Friday, February 15, 2013

7 Quick Takes: Ash Wednesday, marriage, and Star Trek

1.
My very least favorite part of any church service all year comes on Ash Wednesday when the priest smears ashes on my children's foreheads and tells them that they're made of dust, and to dust they will return.

I know it's true, I just hate that it's true about them.

2.
On the other hand, there's very little sweeter than the realization, after that sadness, that the services keeps going, and the next thing that happens is that these very same children get to take communion and receive, again, the promise of redemption and eternal life and life anew.

We don't stop at the ashes.

3.
If you need something to listen to today as you commute or wash dishes or whatever, this week's edition of The City podcast is excellent. Seriously.

I made the mistake (?) of getting into an internet debate about marriage yesterday, and it left me feeling uneasy and sour, and listening to that podcast was so heartening. Smart, godly people talking about marriage and celibacy and romance and erotic desire and friendship . . . such interesting things, but discussed with such thoughtfulness and virtue! 'twas the cure for what ailed me.

4.
Even when I'm not sure I agreed with all of it. I agreed with most of it, and where I disagreed, my disagreement just made me want to discuss it more.

What I really want, I think, is to sit down a write a good essay.

5.
In other news, I miss college.

6.
Relatedly: I am a nerd.

7.
Oh! and if you're a nerd, too (of a particular sort, anyway), can I point you to this post? It's a debate about the ideal Star Trek crew. Utterly geeky, but so much fun if that's your particular area of geekdom. :)


Wow! From Ash Wednesday to Star Trek. It must be Friday. :D

More Quick Takes can be found here, at Jen's place.

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

2 comments:

Rebekah Es said...

How true, we don't stop at the Ashes, potent observation.

jen said...

#5 & 6: Me too!