PCC News for Tuesday, September 3rd:
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Howdy PCC! Fall's here, sweater time. Sometimes the shorter weeks can feel more frustrating as we don't have the rhythm of the year yet, don't give up. This week is an opportunity to stretch into your classes, make a new friend or two. How can you work as sustainably as possible this week?
As we lean into programming and consistency, perhaps we'll pray for a week of no surprises. Well fine, no surprises except a cupcake. That would be alright.
Our very cool nephew Reilly found a hike that took us to a Studio Ghibli field yesterday. Couldn't believe how big and expansive it gets around Canandaigua, what a day. Hope you got some beautiful Labor Day rest, too.
Tonight! Dinner Dialogue
5:00 - 6:15ish
Schmitt Interfaith Center's Skalny Room
Our first DD! We'll eat yummy Salvatore's pizza and answer the time-honored faith question...
"Uh, what are we doing here?"
Bring a friend and some opinions about faith, it'll be a great chill chance to meet some new folks.
~*~* Christianity is Magic*~*~
Christianity can be a subtle, mystical faith at times. Other times folks decide to take things into their own hands. Let's talk about Christian signage! I went to a college that was wildly un-subtle about divine messaging, maybe you've heard about the "GOD FIRST" signs all over campus; it always used to vex me a bit.
GOD FIRST always had this wild presumptive implication to me. Did other communities put God second? How was I supposed to apply this language to my life? What about brushing teeth and hydrating? I'd put a few tangible things first and always feel a little guilty. God could surely take care of Godself without our boosting or cheerleading. I loved the boldness but the implication didn't make any sense on a rhetorical level.
Faith-based signage got stranger when I moved to NYC after acting school. In my first year in the city I went out to a gay gamer smash bros party at a vodka bar (don't ask) and found this sign on the way home, it knocked me off my socks when I turned onto... I think it was 57th street and 9th ave.
OKAY WOAH SLOW DOWN. Yeah we get it, it's a quote from the book of Numbers. There's something to be said about the nature of sin and the human condition as Christianity correlates to the Buddhist concept of karmic balance in interesting ways. But this verse attribution has NOTHING to do with Christology or Jesus' resurrection. Way different part of the book. Unfair comparison.
And who's the audience for this? All folks sin, is the neon sign-maker presuming they've unlocked some truth about sin that the general NYC public need to know? This one's super Gatsby-ish and symbolic, but again there's just no applicable logic to it.
Maybe Christianity works better on a mystical-relational level and can't be encapsulated by pithy public-facing phrases. Maybe people of faith can do better than making imposing signs and profiting. Who knows... maybe I just haven't found the right signage yet.
Ah wait, there it is. The ideal message. We can pack it up and go home folks, this is perfect.
May we all be mamas who run on Jesus and wine.
Coming Up!
- Drop-in spiritual counseling hours are now a thing! As we get busier it'll be a bit more difficult to meet on the fly on Tuesdays, stop by the SRL Office (right near fireside lounge) between 2:30 and 4:30 every Tuesday to chat about whatever you want. If you find yourself waiting, just knock and let me know you're here. Looking forward to talking and getting to know some of our newbies better.
- As RIT's big fundraising Roar Day approaches at the end of October, I could use some major student support with fundraising so we can keep growing PCC big and strong. Will you shout at me via email or text if you're willing to help?
- On Saturday, September 14th at 3:30 PM at the Little Theater in downtown Roch, PCC IS DOING A FRINGE SHOW! Come check out a 45 minute of a workshop version of a memoir cabaret musical about video games, queer faith, and survival. Never seen those words together? Never have we, ha. This will be an amazing day, can't wait to see you there.
That's it! Blessings for the week ahead, it's a busy one. Can't wait to meet you all, feel free to email me or text @ 714 299 8420 if you want to meet for coffee or lunch during the weeks ahead. Here we go PCC, let's get moving.
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Our email address is: skinsman@ur.rochester.edu
Chaplain Sam can be reached at: 714 299 8420 in case of emergency or for counseling appointments on Tuesdays.
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