Archive for the ‘Religion’ Category
Happy Mothers’ Day
Posted in Religion, Visual art on May 12, 2013 | 2 Comments »
Along with prayer, this could help…
Posted in Cartoons, Humor, Political, Religion on April 19, 2013 | 1 Comment »
This week has been a wreck with bombings, manhunts, lockdowns, factory explosions, the Senate caving to the NRA. I have behaved myself and not posted anything, but this cartoon just landed in front of me and it goes up without delay.
It’s that time of year again
Posted in Cartoons, Humor, Religion on April 15, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
The tax deadline doesn’t line up with Good Friday this year, but …
But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” — John 11:49-50
Wonder
Posted in Religion, Visual art on March 31, 2013 | 2 Comments »
Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Morning of the Resurrection, 1882
Grief
Posted in Ecuador, Religion, Visual art on March 30, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Oswaldo Guayasamín, La Pieta de Avignon, 20th century, Ecuador (after Quarton)
Fine art at a high cost
Posted in Religion, Visual art on March 29, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Salvador Dali – Crucifixion Corpus Hypercubus, 1954
Matthias Grünewald – Isenheim Altarpiece (detail), 1512-1516
My Jewish friends will get the joke.
Chag Pesach Sameach to all.
Cartoon credit: http://rhymeswithorange.com/
Choosing a pope, the American way
Posted in Humor, Italy, Religion on March 13, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Black smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel. The cardinals haven’t made up their minds, or maybe they can’t operate a wood stove.
Here is another method of choosing, more to our own traditions and times. That’s a comment on our traditions and times, by the way. The Catholics know what they’re doing.
General warning about this video: Don’t be drinking milk or any other beverage while watching.
And watch it past the credits to question #4 and more relevance to our times.
Credit: Lutheran Satire, whose motto is “Teach the faith by making fun of stuff.”
Ecuador: a few churches
Posted in Ecuador, Religion on February 17, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
On Sundays we relax, maybe go into town (or out of town for an excursion), and those who wish may go to a church service. Sometimes we hold a service ourselves on the hotel grounds. Often, there are volunteers from an evangelical church nearby who have been helping us all week with food and logistics, and we’ve become friends with them and attend their church. Or, we have the option to attend a Catholic service.
Sorry no photos of evangelical churches. I have photos of the insides of a few of them where we’ve set up clinics, but these churches tend to be low-budget—and only the posters inside or the signs over the doors outside can distinguish them from a house, an apartment, or even a barn. Often they are based in the back yard of the pastor’s home.
The Catholic churches are always a work of architecture, even in a small town, and always adjacent to the town square. One of the things I love about Ecuador is their city planning: the downtown will be laid out as a grid with a beautiful park at the very center. Across the street on one side will be a church, and along another street usually municipal buildings and also shops.
It’s better than going to the mall! It’s a very clean, safe area for all ages and on weekends—besides church services—there may be celebrations, or outdoor markets on Saturdays.
But here are a few typical churches from previous years:
[liveblogging edit: I've added a few photos of the Catholic church here in Salcedo, across the street from our hotel. A few of us attended service this morning.]
One of the Catholic churches in Cotacachi, and the more modern of them.
Interior of the above church in Cotacachi. The posters have a verse from Acts, chapter 4, in which the apostles Peter and John are warned by the religious authorities not to speak about the risen Jesus. They replied, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
Another church building in Cotacachi.
The above church building. Notice the park in front and the dome in the center of the building.
The Catholic Church in Salcedo where we’re working this year. This and photos below were taken this morning or Wednesday evening.
Church in Salcedo by night – Ash Wednesday service as I was walking back from work
Church in Salcedo – Ash Wednesday evening service – no flash -
Church in Salcedo from the park
The true winter sport
Posted in Cartoons, Humor, Religion on February 3, 2013 | 4 Comments »
O come let us adore him
Posted in Religion, Visual art on December 25, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Fourth Sunday of Advent: Loreena McKennitt this time
Posted in Music, Religion on December 23, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Canadian singer Loreena McKennitt sings God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen like none other. You’ll notice that David Grisman and Jerry Garcia weren’t singing in last Sunday’s post; it’s because they’d be embarrassed after hearing this week’s.
Really sorry there’s only a slide show to accompany this. She’s really amazing to watch when she performs.
Third Sunday of Advent: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, by Grateful Dawg
Posted in Music, Religion on December 16, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
[Note: I scheduled this before the school shooting on Friday. I don't think I'll have anything to say about that in a blog post other than to remind us to pray.]
_________________
Merry gentlemen indeed.
These guys are good. I tried to post this one last year, but YouTube pulled it down (oh, what is it with the copyright police, anyway?). It’s back again, so listen while you can.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is one of my wife Jeri’s favorite Christmas songs, I think because it’s so well-suited to jazz. Here we have David (Dawg) Grisman on mandolin, and the late Jerry Garcia before he was… uh… dead, on acoustic guitar—both doing what they love.
Music is for celebrating.
Second Sunday of Advent: Gaudete! –with an accent.
Posted in Music, Religion on December 9, 2012 | 2 Comments »
This is how Latin might have been pronounced on the British Isles way back in… oh… early twenty-first century or so. The English folk-rock band Steeleye Span sings “Gaudete” a cappella. Great fun.
Gaudete, gaudete!
Christus est natus
Ex Maria virgine,
Gaudete!Rejoice, rejoice!
Christ is born
Of the Virgin Mary,
Rejoice!”
First Sunday of Advent: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring — on Pete’s Banjo
Posted in Music, Pete Seeger, Religion on December 2, 2012 | 2 Comments »
After scouring YouTube for a version of O Come, O Come Emmanuel that I haven’t already posted (English or Latin) I settled on J. S. Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring played on an unlikely instrument. Not only do I think Bach would approve I think Jesus would too.
