Asian BBQ Chicken

This chicken couldn't be easier or more delicious. Check it out at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

The Ark of the Covenant, H.P. Lovecraft, and Dagon

In the mornings, while I'm feeding the dogs, I have begun reading a bit of The David Story by Robert Alter. This is his translation of the books of Samuel (and a tiny bit of the first book of Kings).

I am conversant with the big parts of David's life, and even the highlights of Saul's life before him. However, I haven't ever read these books from beginning to end. Therefore, I don't know a lot of the details other than knowing about Hannah's plea to God for a son (hellooo Samuel), God calling to Samuel when he was small, and a few choice bits of scolding to the kings (well-deserved, I might add).

In other words, I know the basics as much as any Catholic who attends weekly Mass and pays reasonable attention to the readings.

So, you could have knocked me over with a feather when I read this at the beginning of chapter 5.

And the Philistines took the Ark of God and brought it to the house of Dagon and set it up alongside Dagon. And the Ashdodites arose on the next day and, look, Dagon was fallen forward to the ground before the Ark of the Lord.

Dagon! Wait, I know that name!

I think I'd have listened more intently in Mass if they ever read these bits of 1 Samuel.

Hey, I may only know the basics about the books of Samuel, but I know much more about the stories of H.P. Lovecraft. Dagon is an early Lovecraft story and is mentioned again in The Shadow Over Innsmouth, which I just listened to recently (a fine and free narration by Mike Bennett).

Alter's note, which I read with extra interest, points out that once it was widely imagined that Dagon used to be associated with fish (aha! Lovecraft, you clever fellow, no wonder those horrible worshippers were from the bottom of the sea). However, they now believe Dagon was actually a vegetation or fertility god.

I might be kind of freaked out if my god mysteriously fell at the feet of the Hebrew's Ark of God.

But wait. Maybe Dagon's statue just happened to fall over. That could happen to any statue, right?

So the Philistines thought (and hoped and prayed, probably). Read on...

And they took Dagon and set him back in his place. And they arose the next morning and, look, Dagon was fallen forward to the ground before the Ark of the Lord, and Dagon's head and both his hands were chopped off upon the threshold--his trunk alone remained on him. ... And the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the Ashdodites and He devastated them, and he struck them with tumors, Ashdod and all its territories.

Not just tumors, y'all. Tumors "in their secret parts."

Fish god or fertility god, when the hand of the Lord falls heavy upon you, there's no mistaking it. Time to send that Ark back where you got it.

Alter's note once again adds context.

This second incident, in which the hands and head of the idol have been chopped off, offers to the Philistines clear proof of divine intervention. Hacking the hands and feet off war prisoners was a well-known barbaric practice in the ancient Near East, and similar acts of mutilation are attested in the Book of Judges.

Uh huh. Message sent. And received.

Worth a Thousand Words: Careful Steps

Taken by Julie Kenward

Many thanks to Owen for reminding me yesterday of Julie Kenward's stellar photography. You wouldn't think I need to be reminded since we have been online buddies for some time. However, I have trouble enough with Facebook's newfangled timeline ... and then throw in something like an "album" and I'm lost.

However, I'll be stalking Julie in the future for these great photos. Thanks Jules!

The Church Building as a Sacred Place by Duncan G. Stroik

The Church Building as a Sacred Place: Beauty, Transcendence, and the Eternal by Duncan G. Stroik

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Maybe it's because I'm a convert from complete secularism. I just don't see what's supposed to be so great about the new-fangled churches that look like cracker boxes. Or like space ships. Or like a crumpled up piece of paper.

Let's just say it here and name the elephant in the room.

What is so great about an ugly church?

One of the things I did understand, whether secular or Catholic, was that our surroundings influence how we think and feel and act. And the point of a beautiful church is to help lift our souls to the point where that curtain between us and God might, just might, be opened for a moment of personal connection.

That was highlighted for me when I was in Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal. A young man in his early 20s was standing in the middle of the main aisle with tears running down his cheeks. His companion, a young woman, turned to him in alarm, "What's wrong." He suddenly looked slightly embarrassed, "Nothing. I'm just having a moment. I mean..." and he waved a hand around, "...all this just got to me."

Precisely.

A transcendent moment of connection with the Almighty facilitated by a sacred place.

That is what this collection of essays by architect Duncan G. Stroik is all about, the importance of letting beauty flower in our sacred spaces, in our churches.

The architecture of the sacred presents Christianity in a three-dimensional form: visually, tactilely, and sonorously in time. The sacred must come to us through all the senses, to surround us with intimations of what Abraham felt in front of the burning bush, King David in front of the ark, Mary with the angel Gabriel, and the disciples at the feet of Jesus and at the foot of his cross. The stone underfoot, the wood of our seats, the smells of incense and of beeswax, the smoothness of marble, the strength of the cast iron grillwork and rails, and the paint on the canvas—all help to create a sense of the sacred and prepare us for the taste of sacred bread and wine.

Stroik discusses the history of church architecture, the importance of various design principles including the altar as center of the church, and the result of modern thinking on church architecture. This modern thinking he decries, by the way, is not only the effect of Modernism style in architectural philosophy, but also the tendency to have gift shops, ask admission fees in famous churches, and to think in terms of auditorium features ("Can you hear me now?").

The essays are accompanied with photography of many gorgeous churches, both old and new, as well as some that makes one want to weep for those condemned to worship in such stark, ugly surroundings.

However, Stroik doesn't just discuss the failures in vision. He holds out hope for future church building and renovation. I found Ten Myths of Contemporary Sacred Architecture to be particularly eye opening on this front. By presenting what conventional wisdom as myths and showing where they go wrong, Stroik shows how consideration and care can easily restore beauty as a desirable feature for church architecture.

Obviously, I already was disposed to agree with Duncan Stroik's essays. However, it was a pleasure to see what I felt fleshed out in these essays and photographs. I am not the author's intended audience but the essays were easy to understand and I actually enjoyed them. There is a bit of repetition since some of them originally went to a variety of publications, but I found that all to the good in thoroughly grasping the main points.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this subject at all and particularly to anyone at all involved in Catholic church design, renovation, and building.

Quick Flicks - What We Watched Over the Weekend

It seemed like the right time for a few movies that allowed us enjoyment without having to think a lot. Mission accomplished.

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter
I realized Tom hadn't seen Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, so that was a must. (My review here.) Tom liked it and I enjoyed the second viewing. Let's face it, Lincoln in that movie is a righteous man, swinging an awesome axe. Period. Also, there is something about Timur Bekmambetov's directing style that I could just watch all night.

Casa De Mi Padre
This movie is entirely in Spanish with subtitles. That alone tells us it is not quite Will Ferrell's usual fare. It is like a cross between a Spanish telenovela and an old fashioned B-movie Western (definitely B-movie). Those elements made me somewhat interested in the movie and when a coworker said it was just funny without being broad, I gave it a try.

Armando (Will Ferrell) is the good hearted, somewhat simple, son of a Mexican rancher. His brother, Raul, is an unsavory seeming character who lives in the city and brings his gorgeous girlfriend, Sonia, on his latest visit. Sonia is soon predictably torn between Armando's love of the land and Raul's money and influence.

There are also a local drug lord, American DEA agents, good-hearted vaqueros, scantily clad maids, and much more.

We really enjoyed this movie. It wasn't perfect, but neither was Blazing Saddles which is the closest equivalent I can think of. Anyone who has ever taken in part of a telenovela is going to recognize key elements of the movie. Also, there are just funny elements that anyone who has ever seen low budget television is going to understand. (Here, I am thinking of some of the painted backdrops and in particular one scene where Armando admiringly says to Sonia, "You ride well. That is a difficult horse." And they are clearly riding fake horses.)

Casa De Mi Padre is a perfect movie to kick off summer viewing. Light, amusing, and doesn't require you to run your brain at full speed.

Well Said: Freedom of Choice

From my quote journal.

I support freedom of choice. My choice is not to support abortion, except in cases of a clear-cut choice between the lives of the mother and child. A child conceived through incest or rape is innocent and deserves the right to be born.

Roger Ebert, How I Am a Roman Catholic

Worth a Thousand Words: Thrush Nightingale

Thrush Nightingale
taken by Remo Savisaar

Look at the way this little guy is singing his heart out. I have been hearing and seeing so many songbirds all over our neighborhood doing the exact same thing. Most specifically loud and insistent yesterday was a gorgeous cardinal who was staking out our yard as his own. (Click through to Remo's blog to see the photo full size.)

Happy Birthday, Dear Rose

Far from home, in exotic L.A. (where I'd like to be myself), Rose is still plugging away in the entertainment industry. Specifically, she's doing free lance editing for a company that produces promos for syndicated shows.

That means that she and Zoe (our Boxer who has become Rose's Boxer) are far from home on her 23rd birthday. She is planning to go again this year to Porto's Bakery (which I spoke of in our L.A. Diary) and select a decadent cake.

Perhaps the Parisian? (Devil’s food chocolate cake, layered and decorated with chocolate whipped cream. Finished with chocolate shavings.)

Or the Red Velvet Cake? I'm not crazy about red velvet cakes but look at those lovely rose petals on top. (Layers of red velvet cake and cream cheese filling. Finished with cream cheese icing. Decorated with red velvet crumbs and fresh rose petals.)

Or possibly the Checkers Cake? (Two layers of white sponge cake, layer of Bavarian cream, layer of chocolate mousse, finished with chocolate ganache.)

If memory serves, last year she chose a Chocolate Raspberry cake. Chocolate and raspberries is a combination Rose is passionately fond of.

I'd rather have her here and be making a cake (if memory serves, she prefers a Chocolate Buttermilk Layer Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting). It wouldn't be as pretty, but I bet the company would make up for it. I've sent gifts (fingers crossed they got there on time) and I can buy her cake, but I can't give her a hug.

So I miss Rose on her birthday but I hope it is a wonderful day for her. She will be celebrating with friends, one of whom shares a birthday with her.

They will be barbecuing and going to see The Great Gatsby. Rose loves Baz Luhrmann's movies and does not care much about the original F. Scott Fitzgerald movie. So from what I have read, she should have a wonderful time.

Happy Birthday, Rose!

Once a Spy by Keith Thomson

Once a Spy by Keith Thomson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I came across this thanks to Mystery Scene magazine where I have found many great recommendations.

Imagine a super spy managing to live long enough to develop Alzheimer's. What happens when he may inadvertently let slip some of the big secrets he knows?

Such is the premise of this really enjoyable book. Drummond Clark is the aging spy in question. His son Charlie is addicted to betting at the track and desperately trying to figure out how he's going to pay back a Russian mobster when his father turns up missing. All Charlie is trying to do is to return his father home and figure out which assisted living facility would be best, while skimming enough to pay his debts. However, repeated "coincidental" attempts on their lives send them on the lam for a simultaneously humorous and touching attempt to escape.

The scene at the beginning of the book when the father slips his leash of "company" monitors is a great example of the combination of unconscious trained stealth and Alzheimer's with which Charlie must deal for the remainder of the book. Along the way Charlie and his father spend time together, some lucidly and some not, in a way they never did before ... and Charlie discovers that his gambling career and natural talent combine unexpectedly to help keep them alive.

Worth a Thousand Words: Library Cat

Library Cat
by Belinda Del Pesco

The Man Behind "The Booth at the End"

We are latecomers to The Booth at the End but enthusiastic nonetheless. The premise is simple but pure story telling:

A mysterious Man sits at a booth at the end of a diner. People approach him because they've heard The Man has a gift. He can solve their problems: A parent with a sick child, a woman who wants to be prettier, a nun who has lost her faith. The Man can give these people what they want. For a price.

Read more about it at my link above.

For those who have seen it already, Joseph Susanka has a real treat which I can't believe I haven't mentioned until now.

He's been sharing his ongoing conversation with Christopher “C.K.” Kubasik, creator and writer of The Booth at the End. The entire thing is a delight for anyone who loves storytelling.

Just to give you a tiny taste, C.K. gives a lot of credit to his Catholic upbringing with his rich appreciation of story and symbolism. (He isn't Catholic now, just fyi.)

• Part I
• Part II
• Part III

With a fourth part promised! Thank you Joseph and C.K.!

Philip K. Dick's World ... and Ours

So what does Dick have to say about surviving and prevailing in this world?

[...]

Instead he focused on human decency, as expressed through empathy and sacrifice. In his work, characters often come through by doing the hard thing at the right moment. ...

This is what Dick has to offer -- something beyond mere politics; a glimpse at what makes us human. The moral law within, the ability to tell good from evil without actually being able to define them. In a literary world teeming with Mailers, and Vidals, and Thompsons, overrun with the cynical, and the vicious, and the twisted, Philip Dick stood alone in his defense of the human values.

Many thanks to Leah for pointing me to this article positing that Philip K. Dick was a prophet who foretold the times in which we now live. Jarring as that seems to anyone who has read a Philip K. Dick novel, it also hits a strain of truth.

I was just listening to Movies on the Radio where host David Garland and composer Michael Giacchino were discussing the continuing appeal of the original Star Trek series. They concluded it was because Star Trek was made in a time when there was great hope of using our technological power to do good. That sense is carried on through the movies, to a large degree. It is true that sense of optimism was the prevailing attitude and one saw it then in a lot of ways, especially in science fiction.

Unfortunately, it seems as if we live now in times where there is depression instead of optimism. From my limited exposure to Dick's writing, we could all do worse than to read Galactic Pot-Healer and then go out to face our challenges.

Grab Bag

All sorts of good info I haven't had a chance to mention until now.

This Just In: Strange Gods by Elizabeth Scalia

Yes. That Elizabeth Scalia. The Anchoress! The subtitle is: Unmasking the Idols in Everyday Life. So we can see this is a book we all probably need. I was lucky enough to read the first bit of it some time ago, for which I wrote a blurb that is in the front of the book. I love Elizabeth's writing anyway, but this is right on target for me.

I did notice when I was looking at the cover that the stained glass is made up of little icons of all the things that distract us, grab us, that we can't let go of ... in short that we let get between us and God. Nice concept. (And you may have noticed I don't pass around that praise lightly.)

The Knox Bible

You may recall that I was very, very (very) happy that Baronius Press reprinted Ronald Knox's translation of the Bible (my review here). This is a good time to mention that the Knox Bible has become the one sitting around various rooms of my house, ready to hand for my afternoon prayer. Or to compare a translation. Or to check the context around a snippet of Scripture quoted in a book. In other words, I like it a lot.

Baronius Press asked if I accept advertising. I don't. But for a product which I enjoy using so much and which has enriched my Catholic life so much, I am more than happy to run a banner absolutely free to remind everyone about it. Voila!

Strange Notions

Brandon Vogt's got some exciting news.

This morning I launched a major evangelistic project which I've been working on for two years.

It's called StrangeNotions and it's designed to be the central place of dialogue between Catholics and atheists. The implicit goal is to bring non-Catholics to faith, especially followers of the so-called New Atheism. As a 'digital Areopagus', the site includes intelligent articles, compelling video, and rich discussion throughout its comment boxes.

Go check it out: Strange Notions. He's got some heavy hitters collaborating on this and it looks promising.

Angels and Saints at Ephesus

The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of the Apostles just released their second album—Angels and Saints at Ephesus.

The sisters' second album, a year-round collection, will entertain and inspire, featuring 17 English and Latin pieces sung a cappella for the feasts of the holy saints and angels. Recorded once again at their Priory in the heartland of America, this new album is a dynamic yet pure fusion of their contemplative sound. The sisters call to mind the glory of the future vision of God in the company of all of His angels and saints.

Well Said: Don't Cry

From my quote journal.

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.

Dr. Seuss

A Perfect Mom Moment

We don't have a Publix but I'd shop at it if there was one nearby. Just on the strength of this ad. Beautiful.



Via The Anchoress.

Rose and I Are on SFFaudio This Week

I narrate Beside Still Waters by Robert Sheckley for Jesse at SFFaudio ... and then we follow up with a discussion in which Rose was included. Who knew so much could be packed into a short story?

Giveaway Winner - Norma Jean!

Norma Jean is the lucky winner of Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious by Pat Gohn.

Congratulations, Norma! Contact me (julie [at] glyphnet [dot] com) with your address and I'll get your book in the mail.

Dappled Things: Ideas, Art, and Faith - New Issue Online

Bernardo Aparicio García drops me a line about the latest issue of Dappled Things:

Just wanted to let you know that the new DT is available online now. We've made a lot of goodness available for this issue: an interview with Ron Hansen, a really excellent essay on form in poetry that ends up being an insightful diagnosis of the post-modern condition, a historical fiction piece about St. Robert Southwell, SJ (might be particularly interesting to readers now that we have a Jesuit pope), and a mirror sonnet called "How to Rise From the Dead" (really do check that one out, the effect of the form, especially given the topic of the poem, is quite stunning).

He's not just a whistlin' Dixie, y'all. Check it out!

What I'm Reading: Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word

Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word: Meditations on the Gospel According to Saint Matthew by Erasmo Leiva Merikakis


Yes it's 700 pages and only covers the first third of the Gospel of Matthew.

And your point is ...?

That I might not live long enough to finish all three books?

If I don't finish the 2,100 pages or so by then, hopefully I'll be in a place where God will fill me in on what I missed.

Actually I'd been circling around this book for several years. It took Will Duquette's enthusiasm to tip me over the edge.

Flipping through this doorstop, I came across a paragraph that stopped me in my tracks.

The Virgin Mary is called the [Greek words] (the "book of the Word of life") by the Greek Church. The book of the Gospel, the book of Christ's origins and life, can be written and proclaimed because God has first written his living Word in the living book of the Virgin's being, which she has offered to her Lord in all its purity and humility—the whiteness of a chaste, empty page. If the name of Mary does not often appear in the pages of the Gospel as evident participant in the action, it is because she is the human ground of humility and obedience upon which every letter of Christ's life is written. She is the Theotokos, too, in the sense that she is the book that bears, and is inscribed with, the Word of God. She keeps her silence that he might resonate the more plainly within her.

In fact, it almost knocked me out of my seat. So I'm reading these meditations, holding myself down to one per day. I must say that the author's translations are as inspiring as his meditations. There is a vivid sense of "action" that I just don't find when I try different translations to see the equivalent. It feels ... living ... alive ...

Full disclosure: I skipped the lengthy introduction, except for the parable about Aleph which rings loudly every time I see the Aleph after each meditation to remind us to leave space for God to enter in.

When I am craving yet another meditation, I'll begin working through the intro.

Worth a Thousand Words: Your WPA at Work

Your WPA at Work in Schenley Park
from Father Pitt

We see similar improvements around White Rock Lake all the time. I love the fact that they seem both dated and timeless, as the pictures at the original post show.