Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The Program Year Has begun

So...last weekend was our big Regathering weekend...choir rehearsal, Ice Cream Social, teacher orientation, first day of Sunday school, oh and worship. Everything seemed to go well and I was really excited for the great turnout for ss and worship. It was great having everyone back...and it was the first day that my colleague was back from his summer sabbatical.

I know he is glad to be back, too... I will miss preaching every week, though. I won't be scheduled again till late October.

I'm taking the morning easy...acquainting myself with my new iPad, (birthday gift), cooking, walking dogs, etc. I will go to the office around 1:00 since we have council tonight. Once I go to the office I like to stay over there (it's a 30 minute traffic filled commute. I can get email and stuff done at home in the morning.

Today I am thinking about the future of this ministry profession...and if the church can transition into being Christian in a post-Christian era. I've been reading lots of Tony Robinson lately.

What are you thinking about?

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

feeling the love this morning....

Just a couple of thoughts swirling around my head with no point....

My congregation was very sweet this weekend--they surprised me with a tribute to my ordination anniversary...and a darling birthday card and birthday cake and present!  It was very moving and touching.  Of course I cried...and not so easy to get up and preach with sniffly nose and red eyes.  But, pulled it all together.

I had delicious pizza on Sunday night--it was a flatbread pizza with butternut squash sauce topped with blue cheese and carmelized onions.  I guess for some it wouldn't be pizza, but I loved it. 

Yesterday was a crazy kind of day.  Just lots of stuff to get done this week after procrastinating all summer. (My bad).   When I got home, I just felt anxious and restless and we tried to watch a movie but I couldn't get hooked...so I crawled into bed at 8, with a book, and read a few pages, and went to sleep.   This morning, all is good.  I guess sometimes we just get like that.   Am glad that my beloved can be understanding and gentle when I get into that place, which isn't all that often.

This morning, in fact, I just feel Love. Coursing through my heart and my blood and my bones.  Love.  God-with-me Love.  And...I am grateful.
Help be be that Love today.
Amen.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Friday Five

Over at RevGals, Martha is pondering storms and Hurricane Earl. Thus the following questions!

1) What's the most common kind of storm in your neck of the woods?

I guess nor'easters, snowstorms, and hurricanes


2) When was the last time you dealt with a significant power outage?

When I lived in Raleigh, there was this huge ice storm that pretty much debilitated the entire triangle. It was winter, and cold.  I lost power for three or four days, but some people were out for over 2 weeks. 

3) Are you prepared for the next one?
If it happens tonight, ummmmm, not so much. But, I do have a flashlight, candles, and a bottle of wine!


4) What's the weather forecast where you are this weekend?
Hurricane Earl will visit me on his way up to Martha's in Maine!


5) How do you calm your personal storms?Usually by talking to someone who can listen, asking for help, asking for hugs, praying, singing, and breathing.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

still balancing...

I am still yoga-ing...been at it for three weeks, and have managed three times/week (unlimited card for this month).  Still working on the balance, which is slightly better, but still I tippy toppy and fall, a lot. 

Did you know that September is National Yoga Month? 

So, in class, we will be exploring our chakras through different asanas.  Today was the root chakra, the color red.  To strengthen this chakra, is to work on balance--being rooted and grounded.  The primary issues with this chakra are survival and fear.

Huh.  Survival and fear do twine through my life at times, and I think at this time, no differently.  I am looking at a situation in my ministry where all the writing on the wall points to me making a move before next spring and budget issues are faced with reality. On the other hand, I can't imagine, sometimes, being somewhere else, let alone moving to a different community.  (Most open positions right now have parsonages attached).  Obviously, we won't leave the Boston area, because Beloved still needs to be able to commute.  But then, this hinders the radius of searching.  I'm not feeling all that confident, because truly, this all comes down to a God thing, and I trust and fear, all at the same time. I have no control. But with time feeling like it's getting shorter, well, the breath gets a little shorter, and my balance a little off, and I search for control, although I know that it is more productive to give it over, breathe into the uncertainty, and breath out, reaching out to God, to crawl into her hands, and hold me.

Tomorrow, I celebrate my 10th anniversary of ordination.  What an amazing day that was---I can't really describe it.  All of my parents came from North Dakota to North Carolina, two of my sisters--one from California and one from Colorado made the journey, and friends from seminary and Florida all came.  We shared dinner together on Friday, went hiking on Saturday morning, played all afternoon, had dinner again on Saturday night...all of my friends loved one another. Even though they were all so different!  The ordination was during worship (which I had to finagle a little), but we had african inspired drumming for the processional, lots of feminist prayers and tears and laughter.  The affirmation of my call to ministry from my friends and family, and new church community was overwhelming and tender.

Remembering that day offers me some inner balance.  Remembering that day reminds me that I am called, and born to do this work of ministry, and God will lead me through these next months, no matter what happens.  And perhaps, in all of this, I will indeed grow grounded enough to balance on one leg, and even fly.

Amen.