The Arrow's Path

Goodness, gracious, things are moving fast. Ever have that feeling like you are an old geezer driving a John Deere on the interstate? I seem to have entered that zone since Friday. I got my ordination date and place worked out, and its been fast lane ever since. I got the apartment I wanted today. I've been packing up books...several boxes worth. Its all moving too fast. Not that's complaining...I mean making parole is making parole.

Must... resist ... urge ...to... comment ; I'll leave it to mystery.

Today was the 125th anniversary and celebration luncheon at my field ed parish. Much like the homecoming episodes of Doctor Who, all the previous incarnations of The Doctor The Rector made a special appearance, at least the living ones. One of the office light candlesticks that Father Hull (the rector from the 1940's) always hated fell over, so he must have been there in spirit as well, much to everyone's amusement. Happy Anniversary St. Paul's Church by-the-Lake.

After a day of e-mails and conference calls with the Powers that Be, it looks like, pending final Standing Committee approval this weekend, I have an ordination date to the diaconate. Monday, June 11th, 2007 The Feast Day of St. Barnabas The service is going to be at the Church of the Holy Spirit , Bellevue, Nebraska, where I was an intern for a year before coming to seminary. That congregation was very important in my formation, and it will be an honor to be ordained there.

Kyle, over at Captain Sacrament , got tagged with an interesting meme. You have to name your four favorite saints, your favorite blessed saint, and the person you think should be canonized. My more protestant readers will no doubt be theologically horrified by this. Kyle made an interesting point that "saint" can be defined as "a noteworthy holy person of the Christian faith." Without further adieu, my Four Favorite Saints : Dietrich Bonhoeffer (patron saint of this blog) Augustine of Hippo (Sub-patron saint of this blog) Thomas More (Best quote ever: " Up yours, Henry VIII I die the King's good servant, but God's first." ) He is also my entry for "Person who should be made a Saint " because he is not in the Anglican cycle of Saints. Anglicans really know how to hold a grudge I guess... Enmegahbowh (Yay! Native Americans...with cool icons no less) Favorite Blessed Saint : I think this title is sort of silly because all saints are ble...

High tech News Nugget today and some weird ones to boot. All three are videos on the BBC... -The Archer+ Breathing Android created Kryptonite discovered Borneo Rhino captured on film

Last week when I was spending the day as a Fake Priest , several people commented on my "Altar Book." The Altar Book in question was basically homemade, with the help of the loose leaf Altar Book edition (title page seen above) that you can get from Church Publishing Corp ., or other Episcopal Church bookstores. The loose leaf nature allows you to put the packet into any 3-ring binder. I usually get the 3 ring binders that have the clear pockets in the front covers which allows you to stick syllabi or other artwork into the pockets. Last Fall, when I was in Dublin, I visited the Book of Kells at Trinity College. I became somewhat fascinated with the geometric designs and began experimenting with the technique. The two doodles you see here I drew in lieu of paying attention in class in my free time , and inserted them into the cover of my DIY Altar Book. A design similiar to the circle of men above caught my eye when I was looking that the Book of Kells because the men's ...

So I stopped at the Walgreens in Roger's Park on my way home from church to stock up on a few items and get something cold to drink. (I was tired of drinking coffee from church). The Walgreens had the usual 4 refrigerators full of cold beverages. It seems like that would be sufficient to quinch my thirst for a normal beverage. But no...nothing simple for the Archer. I wanted Dr. Pepper...a whole rack of it. I like Dr. Pepper. No, I don't want Berries 'n Cream Dr. Pepper. That's like that man-sized plastic Burger King in the TV commercials...disturbing on multiple levels. No I don't want Diet, no I don't want Vanilla Dr. Pepper. I certainly don't want diet Dr. Pepper with lime because that's just perverted. Just normal Dr. Pepper. So, no Dr. Pepper... Okay, regular Coke, surely they have that. I don't want Diet Coke, I don't want Caffeine Free Diet Coke, and I don't want caffeine free Diet Coke with Splenda with aforementioned perverted lime. ...

In an attempt to actually celebrate my birthday, here is my birthday post. My family never really was so much into birthday celebrations, so I am trying to branch out... Wheee...

A friend of mine e-mailed me this picture of lava meeting water in Hawaii. I thought it was pretty wild... -The Archer

And just when I thought seminary was weird...it just got weirder. I spent what felt like the entire day being a fake priest. Hey, it wasn't my idea... First, I had to "preside" at an East facing mass in my Practicum for liturgical celebration class, which we call "play church." Essentially we get assigned services and practice doing liturgical roles in the Seabury chapel. It was actually been a pretty interesting experience. I even went out of my way to needle a certain person by wearing a fiddle back chasable, amice, and biretta, all the while making a swipe at postmodernity in the sermon. It was a beautiful thing... Then, as fate would have it, I went across the street for my night class on marital counseling and ended up having to take my turn as a pastoral counselor to an alcoholic couple in the role play vignette. I've just spent my day being a fake priest and survived. Maybe I can do this priest thing after all.

Congrats Mark Buehrle. Read about it here and here .

So Beth tagged me where you have to post six weird things about yourself and then tag 6 other people. Chain letters never die, they just change form. Weird things about myself...anyone familiar with my comics know that won't be a hard one. 1. I am likely the only racing fan from the South that doesn't like NASCAR. I follow Formula One because the tracks have different shapes. Racing in a big oval all the time just doesn't do anything for me... 2. The majority of the girls I have dated in my life have names that end in -Y or -IE, or are some derivative of Christine. 3. I hate folding laundry. Hauling the laundry to the washing machine or ironing I don't mind. Its that folding...yuck. 4. I've been on a pilgrimage to Mecca...don't ask. Just don't ask. 5. I prefer sorghum molasses on pancakes. Don't you dare give me that sugar free motor oil. 6. I got bit by an ostrich when I was little, which made me all the more determined to ride it like a horse. Note to...

I love the Wally character in Dilbert. He's cynical and does nothing but drink coffee. I had my Wally moment this morning after filling out more ordination paperwork for the third time in a week. And I was drinking coffee. My roommate asked me what I was doing, and I wondered why it was necessary to have another background check since my background hasn't changed in two years. My roommate mentioned the need of "keeping God's children safe," a humorous reference to the Episcopal Church clergy misconduct program. I retorted that I was "keeping God's children safe...from seemingly worthless Church bureaucracy." My coffee was especially tasty at that point. Just call me the Wally of the Forest.

This is pretty cool ...

After a hiatus during Lent, Archer Comics has returned. This week's edition: Manifold Sins and Wickedness.

Kosher Cactus Delicacy...you know you want to try it . Man robs Barber after bad hair cut . Listerine recall after micro organisms found in mouthwash .

I always thought Kurt Vonnegut's work was deliciously satirical. I am sad to hear he passed on .

On the Monday of Holy Week (which seems like a month ago now) I got to go to Opening Day at the Chicago White Sox game. I had never been to a Major League Baseball opening day before, so it was great. I think it was that brief period when we were actually having spring. Batter up! Ah, Chicago...the city with the big shoulders. (Yes Beth, Cleveland won. I know already.)

I can live with this... -The Archer You’re St. Justin Martyr! You have a positive and hopeful attitude toward the world. You think that nature, history, and even the pagan philosophers were often guided by God in preparation for the Advent of the Christ. You find “seeds of the Word” in unexpected places. You’re patient and willing to explain the faith to unbelievers. Find out which Church Father you are at The Way of the Fathers !

In my backlog of things to post on the blog, here are some pictures from Sunday's Easter brunch after the 5:30 service at Seabury. We went out with a bang with lamb, baklava, flatbread, quiche. It was yummy.

It was a long Holy Week, but it was a good Holy Week. I would like to thank the folks who stuck with my Stations of the Cross series, as I know it was difficult subject matter. If anyone has questions or comments or need to debrief about my Stations, please feel free to post here. I won't be offended if you didn't like them. Although, I have had nothing but positive feedback from folks who talked to me personally or via IM about it. Otherwise, I now return you to your normal Archer programming, already in progress. -The Archer+

A Sermon for the Easter Vigil "MOST powerful and glorious Lord God, at whose command the winds blow, and lift up the waves of the sea, and who stillest the rage thereof. We thy creatures, but miserable sinners, do in this our great distress cry unto thee for help: Save, Lord, or else we perish. " The prayer I just read is from the Prayers to be Used in Storms at Sea, and is found in the back of the English Book of Common Prayer which was pulbished in 1662. The section, which goes on for some pages, harkens back to a time when English sailing ships took several months to cross the Atlantic being little more that wooden ships tossed to and fro by storms and powered only by the wind. These boats were not much different than the boat technology used by sailors in the times when the stories we heard read tonight were first written down. In the creation story, we heard that the earth was without form and void, and darkness covered the face of the Deep. For people living up until n...

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped; but emptied himself, taking on the form of a servant, and was born in human likeness. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has exaled him, and bestowed on him the name which is above every name. Come, let us bow down and bend the knew, and kneel before the Lord our Maker, for he is the Lord our God. V. Surely he has borne our griefs. R. And carried our sorrows. Let us pray: O God, you know us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: Grant us such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One...

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. Jesus went out, bearing his own cross, to the pace called the place of the skull, which in Hebrew, Golgotha. Although e was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. Like a lamb he was led to the slaughter; and like a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he opened not his mouth. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all; For the transgression of my people was he stricken. Let us pray: Almighty God, whose believed Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption: Give us courage to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy upon us. -Text from the Book of Occasional Services , pg. 60.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world. As soon as it was morning, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council held a consultation; and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate. And they all condemned him and said, “He deserves to die.” When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out of sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the Pavement, bit in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. Then he handed Jesus over to them to be crucified. God did not spare his own Son: But delivered him up for us all. Let us pray: Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy, but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen. Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy upon us. -Text from the Book of O...