London

by | Mar 13, 2008 | Travel

I’ve spent the last few days in London – mostly trying to recover from jetlag – however I did manage to see a few sights and sounds. Went for a nice walk (minus the half hour torrential downpour on Tuesday) along the Thames, down past the London Eye and across to the Parliament buildings. Had coffee at the Covent Garden Progreso, a cafe I wanted to check out. Meandered along Oxford Street & Bond Street at my leisure, taking in the sights and sounds. Stumbled across Foyles unintentionally. Successfully managed to not lose more money to books – major achievement!

Yesterday I headed over to the Tate Modern, followed by another little walk along the Thames, this time up towards Tower Bridge. Felt like I had to go see Buckingham Palace, which in all honesty was rather a let-down (as I had been warned!) – seriously, its just a big house, it’s not that pretty or decorative at all!

In about two hours I’m hoping on a train across to Nottingham to hang out with Shelley for the evening… bring it on! I miss that girl.

Atlanta

by | Mar 10, 2008 | Travel

Atlanta, I am alright with you!

Finally an airport with free wifi… when will this become the norm instead of having to pay a fortune for it everywhere. I’m on my way back to the UK… via an entirely different route than planned. I got to Dulles earlier today expecting to fly to London via a 4:30pm flight to Detroit, only to be told that flight was cancelled, put on another one, told it was delayed, finally being sent on a 3:25pm flight via Atlanta… which I am now supremely grateful for. All in all, despite having my itinerary changed multiple times, the desk staff for NWA and Delta were lovely and very accommodating.

Should be arriving in London at 7:45am Tuesday morning (GMT). See ya on the other side of the Atlantic!

Christian Peace Witness (Pt 2)

by | Mar 7, 2008 | Social Justice, Travel

This is the view of my table at Caribou where I am grabbing a coffee and jotting down some thoughts on todays Christian Peace Witness events. I attended the ’emergent worship service’ at New York Avenue Presbyterian, a church famous for being where Abraham Lincoln’s church, and in a similar vein as today, the church where Martin Luther King, Jr., preached against the Vietnam war.

The Cobalt Season played a few opening songs as people were arriving, leading into a time of worshipful reflection through video, liturgy, music and readings overlayed with one another. Gilda Carbonaro spoke about the loss of her son Alex in Iraq in May 2006. Brian McLaren shared a few words of focus regarding Jesus call to us to be disciples, apostles, and witnesses all at once, stating that ‘disciple’ and ‘apostle’ are two sides of the one coin – we are called in to learn the Way of Jesus and then we are sent out to share that with others. In closing, we shared communion, and a piece of final liturgy I thought was so powerful I wanted to type it up here…

One: And now let us walk together, to join our brothers and sisters to appeal for peace, humbly echoing Jesus’ call:

All: “Follow me.”

One: Let us walk, bearing the weight of our complicity in this war, openly confessing:

All: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

One: Let us walk with the weight of sorrow, mindful of the many thousand who have died, and of those who will carry the wounds of war for all their days, trusting Jesus’ promise:

All: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

One: Let us walk in peace, to love and serve God, rejoicing in the reconciling power of the Holy Spirit.

All: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

One: Let us walk with hope, led by faith, ever certain that the Spirit goes before us.

All: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Amen.