Wait, who's the main character?

Who would have thought--turns out Garfield is a lot more funny without Garfield.

Credo

Creeds are fantastic. They are a simple, concise way of summing up what you believe, and of drawing lines between orthodoxy and heterodoxy. In the PCA church I am in now, the pastor asks us every week, "Church, what do you believe?" and we recite the Nicene Creed. The Catholic Mass also usually includes a recitation of the Nicene Creed. When they do it, they bow during the line "and was made incarnate by the Holy Spirit..." I'm not sure I fully understand the significance of the action, but it catches me off guard every time. Hopefully I will know more about the Nicene Creed in the next few days, since it is on the syllabus for our next Patristics class. The Nicene Creed is as follows:

We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Apostles' Creed is also quite common. I have read that it is known as the "Reformed Creed," but it predates the Reformers by several centuries. In my church we usually recite it before a baptism. It is as follows:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy *catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

Amen.

And then there are other, more recently designed creeds. While I was at BJU, we recited such a creed daily in chapel. It mirrors in substance the Apostles' Creed, but with an added paragraph affirming the inspiration of Scripture:

I believe in the inspiration of the Bible (both the Old and the New Testaments); the creation of man by the direct act of God; the incarnation and virgin birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; His identification as the Son of God; His vicarious atonement for the sins of mankind by the shedding of His blood on the cross; the resurrection of His body from the tomb; His power to save men from sin; the new birth through the regeneration by the Holy Spirit; and the gift of eternal life by the grace of God.

I suppose it is easier for students to memorize than either of the ancient creeds, and it probably says what it needs to. I'm not sure about the Apostles' Creed, but the Nicene Creed was designed somewhat in reaction to non-trinitarians. If BJU's creed is a "reaction" against anything, I imagine it would be to neglect and liberal interpretation of Scripture in contemporary Christianity.

Puck's belly in the spotlight

Lookitmykittyistotallyoncuteoverloadtoday! Awww, Puckster, you're famous!

A Theme Forgotten?

I watched Casablanca for the first time last night. I thought I'd hate it--too close to home or something. But I didn't. It's beautiful and true. And the end is perfect. You just know that Bogart is right--she would regret any other course, so famously soon and for the rest of her life.

I think it runs on the same theme as "Samson" by Regina Spektor (infra--or is it supra, since it went before even though technically it is below? I don't know.): There's a bigger picture here than What You Want, and what you choose matters in more than your personal little love story.

I was trying to think of more contemporary films that laud this theme, wondering if it was a lost or buried concept. Oddly, the only one that comes immediately to mind is Knocked Up.

The New Conservatives?

Slate is running a witty and interesting note on why Catholics may go for Obama. I think it's remarkable for its wit more than its insight--I don't find a Catholic voting for Obama to be all that shocking. The Vatican cares about abortion, yes, but about many many other issues as well. One thing I really respect about the church is how seriously it takes the call to care for our fellow man.

Couple random thoughts:

• I don't know if I'll ever stop being exasperated at all the demographic lumping that goes on in horse race politics: "The Hispanics," "The Youth," "The Soccer Moms." Sure, some of the groups do tend to vote together, but many are quite diverse. Catholics, for example.
• This made me giggle: "So instead, some Catholics may be hoping for a Huckabee miracle. Southern Baptists and Catholics haven't always gotten along, but there is something just downright Knights of Columbus-friendly about the guy—squirrel-roasting aside. Huck's delegate math will need to cash in more than a few chits with St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes, but hey, in theology, if you can make do with five loaves and fishes, what's the big deal about delegates?"

More realistic daydreaming

Actually, I'd probably end up with something more like this one. It's 360 sq. ft. and goes for $695/mo. Really, it's probably about all I need. I actually kind of like the living/dining/bedroom space all together, because it's more efficient. I'd rather have all the square footage in one place so I can fit more people for dinner parties. I have a loft bed anyway, so I can put a couch partway under it. Of course, at the size of this particular place, fitting both my dining table and a twin bed in the living space at the same time could be a squeeze. The long wall of the living room can't be more than 18 feet, even without the bookcases.

Daydreaming

Floorplan of a studio apartment just blocks from downtown Charlotte, NC. For hypothetical demonstration only. This particular one is 650 sq. ft. and rents for $955/mo. Ain't it cute?

Okay, back to work.

More changes

Is it true? Do redheads have more fun?

New beginnings

I lost my cell phone. It's probably not ever coming home. I bought a new one and kept the same number, but my SIM card is gone, so I don't have any numbers in my contacts book. As frustrating as this is, to be honest, it's almost a relief. There were numbers in the old phone that I don't need and frankly would rather not have, and this saves me the trouble and emotional tinge that comes with the finality of actually deleting them manually.

If you would like me to continue to have your number in my contacts book, give me a call or email it to me.

Compassionate Conservatism?

Wondermark by David Malki