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To follow the journey of (almost) Parson Carson :-) through seminary and beyond!

Pakistani Christians: "One Must Keep Living"

"One must keep living", she said.
One must. How else would you cope in a society where terrorist attacks are a daily threat at any time and place and true security is only for the rich? How does one dress for terror? Simply put, the method of "keeping on keeping on" is what Pakistani Christians and Muslims both face these days. To be a Christian here though, is to be the minority and to risk your life and livelihood on a daily basis. Every Christian that I met asked me to ask you, directly, for your prayers. Faith is fervent here and prayers are held for us as a country and as a church - on a regular basis.

Photo by Caroline Carson

This image, taken on the edges of the city of Lahore, struck me more than any other from my recent visit to Pakistan. The Tower of Pakistan, often a site of political rallies and protests, stands imprisoned behind high walls and barbed wire. It is a main symbol of the country, representing past glories of a freer time and the hope and strength for a bright future. It is located in a large, slowly-redeveloping park and is, as with many venues, barred from general entry and it's grandeur held captive in the country's current trepidation.

                       

A little nervously, I left the US the day after Easter - the day after the bombing in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park where a suicide bomber killed 74 people. This included at least 42 Christians and injured about 300 more, primarily women and children. The Pakistani Taliban’s Jamat-ul-Ahrar faction claimed responsibility for the attack. They also stated that they deliberately targeted Christians who were out enjoying a relaxing Easter afternoon. 

So, why Pakistan? Why did I go and why now? 

At the Episcopal General Convention in 2015, the Moderator, or Presiding Bishop of the Church of Pakistan, I met the Rt. Rev'd Samuel Azariah and he invited me to visit Pakistan and teach music, give some of my NASA Solar System Ambassador presentations in the schools, and to learn about the Diocese of Raiwind and the Church of Pakistan. While I did do all of these things, my visit gained an additional new focus in the light of the recent bombing and the fact that I was an American, coming to Pakistan against all US Dept. of State travel warnings at a time of heightened concerns. 

I briefly considered not going, but then considered what that would do to my sense of call and confidence. Because there are not very many Americans in Pakistan, I felt that having this chance to make a good connection was a priceless opportunity. We have the chance as travelers (different sometimes than tourists) to stand up to society's fears, bust through stereotypes, create goodwill, and see beyond the cover of the book. It helps us see life for the beautiful, diverse, wonder that it is. I also felt very called to be there, even more so after the bombing. Pakistani Christians have been through so many bombings. I wanted to personally deliver the message that we also desire their peace and safety. I wanted to reach out and deliver messages of friendship, perhaps creating a link between our two dioceses. Having traveled to 32 countries so far, I understand that Americans are not always viewed in positive light. 

Even if I am one drop in a giant bucket, I'd like to work on changing that image. 

I asked our schoolchildren at St. Paul's Episcopal in New Orleans to make messages and cards that I could bring with me to Pakistan. I felt that some of the families affected would appreciate these cards, but even more so after the Easter Day bombing. My new Pakistani friends in the Junior Church in the Diocese of Raiwind made some cards in reciprocation and I'll deliver them to our church this Sunday!

Once in Pakistan, the word on the street about the bombing was somewhat different. There is active debate as to whether not the Taliban group was specifically targeting Christians and during my two weeks in Lahore, I witnessed a general sense arising that the goal was to target children, Muslim and Christian alike. Recently, women and children have been used more for suicide bombings. There is speculation that the Easter day bomber may have been a woman. Many Pakistanis felt that this bombing was more associated with backlash from the high-profiled case of Mumtaz Qadri, a former policeman whose recent hanging for murder of Salmaam Taseer had enraged a section of the Muslim community. Taseer had spoken out against Pakistan's Blasphemy law. The week after Easter, there were massive protests in Islamabad that were related to this Blasphemy case. Security was compromised enough that I could not make the visit to Islamabad and Taxila, an important archaeological site.

When I arrived in Lahore, Bishop Azariah had already held one meeting of local Christian leaders and had now called a meeting of interfaith religious leaders to discuss how to cope with recent terror events, how to move forward, and how to make an active difference that would reach beyond words. The Church of Pakistan had stepped immediately into action.

Basic information about the Diocese of Raiwind, directly from their website states: 

" The Church of Pakistan is the result of the union of four denominations: Anglicans, Methodist, Lutheran and Presbyterians (Scottish), which took place in 1970. Initially, there were four dioceses in the Church of Pakistan, i.e. Karachi, Multan, Lahore and Sialkot, but in 1980, through a special resolution and for better ministerial work, four new dioceses were created: Hyderabad, Raiwind, Faisalabad and Peshawar. There is a presiding bishop for the Church of Pakistan who is known as the Moderator and has responsibility for a three year term. The united Church of Pakistan is the second largest church in the country after the Roman Catholic Church."

What isn't on their website, but is reflected on their facebook page, is that they are extremely active in peace building and often hold interfaith and community events for peace and goodwill. They also hold rallies for the rights of minorities, have programs to support women affected by trafficking, and provide much-needed medical support in outlying areas. Many of these areas are malaria endemic and stricken by abject poverty. 

The diocesan staff is amazing and efficient, but tackling terror? Many of them said out loud to me during my visit that they would rather put themselves in danger and put their lives at risk for something good that to sit by idly in a corner, struck down by fear. "If we sit on our corner, that is no way to live and then the terrorists have won." 
"One must keep living."

Tea with a Terrorist
On my first evening in Lahore, Bishop Azariah and I sat down in the diocesan courtyard for tea and one by one, various religious leaders joined us and it turned into an amazing discussion of politics, ideas for solutions to terror, the nature of bad things, and so much more. The main goal of the meeting of interfaith religious leaders was to come up with something tangible and concrete that could be done instead of mere words. While words are needed, everyone I spoke with agreed that terrorist attacks have become so commonplace in Pakistan that it is the norm to expect them. After a day or two in the news, people tend to move on. 
That is another form of real terror, when society becomes conditioned to injustices. 
When mourning has no pause. 
The first person to walk up and join our tea was the Maulana Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi. "Maulana" is often the appropriate word for addressing or referring to a Muslim religious scholar that is respected. It took me a few minutes of listening and then talking with him to realize I was having tea with a former terrorist...a former Afghan Taliban member, a Freedom Fighter and Jihadist supporter. The Maulana had several experiences, while in these different allegiances, that prompted him as an educated man, to re-read the Quran. In so doing, he discovered more about the truly peaceful nature of Islam and began to change some of his actions. He had been treated with respect by Christians on several occasions and in searching, found no basis for being against them. He and Bishop Azariah had begun in argument and ended up as friends...the kind of friends with whom you can argue well and disagree. Currently, he still holds strong connections to many diverse groups and has helped the Christian community multiple times when some have received death threats or terror threats. 

Iain Cunningham (Church of Scotland), Rev'd Emmanuel Khokhar (Dean of the Cathedral of the Praying Hands), Moderator Samuel Azariah, Bishop Mano Rumalshah (Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Peshawar),the Maulana Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, Sandy Sneddon, and John Hodge (Ch. of Scotland)

I asked him if forces were to take out some of the terrorist cell leaders, would that ever help or provide a breakthrough in the brainwashing that goes on or the training of suicide bombers. Maulana Ashrafi answered that behind every leader was a huge number of hopefuls waiting in the wings to become a leader and "do honor". He then explained that quite often these Taliban members get their start as idle or homeless kids, ostracized from groups. Some of them grow into being marginalized and so they seek a group where they feel they belong. Others join with the Taliban because they lack basic necessities such as food or water. They eventually associate comfort and family with these extremist groups.
Sound familiar, America? From my high school teaching experiences in Georgia, I know this to sometimes be similar to how young people join gangs.

Bishop Samuel Azariah asked a question: "Should we be asking - who are the true Muslims? or What is the true Islam?"
The Maulana answered "We are in denial if we say that the people who did this are Muslims. There is also a deeply-ingrained mentality from many that other countries are to blame."

Many of these suicide bombers come out of small "madrassas" that are disillusioned with the mainline denominations and choices of religions. A madrassa is a Muslim religious school. The international media reports the attack as (primarily) "against Christians" and this is not helpful.

Sometimes when groups evangelize their own religions to the point where they are no longer tolerant of others, this has a drastic effect. There has long been a mindset in this region that group is trying to convert each other. There has also been a feeling that Muslims were forcibly being converted by Christians. "We are the only way and the rest are heretics."

It was noted that when terrorists want to make a larger incident, they target Christians because they know that the West exaggerates this and that they make a huge picture of it.
Could it be that our mindset is the issue? True religious leaders and these religions are actually peaceful.

Soon others joined us, including Bishop Mano Rumalshah, now a friend and decidedly one of the most wise people I have ever met. Also present were three members of the Church of Scotland World Mission Council: Iain Cunningham (Convener of the World Mission Council), Sandy Sneddon, and John Hodge. It was decided in the tea that an interfaith prayer vigil at Gulshan-e-Iqbal park would take place on Sunday, April 3 at the same time as the Easter day bombing. This would be something defiantly holy. 

Photo by Iain Cunningham, Church of Scotland World Mission Council Convener

There had been a press release about the interfaith prayer vigil and worry began that it would be re-targeted, but all was well. The event was extremely powerful and moving. 
Warned that the park would be closed for security, we arrived to find Gulshan-e-Iqbal opened. About 200 people were present: local Muslim and Christian leaders, two of my colleagues from the Church of Scotland, myself from The Episcopal Church, and some families of the victims. Security was high, but it seemed that if one was intent upon re-bombing the site, it would not prove to be difficult. The event was MUCH shorter than similar events would be in this culture and I think this was advised, but also good. Normally, it would have lasted a few hours with various speeches, prayers, and songs.

I went. I prayed. I cried. I gave our condolences from the Diocese of Louisiana and from The Episcopal Church. Children are children and the horror of losing them in such senseless violence reaches a depth where no words remain. More tears came when I saw a little brother of one of the victims. He was too young to understand it all, but he was profoundly sad. I held a candle and the hands of my fellow humans, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and I felt what it is to be in communion with each other. This is so important. God is so much bigger than all of our separateness. We are a human family. I listened as everyone sang Psalm 20 together. 

Photo by The Diocese of Raiwind

In my second week in Lahore, I attended an international peace building meeting. It was hosted by (and at) the Diocese of Raiwind and sponsored in part by the NCA (the Norwegian Church Association) and the Royal Norwegian Assembly. People in attendance included: Raheel Sharoon (Development Officer for the Diocese of Raiwind), Noman Sajad (Raiwind Peace Building Department), Naufil Naseer (Programme Advisor of the Royal Norwegian Embassy), Thor Danielsson (Norwegian Church Association and Pakistan representative for the NCA, living in Islamabad), Thomas Berdal (First Secretary:Political for the Royal Norwegian Assembly), Amal Zara (Forman Christian College student in sociology and studying political science - and she's singing in my young adult group here at the diocese!), Rev.d Samuel from south Punjab, Ahmed from the Muslim community, myself (a Postulant in the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana), Amreek Singh of the Sikh Community, and Prem Prakash from the Hindu Community.

We discussed the needs of people affected by terrorism. In Lahore, where most of these incidents are targeted, there is a great deal of grassroots work being done in peacemaking and connecting communities. 

The first question came from the Norwegian First Secretary Ambassador: 
"With attacks on the city and the recent Easter Day bombing, how has the blast affected your diocesan work, the city, etc.? Was it an attack on Christians?"
Responses from the room:
There are two perspectives: 

1. It was an attack on the Christian community and 

2. It was an attack on Humanity itself.

The damage of the bomb is done, but the interfaith coalition of religious leaders has come out of it. As heard several times, this was decidedly an attack on children. The blast was done in the center of where young children were playing and the rides were not meant for adults to ride.

Some important points that came out of the meeting included:
1. Terrorist attacks happen when things are going very well and these extremist groups try to create a rift between community groups. 
2. Every time our peace building efforts get to "level 5" of making a difference, something happens and we are taken back to the drawing board.

What Steps Can Make Peace Building More Lasting and Effective?
- Events such as the interfaith payer vigil at the site of the bombing.
- Events such as this a public walk comprised of religious leaders down one of the busiest roads in Lahore.
- These events show solidarity with each other.
- It took the Diocese of Raiwind many years before the Christian and Muslim guests would eat together on our campus, but time and efforts have helped this along.
 - We must also talk to our fellow peace builders in many places so as to keep our hope alive when something terrible happens. The world is indeed our community. (Great and true point.)
- If they (the terrorists) are being so relentless in their attacks, then why should we not be?

If the bombing had not happened so recently, I wouldn't have necessarily gone, but I felt it was important to be there as a representative of my church, as an American, as a fellow person of faith, as a person of peace, and as a human. True faith is not lived underground and for this, our hearts were filled. On Good Friday, Christ breaks all barriers that come as obstacles in the beauty of our creation. On this day of vigil, we broke the cycle of terror, even if it was for one moment. We cannot be "an Easter people" without reliving the depths of divine despair, yet we must remember "One must keep living."

~ Dr. Caroline Carson is a Postulant in the Diocese of Louisiana and will be enrolled in the Sewanee School of Theology's MDiv program beginning in August, 2016.

~ Link to Facebook album (public) Photos from Pakistan

Coming Soon: 
~ Lahore's Brick Kilns, a Humanitarian Crisis
~ Music & Space: Adventures of Teaching in Pakistan

A Journey to Pakistan

(from Nov. 2015)
Pakistan!

I'm excited to share that I've been invited to visit and present choral workshops and church music training in Pakistan! I am thrilled to have this unique opportunity to visit this country, meet tons of people, including Pakistani Anglicans, and to learn about The Church of Pakistan!

Pakistan is a country I've been curious about visiting for a few years and, while I considered applying for the VISA in 2014, I did not. I was in India at the time and learned that Indo-Pak relations aren't the best. The VISA application was also pretty daunting... As it turned out, I now have an official letter of invitation and sponsors!

So what is this all about? 

Last summer (June 2015), I was very fortunate to be an Alternate Delegate to the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, held in beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah. While there, I was representing our Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana (EDOLA) as Media in addition to serving as an Alternate. I was able to meet with friends, the fabulous and friendly group of Episcopal Communicators, and also various church leaders and representatives. I interviewed some folks and shook hands with or had coffee with others. One person I met was Bishop Samuel Azariah, the primate and president bishop / Moderator of The Church of Pakistan. His home Diocese is The Diocese of Raiwind. Here is some information about the Diocese, directly from their website: 

" The Church of Pakistan is the result of the union of four denominations: Anglicans, Methodist, Lutheran and Presbyterians (Scottish), which took place in 1970. Initially, there were four dioceses in the Church of Pakistan, i.e. Karachi, Multan, Lahore and Sialkot, but in 1980, through a special resolution and for better ministerial work, four new dioceses were created: Hyderabad, Raiwind, Faisalabad and Peshawar. There is a presiding bishop for the Church of Pakistan who is known as the Moderator and has responsibility for a three year term. The united Church of Pakistan is the second largest church in the country after the Roman Catholic Church."

The Diocese of Raiwind experienced several bombings in the spring of 2015 that had remained in my thoughts. We lifted them in prayer at St. Paul's Episcopal. The two churches that were bombed were St. John's Roman Catholic Church in Peshawar and Christ Church in Lahore (a Church of Pakistan church and a member of the Anglican Communion.) At the time, I couldn't get over how resilient those affected were or how awful the situation had become with regards to religious intolerance. Just how does one recover from a suicide bombing and retain faith in the community? This kind of thing means that the community needs you even more.

The Diocese of Raiwind is extremely active. They are leaders in peacemaking efforts and often hold conferences which involve international guests. Bishop Azariah told me about some of the activities, including a small group from Sweden that visited and taught about music. I was intrigued. The Diocese regularly holds educational gatherings and gatherings to promote peace and well-being. They love music and sometimes hold Christian music conventions. HERE is the link to their blog post describing the activities. Their Facebook page is very active and describes events taking place around the Diocese. 

The hospitality and friendship to me has already been amazing and I am super excited about having such a wonderful opportunity!

* Basic info and some interesting statistics here about Christianity in Pakistan.

The Episcopal New Service article HERE about the 2015 Pakistani bombings is eye-opening. In 2013, there were also bombings in Peshawar and Lahore. An article by the Episcopal Digital Network has details HERE. In looking for other info about the bombings, I also found this.

Pakistan's notorious Blasphemy Laws are also still in effect. Created to prevent blasphemy against any religion, these laws have been used differently in various situations by various groups over the years with most of the accusations against non-Muslim minorities, resulting in life in jail or death penalties which many believe were not warranted. Though I'm not sure if the death penalties have actually been carried out, I have read that Pakistanis have been killed as a result of blasphemy via mob attacks and similar events. Here is a recent story (Nov. 2015).

Photo of Christmas festivity in Christ Church, Lahore - by Shekeel Medeeha - http://www.christiansinpakistan.com/christmas-festivity-in-lahore/ 

How Safe is Pakistan?

Well, that varies depending on your source. Keeping a low profile, avoiding crowds and heavily-populated places, and limiting publicity/media/social media about the trip and details is recommended. In spite of U.S. Dept. of State Travel Warnings to defer non-essential travel to Pakistan, few Americans have been affected by incidents.

I'm very excited for the possibility of taking this trip! I feel called to share my gifts in my own special way and to talk to the people there, make new connections, and show them that we are the same. Because there are not very many Americans in Pakistan, I feel like having this chance to make a good connection is a unique and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am especially honored and blessed to be doing it as an Episcopalian and with the connections that will be made. We have the chance as travelers (different sometimes than tourists) to stand up to society's fears, bust through stereotypes, create goodwill, and see beyond the cover of the book. It helps us see life for the beautiful, diverse, wonder that it is.

~ Caroline

(written Nov. 2015 and slightly updated March 2016)

A Peace Building Meeting

This evening, I had the honor of attending a meeting hosted by (and at) the Diocese of Raiwind and sponsored in part by the NCA (the Norwegian Church Association) and the Royal Norwegian Assembly. I did not get all of the names of everyone in attendance so I will, update this document as I can! I was an avid listener and had a couple of questions, but overall was there to listen and learn. Peace and bridge building are some of the things I am intensely interested in and since I am here, the Diocesan staff thoughtfully included me in the meeting.

People in attendance included: Raheel Sharoon (Development Officer for the Diocese of Raiwind), Noman Sajad (Raiwind Peace Building Department), Naufil Naseer (Programme Advisor of the Royal Norwegian Embassy), Thor Danielsson (Norwegian Church Association and Pakistan representative for the NCA, living in Islamabad), Thomas Berdal (First Secretary:Political for the Royal Norwegian Assembly), Amal Zara (Forman Christian College student in sociology and studying political science - and she's singing in my young adult group here at the diocese!), Rev.d Samuel from south Punjab, Ahmed from the Muslim community, Prame Prakash from the Sikh community, myself (a Postulant in the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana), and others including members of the Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian Communities.

I share these notes as they are and with very little of my own commentary. I found it absolutely fascinating to hear the voices of many different religions in one room and to discuss the needs of people affected by terrorism. In Lahore, where most of these incidents are targeted, there is a great deal of grassroots work being done in peacemaking and connecting communities. The Diocese of Raiwind has been extremely active in creating, hosting, and continuing talks, community activities to build relationships between various groups, and in organizing events related to peace building. The day before I arrived, they had gathered local religious leaders together to discuss how to handle, examine, and move forward with regards to the Easter Day bombing in Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park that claimed the lives of 74 people and injured hundreds of others.

Raheel Sharoon began by describing the history of what the diocese has done in peace building. In 2004, the diocese began its work with the religious leaders and called it "interfaith diologue". In 2007, they started working with women and young people, primarily teachers. They trained teachers so that they would have some sort of knowledge and plan when an incident happened and know what their resources and connections would be and to have a plan. Pakistan has a reputation for marginalizing groups. (So does the USA). The country's textbooks have grossly distorted portions of history. The diocese has had most successful results from working with young people and women. Geographically, they concentrate on Lahore and immediate environs because it is such a large city and resources and range are limited.

The first question came from the Norwegian First Secretary Ambassador: 
? With attacks on the city and the recent Easter Day bombing, how has the blast affected your diocesan work, the city, etc.? Was it an attack on Christians?
Responses from the room:
- There are two perspectives: 

1. It was an attack on the Christian community and 

2. It was an attack on Humanity itself.
- The damage is done, but the interfaith coalition of religious leaders has come out of it.
- This was decidedly an attack on children. (I've heard this since I arrived....that the blast was done in the center of where young children were playing and the rides were not meant for adults to ride.)

                               

- The main threat is to the children as soft targets
- This was an attack on Humanity to create fear
- The people crating this terror are NOT connected with any religion, in fact they may not be able to be considered humans
- We do not need to be fearful, we need to strengthen our faith and we should be united
- It was an attack on Christians, in part
- When there are so many great things happening which create peace and goodwill, the terrorists try to create a rift.
- This did not weaken our resolve.
- Recently, Bishop Samuel Azariah held a religious leaders meeting after the Easter Day attack. One of the things he asked the group in and out of the official meeting was "Should we be asking - who are the true Muslims? Or What is the true Islam?"

- We are in denial if we say that the people who did this are Muslims.
- Many of these suicide bombers come out of small "homegrown" churches that are disillusioned with the mainline denominations and choices of religions
- The Madrassa area happens to be where many of the Taliban come from.
- We MUST be building connections, trust, and friendship between groups so that those who feel marginalized may have another outlet.
- There is a deeply-ingrained mentality from many that other countries are to blame.
- We must engage all the religious leaders
- When a blast happens, first there is condemnation and then the people get together. They try to make an action plan
- Back to the question and including: How does an incident impact peace building? 
- The international media reports the attack as (primarily) "against Christians"

WHAT STEPS CAN MAKE OUR PEACE BUILDING  MORE LASTING AND EFFECTIVE? 
- Events such as last Sunday's interfaith payer vigil at the site of the bombing.
- Events such as this a public walk comprised of religious leaders down one of the busiest roads in Lahore.
- These events show solidarity with each other.
- It took us many years before the Christian and Muslim guests would eat together on our campus.
- Often, we we reach step #5 (out of 5), a terrorist attack is made and it takes us back to step #1.
 - We must also talk to our fellow peace builders in many places so as to keep our hope alive when something terrible happens (the world is indeed our community)
- Do you feel like the walk will cause you to become a target?
- If they (the terrorists) are being so relentless in their attacks, then why should we not be?

WHAT IS YOUR PEACE BUILDING GOAL? HOW DO YOU MEASURE RESULTS?
- Others asking questions about each other's faiths.
- "yes, my faith may be the right one, but it is not the only one"
- The number of people attending your events increases
- social media impressions
- On March 16th, 2016, The Diocese of Raiwind held a peace building conference and invited a member of the transgender community. (Here in Pakistan, the trans community is ostracized, refused basic living conditions, and refused most jobs.) This was the first time in our country that a church has invited them into this kind of interaction and we did it because they have been marginalized. We held a session on "getting rid of the victim mentality" When you have acceptance of groups and they listen to and learn from each other, you;be made a difference and this is an indicator of peace building results.
- Madrassa is showing signs of cooperation and community efforts to make connections with one another.
- Things happen slowly
- We must share our success stories
- Acess the roots of the people involved and not just the obvious religious leaders.
- Sometimes there must be a language change.

ARE MOSTLY CHRISTIANS BEING AFFECTED AND WHY IS IT MOSTLY IN THE PUNJAB AREA?
- There are higher numbers in this area.
- Other reasons include evangelizing religions.
- There has long been a mindset that each is trying to convert each other and there was a feeling of a long time that Muslims were forceably being converted by Christians. "We are the only way and the rest are heretics"
- When terrorists want to make a larger incident, they target Christians because they know that the West sometimes exaggerates this and that they make a huge picture of it.
- Our mindset is the issue. True religious leaders and these religions are peaceful.
- Young kids coming from poverty fall into bad groups. Sometimes it's because they have food.
- People are touchy about their religions because it has been used to divide  and control people.
- ASK QUESTIONS
- Why you do what you do...
- Even though you may have security, it is extremely expensive and if someone is going to come to you, expecting to die, they almost cannot be stopped. There comes a time when you either sit in a corner and close your eyes or you stand up and live. "I'd rather die by doing something good than to. Be sitting in my corner"
- Respect each other, religion is not responsible for what is happening these days, people are, especially when religious leaders criticize other religious leaders. 

                                     

A Good Friday Thought, 2016

Today we break all barriers that come as obstacles in the beauty of our creation. We cannot be "an Easter people" without reliving the depths of divine despair. 

Cross of St. Paul's Episcopal, NOLA by Caroline Carson

An Episcopal Service of Tenebrae, 2016

I LOVE the service of Tenebrae and this is the third year we have held it at St. Paul's Episcopal in New Orleans! We used to be the only ones who did it in our area, but now there are more....YAY!! 

It is so lovely and is a highlight of Holy Week. The 40 pages of mostly plainsong includes wrenching passion from the psalms and poignant readings. It is also quite special to have a service of prayer and meditation under cover of darkness. It can be stunning. Last year, I wrote a post about Tenebrae itself. HERE, you can read that. For this post, I simply wanted to share some photos I took last night and say that if you can attend this service next year, DO IT! 

The Origins of Tenebrae
The liturgy offered this night is the full, ancient form of Tenebrae. Tenebrae is a Latin word signifying “darkness,” “shadows,” and “obscurity.” It is a word that pointedly calls our attention to the scriptural accounts of our Lord’s crucifixion: The name of this service is taken from the opening words of the fifth responsory: “Tenebrae factae sunt”—“darkness came over the whole land” (Mark 15:33; also, Matthew 27:45; Luke 23:44).

It is a moving descent into the darkest days of the church year as we descend into darkness and await the ascension into light at The Great Vigil of Easter. The Medieval offices of Matins and Lauds which were combined to create Tenebrae were the usual morning offices recited by the monastic communities ministering in the Roman basilicas and collegiate churches of Europe. At Matins the morning is greeted with prayer even before the sun rises and they developed out of the nocturnal times of prayer and watchfulness (vigiliae) that were common in the early church. Matins traditionally included three distinct sections called Nocturns (meaning “divisions of the night”). The office of Lauds, which in Tenebrae follows the Third Nocturn of Matins, is the traditional morning prayer of the church in the western world. The word “laud” means “to sing or speak the praises of” and originally implied a formal act of worship.

The union of the two liturgies produced a ritual greater than the sum of its parts. Through their correlation with the systematic extinguishing of candles unique to Tenebrae, those who originated the ceremony gave a new and greater interpretive task to the psalms and canticles. As noted, in their new liturgical context these poignant scriptural laments serve as commentary upon the darkness that gradually enshrouds the church and ominously envelops Jesus’ life during Holy Week.

Tenebrae Moon, March 23, 2016

Gorgeous moon last night and tons of clouds. I managed to get a few photos, but couldn't see the conjunction with Jupiter. Still, pretty decent for a super bright moon and for a Canon powershot and no telescope! :-)

For Peace Among the Nations

Today, I offer some simple ponderings :-)

A butterfly and a caterpillar on plants in the breeze at The Audubon Zoo, NOLA

Life is good, isn't it... Life, this short time of existence in community on a fragile planet in a fortunately habitable zone. An infinitesimal fleck of matter and spark of momentary awareness in the vast cosmic realm. Life is SO SHORT for us. The only thing that makes this brevity bearable in our social, political, technological, and global adolescence is ourselves. We have each other. I dream of what is impossible in my lifetime: one open world with distinction rather than divisiveness. I dream of borderless equilibrium where strife, poverty, and fear of each other no longer exist, yet uniqueness remains and is celebrated. It would take one or two thousand years, but it could happen. 

NASA: Earth, east

I love to explore other cultures and learn from people different than myself. I find different ways of living and alternately functioning societal structures fascinating. Thus far in my life, I've been to 30 countries. Soon, I will take a very exciting trip! 
I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED about this trip and a bit nervous as well. I will be teaching music, visiting choirs, working with youth to plan worship service presentations, sharing fun times and knowledge, and I will also be giving presentations as a NASA Solar System Ambassador in the school systems! What a FABULOUS opportunity! Still, I know that where I'm going, as an American, presents its own set of problems and I have been mentally preparing for them. I feel certain I will be safe, but there are always chances that something could happen which could change that.I would be remiss if I did not address that. It's not a place where single women, especially Americans, travel on their own very much, if at all. Folks are saying "Oh you're so brave"! I am pretty unafraid at times, but it can indeed be mixed. Still, I feel very strongly called to go there. I have ever since I met the leader of the community I'll visit. I want to show them that we are the same. People are people. I want to be a bridge and one of love. I've tried to do that in my own life between people, programs, and more. We can each do our part.
This June, I'll travel to Israel on my first pilgrimage to the Holy Land! I am so greatly blessed by God, people, by opportunities, and by my own energy and initiative to create more opportunities. II'm living and leading a great life. 
I write all of these thoughts today because I am simply pondering life and in particular, my life. I think it's healthy to do that periodically. We never know how long we have and seriously, EVERY DAY is a gift, every single one. If you are reading this, I wish you a big hug and I wish you peace, happiness, and hope!

A prayer for peace in our world (from the Church of England)

Make your ways known upon earth, Lord God,

your saving power among all peoples.

Renew your Church in holiness

and help us to serve you with joy.

Guide the leaders of all nations,

that justice may prevail throughout the world.

Let not the needy be forgotten,

nor the hope of the poor be taken away.

Make us instruments of your peace

and let your glory be over all the earth. Amen

A Collect for Evening

Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is

past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and

awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in

Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake

of your love. Amen.
~ from the Book of Common Prayer

Evening light at the Sagrada familia, Barcelona. Photo by Caroline Carson

A Choral Director's Death Glare

Seriously, THIS is THE BEST meme I've seen to capture the sentiment all of us choral directors feel when you've been over a piece and maybe even the cutoffs (maybe even a few times)  and someone sings through a cutoff. LOOK UP! HAHA! I found this on FB and shared it and it was confirmed by a startlingly large, yet unsurprising number of my singers that this is indeed my look when this happens!
    

Spring is Just Around the Corner...

I saw this shared on FB the other day and I think IT IS HILARIOUS! Cheers to whoever made the meme! :-)

Live your life - NOW

Never allow waiting to become a habit. 

Live your life NOW. 

Take risks, dream and imagine, 

follow your heart!

Go and climb that mountain, 

Swim in that sea,

And be the life that you want!

My view from the train after crossing the Brenner Pass and heading back to Innsbruck, Austria

Cool Artwork at St. Paul's Episcopal, NOLA

I forgot to post this last week, but check out some of the FABULOUS drawings by our St. Paul's Episcopal School children! 

I LOVE this bacon guy! He is not only thinking about bacon, but he is eating it, dancing about it, and wearing it, LOL!
                          
 
 
                     

The Flat Earth Society Actually Exists (??!!)

Yep, it's true. I JUST became aware that this society existed.....mainly because of this meme that was going around Facebook.


I did some searching and found The Flat Earth Society. Their mission is to "promote and initiate discussion of Flat Earth theory as well as archive Flat Earth literature. Our forums act as a venue to encourage free thinking and debate."  Apparently, there are TONS of members and folks who actually believe the Earth is flat. Somehow they come up with reasons for not believing we live on a sphere. In the early 1800's, the belief system was called Zetetic Astronomy. Samuel Rowbotham was the author of the book Zetetic Astronomy and founder of the first Flat Earth Society.
So, this AMAZES me that people really believe it. While I do not subscribe to this belief I needed some help in understanding why others do.....
Here are some interesting articles I found related to the subject:
1.  Are Flat-Earthers Being Serious?
2. EVEN IN THE MIDDLE AGES, PEOPLE DIDN’T THINK THE EARTH WAS FLAT

3. Why you should be grateful for flat-Earthers

4. For Some, the Earth Is Still Flat

5. Flat Earth Society Claims Round Earth A Conspiracy TheoryThis map is pretty cool actually...because I like maps and not because I believe in a 

flat Earth! (link HERE to article about this map)

Well, enough of this! The image below, from NASA, is indeed our planet, sorry flat-Earthers!

Bluebell Kitty is "Helping" Me Grade Tests...

Really? I love this cat :-) She is so silly and of course, wants my attention most of the time. This was her answer a while ago when I was grading.
   

In Calm and Storm

"There are some things you learn best in calm and some in storm."

~ Willa Cather

View of the Rapti river in Chitwan, Nepal at the edge of the Tharu village

My Nature Photo Challenge, March 2016

My Nature Challenge Photos. A friend challenged me to share a nature photo every day for one week. It must be a photograph that I took. I did this on Facebook, but am posting here for my own memories and to share in this way. I hope you like them! :-) (Most are Canon powershot 10X photos copied into Facebook and then copied and pasted here so there is not a hugely high quality to the photos, but....whatever, they're still pretty! :-)

1. Here is a tree in the frozen sunset of Gyeongju, Korea on the grounds of the Bulguska temple. It was 6 degrees and the lake was partially frozen. Here is my blog post on that trip!

2. Daisy on the ground in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was at the Interlude Conference for mid-career church musicians and leaders in 2013. It had just rained and the drops were so pretty on the petals.


3. A dragonfly resting on a twig. Taken in 2015 at the Northlake Nature Center in Mandeville, Louisiana. I like how you can see the two giant eyes and that the pattern in between the eyes looks like a third eye. Hmmm, maybe there's something to that... 
Here is my blog post about my visit to Northlake.


4. The hills of India near Bhoramdeo and Mandwa Mahal temples. I took this last summer (2015). Here's my blog post on my visit to the temples


5. Another photo from the Northlake Nature Center. I LOVE how this photo came out and how you can see his shell underneath the water!


6. The "Eighty-eight" Butterfly. I lucked out on this shot because I had been following various butterflies for about 30 minutes when I visited the Argentine side of the Foz do Iguacu. This little one decided to rest on part of the boardwalk railing, enabling me to snap a picture. Canon powershot 10X. More about the butterfly species 


7. A View toward Mt. Everest. From Nagarkot, Nepal, looking over the beginning of the Himalaya mountain range and Mt. Everest in the distance. It's obscured by cloud, OF COURSE, but I guarantee that it is there!