Friday Five: Time for Palms

Can you believe Daylight Savings Time is here already? It's hard to get used to the new, earlier onset. My family has been getting up and out a little late and a little sleepy in the mornings.

And can you believe that in two days it will be Palm Sunday for Western Christians? Our Lent is almost over, while our Orthodox sisters and brothers, whose liturgical year follows the older Julian calendar, are just starting theirs. Nicholas did a recent book report on George Washington, and we were surprised to find out that our first President's birthday was originally Feb. 11, since he was born just before the change to the Gregorian calendar. Apparently the change almost caused rioting, as some indignant people were sure that they were being cheated out of eleven days of their lives!

To help you adjust--and enjoy the process--here's a Friday Five about time and transitions....

1. If you could travel to any historical time period, which would it be, and why?

I’ve often thought how incredible it would be to travel back to the days before the Europeans began their westward expansion in my native American Great Plains (think Nebraska, the Dakotas and Kansas). To see those rolling hills and sweeping prairies without a highway or telephone pole in sight would have been utterly magnificent, not to mention meeting the native dwellers before my American ancestors cheated them out of their lands and dignity.

I’d also love to go back to Wittenberg, Saxony, circa 1517 or so. See “der richtig Mensch” teach and preach and post the 95 Theses on the community bulletin board. Drink Katie’s beer. You know, Luther stuff.

2. What futuristic/science fiction development would you most like to see?

Flying cars. DEFINITELY flying cars. Which run on hydrogen batteries and drive themselves on longer trips, of course.

3. Which do you enjoy more: remembering the past, or dreaming for the future?

Honestly, I’m a past dweller, but I also like to try to make memories worth remembering, if that makes any sense whatsoever. I mean, what’s so fun about remembering the boring stuff?

4. What do you find most memorable about this year's Lent?

Celebrating with a new group of folks, but doing some of the same stuff: Holden Evening Prayer on Wednesday nights, talking about the disciplines we’ve taken on, etc. It’s been interesting.

5. How will you spend your time during this upcoming Holy Week? What part do you look forward to most?

Since it’s spring break on the Iowa State campus, I’m not preaching this Sunday; I’ll actually be on a trip with a few of our students. I think I’m looking forward most to celebrating Holy Week with my family for the first time in several years – and I don’t know when that’ll happen again, so I plan to take advantage of it as much as I can.