the stoop | aberdeen edition

July 2009
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summer has arrived

Ian 5:27 pm on 29June09 Permalink | Reply

Looking at the forecast, it would appear as though summer has finally arrived here in Aberdeen. The temperature may even climb into the 20s at some point this week! Hopefully I can even bust out the shorts.

Lauren and I took advantage of the nice weather on Saturday and, after running a few errands that must be done on weekends since the stores are closed in the evenings here, we hit up a nice patio in town to enjoy an adult beverage and talk about our upcoming adventures. We came home and relaxed for a bit, and watched Doubt later on in the evening. Excellent film. It was warm but cloudy yesterday, and we walked to a new favorite spot of ours, the brig o’ balgownie, close to where the river Don runs into the sea. We walked around a took some photos, and sat on the bridge, where I read and Lauren drew. Then I had to work for a few hours, and was able to catch a bit of the exciting Confederation Cup Final.

Lauren’s term at school has ended, and she is now helping out with holiday clubs. As for me, I am actually set to begin the third of four big chapters in my dissertation, and am well on my way to completing it by August 21, Lauren’s last day of work.

One more thing. For those following me on twitter, I changed my account to @icmclaren – I was getting too many spam followers on my first one. If it happens again, I shall tweet no more.

an inexact science

Ian 5:34 pm on 26June09 Permalink | Reply

The NHL draft is this evening, and I am very interested to see what goes down in terms of wheeling and dealing. I have already seen a rumor about one of my favorite players, Phil Kessel, being traded to the Leafs, which would be awful.

There seems to be three players in the draft that are franchise type guys – Tavares, Hedman and Duchesne. But, as I saw in an article in the Globe and Mail, the draft really is a crap shoot. Here is a list of the top ten players selected in the 2000 draft.

1. Rick DiPietro, G, N.Y. Islanders
2. Dany Heatley, RW, Atlanta
3. Marian Gaborik, LW, Minnesota
4. Rostislav Klesla, D, Columbus
5. Raffi Torres, LW, N.Y. Islanders
6. Scott Hartnell, RW, Nashville
7. Lars Jonsson, D, Boston
8. Nikita Alexeev, RW, Tampa Bay
9. Brent Krahn, G, Calgary
10. Mikhail Yakubov, C, Chicago

First of all, keep in mind that the Islanders traded Roberto Luongo to get that #1 overall pick, which they used to pick Dipietro. Very dumb. They also had the #5 pick, which they used on Raffi Torres. Please. Heatley and Gaborik belong up there, but there are at least five selections – including, regrettably, a selection by the Bruins – that had no business being in the first round, let alone the top ten.

Here was a a redrafted list, as done by the Globe.

1. Dany Heatley (150), Atlanta, No. 2
2. Marian Gaborik (143), Minnesota, No. 3
3. Henrik Lundqvist (142), N.Y. Rangers, No. 205
4. Niklas Kronwall (132), Detroit, No. 29
5. Alexander Frolov (121), Los Angeles, No. 20
6. Scott Hartnell (120), Nashville, No. 6
7. Lubomir Visnovsky (114), Los Angeles, No. 118
8. Brad Boyes (106), Toronto, No. 24
9. Anton Volchenkov (99), Ottawa, No. 21
10. Rick DiPietro (96), N.Y. Islanders, No. 1

Even then, you can see there are problems. Just in the top three, you have Heatley, who has just demanded to be traded [for the second time in his career], Gaborik, who is an injury waiting to happen, and Lundqvist, who was actually selected 205th overall. Make of the rest what you will.

To make a long post short, drafting in the NHL is an inexact science, and you never really know what you are going to get in the long run. I used to watch it every year, though, when it was on Saturday afternoons. I’ll miss it this year, but hope to see some good stories of big trades come across the wire.
you can't forgive a system

Ian 9:09 pm on 24June09 Permalink | Reply

I had a post typed up reflecting on the fact that I’m officially ten years out of high school, but it was a bit lame so I scrapped it. However, while walking home from Transformers 2 [check my twitter feed for my official two cents], along the beach and through the dense Aberdeen fog, I listened to the latest Rob Bell sermon that kind of tied in with my thoughts on how things were for me a decade ago and where I have been since.

He is currently doing a series on forgiveness, and reiterated this important point that he had made last week: you can’t be mad at and forgive systems or faceless institutions, only individuals – forgiveness is always personal.

You hear so often that people are mad at ‘the church’, that they have been wronged by the church. I myself have expressed that many times, having grown up in a church setting that was heavy on rules and regulations and light on grace. I had a phase as a teenager where I made some poor choices, and struggled for a long time with the guilt and shame that come from breaking rules that seemed to be established to keep in in good standing not only with the church, but with God. For a while, I was right pissed with my church, and I have spent a good part of my 20s trying to reframe my relationship with God and break free from those harmful ways of thinking. I wrestled with the decision to leave that denomination, and with the nature of my faith in general.

I see now, though, that it’s misguided to think of it in terms of wrestling with a system, for what is the church apart from a collection of people? You could say that the system is set so that individuals will trend towards acting and responding in certain ways, and that is partly true. But, in the end, the onus is always on individual to act in loving ways. As I commented on a recent post on another blog, when we talk about people being angry at or leaving the church because of feeling wronged by her and not having room to doubt and question, it’s more a reflection on the specific community of individuals around them than the ’system’ as a whole. The church is meant to be made up of individuals who can show love to others no matter where they are in their journey. To put that burden on an abstract system takes away from the call to love people and build communities that help sustain faith through meaningful practices such as friendship and hospitality. It also alleviates the pressure to confront and speak to people at an intimate level. It is much easier to be mad at the church as a whole than to have to address the direct issue with specific individuals.

The reality is that the ideals that we hold up for the church or the things that we see lacking that make us frustrated, well … they are probably lacking at times in ourselves as well. The church is indeed made up of imperfect people, and is only meaningful at a personal and communal level. Problems that we see within her can easily begin to be resolved if we ourselves stop passing the buck onto the failures of the church system and begin to be the embodiment of the love of Christ around us and among us.
- Nathan Colquhoun 1:27 am on 29June09 Permalink | Reply
  
  awesome thinking here, and something i’m wrestling with quite a bit. Part of my calling I feel is to work within some parts of this system and change it though…i wonder how that fits
Ian 10:29 am on 23June09 Permalink | Reply

Apologies for the delayed weekly update. Lauren and I have been quite busy over the last few days. Here are some highlights.

The Longest Day Sunday was, of course, the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. Sunrise in Aberdeen was about 4:10 am, and the sun set at around 10:10. Taking into account civil twilight, or the amount of light necessary to see clearly without artificial light, there was about 20 hours of light here in North East Scotland. In fact, I walked home from work on Sunday night @ 11 and it was still pretty light out. We have dense curtains so it doesn’t bother us too much in terms of sleeping, but you can clearly tell that it is not fully dark out. It’s all downhill from here, and I can confidently say that I will not miss the days of 5 hours of light come the winter.

Work. Both of us have been working quite hard lately. Lauren was very involved in her school’s production of ‘Annie’ on Thursday, basically making sure dozens of children were where they were supposed to be during the show. No easy task. This is the last week of the regular term, and I know she is feeling sad about the children leaving for the summer holidays. I picked up three shifts over the past four days, and am spending the rest of my time in the Divinity Library working on my dissertation.

Walking in the shire. On Saturday, we spent the day with our friends the Stalder’s, who will soon be leaving Aberdeen for the summer. Sniff. We drove deep into the shire to the town of Ballater, situated on the banks of the River Dee and just East of the Cairngorn Mountains. Once there, we lunched at the old train station where the Queen would stop on her way to nearby Balmoral Castle. We then climbed Craigendarroch, a small hill that provides great views of the village and the mountains. We walked around the village and stopped in for some cake and tea, and then made our way back to Aberdeen for some tacos, adult beverages and a few rounds of Bananagrams. Fantastic Saturday.

A Farewell bring’n’share. That’s what they call a potluck over here. On Sunday, we stayed at church for lunch to say goodbye to our friends Andrew and Rebekah Stobart, who are moving to Durham this week. We have very much enjoyed getting to know the Stobart’s, and are sad to see them go. Andrew and I have met frequently throughout the year to talk all things life and theology over a cup of coffee, and I will certainly miss those times, as well as his wise insight. We are hoping to visit them later in the summer, so this is but a ’see you later’.

Netherlanding. Lauren’s Opa will be flying to Scotland in early July, and we will be accompanying him to Holland for about a week. We officially booked our flights last week, and Lauren and I are both very excited about this trip as Holland was a priority destination during our year over here. We will also get to meet some of Lauren’s extended family for the first time. We are hoping to possibly pop into Germany as well. Should be an awesome summer holiday.

Looking to the future. Speaking of destinations, Lauren and I are beginning to wrap our heads around the fact that our time in Aberdeen is gradually coming to an end. That means we need to start thinking about what we will do when we move home. But first, we need to start planning our pre-move continental adventure. We have started thinking about a potential tour route, and are getting excited to see more of Europe. When in Rome, right?

And that is the haps for another week. Another week of thesis work is on the horizon, and I am hoping to catch a viewing of Transfomers 2. The outlook for the blog is as follows: I am hoping to post a reflection on the fact that this week marks 10 years since I graduated high school, and maybe some thoughts on this week’s NHL and NBA drafts.
inspired

Ian 7:35 pm on 18June09 Permalink | Reply

It’s been about six weeks since I began working at Inspire here in Aberdeen. Much like my time at Christian Horizons back home, it’s been challenging but good. I find myself appreciating the opportunity to be engaged in this kind of work all the more as a theology student lest I lose myself in books and discussions and forget that inherent in the study of practical theology is an awareness of a different Way.

I’m not about to romanticize working with individuals with various intellectual and physical disabilities and say that I come home after every shift feeling as though I have learned some valuable life lessons and that I am closer to God. At times, perhaps the opposite is true.

I do, however, gain a sense of the need to reorient myself according to that different Way. In world wherein technology allows us to communicate and accomplish tasks at an almost alarming speed, I am reminded that it’s fine to go about the daily rhythms of life at a slower pace. I am often required to slow down, and huge chunks of time can be eaten up in the pursuit of the simplest of tasks. But, as Stanley Hauerwas remarks in the brilliant new book Living Gently in a Violent World: The Prophetic Witness of Weakness, we have all the time we need to do what needs to be done. It’s good to slow down.

I am also often reminded of the significant importance of the other. While I finish up my school work, think about what we want to do with what remains of our time over here, and consider what the next step will be, it is good to pause and remember that the world does not revolve around me. Again, from Living Gently, this time from Jean Vanier:

There can be no peacemaking or social work or anything else to improve our world unless we are convinced that the other is important. You are precious. You – not just ‘people’, but you. And we have a call to make history, not just accept history. We are called to change things – to change the movement of history, to make our world a place of love and not just a place of conflict and competition.

And yes, while at work, there are times when my presence is not required nor desired as non-verbal requests are made for some time alone. That frees up time to enjoy great books like the one quoted in this post, which I was able to read today. Not a bad deal.

And this is an awesome little book, by the way.
isle of skye

Ian 8:05 am on 16June09 Permalink | Reply
- Kara 1:14 am on 20June09 Permalink | Reply
  
  What beautiful pictures. I love the last 2 in particular.
  - Ian 11:13 am on 23June09 Permalink | Reply
    
    thanks kara. i love the last two as well – maybe my favorites from this whole year.
- poserorprophet 12:32 am on 21June09 Permalink | Reply
  
  I have family on Skye (they weren’t so about about that bridge… but they’re also crazy, so whatever)!
  - Ian 11:15 am on 23June09 Permalink | Reply
    
    are their names ocean and scotty? if so, we stayed with them. i can see how people would not be crazy about the bridge, bringing more traffic. a lot of earthy people up there.
a quiet one

Ian 7:47 am on 15June09 Permalink | Reply

After a busy couple time of hosting family and traveling, Lauren and I decided to enjoy a very quiet weekend. On Friday, I met her at work and we walked home to enjoy supper and begin watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. We made it through the first hour and a half before we both started getting a case of of the sleepies, so we had to shut it down and finish it off the next day.

I ended up working for a few hours on Saturday morning while Lauren sorted all of our recent photos. [Three facebok albums are now linked on the right, and I will do a few posts for individual highlights as well]. That afternoon, we grabbed our books and read over some nice drinks at Starbucks, and then came home to finish off the Button. We both liked it very much. We also watched The Wrestler, which I had been jonesing to see for months now. It was really quite good. Lauren was not a huge fan of the wrestling bits, but the story was actually pretty moving, and the accolades bestowed upon Mickey Rourke for his performance were well deserved.

I woke up yesterday to the glorious scent of apple cinnamon pancakes, which were delicious. We then went for a walk through Old Aberdeen to the Brig o’ Balgownie, a bridge over the River Don that was built in the 13th. We found a nice spot to sit right on the river to chat and watch some ducks and swans go by. Once back home, Lauren spent some time baking some tasty homemade baps [or buns], and I read the paper while she worked on some art. Later, we chatted with family, and watched an episode or two of Mad Men.

Very low key weekend, but sometimes those are totally necessary and beneficial. I feel refreshed and ready for another week of reading and writing with a few shifts of work along the way.

And so begins another week in Aberdeen. Not too many left.
eilean donan castle

Ian 3:42 pm on 14June09 Permalink | Reply
Tags: eilean donan, photos
should we all be vegetarians?

Ian 12:41 pm on 11June09 Permalink | Reply

A question that I tackled on my recent Christian Ethics exam revolved around a biblical view of food production and consumption. It is an interesting topic, and I thought I would post some of my study notes.

In Christian theology, there is no intrinsic or visible superiority of humans over animals but for the Word of God spoken specifically to humankind, making human behavior towards the animal beholden to that Word.

Initially, humans and animals constitute a single group to whom plants have been given for food, but humans are given priority over animals in that they are invited first to the table. The original relationship is inherently a non-violent one as all living beings, under the original created order, are meant to eat plants. There is no basis for humans to harm animals, or vice versa. In fact, the naming process displays a special relatedness between humans and animals as Adam expresses an attentive consideration to the particularities of the animals before him. There exists, then, a special relationship between humans and animals, with humans being set apart as the creatures to whom God speaks directly.

Noah, however, is given permission to eat animals, but under certain conditions wherein he and his descendants are to be reminded that killing is always a serious matter. There is to be an understanding that the post-fall situation does not correspond with an original order, nor does it reflect a final one. The killing of animals is allowed in order to remind humankind of the seriousness of the state of sin and a promise of its reconciliation; it is to be seen as a concession that will end and is to be taken seriously as we consider that it is only in relation to our sin that permission is given to kill and eat animals.

The killing of animals is meant to be undertaken within a certain tone of sacrifice and worship, a reminder that we live in a world that does not correspond with the way that things are meant to be. Essentially, the killing of animals is meant to be an act that causes us to a) pause and consider why it is that this has been allowed by God, and b) point us backwards and forwards to the way that things are meant to be.

However, when we begin to kill mechanically as opposed to sacrificially, the divinely mandated human / animal relationship, even in this concessionary form, is lost. While permission has been granted for humans to eat meat, we are not meant to renounce fellowship with animals through a mechanized system of death. Exploitation occurs when when the attitude of worship, sacrifice and relatedness involved in this process is lost, putting us at odds with the Word that God has spoken and continues to speak on this matter.

So, what does this all mean in terms of food production and consumption today? Obviously this had huge implications in terms of everything from factory farming and fast food to purchasing meat from the grocery story and even hunting for sport. It seems to me that the best way to go about eating meat would be to raise our own chickens and cows and have to go about the business of killing them ourselves so that we would understand the seriousness of it all. This would heighten a sense of relatedness to the animal that quite simply does not exist the further we are removed from the process of food production. While this is not possible for most city dwellers, this at least has to inform the way that we shop for food and our propensity to support fast food chains. While vegetarianism is not to be seen as a universal rule in kight of the concession made to Noah and the reality of Christian freedom, we must consider the pre-lapsarian and eschatological witness of plants being given to both humans and animals for food and reclaim the sense of worship and sacrifice that is meant to accompany the killing and eating of animals.

At the very least, I think this should reframe the practice of saying grace before a meal. Instead of an empty ‘rub a dub dub thanks for the grub’, I believe this is meant to be a time to pause and consider not only God’s provision of food on the table, but the reality of the hope that we have that all things will be made right.
- John M 2:10 pm on 11June09 Permalink | Reply
  
  challenging thoughts, Ian.
  
  I would say though the (admittedly) difficult suggestion of having everyone raise and kill their own chickens still has a flaw: desensitization. As a kid who grew up with chickens getting “Highlandered” it is incredibly intense at first, but the more you’re around it, the less shocking it is.
  
  But the issue you raise … Read Moreis one definitely worth talking about, especially since my initial reaction is to avoid it and plead ignorance. But is there any NT support for the vegan/serious meat side? All i can think of on the topic is 1 Cor.’s “meat and idols” discussion.
  - Ian 2:18 pm on 11June09 Permalink | Reply
    
    John,
    
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. The idea of desensitization did cross my mind as well, and I can see how it could become a less traumatic experience over time. At the same time, I don’t think the ’shock’ factor is really what this is all about. It’s about the relationship between humans and animals, and, for example, actually having to take a chicken in your hands and do the business yourself. Even if you can handle the actual task, there’s a sense of the seriousness that can only come with personal contact with another living being.
    
    I too please ignorance to this issue apart from the brief time I spent studying this exam question. As the course was based on the doctrine of creation, I looked mostly at a Genesis account, with the qualification that we do have Christian freedom to eat meat and that I believe Jesus himself ate meat.
    
    Again, it’s not the act of eating meat, but the way that we go about producing, purchasing and consuming our food.
- Jonathan 2:38 pm on 11June09 Permalink | Reply
  
  Great post, Ian. This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, and I really appreciate seeing an informed and thoughtful Christian perspective on the issue. Your conclusion is helpful in that it strikes a balance between the two extremes (both unsatisfying) to which my thinking has often been confined – militant veganism/vegetarianism of a solely humanist bent on one hand, and the complete acceptance of factory farming/mechanized killing as unproblematic on the other (the latter seems to characterize much of mainstream Christian thought on food and animals, at least the evangelical thought I was raised on as a kid).
  
  “There is to be an understanding that the post-fall situation does not correspond with an original order, nor does it reflect a final one.” Provocative statement, and also something I’ve been thinking about lately, having been surrounded here in Ontario with more Reformed/neo-Calvinist thought which encourages creativity, cultural engagement, and culture-making — all of which I like, although sometimes this seems contrary to my Anabaptist leanings (a la Yoder). I guess I’m trying to find a middle ground between engagement with culture/society/the accepted order, and an Anabaptist critique and separation from that accepted order.
  Hmm…as an untrained non-theologian I might be swinging above my weight class here…hopefully at least some of this makes sense!
  
  Hope the thesis is going well.
  
  Jon
  - Ian 3:08 pm on 11June09 Permalink | Reply
    
    Thanks Jon. I appreciate your thoughts. I am not an expert in this area by any means, so any input is helpful.
    
    There is no doubt in my mind that Christians need to be engaged in the present realities of our world and think through issues that, up to this point, have given unsatisfying options. We are to embody a different way of going about our daily lives, and I think this is an overlooked but important issue, especially in our Western culture. Like Hauerwas and Willimon say in their great book, we are not meant to make the gospel relevant to the world, but the world relevant to the gospel.
    
    Thanks for the well wishes.
    - Jonathan Hildebrand 4:44 pm on 11June09 Permalink
      
      Oops, that should read ‘Jonathan Hildebrand’
- jt* 7:18 pm on 13June09 Permalink | Reply
  
  Good stuff.
west side story

Ian 2:53 pm on 9June09 Permalink | Reply

As I type up this post, Lauren is back at work and her Mom and step-Dad are en route to Edinburgh as they prepare to fly back to Canada tomorrow. Having spent the morning getting our place back in order after a great visit with the in-laws, it’s now time to drop a post about our recent adventures to Scotland’s West Coast. Since I was not able to be a part of the little trips to Stonehaven and Inverness [and since we've already covered those places on the blog], I’ll begin with me joining up with the rest post-exams.

Wednesday
After spending the night in Inverness, we hit the Costa in town for some breakfast [Lauren picked me up a Vanilla Latte, a new favorite], we made our way West to the Isle of Skye. On the way there, we stopped in at Eliean Donan Castle, one of Scotland’s most famous, most visited and most photographed castles. We then crossed the Skye Bridge over to the Isle, and, after a lunch break, ventured further onto the island to find our B&B. We stayed in Ferrinquarrie, a remote little cluster of farms on the North West end of the island. First of all, any cliche you might have heard about Scotland and sheep probably originates from Skye, as they are literally everywhere, including all over the very narrow and windy roads. The drive up there was amazing, through mountains and past the lochs, and with clear weather. We ate an incredible meal in the town of Dunvegan [where I had a very tasty red beer from the Skye Brewery], and then decided to drive to the most Western point of Skye, Neist Point, featuring a great old lighthouse. We absolutely lucked out because we were the only people there, and apart from some wind, the weather was perfect. The sun was going down as we walked with the sheep right down to the point, and I would put this spot up there on the list of ‘nicest places I have ever been.’ Our hosts for that evening, Ocean and Scotty, very earthy people – Skye is indeed a hippie haven. Truly a beautiful place, and I am glad we we were able to get to a more remote part of it – Neist Point was maybe the highlight of the trip, and up there in terms of the whole Scottish experience.

Thursday
After a great breakfast chez Ocean and Scotty, we stopped in at Dunvegan Castle, home of the Macleod clan. This castle features a very cool relic called the Fairy Flag, an old piece of cloth with many possible stories of origin all revolving around it being introduced to the clan by a fairy. We then drove off Skye and down the Western part of the country towards Oban. We stopped in the town of Fort William for a WC break and for a look at Britain’s tallest mountain, Ben Nevis. We spent this night about 10 miles outside of Oban, at a B&B right on the banks of a loch. We rested for a bit upon our arrival there, and Lauren and I enjoyed the sunshine and some play time with the B&B’s 6 nice barn cats. We went into Oban for supper – what a nice town that is. The best view is from McCaig’s Tower, a Roman style monument built in 1897 that overlooks the town and the Isle of Mull, which was our next destination.

Friday
Friday was an awesome day. We made it just in time to grab the ferry over to the Isle of Mull, which we traversed in order to get to our ultimate destination, Iona, a very important place in the history of Christianity in Scotland. In the year 563, Columba came to Iona from Ireland and founded a monastery, effectively bringing Christianity to Scotland. So, after the nice drive across Mull, we boarded another ferry over the clear blue waters to Iona so that we could visit the modern Abbey, which was restored in 1938. I very much enjoyed seeing St. Martin’s high cross, which has been standing on the site since the 8th century. After touring around, Lauren and I found a quiet spot at the back end overlooking the water and out of the wind – it was a very peaceful moment, and it was incredible to rest on a spot where Christians have been devoting themselves to God for over a thousand years. After a few hours on Iona, we drove / ferried back to Oban, and made our way to Edinburgh, with a stop at a not-so-easy to find Nando’s in Stirling.

Saturday
Edinburgh. While Lauren showed her parents the sights, I hit up a few used bookstores and found a great old copy of St. Augustine’s Confessions. The rest of the day was spent checking out the sights in the capital city, and eventually finding our way back to Aberdeen.

And that, briefly, is an account of our west side story. If I forgot something, Lauren will remind me and I can add some details later. Scotland’s West Coast is simply awesome – it has everything you could possibly want as a sightseer in Scotland, from castles and mountains to lochs, sheep, highland coos, the sea and breathtaking valleys. The weather cooperated for us as well, which is not even close to always the case over there. Overall, it was a great trip and a nice visit with Lauren’s folks. We took a load of photos which will be sorted and posted soon – a typed post doesn’t really do it all justice. So, stay tuned for a pictorial post in the near future.