She made it!

[rolanni]

I have successfully completed a week of Regular Employment. Nothing blew up and nobody died.

Let there be dancing and disportment!

...or anyway, pizza and wine.

We drove past the local Big Box Evangelical Church on the way home -- the one that used to be a four-screen movie theater, the purchase of which gained the church not only Huge Amounts of Room for the congregation and the school and whatever else they do, but also the old movie marquee showing two faces to the busiest road in the area, right across from the single most popular supermarket in the Waterville-Oakland Megalopolis.

The pastor makes good use of his billboard, changing the witty religious slogan every week; sometimes twice. Mostly, they're pretty bad -- the congregation really ought to buy the pastor a subscription to the high-end quote service -- but today's was...infuriating.

The message?

If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans

Yanno, I don't think I care to honor a deity that despises me and my petty little mudperson life. Of course, I made that choice years ago, so for me it's nothing more than a couple minute's irritation. I do, however, wonder at the people who think that message is OK. Who needs a god who is nothing more or less than a schoolyard bully? Worse, why encourage him/her/it/they?

Anybody here besides kinzel seen The Time Bandits? The scene where they're in Valhalla and the Gods are disporting and make life miserable for the servants? (that was Time Bandits, wasn't it? Where the gods are all squabbling six year olds -- who happen to be able to blast you out of existence if you piss them off?)

Sigh...

In more pleasant news, Fledgling is now funded through Chapter 16, which will be posted on May 14. You guys are really keeping the pressure on!

Remember: Monday at noon EST? The first chapter of Fledgling will be posted! I'm excited, and hoping you're the same. If you're planning to read along, why not check out theo_waitley and fledgling_tease?

This weekend will be a Working Weekend, for sure.

In the meantime: More pizza!

Comments

[gryphonlsb.livejournal.com]

The scene where they're in Valhalla and the Gods are disporting and make life miserable for the servants? (that was Time Bandits, wasn't it? Where the gods are all squabbling six year olds -- who happen to be able to blast you out of existence if you piss them off?)

I Think thats from Erik the Viking (but Im not sure) where they end up and all the gods are children. Only god I remember in TB was the guy in the suit.

[mardott.livejournal.com]

It's so sad - these pathetic little christians running around without a CLUE what they are saying! I do so wish they could step back and HEAR themselves!

I'm going to get some Mexican food. Congrats on the first week of employment! Y'all have a great weekend!

[topayz4.livejournal.com]

I don't know about Time Bandits, but I know there were squabbling child Valhalla gods in Erik the Viking. Its one of my guilty pleasure movies :D I'm laughing just thinking about it.

[(Anonymous)]

I don't know ... I've enjoyed that one. I can see why it would be offensive if you took it in the schoolyard bully way, and I feel that way about God myself some days. But usually I take that saying as more like the rueful amusement you might share with a long time partner, looking back at the path you once thought your lives would take, compared to what really happened - "boy, THAT's not what we planned." (Sometimes, though not always, followed by, "and a darned good thing, too.")

OtterB, lurker, Liaden fan, and Christian of the Catholic variety

[(Anonymous)]

As a long-time attendee of that sort of church, I'm pretty sure what was intended by that quote wasn't "Hee-hee, such fun tearing wings off flies!" but something more along the lines of "God, who after all was your designer and creator, has more insight into what will make you happy, improve your character, and situate you to best promote peace on earth, than you do with your present limited vision." As evidence: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jer. 29:11

Course, without the backstory, I'd interpret that marquee the same way you did. And there's plenty of SF from that perspective; was it Heinlein where we were all some bratty kid's science project?

I was very pleased just before Christmas to sell a copy of "Partners" to a lady who was plotting to hook her nephew so she'd have someone to talk Liaden to. Sometimes it's fun working at the bookstore.

ricemom13, who hooked her own daughter-in-law

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jer. 29:11

Aha! You're correct, as writing teaches us: Context is everything. I'd guess then that what the pastor needs to realize is that not everybody who passes the outside sign knows the backstory, and if the purpose of the quotes is to entice folks to come in and check out the church, he can't depend on in-jokes to get his point across.

I was very pleased just before Christmas to sell a copy of "Partners" to a lady who was plotting to hook her nephew so she'd have someone to talk Liaden to.

LOL!

ricemom13, who hooked her own daughter-in-law

Thank you!

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

That's right -- Erik the Viking. Duh. Years ago, we made the mistake of renting Time Bandits and Erik... and watching them back-to-back, thereby guaranteeing that I would forever conflate the two...

[gryphonlsb.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, thats an amazing double feature

I love the The Cloak Invisible (and I need to get the Crit Coll Time Bandits some day)

[barsukthom.livejournal.com]

What made me groan years back was the Idiot bumper sticker,
"Yo quiero Jesus!"
Su no hables espanol, eh?

[scaleslea.livejournal.com]

Nice icon.

Doc