On my way to Vilnius

This is where I'll be staying, the Reval Hotel Lietuva. I will attend a NATO Research and Technology Organization Applied Vehicle Technology panel.

Never dreamed I'd have the opportunity to go there. I will do my best to make it a journey.

Below is a view of central Vilnius from the clock tower.

Famous Lithuanians

The scholar Maria Gimbutas was from Lithuania.

Vilna Gaon was a famous rabbi of the 18 th century in Vilnius.

The Three Stooges' dad was from Kaunas and their mom was from Vilnius.

Other Americans of Lithuanian Heritage: Charles Bronson, Monica Lewinsky, Al Jolson.

Map of Lithuania

Lithuania - Looking Forward to the Journey

Never dreamed I'd have a the opportunity to travel to Lithuania. On Friday I'm scheduled to travel to a NATO workshop in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The Lithuanian language is the language which is most like the original Indo-European tongue from which most European languages have descended. This includes the Romance, Germanic, Celtic, Slavic, Indo-Aryan language groups as well as a number of extinct ones like Hittite and Tocharian. Lithuanian along with Latvian and an extinct Prussian belong to the Baltic group. You might be surprized to learn that Lithuanian preserves a complexity similar to its cousin, Sanskrit, you know, the tongue in which so many Indian scriptures are preserved.

Thought for the Day

Thanks to Richard's Experimental Theology blog, here is a good thought.


"I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand them." Spinoza

Depth of the Universe

From the Book of Thomas the Contender, an uneven, ascetic, definitely gnostic text from the Nag Hammadi library. (note: this is not the Gospel of Thomas)

The Saviour said, "Brother Thomas, while you still have time in the world, listen to me and I shall explain what you have been reflecting upon in your mind. Since it is said that you are my twin and my true friend, examine yourself and understand who you are, how you live, and what will become of you. Since you are called my brother, you should not be ignorant about yoursef. I know you understand some things, for already you understand that I am the knowledge of truth. While you are walking with me, though you are ignorant of other things, already you have obtained knowledge and you will be described as one who knows self. For whoever does not know self does not know anything, but whoever knows self already has acquired knowledge about the depth of the universe."

What strikes me here, and it may even be an accident of words used to translate, is that we must know ourselves in order to understand our universe. We cannot know the physical world alone and truly have knowledge about the depths of the universe.

This was called to mind as I was reading some marvelous posts by Richard Beck over at Experimental Theology.

What Does It Mean To Feel The Presence of God?

From Wade Hodges blog:

What if a scientist told you that atoms exist? Would you believe him, even though you have never seen an atom yourself? What if he told you he could teach you how to manipulate atoms in order to release incredible amounts of energy into the world? If this is something you wanted to do, would you do what he told you to do?

What if someone told you that they consistently experience the felt presence of God? Would you believe him, even if you had never felt the presence of God yourself? What if he told you he could teach you how to structure your life in such a way that you could experience presence of God in the same way and release all kind of spiritual energy into your life?

There' more Continue reading here

One reason that my heritage is the Church of Christ is that my great-grandfather was unable, despite encouragement from his Baptist brothers, to “feel the spirit” so he could get saved. He said that he tried. Later, he found that the CofC didn’t require this and he found a spiritual home there. So, it has been my family's religious heritage as well as my innate personality that has rendered me suspicious of these kinds of feelings.

What does it mean to feel the presence of God? I've been trained not to trust my emotions. What is it I am supposed to feel?

Day trip to DC

I got up at 4 am Wednesday morning for a 6 am flight to DC by way of Cincinnatti. Things went fine. Enjoyed the Metro ride from Reagan Airport to the Convention Center where I gave a talk. The return flights were otherwise. Arrived late to Atlanta but, nevermind, the plane to Knoxville lost its radar. Eventually they found another plane. We were the last flight to leave Atlanta that night, around 1 am. They had to fly around an extra half hour because the plane they had found had too much fuel and it had to be used up. Got to bed at 3 am. What a day.

I'd do it again though. Ran into a fellow employee who works at the High Flux Isotope Reactor and enjoyed hearing of his travel adventures. I read some in a fascinating book God and the New Physics. Rather than the parts about God, the sections of most interest and value to me are the discussions of consciouness and the self, the mind-body problem.

Next trip: Vilnius, Lithuania.

Spiritual Meaning of our Animal Friends Part 2

"There is a profound, inescapable need for animals that is in all people everywhere, an urge for which no substitute exists."

"... animals are used in the growth and development of the human person."

"...animals have critical role in shaping personal identity and social consciousness."

" basic to the development of speech and thought"

" indispensible to our becoming human in the fullest sense"

"By identifying with a number of animals in turn, the child discovers a common ground with other beings..." .. "By pretending that animals speak to one another, he imposes on them a pseudo-humanity which ... is the glue of real kinship."

From the article by Paul Shepard "The Ark of the Mind" p54 of Parabola VIII #2, 1983.


I thought these quotes were interesting.

Tradition - What Good is It?

Hermit Greg made this marvelous quote in a discussion about the issue of using powerpoint in worship.

Not to know tradition is to be trapped in it, to be used by it, never to discover that it holds no knowledge of the ineffable God in itself. Tradition cannot be stepped outside of, but its workings can be learned, its gears and levers pried loose. The goal of becoming grounded in tradition is to learn to drive it so that it doesn’t drive us. To say as much is to show my Protestant colors, I know, and I also know it is to do so at the expense of my Restoration flag. So be it.


(Also see J. Wiser's blog post Laborious Powerpointus)