The Fluidity of American Religious Affiliations

A recent study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows that more than 40% of Americans are willing to, or have already, switched away from their childhood faith. Furthermore, Americans are showing less and less affiliation with Protestant and Catholic churches altogether. Oregon is being called the "most secular state in the union" because of a significant rise in those "unaffiliated" with a church or religious traditinon altogether. The percentage of Oregonians who are "unaffiliated" is recorded as 27% compared to a national average of 16%.

You can read the NPR story, Brian McLaren's perspective (on Jim Wallis' blog), and interact with the results yourself at the Pew Forum website.

So why is this the trend and what can (or should) be done about it?

Proof, for you Doubters

Proof that I can stand on a long board and sweep my bangs out of my eyes at the same time...

And, proof that I can look like a surfer on a long board.

I swear, I really can ride this thing!

Not for the faint of heart

Long boarding and this post are not for the faint of heart.

Tim and I went long boarding yesterday evening before dinner. He decided that it was time to actually go on a ride, instead of just riding around in the Autzen parking lot. So, we started out and rode down one of the bike trails. Tim is much faster than I am, so he boarded ahead while I dallied behind, enjoying myself, but trying to push myself a bit faster beyond my comfort zone so I could keep up. We came to the foot bridge that crosses the Willamette River and stopped halfway across to rest on a bench there. We talked and gazed at the rushing water for a few minutes. Before we took off again, Tim warned me that the bridge had a pretty good slope to it, so I would pick up quite a bit of speed coming down the other side. On top of that, there was a lip at the bottom of the bridge that would require me to lean back and keep my weight on my back foot to keep from crashing. All that I could handle - I thought...

Tim had been a careful teacher - warning me of what was to come but letting me test my limits so that I could get better at boarding.

The problem is, my board is pretty wobbly (it's supposed to lean side to side so that I can turn, but I'm still not stable on it yet). And Tim forgot to mention that when one gets going fairly fast, one can get what is called "speed wobbles" a perfectly descriptive name for what happened to me as I came down the slope of the bridge. I managed to get over the lip at the bottom of the bridge, but the speed wobbles took over and sent my board into the bark dusted shrub area beside the concrete bike path. Naturally, physics took over and as my board slammed to a halt, I flew off the front of it onto the concrete in front of me, doing my best to tuck and roll and avoid serious injury.

I managed not to hurt myself too badly. I hit my hip, tore a button off my pea coat (not a very "skater" thing to wear), and cut up my hand enough to make it bleed. My first long board crash. Hopefully the first of only a few. (I won't kid myself and think that's the only crash in my future.)

So, I learned that long boarding is not for the faint of heart. Last night's crash hurt. And today my calf muscles aren't sure why I'm torturing them so, but it sure is fun riding my Valentine's Day board around with Tim in our recent Eugene SUN!

Two Germans and a Longboard

Last night Tim and I had the opportunity to hang out with Dirk, one of Grenzebach's German interns who has been here in the US for the last 5 months, and Hendrick a friend of his. We met them at the North Bank McMenamin's for dinner, and had a great time talking with them about where we all grew up, what it was like etc. Dirk is 27, and is studying to be a Mechanical Engineer - which is what he has been doing with Grenzebach (the company I work for) for the last few months in Newnan, Georgia.

At one point during dinner I mentioned that for Valentine's Day Tim had gotten me a longboard and skate shoes (see pictures below) so that we can go longboarding together! I know, we kinda jumped the gun, but we got the board and shoes yesterday rather than waiting for Thursday.

I'm pretty excited about being able to go boarding with Tim now that the weather is getting a bit warmer and more sunny. I also love how stylish my board is, and how the shoes go back to my Scottish roots with the red tartan accents that match my board. :)

Anyway, I mentioned the long board and Dirk told us that he does street luge in Germany, which is somewhat similar to longboarding, except you're laying down. This is him doing what he does:

Pretty fun, eh? He invited us to come to Germany and street luge with him. Sounded like fun to me!

After dinner we were walking out of McMenamin's and Tim and I both stopped at the basket of mints to snag a few. We offered them to Dirk and Hendrick, but they declined. Dirk said: "I don't understand why you guys have those all over the place here." I replied: "Well, it's for after dinner - it settles the stomach." He immediately and very mater-of-factly said: "Oh, we have Schnapps for that." Tim and I both laughed so hard we nearly cried!

We decided to take the longboards out for a spin with the boys, so we headed to Autzen Stadium and boarded around for a while. Then ended up in our living room learning all sorts of interesting facts from Dirk and Hendrick.

We learned:
-That in Germany Dirk and Hendrick were required to either go into the Army for 10 months or do a year of civil service. They both chose the Army, but were quick to explain that it was not like our army - their army is like a "fun army". There are a few drills at the beginning, but that's all. Besides, after WWII Germany can only have a defensive army; they cannot attack another country. Dirk found it odd that some US leaders have wanted Germany to help attack Afghanistan, even though we were the ones who helped restrict them to begin with.
- That German news is different from American news. Each German has to pay a fee per TV or radio they own, and that money funds public news channels and stations. One of those TV news stations is Germany's most-watched news because there is no one telling the newscasters what to say or report - the news is not tampered with. Dirk and Hendrick said they felt like the US news is more like a movie, and German news is more like a documentary.
- How glass is made. One part of what Grenzebach does is makes the machinery that makes glass. Dirk told us all about the process - how it is mixed, melted, shaped, scanned for imperfections, cut, stacked etc. It was really quite interesting to learn what that part of the business does.

At the end of the night, Dirk, Hendrick, and I set up our cameras on the bar, set the timers and each took a picture by which to remember the enjoyable evening we had spent together. Dirk hopes to come back to Oregon when he finishes his studies - I certainly hope we will be able to hang out with him again in the future.

Dirk, Hendrick, Me and Tim

Our new place - in pictures

View from the entry - into the Guest Bathroom.
(Guest Bedroom is to the right, the rest of the apartment is to the left.)


Guest Bathroom
When you come to visit, you'll get the great honor of using this room! ;)


Guest Bedroom
When you come visit, you'll get the pleasure of sleeping in this bed!


View from living room, through dining room, into kitchen.


Living room.


Fireplace, and prominent artwork painted and given to us by
Tim's elementary school teacher.


Kitchen with lots of counter and cupboard space.


Hallway from living room past kitchen to front door, guest bedroom and bathroom. Washer and dryer are tucked away to the left in the hallway (yay for the ability to do laundry in our apartment!!)


Master bedroom - nice and large!


Master closet


Master Bathroom

Test Drive

Between church and the Super Bowl yesterday Tim and I decided to stop in at a car dealership to test drive a MINI Cooper S - the car we've been eying for quite some time now. (Isn't it cute!?) And Tim let me take the test drive!! With me at the wheel, the salesman in the passenger seat, and Tim crammed in the back seat, we went for a spin. We knew from the get go that we didn't want to go into debt for the car, but it sure was fun to drive it for a few minutes!

Moving and Snowing

Well, folks, we've gotten completely moved into our new place, in large part due to help from friends and family. We moved on Friday - a beautifully clear, but chilly day. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. It didn't even rain on us! Two of my coworkers brought a race car trailer to haul all of our stuff in and numerous friends helped us move all of our things into the new place. Our moms and two of Tim's siblings came from Eastern Oregon to help us out too! The moms cleaned the old place on Saturday until it shone and completely set up our new kitchen for us - what a blessing! Then we woke up Sunday morning to snow, both on the ground and falling steadily from the sky! This is pretty exciting precipitation for Eugene when such moisture generally falls from the sky in droplets rather than flakes! :) We got about 6 inches by the end of the day yesterday. As I look outside I see it is trying to snow again this morning! I love the snow, but I sure am thankful it held off until Sunday when we were settled in and ready to enjoy it!

Please Tell Me It Isn't So

Is this guy for real?! Christvertising?
Let's commercialize Jesus a little more, shall we?
How about that prosperity gospel!!

New Year - New Post

Ok, so we're well into the new year - 16 days to be precise. But this will still be titled "New Year - New Post". So there! And, yes, I realize it's been 39 days since my last post...

To update ya'll, there have been more changes in the life of Kendra lately:

- I traveled to Newnan, Georgia for a company Christmas party in December and quickly realized that I see no future for myself in this company. They pay me well and I don't have to do much for it, but I'm nearly always bored at work and I feel no desire to stay in the veneer and gypsum industries for any longer than I have to (read: until I can find a more fulfilling job).

- So, I'm currently applying for new jobs! Two of note, both at the University of Oregon and both Office Specialist 1 positions: one at the Law School, and one in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Both sound like great prospects to me since they will allow me to ride the bus to work, give Tim (and I) very cheap tuition for any classes we take, and fantastic state benefits! Also, both jobs are in areas that actually interest me in some way, and there is opportunity for advancement once you get your foot in the door! But I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much 'cause getting a job at the U of O is apparently very difficult - I've yet to even get an interview for any of the jobs I've applied for there!

- Our first married Christmas and New Years was a flurry of activity - traveling to McMinnville, Portland, Baker City, and Weston to see innumerable family members and friends. It was really great to spend time with so many people, but by the end of our holidays it was really good to get home.

- Speaking of home - we're moving to a new home January 25th! Ok, well it's not exactly "new", and it's not exactly a "home" as in "house". It is a newer apartment that is much larger - 2 bed 2 bath to be precise. It is closer to campus so Tim can ride the bus easier (and if I get a job at the U of O we can ride the bus together), and most of our friends live within a block of our new apartment! Also, we are within walking distance of Autzen stadium, so our friends and family who come to the Duck football games can come stay with us (in our GUEST BEDROOM) and walk to avoid the crazy traffic and parking conditions. Not to mention we will be more able to entertain our beloved friends and family! Very fun.

- I discovered something new this year! I took two weeks off for Christmas and New Years and GOT PAID FOR IT!! This is an amazing thing for a person who has never had a full-time job for longer than 3 months during the summer. Paid vacation! Wow! :)

- I've continued my new habit of reading lately. The Time Traveller's Wife and Life of Pi are fantastic (thanks Allyson for the recommendations). My aunt and uncle also gave us a subscription to Relevant the magazine for Christmas. We got our first issue and LOVED it! I read it front to back at work one day.

- If you're laughing about my reading a magazine at work, that's not entirely normal (I mean my reading at work... your laughing would be entirely normal) On Wednesday my work computer died completely and the solution that they came up with at our headquarters in Georgia was to ship me a laptop to hold me over until I got a new computer. But it took them four days to ship me a laptop they had in stock. So, I sat around and read for 4 days rather than taking time off and wasting vacation days.

So, it's a new year full of new changes... though it certainly does not take a new year to bring about change (it does somehow seem appropriate to discuss change as our calendars flip to a new date.) I feel as though the last eight months or so have been crammed full of changes. Bringit on, change... I embrace you fully.

Housewifery and Basketball

Some days I feel much more like a housewife than others.

Last Monday night was certainly not a housewife night. For those of you who had not heard, I reffed my first basketball games Monday night! Both games were seventh grade girls, and they were highly entertaining in a boring game sort of way. *grin* I remember playing ball in seventh grade; we were quite clumsy and unsure of ourselves and these girls were no different. As a referee I had to choose which violations to call, because if we had called every last violation and foul each game could have lasted four hours! In the end I think we did a good job of keeping the game clean enough to be safe and fair, but still allowing the girls to play, learn and have fun. I certainly learned a lot Monday night, and I have a long way to go before I will be a great ref. I had two more games this week (both 8th grade girls) and will have three next week - including my first high school game! The extra income will be greatly appreciated, and I enjoy the job so far! I will be traveling all over Lane County, visiting all sorts of schools and interacting with lots of kids. Hopefully sometime in the near future I will get a picture posted of me in my ref uniform. I've even got the cheesy black ref tennis shoes!

More on point...

Tuesday and Thursday nights Tim works until 10:00 at night and our schedules clash so we don't see each other between our scheduled work times. In an effort to keep myself busy and retain my sanity, some nights I clean while Tim is gone and my friends are busy with their jobs or homework. Keeping myself busy helps me to forget that there are no people around to enjoy, while cleaning sooths my obsessive compulsive neat freak tendencies.

Last Tuesday was one of those evenings that made me feel especially housewife-ish.

In truth, last week's housewife trend began on Sunday when I put up all the Christmas decorations my mom had so thoughtfully delivered to me over Thanksgiving! I played parts of Handel's Messiah and A Charlie Brown Christmas, two holiday classics, while setting up and decorating my little imitation Christmas tree. Miniature white lights and all of the angel ornaments my mom gave to me throughout my childhood Christmases set the mood in our living room for the Christmas season. Tim even joined in and helped me put white rope lights up at the top of our living room walls for that especially cozy Christmas feeling.

This homemaker feeling must have carried over into my usual Tuesday evening housewifery. I spent the whole evening half-watching HGTV while vacuuming every last speck of dirt from our carpeted floors, making four trips to the laundromat in our complex to do all our laundry, ironing each wrinkled item I had just washed, sweeping, mopping, and cleaning up the mess from Christmas decorations. I don't know how moms with full-time jobs (or even without one), bigger houses, and kids get everything done!

Here's to you mothers of the world!

And now I'm putting together our Christmas card/letter to send to family and friends. This strikes me as a very married thing to do. When I asked my friends for their new addresses, some of them took the opportunity to mock me for doing such a "married person" activity. It's all in good fun, of course, but it's also very true!

Life certainly has changed over the last six months for Tim and I. And my perceptions of the world have changed ... part of me is a housewife, and part of me sees the world that way. Next week the businesswoman part of me will need to kick in as I travel to Georgia for a company Christmas party during which time I will meet all my coworkers from our headquarters in Newnan.

I've always liked my life to be random and varied - it keeps me from getting bored. The varying activities of recent months - from homemaking to officiating basketball games - have certainly not allowed me time for boredom!

Make Something Day!

Check this out - and do something constructive rather that destructive on the day after Thanksgiving!

Conspiracy Continued

I realized after my post yesterday that I didn't include any of my very practical ideas for how Tim and I are going to do a "Conspiracy Christmas" and change the world singlehandedly in one worshipful holiday season! Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally) my mom asked for our Christmas "wish lists" with items between $5 and $50 yesterday (Aren't my parents great - not spending too much and keeping a budget so as not to loose the meaning of Christmas!? Neil, they're right up your ally). What a perfect opportunity to make up a list of great world-conscious gifts that bring Christ back into Advent.

Here is the list I sent her:
A donation to the World Vision Child Soldiers Fund to help get children out of their forced soldiering and back to childhood.

A portion of a World Vision deep well to deliver clean water to people who do not have access to it and die from water-born illnesses in mass numbers daily.

Any of the Ten Thousand Villages nativities but especially the Nepal Knotcraft or Manos Amigas Peru ones. Any Ten Thousand Villages purchase is fair trade and helps the artisan who personally produces hand-made products for a living.

A Ten Thousand Villages piece of jewelry or accessories (for the home or person). I particularly like this purse.

The Mennonite Central Committee "Where needed most" fund to help the MCC make a difference in the most desperate situations this Christmas season.

Anything from Invisible Children which will not only help child soldiers get back to childhood, but will help spread the word with apparel and bracelets.

Anything from The ONE campaign to help make poverty history, and again, spread the word.

Amber also suggested hungersite.org which is another great option that fits right into the Conspiracy.


A few reasons why I like these options:
- Each one either produces a tangible, hand made and fair trade gift to give someone, a card that explains what you have given to someone else in need, or a useful tool to spread the word to others about world needs.

- They help us to think beyond ourselves to the very real needs of others.

- They are trustworthy organizations where donated money goes to great uses.

- They have websites that make it easy for anyone anywhere to take part - you don't have to live in a metropolitan area to become a part of this Conspiracy.

So, with these easy and tangible options and creative ones of your own, I encourage you to re-think Advent - the Coming of Christ - and really help Christ "arrive" for others in the form of much needed aid. We can also rethink the other gifts we give to each other - giving relationally, rather than giving "stuff". I promise it will help each of us feel like our Christmas is full of Christ this year.

Church Shopping and Advent Conspiracy

In the past few months Tim and I have been “church shopping” – my term for trying to find a church home. It has been quite a struggle, and one that has really frustrated us at different points in the process. Just when we think we like a church, something really big about their mission or methodology makes it difficult for us to continue attending. There have been several Sunday mornings we've been unable to muster the desire to try out a new church only to be disappointed, or the desire to attend a church with which we have already become disenchanted.
What we seek seems simple, really, but apparently our “demands” are not as simple and attainable as we had thought. We seek a church that desires to incarnate the mission of Christ – not just the spiritual mission of ‘saving souls’, but the very personal earthly mission of saving people from their earthly hell (of poverty, homelessness, alcoholism, broken heartedness, hunger etc.) as well. We seek a church that is not ingrown – not solely focused inwardly – but aims to enter the community and world helping people on every level. Our ideal church would accept people of all walks of life, would be a family for everyone who walks in the door, would not be judgmental but rather genuinely loving and caring. We seek a church similar to my home church back in Weston – a truly welcoming community full of people who don’t expect to only help people who come through the church doors, but actually go out to people where they are and walk alongside them as friends.

Until last week Tim and I were very discouraged about our church search. Last week we attended Norkenzie Christian Church where the pastor preached on Advent Conspiracy. The idea of changing how we celebrate Christmas, intentionally focusing on compassion rather than consumption, has been on my mind and nagging at my heart for a while now. My family has never been extravagant in their celebration of Advent, for which I am very thankful. This Christmas season Tim and I are hoping to make Christmas even more about the least of these for whom Christ entered the world and who still lack life essentials such as clean water, food, a roof over their heads, access to education, medical care, and the means to provide for themselves.

As we have all noticed, Christmas seems to come earlier every year. Of course, it doesn’t actually come any earlier than the year before; we always celebrate Christmas on December 25th and the year hasn’t lost any days recently. But two weeks ago the stores in our area were already completely decked out for the Christmas season - three weeks before Thanksgiving! Is our economy so desperate for holiday extravagance that we have to encourage people to spend crazy amounts of money for two months rather than the customary one? What would happen if instead of spending our usual amounts of holiday cash in stores on gifts that will not last much beyond the holidays, we spent our Christmas cash on those who are in need of life essentials? Giving that bit of help to people who are in need can change their lives. And choosing to give relational gifts to our family and friends rather than the typical items off the sale rack will mean more to everyone involved - and may just bring the Christ back into Christmas.

As we approach Thanksgiving, and the “black Friday” following it, now is the perfect time to reconsider the ways we celebrate the coming of Christ. There is still hope for the least of these if we choose to incarnate Christ’s mission today – by not giving in to the consumerism that our culture has adopted and will be pushing down our throats in all sorts of ways this season - but rather choosing to give to others in the Spirit of Christ’s mission. And there is still hope for Tim and I to find a church home here in Eugene – if Norkenzie Christian Church is truly the community of Christ seekers it seems to be!

What's New??

It's been a while since I've posted, eh? Ok, then. I suppose it's time for an update on life in Eugene.

Recently Tim asked me if I would like to help coach a youth volleyball team. It seems that a woman in his Anatomy and Physiology class is coaching her daughter's volleyball team and she needs an assistant. As I have been trying to find volunteer activities to fill my time, and have been missing volleyball quite a bit as of late, I jumped at the opportunity! So, tomorrow evening I will embark on my first coaching experience. I'll let you know how that goes...

Craigslist has come through for me, yet again! I have not been terribly happy at my job so I've been seeking a new one. Two of them jumped out at me when I searched craigslist.org one day. One is an investigator for the Public Defender Services of Lane County, Inc. This job would entail contacting witnesses and victims of crimes, taking statements, collecting some types of evidence, photographing crime scenes etc. I'm definitely applying for that one - though I have no idea whether I will even be seriously considered. At least in that job I would feel like I was making a difference in people's lives.

The second job I found on craigslist was high school Basketball Officiating! Referees get paid up to $50 or $60 per game plus $1 per mile they drive to and from games! And if you think about it, games are only an hour or two - so that's somewhere between $25 and $60 per hour! I went to the first meeting last night and began training. There is certainly a lot to learn! There are only two rookie females so I am very much in the minority, but I don't mind. I'll just have to prove myself. With my current job, I get off work early enough that I could ref games almost every night of the week if I wanted to. The extra income should help a lot, I'll get good exercise, and I will stay connected to a sport I love. Plus the group of veteran and rookie refs seems to be pretty enjoyable overall. This could be the beginning of a great lifelong activity.

Craigslist also came through for me with selling my computer last week. Tim and I recently bought a MacBook (still can't believe that my Mac-hater husband converted), and we are selling our laptops. I successfully sold mine and am working on selling his. If all goes well, we will recoup almost the full price of the MacBook by reselling our old laptops - thus ridding our apartment of the two unnecessary laptops, simplifying life and chipping into our pocket books. Oh, and I'm also trying to sell my brother's 1959 Chevy restored pickup on craigslist. We'll see how that goes. Anyone wanna buy it for $10,000??? :)

Aside from these new involvements and happenings, I had a fantastic weekend. I got to visit Caris and Maile in Portland Friday night and most of Saturday, during which time we went to see Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, had two GREAT meals, strolled around the Saturday Market in the sun, rode the Max, drank Starbucks hot cocoa, and watched "A Mighty Heart". Then Tim and I watched Kim in the Three Penny Opera Saturday night and spent most of yesterday at home cleaning, making cinnamon rolls, napping, reading "The Story We Find Ourselves In" and watching "Children of Men". Overall, quite a good weekend!

What a JOKE!

This is another e-mail I recently received... I had to laugh at its conclusion!
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VERY INTERESTING -

1. The Garden of Eden was in Iraq.

2. Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq, was the cradle of civilization!

3. Noah built the ark in Iraq.

4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq.

5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq!

6. Isaac's wife Rebekah is from Nahor, which is in Iraq!

7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq.

8. Jonah preached in Nineveh - which is in Iraq.

9. Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel.

10. Amos cried out in Iraq!

11. Babylon, which is in Iraq, destroyed Jerusalem.

12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq!

13. The three Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq (Jesus had been in Iraq also as the fourth person in the Fiery Furnace!)

14. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the "writing on the wall" in Iraq.

15. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq.

16. Ezekiel preached in Iraq.

17. The wise men were from Iraq.

18. Peter preached in Iraq.

19. The "Empire of Man" described in Revelation is called Babylon, which was a city in Iraq!

20. Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible. But do you know which nation is second? It is Iraq! However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible. The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia ... The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers ..

The name Iraq, means country with deep roots. Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible. No other nation, except Israel, has more history and prophecy associated with it than Iraq And also, this is something to think about: Since America is typically represented by an eagle, Saddam should have read up on his Muslim passages... The following verse is from the Koran, (the Islamic Bible) Koran (9:11) - For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; and there was peace.(Note the verse number!) Hmmmmmmm?!

(I will spare you the ending lines of obligatory chain-letter damnation for not forwarding above message…)
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All I really have to say is, this is joke! How ironic that Qur’an 9:11 actually reads:
But if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, they are your brethren in faith; and we make the communications clear for a people who know.