For those of you joining late to the program I have a few comments. First of all welcome and second please comment. It is difficult at times to know if anyone is reading my little online diary because few comment. I do welcome the comments as it does make me feel a little connected to the world.
However, if you peruse my earlier posts I had a bit more of a positive attitude. I do this blog for many reasons. I am an historian and thus that makes me a writer and writing helps the mind organize thoughts and stay fresh. It is what I do. It is is part of who I am. Second I wanted to tell people what was going on in my life in England. And third there is a cathartic self-expressive element to blogging that in turn exposes yourself to open criticism but somehow it kind of frees the worries inside of you. Don't worry I don't have any huge amounts of repressed feelings or existential angst but lately I have been a tad tired of this big city and all of its impersonalities.
I guess I get energy off of community. And I have strong community at home with Kristen, my family, my close friends, even my dogs. I have the pack mentality and miss mine. So sorry if you are coming late to the program and I seem a tad weary...yes I am. I am ready to come home. Don't get me wrong London is awesome, its history is sublime, worshipping God in a Cathedral seems the way it shoudl be, getting to see priceless original writings and letters is amazing, but I am lonely. I miss my best friend, my wife, my love and all of our good friends. I miss La Campina on Sunday. So sorry that I am a tad unenergized. Tomorrow I go to the British Library and getting out of the room will help me. I might go to Evensong at Westminster Cathedral. If you don't know what that is, it is the tradition of the Episcopal/Anglican church to have services every day and the 5 p.m. is called evensong. It is the worship service in the early evening that is often sung by a choir. Worship is something that tends to give me some energy back.
(sorry for the digression) My preferred worship style is a bit more formal. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be able to worship in a Cathedral all the time. The sounds of the choir boom off of the ceilings and walls. It is awesome. Nowadays, most churches hire an architect who stresses functionality. Thus churches look like gyms or auditoriums. There does not seem to be any difference in sacred and secular space. People like Christopher Wren would be aghast. In the early modern period architects designed houses of worship to inspire awe and mystery and as an act of service and worship to God. Sure the early church didn't have cathedrals but they didn't have fellowship halls either. No one is building cathedrals these days. In humanities that I teach most of the architecture, the great architecture of the middle ages and renaissance is church architecture. 100 years from now no one will be studying the church architecture of our day. Perhaps they will think the basketball goals are some strange instrument of worship.
sorry for the digression. I am sure a few episodes of CSI will cheer me up. Hopefully I can make some more ground tomorrow. Cheers and thanks for listening.
However, if you peruse my earlier posts I had a bit more of a positive attitude. I do this blog for many reasons. I am an historian and thus that makes me a writer and writing helps the mind organize thoughts and stay fresh. It is what I do. It is is part of who I am. Second I wanted to tell people what was going on in my life in England. And third there is a cathartic self-expressive element to blogging that in turn exposes yourself to open criticism but somehow it kind of frees the worries inside of you. Don't worry I don't have any huge amounts of repressed feelings or existential angst but lately I have been a tad tired of this big city and all of its impersonalities.
I guess I get energy off of community. And I have strong community at home with Kristen, my family, my close friends, even my dogs. I have the pack mentality and miss mine. So sorry if you are coming late to the program and I seem a tad weary...yes I am. I am ready to come home. Don't get me wrong London is awesome, its history is sublime, worshipping God in a Cathedral seems the way it shoudl be, getting to see priceless original writings and letters is amazing, but I am lonely. I miss my best friend, my wife, my love and all of our good friends. I miss La Campina on Sunday. So sorry that I am a tad unenergized. Tomorrow I go to the British Library and getting out of the room will help me. I might go to Evensong at Westminster Cathedral. If you don't know what that is, it is the tradition of the Episcopal/Anglican church to have services every day and the 5 p.m. is called evensong. It is the worship service in the early evening that is often sung by a choir. Worship is something that tends to give me some energy back.
(sorry for the digression) My preferred worship style is a bit more formal. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be able to worship in a Cathedral all the time. The sounds of the choir boom off of the ceilings and walls. It is awesome. Nowadays, most churches hire an architect who stresses functionality. Thus churches look like gyms or auditoriums. There does not seem to be any difference in sacred and secular space. People like Christopher Wren would be aghast. In the early modern period architects designed houses of worship to inspire awe and mystery and as an act of service and worship to God. Sure the early church didn't have cathedrals but they didn't have fellowship halls either. No one is building cathedrals these days. In humanities that I teach most of the architecture, the great architecture of the middle ages and renaissance is church architecture. 100 years from now no one will be studying the church architecture of our day. Perhaps they will think the basketball goals are some strange instrument of worship.
sorry for the digression. I am sure a few episodes of CSI will cheer me up. Hopefully I can make some more ground tomorrow. Cheers and thanks for listening.
2 comments:
We all miss you too! When we tell Karisse that Kristen will be somewhere that we are going she always looks at us and says Teddy? She misses you too. Just tonight she finally remembered you are in "wondon". She was saying her prayers and Kristen had just left with the Robersons. She prayed for Kristen and then said Teddy, "Wondon". We look forward to seeing you next week.
Friend! My heart hurts for you! We love you and miss you! We'll have to make a special trip back to TN after you arrive home!!! Less than a week and you'll be home!
Crystal
Post a Comment