Artisan Sourdough Bread

I have been asked to share my sourdough bread recipe.

The Starter

I use a very simple starter.  Put a couple spoons of flour in a glass mason jar.  Trickle water into the jar and stir until the mixture resembles thick pancake batter.  Add a spoonful of flour and a trickle of water every morning and evening until it starts to bubble and smell yeasty.  The longer you have the starter, the more stable it will become.  An even easier method is to ask a friend to give you a small amount of their already-potent starter.

I improvise a breathable cap by discarding the round lid insert and screwing the lid ring over a paper towel (you could also use cheesecloth for something more durable).  I put the starter on my counter where I will see it and remember to feed it twice a day.

Because my starter only grows by 2 spoonfuls of flour a day, it is very simple to maintain.  When I use my starter, I only use ½ at a time, which is easy to replenish over the course of a couple days.  If you have a recipe that requires more starter, you can build it up by feeding it more for a day or two before you bake.  My starter is pretty hardy, so if I miss 1-2 feedings it will be OK.  But if I will be gone for a longer period of time, I put it in the fridge, in which case it slows down and won’t need to eat for about a week.

The Recipe

My starter makes an excellent hearty, free-form artisan loaf.  I do not have a good recipe for soft, sandwich-type loaves or rolls yet.   That is still in research and development.

Equipment:

Large bowl (I use a stainless steel bowl)

Dry and liquid measuring cups

Rubber spatula

Plastic shower cap (they have food-grade versions next to the plastic wrap in the grocery store)

Pizza paddle or baking sheet without a rim

Pizza or baking stone for the oven

Lid to large roaster pan (foil turkey pan would probably work)

Long serrated bread knife

Dry Ingredients:

1 Cup unbleached white all-purpose flour

1 Cup whole wheat flour

¼ Cup old fashioned rolled oats (for more chewy texture) OR ¼ Cup cornmeal (for more crunchy texture)

½ Tablespoon coarse salt

½ - 1 Tablespoon sugar (you can use honey or maple syrup instead and add to liquid ingredients)

1 Tablespoon seeds (you can use chia, flax, or even quinoa) – optional, for texture

Cornmeal for sprinkling on pizza paddle

Wet Ingredients:

½ Cup “wet” starter – I add water to my mason jar of starter until it is the consistency of thin pancake or crepe batter, pour ½ Cup into a liquid measuring cup, and then feed my remaining starter a spoon or two of flour to get it back to its resting consistency (thick pancake batter).

1 egg (optional)

Water – to make a total of 1 ¼ - 1 ½ Cups liquid

½ Tablespoon olive oil or melted butter (keep in reserve)

Instructions:

1.       Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. 

2.       Mix liquid ingredients except oil / butter in a liquid measuring cup.  Add enough water to the liquid ingredients to make a total of 1 ¼ - 1 ½ cups liquid.  More liquid will make the dough stickier and floppier but you will get a more dramatic rise and bigger holes in the bread.  Less liquid will make the dough easier to handle but the texture will be finer.  I try for something middle of the road.

3.      Use a rubber spatula to mix liquids into dry ingredients.  Stir with the spatula until the dough starts to come together into a sticky ball (it will be sticky, that’s why I use a spatula to stir and scrape the sides).

4.      Once the dough has come together, pour the oil or melted butter into the bowl and turn the dough ball with the spatula a couple times so that it is well coated (no need to stir the oil into the dough itself).

5.      Cover the dough with a plastic shower cap and let it sit out overnight.

6.      In the morning, sprinkle a pizza paddle or similar flat surface with cornmeal. 

7.      Use your hands to scrape the risen dough ball out of the bowl and make a rough, round loaf shape.  This takes some practice, especially if your dough is super sticky.  You can wet, grease or flour your hands so they don’t stick as bad.  Place the loaf on the pizza paddle covered with cornmeal (so it doesn’t stick to the paddle).

8.      Put a baking stone in the bottom of your oven and preheat to 450 degrees.  This will take a while, so your dough will have a nice rest during this time. 

9.      When the oven is ready, carefully slide your dough off the pizza paddle and onto the hot baking stone.  Cover immediately with the lid to the large roaster (I like to use that because it has a handle).

10.   After about 15 minutes, remove the roaster lid.  Keep an eye on the dough as it bakes.  You should remove after another 10-15 minutes when it is toasty golden brown all over (wait for the rich color).  You can remove the loaf by using a metal spatula to slide it back onto the pizza paddle.

11.   Let sit as long as you can stand it, so that the interior finishes baking and isn’t gummy.  Cut with a long serrated knife.  Store cut-side down on the pizza paddle at room temperature.

Variations:

My kids prefer the plain version (picture above) or the cheesy version.  But I personally like the festive versions with nuts and fruit.

Add 1 Cup grated cheese + 1 thin sliced green onion to dry ingredients for cheesy bread.

Add 1 – 2 Cups nuts or dried fruit to dry ingredients and sprinkle with sparking sugar right before baking for festive bread.

Add ¼ Cup pumpkin puree to liquid ingredients (before adding water) and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar right before baking for pumpkin bread.  This version is also nice with dried cranberries added to the dry ingredients (picture below). 

 

Should Christians Be Encouraged to Arm Themselves? A Response to John Piper

John Piper has written a thoughtful blog post in which he discourages Christians from owning firearms.  He brings up several true points, backed by Scripture, as follows:

1.  God has appointed government authorities to “bear the sword” and enforce justice (Romans 13:1-4). 

2.  God has called Christians to leave vengeance to God, and “repay no one evil for evil” (Romans 12:17-21).  Instead, we are to love our enemies and “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:38-39, 44-45).

3.  As Christians, we should expect to share in Christ’s sufferings, including persecution and unjust treatment, which we should bear with joy (1 Peter 2: 19-20, 4:14-16).

4.  We are to trust God for all of our needs (Philippians 4:19).

On a more personal note, Piper states that he does not keep a firearm, and that he does not know whether he would “shoot my wife’s assailant” when faced with that situation.  Piper charitably states “I would be very slow to condemn a person who chose differently from me.”

Piper’s points above are 100% true, and they are backed by even more Scripture references than those quoted by Piper in his blog post.  Nonetheless, I do not believe the above points lead inexorably to the personal dis-armament of Christians.  

1.  The use of personal firearms to provide for your family is both legal and moral.

Piper concedes that “the Lord ordains for us to use ordinary means of providing for life,” including food, drink, sleep, medicine, and personal savings.  God may call upon us to give up any of these things at any time, whether by voluntary sacrifice, or by involuntary persecution.  Nonetheless, in the meantime we are instructed to live quiet lives and work with our hands “so that you will not be dependent on anybody” (1 Thessalonians 4:10-12).  The faithful work of the Christian and God’s faithful provision together allow us to be generous to those in need (ex. 2 Corinthians 9:13). 

We live on a rural homestead and raise chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys.  Sometimes snakes, opossums and armadillos threaten our flock.  When our dog Missy alerts us to an unwanted pest, my husband John will take his gun and shoot it.  Firearms are an important tool to protect the animals under our care.  Proverbs 12:10 tells us that “a righteous man cares for the needs of his animal.”  The use of firearms to care for our animals (and thus provide for our family) is completely moral.

In addition, hunting is a big part of the culture where we live.  John and I did not grow up hunting, and we have not had much success (yet).  Nonetheless, we can appreciate the value of responsible hunting:  spending time in nature with family and friends; providing food for the family; and keeping animal populations in balance.  Perhaps Piper and others who live in large cities see firearms through an urban cultural lens, forgetting that the Bible is big enough to embrace many cultural traditions.

Guns can be misused, for sure.  So can many other things, including pharmaceuticals and the internet.  This does not mean that Christians must refuse drugs or technological advances. God and the laws of our country have given us freedom to use firearms to provide for their families, by killing unwanted pests and by responsible hunting. 

2.  The use of personal firearms to defend yourself and innocent victims is both legal and moral.

Self-defense – protecting yourself or innocent victims from immediate bodily injury – is a basic legal right across cultures.  Killing another person in self-defense is sometimes necessary to stop a greater evil (the murder of innocent victims), and it is also a useful deterrent to other would-be criminals.  There are many studies that indicate crime goes down with more lenient gun ownership laws.  Self-defense is different from revenge, which involves harming a perpetrator after the immediate danger is over.

The Bible does not condemn, and in fact sanctions, self-defense.  The Old Testament teaches that it is not murder to defend against and kill a night-time intruder, since it is a reasonable presumption that a night-time intruder has evil intent.  (Exodus 22:2-3).   Queen Esther saved the Jewish people by proposing a law that gave the Jews the right to defend themselves and their families, to the death (Esther 8:11).  While overseeing the rebuild of the Jerusalem city walls, Nehemiah posted armed guards to defend against those who would oppose the effort.  He encouraged the Jewish people, “Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”  (Nehemiah 4:14).

In his blog post, Piper brings up Luke 22:35-38, where Jesus tells his disciples that things are about to get dangerous, and they should arm themselves with swords.  Although Piper tries to explain away Jesus’ words, the most reasonable interpretation is that the disciples were expected and permitted to defend themselves.

We can all agree that attacking, raping or murdering an innocent victim is wicked.  God has provided lawful means of preventing these wicked acts (i.e., responsible ownership of personal firearms).  We can honor God by fighting evil using the means he has provided.  The Bible calls us to “rescue those being led away to death,” (Proverbs 21:11), “loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, set the oppressed free and break every yoke.” (Isaiah 58:6).  It is naïve to think that rescuing the oppressed will always be non-violent, or that it will always involve official government authorities.   Again, I am not speaking about illegal violence or revenge, I am speaking only about the legal right to defend yourself, your family and innocent victims.

Piper brings up the famous passage in Matthew regarding “turn the other cheek.”  It is important to note that Jesus is not referring to the threat of death or immediate bodily harm.  Instead, Jesus is referring to a slap in the face, a personal insult.  Jesus calls us to show love to our enemies by forgiving personal slights and being willing to “go the extra mile.”  Jesus did not set down a general principle against defending ourselves or our loved ones from death or bodily injury.

I believe there is Biblical support for the further proposition that it is a moral duty for fathers and husbands to protect their families from bodily harm.  Paul instructs husbands to love and care for their wives as their own bodies (Ephesians 5:25-33).  Paul also instructs the believer to provide for the needs of his immediate family, otherwise “he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8).  If we are called to care and provide for the needs of our families, how much more should we protect them from undeserved physical harm?

3.  The use of personal firearms to fight for freedom against tyranny is both legal and moral.

The Bible teaches that Jesus came to proclaim freedom (Luke 4:18-19).  Christ has freed us from sin and death, the greatest oppressors (Romans 6:6-7, 8:2).  Yet freedom from human oppression is also precious to the Christian life, and to human flourishing in general (cf. 1 Peter 2:16-17).  When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, Pharoah prevented them from worshipping God in freedom (Exodus 5:1-4).  Thus, before God even gave the Israelites the 10 Commandments, he had to first rescue them from slavery.  In the New Testament, the apostle Paul instructs believers:  “If you can gain your freedom, do so… You were bought at a price; do not [voluntarily] become slaves of men.”  (1 Corinthians 7:21, 23). 

Our American founders used their personal firearms to defend against British tyranny and establish their independence.  I understand that some Christians question whether this action was biblical.  Wayne Grudem does a great job explaining his position that “the American Revolution was morally justified in the sight of God.”  (See Grudem, Politics According to the Bible, pp. 88-89).  Regardless of Piper’s position on the American Revolution, he and the hundreds of millions of other residents of the United States over the past 200+ years have benefitted greatly from the bloody sacrifice of our founders.  That thought alone should give us pause.

The Constitution is the supreme law of the United States (Constitution, Article VI).  The Constitution protects the right of Americans to bear arms (Constitution, Amendment II).  According to the American founders who wrote the constitution, laws that are inconsistent with the Constitution “are merely acts of usurpation, and will deserve to be treated as such.”  (Hamilton, Federalist Papers, No. 34).  The founders believed that personal possession of firearms would protect our precious liberty from any tendency of the government to become tyrannical.  They believed that it was both constitutionally legal, and a moral imperative, for the “free and gallant citizens of America” to “stand ready to defend their own rights and those of their fellow-citizens” using personal firearms.  (Hamilton, Federalist Papers, No. 29; Madison, Federalist Papers No. 46).  While Piper denigrates “elevating political extrapolation over biblical revelation,” we should not sweep aside true and important events in our nation’s history.

4.            Owning firearms is compatible with love for enemies.

There is no contradiction between owning firearms and loving your enemies.  David was a warrior, and yet his ownership of weapons did not prevent him from showing mercy to Saul and other enemies.  You can use firearms to protect and provide for your enemies, regardless of whether they appreciate it.  You can also use firearms to prevent your enemies from committing crimes that would harm their consciences and have negative consequences for them as well as for you.

5.            Owning firearms is compatible with trust in God.

If taking medicine is compatible with trust in God, then owning firearms is also compatible with trust in God.  David composed psalm after psalm speaking of his trust in God to rescue and save him.  “All your commands are trustworthy; help me, for men persecute me without cause.”  (Psalm 119:86).  At the same time, David and his men were heavily armed.  As Piper concedes, God calls us to use the ordinary means of providing for our life, which I believe includes firearms.  This does not mean that we abandon our trust in God’s protection.  Firearms, like medicine, can and do fail.

4.            Owning firearms is compatible with joy in suffering.

On this earth, there are plenty of opportunities to practice joy in suffering.  While firearms can be used to relieve some forms of suffering, there are plenty of other difficulties that firearms cannot touch.  Having to use a firearm to protect a loved one is, by itself, traumatic and a form of suffering.  We can demonstrate joy in persecutions and sufferings whether or not we own firearms, and whether or not we choose to use them.

5.            There is a time and a place for everything.

Ecclesiastes tells us that “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:  a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal…a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”  (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).  

King Saul unjustly persecuted David, his loyal soldier.  Saul tried to kill David multiple times and chased David into hiding.  David had at least two opportunities to catch and kill Saul unawares.  Yet both times, David said, “…may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you.”  (1 Samuel 24:12, 26:23).   In that situation, David chose to forbear using arms for personal revenge.

On another occasion, the Amalekites raided David’s settlement at Ziklag.  The fighting men, including David, were away preparing for battle.  The Amalekites captured and carried off all of the women and children.  After asking God for guidance, David pursued the Amalekites and rescued the captives (1 Samuel 30:17).  Of course, this also involved fighting and killing a large number of the Amalekites.

We need to be careful not to add or subtract from what the Bible says (Deuteronomy 12:32).  The Pharisees were guilty of adding additional requirements to God’s law (Mark 7:3-4), which served only to oppress the people and obscure God’s true requirements. I believe that there are times when God calls individual Christians to give up their rights, including their rights to gun ownership and self-defense.  But this does not justify discouraging gun ownership more broadly.  False guilt and hand-wringing over gun ownership is counterproductive.   Rather than encourage Christians to disarm, we should encourage Christians to use firearms for God’s kingdom.  “You my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”  (Galatians 5:13). 

I appreciate John Piper's thoughts on this issue, and the Biblical truths that he has expounded.  At the same time, I know many faithful, believing men and women who value the "gun culture."  This brief essay is intended to give those men and women some comfort in knowing that their way of life is not condemned by Scripture, and is compatible with obedience to God's commands. 

Bird and Stone

I have cried every day for over a year.  Every quiet time, every women’s prayer meeting, every church service, driving in the car, sitting in my office, walking across campus between classes.  Suffice it to say, the subject of my sorrow is a “big waily deal.”  And I have been the big wailer. 

The poet of Psalm 119 was no stranger to depression.  He says, “I am laid low in the dust… My soul is weary with sorrow” (v. 25, 28) and again, “I have suffered much… Look upon my suffering and deliver me” (v. 107, 153).  Often, despite relentless prayers, we fail to see any response from God.  How can He be so slow? “My soul faints with longing for your salvation… My eyes fail, looking for your promise… HOW LONG MUST YOUR SERVANT WAIT???” (81, 82, 84, caps and extra punctuation added).

The Apostle Peter tells us that God “is NOT slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.”  (2 Pet. 3:9, caps added).  What appears to be slowness is actually God’s patience.  Grief must do its work in our hearts.  Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matt. 5:4).  The psalmist also holds up the promise of an end to mourning:  “May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.” (76).   

I readily admit that grief has been good for my prayer life; it forces me to seek God as the source of all comfort.  In fact, the psalmist writes this hum-dinger:  “It was good for me to be afflicted, so that I might learn your decrees.”  (v. 71).  Good?  Good??  GOOD???  Yet, even as I shout “No!” -- I can see God bending my proud heart toward his holy and mysterious will.   I can feel him stretching my compassion for brothers and sisters in hurt.  “I know, O Lord, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me.”  (75).  Is it YOU, Lord?  Are YOU behind this terrible affliction?  And can it truly be a sign of Your “faithfulness”?

This past week it hit me that I have been in mourning (duh).  And it also hit me that this severe grief must somehow end, if I am to embrace the life God has given to me.  As the wise man of Ecclesiastes said, “There is a time for everything…a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecc. 3:1,4).  We remember the command to “Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!”  (Phil. 4:4).  And… we feel guilty. 

My dear friend texted me, “PleaSe please please don’t feel you need to apologize to me [for wailing].  I haven’t been through this exact thing but I definitely know that juxtaposition of having a stone in your heart, sometimes right next to a flying bird.  Joy and horror.”  I liked her analogy so much.  Half of our heart wants to fly, knows it needs to fly, but the other half sinks solidly into the mud.  The tension threatens to shred our fragile faith.

The psalmist has somehow made peace with the bird and the stone.  (It is a very long psalm, after all).  Relentless wailing and relentless rejoicing, one after the other, down through the alphabet.

·         “I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches… Your statutes are my delight… I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil” (14, 24, 162).

·         “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free… I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” (32, 45).

·         “…for I delight in your commands because I love them.  I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love…” (47).

·         “Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.  Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” (164-65).

Rejoicing, riches, delight, freedom, love, praise, peace.  All in the context of God’s statutes, promises, commands, precepts and laws.  Affliction draws us back to God’s law, which is our salvation, and our joy.  On this rainy Sunday, I am praying with the psalmist:  “May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.”  (76).  May you also find comfort in your afflictions.

All About Love

The themes of Psalm 119 are so inter-woven, it is difficult to dissect one strand from the others.  Those familiar with Shutterfly or other digital scrapbooking tools will understand.  If the slot in the template is in portrait orientation, you can be sure the picture I want is in landscape.  No amount of cropping will provide an accurate account – I have to choose between the dog, the crepe myrtle, or my son Jacob.

 

With that caveat, we might as well start with the theme of love.  After all, “The earth is filled with your love, O Lord” (v. 64).  The Psalmist follows that powerful statement with the request:  “teach me your decrees.” (v. 64).  A non-sequitur?  Perhaps not.  Likewise verse 124:  “Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees.”  The implication is that God manifests his love to us – makes his love concrete to us – by teaching us his decrees. 

In fact, the Psalmist in several places uses the term “love” interchangeably with terms for God’s law.  For example:  “Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, O Lord, according to your laws.” (v. 149).  The “Resh” stanza repeats a similar theme: 

“preserve my life according to your promise” (v. 154); then,

“preserve my life according to your laws” (v. 156); and finally,

“preserve my life, O Lord, according to your love.”  (v. 159). 

Thus, God’s promises, his laws, his love, together, are the means by which God preserves our very lives.  “May your unfailing love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise.”  (v. 41).  God’s laws contain the promise of his love, as the Psalmist again says:  “May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.”  (v. 76)

And what happens when God answers, and sends His unfailing love / law?  The Psalmist exclaims:  “Oh, how I love your law!” (v. 97) And again, “I delight in your commands because I love them.  I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love” (v. 47-48).  The Psalmist loves God’s commands above all else, “more than gold, more than pure gold” (127).  The Psalmist loves God’s law because God has loved him through that law.  And God breathing through the Psalmist creates a new work of love/law. 

This reminds me of my advanced computer science class in college.  At the time, we were learning a language called LISP, which is based on embedded parenthetical expressions and recursion.  It was the programming equivalent of Russian nesting dolls.  With the caveat that I changed my major far away from computer science, as a direct result of this class, I imagine the LISP equivalent of the love theme in Psalm 119 might be

(God (according to ((God’s law (love)) loved by the Psalmist)) sends unfailing love to the Psalmist)

Yes, I double-counted my parentheses.

And in response to the love of the Psalmist, who is responding to God’s love, God sends blessing.  “Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.” (163)

Cut!  Time for a reality check.  As an attorney, I know first-hand that laws can be frustratingly complex, they can be unfair, they can prevent people from doing what they want to do.  When I look at the California Labor Code, or the Wage Orders of the Department of Industrial Relations, I do not get the warm fuzzies.  What does it mean to love God’s law?

When God issues his love/law, the Psalmist responds with love/obedience.  He says, “Preserve my life according to your love, and I will obey the statutes of your mouth.” (v.  88)  And again, “I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly.”  (v. 167)  We show our love for God’s law by our obedience.  I am thinking about a child of mine, who likes to say “I love you” when he is in trouble.  To which I reply – not very kindly -- “Then do what I tell you to do!!”

There are many reasons to obey God’s law, which I would like to explore in more detail, “if I live and the Lord wills.”  But this is not obedience out of grudging obligation -- of which type I am intimately familiar, both as a parent and an attorney.   No, this obedience springs from the mutual love between God and the Psalmist.

May your unfailing love come to us, O Lord.

Thoughts on Psalm 119 – The Teaser

It’s the longest chapter in the Bible, containing 176 verses.  In the time it takes to recite this Psalm, you can drive from downtown Ruston to the chicken farms of Dubach (and keep the speed limit).  Each of its 22 stanzas contains 8 verses -- do the math -- and is introduced by a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  Unfortunately, in translation we miss the wit of the Hebrew acrostic.  But commentators tell us that each verse in a stanza begins with the same letter:  Aleph, Beth, Gimel, and so forth.  I once got ahold of a Hebrew-English interlinear Bible, and I can confirm this is true.  (Hooray for primary sources).  In fact, the alliteration motif is not limited to the first word of each verse:  the psalmist tries to squeeze as many alphabet-words as possible into each set of 8.


Is Psalm 119 the sacred version of “Same song, second verse, a little bit louder and a little bit worse?”  Or maybe “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom”?  Did the ancient Hebrews think it was just a little bit corny?

To the extent you have heard anything about Psalm 119, you have probably heard that it is about God’s word.  The Bible writing about itself – that’s very meta.  Kindof like Japanese anime artists animating about Japanese anime artists (yes, it’s a thing, don’t ask me how I know this).  To be sure, each stanza of Psalm 119 mentions God’s word.  And though translations vary, the Psalm uses about 8 different synonyms for God’s word, including “promise,” “statutes,” “commands,” “law,” “judgments,” “precepts,” and “decrees.”  So you see verses like the following:

Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. (v. 89)

All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal. (v. 160)

However -- it is wrong to assume that Psalm 119 honors God’s word in the abstract, in a vacuum, on a pedestal.  In fact, I had to search for examples of verses that spoke ONLY of God’s word, above.  In contrast, take the two most familiar verses in the Psalm:

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (v. 11)

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.  (v. 105).

Together, these verses mention God’s word twice.  But they mention something else – someone else – a total of five times.  They mention ME (originally the Psalmist, and now the reader).  I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.  Your word lights my feet and my path.  This is not me (the blogger) being a narcissist.  If you go through Psalm 119, you will soon discover that the Psalmist talks about himself as much or more than God’s word.

More accurately, Psalm 119 speaks about the dynamic relationship between the Bible and the Christian.  Far from being a kooky acrostic, Psalm 119 puzzles over the very heart of the Christian life.  What does it mean to live as a believer?  How do we respond when it seems that God does not answer our prayers?  Where do we find the strength to keep on keeping on?  The high vistas, the low valleys, the dusty roads in-between – Psalm 119 has them all covered. 

Perhaps the mnemonics are there because we need them.  Perhaps the clever alphabetizing drills important truths that we are apt to forget.  Perhaps this divine earworm unlocks the mysteries of the Christian life.

If you are interested, I encourage you to read Psalm 119.  It’s OK if you don’t finish.  After all, it’s a long psalm.  I have been working through Psalm 119 since January, so 8 months now.  (And I still have two stanzas left.)  Yet only recently has the Psalm come together for me, so that I feel I have something to share.  It's like kneading flour and water until the gluten strands form and the mixture becomes dough.  Or folding curds and stretching them until they miraculously become mozzarella. 

Lord willing, I will share more soon.

Welcome Morons & Moronettes

I had no idea that OregonMuse would link to my bloglet this morning.  Welcome AOS visitors!

This past summer, our family left the clogged freeways of California to live on a small farm of dubious character.  My husband suggested throwing together a post "How to convert a nice home into a chicken coop."  Unfortunately, any pictures would not do the smell justice. 

I teach political science and practice California law remotely (very remotely).  My husband is the handyman and farm proprietor.  Please leave comments as you feel the spirit move. 

More posts soon!

Twilight: The Gateway to a 50 Shades Relationship?

What do vampires have in common with kinky BDSM?  Apparently, the best-seller 50 Shades of Grey was conceived as Twilight fan fiction.  Although Twilight lacks the explicit themes of 50 Shades, it romanticizes a similarly dangerous relationship.

To summarize (for those who spent the past decade under a rock), Twilight is a romance between Bella, a 17-year-old girl, and her classmate Edward, who happens to be a vampire.  I read Twilight several years ago while on vacation.  The story was engrossing.  But as I was reading, something about the relationship between Bella and Edward kept bugging me.  And it wasn’t the fact that Edward happened to be a vampire.  Everyone knows vampires are pretend!  (right. . . ?) 

No, what bothered me were the parallels between Bella’s story and real-world, dangerous relationships.

1.  Edward had a definite dark side.  He had a bad temper AND he struggled with blood lust.   At the beginning of the relationship, he treated Bella with cruel hostility.  (Was it excusable simply because he was trying to control the impulse to drain her veins?) During key points in their relationship, Edward had Bella walking on eggshells.  Just by being herself, Bella would accidentally trigger Edward’s darker nature. 

2.  Edward was very controlling.  During their “get to know you” conversations, Edward drilled Bella like the Spanish inquisition.  Edward changed his schedule so that they were taking all their classes together.  Edward insisted on chauffering Bella to school, both ways.  He would make fun of her car and refuse to let her drive.  He would take her places against her will (i.e., the prom) even though Bella strongly protested and said she did not want to go.

3.  Edward was extremely jealous and would become angry when he saw other boys becoming close to Bella.  Bella expressed relief that she had not had any former boyfriends, so that she would not have to tell Edward about them.

4.  Edward was a stalker.  He entered Bella’s house without permission.  Using his heightened sense of hearing, he listened in on Bella’s conversations.  He followed her without her knowledge.

5.  Edward held unequal power in the relationship.  He was a beautiful immortal, with super-human strength and speed.  He had unlimited funds.  He had special senses that enabled him to read others’ thoughts.  Bella, on the other hand, was awkward and insecure.  She had just moved to live with her dad and had no close friendships.  Edward would take Bella to remote locations, where she had no means of returning home by herself.  She was totally dependent on Edward.

To his credit, Edward warned Bella that he was not good for her.  Bella’s friends who knew Edward’s identity begged her to stay away from him.  Bella knew that Edward was dangerous, yet she consciously chose to stay with him.  She didn’t care about her human friends, she didn’t even care about her own human life.  She was stubbornly confident that the “love” she shared with Edward would make everything OK.

Putting aside the vampire factor, anyone see a problem with this relationship??  Yet Twilight boldly celebrates the fantasy love between Edward and Bella.  Judging by the sales of books, movies, DVDs – and wildly popular fan fiction spin-offs! -- the continuing Twilight story has captivated millions of girls, and women.

In just a few short years, the young woman’s obsession with Twilight has become the older woman’s obsession with 50 Shades of Grey.  Mothers, grandmothers, teachers, sisters and friends – we need to talk!  We must recognize and teach the signs of a dangerous relationship.  We must not let vampire romance and its fan fiction cloud our judgment. 

Because, in real life, a dangerous relationship is unlikely to resolve in a happy ending.