Friday, November 28, 2008
The Best "Best of" list ...
This is the best "Best of" list I have seen. It features the best in many categories for 2008..
Snall Towns redux
This made me smile.
A UCC minister takes issue with my column at First Things about small towns. To quote:
But here's the thing: What Alms describes is a homogeneous kind of connection, a connection based on sameness. And I'm pretty sure the Gospel breaks us out of those kinds of connections in order to connect us in other ways, ways that do not depend on the accidents of our identity.
It is a fair point and one I mention in passing in the article.
What made me smile was this sweeping statement:
It is enough to make me wonder if maybe all this celebration of small towns is some sort of resistance to the Gospel. Life in the city--with is diversity, with the constant need to deal with people who are different from you--is a far more apt parable for the reign of God.
Not only are cities better than small towns, appreciation of small towns is antithetical to the Gospel. Ah, that refreshing open-minded breeze! Agree with us or else!
Well, I had better repent and move to NYC or at least Des Moines, that cosmopolitan center where my blogging friend resides.
A UCC minister takes issue with my column at First Things about small towns. To quote:
But here's the thing: What Alms describes is a homogeneous kind of connection, a connection based on sameness. And I'm pretty sure the Gospel breaks us out of those kinds of connections in order to connect us in other ways, ways that do not depend on the accidents of our identity.
It is a fair point and one I mention in passing in the article.
What made me smile was this sweeping statement:
It is enough to make me wonder if maybe all this celebration of small towns is some sort of resistance to the Gospel. Life in the city--with is diversity, with the constant need to deal with people who are different from you--is a far more apt parable for the reign of God.
Not only are cities better than small towns, appreciation of small towns is antithetical to the Gospel. Ah, that refreshing open-minded breeze! Agree with us or else!
Well, I had better repent and move to NYC or at least Des Moines, that cosmopolitan center where my blogging friend resides.
What Does 'Evangelical' Mean?
Here is a thoughtful article on the recent meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society and evangelicalism in general from a former evangelical now Roman Catholic, David Mills. David is the former editor of Touchstone magazine and a fine writer and thinker.
A few snippets:
In my experience -- I've been to three ETS meetings, including the last two -- the more learned and cosmopolitan Evangelicals who go to the ETS meetings are, in their attitude to the Catholic Church, divided among a sizable group of traditional anti-Catholics, for whom Catholicism is such a serious error that a Catholic cannot be a real Christian; a bigger group who have not changed their minds on the theological issues but see Catholics as fellow believers (which is further subdivided between those who think Catholics are Christians in spite of their distinctive beliefs, and those who think they are Christians through their distinctive beliefs); liberalizing Evangelicals, who seem to like Catholics mainly because they're not Evangelicals; and troubled Evangelicals, many but not all of them on their way to the Church, who see in the broad Catholic tradition an answer to the problems they see in Evangelicalism, chief among them the lack of any defining authority.
The ETS's problem, it seems to this sympathizer, is that it is both a movement and a theological identity. Everyone believes that this movement still stands for something -- that the title "Evangelical" has specific, forceful, and counter-cultural content. It is still a word to rally the troops and stir them into battle. The ETS is not just a fellowship of generally conservative Protestants.
The movement and the identity were once so closely intertwined that no one noticed the distinction, but now those who still identify with the movement -- and with each other as members of the movement -- have diverged greatly in theology, and will keep diverging, with no end in sight. The title still has value in their world, so few are going to give it up.
The now mixed movement has the problem of deciding whether the movement (but how defined?) decides the theological limits, or the theological limits (but whose?) define the movement. But it is too mixed to answer this question with adequate clarity. The closest thing the ETS has to a supreme court or a Magisterium is its members gathered at the annual meeting, and they couldn't even muster enough votes to expel John Sanders, despite the pleas of some of the Society's most important leaders, including one of the founders.
A few snippets:
In my experience -- I've been to three ETS meetings, including the last two -- the more learned and cosmopolitan Evangelicals who go to the ETS meetings are, in their attitude to the Catholic Church, divided among a sizable group of traditional anti-Catholics, for whom Catholicism is such a serious error that a Catholic cannot be a real Christian; a bigger group who have not changed their minds on the theological issues but see Catholics as fellow believers (which is further subdivided between those who think Catholics are Christians in spite of their distinctive beliefs, and those who think they are Christians through their distinctive beliefs); liberalizing Evangelicals, who seem to like Catholics mainly because they're not Evangelicals; and troubled Evangelicals, many but not all of them on their way to the Church, who see in the broad Catholic tradition an answer to the problems they see in Evangelicalism, chief among them the lack of any defining authority.
The ETS's problem, it seems to this sympathizer, is that it is both a movement and a theological identity. Everyone believes that this movement still stands for something -- that the title "Evangelical" has specific, forceful, and counter-cultural content. It is still a word to rally the troops and stir them into battle. The ETS is not just a fellowship of generally conservative Protestants.
The movement and the identity were once so closely intertwined that no one noticed the distinction, but now those who still identify with the movement -- and with each other as members of the movement -- have diverged greatly in theology, and will keep diverging, with no end in sight. The title still has value in their world, so few are going to give it up.
The now mixed movement has the problem of deciding whether the movement (but how defined?) decides the theological limits, or the theological limits (but whose?) define the movement. But it is too mixed to answer this question with adequate clarity. The closest thing the ETS has to a supreme court or a Magisterium is its members gathered at the annual meeting, and they couldn't even muster enough votes to expel John Sanders, despite the pleas of some of the Society's most important leaders, including one of the founders.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
My article at First Things
I have an article running today at the First Thgings website entitled "Small Towns". It concerns what small towns are really like versus the distortions in the last campaign.
The link is http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=1230.
Or just click here.
Here are just a few bits:
Small towns have been in the news lately. The past election featured them often. Barack Obama commented on the bitterness of those who cling to guns and religion. Sarah Palin and the McCain campaign celebrated small town virtues to contrast with “big city elitism” of the Democrats.
To live in a small town is to be connected, and not electronically or digitally. Rather it means to be connected to people in the flesh, to actual places, to land and buildings, to a common past.
The link is http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=1230.
Or just click here.
Here are just a few bits:
Small towns have been in the news lately. The past election featured them often. Barack Obama commented on the bitterness of those who cling to guns and religion. Sarah Palin and the McCain campaign celebrated small town virtues to contrast with “big city elitism” of the Democrats.
To live in a small town is to be connected, and not electronically or digitally. Rather it means to be connected to people in the flesh, to actual places, to land and buildings, to a common past.
Monday, November 24, 2008
That's my flag too and I want it back
R. R. Reno at First Things pointed out this video and song by a British folk (?) band. The band name is "Show of Hands". The song name is "Roots". It is a plea for cultural memory, for a natural memory of story and song against the tidal wave of commercialization. And it is a catchy song ... that always helps.
Reno writes:
This song crashes onto the shore of contemporary multiculturalism like a Cornish storm surge.
The major premise of “Roots” is simple: “Without our stories or our songs / How will we know where we come from?” The minor premise is implied: England now encourages cultural forgetfulness rather than memory. The conclusion: an urgent imperative of cultural renewal that gives this song extraordinary emotional power.
We hear the voice of anger—ready to strike back against the cultural elites who look down on love of place and love of country, assuming that it amounts to a primitive nativism, a reactionary racism, or a weepy nostalgia unwilling to face up to the realities of a global economy. Political correctness be damned: “I’ve lost St. George and the Union Jack / That’s my flag too and I want it back.”
Here are the lyrics :
Now it's been 25 years or more
I've roamed this land from shore to shore
From Tyne to Teign, or Severn to Thames
From moor to vale, from peak to fen
Played in cafes, pubs and bars
I've stood in the street with my own guitar
But I'd be richer than all the rest
If I had a pound for each request
For 'Duelling Banjos', 'American Pie'
It's enough to make you cry
'Rule Britannia', or 'Swing low...'
Are they the only songs we English know?
Seed, bark, flower, fruit
They're never gonna grow without their roots
Branch, stem, shoot
They need roots
After the speeches, when the cake's been cut
The disco's over and the bar is shut
At christening, birthday, wedding or wake
What can we sing 'til the morning breaks
When the Indians, Asians, Afro-Celts
It's in their blood, below their belt
They're playing and dancing all night long
So what have they got right that we've got wrong?
Seed, bark, flower, fruit
They're never gonna grow without their roots
Branch, stem, shoot
They need roots and
Haul away boys, let them go
Out in the wind and the rain and snow
We've lost more than we'll ever know
'Round the rocky shores of England
We need roots
And a minister said his vision of hell
Is three folk singers in a pub near Wales
Well, I've got a vision of urban sprawl
There's pubs where no-one ever sings at all
And everyone stares at a great big screen
Overpaid soccer stars, prancing teens
Australian soap, American rap
Estuary English, baseball caps
And we oughta be ashamed of all we walk
Of the way we look, at the way we talk
Without our stories or our songs
How will we know where we come from?
I've lost St. George and the Union Jack
That's my flag too and I want it back
Seed, bark, flower, fruit
Never gonna grow without their roots
Branch, stem, shoot
We need roots
Haul away boys, let them go
Out in the wind and the rain and snow
We've lost more than we'll ever know
'Round the rocky shores of England
We need roots...
This book looks interesting
Has anybody else read it?
BOOK REVIEW: James Alan Waddell. The Struggle to Reclaim the Liturgy in the Lutheran Church: Adiaphora in Historical, Theological, and Practical Perspective. Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press, 2005. Hardback. 415 pages. $129.95.
Check out the price though!
Here is a review at Lutheran Forum.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
We are fond of wealth and possessions
I am not sure I understand this poem completely but I like it.
Based on Matthew 8:28ff and parallels, the story of the Gadarene demoniacs.
HT: Christopher Orr.
Rabbi, we Gadarenes
Are not ascetics; we are fond of wealth and possessions.
Love, as You call it, we obviate by means
Of the planned release of aggressions.
We have deep faith in propserity.
Soon, it is hoped, we will reach our full potential.
In the light of our gross product, the practice of charity
Is palpably non-essential.
It is true that we go insane;
That for no good reason we are possessed by devils;
That we suffer, despite the amenities which obtain
At all but the lowest levels.
We shall not, however, resign
Our trust in the high-heaped table and the full trough.
If You cannot cure us without destroying our swine,
We had rather You shoved off.
(Richard Wilbur - Matthew VIII,28 ff)
Based on Matthew 8:28ff and parallels, the story of the Gadarene demoniacs.
HT: Christopher Orr.
Rabbi, we Gadarenes
Are not ascetics; we are fond of wealth and possessions.
Love, as You call it, we obviate by means
Of the planned release of aggressions.
We have deep faith in propserity.
Soon, it is hoped, we will reach our full potential.
In the light of our gross product, the practice of charity
Is palpably non-essential.
It is true that we go insane;
That for no good reason we are possessed by devils;
That we suffer, despite the amenities which obtain
At all but the lowest levels.
We shall not, however, resign
Our trust in the high-heaped table and the full trough.
If You cannot cure us without destroying our swine,
We had rather You shoved off.
(Richard Wilbur - Matthew VIII,28 ff)
Friday, November 21, 2008
Alien Theology
Russ Saltzman, former editor of Lutheran Forum Letter, has an interesting piece at First Things on science fiction and what it says about our faith in God. He also touches on the idea that there are other life forms in the galaxy and the idea and that it is only us. Some snippets:
We want to believe there’s Somebody Out There, somebody wiser, stronger, smarter, kinder than ourselves. Surely, in this vast, incomprehensible cosmos there must be other beings selflessly prepared to snatch us out of our troubles. You can hope so. A lot of science fiction is depending on it.
I think a more interesting storyline—but not nearly as exciting—would be the ultimate discovery that we are home alone in the universe. Get familiar with something called the “Rare Earth hypothesis,” and you might be convinced of it. As a hypothesis, Rare Earth has stirred up great opposition from scientists bent on believing that we must have galactic neighbors. It’s almost a matter of faith, because to think that this Earth might be the only earth is just too, well, peculiar.
Ancient theologians had something similar. They talked about the scandal of particularity, the theological speculation that God uses particular times, particular places, and particular people to show himself, and that he uses them in such a way as to create deep perplexity if not outright shock.
We want to believe there’s Somebody Out There, somebody wiser, stronger, smarter, kinder than ourselves. Surely, in this vast, incomprehensible cosmos there must be other beings selflessly prepared to snatch us out of our troubles. You can hope so. A lot of science fiction is depending on it.
I think a more interesting storyline—but not nearly as exciting—would be the ultimate discovery that we are home alone in the universe. Get familiar with something called the “Rare Earth hypothesis,” and you might be convinced of it. As a hypothesis, Rare Earth has stirred up great opposition from scientists bent on believing that we must have galactic neighbors. It’s almost a matter of faith, because to think that this Earth might be the only earth is just too, well, peculiar.
Ancient theologians had something similar. They talked about the scandal of particularity, the theological speculation that God uses particular times, particular places, and particular people to show himself, and that he uses them in such a way as to create deep perplexity if not outright shock.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Timely and hilarious
This clip from Monty Python's Life of Brian is a wonderful parody of much of today's political and gender silliness.
And it still makes me laugh out loud all these years later.
And it still makes me laugh out loud all these years later.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
I dont know why all the trees change in the fall
I have four daughters. This song got to me, I will admit. "The Best Day". Taylor Swift is a very commercial artist, puts out very overproduced pop.
But if you can strip away all that and listen to the song, she is a good songwriter. This is a little saccharine but very well done. The lyrics are down below.
Im five years old
Its getting cold
Ive got
A big coat on
I hear your laugh
And look up smiling at you
And run and run
At the pumpkin patch
The tractor rolls on
The sky is gold
I hug your legs and fall asleep
The whole way home
I dont know why all the trees change in the fall
I know that youre not scared of anything at all
Dont know if Snow Whites house is near or far away
But I know that I had the best day
With you today
Im thirteen now
And dont know how my friends
Could be so mean
I come crying
You hold me tight
And grab the keys
And you drive and drive
Until weve found a town
Far enough away
And we talk and window-shop
Until Ive forgotten all their names
I dont know who Im gonna talk to
Now at school
I know Im laughing on the car ride home with you
Dont know how long its gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day
With you today
I have an excellent father
His strength is making me stronger
God smiles on my little brother
Inside and out
Hes better than nothing
I grew up in a pretty house
And I had space to run
And I had the best days with you
There is a video
I found from back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen
And youre talking to me
Its the edge of princesses and pirate ships
And the seven dwarves
Daddys smart
And youre the prettiest lady in the whole wide world
Now I know why all the trees change in the fall
And you were on my side
Even when I was wrong
And I love you for giving me your eyes
Staying back and watching me shine
And I didnt know if you knew
So Im taking this chance to say
That I had the best day
With you today
But if you can strip away all that and listen to the song, she is a good songwriter. This is a little saccharine but very well done. The lyrics are down below.
Im five years old
Its getting cold
Ive got
A big coat on
I hear your laugh
And look up smiling at you
And run and run
At the pumpkin patch
The tractor rolls on
The sky is gold
I hug your legs and fall asleep
The whole way home
I dont know why all the trees change in the fall
I know that youre not scared of anything at all
Dont know if Snow Whites house is near or far away
But I know that I had the best day
With you today
Im thirteen now
And dont know how my friends
Could be so mean
I come crying
You hold me tight
And grab the keys
And you drive and drive
Until weve found a town
Far enough away
And we talk and window-shop
Until Ive forgotten all their names
I dont know who Im gonna talk to
Now at school
I know Im laughing on the car ride home with you
Dont know how long its gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day
With you today
I have an excellent father
His strength is making me stronger
God smiles on my little brother
Inside and out
Hes better than nothing
I grew up in a pretty house
And I had space to run
And I had the best days with you
There is a video
I found from back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen
And youre talking to me
Its the edge of princesses and pirate ships
And the seven dwarves
Daddys smart
And youre the prettiest lady in the whole wide world
Now I know why all the trees change in the fall
And you were on my side
Even when I was wrong
And I love you for giving me your eyes
Staying back and watching me shine
And I didnt know if you knew
So Im taking this chance to say
That I had the best day
With you today
My feelings exactly ...
The only really good place to buy lumber is at a store where the lumber has already been cut and attached together in the form of furniture, finished, and put inside boxes.
- Dave Barry
- Dave Barry
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Sons of Labor, Dear to Jesus
Anyone know anything about this hymn?
Sons of Labor, Dear to Jesus. Intriguing title and lyrics. Not to worry ... I won't use it in worship but I wonder what its historical setting was. Music by John Stainer.
It was written by Samuel Reynolds Hole 1819-1904. I wonder if it was associated with reform movements in evangelical, Methodist circles in England. Hard to ay.
Anybody know?
Sons of labor, dear to Jesus,
To your homes and work again;
Go with brave hearts back to duty,
Face the peril, bear the pain.
Be your dwellings ne’er so lowly,
Yet remember, by your bed,
That the Son of God most holy
Had not where to lay His head.
Sons of labor, think of Jesus
As you rest your homes within,
Think of that sweet Babe of Mary
In the stable of the inn.
Think how in the sacred story
Jesus took a humble grade,
And the Lord of Life and Glory
Worked with Joseph at His trade.
Sons of labor, pray to Jesus;
Oh, how Jesus prayed for you!
In the moonlight, on the mountain,
Where the shimmering olives grew.
When you rise up at the dawning,
Ere in toil you wend your way,
Pray, as He prayed, in the morning,
Long before the break of day.
Sons of labor, be like Jesus,
Undefilèd, chaste, and pure;
And, though Satan tempt you sorely,
By His grace you shall endure.
Husband, father, son and brother,
Be ye gentle, just and true—
Be ye kind to one another,
As the Lord is kind to you.
Sons of labor, seek for Jesus,
Where He tells you ye shall find,
In the children, ’mid the mourners,
In the sick, poor, lame and blind—
“Search the Scriptures,” He entreats you,
“For of Me they testify”;
Love His altar, where He meets you,
Saying, “Fear not—It is I.”
Sons of labor, go to Jesus,
In your sorrow, shame and loss;
He is nearest, you are dearest,
When you bravely bear His cross.
Go to Him, who died to save you,
And is still the sinner’s Friend;
And the great love, which forgave you,
Will forgive you to the end.
Sons of labor, live for Jesus,
Be your work your worship, too;
In His Name, and to His glory,
Do whate’er you find to do;
Till this night of sin and sorrow
Be for ever overpast;
And we see the golden morrow,
Home with Jesus, home at last!
Sons of Labor, Dear to Jesus. Intriguing title and lyrics. Not to worry ... I won't use it in worship but I wonder what its historical setting was. Music by John Stainer.
It was written by Samuel Reynolds Hole 1819-1904. I wonder if it was associated with reform movements in evangelical, Methodist circles in England. Hard to ay.
Anybody know?
Sons of labor, dear to Jesus,
To your homes and work again;
Go with brave hearts back to duty,
Face the peril, bear the pain.
Be your dwellings ne’er so lowly,
Yet remember, by your bed,
That the Son of God most holy
Had not where to lay His head.
Sons of labor, think of Jesus
As you rest your homes within,
Think of that sweet Babe of Mary
In the stable of the inn.
Think how in the sacred story
Jesus took a humble grade,
And the Lord of Life and Glory
Worked with Joseph at His trade.
Sons of labor, pray to Jesus;
Oh, how Jesus prayed for you!
In the moonlight, on the mountain,
Where the shimmering olives grew.
When you rise up at the dawning,
Ere in toil you wend your way,
Pray, as He prayed, in the morning,
Long before the break of day.
Sons of labor, be like Jesus,
Undefilèd, chaste, and pure;
And, though Satan tempt you sorely,
By His grace you shall endure.
Husband, father, son and brother,
Be ye gentle, just and true—
Be ye kind to one another,
As the Lord is kind to you.
Sons of labor, seek for Jesus,
Where He tells you ye shall find,
In the children, ’mid the mourners,
In the sick, poor, lame and blind—
“Search the Scriptures,” He entreats you,
“For of Me they testify”;
Love His altar, where He meets you,
Saying, “Fear not—It is I.”
Sons of labor, go to Jesus,
In your sorrow, shame and loss;
He is nearest, you are dearest,
When you bravely bear His cross.
Go to Him, who died to save you,
And is still the sinner’s Friend;
And the great love, which forgave you,
Will forgive you to the end.
Sons of labor, live for Jesus,
Be your work your worship, too;
In His Name, and to His glory,
Do whate’er you find to do;
Till this night of sin and sorrow
Be for ever overpast;
And we see the golden morrow,
Home with Jesus, home at last!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
4.5 theses on rock and roll
I think about these things way too much ...
1. Great rock and roll is not produced by teenagers but about teenagers.
2. Age per se does not ruin rock songwriting, rather self consciousness does.
3. The feeling that rock is dead or dying is a constant in rock history and spurs its continual rebirth.
4. Love songs in the rock tradition are best understood as existential, spiritual laments. (See Ephesians 5:32).
4.5 Paul McCartney was, by far, the worst Beatle.
1. Great rock and roll is not produced by teenagers but about teenagers.
2. Age per se does not ruin rock songwriting, rather self consciousness does.
3. The feeling that rock is dead or dying is a constant in rock history and spurs its continual rebirth.
4. Love songs in the rock tradition are best understood as existential, spiritual laments. (See Ephesians 5:32).
4.5 Paul McCartney was, by far, the worst Beatle.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Clergy rated Americas happiest workers
I bet you thought that headline was an Onion article. Its not.
After all we hear about burnout, stress and unhappiness this comes along. Turns out the ministry is a pretty good gig. While there is a reality in all those things, there must a be a big middle ground of contented folks.
Where Do America's Happiest People Work?
I guess we are happier than we think.
Career isn't the only factor in determining someone's overall happiness, but it's certainly a major contributor. So, what kind of jobs do the happiest people in the U.S. have? And, what about these jobs contributes to overall happiness in life? A University of Chicago study, "Job Satisfaction in the United States," offers some insight.
The study says the occupations where people report being happy overall, not just in terms of job satisfaction, involve helping others, technical and scientific expertise, or creativity.
Tom W. Smith, director of the General Social Survey at the National Opinion Research Center at UC, elaborates: "Happiness is determined by how much satisfaction you get from all domains of life, and work is an important domain, so it's one of the major components of overall happiness."
According to the study, the top occupations in general happiness are:
1. Clergy
Job Description: Conduct religious worship and perform spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination.
Very happy: 67.2%
Median salary*: $44,102
2. Firefighters
Job Description: Control and extinguish fires, protect life and property and conduct rescue efforts.
Very happy: 57.2%
Median salary: $45,553
3. Transportation, ticket, and reservation agents such as travel agents
Job Description: Travel agents plan and sell transportation and accommodations for travel agency customers.
Very happy: 56.5%
Median hourly rate (travel agents): $14.23
4. Architects
Job Description: Plan and design structures, such as private residences, office buildings, theaters, factories, and other structural property.
Very happy: 53.5%
Median salary: $54,079
5. Special education teachers
Job Description: Teach school subjects to educationally and physically handicapped students.
Very happy: 52.6%
Median salary (preschool, kindergarten or elementary school): $41,344
Median salary (secondary school): $43,060
6. Actors and directors
Job Description: Actors play parts in stage, television, radio, video, or motion picture productions for entertainment, information, or instruction.
Very happy: 51.0%
Salary varies greatly
7. Science technicians
Job Description: Use principles and theories of science and mathematics to solve problems in research and development, and to help invent and improve products and processes.
Very happy: 51.0%
Median salary (research scientists): $72,435
8. Miscellaneous mechanical and repairing occupations
Job Description: Automotive service technicians and mechanics diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
Very happy: 53.6%**
Median hourly rate (mechanics/auto tune up): $15.26
9. Industrial engineers
Job Description: Design, develop, test, and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production processes.
Very happy: 48.4%
Median salary: $61,729
10. Airline pilots and navigators
Job Description: Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers pilot and navigate the flight of multi-engine aircraft in regularly scheduled service for transport of passengers and cargo.
Very happy: 49.1%
Median hourly rate (airline pilots, copilots, or flight engineers): $63
After all we hear about burnout, stress and unhappiness this comes along. Turns out the ministry is a pretty good gig. While there is a reality in all those things, there must a be a big middle ground of contented folks.
Where Do America's Happiest People Work?
I guess we are happier than we think.
Career isn't the only factor in determining someone's overall happiness, but it's certainly a major contributor. So, what kind of jobs do the happiest people in the U.S. have? And, what about these jobs contributes to overall happiness in life? A University of Chicago study, "Job Satisfaction in the United States," offers some insight.
The study says the occupations where people report being happy overall, not just in terms of job satisfaction, involve helping others, technical and scientific expertise, or creativity.
Tom W. Smith, director of the General Social Survey at the National Opinion Research Center at UC, elaborates: "Happiness is determined by how much satisfaction you get from all domains of life, and work is an important domain, so it's one of the major components of overall happiness."
According to the study, the top occupations in general happiness are:
1. Clergy
Job Description: Conduct religious worship and perform spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination.
Very happy: 67.2%
Median salary*: $44,102
2. Firefighters
Job Description: Control and extinguish fires, protect life and property and conduct rescue efforts.
Very happy: 57.2%
Median salary: $45,553
3. Transportation, ticket, and reservation agents such as travel agents
Job Description: Travel agents plan and sell transportation and accommodations for travel agency customers.
Very happy: 56.5%
Median hourly rate (travel agents): $14.23
4. Architects
Job Description: Plan and design structures, such as private residences, office buildings, theaters, factories, and other structural property.
Very happy: 53.5%
Median salary: $54,079
5. Special education teachers
Job Description: Teach school subjects to educationally and physically handicapped students.
Very happy: 52.6%
Median salary (preschool, kindergarten or elementary school): $41,344
Median salary (secondary school): $43,060
6. Actors and directors
Job Description: Actors play parts in stage, television, radio, video, or motion picture productions for entertainment, information, or instruction.
Very happy: 51.0%
Salary varies greatly
7. Science technicians
Job Description: Use principles and theories of science and mathematics to solve problems in research and development, and to help invent and improve products and processes.
Very happy: 51.0%
Median salary (research scientists): $72,435
8. Miscellaneous mechanical and repairing occupations
Job Description: Automotive service technicians and mechanics diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
Very happy: 53.6%**
Median hourly rate (mechanics/auto tune up): $15.26
9. Industrial engineers
Job Description: Design, develop, test, and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production processes.
Very happy: 48.4%
Median salary: $61,729
10. Airline pilots and navigators
Job Description: Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers pilot and navigate the flight of multi-engine aircraft in regularly scheduled service for transport of passengers and cargo.
Very happy: 49.1%
Median hourly rate (airline pilots, copilots, or flight engineers): $63
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Quotable quotes
(Alert, I think I have blogged about this previously ...)
When I was a kid, we would go visit my grandmother in Houston. She subscribed to Readers Digest and kept them all on shelves in a spare bedroom. I would spend many nerdy hours pulling them off the shelf one by one and copying my favorites in notebooks.
Needless to say I love a concise sentence packed with a barb or a lesson. Online sites deliver many many quotes these days. Here are two I saw today.
Conscience is what makes a boy tell his mother before his sister does.
- Evan Esar
When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them.
- Rodney Dangerfield
When I was a kid, we would go visit my grandmother in Houston. She subscribed to Readers Digest and kept them all on shelves in a spare bedroom. I would spend many nerdy hours pulling them off the shelf one by one and copying my favorites in notebooks.
Needless to say I love a concise sentence packed with a barb or a lesson. Online sites deliver many many quotes these days. Here are two I saw today.
Conscience is what makes a boy tell his mother before his sister does.
- Evan Esar
When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them.
- Rodney Dangerfield
Friday, November 07, 2008
True readiness
True readiness for the Lord does not mean holding fast to the expectation that he must come "shortly," but it means taking into consideration the possibility that he "delays".
--Linneman, Parables, p. 127. Cited in Davies and Allison, Matthew 19-28, p. 397.
--Linneman, Parables, p. 127. Cited in Davies and Allison, Matthew 19-28, p. 397.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Hymn for Election Day
Praise the Almighty
By: Johann D. Herrnschmidt
Praise the Almighty, my soul, adore him!
Yes, I will laud him until death;
With songs and anthems I come before him
As long as he allows me breath.
From him my life and all things came;
Bless, O my soul, his holy name.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Trust not in rulers; they are but mortal;
Earth-born they are and soon decay.
Vain are their counsels at life’s last portal,
When the dark grave engulfs its prey.
Since mortals can no help afford,
Place all your trust in Christ, our Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia!
And you may sing it with this accompaniment.
By: Johann D. Herrnschmidt
Praise the Almighty, my soul, adore him!
Yes, I will laud him until death;
With songs and anthems I come before him
As long as he allows me breath.
From him my life and all things came;
Bless, O my soul, his holy name.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Trust not in rulers; they are but mortal;
Earth-born they are and soon decay.
Vain are their counsels at life’s last portal,
When the dark grave engulfs its prey.
Since mortals can no help afford,
Place all your trust in Christ, our Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia!
And you may sing it with this accompaniment.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Old photos, Easter and nostalgia
The passing of time is nothing other than the experience of death. Loss and memory and longing are a form of the grave. This is why the resurrection of Jesus is about more than just going to heaven. Death is not a moment one encounters at the end of life. It is a condition one lives in. Mortality, the condition of being subject to death, pervades our creaturely existence. The Incarnation and the divine/human victory over death and the sharing of it with humanity in the church is the answer to nostalgia, ennui and all manner of sin.
All that from a daily comic strip.
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