logos redux

Being married is good.

I definitely do not have time to blog right now (3 more days before the wedding) but the rumors were right, Apple released new MacBooks, MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs today. Check ‘em out. The prices seem relatively reasonable to, and if you hunt around on the web page you can find the black (and white) previous generation MacBooks and the old MacBook Pros for substantially reduced prices. This may be a good option for me, despite the fact that the new ones look pretty sweet, especially with the re-designed trackpad and the (supposedly) 5 hour batter life.

I was on my way to campus today from work, listening to the Diane Rehm show (I know, I know I subject myself to these things) when Ms. Rhem decided to read an e-mail from a listener. The general thrust of the e-mail was that the listener wanted to draw an analogy between our current economic situation and a game of poker. The story went like this: Imagine a game of poker between 7 friends. At some point, after they have played for a time one of the players accumulates all of the chips. The only way that the players can continue the game is if they agree to re-distribute the chips among the players and essentially start over. The e-mailer apparently felt that this situation was roughly parallel to the current economic state we are in.

Except it’s not. There are a number of levels on which common sense should have prevailed here precluding this gentleman from actually developing this analogy, much less writing it down and e-mailing to be read over the radio. But common sense was abdicated.

First and foremost is the inaccurate basic premise of the argument. The caller’s scenario assumes a static view of the number of goods/amount of wealth available. In a poker game there are a certain number of chips bought or alloted to each player and from there the total amount of wealth does not change. That’s why poker games end. Economies on the other hand are dynamic. The total amount of wealth fluctuates up and down but with a general trajectory toward greater wealth. If this were not the case the simple reality of population growth would spell the doom of any economy in short order.

Secondly, to humor the poker analogy, as I mentioned poker games end precisely because there is a limited and static number of total goods. Further, if you have ever played a game of poker in which players are allowed to buy back in indefinitely you realize that these types of games never reach a point where one player has all the chips, obviously. But, if you were to engage in a game of poker in which the total number of goods was static, but then the chips were redistributed when one player had accumulated all of them (i.e. won the game) you would probably quit playing, or at least quit playing well. There is no reason to seriously compete, nor any reason to avoid extremely risky bets if you know that the chips will just be redistributed if your risky bet doesn’t work out. Competition, which is the key point of contact in an analogy between poker and economics, and which entails the real potential for loss of wealth, is the motivation for skillful playing and prudence.

Hmm, I wonder if this might bear on the concept of a $700 billion dollar redistribution of chips to players who gambled unwisely?

I should mention that I was slightly rewarded for my patience in subjecting myself to the black hole of common sense that is the Diane Rhem show when Ms. Rhem decided to press one of her guests (a conservative economist) on the idea of de-regulation pointing out the vast number of airlines that have gone bankrupt and the rising cost of flight (which she even noted in her monologue corollated to the rising cost of fuel!). Before she had time to breathe he responded using a little common sense, pointing out that the airlines were de-regulated 25 years ago and that the cost of flying (accounting for inflation) has dropped dramatically since then. 25 years ago the only people that flew were the very wealthy and businessmen in high positions. Today families are to be found on any flight you take. The introduction of competition and the freedom to determine where to fly to have had a predictable effect. The financial failure of airlines and the rising costs of flying on the other hand are recent developments and can be linked pretty directly to the rising cost of oil. Now here is the important thing to notice. The rising cost of oil which we have just seen is the cause of airline financial instability is in no way the result of deregulation. This is not a difficult concept. It is as simple as understanding that the fact that two things have occurred does not demonstrate causality.

The title will be: The Abdication of Common Sense and The Dereliction of Western Society: A Philosophical Analysis of the Abandonment of Rationality in the Face of Bureaucracy and Precaution and A Prophetic Call to Reclaim a Sane Society.

I could explain but why bother… just listen to NPR for a while, attempt to carry out any type of interaction with an academic institution or read the rules and regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration. If it isn’t obvious to you you’re part of the problem.

Our wedding is fast approaching (Oct 18) and last minute preparations are flying like a hummingbird caught inside a tent. One of the best parts of the preparations for me has been working with Alica to come up with a liturgy for the service. We wanted it to be traditional-no need for inovation-but we wanted to have a hand in it nonetheless. Here’s what we came up with:

Musical Prelude
Seating of the Grandparents
Seating of the Mothers
Processional
Bridal entry – Be Thou My Vision, (Organ and Strings)
Welcome of Family and Guests
Hymn – The Church’s One Foundation
Solemnity and Blessing of Marriage:[Minister] Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God in creation, and our Lord Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by his presence and first miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. It signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and his Church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honored among all people.

The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, joyfully, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.

Into this holy union Justin and Alicia now come to be joined. If any of you can show just cause why they may not lawfully be married, speak now; or forever hold your peace.

[Then the Minister says to the persons to be married] I require and charge you both, here in the presence of God, that if either of you know any reason why you may not be united in marriage lawfully, and in accordance with God’s Word, you do now confess it.

Prayer: [Minister] Let us pray: Gracious God, you are always faithful in your love for us. Look mercifully upon Justin and Alicia, who have come seeking your blessing. Let your Holy Spirit rest upon them so that with steadfast love they may honor the promises they make this day. This we ask in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Declaration of Intent Justin, will you have this woman to be your wife, and will you pledge yourself to her, to live with her, and cherish her, according to the ordinance of God, in the holy covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and guard her; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?
[The Man answers] I will.

Alicia, will you have this man to be your husband, and will you pledge yourself to him, to live with him, and cherish him, according to the ordinance of God, in the holy covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

[The Woman answers] I will.

[Minister] Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage? If so answer, “we will.”

[Congregation] We will.

Giving of the Bride
[Minister] Who gives this woman to be married to this man?
[Father] Her mother and I.
[Minister] Then let us now celebrate through song using Psalm 45.

Psalm - Psalm 45

The Ministry of the Word

Prayer
[Minister] The Lord be with you.
[Congregation] And also with you.

[Minister] Let us pray.

[Congregation] O gracious and everliving God, you have created us male and female in your image: Look mercifully upon this man and this woman who come to you seeking your blessing, and assist them with your grace, that with true fidelity and steadfast love they may honor and keep the promises and vows they make; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Scripture Reading – Genesis 2.4-9 and 15-24

Homily

The Marriage

Vows
[The Man, facing the woman and taking her hands in his, says]

[Justin] I, Justin, take you, Alicia, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward. And I do promise and covenant before God and these witnesses to be your loving and faithful husband; for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death.

[Alicia] I, Alicia, take you, Justin, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward. And I do promise and covenant before God and these witnesses to be your loving and faithful wife; for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death.

[They loose their hands.]

Exchange of Rings

[Justin] Alicia, I give you this ring as a sign of our covenant, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. With this ring, I thee wed.

[Alicia] Justin, I give you this ring as a sign of our covenant, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. With this ring, I thee wed.

Declaration of Marriage
[Then the Minister joins the right hands of husband and wife and says]

Now that Justin and Alicia have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of a ring, by the authority committed to me as a Minister of the Church of Jesus Christ, I pronounce that they are husband and wife, according to the ordinance of God and the law of the State of Missouri; in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

You may now kiss your bride.

[Minister] Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.

[Congregation] Amen.

The Prayers

[Minister] Now let us pray the Litany found in your bulletin.

[Minister] Eternal God, creator and preserver of all life, author of salvation, and giver of all grace: Look with favor upon the world you have made, and for which your Son gave his life, and especially upon this man and this woman whom you make one flesh in Holy Matrimony.

[Congregation] Amen.

Give them wisdom and devotion in the ordering of their common life, that each may be to the other a strength in need, a counselor in perplexity, a comfort in sorrow, and a companion in joy.

Amen.

Grant that their wills may be so knit together in your will, and their spirits in your Spirit, that they may grow in love and peace with you and one another all the days of their life.

Amen.

Give them grace, when they hurt each other, to recognize and acknowledge their fault, and to seek each other’s forgiveness and yours.

Amen.

Make their life together a sign of Christ’s love to this sinful and broken world, that unity may overcome estrangement, forgiveness heal guilt, and joy conquer despair.

Amen.

Bestow on them, the gift and heritage of children, and the grace to bring them up to know you, to love you, and to serve you.

Amen.

Give them such fulfillment of their mutual affection that they may reach out in love and concern for others.

Amen.

Grant that all married persons who have witnessed these vows may find their lives strengthened and their loyalties confirmed.

Amen.

Grant that the bonds of our common humanity, by which all your children are united one to another, and the living to the dead, may be so transformed by your grace, that your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven; where, O Father, with your Son, and the Holy Spirit, you live and reign in perfect harmony, now and for ever.

Amen.

Hymn – The Lorica

The Blessing of the Marriage

[Minister] God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, bless, preserve, and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favor look upon you, and fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace; that you may faithfully live together in this life, and in the age to come have life everlasting. Amen.

Presentation of Bride and Groom

[Minister] All those gathered, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Justin Donathan.

Recessional and Postlude

This is a great book that takes an honest look at the beauty and difficulties of marriage. It was recommended to me by one of my pastors and I pass the recommendation along. While I’m at it below are a few other good books I’ve read or scanned or been recommended with regard to marriage/dating lately.

The fourth definition, then. This asks that you think in a new way. Up till now we have assumed that there are only two beings in a marriage, the husband and the wife. In fact, there are three complete beings in a marriage-you, your spouse, and the relationship between you, which both of you serve, which benefits each of you, but which is not exactly like either one of you. This relationship is itself very much like a living being-like a baby born from you both. It has its own character. It enters existence infantile, when you speak vows to one another. It comes cuddly and lovely, but very weak and in need of care and nourishment. As time goes on, as this baby-relationship grows up, it becomes stronger and stronger until it serves and protects you in return. This “being,” this living thing, this relationship which needs you both (the whole of each of you), but which is not you (it is not the two of you added together, because it is distinct from either one of you)-that is your “oneness.” Serving it, you both enact a harmony. You are co-laborers committed to the care of a single (third!) life between you. You are each a whole, unique, free creature of God. Yet you are one.

Now, then: when you look upon your marriage, you are not just looking upon one another (possibly feeling at odds with one another), but upon this third being which requires the complete attention, all of the wisdom and skills, and the holy prayers and faith of you both.

From As for Me and & My House by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

Each for the Other, Bryan and Kathy Chapell - A practical book on the nature, purpose and self-sacrificial reality of marriage. This is a great introduction for engaged couples and a great reminder for married folk.

Sheet Music, Dr. Kevin Leman - A wonderful book about the joy of sexuality as a gift from God written from a Christian perspective and embracing Biblical teaching while at the same time being blunt, forthright and even humorous about sex within marriage. Both a practical guide and an encouragement to Biblical attitudes about sex.

Holding Hands, Holding Hearts, Richard and Sharon Phillips - I’ve only started this one (although it is required reading for my Marriage and Family Counseling class), but it seems to be a really great contribution to the dialogue about dating, courtship and what difference it makes.

Mars and Venus in the Bedroom, John Gray - Okay, this is only a tentative recommedation. It is by the author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, who I don’t believe is a Christian. However, I picked it up the other day and it appears to be a helpful guide to couples wanting to understand their own, and one another’s sexuality better and frankly, be better lovers. So, take this one with a grain of salt. I’ve literally only flipped through it.

A couple other that I haven’t read but that come highly recomended:

For a Glory and a Covering, Doug Wilson - I haven’t read this one but I take it to be an update on Reforming Marriage, which was quite good. I’ve heard many good things about it and intend to get to it ASAP.
Sacred Marriage, Gary L. Thomas - Another one that is required reading for Marriage and Family Counseling - this one comes highly recommended from folks who have taken the class as well as several newlywed friends.

and I thought it was pretty poignant. I didn’t/don’t know anything about Robertson, other than that he was an Anglican clergyman, but I downloaded a few of his sermons on Baptism from this sight and they look pretty good, although I’ve just scanned them.

Beneath the burning skies and the clear starry nights of Palestine there grows up between the shepherd and his flock an union of attachment and tenderness. It is the country where at any moment sheep are liable to be swept away by some mountain-torrent, or carried off by hill-robbers, or torn by wolves. At any moment their protector may have to save them by personal hazard. The shepherd-king tells us how, in defense of his father’s flock, he slew a lion and a bear: and Jacob reminds Laban how, when he watched Laban’s sheep in the day, the drought consumed. Every hour of’ the shepherd’s life is risk. Sometimes for the sake of an armful of grass in the parched summer days, he must climb precipices almost perpendicular, and stand on a narrow ledge of rock where the wild goat will scarcely venture. Pitiless showers, driving snows, long hours of thirst—all this he must endure, if the flock is to be kept at all.

And thus there grows up between the man and the dumb creatures be protects, a kind of friendship. For this is, after all, the true school in which love is taught—dangers mutually shared and hardships borne together; these are the things which make generous friendship—risk cheerfully encountered for another’s sake. You love those for whom you risk, and they love you; therefore it is that, not as here where the flock is driven, the shepherd goes before and the sheep follow him. They follow in perfect trust, even though he should be leading them away from a green pasture, by a rocky road, to another pasture which they can not yet see. He knows them all—their separate histories, their ailments, their characters.

Now let it be observed how much in all this connection there is of heart—of real, personal attachment, almost inconceivable to us. It is strange bow deep the sympathy may become between the higher and the lower being: nay, even between the being that has life and what is lifeless. Alone almost in the desert, the Arab and his horse are one family. Alone in those vast solitudes, with no human being near, the shepherd and the sheep feel a life in common. Differences disappear, the vast interval between the man and the brute: the single point of union is felt strongly. One is the love of the protector: the other the love of the grateful life: and so between lives so distant there is woven by night and day, by summer suns and winter frosts, a living network of sympathy. The greater and the less mingle their being together: they feel each other. “The shepherd knows his sheep, and is known of them.”

From a Sermon entitled The Good Shepherd by F.W. Robertson