Today, October 20th, marks our first frost in the near suburbs of Philadelphia. This is good news as finally that pesky zebra mosquito is gone ’til next Spring. But sadly so are my final homegrown tomatoes.
Sleep should be better this fall than last. My beloved Sox couldn’t pull off another game 7 win which means despite the local Phillies being in the WS, I get to go to bed before midnight over the course of the next 10 days.
Filed under Red Sox
I confess I’m an anxious calvinist. Calvinists believe many wonderful things, but chief of the beliefs is the sovereignty of God. God is in control and is working things out for our good and His glory. He saves us and sanctifies us and ultimately will glorify us. So, what is there to be anxious about? Well, we live in a broken world and so God uses broken things to sanctify us and to cause us to lean on Him for all things. So, an anxious calvinist knows that God is sovereign but expects difficult things that can’t be controlled or stopped.
When it anxious calvinism leans too heavily on the anxious side, it would be better known as fatalism.
How did I come by this? Well, my father is a retired minister in the 4 point Calvinist/Reformed tradition. My mother worries now and then.
No, I won’t blame my parents for my theology. Its being a Red Sox fan in a world where there is an evil empire (aka the Yankees) that frequently destroys hope of winning a division. So, even when they finally win a World Series (2004) and currently own the best record in baseball this year with less than a month to go in the season, Red Sox fans everywhere are anxious, looking over their shoulders, imagining the collapse of the team and visceral experience that things are not the way they are supposed to be. How does this work for me? My home page lists the most recent games by the Sox and Yankees. Each night I check with one eye open to see if my fears are confirmed that Sox lose and Yankees win. Last night, Sox won. Sigh. There’s always tomorrow for it to fall apart.
So, I’m an anxious Calvinist. I know that God works all things for His glory and my good. Sometimes I just don’t want to remember that we live in a fallen world…I try not to care but I can’t help myself. I know its “just baseball.”
Filed under Doctrine/Theology
Anybody remotely aware of Philadelphia politics knows that the John Street administration and friends have been hammered by the feds investigating their pay-to- play style of doing business with city officials: “you line my pockets and I’ll make sure you get the contract to do work.” It’s not a new phenomena in politics. Just ask the former mayor of Providence (who I believe has done jail time for similar antics.
Well, the Red Sox just won the right to talk to a Japanese baseball team about purchasing one of their great pitchers. How did they win the right? They will pay over 51 MILLION dollars just to negotiate a deal (some suggest it will be another 12 mill per year to actually pay him to be on the team). Now if that isn’t the biggest pay-to-play crime, I don’t know what is.
What happens if this player turns out to be a bust? Blows his arm out next year?
Disgusting. But, I’m sure you’ll find me “forgetting” this come next October when they are in the postseason…
Filed under Uncategorized
Musings on Faith and Psychology 