Guy Fawkes Day
Guy Fawkes Day
The anniversary of the famous Gunpowder Plot
Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot…
November 5th marks the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, a conspiracy to blow up the English Parliament and King James I in 1605, the day set for the king to open Parliament. The anniversary was named after Guy Fawkes, the most famous of the conspirators.
 The unfortunate conspirator Fawkes appears before his intended victim. |
Uprising of English Catholics
It was intended to be the beginning of a great uprising of English Catholics, who were distressed by the increased severity of penal laws against the practice of their religion. The conspirators, who began plotting early in 1604, expanded their number to a point where secrecy was impossible.
The group included Robert Catesby, John Wright, and Thomas Winter, the originators, Christopher Wright, Robert Winter, Robert Keyes, Guy Fawkes, a soldier who had been serving in Flanders, Thomas Percy, John Grant, Sir Everard Digby, Francis Tresham, Ambrose Rookwood, and Thomas Bates.
Brought to Light by Anonymous Letter
Percy hired a cellar under the House of Lords, in which 36 barrels of gunpowder, overlaid with iron bars and firewood, were secretly stored. The conspiracy was brought to light through a mysterious letter received by Lord Monteagle, a brother-in-law of Tresham, on October 26, urging him not to attend Parliament on the opening day.
The 1st earl of Salisbury and others, to whom the plot was made known, took steps leading to the discovery of the materials and the arrest of Fawkes as he entered the cellar. Other conspirators, overtaken in flight or seized afterward, were killed outright, imprisoned, or executed.
Fireworks, Bonfires in England
Among those executed was Henry Garnett, the superior of the English Jesuits, who had known of the conspiracy. While the plot was the work of a small number of men, it provoked hostility against all English Catholics and led to an increase in the harshness of laws against them. Guy Fawkes Day, November 5, is still celebrated in England with fireworks and bonfires, on which effigies of the conspirator are burned.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2005, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
Read more: Guy Fawkes Day — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/spot/guyfawkes.html#ixzz14SFXNE2k
World Series Champions?
This blogging thing has worked out well for my favorite professional teams. Yesterday night, the San Francisco Giants actually won the World Series. This group of young core players with colorful nicknames like “The Freak” and “Black Beard”, surrounded by a group of veteran castoffs from other teams, was able to make it past the Braves, beat the supposedly unbeatable Roy Halladay and the Phillies, and knock around the Playoff Pitching Ace Cliff Lee to beat the Rangers to take the World Series in 5 games. Humm Baby! Go Giants!
To be honest, I had almost lost hope that this was even possible, especially not this year. However, it goes to show that sometimes anything is possible. This year I got to put away all the disappointment that has come at the hands of the Dodgers and in 2002 at the hands of the Angels. This year living in LA is a little more bearable. All kidding aside, it is nice to see that the Giants finally have something to hold against Dodger fans when they start taunting me.
However, the Giants showed me that the past doesn’t have to define the future. Neither does our past define our future, greatness can be attained no matter how much failure we have encountered. God has a beautiful future for us, dive in, and don’t let your past define who you are. YOU could be a champion! Dive in.
A Team with Two Personalities
As a Cal fan, this football season is hard to stomach.
This season has been full of ups and downs, one week we score 50, and the next week we struggle to score at all. One week the defense gives up 0 offensive touchdowns, and the next week we give up 5 to 7. (Yes I am using “we” to describe the team.) This is hard to understand. How can a team play similar competition week in and week out, and have such a radical disparity with the level of play. The list of excuses ranges from the fact that all the games they have dominated have been at home, and all the losses have been on the road, to injuries, to passion.
However, most of us have up and downs from time to time. Some days we are up to performing our best, and other days we desire to merely phone it in. (Again using the collective “we”.) However, I think it is times like this that we have to find it deep within our gut, to fight that urge to just be content with mediocre. It is that mediocre performance that maintains the status-quo. Even if we are great on some days at fighting the injustice in the world, striking out against the forces of “evil”, and bringing hope to the world, if we don’t contend with our own slipping into mediocrity, we endanger ourselves into becoming the biggest opponent to our own goals.
Therefore, each day go after greatness, even on those days when we are struck with injury, or are otherwise prone to fall into the trap of mediocrity. We can’t always control our situation, but we can control our response. Go forth and press forward bringing glory to our God Almighty.
Blame it on the Rain
Rain is a gift from God. I am thankful for all of the great things that come from rain! I love the smell in the air, the puddles that my son wants to play in, the clean cool breeze, and of course the water that makes things grow and the other beneficial effects of rain that I didn’t think of or mention.
However, sometimes it brings the worst out of some of us. Driving is more of a challenge, people drive slower because the roads are wet, and I am a great deal less patient with other drivers. The way this affects me is that I allow my stress level to rise, and I become more irritable. This is because I have allowed myself to reflect on the one or two inconveniences of rain, and given into the trap they have set upon me.
I pray that I allow myself to reflect further on the blessing of rain, rather than the fact that it takes longer to get around. I need to remember that, as a pseudo-popular country song says, “Rain is a good thing.”
For the record: I don’t like country music!
Revelations on a Blog
Sometimes I fall short of ambitious goals I set for myself, but I realize that what causes people to read blogs is not always predictable, and I have to make a decision about what I would want to do to drive people to read the blog.
First, I know that content needs to be of high quality. However, this should be my drive in all things, as God calls us to be holy and perfect just as God is holy and perfect. I know I need to have something that is worth reading, and if it isn’t worth reading I shouldn’t post it.
Second, it needs to be relevant. I should also be relevant to the group that is reading the blog, as well as any group of people to which I am ministering.
Third, it needs to be consistent. This is something that I set out to be at the beginning, but have failed. In ministry though, we need to be consistent. Thus, even if I don’t spend the time putting together a detailed post, I know that I need consistent, quality, and relevant posts that will serve all readers of the blog.
Why?
Is the question “why?” reserved only for little kids to ask their parents? Or is it rather intended for all of us to ask throughout our days? It really appears to be one of the dividing lines between two distinct personality types. One personality always wants to have the understanding behind what is happening, or why they are asked to do something in a particular order. While the other is given a set of rules and they either comply or ignore without ever understanding why they were asked to do something.
The other day I got frustrated at someone for giving direction without fully understanding the rationale for doing such a task. I pushed them to want to know these things, because the instruction may not be appropriate for all situations. Even though the direction was not given to me, I felt that in order to be a good leader one must first comprehend the purpose for a specific direction, otherwise there is a lack of credibility in spite of a person’s credentials.
This desire to ask the “why” behind our tasks may in fact be a requirement for someone who is desiring to lead in a particular field, it certainly is not a requirement for all individuals. In order to build a widget, there is a need for the person designing the widget and teaching the production team how to build the widget to understand the “why”, but each member of the production line need not understand “why” each part is produced in its specific manner or order. However, it is important that there are the eyes upon the overall task ensuring that each task is laid out such that the overall goal of manufacturing the widget is carried out to the highest quality, which helps the quality of the widget to be the highest possible.
If we were working on a single part, and got caught up on every single detail of the part, even those that have no impact on our task, and we would hold up the production asking all of our “why” questions. Thus I learned that it is important to set aside my “why” at certain times, and bring them back up later. There are times when it is prudent to allow leadership to lead us, even while we may not fully understand the purpose. However, we must be willing to challenge leadership, when the directives take us in a direction where we are living in opposition to our standards and values.
Depending on what situation we find ourselves, you may be the one asking “why?”, or you may be called to follow. Ultimately, in my life I must listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and allow myself to be led to following after God’s mission for the world. My questions sometime are directed at God, but ultimately I have learned that while it is part of my relationship with God to ask “why”, I am, however, called to be obedient to God’s call on my life whether or not I understand “why”.
Thus I want to add a line to Ecclesiastes 3:
“There is a time to ask why, and a time to accept as is.”
Relationship. I said that!
As I sit down to eat dinner with my almost three-year-old son we “talk” about the day. It usually ends up with him telling me about playing with toys, and with “the kids”. Many of these “talks” are not terribly deep, but the other night, he wanted to tell me a funny story, or at least a story that was funny to him because every time I try to tell the story, no one else laughs. However, the funniest part is that when he gets to the part he really thinks is funny, he repeats it, followed by, “I said that.” In a way, he is saying, “Daddy, I don’t know if you will get this, but it is really funny, and I really want you to hear it.”
It is during these times, I can’t help but smile, not because he has a knack for telling jokes, but because he wants to share this time with me, and really wants me to engage in his story. I am more than overjoyed to be able to give him this time, as an added bonus I am given so much joy because he wants to spend this time with me.
In the show Parenthood this week, I also saw an example of how a father desired relationship with his son. I won’t give away how this ends, because so many watch these shows on Tivo or DVR, but it captures the father’s desire to engage with his son.
Similarly, God desires relationship with us. God desires us to engage in relationship. This requires us to tell those stories that we find funny, those things that are on our minds that are stuck for one reason or another. My son found value in telling me his funny story, and I engaged and was captivated not because it was profound, but because it was important to him, similarly God doesn’t just want our polished Sunday morning prayers, but rather God desires each and every one of us to sit down and talk, and share our lives.
Unfortunately, I am not always willing to give this time fully over to God, as my son is fully engaged in our conversations. Too often I am distracted by what is on television, or the list of things that I need to get done in the day, or even playing games on my computer. These things prevent me from the full relationship that God desires from me.
God went to extremes to restore relationship with us, but too often we merely give lip service to that relationship. I challenge each and every one to take some time and sit and tell God a joke, a story, or simply sharing with God in prayer. Honor that relationship, and give of yourself. Put the “Nintendo DS”, or whatever is distracting you, down and actually spend some time with the Almighty Creator of the universe that simply wants to engage you in relationship. God wants our stories, because they make up who we are, and when we really want God to hear us, our relationship becomes a unique connection to the Almighty.
Sleep
While I haven’t been present on the “blogosphere”, I have been busy studying and taking ordination exams, and moving in to my new place of residence. As I write this, I am offically done with all of the moving in, and organizing my living spaces, and I have my office setup in a manner that I am comfortable. These tasks have taken varying amounts of my energy, and have prevented me from having that truly restful sleep that I so desire.
Throughout my life I have heard that you need this number of hours, or that number of hours of sleep to remain healthy. However, it seems unrealistic for me, who has never had a time when I felt I needed to be in bed in my entire adult life, to start coming up with a “bedtime” so that I will be able to get a good eight hours of sleep. Some weeks I get up at 5:30am to be able to get my son ready for school, and so I can get a workout in before heading into work. This would mean going to bed no later than 9:30pm, which IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. On these days, I am pretty much content with the 5 hours that I get, assuming my sleep is not interrupted, which is usually a 50-50 proposition with an almost 3-year-old. However, this results in the occasional “sleeping in” until 7 or 8, and missing my workout.
I go to sleep so late because unless I am absolutely exhausted, I find it hard to fall asleep and I am completely unwilling to take anything to assist in this endeavor. In this I have found that my body will usually adjust itself to force me into a longer sleep if I need it. In particular, the week following the ordination exams had me sleeping many more hours, 9-10 hours a night. SO while I know there is a great deal of science behind the necessity of our sleep, I have trouble understanding why it has become an imperative for all people to find that exact schedule for sleep.
I look at the difference between my sister and me with regard to sleep. She does need the exact amount of sleep or else she ceases to function. However, I will sacrifice sleep for good conversation, I will sacrifice sleep for the sake of exercise, I will probably sacrifice sleep for pretty much anything worthwhile.
I will, however, “sleep-in” given the opportunity, and I really enjoy sleeping in. If I need the sleep, my body tells me, thus I just need to listen to it and it will guide me, which sounds so much more reasonable than trying to place my sleep on a schedule dictated by a set of general guidelines. However, to each their own, some need it regimented, which is fine, but from personal experience I just need to listen to the weight of my eyes.
Sweet Dreams everybody! I hope you enjoy your (regimented or not regimented) sleep tonight!
In Loving Memory of Nate “Oteka” Henn
I received this from Invisible Children, which is a charity that I was introduced to through High School kids I was working with at Hollywood Pres, and is something I believe in and personally support. As I read it, I am reminded how life is fragile. While I didn’t know Nate, I am moved by the fact that he got up and lived life, and fought for change. However, because of senseless violence, he lost his life.
Do not be deterred by this violence, but be inspired to live your life to it’s fullest!
The following is from the Invisible Children e-mail.
It is with deep sadness that we write to tell you that one of our dear friends has been lost in Sunday’s terrorist attack in Kampala, Uganda. Nate “Oteka” Henn was killed by an explosion that ripped through a rugby field where hundreds of people had gathered to watch the final match of the World Cup.
To be clear, this attack, and the 74 total deaths, was not related to the LRA. These attacks were unexpected and unprecedented from an international militant terrorist group. It should in no way be confused with our advocacy work.
Nate fought for justice in this world, and he died next to the friends he forged along the way.
Here at Invisible Children, we are a strong family of support, both here and in Uganda, and we want to honor Nate’s legacy. His family needs time to mourn and asks for their privacy for the time being, but they also request that anyone wanting to help can make a donation to the Nate “Oteka” Henn Memorial Fund, supporting other people wanting to live as Nate lived – in service of others. You can donate, and find out more, at www.NateHenn.com.
With Nate in our thoughts and prayers,
Invisible Children
To find out more about Invisible Children, please visit their site: http://www.invisiblechildren.com
Elpis and Shalom 