This weekend, I competed in my second triathlon relay. My team did pretty well. I say that not because we went out trying to place, but we still did pretty well… individually speaking. The race was held on Lake San Antonio, and it was HOT!!! They were calling for 94 degrees, and it felt like 100. By the time our heat started and I was on the run, it was scorching. What made it worse for me was the fact that 90% of the run was all UPHILL. From mile 2.5 to 5 it was all uphill. Now, I should have taken a clue from the other runners, who were all walking, and done the same; oh no, I just kept on running. Well, when I reached the top of the peak at mile 5 the last 1.2 miles was all down hill, and so I just unloaded. My pace was 9:34 per mile, not bad, higher than what I wanted, but not bad. My training pace on level ground is anywhere between 7:00/mile and 8. It’s funny, I hated cross country in high school, but now I love it. There is something zen “like” in running. There is another run on the 20th that is in San Francisco that I might do… I just can’t get enough.
Our team name: Team Ohio. It’s funny to hear the announcer say, “And here’s #8548 – Justin Baxter from team ohio crossing the finish line, yet he lives in Berkeley.”
Well, it’s a beautiful day here, HOT HOT HOT. The sun is shinning, I have my last test tomorrow, and I’m pretty much done. I love it! Back to studying.
Well it’s been a rollercoaster of a past couple of weeks. I’ll spare you all the minor details, but just know that the day is good. I have finished some big papers, preached my last sermons for the semester, and have very few things left to do before the summer starts… And so our cosmic story unfolds.
Well, I have nothing left to do today except go on my running, a meeting, dinner with friends and then who knows. Have a great day, and below is a nice little passage from Martin Luther. Meanwhile, however, nothing departs from the blessing. No, the blessing remains unalterable, firm, exceedingly rich, and greater than we understand. Paul has the same complaint when he says (2 Cor. 12:7) that a thorn was given him in the flesh and also (Acts 14:22) that we must enter the kingdom of heaven through many tribulations. Accordingly, curses will not be lacking. But go forth to face them more boldly, be strong, and cling steadfastly to the blessing, no matter how much everything seems to be full of a curse. For this is what we should conclude: It is sure that I have been baptized. I have heard the Word from the mouth of the minister. I have made use of the Sacrament of the Altar. This is the divine and unchangeable truth. Even though I am weak, it is sure and unalterable. They are exceedingly powerful and rich possessions, but the heart is slippery and vacillating when taking hold of them. But we should not deny them. This is the only thing against which we should be on our guard. And if we are unable to ocnfess with a loud shout, let us at least make ourselves heard in a low murmur as best we can. If we cannot sing when we praise God, let us at least open our mouths, in order that we may continue steadfastly in the blessings into which the Son of God has placed us…You are the children of the Kingdom, your sins are forgiven, the devil has been overcome and laid low under your feet, sin and death will do you no harm; but you are blameless.
-Martin Luther, Luther’s Lectures on Genesis. Genesis 27:28,29
Some of the Yosemite pictures are up. Unfortunately the really cool black and whites are too big of a resolution to go on the same page. Check them out… If you keep clicking on the actual picture it will make it bigger.
Do you have one of those days where it all just fits together, where life is wonderful. There is something about looking out over the ocean, while listening to U2 sing “Beautiful Day.” I don’t know if the stars were aligned or what, but it gave me one of those moments where I knew the Divine was present. Tomorrow morning we leave for Yosemite… I CAN’T WAIT. I love being in nature, and Yosemite – I hear – is Awesome!
Last week was spring break for PLTS, and I took as much time as I could to relish in the glorious restfulness that was offered. I went camping with some guys from PLTS. It was one of those trips where I thought it could be great or a bomb. It turned out to be great. We had a site right on the beach, and I have to say, it was wonderful. There is something rejuvenating about the ocean. Here we were, a couple of guys drinking some beer, enjoying the ocean, and finding comfort in the intimacy of the moment. We talked about God, faith, women, and nonsense. One thing that came up, and has come up a few days ago, is the question: “Who is closest to God.” Could it be pastors, the pope, those who have gone on pilgrimage? Well, for seminarians, there may be times when we like to think we are closest to God… but let’s be honest, that’s a fallacy. The beauty and mystery of it all is that we are all equal when it comes to who is closest. One thing we pretty much all agreed on was that if there was indeed a measurement, it would be those who WE would think were the furthest away that are actually the closest. Now, this is true since Jesus himself spent all his time with those that society turned their backs on. Jesus ate with the poor, the dirty, those that didn’t really give a shit. Somehow, God finds favor with the lowliest of us all. This is where Romans makes me feel good. Paul says that there is NOTHING in all of creation that can seperate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, or as my professor Jane Strohl says, “When I am not faithful to God, God is abundantly faithful to me.” I don’t know how it works, I don’t know why, and I don’t think I need to know. I think for me it is enough to trust that there is in fact a God so diving and mysterious that no matter what, God’s faithfulness and love is ALWAYS there for me.
As we draw closer to the three days of Holy Week, being reminded of God’s faithfulness and love seems fitting. Have a great day.
If you don’t hear from me in a few days, we are heading for Yosemite with our friends Seth and Laura. We’ll be back on Sunday.
I have not fallen off the face of the earth, things just got busy around here. My running has picked up quite a bit – My Triathlon is on May 6th – so that is nice. Uhmmm… things are going well… I will write more later. Have a good day.
Yeah, that’s right. I’ve got my glass of wine, and the sounds of Jill Scott, so you better watch out! What I should be doing, is working on my sermon for Monday. For you writers out there… How do you come to say what it is you want the reader (in this case the hearer) to get out of it? I mean, I know what I want to say, for me the message is there… but explicating that is another thing. I always get lost in the maze of the delivery. If you’ve ever taken a homiletics class, you too have probably been given a few tools to help with this process. It’s great, but my mind gets wrapped around something, and it’s best to just let it do its thing.
News from the Bay: It’s SUNNY AND NICE!
In an hour or so I’m going to head to my Tuesday night spot: The Pub. Yes, the name is “The Pub.” Presumptuous, maybe. It’s a great spot where every Tuesday night a few of my friends and I procure some beers and talk. It’s a local spot where artists, chefs, and intellectuals come to chat… my kind of place. What’s especially great is that conversation is on the menu. It’s a pub that understands the community provides the atmosphere. People are welcomed to sit with whomever and join in any conversation. Sometimes I like to pretend Kerouac, Ginsberg, and the like are sitting with us. I’ve met some very interesting people.
This weekend a group of us are going up to the Russian River Valley to taste from the barrels. This weekend a number of wineries are opening there barrels for tastings… pretty exciting.
Just a reminder, the way our society is going, we could all use a shot of this: The greatest commandment is Love!
Tonight was our community party, AKA “First Friday.” I was standing around mingling with the folks, then our president and her husband showed up. The husband put a nice bottle of Spanish wine down on the table, and so I thought it best to open it and make sure it was suitable (as if I would know). Anyway, a fourth you student and I got to talking over this bottle of wine. We discovered that we both have a love for good wine, and have decided that we will be hosting some wine tastings very soon. She and her husband have a ritual each week where they open a nice bottle of wine and listen to jazz every Friday. Katie and I usually have wine with dinner and listen to jazz, so I felt like this woman and I were kindred souls.
There is a complexity to wine that is tantamount to art. What the artist produces may not be what the viewer feels. It may be something different. This is like the vintner. He or she may have an idea for the wine, but the taster might taste something completely different. Wine has a way of connecting an individual to the transcendent. Perhaps this sounds like the alcohol talking. NO! The fact that grapes can take on the characteristics of other fruits, and the way the soil dictates the flavor of the wine speaks volumes to the art of wine making. To appreciate wine for what it is, is an art form all on its own.
I told you I would be recommending some wine in place of the long diatribes that I have been on. So, I’m recommending a Sebastiani 2005 Chardonnay. It’s from Sonoma, but I believe you can find this bottle just about anywhere.
First, this is an inexpensive bottle of wine that I think is a very good chardonnay. It has a nice buttery palate, its full. This wine spent 10 months in oak barrels, and with the buttery texture, you can certainly tell. This would be a nice wine to have with a chicken, crab, and any dish with a creamy white sauce. Also, because 2005 was a cool, long year for the grapes, the wine has the characteristics of citrus and apple fruits.
