MEGACHURCH

MEGACHURCH:

The term megachurch is the name given to a cluster of very large, mostly Protestant congregations, that share several distinctive characteristics. These churches generally have:

Massive numbers of persons in attendance
A charismatic, authoritative senior minister
A very active 7 day a week congregational community
A multitude of social and outreach ministries,
and a complex differentiated organizational structure

DID YOU EVEN KNOW THAT SUCH A THING EXISTS? WHERE HAVE I BEEN?
These megachurches are sort of big in the news lately because many have decided to cancel services on Christmas Day. The New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia GA. will only offer one of it's usual two services this Christmas Day but offers streaming video of the Sunday service. The senior pastor says "They will have the option if they want to join their family around the computer and worship with us."

J-SCHOOL

Okay, so since I made the decision some weeks back to apply to the Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism, I've started reading the NYTimes. I now know what an insurgent is. I now know who Joseph Pulitzer is, I mean I better - he founded the school after all. I've been working on my essays and I feel stuck. I asked everyone I knew to "describe me," I thought that may help. I'm still stuck. Still looking for the most compelling way to let Columbia know who I am, what I'm about and why those things make me ideally suited for not only their school but a career in journalism. I want to be my generation's Nellie Bly. The process has been fun, reading the Times, learning things I didn't know. This past week, I visited a class at the Columbia J-School. I've started reading The Journalist and the Murderer.
In the past week somethings I've learned:
The significance of this date: December 17, 1903
James Garfield, the 20th President of the U.S. was murdered in office
The main character in Jules Verne's "Around the World is 80 Days" is Phileas Fogg
Nellie Bly travelled the world in 72 Days
The President of Afganistan is Hamid Karzai
The President of Egypt is Hosni Mubarak
The U.N. high commissioner for human right is Louise Arbour
Kofi Annan is the Secretary of the U.N. (okay maybe this was an easy one for most but remember I'm the one who had to look up insurgent)
You see what I'm discovering in this process of trying on being a journalist is that I can't know things like a normally know them, you know? I mean so someone asks you, "who's Kofi Annan?" and your thinking that's easy, "the head of the U.N.!" but like what's his title? right? And is it capitalized? And as I write this I think is that the proper punctuation? U.N.!" You gotta know these things if you are to be a journalist. I love this about me. I love that I got the email addresses of some of the students I meet at the information session for Columbia School of Journalism. I love that one of them informed me of a class that I sat in on. I love that the discussion in Richard Wald's class was about whether it is ever acceptable to lie. I love that I learned about the City News Bureau. I love that I immediately bought The Journalist and the Murderer because Professor Wald recommended it. I love that I know that recommendation has one "c" and two "m's". I even love that I have no idea how to punctuate that. (Okay I just looked in my copy of "Woe is I" and I think it's: two "m"s). YOU SEE THIS KIND OF LEARNING, I'm sort of blown away by it. I love that when I wanted to know the name of the building I was in, I not only looked at the building which was marked Graduate School of Journalism, but I asked a student standing outside, who confirmed that and then added it's referred to as the Journalism Building on maps. As I walked off campus I looked on one of the maps to verify this. Three weeks ago I would never have been this thorough. I think I spent so much of my life afraid of not knowing. Embracing my ignorance is really freeing now instead of worrying about not knowing, and what people will think of me, I use that energy to educate myself. It's fun.

What Distiguishes Us from the Apes

The other day I was riding my bike, which is most festively decorated for the holidays, when a fellow cyclist gave me some sign of approval (don't remember quite what but I think it was pretty hip). He went on to say, “ I think it was Divine who said what distinguishes us from the apes, is the ability to accessorize.” Yeah, my bike is definitely accessorized!

LET IN THE BLUES

Today I woke up early SO MANY things I need do. I’ve been a little blue lately. I’m applying to the Columbia School of Journalism, which is a huge undertaking, my friend Jess says it is courageous. I’ve decided in order to prep for the test Columbia requires you to take, I need to start reading the NY Times. Wow, I’ve got a long way to go. I could barely make it through one article. The fact that I didn’t even REALLY know the meaning of “insurgent” made me think perhaps I’m not the ideal candidate for the kind of “serious journalism” Columbia is looking to impart. And I had a hard time keeping track of the Sunni, Kurds and Shiites. This is Iraq, this is current events 101 and I’m longing for the Post – not good. I guess that’s why Jess said applying to J-School is courageous.

So what’s got me down (besides having made a decision to apply to Journalism School and not being sure it’s the right decision – welcome to my world)? Well, I started paying my bills this morning and realized I’m also sort of in a financial mess. If the financial mess wasn’t enough how about the fundraising solicitations from organizations like Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International which basically point out the atrocities of our world. It’s bad, it’s really bad out there. It makes me cry.

So maybe it’s the Holidays, the state of the world, my financial situation, the fact that I’m not quite sure I know what I’m doing with my life or perhaps that this morning I broke my favorite vintage NYC plate (that I carried on a bike around Quebec for a week) that’s got me down. But being blue is a part of life – let it in, just let it in because keeping that sadness at bay can really wear you out or even make you sick. And if you know me, like I know me, you know it won’t last. I mean how can it - I’m having a party this week with great friends and I’m applying to a top graduate school – how cool is that? And in the end – the only thing that matters is LOVE, especially my undying love for Jon and Olive (if you switch the “o” and the “i” it spells I love).

HONOR ROSA PARKS TODAY

December 1st is the 50th anniversary of Rosa Park's refusal to give up her bus seat.
Take a moment to reflect on this woman's actions
Take a moment to reflect on what you are doing to end injustice in your world.

Consider joining the Troops Out Now Coalition
TODAY THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2005
at Wall Street & Broadway
from 2-6 PM
Honor Rosa Parks by continuing her legacy of struggle on this day of protest
against poverty, racism and war!
BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW
JUSTICE FOR KATRINA SURVIVORS
MONEY FOR JOBS, HEALTHCARE AND HOUSING NOT WAR