Highbrow Tailgating

Dear Internet, 

I saw an unusual sight last weekend.  Not unusually, I went to see a play* at the Guthrie.  But I did see something new and unusual: tailgating.  

Yes, that's right.  There was a group of women standing around the opened trunk of their SUV, drinking their coffee or tea or whatever and noshing on hors d'oeuvre, all in the parking ramp across from the theater.  

Who knew?  Maybe it will become a trend.  

xoxo,

Minny LinnEy

*Sorry to say I can't really recommend it.  Also, I really, really, really do not like this actress.  Having seen her in a couple of productions now, she is really irritating in a most annoying way.

Meeting Mr. Colson

"If Mr. Colson can repent of his sins, there just has to be hope for everyone."  

-Boston Globe, 1973

Last fall I had the privilege of meeting Chuck Colson.  

You see, one of our prisons has something called InnerChange Freedom Initiative (part of Prison Fellowship Ministries) as one of its treatment programs.  It receives no state money; it's run by volunteers.  And for the prisoners, it's their choice to join.  You might be surprised to know there are a couple hundred guys - inmates, really - who voluntarily want to get up at 6 o'clock every morning (when they could choose other treatment programs with better hours); they have pledged to spend time in their Bibles, in worship, in prayer; they want to stay accountable.  And I've heard there's a waiting list!  The recidivism rates are low, and guys who've made it give back and encourage those still working through the faith-based program.  Ex-offenders are given hope and help to make a valuable contribution to society upon reentry, to reconnect with their families, to support their children, to continue in their faith.  

So when the 10th anniversary of the program's introduction to Minnesota came 'round last fall, I jumped at the chance to attend.  It was held, naturally, in prison.  Let me tell you something: it's actually kind of hard to get into prison.  But one of the "perks" of my job is getting that opportunity.  I finagled an invitation to go to the anniversary celebration, meet Mr. Colson and go to lunch with him and several other Prison Fellowship Ministries people.  

But the biggest part of that opportunity to me?  Was watching Mr. Colson interact with the inmates.  He knew so many of them by name.  He took the time to speak with every one, even just a word and a handshake (if not more).  His attitude spoke volumes in that he genuinely cared for these men.  He was invested in their lives - who they were, who they are, and who they will become.  He was one of them, and had lived through the same struggles, and the inmates knew it.  

A worship service was part of the celebration (and it apparently is part of the program every day), and let me tell you: that was an experience.  It was the biggest surprise to me.  Here you are, listening to musicians (all offenders - this prison houses all sorts of offenders from murderers to rapists to drug dealers to thieves, and everything else you could probably think of), singing songs (the hymns and songs you hear in church every week), worshiping together, and hearing the same kind of devotional you'd expect to hear in college chapel.  It was probably one of the strangest feelings I've ever had.  If I was ever to come close to having a Paul in Prison moment, that was it.  Just because I have not committed a crime that has landed me in prison doesn't mean I'm any less of a sinner in God's eyes.  Sin is sin, and it parts us from God.  All of us need spiritual redemption; all of us can repent and receive forgiveness, whether we're behind bars or not.  And all of us can worship together.  And we did.  It was eye-opening (though I will admit it was not quite earth shaking in the Paul in Prison way; I eventually left, the offenders stayed).  

As I learned tonight that Chuck Colson has passed away, I'm grateful that we all have a second chance, that opportunity to turn our lives around.  We can all have hope.  

Tax Day

Tax his land,

Tax his bed,

Tax the table,

At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,

Tax his mule,

Teach him taxes

Are the rule.

Tax his work,

Tax his pay,

He works for

Peanuts anyway!

Tax his cow,

Tax his goat,

Tax his pants,

Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,

Tax his shirt,

Tax his work,

Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,

Tax his drink,

Tax him if he

Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,

Tax his beers,

If he cries

Tax his tears.

Tax his car,

Tax his gas,

Find other ways

To tax his @$$.

Tax all he has

Then let him know

It won't be done

Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;

Tax him more:

Tax him till He's

Good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,

Tax his grave,

Tax the sod in

Which he's laid...

Put these words

Upon his tomb,

"Taxes drove me

To my doom."

When he's gone,

Do not relax,

It's time to apply

Inheritance tax.

Don't worry: I'm not superstitious.

Internet,

Today is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

Today is also the day that my boat club decided to hold its annual meeting.

Now, usually I would be all in favor of forgetting tax day to think about something pleasant like rowing, but this year tax day isn't until the 17th. And instead, it's a significant anniversary of a large boat sinking.

Coincidence? Probably. A sign of things to come this year at the boathouse? I sincerely hope not.

(Although seriously: we've been on the water for almost a month now.  It's so warm, it would take a miracle to have a literal iceberg in the water.  And since the chances of work/session interfering this summer - like last summer - are slim, I don't foresee too many figurative icebergs interfering with my season this year, either.  Except laziness.  That figurative iceberg is always out there.)  

Happy rowing!

~Minny LinnEy

Silly Goose

Internet, 

This morning I saw a most hilarious vision:

Two guys were chasing a goose across the front lawn of the Capitol mall with a butterfly net.

One guy was an officer from animal control, and I was so distracted by the butterfly net, I really couldn't tell you who the other guy was (possibly a cop, possibly a plant management guy).  Anyway, I'm not exactly sure what their objection to the goose was, but obviously something was up because the two of them were literally running after it, trying to catch it.  I cannot tell you how much that makes me smile, even now, hours later.  

Eventually I learned from another co-worker (who was just as taken with this sight as I was - probably more so, since he waited to enter the building and continued to watch until the situation was resolved) that the goose flew about 30 feet away, and the two guys gave up and left.  Those young people today!  They lack perseverance.  Character qualities are especially important in people's lives, especially when it involves the capture of a silly goose for my entertainment.  

~Minny LinnEy

Happy Easter!

He is risen indeed!

Holy Week: Maundy Thursday & Good Friday

Last night I played my violin for one of my two favorite church services every year: Maundy Thursday. (Never mind I haven't actually touched my violin since the other favorite service - Christmas Eve. My hands are a little swollen today. It was well worth it.)

One of the reasons I love those two services best each year is that they are evening services. They always have a later start time, and end in stillness - dark, peace, quiet.  To me, they will always be linked in my mind since I started attending this church because on Christmas Eve, seven candles are lit.  On Maundy Thursday, seven candles are snuffed.  Both represent a life that is connected - Christmas is related to Easter.  Jesus came into this world (Christmas) to be our Savior (Easter).  

Maundy Thursday is especially a time of reflection. It is a service of darkness during which we remember the struggle of Jesus as he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, his betrayal and arrest, being denied by his disciples, and other Biblical events that led to his crucifixion on Good Friday.

This year, there were two pieces that we did that I just loved. The first was Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted. I felt extremely convicted: who am I who judges my own sin so lightly, when the perfect Son of God bore my awful load of sin and died for it? Yet my hope is built in Him.

Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,

See Him dying on the tree!

'Tis the Christ by man rejected;

Yes, my soul, 'tis He, 'tis He!

'Tis the long expected prophet,

David's Son, yet David's Lord;

Proofs I see sufficient of it:

'Tis a true and faithful Word.

Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning,

Was there ever grief like His?

Friends through fear His cause disowning,

Foes insulting his distress:

Many hands were raised to wound Him,

None would interpose to save;

But the deepest stroke that pierced Him

Was the stroke that Justice gave.

Ye who think of sin but lightly,

Nor suppose the evil great,

Here may view its nature rightly,

Here its guilt may estimate.

Mark the Sacrifice appointed!

See Who bears the awful load!

'Tis the Word, the Lord's Anointed,

Son of Man, and Son of God.

Here we have a firm foundation,

Here the refuge of the lost.

Christ the Rock of our salvation,

Christ the Name of which we boast.

Lamb of God for sinners wounded!

Sacrifice to cancel guilt!

None shall ever be confounded

Who on Him their hope have built.

Words: Thomas Kelly, Hymns on Various Passages of Scripture, 1804

Music: Wo Ist Jesus, Mein Verlangen, Geistliches Volkslied, 1850

The second piece that I loved so much is Psalm 22 from The Psalm Project.

Midwest Safari

Internet,

I do not know what's up with my neighborhood recently, but it's being overrun by animals. Even though I live in the middle of a large urban area, it's gotten to the point where I feel like I live in some wild nature park reserve. Deer are always wandering around (at least until recently), but then there was that coyote a few weeks back, and now there's a rafter of turkeys wandering around my neighborhood. Early this morning the turkeys were definitely putting up a squawk outside my building. (Maybe they'd spotted the coyote?)

Who knows what will show up next?

xoxo,

L

The Saint in Saint Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer*

"And having put on the breastplate of righteousness" - Eph 6:14

I bind unto myself today

The strong Name of the Trinity

By invocation of the same,

The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this day to me forever.

By power of faith, Christ's incarnation;

His baptism in the Jordan river;

His death on Cross for my salvation;

His bursting from the spicèd tomb;

His riding up the heavenly way;

His coming at the day of doom;

I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power

Of the great love of the cherubim;

The sweet "well done" in judgment hour,

The service of the seraphim,

Confessors' faith, Apostles' word,

The Patriarchs' prayers, the Prophets' scrolls,

All good deeds done unto the Lord,

And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today

The virtues of the starlit heaven,

The glorious sun's life-giving ray,

The whiteness of the moon at even,

The flashing of the lightning free,

The whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,

The stable earth, the deep salt sea,

Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today

The power of God to hold and lead,

His eye to watch, His might to stay,

His ear to hearken to my need.

The wisdom of my God to teach,

His hand to guide, His shield to ward,

The word of God to give me speech,

His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,

The vice that gives temptation force,

The natural lusts that war within,

The hostile men that mar my course;

Or few or many, far or night,

In every place and in all hours,

Against their fierce hostility,

I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan's spells and wiles,

Against false words of heresy,

Against the knowledge that defiles,

Against the heart's idolatry,

Against the wizard's evil craft,

Against the death wound and the burning,

The choking wave and the poisoned shaft,

Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name

The strong Name of the Trinity;

By invocation of the same.

The Three in One, and One in Three,

Of Whom all nature hath creation,

Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:

Praise to the Lord of my salvation,

Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

I hope you have a Happy St. Patrick's Day, Internet! It's in the 70s today, so I've already rowed on real water this morning (!!!), ate breakfast on a patio (!!!), and have had to change into warm-weather clothing. It's ridiculous how happy I am - some sunny weather, a good workout + breakfast with friends. It's really the simple things.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!**

xoxo,

Minny LinnEy

*Also known as "the preposition prayer," though it's possible I'm the only one who calls it this

**And yes, this good Finnish girl did say "Happy St. Urho Day!" yesterday, too

How to start a Monday off right:

1. Receive gifts of farm-fresh Iowa bacon from friends.

2. Read and tear off two Dilbert cartoons from your daily calendar (which you may do because you obviously did not go in to work over the weekend to tear of the weekend's cartoon, so you have to flip through the weekend and get to Monday - woohoo!).

3. On a more serious note: gratitude. Practicing gratefulness can definitely help a person start Monday out right, and it's amazing how that plays such a role in shaping one's attitude. I really am grateful - I have a great job that I love (most of the time), wonderful family and friends, a church where I belong and fit in and contribute, health, housing: I am very blessed. And remembering that has helped me make this Monday better than the last few.

How to start a day off right:

Watch a coyote cross the street a block from your home.

This might explain why you've seen fewer deer in the neighborhood in recent memory.

Just a Few Things to Make a Person Feel Old Today:

Bon Jovi is 50.

This morning I saw a circa 1979 VW Rabbit with collector plates.

Lou Reed is 70.