Communal Memory

While I was still in school I noticed that the same urban legends were passesd among the students. The same was true of jokes and secrets for bugging specific teachers. Today while subbing an AP Chemistry class (in most school systems the designation AP signifies the nationwide standard "Advanced Placement" tract some students are on - but not Presque Isle. AP in SAD1 means applied) the students were using the laptops to write single page synopsis of current events pertaining to Science. This would not normally be a chatting sort of event, but in this class it apparently was. The students were talking about this and that and then out popped the phrase - "I think the only big word I can spell is antidisestablishmentarianism."

Now this word is not used in any class that I know of - at least any that I took. The word is simply part of the communal memory of the Presque Isle High School student body.

Through time the memory is erased, however, or minds are changed. Pastor Matt was commenting on the idle drum set on the platform at church. He had hoped I was a drummer, but I am not. Some people in the church are opposed to having drums in the worship service so the current situation suits them just fine. This irritates the Pastor to no end. They did away with an organ recently and had the opposite fallout. Pastor would like to replace the organ with the drums. As he puts it - centuries ago when the first person put an organ in a church everyone revolted the "devil's instrument" was being placed in a holy cathedral.

My years-old fasenation with the Emergent movement addresses this memory. I am reading Ancient-Future Faith by Robert Webber. Webber says that we are in the middle of a paradigm shift from the postmodern (characterized by society holding science and reason of highest value) period to the postmodern (characterized by society holding community, symbol and mystery of highest value) period. There is nothing better about the postmodern period than the modern, or any other previous paradigm. I should also state that the Christian faith is not owned by any specific period.

Unlike McLaren, Webber does his best to focus our attention on the past to help us shape a postmodern faith. The values of postmodern society are most closely related to the first century - which was the era when the church was born. Webber would like us to study the "classical" church and learn what we can about how the faith was lived at that time so the church can relate better to current society. In this way we would jog our communal memory.

Finally Working!!

Today is my first day back to work since leaving the bank on December 29, 2006. I can't say just how my bills have been paid in this time (and there certainly are bills) but between refunds from services I had overpaid to Christmas money and now tax refunds I was able to hang in there.

This month ahs been quite something. I have read a few books, finished others, began attending my new home church and helping them out, and had PLENTY of quiet time to myself. All in all I think I will look back on this period of little to do with much fondness. A simple, quiet existence I can hardly look forward to, but I can certainly look to make those times I do have to myself slow. Slow is good.

My church - we don't have a web site so I cannot direct you there - my apologies. Easton Wesleyean Church is a great little community. It is growing by leaps and bounds and that growth has recently been natural - as in - through conversions. The senior pastor is Rev. Matthew Maxwell and he has an assistant - Pastor Vaughn Martin. Both guys are great and have their gifts engaged in their ministries.

Perhaps most remarkable of all is the men's group that meets once a week at Pastor Matt's house. It is a small group study intended to help mature men (in one of 20 areas) help those who are less mature. As it happens there are five or six of us guys and the conversations so far have been very productive.

One sad note - I have had to move yet again. Can't go into details here, but drop me a line and we can talk about it.

All for now - the bell is about to ring!