The Star Wars Holiday Special

One of the greatest cinematic disappointments in my life until the Phantom Menace.  I remember it well.  Here's a pretty lengthy piece tracing the steps.  Funny how so much of it was built around keeping interest in the franchise when I remember theaters still showing Star Wars a year later.  As I've said elsewhere, the interest easily went beyond the release of Empire Strikes Back.  Still, I wasn't on the business side, and I'm sure they had facts and figures that necessitated this pile of garbage.  And if it weren't for Phantom Menace and later contributions to the franchise that have Lucas's stamp of approval, I'd be more inclined to believe his tale of non-involvement.

When I say my ministry days are behind me

I mean it.  So I was informed of a position not too long ago in another diocese.  Since our own diocese has all but shut the door on me for good, I thought perhaps - just perhaps - moving out would be the open door I've been praying for.  Even though I grumble about tossing my library in the can and turning away and never returning, there's always that tug, that yearning for those crazy, hazy days of Christian ministry.  They were rough, as all ministry is.  But they were rewarding beyond measure.  And I miss that.

So hoping that the shutout was more a regional thing, I expanded my radius and sent my resume and cover letter.  It was great.  One of the best I've ever written.  I had proof readers working overtime.  The reason?  It was a position made for me: someone with knowledge of Protestantism, especially Evangelicals, a Masters of Divinity minimum, experience in Christian ministry, theological background, knowledge of Church History, and a commitment to the Catholic Faith.  Oh, and website experience would be a plus.

I submitted my resume and prayed.  The next day I checked our emails and there it was!  A rejection email.  The candidates had already been narrowed down and the final interviews in place.  The door had been shut weeks earlier (though it had only been posted weeks earlier, so not sure what that meant).

Well, I tried to object, but was politely, yet firmly, told to cease pestering them, the decision was made.  So I decided to look up and see just who it was that got this position.  And who was it?  Well, he did have a PhD from a Catholic university in Ecumenical relations.  And he had struggled with his faith in college.  But he was and always had been Catholic.  His knowledge of Protestantism?  What he had studied, and the Protestant friends he had.  But what he really was?  A Catholic with experience working with Facebook.

And that has been a trend I've noticed.  Not in all cases.  I've been shut out of chaplaincy positions just as quickly.  I've actually received rejection emails the same day I applied, even when I was overwhelmingly qualified.  No, in many 'ministry' positions I've noticed the real emphasis is on Tech.  Website design, digital, electronic communications.  Actual knowledge of theology, biblical studies, Church history, is increasingly irrelevant.  Certainly when the request is for someone who knows something about Protestantism, and a Catholic with protestant friends is picked over a former Protestant minister with over a decade and a half of Protestant ministry experience, I'd dare say it's time to rethink any real future as a minister within the Church.
As I've said before, this is not Scott Hahn's conversion story.  Increasingly, I'm coming to realize that from the Church's POV, the fact that I was a minister, had training or education, was a Protestant, came damn close to bankruptcy and ruin in order to become Catholic is about as irrelevant as the market trends for butter churns.  And that hurts, though there really isn't anyone to tell it to that can - or worse, will - make a difference anyway.  Just thought I'd throw that out.  Best of luck to the fellow who got the position.  Maybe he'll learn to appreciate those separated brethren in new ways, and through it, some might come to learn about the Church.

My comment on Mark Shea's blog regarding Gun Control

I'm sure the comments are dwindling, but here's my three cents. First, solutions.  

Gun control.  Exactly what would such measures accomplish?  I"m OK with looking at ideas, but they should actually work.  Would various ideas proposed really stop, or at least limit, these things?  Remember, like plane crashes, the number of mass shootings for a nation our size with our population is actually rather small.  And most, despite recent news stories and the last few years, were accomplished with normal guns/handguns.  Most of which were legally purchased.  And it appears that many, when the dust settles, wouldn't have been stopped by the proposals that come out in their wake.  How exactly would such proposals stop these particular tragedies is a question worth answering before plowing forward.  

Smart guns?  Sure.  Why not.  Inventions.  Just don't let the government mandate them, certainly until we're sure they won't hurt lawful gun owners or innocent people.  I think that's a fair and sensible demand.  And if deep down someone doesn't really care because deep down they have a problem with guns and those who own them, then there you go. 

Mental health?  Yeah, let's look there as well.  From the 50s on, we've put a premium on protecting mental health illness from abusive treatment.  The payback has been there is little to do when someone has mental health issues and doesn't want to  be treated beyond how they want to be treated.  How many of the recent mass killings have been by people actively seeking therapy?  What's that even mean?  What's it say? What exactly can we do that might reduce these things without stampeding those suffering from mental illness? That's certainly worth looking at. 

It's not all about mass killings.  Gun violence is bolstered by stats including suicides (that most gun law proposals would not touch), and of course drug and gang and crime on crime stats.  We won't even get into the disproportionate level of gun violence within minority communities, primarily within the inner cities. The crimes of passion or some guy getting pissed and killing someone over a potato chip make up a small portion of such crimes in proportion to our population.  If we want to get serious about it, we'll get serious about it.  Or not.  

We're not New Zealand, or England, or China, or any other beautiful country that exceeds the perfection of the New Jerusalem.  For better or worse, we are a major super sized nation, with a very large, and very diverse population in the cross-hairs of international mega events, with a premium on freedom.  Freedom, by the way, that we were authoritatively told for ten f**king years should never be compromised, even in response to a tragic event like 9/11.  We can change that of course.  But if 9/11 wasn't enough to warrant change in our principles regarding freedom, liberty and rights, then why now?  Maybe it's me, but shifts like that always always get my attention. 

Admit there are extremes and ulterior motives on both sides (if not all sides) of the debate.  That's obvious and common sense.  I doubt any side is cleansed from all potential for sin.  Admitting that helps put at ease those who want to solve the problem, but get the funny feeling not everyone is in it for the right reasons.  And, of course, it's always true when dealing with anything.  

It's the society stupid.  Yes, I'm afraid that if we get real brave and grow a couple, we'll admit that a large part of the problem is the society we've built.  As fun as it is to insist the problems are always "Their" fault, if we really want to solve the problems we'd step back and admit there are parts of our culture today that we indulge in that are likely as much to blame as any part of the culture "they" indulge in. Are we brave enough (and dare I say, humble enough) to admit that? Or worse, actually do something about that?  Remains to be seen. 

Those are a few thoughts.  We won't get into Joe the plumber, or the media rallying around a grieving father to the exclusion of those whose grief doesn't fit the agenda.  Again, this is if we want to try to solve the problems, If we just want to advance agendas, score points, win one for the team, then I doubt we'll do much but accomplish nothing, which seems the one accomplishment our modern generation of adults is particularly adept at.  

Pummeled on the Catholic Blogosphere

I'm about to get skinned over at CAEI.  Mark posted a hit piece on "Joe the Plumber" who echoed critics of our response to 9/11 by saying that dead kids don't trump his rights.  Of course that was an oft repeated mantra following 9/11, and in honesty, there's something to be said about it.  Losing freedom and doing anything in the wake of a tragedy, no matter how horrible, is never acceptable.  Now, of course, it looks like the prudent approach, at least in terms of gun control.  Anyway, it isn't going to be pleasant.  Here I go!

Congrats to our Grad!

And a week later, on the 24th, our oldest *sniff* graduated from high school.  We attached to a home school family that could personally change the shape of the continents if they set their mind to it, and put together quite a graduation ceremony for local home school grads.  It was quite an event.  Speaker and everything.  I'll get into that, too, down the road.  But for now, some obligatory pictures from our oldest, who is the most awesome oldest kid a person could hope for.  You did us proud son!

He makes us proud

Proud parents with reason to be proud

Congrats to my Confirmandi

Last Saturday - the 17th of May - our eighth grader was confirmed.  Hurray!  More on this down the road.  I just wanted to post a couple of his pictures, one with the brothers, and one with his sponsor (our oldest - we were proud) and our next oldest who was called on to serve (just like his younger brother served for his confirmation last year).  Proud of you!

With sponsor brother, assisting brother, and of course Bishop Campbell
(I don't know what he said, but he got a laugh out of the bishop)

The boys

A full rich week

It's been a busy, busy, busy week.  Last week was our Eighth Grader's Confirmation, and yesterday our Oldest Graduated.  I'll post more on those when we have time. Family was in, plus the medical issues and concerns and visits, have put us behind.  Right now, a kudos to our veterans.  When I think of what we've done to our country, and how we're prepared to let it sink into the sea rather than fight to preserve what they sacrificed for, I'm at times almost ashamed.  Nonetheless, I'm thankful to them.  We're not worthy of them, but nonetheless, a big thanks.  From those who fought centuries ago to establish this new ideal, to those still fighting for a nation that would rather Tweet and play their smartphones, it is appreciated. 

My boys nail it

In reflecting on their reaction to JAWS vs. other recent movies they've watched, plus their reactions to other older movies, they concluded something that I think hit the nail on the head.

Movies today look real but are fake, movies back then looked fake, but were real.  

And then they followed up with this observation:

We're wimps today.  We have more violence and gory death, but's just violence and gory death.  We couldn't handle a movie made like that (or other older films) dealing with things realistically. 

I'm thinking they're onto something.

You know your life sucks

When you receive an email from a reader saying they can't keep coming by your blog, it's too depressing.  Not because of the focus on this or that issue, but because of the family updates and prayer requests and the constant stream of one thing after another we keep getting hit with.   Hopefully the good reader will return.  I appreciate that and any emails I get (though commenting on the actual posts is allowed you know!).  Still, had to think of the truth behind that observation given the string of issues we've been hit with.  You think reading about our life's problems is tough, try living them.  See my opinions of these recent events here.

This being the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I

A nice series of pictures from the front of that awful war to end all wars.  Of course it wasn't, and there's a good chance we'll see more in the years to come.  But to begin the remembrances, a nice slide of the living hell that was the Western Front.   

Speaking of the end of freedom

Zippy Catholic, who apparently is back from a hiatus, points out the obvious.  The old liberal promise of a society without rules where everyone can be free to define reality the way we want notwithstanding, no society is free.  You simply have societies that believe in different absolutes, and have every intention of drawing some line in the sand and warning anyone who dares cross it to stay put or else.  In fact that is one area that Conservatives have over Liberals.  At no point did a Conservative ever promise a society of 'if it feels good, it's reality'.  That would be the liberals.  The ones who are now chiseling away at any notion of freedom from an imagined point of view, or even a classic Christian point of view.

Gas prices have been rising

Just thought I'd throw that out there.  If you're waiting for the same media stampede that happened back when gas prices went up during the Bush administration, don't hold your breath.  All pretense of objectivity has long gone the way of the   Hence I had to dig a while before I found this article that dares to mention the bleeding obvious.  And it's USA Today!  That's right, McPaper.  And that's where I find a story about the ongoing rise that has been happening.  Most of the rest of the media is busy covering Obama's buster brown, and is falling on any diversion possible to keep attention away from our President's ineptitude and incompetent lack of leadership.  So because rising gas prices might make him look bad, it's better that Americans suffer than let the cat out of the bad and admit what historians of the future will know: that we have one lousy leader in the White House.

Mark Cuban needs punished

And punished now! The man has spoken his mind, and worse has admitted to what he thinks is true.  Unless there is some rant in which he calls for lynchings and a return to death camps, I'm not seeing it.  But this is the 21st  century, post-modern child of the liberal lie.  We're becoming the very nation liberalism once promised to save us from.  Discussing the merits of Communism in the 1950s?  You think that's tough huh.  Well try giving an opinion about anything that runs afoul of the always unseen magistrate of PC thought that promises freedom below the waistline and tyranny over everything else.

I have to admit

That even though I know it's not good theology, it's still how we feel:

Prayer request update

My wife went to the doctor's last night and, in keeping with the typical trend, found out nothing but that it could be really bad, or just bad, or maybe not bad at all, and we'll have to wait to find out.  They did a biopsy (never something you like to hear), and the tests should be back in about a week.  Prayerfully there will be nothing terribly serious there.  Even so, surgery might be needed.  In fact, we've been told it will be needed, the only question is when.  How this will play with her new job, which I was almost ready to sing praises about, I don't know.  Truth be told, I've not had time to post about her new job since upon hearing about it, first my Mom and now my Wife have been hit with a series of health issues that have thrown everything - including homeschool - into the wings.  See my thoughts on how I feel at this point here.

Nonetheless, continued prayers.  Pray that it's not the obviously worse case scenario, pray that surgery will not be needed for a while, pray that  God grant us even a week of peace and happiness.  We won't be able to go through our boys' graduation and confirmation without these things pressing on us.  Sadly, that is no longer an option.  But if, at the end of it all, things might just work out reasonably well, and that we might even squeeze a week without the next round of hits coming at us, at this point after all these years is to us a prayer for a billion dollars and world power.  We'll take it, and appreciate it.

Prayer requests

My wife must go tomorrow and find out the results of some tests she had at the doctor.  She's been having some medical issues, things more at home being discussed among women.  Hopefully nothing serious, though there is always the possibility of the most serious of all. So prayers for her health.

Also for my Mom, who fell and dislocated her shoulder and has since been hit with a case of vertigo, which is actually a serious ailment.  This during the week between my eighth grader's Confirmation and my oldest's graduation.

Any prayers and all prayers would be appreciated.

Catholic schools in Oakland outrage critics

By wanting to be more Catholic.  It's a running joke that if you want to get a great education, go to a Catholic School.  If you want to learn about Catholicism, go anywhere else.  In recent years, some areas have been trying to put the brakes on that trend.  Especially centering around the LGBT issue, since that issue is the one being used by the post-Christian Left to bludgeon freedom and liberty.  So the Diocese of Oakland has sparked outrage - and dare I say, exposed some issues - by expecting its staffers to live up to certain expectations.  Like not living lives and promoting values that fly in the face of the Catholic Faith.

Naturally the East Bay Express zeroes in on a heroic program director who has refused to sign off on the new standards.  We all love a rebel in our hip post-modern world, don't we.  Well no.  Imagine the same director bucking a public school order to open up to and celebrate the LGBT lifestyle.  Would the same treatment be given?  There's no way of knowing.  But I sure have a hunch.

Looking at Pope Francis

In a balanced way is not easy.  On one hand you have those who have reduced the man to spawn of Satan, Second Class.  On the other you have those never said he was perfect...now stop saying he does anything wrong and call him Awesome!   Into the usual chorus of noise, Fr. Longenecker brings a sane and honest opinion.  Pope Francis is a great guy, but it takes more than that to be a great pope.  His 'off the cuff, say and do whatever, no rules just awesome' style might well be setting up his papacy for a fall.  You can't keep saying things that need reinterpreted and explained over and over again before the world will begin to yawn and turn away from anything you say.  Fair enough.  Whether Pope Francis's papacy is a revolutionary step in a new direction or simply an excuse for a great portion of the world to wash its hands of the whole 'Catholic matters' thing remains to be seen.  Right now, I'm inclined to follow the idea that to be a great pope, Pope Francis may need to stop working so hard at being a great and awesome 21st century man.

The Devil you say

There was quite a lot of talk about the Black Mass that was going to be celebrated at Harvard.  Most of it was anywhere but the mainstream media.  For obvious reasons.  The media is always nervous about pointing to extremes of those perspectives it tends to support.  By focusing on the extremists in opposing camps, the media is able to paint a portrait in which the only zealots and radicals are, in fact, in those ideals against which the media are fighting.  So you probably didn't hear much of that in most major national publications and outlets, save for Fox News.  

Nonetheless, the sheer evilness and Nazi-like contempt of the action was picked up on by Catholics, who had a variety of responses.  Praying wasn't bad, and the special Mass done in answer to this showed once more that prayer and worship are always acceptable alternatives, even if they take place around abortion clinics.  Here Thomas McDonald has an interesting take on the whole series of events.  That's good enough for me, and I don't have much else to contribute.

More movie musings

Here's something one of my boys brought up to compare movies then (when JAWS was released - see previous post) and movies now (from 2000 - 2010 at least).  The top movies of the year in the 1970s vs. those in the 2000s.  BTW, these are based on the receipts of about 10 years ago before Netflix and DVD may have skewed things for the older movies.  Some of those could have changed, and of course inflation as always.  So it's based on the number one films at the time.

Number 1 Movies from 2000 - 2010:
2000  Mission: Impossible II
2001  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
2002  Lord of the Rings: Two Towers
2003  Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
2004  Shrek 2
2005  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2006  Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
2007  Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
2008  The Dark Knight
2009  Avatar
2010  Toy Story 3


Number 1 Movies from 1970 - 1980
1970  Love Story
1971  Fiddler on the Roof
1972  The Godfather
1973  The Exorcist
1974  The Towering Inferno
1975  Jaws
1976  Rocky
1977  Star Wars
1978  Grease
1979  Kramer vs. Kramer
1980 Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Pretty telling.  And it might mean something when pondering my boy's reaction to Jaws.  It's worth noting that in 1981 it was Raiders of the Lost Ark, 82 E.T., 83 Return of the Jedi, 84 Ghostbusters, and 85 Back to the Future.  So there is clearly a trend from earlier.  By now the Summer Blockbuster was in full swing.  It seems to have died down some in the late 80s and early 90s, as movies not necessarily aimed at Summer Blockbuster teens found their way to the top (Rain Man for instance).  But on the whole, from the 70s on, the trend in what movies make the top of the list gets pretty predicable, and once you get to the 00s, there is a definite content similarity if you get right down to it.