint on matters of theology: this time the issue was "our physical posture in prayer." I know I know .. I'm selfish.

Afterwards I visited Ralph. I got home after midnight.