12.13.2004
home...
Back home for the holidays. It's been an incredible homecoming. Dad made a prime rib roast yesterday, which was outstanding. And I'm back to sleeping in a normal sized bed! None of this British single-bed nonsense, and certainly not the couch or aero bed i was sleeping on at my brother's.
Church was interesting today. Without getting into the theology of it all, the sermon was an affirmation of the doctrine of virgin birth. But, oddly enough, the Christmas carol "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" contains a line "offspring of the virgin's womb." Or at least, it did. Today's version was "offspring of the Holy One." While this is, indeed, theologically correct, it fails to affirm the doctrine of virgin birth. At best, it was just silly, at worst, it was an attempt to water down a doctrinal point so as not to offend people. Similarly, we recited the Apostles' Creed, but without the line "He descended into Hell". I have no idea why.
Anyway, had my rehearsals with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus this afternoon: fun fun fun. I am told that I'm not a very sunny person; this comes across even more when I am forced to be sunny and fun during Christmastime. If anyone wants to know how darn 'happy' we're supposed to be, check out any recording of the Boston Pops Christmas special, or find it on PBS or A&E. It's disturbingly cheerful.
Church was interesting today. Without getting into the theology of it all, the sermon was an affirmation of the doctrine of virgin birth. But, oddly enough, the Christmas carol "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" contains a line "offspring of the virgin's womb." Or at least, it did. Today's version was "offspring of the Holy One." While this is, indeed, theologically correct, it fails to affirm the doctrine of virgin birth. At best, it was just silly, at worst, it was an attempt to water down a doctrinal point so as not to offend people. Similarly, we recited the Apostles' Creed, but without the line "He descended into Hell". I have no idea why.
Anyway, had my rehearsals with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus this afternoon: fun fun fun. I am told that I'm not a very sunny person; this comes across even more when I am forced to be sunny and fun during Christmastime. If anyone wants to know how darn 'happy' we're supposed to be, check out any recording of the Boston Pops Christmas special, or find it on PBS or A&E. It's disturbingly cheerful.
