Reflections on DOMA's repeal

The recent decision by the US Supreme Court in striking down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)  rocked the nation and set us on a new course for the federal recognition of same-sex unions.  The implications of this open the door for granting military benefits to all legally married partners.  In fact, this summer the Secretary of Defense publish some guidelines outlining military benefits being extended to married same-sex couples.

Once the 5 to 4 decision repealing DOMA was announced,  there was both great jubilation for some and greater disappointment for others.   In Hawaii, Civil Unions have been possible since 2011, joining other states that permit same-sex unions.  Civil Unions in the state of Hawaii accord some legal benefits to same-sex partners, but do not carry the full "weight" of marriage.    In Hawaii and other states, same-sex marrriage continues to be a point of controversy and public debate.  As a nation, of different beliefs and traditions, we are not of one mind on this matter.  From a faith perspective, there is considerable debate within traditions as to the merits of traditional marriage and same-sex marriage.  People of deep faith disagree passionately for a variety of reasons.

Cup of Tea Review

I love tea and this was my first visit to this restaurant in March of 2013.
I also eat out regularly so I have reasonable expectations when it
comes to customer service.

My wife made a reservation and we showed
up on time for a 230 reservation and were promptly seated. The menu
selection is a typical fair and is all well and good. We ordered
two Princess Heather Teas and a Wee Tea as our daughter came with
us. Others have commented on the food as being nothing special they
are spot on. Nothing really stood out in terms of the food. They do
say you can order more sandwiches if you are still hungry, which is
nice, but more on that later. The scones were soft and slightly
gummy as if they had not fully baked. Maybe they like them like
that, but whatever they called a scone, IMHO wasn't, sorry.

But the poor scone should have told me that something else was
amiss. Let me also say that our server was very pleasant and
professional and dealt with the issues of the kitchen as best she
could. I noted as we came in there was a party of 4 that sat down
just before us and a party of two afterward. On neighboring tables
we were assorted sandwiches and confections such as brownies and
cupcakes and chocolate mousse. So when our tier arrived with its
assortment of sandwiches (PB&J at our request for the kiddo,
cucumber, and egg salad), scones & fruit, and the dessert tier
we were less than pleased. Come to find out that the kitchen was
running out of food.
As one who regularly dines out, I know this happens.
Chefs usually compensate by offering replacing it with something
equivalent. The cookies were taken from the boutique store in front
and plated one small cookie per person along with pastry cups with
a small dollop of whipped cream, choc. drizzle, and a maraschino
cherry. When I inquired and mentioned that I was disappointed in
the dessert, the cook (not the chef) came out and apologized that
they had run out of the other items. No big deal, except I don't
think that for a $25 tea I should get store bought cookies out of a
bag. She offered and we accepted some chocolate covered
strawberries instead (so why not put them out to begin with?)
Remember the sandwiches? We asked for a 'refil' of cucumber and
PB&J. They brought out the cucumber sandwiches and another
strawberry with the apology that they did not have enough bread for
the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I wanted to give them the
benefit of the doubt, but REALLY? It's three slices of bread
stacked and cut into petite quarters. If you knew that you were
getting that low, could you send someone out with some petty cash
from the till to the supermarket and get a couple of loaves? I
don't know if I mentioned the advert on the table for "bingo night"
that was going to start at dinner service at 6. It made me wonder
if they were holding back in preparation for dinner. If so, then
every slice of bread counts. I know this review is less than
spectacular, but in subsequent dealings with the restaurant in
trying to plan a catered event has only confirmed the two stars.
The desire to work with me on a menu for my event (like requesting
cupcakes as part of the tea party) was met with a curt "whatever
chef bakes is what she bakes that day." Bottom line- the food is ok
at a 3.5/5 and the service did them in for me.

How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace… (Isaiah 52:7)

How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace… (Is 52:7)

Last week a reality hit me. For the majority of my students, they have lived nearly all of their lives thus far in a post 9/11 world. Since 2001 the United States and its allies have been engaged in the Global War on Terror. This means that in their living memory, they have never known a time during which our nation has not been a war. We’ve had parents, friends, aunites, and uncles deploy to places such as Iraq and Afghanistan, once, twice, even more. We have seen the price veterans and their families have paid. Earlier this year, I met a group of wounded warrior athletes out on our track. Some had prosthetics and dealt with wounds of the body, others suffered wounds you cold not visibly see such as traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, including a former navy chaplain whom I met.

Psalm 98- Praise in Lent

Find Psalm 98 here

It’s not often that we read from and talk specifically about a psalm.  There are 150 psalms in the Bible and are ancient prayers and hymns so old that the original melodies have been lost to history.

The Psalms can be divided into different categories:  There are psalms of sorrow or lament, psalms of praise, royal psalms, and thanksgiving psalms to name a few.  Psalm 98 is in a category of both praise and enthronement.
There is a lot of interesting technical Biblical stuff regarding form and structure in this short psalm of 9 verses, but most importantly, is the question of what does it all mean?  That is to say,  what does it mean for us to offer praise?

Splashtop remote desktop

Here are two videos that show the chapel configuration for using an Ipad and a laptop to show presentations. A key component is having a separate WiFi since there is both a Desktop application and a iPad application. Here is a link to the Splashtop Website with more information.

http://youtu.be/h1-rD0Y75J0

http://youtu.be/Y7zvBUhlMaM

 

 

God Likes Mountains

God, I am convinced likes mountains.  While there something amazing happens for Jesus is seen in blazing white and in the company of Moses and Elijah.  A moment so incredible and transformative for the disciples with him.  Perhaps this is where we get the phrase a “mountain top” experience. Referring to the feeling one has when one has experienced something wonderful and life changing.  Truth is, the mountain top experience does not last forever. There are other challenges to face, other things to do.  It’s not that such experiences don’t change us, indeed we are transformed by them.  But we cannot stay on top of the mountain forever.

Our lives are filled with both mountains and valleys. Highs and lows. There are good days and bad days.  Faith is no different.