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And the Band Played On

"I believe that pluralistic secularism, in the long run, is a more deadly poison than straightforward persecution." - Francis Schaeffer

Could it be that as a culture we are more susceptible to the intellectual attack than the direct attack of traditional persecution? Undoubtedly. Each culture has common threads, but each culture is also unique. One of the unique qualities of our cultures is the lack of direct persecution to the Christian church in our country. But yet, as a country, we are anything but vibrant in our outward belief in the Gospel. So how has this happened if we were not scared into silence?

The long answer is that we have been drawn away by a thousand glittering distractions. The short answer is that we have turned our attention from God to ourselves. Everything has become a tool to grow our pride. As C.S. Lewis pointed out via Uncle Screwtape, we have developed a horror for the Same Old Thing. Everything must be new and exciting. We no longer know how to appreciate sameness, tradition, or something that does not entertain. Everything is old instantly; sometimes before it has even been fully explored. It's no wonder so many people "church hop". It's little wonder people turn from hot to cold faster than if they had been thrown head first into a freezing lake. Perhaps far too many Christians look for the novel and forget the reasons for permanence. God never changes; shall we get bored of him as well? Unfortunately far too often, this endless restlessness gives rise to heretics who gladly offer something "new". And the crowd runs headlong, ignoring the old, often repeated warnings of the Bible.

If you were Satan, would you not find this weapon more affective than traditional persecution to cause the church to become impotent ? It is like a constant drumbeat in the background of our culture. It encourages us to live for ourselves. It tells us to "believe in yourself".

"The men who really believe in themselves are all in lunatic asylums...believing in himself is one of the commonest signs of a rotter. Actors who can't act believe in themselves; and debtors who won't pay. It would be much truer to say that a man will certainly fail, because he believes in himself. Complete self-confidence is not merely a sin; complete self-confidence is a weakness." -G.K. Chesterton

Yet we attempt it anyway; believing in ourselves to our own ruin. Believing in ourselves to the complete exclusion of God. Doing things by the grace and strength of God has no meaning to the one who truly believes in himself. Chesterton was right. An asylum is full of people who whole-heartily believe in themselves. You could not rationally talk them out of their fantasies, because to them they are the essence of reality. But how different is it with us as a culture? How many times do we try the same remedies for the same problems, or argue about the same thing ad infinitum? But we believe in ourselves! Look at all the good that has done us. Believing in ourselves has convinced us that our neighbor will be the one to object to the further cultural rot, not knowing that he is also thinking the same about us. Believing in ourselves has caused us to turn aside when opponents to the Gospel would seek to abolish its reference in any public place. Believing in ourselves has allowed the media industry to transform into the depravity of ancient Greece. Believing in ourselves has bred an entire generation of people who believe they are accountable to no one and everyone else exists to work and benefit them.

Believing in ourselves causes us to forget God. It is time we start to believe again in our Holy and (thankfully!) gracious Lord.

"The poet only asks to get his head into the heavens. It is the logician who seeks to get the heavens into his head. And it is his head that splits. " -G.K. Chesterton

Monotony

"Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we." - G.K. Chesterton

New Clothes for an Emperor

"In passing, we should note this curious mark of our own age: the only absolute allowed is the absolute insistence that there is no absolute." -Francis Schaeffer

Sometimes it seems indeed curious that people would be so willing to create a smoke screen such as this to hide behind. The statement is put thus: "There is no such thing as absolute truth", generally spoken in the most absolute of ways. Yet a glaring contradiction like this is happily accepted and the transparent shield behind which they hide feels adequate to those who created it. The emperor may be naked, but happily so apparently.

If it is not this screen it is usually another. Something, anything to hide from God. But is that not another contradiction? How does one hide from an all knowing God? By pretending he does not exist, or hiding one's face from him and ignoring Him? But what have we accomplished with this? It would seem only to deceive ourselves.

Resisting God is a tiring ordeal as the Hound of Heaven is tireless in his pursuit of us. But grateful we should be that it is He who pursues us and not the other way around! Indeed, we would all be utterly doomed if that were the case. He slowly breaks down our defenses until we find that the greatest freedom comes in surrendering to His will. Another contradiction? Not at all.

"Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. " - John 8:-34-36

Ignoring this truth may be the desire of some, but truly freedom comes from abandoning the road of our own choosing and following Christ and the will and plan God has set before us. No one who speaks these words says so without speaking from experience. I, like many, have tried (and far too often still try far too often!) to go my own way. A terrible fall, flat on my face, is always the result. Sadly it is human nature to often forget these lessons. Yet we have the grace of God to lift us up and set us back on the right path. It is that same grace that found us from our initial wanderings in the dark and introduced us to a new life of freedom in Him.

There is absolute truth after all...and it can be known. Truth does not disappear by pretending it does not exist.

“Whom wilt thou find to love ignoble thee,
Save Me, save only Me?
All which I took from thee I did but take,
Not for thy harms,
But just that thou might’st seek it in My arms.
All which thy child’s mistake
Fancies as lost, I have stored for thee at home:
Rise, clasp My hand, and come!
...
Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest,
I am He Whom thou seekest!
Thou dravest love from thee, who dravest Me.”

"The Hound of Heaven", spoken as the Voice of God to whom he chasest - Francis Thompson

Cé hé mise dhuit, a Dhia?

"When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" - Psalm 8:3-4

In ancient times, time beyond memory, the world was created by a spoken word. That world we now enjoy and have yet to fully discover and discern. Our eyes are not sharp enough to perceive it all; our minds too simple to comprehend it all; our arms to short to grasp it all. We speak of the infinite and know this is seemingly the measurement of the heavens, but do not understand the words we speak. Our universe has a fractal symmetry of a scale barely conceivable; from the sub-microscopic to the galaxies large beyond understanding. These ideas are glimpsed and then instantly lost, like a near-blind man, squinting with effort at the world around him; all is a large blur with small bits coming into focus for the shortest of seconds, like subliminal flashes.

Yet, in all our simpleness, here we stand, the subject of God's love and attention. The entire universe with all its vastness stands to glorify its creator, but somehow God would choose to focus His attention on us. He would choose to love us enough to visit us... and die for us. That thought, beyond all others, seems the hardest to grasp. But we accept it with gladness and gratitude, thankfulness and joy, wonder and quiet reverence.

"If words could fall like rain... and if I had a thousand years, I would still run out of time [to] thank you for the life, thank you for the truth, thank you for the way." - Geoff Moore

Thus, I Give Up the Spear

"And he piled upon the whale's white hump the sum of all the rage and hate felt by his whole race. If his chest had been a cannon he would have shot his heart upon it."
-Moby Dick (paraphrased)

The army crested the hill, letting out a collective sigh of joy. After months upon months of journeying, their destination was finally in site. The trumpets began to blow, announcing their arrival to any and all within earshot. The standard bearers raised their banners higher, the great red and gold crosses flying high. The large siege equipment rumbled behind them, shaking the ground they walked on. Weariness left them as each gripped his sword and spear a little more tightly in anticipation. Jerusalem was now in site.

Often the obsessed focus on things that have little eternal significance. But by definition, obsession cannot easily release its grip on the point of focus. In the middle ages the church's focus on religious places and objects eventually led to the crusades -an armed invasion of Jerusalem and the surrounding Holy Lands. What was the purpose of this? It was rooted in a belief that objects and icons, places and things could bring you closer to God. Where did this belief come from? Certainly not from the one object in their possession of any worth...the Bible. Yet the obsession was real enough, so the armies marched on.

Churches today have similar tendencies, if less militaristic. Some focus on the emotion of the moment, longing for the next high and feeling altogether uncontent without it. But how much of life is spent on a cloud? When Peter, James and John wanted to stay on the mountain of transfiguration, Jesus said that the work was in the valley. They wanted to hang on to the emotion and spiritual high they had experienced. For too many churches, they have traded their knowledge and teaching of how to live a Christ filled life in the real world with the shallow teachings that make them feel good. The tough lessons of Jesus are thus avoided in this emotional form of Christianity.

Other Churches still latch on to material things. Others works. And the list goes on, but Jesus said to obsess over Himself. The rest follows. Obsessions lead to many things, and unless it's the Biblically prescribed form of obsession, the pathway always ends in destruction. Many, many years ago it took the form of the Crusades... none altogether successful even by their own reckoning. It is something to be mindful of as we live our lives and participate in our churches. We must watch for these things early, because as I've already stated, obsession is blinding, and once in the midst of it, it is hard to see anything else.

The Grass is Always Green

Sometimes things can be a matter of perspective. The grass is always greener on the other side. But what about at night? Nothing will look green even in the best moonlight. It doesn't mean it's no longer green though...sometimes it's silver.

"Even in the darkest moments, you can always find something that'll make you smile." - Benjamin Sisko

We can complain about stumbling around at night and how things don't look the same as in the daylight, but sometimes we just need to look up at the stars to regain our perspective. Sometimes no stars can be seen, and it's in those moments we need to simply wait for the dawn. In the midst of the darkness we may think it'll never come, but it always will. Sometimes life is about the hope for things not yet come. Things promised and assured.

"When the dawn seemed forever lost, You showed me Your love in the light of the stars." - Dante's Prayer

Observing the Sun Through the Water

"... because truly to enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself." - Herman Melville

It seems to me that understanding can only be achieved by looking at two things to compare one versus the other. In this we find either similarities or contrasts. It is from this basic framework of understanding that we observe our world and learn. We have come a long way from the day Adam first opened his eyes, but we are prone to error in the way we see things. Too often we believe that we can, and do, exist in ourselves. But how is that possible? Everything must exist because something else created it and sustains it. Sometimes you have to look down to the molecular level, but this is true of all things.
But what of things spiritual? Not surprising, we make the same mistakes here. We know we are made in God's image, but we do not know God. We know we are sinful, but we think too often we do not need a Saviour. Or at least that is how we lives our lives too often. We forget that we cannot exist without God. We forget that our natural yearning to seek a god is built into us by nature of our creation. On one hand we seem to be too flippant when considering things spiritual. It is the chief driver of the world, but how many days do we give it no thought at all. We think we are observing something (the world) when we are really observing something else (the spiritual). Perhaps if we viewed ourselves in relation to our God and Creator our perspective would get a bit clearer. Perhaps we need to realize on a more daily basis that apart from God we could not exist at all.

"Methinks that in looking at things spiritual, we are too much like oysters observing the sun through the water, and thinking that thick water the thinnest of air." - Herman Melville

Who Will Never Change Faces

There are many facets of life that undergo constant and steady change. It seems that every two years brings with it something never conceived of two years prior. Some change is good. Some isn't. It seems nothing is impervious to it though. From every small blade of grass to every large stone mountain. Thoughts and opinions, decisions and consequences, mistakes and corrections. Life is an endless tide of ebb and flow. When you're overwhelmed with cleaning up the flotsam and jetsam, you look up to unexpectedly find a clean tide washing it all away. What then can be relied upon?

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

God never changes. He's the only one that can fully be relied upon in each and every circumstance. Unlike the grass, He is not able to be cut down. Unlike the mountains, He does not erode with time. Unlike people, his thoughts and opinions and attitudes do not change. He brings the seasons of change to our lives without changing Himself. It is He who we cling to like a rock in the storm. And it is that same Rock that we rest upon as we bask in the warmth of the sun.

And that is an encouraging thought.

Once More Unto the Breach

There is always another corner to turn. There is always another surprise waiting. No one can know what tomorrow will bring. But that's part of the fascination, isn't it?...not knowing? There are always new people to meet and another new place to explore. Life is full of newness as God unfolds time quietly in front of us. Discouragement happens, and like much of life we wonder how long the storm may last and whether if tomorrow there will be sun again. Yet somehow there always is. New circumstances, and even new ways of looking at the old in a new light.

What then do we do when we turn a corner and find a challange blocking our path? If it were a blessing we would embrace it. Ought we not do the same with a challange? Too often the challange seems impossible, insurmountable, or just plain hopeless. But God would not have brought us around this particular corner unless He had a reason. He knew the challange was waiting for us even before we could see it ahead, and He chose to lead us this way anyway, the same way He has lead us past countless blessings and other trials in the past. And has He not been a faithful Guide in the past?

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
- Hebrews 10:23

Yet somehow that all gets forgoten with this new road block before us. "This is different," we say. Or, "God will surely lead me down a detore". Perhaps. But should we really be looking for that detore before attempting to surmount the challange? Often detores do not simply lead us away from a particular challange, but away from past blessings as well. We forget that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Too often we look for the most effortless fix. But have we not also considered that a detore may lead to a more challanging trial still? There is always another corner to turn. There is always another surprise waiting. Why not embrace the challange before us now?

This is not done in our own strength, but through Christ. And sometimes he does lead us down detores, but the chief difference is that He leads us, and not we who run. Sometimes this means repeatedly going into each day as though we walk against an endless, pounding storm. But God will renew our strength. We need to simply remember who is our Guide, and who's hand leads us along life's journey. Let us not run from it, but learn how to embrace it.

Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. - Count of Monte Cristo (film)

Selah

I tend to get reflective in the Autumn. It's the small things that seem to matter most in life. The memories of quiet times, happy times, moments of laughter and of good company. A smell perhaps or a sound. Even mistakes made that can be laughed about later. How often is it the grand schemes and plans that matter the most in the end? We get so caught up in planning our lives that we pass by or forget what truly matters. It helps to remember, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). Simply reflecting on God's goodness and grace and blessing should be enough to quiet us.

Est Flebile

Once large and impressive cathedrals were built by the strong hands of many skilled workers. Designers conspired and workers built to provide the people a place to worship and to construct a structure that was worthy of the God they worshipped. Glasscutters constructed magnificent stained glass windows and the steeples of the buildings reached to the heavens above. Artwork was constructed and painted by some of the best artists the world has ever known. They poured their lives and skill into their work to bring honor to God.

Within the halls of these great cathedrals once rang the beautiful music of Latin song and chants, sung for the honor and glory of God above. The music was crafted for its needed skill in singing, often a capella. It echoed in the massive stone halls with a perfect pitch and strong sound, penetrating every dark corner. The feeling it left was comforting, relaxing, and reflective. Those singers sang out of thankfulness to God for such a salvation... not in seeking it.

What has become of you, o church of the Old World? You have taken the usefulness of tradition and built an empire upon it. Power and prestige have stolen your love for God and your ability to know Him. You look to yourself for your salvation, thinking in cleverness and piety you may pass an infinite abyss in your reach for Heaven. You raise Mary and the saints as equals with God, when there is yet one God. The cathedrals are nought but a shadow and reflection of their former glory. Was this what the Apostles taught when this church was established?

There is much of the Catholic church that is beautiful and awe inspiring. But it is a sad reflection of what once was. I think on the words and teaching of such as Martin Luther and wonder at the necessity of it. How did a church, once founded by Paul and Peter and John and so many Godly men, turn so far from the teaching of the very Bible they claim to treasure? But it is no different than the Pharisees of Jesus' day that had descended from the days of Moses. Tradition becomes greater than the Word of God. Saints stand as equals to Jesus. Working our way for salvation. All heresy to the writings of the Bible and the teachings of Apostles who founded the churches that spread throughout Europe.

Obviously much of the beauty was created while the church was steeped in this tradition, and I am well over a thousand years late in my observations of this. But it is truly a shame to consider and sobering to look at, as the beauty is a reminder of what once was, and a reminder of what could be for the rest of the Christian church. Let those cathedrals never fall, and always stand as a reminder to us... and a warning.

Something Better To Do

There's always lots to do when you own a home. But we are blessed with great family and friends who enjoy helping us. We've only lived in this house for three months, but already so much has been done. And not through little effort on our part. However, so much of it wouldn't have gotten done without the kind assistance of our family and friends. Everything from helping us move, to lending us equipment, to volunteering time, to electrical assistance, to helping plant new plants, to digging out weeds, to dragging brush, to cutting down trees, to hanging a heavy television, to stacking wood, to transporting furniture or appliances, to many gifts...and the list goes on.

It's truly appreciated and means a great deal to us. We feel blessed beyond measure as we know not everyone has such an array of people in their lives who are as generous. I, for one, enjoy helping people, but I haven't experienced this kind of help in my own life until recently. Not that people wouldn't have done things before, but because living in an apartment doesn't require work or assistance in the non-work. Living in a house gives you something better to do with your time. It keeps you busy; and that is a good thing at times. I'm just glad that people found it worthwhile to help us in our initial period of adjustment.

And I have no doubt that one day we will be given the opportunity to return the favors. Hopefully many times over.

Let Your Words Be Few

"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." -Soren Kierkegaard

Too often we are too quick to speak. We ramble on about things we do not understand, or we speak of matters that we know nothing of. We say things we do not truly mean or intend. Or we say things that we do intend but ought not be spoken. We speak when we should be silent. The consequences of this are endless and altogether destructive and useful for little.

What if our words were fewer than they are? What if we stopped ourselves before speaking and thought about what we were going to say before we said it? What if we chose to not speak about things we didn't understand? What if we thought about the impact our words have on people before it was to late? What if our words were edifying?

"The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly." Proverbs 15:2

I think if we did this, it would go a long way in improving a great many things. Sometimes silence can be a very good thing.

"The wise speak only of what they know " - J.R.R. Tolkien

...When All Other Lights Go Out

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." -Nelson Mandela

The Best Monkey In All the Land

Life at times can be a challenge. Obvious enough. But even while in the darkest moments you can always find something that can make you smile, it doesn't remove the difficulty itself. Yet, I will say that focusing on the positive things will go a long way in keeping one's spirits up. It is expected of us by God.

So what do we do when we find ourselves facing difficult times? I've been asking myself this every day lately. Is my life terribly hard? No. But I've discovered myself in a job that is not suited for me. It has all the aspects of what you might imagine from a job not suited for a person; stress, frustration, burn-out... And lately it's been getting worse by the day. For me, it's a job. But jobs consume the majority of our waking hours. So for me, it's a big deal.

"We're treated like a bunch of monkeys," a coworker commented the other day. It's true. How we're treated has gone down while our workload has gone up. It's not likely to change. In fact, we've been promised it'll continue to get worse. I'd love to move on to a new job tomorrow, but very often in life some things are just out of your control.

Or are they? Sure, I can't give myself a new job or change how management does things, but there are things in my control. My attitude for one (easier said than done sometimes!) and how I approach my job. I may be treated like a monkey... but I will try to be the very best monkey I can be. God expects my best regardless of the circumstances, because ultimately He's brought me to this point. So my response must be to be the best monkey and stand out because of it.

What About Bill?

It is an amazing universe we live in. Despite the insanity created and maintained by us humans that seems never ending, nature knows nothing of it and cares even less. One can easily be absorbed in the mindless squabbling of the world, and while each argument and fight carries its own weight of importance, it is nice to separate from time to time and focus on the other complexities of our surroundings. God created a vast universe both large and small, and the variations in size seems as vast as the quantity of its makeup. From the micro-organisms to the swirling galaxies...from the particles of a rain drop to the fires of the sun. Each is different, endlessly complex and mesmerizing. The world around us can serve as a way to refocus our minds on the creation of God and how we are truely nothing without Him.

This is why I enjoy weather and watching it happen. At my last count, I appear to be the only person hoping that Hurricane Bill pays a visit to New England next week. But that's ok. If it comes, I suppose I'll be the only one to enjoy it. For me it's a chance to experience a piece of the power and wonder of God and the world He created. There are so many things on this world that are powerful beyond imagination. Volcanoes, floods, hurricanes... each, while distructive, are still fascinating to observe. Each is just another piece of the complexities of creation.

Like So Many Dominos

Another domino falls. And another. At what point do people wake from their slumber? At what point do people realize that priorities as a whole have become woefuly skewed? At what point do people realize that their apathy toward God has serious consequences not only for themselves, but to many others around them? At what point do people realize that saying one thing and doing something else was onced called hypocritical, and still is? At what point does realization strike that if people do not seek God then he is not found?

And another...

The consequences build. How much must be lost before people turn back? Is stubborness worth the price? What does it gain?

And another...

It doesn't take much time, only a stubborn and apathetic people. Disarray comes quickly upon those who do not care. Which will be the last? How much will have to be rebuilt? How long will that take? I fear to ask any of these questions.

And another...

Emotional Christianity Revisited

One of the most problematic aspects of emotional Christianity is the lack of learning of actual Biblical doctrine. Far too many churches focus on the feel-good aspects of Christianity at the expense of true teaching of doctrinal Biblical principles and truths. Too many churches are too worried about not offending people, or how many people they can get in the door, or how much tithes are collected. They feel that if they can focus on making people feel good, all those aspects will improve. And who doesn’t like to feel good? And (as I discussed in previous posts) people don’t particularly like to work, and think and learn.

What has become of the hymns with four or five verses with serious depth? Am I saying choruses aren’t correct or are inherently wrong? No. I’m saying that compared to the old Hymns they are anything but equal. It is a small example of some watering down. Without a doubt the choruses are catchier than the hymns. They’re more up to date. Less old fashioned.

But sermons are also extremely important. It is here where there is found the meat. If this is watered down, what is ever learned (short of self-study)? The pastor is charged with teaching and guiding the people of the church. This is not accomplished by simply making them feel good.

There are serious consequences with this approach. One of the most serious is that it breeds ignorance. If one does not know what the Bible teaches or says, or has no understanding of Biblical doctrine, what chance will the person –or community- have of warding off false teaching? There are many ways Satan tries to lead us astray with false teaching. Even veteran pastors having been through seminaries fall prey to this. If this is so, what chance does a churchgoer have if they never learn anything? Well, they’ll be ignorant, but at least they’ll feel good about it.

The Bible says what it says. Often it can and does create an emotional response, but that’s from the depth of the truth as it is understood and realized. But if one is truly learning the Bible there will be a lot that we do not like either. Things that go against our natural inclinations and desires. But that doesn’t matter. It’s still true and demands our attention.

This wave of feel-good teaching is not only shallow. It’s dangerous. It’s so very easy to undermine a church of this nature, because no one knows otherwise. Unless America returns to a truth inspired learning of Biblical teaching, our culture will continue on its course of deterioration.

For the record, there are a lot of good churches out there, one of which I have the pleasure of attending. This is meant to draw attention to the others.

And the Prank of the Year Award Goes Too...

Apparent hoax forces decontamination of KFC employees

By STAFF REPORT Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009 Manchester Union Leader

Manchester – Three employees at the KFC store, 677 Daniel Webster Highway, were taken to a hospital Thursday afternoon for decontamination after an apparent hoax resulted in the release of a fire suppressant chemical.

Cook Mary McCarthy said the store manager, Sonia Gilbert, received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the corporate office, telling her to test the fire suppression system. McCarthy said that resulted in the release of a chemical powder in the sandwich area where she and a third employee, Fay Owens, were working.

As fire, health department and police investigated this afternoon, McCarthy stood outside the side door of the restaurant, wearing one jacket and using another as a skirt. Standing next to a pile of clothing on the ground, McCarthy said: “We had to strip out here.”

Police Sgt. Todd Boucher said officers went to the restaurant in response to a call about a naked woman standing in a doorway. He said the caller had told the employees to go outside and strip and urinate on one another.

Boucher said police are conducting an investigation into the incident.

District Fire Chief Michael Gamache said because the chemical powder is a respiratory irritant, employees needed to be checked and the restaurant needed to be cleaned and cleared to reopen by the City Health Department. He said it would not be reopened until at least Friday.