Monday, February 26, 2007

delays, delay, more delays

I am finally home, O Best Beloved, after more that 24 hours in transit. I left St. Louis at 10am on Sunday-well, I went to the airport at 10am, which is enough alternate universe to no longer be considered real place-and only got home 3 hours ago. I was delayed and delayed with snow going into Chicago and then, in Chicago, I waited for 4 hours before my flight was finally cancelled. Knowing, of course, the whole time, that the flight would be cancelled, because the snow was moving swiftly east. Finally, when the flight was cancelled, and I reached the front of the line to reschedule, I came unglued (for real) and bawled my way into a really nice hotel room on the dime of the airline. Other people were being handed cots but I was visibly beyond my limit, baby attached, dark circles under the eyes etc. The flight person's real charity actually made me cry more by that point. It is at these delicate moments I am supremely grateful to be female. A lot of men looked exhausted too but none of them had babies and they would have looked foolish weeping. I did notice that as it got hotter in the terminal a few of them, men that is, began to yell at each other, somewhat in jest but not that much. Its not comfortable, being so many people packed together in one place, all very frustrated, no outside air, no outside light, basically powerless to effect the desired outcome. I'm surprised everyone else was keeping it together. I was given one other nice gift, along with the hotel room. Waiting so many hours in line I met an interesting man. He felt bad for me and offered to carry my bag. He asked me where I was going. Told me, in a clueless way, that I could stay with him (First Red Flag) as he was only 10 minutes from the airport. Told me, when I looked shocked, that he was a pastor. Oh, I said, that's wonderful. My husband is a pastor. Are you married? No, he said. What church are you with? I asked. Um, the New Church, he said (Second Red Flag). Oh, I said, the New Church. I've never heard of that. What are some of your core tenets? Um, he said, we believe in the 10 commandments, and a lot of other things. What other things? I asked. Oh, he said, there's so much.(Confirmation of Weirdness) A little research divulges that the New Church is the strange invention of one Emanuel Swedenborg who promises all kinds interesting non trinitarian "christian" stuff. I am still exploring the website, having been offline for so long. Anyway, after a good long sleep I will be back to tell you all about my class and all the other things on my mind.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Anne. First time posting here. Your blog is fun to read! I came upon your blog because of a Google Alert about Swedenborg. I happen to belong to the New Church, and I am sorry that your first introduction to it was a bit dubious. If you'd like, I could fill you in on whatever you'd like to know about it. I live in Pittsburgh and teach kindergarten here in our New Church school.

Sincerely,
Gerda

Nasty, Brutish & Short said...

Swedenborg was all the rage in Cincinnati (my hometown) before the turn of the century. Several of my ancestors were prominent Swedenborgians, and at one point, I found myself the lucky inheritor of an enormous oil painting of Emmanuel Swedenborg as well as a full library. There's even a Swedenborgian University in Ohio--Urbana University. It's where my oil painting and books now reside.

We even have two Swendenborgian Churches here in Cincinnati. One's conservative, and one's reform, which I think is hysterical.

Anonymous said...

Hi Nasty...(have to say, that is a bit strange to write!)
I don't know any religions that don't have a conservative, liberal and middle of the road branches to them. It doesn't matter how small they are. And the New Church (Swedenborgians) are no different.
Lucky you getting all those books. I fear they are probably pretty difficult to read at this point since the translations will be out of date. Today's volumes are much easier to read. have you tried any?
Suzy

Anne said...

In my small minded way, after finally checking out the website myself, I notice three big problems with this new church.
--doesn't appear to be trinitarian
--appears to be works oriented/weird understanding of salvation
--not good eschatology/no final return-judgment of Christ. Rather, the New Church itself is what we're waiting for.
Probably missed a lot because I was skimming. Actually sounded vaguely episcopalian, in this modern remake of classical Anglicanism.
Don't mean to enrage all you New Churchians. Also, what's with all the schools? Do New Church children have to go to New Church Schools?

Anonymous said...

Hi Anne, No, New churh people do not have to go to New Church schools. There are not new church schools as a part of every society. I grew up in some societies which had schools and others which did not; however, I was homeschooled. It looks like you home-school your children. I really admire that. I'm not quite sure on the points you raised from skimming the web site. If you mean trinitarian: belief in three gods. We do not. We believe in one God in whom is the Divine trinity. We do believe you have to live a good life in order to get to heaven. I do not believe that you can get to heaven merely by proclaiming belief that Jesus saved you. And I believe that the Lord made his second coming not in person, but by revealing a more full understanding of the old and new testaments. Good discussion, sorry about your flight delay/troubles.

Anonymous said...

Hi Anne.

I am intrigued by the title of your blog. "An undercurrent of hostility."

And then I am even more intrigued by your comment about "enraging the New Churchians."

Form my reading those are the most chilled out "enraged" comments I have ever read. :)

So where does this hostility lie? I'm curious.

Anonymous said...

ps anonymous just because I didn't feel like registering. This is Kathy. :)

Anne said...

I was being hyperbolic.
A personal failing.