fredag 29. mai 2015

Une Soirée chez Lund


Kom til en huskonsert lørdag 30.mai, kl 18:00 i Kleivstaulvegen 1!
Du må gjerne bidra med sang og spill, dikt eller anekdoter,
i en blanding av seriøst og tøv!
Vi har snacks og lettere bevertning.





torsdag 28. mai 2015

Mystery of Praise


“Praise the Lord, for He is good. His mercy endures forever.”
David, the king and poet, encourages us to praise God. He entreats us, commands us to do it. Ok, so what if I do not feel like it, what if I am not with it in my heart? What if I am not ready for it? There may be something I really should talk to God about, something I need to pour out before Him. And when I am ready, renewed, freed from my worries and sins, then I am ready to sing praises…
            “Praise the Lord,” says David, “for He is good.” Life is simpler than we think, at times. We praise God because of who He is, not because I am ready for it. I may never be ready – if I really go into that one. But God is good. Can sad, egoistic, sinful hearts praise Him? Of course. Can angry hearts, hurt souls, praise him? Of course. It is not due to my mood, but it is about Him, who is good.
What does this mean, to ‘praise’? Does it mean to have hands up in the air, come into a state of mind where all is sweet and joyful? Is it to be in ‘worship-mode’, with blissful smiles, grooving with the beat, and emotionally reaching up to heaven? Now, if this is what it means to praise God, it is again based in our state of mind, in our readiness to be accepted before God; coming with clean hearts – but where do we get this idea from?
“Laudate, omnes gentes, Laudate Dominum” we sing in the Taize gatherings.  To laud, honour, praise, are words which indicate rank and authority. In this little chorus, it is the peoples of the world, all, who are encouraged to praise God. It is not because they will find it in their hearts that they are ready; no. The Lord God is worthy, is the King, the Lord of the Universe. And He is good. Our praise is always because of Him, not us.

The interesting thing, though, when you join in songs of praise, something changes in you. You do not prepare your heart for praise, but the worship, the adoration, brings you before The King in such a way that it changes you. Perhaps it is the focus: God is greater. Perhaps it is the liberating encounter: you were not ready, but He is good; His mercy endures forever.
I have a great testimony from someone close to my heart: He was, in his teenage years, defiant towards God and his family, struggling to find his way in life, struggling with understanding who he was – messed up a bit, but in his school he had to participate in some form of Christian activity. He chose the ‘worship’ thing, because he was interested in music.  Hm. I think you can guess the outcome? God met him, and he found back to God. 

            So, today: In the music you choose to listen to: listen to songs of praise! Join in the worship. It is not about the mood, it is about who and what you meet in the music. 
           I suppose all music affects us; but the one where we come before the King of heaven – it changes us. 
J.S. Bach wrote a “Soli Deo Gloria” on his pieces. Profound.


onsdag 27. mai 2015

Following the Lord



The imagery is perhaps feudal, but I follow my Lord. I wish to obey him. I struggle to be an obedient follower, at times, but I ask him for assistance and support in the struggle to overcome my own desires, and to follow his lead.

He is my Lord, my protector, and my strength. He gives commands, and they are beneficial for me and for others around me. I love my Lord, and he loves me and my fellow beings. Does this sound old, out-dated, or strange?

I am a Christian, and Jesus Christ is my Lord.

Sometimes I read in the newspaper or listen to arguments about morality. It makes me wonder if morality these days is considered something life threatening, something which negates the good life. What is the meaning of morals, and what functions do they play? Let us take the most common sets of moral codes from the Bible: The 10 commandments, or the Lord’s Prayer, or the double commandment to love God and our fellow man, as an example. The Bible has many sets of moral codes, and they deal with how to live with each other, and how to live a godly life.
           
The short form of the 10 commandments
1   You shall have no other gods before Me.
2   You shall not make idols.
3   You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4   Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5   Honour your father and your mother.
6   You shall not murder.
7   You shall not commit adultery.
8   You shall not steal.
9   You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet.

 (The long form is spelled out in Ex. 20 and Deut. 5)

This set of rules will be a source of disgrace and despair, if we are not living in the loving relationship to the Lord of life, the Lord of these commands. In addition, we have been given God’s Holy Spirit, a new life, and to live a godly life we can only do in the power of God. So, how do the commandments affect me?
            It tells me what is good: It is good to have no other gods in my life, but God. It is good not to be tied to, subjected, idols of any sort – and they are many. I think I understand from time to time that is implied with ‘do not take the Lord’s name in vain’ – but I wonder about this one…. Dragging God into wars and politics…maybe. However, the next one, about the Sabbath, is clearly good for all in society. We need to keep the Sabbath holy, as a day to be with God and family, and as a day of rest.
            What does it mean to honour my father? Do I brag about him and say all things nice about him? Well, there is some truth to that. My dad was a nice man. But it is more honouring to him, as it is to my mother, that I live a life, which reflect well on them.  


            I am now half way down the list of commandments and I have put in a few comments. My point is that God’s commands are good, and they create a hedge around me, and a protection for anyone else.  What is the basis for this type of moral standard? As I mentioned, it is based in the relationship with a dynamic character, and it is based in God’s goodness and love, both for me and for others.
            I think it is worth noticing that it is not anything which is based on my need and desire, my own craving for pleasure and happiness. This would be a human need centred Freudian base, and it has such limited scope.  I know full well that I have my needs and desires. I hope for happiness. I am a sexual being with certain natural drives. Still, this is not the base for moral codes, for how we live together.
            I have noticed that for many people such needs and desires are how they define what is good; and since it is based in the human body and psyche, the standard may change on relative terms. The norms may change arbitrarily. Unfortunately, this opens up a field of conflicting interests. In any relationship between people, there is a structure which may be rather binary opposite or complementary: strong /weak, male/ female, master/slave, etc.

I have not gone through the rest of the commandments with comments, and I feel it is not necessary to do so. What I think is useful, though, is to point out that the commandments regulate my behaviour, because I am responsible for how I live towards my Lord. It is a value base which is outside of us, outside of the human power structure, so to speak.
            So, the commandments are good, and they are for our benefit. Although I may struggle against them, I still choose to let go, and ask the Lord for help in the struggle: to obey the command that is plainly stated, because it is based in a love for me and for others.

            There is a mutual responsibility between us in relating to these commandments. They are valid for all, believers in God or not, but I would love for all to seek and receive the power God gives us to live with; it is the good life.   

søndag 24. mai 2015

Love: Language of True Art

As I read Gadamer's work Truth and Method, and he explains the shifts in understanding concepts like allegory and symbol, I find myself wonder: how do we speak of silence, how can we describe and communicate about the unseen?
          In our days we have lived through eras of rationality, of sense-based truth claims, of empirically based science ideals, philosophies of materialism and naturalism. We have seen the pitfalls of the Enlightenment, stumbled into the dark of nihilism, and still come out into the land of wondering: what is real, what is truth? Beyond my horizon is another horizon.
          How do we know about the things we intuitively sense are there - things unseen, things of an inner or outer world, a spiritual reality...? Even as a Christian, the answer is not easy. God reveals himself in history, and in direct speech, direct encounters. God became man and lived among us: Jesus. We have been given God's Holy Spirit, who will help us understand and live in relationship with God. That is such a miracle, and it does not depend on my own faculties. The relationship, however, does imply experience through our senses. It does not 'sneak in' any back way unconsciously. Anyway, it is easy for God - he does not have restrictions, other than the ones he might put on himself for our sake.

          But how do we communicate about this? And how do we speak of other aspects of life - of truth and beauty, for instance? Our language is in the arts. Some is verbal, yet more than prose; some is non-verbal, and we connect immediately, as from heart to heart.
          Our language is also in love. "Love your neighbour as yourself", says Jesus. A friendly reply, words of encouragement, may blow one's soul out of the doldrums of silence. Acceptance, even of diverging view points, may open the parachute of faith into daring to think independently. Walls of protection in the inner being of an individual may be dismantled, and new interaction may occur. In order for communication about faith, hope, love, about the things unseen and unheard, we need security of love and acceptance to flourish. "You took my hand in yours. You started breaking down my walls. And you covered my heart in kisses", sings Sia. The metaphor is strong. Perhaps had she her own experiences and a special person in mind. Still, what she sings is true for more than her. When I first read the lyrics and listened to this song, "Dressed in Black" I needed to walk away from my desk, find a solitary place and weep. It was so true. Her lyrics is full of images, symbolic expressions, perhaps even allegory. But more than that, she spoke with the power of true art.




lørdag 23. mai 2015

Hearing the Spring

Mountains and woods here in the spring time teem with life. All sorts of critters buzz about, birds chirp gaily and fly quickly between tree branches, either courting or nesting. The butterflies flutter about, too, and they spread such joy. I walked rather slowly up the hill, taking in all the sounds that had been dulled down for many years. I heard the gravel under my steps, I hear the intense insect buzzing, and the force in the waterfall.

There was wind and sunshine, as if nature caressed my cheeks. I let my mind wander freely, and was thinking about a set of ethical arguments and legal ramifications in a potential discussion; then I let it go and stared at the sheer beauty of a ravine with patches of sunlight between the trees, and the movements of the running water.

True, my hearing had become gradually worse, and yesterday i was at the hospital to get my first hearing aids. They were adjusted to the right level by a technician, and I will go back for adjustments if needed to within the first three months. I am on day 2 and I love them. I am rediscovering the world of sound.

There is nothing wrong with silence. I see the inward focus it may bring. And naturally, I can seek solitude and silence with my hearing aid.

Apart from that I made an order of some books for the summer, and I look forward to go and pick them up! I ordered in the US, and I will pick up in the US. It saves me the toll;) Ok, that was a joke - but I do look forward to seeing my son and daughter-in-law in Cincinnati!
                                                                                                                                                                                            

The Holy Place: Architecture, Ideology, and History in Russia

Knowledge and Christian Belief

The Orthodox Veneration of the Mother of God 



To the Other:
 An Introduction to
the Philosophy of
Emmanuel Levinas 
t



fredag 22. mai 2015

Vrådal and the Church

I had seen it on a painting my grandmother had made. It was white, with ochre trim. I think ochre was her favourite colour, but she never said so. It was a traditional church building, a rectangular shape with a steeple and clock tower.
Vrådal kyrkje. Entrance
           My first time there was a few years ago, and I felt a strong sense of belonging. I saw the painted wooden benches - the exact same way of painting as my grandmother had used on many things in her home - wooden or plastic, to give this impression of a reddish wood.
          This room was where my grandmother used to go to church. She sat on these benches, sang, listened, smiled. She talked with people. She was young in this church.

           To me Vrådal had been a land of fantasy, an enchanted place in a far away time, and now I was there. Indeed, I could see why she loved it, why she painted scenes from her childhood, from her village, on doors and furniture, with the soft ochre sky, mixed with baby blue and soft pink. It was real. It was not sentimental. How she must have loved it.

Vrådal kyrkje
          So, I was in Vrådal church, and on my first visit I was puzzled why it was situated so far out of town. It was not in a central location, not on a hill top, not visible for most people. What happened to strategic placement? What happened to the church as a beacon, a strong reminder of the power of God? How was it a gathering place for people?

          This church was built in 1885, because there was a need to house the congregation after a revival, where many had felt the call and the challenge and followed Jesus. It had created a split in the village - where there was a feisty spirit, drunkenness, strong folk traditions in tales, in clothes and in music - the wild and wonderful hardanger fiddle playing - at times demonic in its intensity. The revival sweeping over the valley made some burn their fiddles to break away from the bondage. A teetotaller movement spread together with the spiritual zeal. My grandma was a teetotaller all her life, and she was dedicated to the regional national costumes, and keeping her special dialect to the end. But she was also open minded. We could talk about art.

Great grandparents & co
          The old stave church was situated closer to town. The location was ideal, but it was not large enough. There was a need also for consecrated grounds for burial. Typically we have grave yards around the church. I suppose the idea is that at the day of resurrection, one is closer to Jesus. Traditionally, it was a sad disgrace to be buried outside of the consecrated area; there was no hope for the eternal life with God for that person.
           So, the old church was in disrepair, and through local requests and pleading to the authorities, there was eventually money allotted for building a new church. Still, the farmers needed to provide timber, put in many hours of work, although they had someone working on it full time. Land was granted, an asymmetrical plot of land, close to the lake and to the road, two main means of travel. It was situated between two budding centres, Vrådal and Vråliosen, partly because the mighty men in Vråliosen pluncked down money for it and decided it needed to be so. Later, the importance of Vråliosen withered away.

       
Entry into the sanctuary
   Vrådal church has narthex, or 'weapon room', as we call it. The area was so called because people needed to leave their weapons behind before entering the sanctuary. The sacred space was no room for settling quarrels with violence. In this church, there is also an opening to the stairs going up to the loft, and to the steeple, where the bell hangs.

           The main sanctuary is one large room, a ship - as we are sojourners in this world, on our way to the promised land - there are wooden benches on each side, and no room for walking on the sides. The room gives clear direction: walk on the green carpet towards the altar, find a seat along the way. There are large wood burners installed in the sanctuary. The area where the priest does most of his functions, in larger structures called 'choir', is a raised podium, furnished with an altar, altar ring and altar piece. It is not attached, but freestanding, and there is room for ambulatory acts, when needed.
        
Altar
  The altar is a table in function, but has the shape and size of a sarcophagus, but made in wood. The connection with grave and burial is quite symbolic. We know that in medieval times there was a tradition of hosting relics of saints in the altar, but this was typically not practiced in Norway after the days of Reformation. The altar came from the old church, and can be dated to AD 16 86, according to Tor O. Sanden (Vrådal Krkje, 100 år. Årbok for Telemark 1986). 
          On the table are candles, a bible, and during mass: the bread and wine for communion. There is a strong symbolic connection between remembering the Lord's death until he comes and the shape of the burial chamber. There is a connection to the future hope and life - for the grave is empty (well, apart from the practical storage of candles and stuff, when you peek at it from behind.)
           The altar has an altar piece behind it, and in Vrådal church this is quite interesting: It has a verse form The book of Revelation and from Paul's letter to the Corinthians inscribed, and no further imagery in painting. It is painted with gold and an deep green. In the Orthodox churches the colour green is connected to the Holy Spirit. It would be too far fetched to suggest the connection here. The altar and the altar piece are from the older church and builds continuation in tradition, in people's sense of belonging.

Rev. 2:10
Be faithful until death,
and I will give you
the crown of life.

1 Cor. 11:26
 For as often as you eat this bread
and drink this cup,                                                                                                           you proclaim the Lord’s death                                                                                                                    till He comes.

The crucifix
        

  There is an old crucifix on the wall, from around 1700s, placed to the left of the altar. At one point, I was told, it was mounted on to of the altar piece, but was later removed and placed on the wall. It is the suffering Christ on the cross. This is the only real ornamentation in the room. The crucifix has no particular function in the services, no attention is drawn to it. It is there for contemplation. As such, it is a sample of religious art, and not sacred art with its function in the liturgy.











           The new cross for procession, however, has a function - both in proclaiming the victory of the living Christ, as the young ministers carry it into the church in the beginning of the service, followed by the Word of God in printed version, the Bible.
Processional cross
          The upstairs balcony houses the pipe organ, and on occasion the church choir. I sing alto in the choir, by the way. From the view point of the balcony, a large candelabra - a source of light - obscures the view of the altar.
          There are large windows in the room. They provide light, warmth, sunshine.
          The sanctuary is simple in its interior decorations, and this is quite deliberate. Simplicity was a virtue, and so was being thrifty, careful with money, hard work and humility.
          Today, people in the village still love their church, but they do not come for Sunday worship. They will come for the great holidays, and they will fill the church on special family occasions, like child baptism and confirmation - all dressed in their national costumes. On Sunday it will happen again: Confirmation Sunday. May they all be confirmed in their hearts, confirmed in the faith of Him who died and rose for them.

onsdag 20. mai 2015

The Will to Meaning


          Albert Hoekstra spoke in a recent conference I attended. He mentioned Viktor Frankl, and his assertions that the essential drive in a person is the will to meaning. Freud identified this basic drive as pleasure, Adler as power, but Frankl disagreed and spoke of the will to meaning. He survived four concentrations camps during the Hitler era. He observed how some of his fellow prisoners died inwardly when they lost hope, and life was meaningless, long before the body collapsed.
          I find for my own sake, too, that I need a meaningful existence. Where there is no apparent meaning, I create it. Meaning is not to be equated with purpose, or purposefulness, although there is a clear connection at times. Purpose has a goal, has a sequence between cause and reaction, beginning and continuation, cause and effect, etc.
A forget-me-not from Polish woods
         There is much meaning in this, but I also find meaning in prayer, hope, dreams, in the beauty of the moment. I find meaning in creativity - not only in the product. Being on the way is meaningful, not only coming to my destination. Living today has infinite meaning. (That sounds like an oxymoron, I know, but it does illustrate my concept of time.)

I don't meander into the fields of psychology or psychotherapy. They are like deep lakes, sometime murky waters, and I don't like to get wet. My mother once commented and said: "Valid psychology is no more than common sense said with difficult words. All other is nonsense." Perhaps so. I don't know.
A friend I met on my walk
          I do think, however, that the field is given too much credibility. It is, after all, a rather exploratory field of study.
        
  Is it obvious what I mean when I talk of "meaning"? I do not think of reference to signs in the language, do not think of simple cognitive connection, to naming things, for example. I think of hope, joy, love, and all the things that grow from this: support, encouragement, dreams of the future... connections. This portrays my sense of meaningfulness

          The will to meaning is a need for meaning of this kind. The ultimate need is satisfied in God, in being connected with Him, being shielded by Him, being rescued by Him, being freed by Him, being still and let Him be the one who fights for you...

"Deut.31:8:

"And the Lord,
He is the One who goes before you.
He will be with you.
He will not leave you nor forsake you:
do not fear nor be dismayed."


mandag 18. mai 2015

1000+ hits! That means Cake!

I just noticed from the statistics that there was more that 1000 hits total today!



I have promised to celebrate that with a cake:)







EurECA!


Proem
I attended a conference in the greater Warsaw area, a EurECA conference. And indeed, I was enlightened and inspired! We were in the small village of Inowlodz, at the Proem Christian Ministries centre.
           EurECA is a European Educators' Christian Association. We are people from various Christian protestant traditions, from different walks of life and in different professions, but uniting in our interest in and concern for what is means to be a Christian teacher. Some of us work in Christian schools, some in state schools. Some are teachers, principals or academic scholars, others are curriculum developers, course developers, missionaries, church planters, kindergarten teachers, special ed-teachers... We were gathered in a Christian camp site in Poland, a country with 0.01% protestant Christians. We were from 17 different nations, and the African continent was also represented, and so was Israel.


    I work in a Christian school in Norway, and it made me think again: what is it that defines a Christian school? How do we live it? We have great conditions, a government which gives us freedom to define our profile. Are we bold enough? One of the headteachers1 from England said it in a beautifully simple way: "A Christian school is where Christ is present."
          I am not an advocate for a 'campaign' school, where there is one view on most matters. I do not think that is academically, or scientifically, beneficial. I do, however, encourage the Christian world view to saturate all we teach. Did I say THE Christian world view? I did. It is not the detailed oriented, case-based opinion I seek, but a basic attitude that honours God in all we do.

          I was greatly encouraged to speak with seasoned men from France who were still on fire for starting Christian schools with a protestant persuasion. They are facing an almost militant opposition from the government. There is no public funding for anything. Teachers work for free - supported by a spouse, new schools emerge. Why? Because they see the need. Parents want to have their children educated in a Christian environment..., a clearly defined Christian environment, with values, attitudes, reflecting the Christian message. And who was the first to sign up his child? - The Imam! Next family had Jewish roots, but were believers. The third family was Catholic, and gradually more students came. I was inspired by the dedication of my brothers. I was inspired to see God at work in Bulgaria, Rumania, in Portugal, in the Netherlands, in Germany...


          The fellowship of the believers was remarkable. God was there. As we shared hardships and blessings from the various places, we had a time of prayer for the nations. There was unity. I was encouraged by listening to the story of the first Christian national school in Israel, all the miracles in the midst of obstacles.

We had a key note Speaker, Albert Hoekstra from Holland, who works for an organization and think-tank called Xpand. The task given him for the conference was to speak aboutMentoring – Support and encouragement in education”.His focus was on building relations and having a mentor as well as being a mentor. He brought in his Christian world view into the concepts.
           I will need to digest more of his ideas, and re-read my notes, ponder and interact, go deeper into addressing who I am and how I function. What he gave us were tools, concepts, and we need to make use of them in our own setting. He also spoke about conflict solving - in personal relations. But - as I said: I need to reflect on this before I can say anything.
           He spoke much about beauty - in art - in nature - and I tuned in with all my senses. God is known through our senses, as well as in our minds, through language - both verbal and non-verbal:)

We have so much to give, so much hope, so much joy
in the salvation from God through our Lord Jesus!
We have the good life, and we have all this life to share it!
May we be bold and shape our culture:)


http://www.eureca-online.org/conferences/



1(in our gender-conscious age, we do nat say 'head master' any longer)


mandag 11. mai 2015

An Aesthetical Eye



The daily dose of delight, of discernment, of deliberating beauty beyond belief - that is something which brings me joy, brightens my inner world. I bathe in beauty at times. I soak it up like sun in the springtime.
         Perhaps this is all it is, a gift of light. Perhaps there is no further purpose, for in itself it is fulfilment. And yet - I read Gadamer's1 treatment of Kant's work2 on the aesthetical judgment, and what it might contribute with. To what extent does the aesthetical sense contribute to evaluation of values? What is the connection between the ethical and the aesthetical? How does the connection between the good, the true and the beautiful play out in our sense of knowing?
          The experience I may have of something which brings me joy and deep, innocent pleasure, due to its innate qualities which I call beauty, to what extent is this experience of value in regards to epistemology? I realize it does not give my any insight into the thing itself, to its make-up, its being. Fair enough. I am not particularly interested in that, anyway. That would be to divide it up into recognizable particles and explain the phenomenon on material terms. That would be useless. It is much more powerful to connect heart and mind and behold the beautiful. I collect it in my mind, and I may pull out memories and behold them again, enjoy them again, with renewed reception.
          I see people's eyes. That can be tricky. It may look like I stare a bit, or look intently, as I notice the various facets of the eye's colours, how it reflects the light of the day or night, how the inner lines are smooth and clean. I see the shape, like almonds, or more rectangular, and it matches the inner beauty of the soul. Eyes are engaging.
          I see nature. I see built structures. I see artwork. The objects are many, but, again, it is not the objects which possess importance. It is more the process of quickly discerning beauty from the lack of beauty, the related process which defines the good and the true in light of the beautiful.
Enchanted village

          Do I make any sense? What I am driving at is to suggest that we do possess an ability, a faculty, by which we exercise aesthetical judgement. I have an aesthetical eye. We all do, but we can learn to use it in discernment. It may be a gift, like a gift of light. It may be stronger in some. But I believe we all possess it. We all know we enjoy something beautiful, and it satisfies us, gives us even a sense of self worth at times.
          Some may argue that we have different tastes, different opinions on what we call beautiful. I see variants, but no real differences. If we let the beautiful be defined mutually by the good and the true, I think we all agree on the general concept of beauty. A personal taste actually only confirms my claim that we all have the faculty of aesthetical judgement intact. We use it more than we realize, and I believe we act upon it also much more that we realize. And here I am back again at the connection between ethics and aesthetics. To do good is beautiful. It comforts the heart. It brightens my inner world.
Kviteseid, my village

1Truth and Method, part 1 , (Wahrheit und Methode )

2Critique of Judgement ( Kritk der Urteilskraft)