Rochester

This year's L'Abri conference examined contemporary ideas of spirituality, using FAS' True Spirituality as a springboard,

more specifically working through Bill Edgar's excellent biography, Schaeffer on the Christian Life.

Bill was a L'Abri worker in the early 70s, one of the Harvard group which oversaw the historic lectures which became The God Who is There. Later working at the Reformed Seminary in Aix, France, teaching in Geneva, then moving to teach apologetics at Westminster - (real reason for moving being to play jazz piano!).  Much of the energy of former workers, such as Edgar, has gone into initiatives like the Trinity Forum and Veritas Forum, establishing a thoughtful presence in higher ed.

It was, for us, the best conference in years, Michael taking in John Hodges' lecture on Les Miserables, as well as Jerram Barrs' workship on Tolkien. 

It's also a reunion time and I always wonder how much longer that early generation - now in their late 60s/early 70s can hold out.

From the airport, where we experienced this famous winter, mercifully only 18 degrees for us and the boys got to play.

We also stayed at the conference hotel for the first time, along with Elle, so were more central to things.

RST is a midsize town with a nice center, kept alive by the Mayo Clinic.  The food seems better every year, as shops cater to the unusual international cluster of medical specialists.  My father worked at a turkey hatchery downtown and went under the knife to remove a chicken bone, caught in his throat!  Being a fastidious document keeper, I still have the original bill and hospital menu! 

Michael's Coming Home Day usually falls on this weekend, so we ate Chinese one night and took in his 10 year anniversary with us!

Worshipped at Trinity, a local PCA with origins overlapping with the start of the L'Abri branch, as well as a school which meets in the adjacent lot outside the city.  Jerram preached while another St Louis pastor, Zack Eswine, taught Sunday School. As we chart new ground for our new church, we were reminded of what makes L'Abri rather unusual, opening up vistas, making connections with culture, rather than shut them down. Always a breath of fresh air - although this year's theme seemed a bit ingrown and churchy a topic for my tastes?

And then there're those discovering Schaeffer anew, such as Lecrae, a prominent hip hop artist who seems to be making the rounds these days, engaging his audience to take on the cultural mandate.  (Someone needs to introduce this guy to Rookmaaker!)

There's a lot of talk these days about being "gospel centered" and "missional," so, as always, I'm suspicious, but I believe Lecrae gets it right:

"I started to dig back and got into my D.O.G.'s -- my dogs, my dead old guys. That's when I started getting into the Spurgeons, the Calvins, and my personal hero, Francis Schaeffer. I think he just got it. He totally got being immersed in culture, affecting it, transforming it, but not losing sight of his convictions of who Jesus was,"

as he digests a steady diet of Reformed literature, but most of the New Calvinist crowd seems to have adopted culture as a banner to only mean evangelism; for decades, the only activity worth doing.  A redeemed soul, the only thing worthy of concern.

The more things change, the more...

A pic of Valentine's Day at BHCA, devouring heart-shaped donuts in sunshine from Rolling Pin, while we donned our winter coats in the upper midwest.  

恭贺新禧

Happy New Year!  We did our first Chinese New Year celebration, by request from Michael (of course), who originally wanted to invite his entire class, including siblings, parents!

We settled for 21 children and 8 adults, which worked out fine, except doing a party for 11 year old,pre-teens is an entirely different affair.  Not as easy to create a social atmosphere in terms of group cohesion.e

But we attempted a dragonmaking craft, Chinese zodiac instruction, and dumplings, followed by chocolate coins and $1 dollar bills.Actually, this holiday seems to mostly be about money: giving money, gold decor signifying money, eating food in the shape of money, bestowing wishes to make lots of money!All in good fun, finished off with cupcakes.

Red & Gold reminded me of Nikko, a beautifully wooded tourist spot outside Tokyo where the the Tokugawa shoguns are buried in ornate, Chinese-style mausoleums.

1600-1870 Japan drew from Chinese Confucianism as a social philosophy to unify the new country; a kind of classicism like our own capital's neo-Greek architecture in DC, heralding democratic ideals.

As a side-note, I have to say we have discovered catering! Most of the food came from Sesame Inn, a local joint, while Carolyn fried-up wontons and served tangerines.

Michael & Jack were adopted around the New Year, so all these big events resonate simultaneously for us.

LA

I made my biannual stop at Edie's Pastries in the valley, after my doctor's visit, buying some mini-patisseries and indulging in an expresso with croissant...

transporting me back to a cafe in Lausanne.                     The human spirit surfaces in the most surprising places here, discovered in a private shop oasis, rather than integrated in a charming pubic town square.

 We ventured into downtown to take in the chldren's symphony at Disney Hall, as the LA Phil performed an energetic performance of the 4 Seasons, beautifully dramatized.Then on to Langer's Deli, across from Macarthur's Park, where we ate a perfect pastrami. I mean, perfect.  The crinkle cut fries took me back to the cafeteria section of the old Thrifty Drug Stores, whose ice cream brand lives on at Rite Aid.  I was similarly surprised to see Helen Grace Chocolates on a box of sweets purchased at Gelson's recently. 

 Jack can do fish-n-chips. while the rest of crew scarfed down various deli delights.  LA does deli very well, actually, minus the bowl of welcoming pickles I was used to receiving in NY.

 A big day, we then enjoyed the downtown atmosphere at The Last Bookstore, a reclaimed bank space into a funky used bookstore space. Not huge, but very interesting and successfully executed.  Needs a coffee bar!

 A small organ with musical scores of old hymns turned into an installation of sorts.

Funky art upstairs, books in vaults

 

and sculpted

or artfully arranged by color.

New Year's & Epiphany

Semi-traditional Japanese New Year's this year - as all have been after my mother died - but we rushed on the 1st to piece together a meal recalling those feasts with my mother's china. Sushi, vegetarian stew, tuna & yellowtail sashimi, tonkatsu pork cutlet, soba noodles, and loads of pickles with warm sake.

 

Then eased into Epiphany season, the 3 gentile Kings returning to their lands via detours, proclaiming the good news that would eventually reach all above...

and below, enlarging Israel & the promise of Abraham to all mankind.

Our lateness all things Advent/Christmas - and the cooperating evergreen tree of all time - allowed us to turn a missed opportunity (ie no tea) into an Epiphany feast this year.  Donning golden crowns, we began with a brief intro into the church calendar with Epiphany's bookend to Advent:  the days leading to Christ's death versus those leading to birth.

Jana baked King's Cake and other delectables with gold coin treasures for the littles.

Mont St Michel in Normandy where, supposedly, King's Cake - with a hidden almond or fruit - was first initiated as a way of selecting the next Epiphany King.  BTW, MSM featured in the recent Terrence Malick film, To the Wonder:

NYC

Decided to take the family to NYC, making a crazy season even crazier.

Discovered that NY - and early America, generally, is pretty French - all those Founders fascinated by Parisian culture (topic of David McCullough's latest history)

I always sensed that there was little distinction made by early Italians who seemed to see NY as an extension of Sicily.  People just followed work opportunities, national & ethnic identities being, for the most part, retroactive.

But with Eiffel having designed the skeleton interior of Lady LIberty, the boys made quick links to their own experience, including the Dijon outdoor market.

 

Blustery, cold, but sunny.

 

Our hotel held a gingerbread house competition, based off NY landmarks for the most part - the Chrysler Building.Also possibly the best carb breakfast I've ever had. These cakes were FILLED with Nutella, served with freshly whipped cream, while the boys' cocoa had its own Devonshire cream!We've wanted to nurture a city identity, working against suburban culture, but it's uphill. Evangelicals we know in NYC tend to see the city negatively, despite Tim Keller's influential Redeemer model, tending to privilege centers of wealth & power, which is the point, I suppose. Calvin, Luther, Viret - also all went to the contemporary power brokers of their day, ie urban centers.

M & J were mostly impressed by the ubiquity of hot dogs and pretzels. When asked his favorite part of NYC, Jack replied, "crepes!"  Maybe all this culture stuff will play out later?

The impressive tree and beautiful creche figures of the Met's medieval section,

which also showcased a stained glass window of the Tree of Jesse complete with Isaiah's prophecy of the Messiah.

Michael loved Times Square, which seems to match his personality.

The New York Public Library had a fabulous exhibit of children's books.

including originals of one of the first published book in America, a school primer, where literacy is tied to Biblical or moral content.These blocks - a staple of children's play - was invented by an educator in Greenwich Village.

 

Christopher Robin's original stuffed animals!

 

Mary Poppin's parrot umbrella!Secret Garden.

I actually learned to ice-skate at the ridiculously priced Rockefeller Center's rink.

My personal goal: to earn back part of the entrance fee by drinking multiple cups at the lounge area's Nespresso machine!

The inspiration for our trip was the Frick's special exhibit of Vermeer, when coupled with the Met's, meant an unprecedented number of the 37 total in one city. The Dutch conquest of a mapped world matched by a developing interior life of the individual made for pretty sumptuous art. 

If this means anything to you, I sometimes liken the Dutch Master as the Ozu of painting.