Called To Be: The Pastor's Wife & The Pastor

Places I've Visited

2008-07-25T09:49:00.000-07:00

Saw this over at Presbyterian Gal's place and thought it would be fun to play.

Hopefully I'll be taking care of the blank spots in New England when we visit Dave's family.

visited 30 states (60%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or determine the next president

Back from Vacation

2008-07-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

We returned Sunday evening from vacationing in So Cal (San Clemente, to be exact) where my folks and my bro, s-i-l, and niece live - and I used to live. I think I'll have a few posts about vacation, because there is some processing to be done. But I'll start here.

The reason we went at this time is because one of Dave's brothers and his family were doing the tour extraordinaire of California. Their trip included a couple of days at Disneyland. Before we left, I made it clear to Dave that while I dearly wanted to meet and spend time with his bro and the rest of the family whom I hadn't met yet, that while I would meet them for dinner or some other activity, it was out of the question that I would spend the day at Disneyland. See, I grew up right in its backyard. We had annual passes and went anytime we wanted. Those times did not include the height of tourist season with humongous crowds, interminably long lines, and sweltering heat.

Ah, but the Mouse is wily. The night before I began weakening. Maybe I should go afterall. Went to bed that night still not sure if I was going to get up at the crack of dawn and head out. But sure enough, I woke up bright and early. Such is the lure of the Mouse.

And am I ever glad that I went! It was great spending time with them! We had a blast, mostly because my new s-i-l had the luck of coming off of a ride where they were handing out fast passes to all of the major rides. Yay! We zipped through Star Tours, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad, and the Indiana Jones ride (which I'd never been on and which was great fun!). Even for the other rides for which we didn't have the passes, like the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Matterhorn, the lines moved pretty quickly. It wasn't even as hot as had been forecast. Below is some of our fun captured - Splash Mountain, where we got drenched from head to toe, and which resulted in me getting a new cell phone (Funny, it didn't respond well to getting soaked). I wrang lots of water out of my clothes after that one. The picture is taken at the end of the ride, and in the larger version you can see that we're already soaked before the big finish. Also, the roller coaster at California Adventure, which was quite an adrenaline pumper. From a standing start you get to 55 mph in about four seconds. Then it's twists and turns and up and down and upside down, and after we stopped I had to wait a few seconds for my tummy to catch up with me. Such fun! The only disappointment was that they cancelled the fireworks show due to high winds. Rats. Everyone should have the opportunity to see the fireworks over Sleeping Beauty's castle. Phenomenal. We sprung for the pictures, because in the Splash Mountain picture Dave's brother is behind me, and the rollercoaster picture 'cause we had just so darn much fun on it. We also enjoyed the delectable treat of teh Mickey ice-cream bar. Yummy.

It really was a wonderful day.

Ahhh . . .

2008-07-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

Mani & pedi.

One hour in a massage chair.

Feet immersed in warm, bubbling water.

Fifteen minute hand & arm, and foot & calf massage.

Bliss.

(blurry image courtesy of my camera phone, since I don't have the transfer cable for my digital camera with me)

4th of July, Small Town Style

2008-07-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

And now, on a brighter note, some images from our small town 4th of July. First, there's the parade . . . the motto for parades around here is "If you're late, you might miss it."

One pic I missed is the trooping of the colors. Everyone takes their hats off out of respect and falls silent. It's really something to see.

The Grand Marshall is a member of Dave's church. Here's he and his wife, riding in style.

This soda pop car is always popular!

Here's an old jeep with a machine gun mounted on it, and a veteran riding in back. Lots of veterans participate in the parade every year, and they are honored and respected for their service to our country.

Smoky the Bear is also a big hit every year. We're not sure if the guy who wears the smoky costume is the one who drew the short straw or if it's a great honor. Either way, it was about 85 today, so he had to be sweltering and likely shed some pounds of water.

Most of the floats throw candy for the kids lining the parade route. Dave and I were standing next to two elderly women who nabbed some pieces, and they were so pleased with themselves! The float above also had some kids with super-soakers, which was welcome refreshment on the hot day!

After the parade, it's time to head over to the Legion Hall, where for $5 you get the grand feast pictured above - brisket sandwich, homemade baked beans, and homemade potato salad. One of Dave's members said she'd boiled potatoes all week for the potato salad. My favorite part is the ice-cream cup with the wooden spoon.

Then we went to the town of my church for the annual dutch oven barbecue at the park put on by one of the organizations in town. Forgot my camera, so no pictures of this feast. An elder at my church who is involved in this group gave us tickets. We saw and ate with some church folk. Mmm, was the food good, as was the company. The elder who gave us the tickets was slicing the roasts and said they had gone through 250 lbs of meat.

Next it was back home to await the city's fireworks display at the park. It seemed like every person in town was there. Overheard from a boy who looked to be about eight - "I just hurt my n*ts." Sigh. Wonder where he picked that up? Sitting behind us on the lawn was a little boy who was just about the most excited I'd ever seen a child about fireworks. It was too cute. Just about every word was "awesome!" He was right on, though. The fireworks were excellent!

Hope everyone had a happy and safe 4th!

Meme Catch-Up

2008-07-01T16:34:00.000-07:00

Iris tagged me forever ago for this meme. Here's my play, as thunder and lightning crackles outside from a passing storm:

Rules: The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions/statements about himself or herself. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Ten years ago:
I was in the process of discerning whether I should go to seminary. I mulled on it for months. I was serving on Session at the time and had a meeting with my pastor over committee and planning stuff. I asked him if I could have a few moments of his time after the meeting. I remember sitting there in his office, the words sticking in my throat, having a hard time making eye contact with him because I couldn't believe what I was about to say. I said haltingly, "I think . . . I think I want to go to seminary." Finally, the words were spoken, they were out there, seeking a response. I realize his reaction and response meant everything - if I saw even the slightest hesitation, slightest doubt, on his part that I should go to seminary, that would have stayed with me for the rest of my journey. But I needn't have worried. His response was instantaneous, joyous, affirming, oh so absolutely affirming. He offered to go visit two somewhat local seminaries with me. I still consider him "my" pastor, and he's the one from whom I've learned most the joys of ministry.

Things I'd do if I was a billionaire:
Pay-off our debts, including our student loans!
Buy the 37-acre ranch in Jackson Hole where Dave and I stay when we visit (we stay in the guest house, not the main house whose square footage is in the five figures)
Pay for my niece's college
Start a ministry for teen moms to help them stay in school and go on to college - including childcare, tutoring, mentoring, help with college applications, financial aid, & job interviews - whatever they needed - and once on their feet, encouraging them to be involved in this ministry.

Three bad habits:
Procrastination
Late night snack
Leaving dish, bowl, or glass from said snack downstairs (how bad is this habit? Occasionally when we've unloaded the dishwasher we notice that we are still running low on dishes, glasses, and cutlery - because I've forgotten to bring them up from downstairs).

Five places I've lived:
Texas
California
Georgia
New Jersey
Wyoming

Five jobs I've had:
Archivist
Retail sales associate
Archivist
Chapel Assistant
Hospital Chaplain

I know I'm supposed to tag some people, but this meme has been going around and I don't know who has done it and who hasn't. If you haven't done it, consider yourself tagged!

Pssst!

2008-06-23T04:50:00.000-07:00

Today is Dave's birthday! He turns the big 40! (Yes, I married me a younger man).

Go here to wish him a happy birthday!

Playin' Catch-Up

2008-06-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

Yikes, it's been a long time since I've posted! We were gone the week before last for study leave, and since we got back last Saturday the blog juices just haven't been flowing. They still might not be flowing, but we'll see how it goes.

We went back to the northeast to my seminary alma mater for a week-long preaching conference. This yearly conference hosts a small number of alum - this year there were 41 attendees (or "fellows", as we were called. As a side note, at a seminary where I was marked-down on an OT paper for ONE instance of referring to God as "he", I found it ironic and humorous that the female attendees at this conference were referred to as "fellows"). This year there were a few from other seminaries as well. This "institute" as it is called, is very different from the FOH. It's led by the seminary's preaching and speech faculty - a very gifted group, and the workshops are very practical. I attended workshops on wedding & funeral sermons, preaching through conflict and transition, and sermon delivery - where we actually preached intros and conclusions from sermons and received good critical feedback and guidance. Am I weird to miss that from seminary, where we preached and just didn't get "good sermon" or "thank you" afterwards, but got real feedback that we could work with for the future? Got really good stuff from each workshop.

It was good to be with fellow classmates, find out where people are serving, and comforting to discover that we face many of the same challenges. We worshiped together each evening in the chapel. While I was a student I took for granted the giftedness and creativity of the music director. We sang so many lovely hymns!

We stayed in the dorms, and imagine my surprise when the director of the conference handed us our room keys and we were in the same room that I had my first year. It was weird to be back in my old room, with my husband.

During the first few days I remembered why in spite of the snow and long winter, I love living in the mountain west. It was unbearably hot and humid, in the upper-90s. The kind of humid where you get out of the shower and dry off and you still feel wet. That kind of weather does not make me happy and it does not make my hair happy. Thankfully it got cooler and more pleasant for the second half of the week.

It was fun strolling some of my old stomping grounds. We hit the trifecta of local ice-cream shops, and ate at some other favorite haunts for Thai, hoagies, and breakfast. We also had dinner with a former classmate who just finished his Ph.D. in church history, and his new wife.

We returned early Saturday morning and had already planned on spending the night in Big City. The rest of the day we had what I would call a normal Saturday. I bought a bridal shower gift at BB&B, then we went to big outdoor mall for dinner at my favorite restaurant. This restaurant is known for its fresh fish, and this night they had fresh Alaskan halibut, parmesan encrusted. Oh. my. god. Accompanied by perfectly grilled squash and zucchini and rice pilaf, and for dessert fresh marionberry cobbler with french vanilla ice-cream. Oh my, was that a delightful dinner. It was a beautiful, warm evening, and perfect for strolling and shopping. Or, should I say, I shopped while Dave went to the sporting goods store and then the bookstore. Many of the stores were having summer sales. I purchased for half-off a billowy white skirt, a blue t-shirt, and a blue bracelet from a certain store named after a chilly body of running water. I love it, and it's perfect for summer! Sunday morning we worshipped at a church where we know the pastor and his wife, who did our pre-marital counseling. Then returned home.

All in all, a lovely week.

I returned back to find a mini-conflict in the thrift store mission of our church. Almost a post of its own. The conflict is borne from the fact that some of the volunteers are not connected to the church and therefore don't see the big picture of a theology of mission (nor do they want to listen when the pastor patiently explains time and time and TIME again why we are doing this and what Jesus calls us to do. . Sigh, take a deep breath...) and as such they have a problem setting aside their personal wants and focusing on, you know, GOD. And what affirms to me that God wants this mission to continue and to thrive is that immediately there were new volunteers - with fantastic attitudes - who stepped up.

When we left on the June 7, it was 34 degrees and snowing. Came back to find that the lilacs, my favorite flower, are in bloom. Here are some pics:

I like them best when they are barely open, as the darker, smaller blooms in this picture.

This branch of white lilacs is the only one on a tree of purple lilacs.

That's the update from here. Hope I didn't put anyone to sleep.

And for my friends in Californiam who read my blog, we're coming to visit in a few weeks!

2008 Reading Challenge

2008-06-03T09:29:00.001-07:00

I signed on at the beginning of the year for the 2008 Reading Challenge. Admittedly, I haven't finished as many works as I'd hoped to by this time, or nearly as many as others. Ah well, it's not a competition, is it? It so happens that I've had a few in the works and I finished them all about the same time. A rather eclectic group, I think:

Testimony: Talking Ourselves into Being Christian by Tom Long. Loved this book! It's a quick read, and written in the vibrant style of Long. I could almost hear the rhythm of his speech, see him rocking back and forth on his feet behind the lectern. This is part of "The Practices of Faith Series." It is not about how to give one's testimony. It's about how our everyday speech can become sacred speech. Not surprisingly, he grounds much of how we learn to do this in worship. The chapter on "Sunday Words" is magnificent, and I quoted from it some in a recent sermon. Then he takes us through "Talking the Day", with chapters on First Light, Walking the Walk, Talking the Tal, Conversation over Lunch, the Six O'Clock News, Whispered Secrets and Bedtime Prayers. It's an excellent book to read on your own or for an adult study.

Final Salute by Jim Sheeler. Sheeler is a journalist with the Rocky Mountain News and won the Pulitzer for his newspaper series called "Final Salute." I heard an interview with Sheeler on NPR about his book and ordered it immediately. This is the story of five Marines who lost their lives in the Iraq War and the families they left behind - parents, wives, and children - born while they were home and while they were away and thus never met. It also tells the story of a major who is a Casualty Assistance Service Officer and his work and dedication - or I would say ministry, because he is deeply grounded in faith and the ways in which he helps these families flow out of his faith - to help heal the wounds of the grieving. Sheeler follows the CASO for two years, as he knocks on the doors and delivers the news so dreaded by military families (although Sheeler is not actually present at those moments). Childhood stories, stories of how these men entered the Marines, the stories of how they died, the stories of how they come home, the stories of their funerals and memorial rites, the stories of their families throughout all of this, are recounted very powerfully. Whether you support the war or support the troops but not the war, this is an excellent, moving read - but certainly not a light read. It's not about the war per se and whether it's right or wrong. It's about these brave, courageous young men and their families. Have tissues handy.

The Lobster Chronicles by Linda Greenlaw. Dave had this book lying around and I picked it up one Saturday for some light reading. Greenlaw was the captain of the sister ship to the Andrea Gail, portrayed in The Perfect Storm. In this book, she's moved home to a small island off the coast of Maine to live with her parents and fish for lobster. She retells the grueling details of hauling hundreds of lobster traps with only her father as her crew, along with giving us a picture of life on a small island and the colorful characters, scenes, and events that go part and parcel. One of my favorite parts is when she tells of the work of the lighthouse association and writes this: "A phenonemon of small-town politics is the ability of the "two opposed" to not give up the ship to the "forty-one in favor." It may appear that the exact article is passed three or four times, but those with political savvy can point out the subtle differences that make it legal to bring it up again and again in hopes that people's sentiments have flip-floped since the last meeting." Sounds a little like the church. An enjoyable read.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" by Bill Bryson. If you want laugh-out-loud funny, this is it! I laughed out loud many, many times. I love Bryson's writing style - witty, dry, filled with hyperbole. In this book, he recounts his childhood in 1950s Des Moines and in the process also offers a history of that time. It's hard to pick just one passage of this book to share, because it's funny through and through. He describes in hilarious fashion everything from the time when he walked in on his parents during an intimate moment to church pot lucks.

Dakota by Kathleen Norris. A beautiful, deeply spiritual book. Norris shares her spiritual journey as she moves back to her family's roots in the Great Plains. She writes eloquently of seeing God in the most desolate of places. I loved this book for the spirituality woven through it, and also for the wisdom with which she writes of small towns. She describes with much insight the "system" (although she doesn't call it that) of small towns, noting among other things that that in small towns, pastors, teachers, and others who don't have family connections to the town are always viewed as outsiders and never let in completely. She also writes very soberingly that "once a year, someone always gets crucified." Some of my favorite passages are when she shares her experiences with the Benedectines. She has me ready to go to a retreat in one of those simple monasteries she describes so beautifully.

On to the next books!

The Start of Summer Meme

2008-05-29T19:42:00.000-07:00

Toby, who blogs at A Classical Presbyterian tagged me for this meme, which turns out to be on one of my favorite things - summer!

It may not be Friday yet, but as the family prepares for a short June trip, I thought I'd get us started on a meme for the start of our summer season.

Whether it's the smell of the grill, the taste of fresh lemonade, the glow of fireflies or the pull of your fishing line, many of us have distinctive senses about what makes for the sign of summer.

So, you all know the rules--fill it out on your own blog and tag other blogs. If you have no blog, answer it in the comment section here. Let's dive in!

1.) What first tells you that Summer is here?
The grill comes out and it stays out. When grocery shopping, we make our meat and vegetable selections mostly based on what we can grill. Ribeyes, chops, chicken, fresh from the garden zucchini and squash grilled with a bit of olive oil and salt & pepper. Yum.

2.) Name your five of your favorite distinctively Summer habits or customs.
Since marrying Dave, camping is one of my Summer habits. Evening drives into the mountains for a picnic, desperately trying to keep the mosquitoes from eating me alive (they love me and will find an area of exposed skin that I've missed with the repellant and go to town), iced-tea lemonades. And pretending like the 4th of July here is just as warm as it is in California.

3.) What is your favorite smell of Summer?
The smell of whatever is cooking on the grill.

4.) What is your favorite taste of Summer?
Fresh berries - in cobblers, on ice-cream, or just straight-up.

5.) Favorite Summer memory?
I don't have one distinct favorite, but in the neighborhood where I did most of my growing up, I remember waking up, having breakfast, playing outside until lunch, swimming until dinner, and then bike-riding and outdoor games until bedtime. And I did all of this with the other neighborhood kids. Really, really good times.

6.) Extreme heat or extreme cold? Which would you choose and why?
Definitely extreme cold, which is good because Wyoming can get extremely cold. Extreme cold because I can keep layering.

7.) What books do you plan to read for the season?
I'm choosing novels for this summer. I purchased a couple of Buechner books at the Festival - The Storm and Son of Laughter . I'd also like to get through Anna Karenina.

8.) How does the Summer affect your faith? Is it a hindrance or an ally?
It helps my faith. The relaxed pace is a gift from God that helps to still my heart and remind me that God is God and I am not. My heart, my eyes, my ears, are more open and aware of the presence of God here and now.

I tag:

Dave
Mindy
HotCup Lutheran
Zorra
Alex

In a Time When . . .

2008-05-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

the denomination is having financial difficulties . . .

missionaries positions are being cut . . .

small churches are struggling to make ends meet . . .

membership is declining . . .

Is it really necessary that the home office send out a 26-page, glossy, thick, printed on water-marked paper, four-color annual report (what I'm sure is the first of many), in an attempt to "encourage your hearts", but in fact seems to be congratulating themselves on what a fantastic job they are doing glorifying God?

I used to work in marketing. These publications cost big bucks to produce.

Couldn't our denominational dollars actually be better spent to, you know, actually do something that Christ commanded us to do, like "go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you?"

just sayin'.

Thus ends the rant of this long-time pet peeve.

Festival Wrap-Up

2008-05-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

We're back from attending the Festival of Homiletics, along with about 2100 other preachers. The five days were so packed, so rich, so challenging, so refreshing, so energizing, so encouraging, that it's almost impossible to put it all into words. I planned on blogging during the festival, but by the end of the day I was so worn-out it was hard to form coherent thoughts. And my mind is still feeling fuzzy today.

This is my second time of attending, and there seems to be at least one speaker, one sermon, one lecture, one worship service, for which attendees say "that alone was worth the price of admission." This year, for me, there were several such moments and encounters.

2100 voices singing "God of Grace and God of Glory", accompanied by a glorious pipe organ, surrounded by magnificent stained glass, in the beautiful neo-Gothic sanctuary of Central Lutheran Church. The music and the singing carried me up to the high-arched ceilings and beyond. This was also where most of the worship services and lectures were held. And the hymnal was vibrating as I held it, such were the sound waves echoing through the sanctuary.

Ditto the above on singing "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" as part of Walter B.'s lecture. Last year Walter B's lecture had me dizzy - my failing, certainly not his. This year he was again brilliant, and I was able to follow along much better. I love his practice of saying, "The thesis for this lecture is . . .", and he puts it right out there. This year, let's just say he had me at the beginning when he wove together the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and "Love Divine . . ." Brilliant. I loved when of the Nicene Creed, he quoted "And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God," and he said, "Can you imagine what it was like the day they got those words right?!" And then he raised his arms and gestured them wildly in a moment of pure exuberance. He also talked of God as a "God of exuberant generosity and inexaustible well-being." Gonna be quoting that alot, I think.

The event was co-hosted by Westminster Presbyterian, yet another stunning sanctuary. Both of these churches occupied city blocks. Westminster had a chapel that was about the size of the sanctuary here. Our closing worship service was held at Westminster, and it was a beautiful service. Although, when the sermon began, they dimmed the lights in the sanctuary, except on the chancel. I found it a bit like "the previews are over, now here comes the main event." When the sermon was over they raised the lights again. It was distracting, and I thought unnecessary.

Tom L. was also brilliant, and he hit his sermon right out of the park - an appropriate analogy because he wove baseball metaphors all through his sermon on the encounter of Jesus and the woman at the well. He said "Jesus was throwing smoke that day" and he even took a batter's pose at one point. His lecture the previous evening on Mark was excellent. I was sitting on the side of the sanctuary, and I loved watching him lecture - he bends his knees and is always moving from foot to foot, so palpable is his excitement.

BBT, of course, never disappoints. Loved the writer's workshop with her, Nora G., Walter W., and Beth Nielsen Chapman, and the writing tips that BBT offered. I was surprised to hear BBT say in her sermon on the Great Commission that in 30 years of ministry, she had never preached on it because it scared her. So even great preachers shy away from texts.

I also attended the writer's workshop with Nora G. She offered us writing tips as well. My favorite? "Forget everything you learned in high school writing - theme sentences, outlines, etc." Wow, has that has freed me! I always had a hard time writing sermon outlines in seminary, simply because I don't think in outline form. Not being forced to write outlines now, of course I don't, yet felt I was doing something "wrong." I spoke with her briefly after her lecture, thanking her for that insight. She was so very affirming, and when I told her I also didn't title my sermons because I never quite knew where they were going until they were done, she was quite excited and told me to keep trusting my instincts.

Loved meeting up with the RevGals and Pals, some I met last year and some I met for the first time this year. Ran into a few former classmates as well.

During one of the afternoon sessions, I also had a conversation with a woman who had a baby with her, and I can only describe that encounter as providential. That one's bloggable, just not right now.

I was relieved to hear so many talking about how the days were so packed that they didn't feel like they could go to every session. I felt much the same way. Dividing the day into morning, afternoon, and evening sessions, I'd say we went to two-thirds of the sessions - morning and afternoon, and not evening, or afternoon and evening, and not morning. I think of study leave as not only a time of enrichment, but refreshment as well. Refreshment not only comes in worship and great lectures, but also sitting outside at a pub on a warm, sunny afternoon enjoying a pint of ale and talking with Dave.

Speaking of sitting outside, I loved the downtown area and this one particular street with no cars driving on it. It was lined with restaurants, coffee houses, pubs, that all had outside seating. And I enjoyed some of the best Thai food I've ever eaten. And there was a two-story Target. Need I say more?

We drove across the river into St. Paul to go to a hamburger place we'd seen on the food channel. It didn't disappoint, and the drive was lovely. It took us through some lovely, older neighborhoods and parks.

We didn't stay in the downtown area because by the time we went to make our reservations all of the room blocks were sold-out. It just so happens that right next to the hotel where we stayed, there was a restaurant that sells frozen custard. I'd heard alot about frozen custard and had wanted to try it for a long time. I might have gone there, ahem, one or two or four times in the four nights we were there. We were also near the ginormous mall of this country. Saw the new Indy movie one evening and walked around the mall some. The movie was enjoyable, I didn't have to think alot, and it was what I expected. The mall was indeed gigantic, but they had much the same stores that you'd find in any mall, only a bit bigger. Don't think I'd make that a destination vacation as so many seemed to be doing.

We arrived back home Saturday night. We walked in the door of our own home at midnight and by the time we settled in it was about 1:00 a.m. On Sunday morning, we did what so many people do - we slept in. I made breakfast, for once. In the afternoon we went to a graduation party for a young woman at Dave's church. Oh yeah, we picked a good week to be gone - there was a problem at the water plant and there was no clean water available for the week we were gone. It finally was approved drinkable Saturday afternoon.

Today, Memorial Day, will be much the same as yesterday. It will rain and yes, perhaps even snow, today.

So that's the wrap-up on our week. Only what, fifty-one weeks until Atlanta?

Friday Five: Grand Tour

2008-05-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

This week's RevGals Friday Five:

One of our original ring members, jo(e), wrote yesterday about a trip she and her sisters are taking overseas with their parents, to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Many other RevGals are headed for the Festival of Homiletics in the coming week (click here for information on a RevGals meetup!!). In honor of these upcoming trips, herewith your Grand Tour Friday Five. Name five places that fall into the following categories:

1) Favorite Destination -- someplace you've visited once or often and would gladly go again
The Holy Land. It took my breath away. I know God is everywhere, but somehow it felt like God was just a little closer in that beautiful place.

2) Unfavorite Destination -- someplace you wish you had never been (and why)
I can't believe I'm saying this, but - Egypt. Oddly enough, my visit to Egypt came right after Israel. We went for only a few days. Maybe it was because Israel was such a spiritual high, maybe I was tired and ready to go home. To be fair to the country, we were only in Cairo, so perhaps I didn't get a fair impression. But I just didn't like it, and found many things about it depressing, such as seeing the banks of the Nile littered with rubbish.

3) Fantasy Destination -- someplace to visit if cost and/or time did not matter
Ooh, almost too many to mention! Ireland and Scotland. A Reformation Tour - Wittenburg, Zurich, Geneva. Alaska - a cruise and Denali. New England when the leaves are changing.

4) Fictional Destination -- someplace from a book or movie or other art or media form you would love to visit, although it exists only in imagination
Mitford, from the Jan Karon books.

5) Funny Destination -- the funniest place name you've ever visited or want to visit
I can't think of any, although recently Dave and I were driving across our beautiful, often times desolate state and drove by "Hell's Half-Acre." Dave wanted to stop but I said no.

Musings for a Monday

2008-05-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

Really, more of an update, but I'm in the mood for alliteration. Maybe I should say I have an attitude for alliteration? I haven't blogged for a couple of weeks, but there are some posts brewing. Here are some observations and reflections:

Worship attendance was down for Pentecost/Mother's Day. Perhaps because it was an absolutely gorgeous day, perhaps because alot of people are out of town for graduations, and went to visit their mothers, grown children, etc. At any rate, I felt like I was really having to work hard to create my own mood of celebration and excitement for the day we celebrate as the birthday of the church.

Thursday I ordered balloons for the sanctuary from the store, to be picked up at 8:00 a.m. Walked in at 8:15 and the manager had "spaced it" (his words). "How long will it take to blow them up?" I queried. "About ten minutes." 30 minutes later, I left with said balloons. This was with three people blowing them up. But they looked nice in the sanctuary, and those that were there appreciated how it looked.

One of said balloon blower-uppers asked if these were for a birthday party. "Yes, they are for Pentecost - the birthday of the church." "Wasn't Pentecost before Easter? When people put a cross on their doors so that the angels would come to their house?" Sigh.

As I stood there waiting for balloons, I endured a "Happy Mother's Day" greeting from another man walking through the store. "I'm not a mother," I responded, none too warmly or graciously. Which brings me to my next point . . .

This is my third Mother's day here. Prior to my first, the worship committee asked me what I wanted to "do" for Mother's Day - would I preach a Mother's Day sermon, should we hand out flowers, etc? There apparently wasn't much of a tradition established, which I found interesting. I told the committee it would not be my practice to preach a Mother's Day sermon. Mother's Day is challenging for many women, I said, and I explained the many reasons. I said I would mention it in the prayers of the people, and try to encompass the many nuances of the mother-child relationship. I left the practice of handing out flowers to their decision, but said that at my home church they handed out flowers to every woman, and as a single woman it still bothered me. They decided not to hand out flowers either. One of the women on the worship committee was grateful, saying "Mother's Day is the one day my sister stays away from church because it's just too painful for her." Fast forward to this Mother's Day . . .

I found out a few days ago that once again I'm not pregnant. This is after seventeen months of trying. After four times when I felt it was a strong possibility I was. After taking many pregnancy tests and hoping and praying for the word to appear that would bring us such joy, only to see the two words that once again shattered my hopes and my heart. I tell myself each month that I'm not going to hope again, but when the time comes close I can't help to look for signs that this month might be different. This time seemed like an even heavier disappointment. Maybe it was because it was so close to Mother's Day.

So imagine the blow I felt when I walked into fellowship hall and found two trays full of silk roses put together with bows and baby's breath with a note attached, "these are to be given out at church to all of the mothers." To be fair, they were from the person who was also hosting fellowship time, and she is not very connected to the church. She is connected through family and she attends worship only very occasionally. She has many struggles and challenges and is a bit of a lost soul. For the next hour as I went about worship preparations I also crafted in my mind my words to her, words that would lift up how this day is challenging - for those who have lost children, those who can't have children, those who have never know the nurture of a mother-child relationship, those mothers and children who are estranged from one another - words that would hopefully not hurt her feelings and affirm her giving of this gift (she really is good at that type of thing), and suggest these lovely flowers be made available during fellowship time for all women.

It turns out my efforts at choosing the right words were for naught. A family member of this person - who is very active in the church - arrived. She said, "She brought all of the food for fellowship, but she can't be here because she was invited to the basketball game (Near-by Big City hosted a playoff game against my hometown team). She wanted these flowers to be given out, but I don't know what you want to do with them . . ." The person telling me this also knows my feelings about Mother's Day and my current struggles. We went with my plan to put them out next to the fellowship snacks and make it clear that these were for all women.

Now more than ever I'm aware of the challenge of Mother's Day for so many. There are times when other issues have been distant from me. Then I meet someone for whom an issue is very real. And by knowing that person and hearing their struggles the issue then becomes realer for me, too, and I become more sensitive to it. I wonder sometimes if articulating the pain of this day would help people to understand, but then I don't want people to think that I don't want to make a big deal out of Mother's Day on Sunday morning just because I have a hard time with it.

And finally, all of these words, all of this heartache, simply because this month turned out the same as the past seventeen.

Finally . . .

2008-04-29T16:39:00.001-07:00

Friday Five: Old vs. Modern

2008-04-25T07:56:00.000-07:00

Singing Owl offers this week's Friday Five:

Yesterday I had two separate conversations in which people were musing about how much change is occurring. The WW II generation, of which my mom is a part, went from horse and buggy to automobiles, saw the lessening, or even the end of many diseases, went from widespread use of kerosene lamps and outhouses (in the country, and most folks were rural)) to a totally electrified and plumbed society. The fastest means of communication was a telegraph. The second conversation--gulp--was about MY generation and how much change occurred in the last half of the 20th century. The person said his 13 year old had not seen a vinyl record album until a few days before, couldn't remember a time without cell phones, and on and on.

As for the questions!

1. What modern convenience/invention could you absolutely, positively not live without?
Living in Wyoming, where in late April we are still having storms blow through giving us a dusting of an inch or so of snow, I'll say indoor plumbing!

2. What modern convenience/invention do you wish had never seen the light of day? Why?
Email! Which seems odd because I use it so much. And before Dave & I began dating, the courtship began as we flirted via email - "I was reading (insert old theologian here - Calvin, Augustine, Luther) today and I found this great quote." How nerdy & pathetic is that? Later there were also lovely, romantic emails exchanged, which we've both saved.

But how many misunderstandings, hurt feelings, etc. have come about as a result of an email which is sent hastily in the heat and emotion of a moment, and which we can't take back! Last year as I wrote thank-you notes for wedding gifts, I thought of how letter writing is a lost art - choosing the perfect stationery, the right pen, and giving long, thoughtful consideration to the words penned - words that because they are put to paper have deep meaning. Then the long "pause" that occurs after the envelope is sealed and the letter awaits being mailed. Further time for reflection ensues; if it is one of those "heat of the moment" letters we have time to reconsider. Finally, on the other end, there is the excitement of the recipient when, upon opening the mailbox, discovers that someone took the time to choose the perfect stationery, the right pen, give long, thoughtful consideration to the words penned, and thought enough of you to take the time to write.

3. Do you own a music-playing device older than a CD player? More than one? Ifso, do you use it (them)?
I have a cassette player, but it's included in one of those small stereo systems that includes a cd player as well. And I don't own an iPod.

4. Do you find the rapid change in our world exciting, scary, a mix...or somethingelse?
Mostly scary. The rapid change doesn't give us time to think, just because we have the technocology, capability, etc., to do something, does it mean we should do it?

5. What did our forebears have that we have lost and you'd like to regain? Bonus points if you have a suggestion of how to begin that process.
Tagging on to number 4, they lived in a world that was slower, and they had time to give long, careful thought and reflection to life and how it should be lived. But perhaps I'm looking at it through my nostalgia glasses that have that tint of rose to them.

Enough Already.

2008-04-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

Really.

It's Tuesday . . .

2008-04-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

So it's time for our weekly marital, er, discussion.

What will grace our television screen tonight?

American Idol?

Or The Deadliest Catch?

There's also the showdown between the Angels - yaaaayy!!!! - and the Red Sox (booooo!).

Should be a fun night in our home.

The day is definitely looking up when . . .

2008-04-17T10:35:00.001-07:00

a four-year old boy, the son of a very dedicated volunteer, comes into your office and yells "rraaarr" to scare you, and genuinely scares you, and then you gather him up in your arms and you both dissolve into giggles; you because you feel silly for having been scared and he for feeling so proud that he got the genuine response for which he was hoping. Then he says "I love you Pastor Kim. I missed you" - and you'd just seen him on Sunday.

I needed that today.

God is still good, all the time.

How long, O Lord?

2008-04-09T07:22:00.000-07:00

"For now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance." (Song of Solomon, 2:11ff)

Obviously Solomon didn't live in Wyoming.

Today's forecast?

1 - 3" of snow.

It's just not right . . .

2008-04-07T18:49:00.001-07:00

It's April 7.

It's 27 degrees.

And this is the scene outside . . .

Sigh.

And we're back . . .

2008-04-01T19:12:00.001-07:00

. . . from our getaway to medium-sized city and Jackson Hole. We had a great time, and reconnection time with spouse is always a good thing.

While Dave was at the COM meeting I holed-up in the hotel room and planned worship through Pentecost. We had dinner at the fabulous Thai restaurant with fun colleagues, and we had great fun sharing stories and laughter.

Then it was on to Jackson Hole, one of our favorite places because it lies right outside of Grand Teton and Yellowstone Parks. A truly beautiful setting. There is an interesting culture in Jackson. One of the sayings about the town is that "the billionaires are driving out the millionaires." But it takes plenty of service people to keep the ski resorts, restaurants, shops, and other businesses running that cater to the tourists and ski crowd. Most of the service personnel commute back and forth over Teton Pass which is often icy. The town has a food pantry, a Habitat chapter, and other organizations which reach out to the people in need of assistance. I think this aspect of life in Jackson gets somewhat lost amid the celebrity-owned ranches and magnificent surroundings.

The past few times we've been to Jackson, we've stayed with a lovely couple whom we were introduced to through a colleague. We stayed there last summer, and I posted about it here.

I awoke Saturday morning and looked out the bedroom window to this scene . . .

. . . a cow moose and her calf bedded down in the snow. As I've said before, the moose are my favorite of the wildlife we see around here. Huge, and beautiful in a funny-looking way creatures.

We had breakfast at a restaurant that has these amazing sourdough pancakes. Then we visited the National Museum of Wildlife Art, as our host and hostess gave us passes. Magnificent paintings and sculptures!

Afterwards we took a sleigh to visit the Elk Refuge. The refuge was created in 1912, and consists of nearly 25,000 acres devoted to elk winter range. Several thousand elk stay on the refuge for approximately six months each winter. It was very cold on the snow with the wind gusting. We were bundled up well, and Dave was quite chivalrous and let me wear his insulated coveralls that he had planned on wearing. It's hard to get the full impact in pictures of seeing a couple thousand elk in one place, but here is some of what we saw . . .

This is a sleigh similar to the one on which we took our sleigh ride.

Two bull elk having a discussion. Our guide was very knowledgeable about all manner of elk habits. For instance, these are probably two teen-aged bull elk feeling their testoterone. And the female elk apparently do prefer the bulls with the biggest antlers.

Again, it's hard to get the impact of the couple of thousand elk that were concentrated in this one area. They are munching their favorite food, alfalfa pellets provided by the Refuge. They go through 80,000 lbs. a day of alfalfa pellets.

These are two bull elk, but the one on the left has already shed his antlers.

And this would be the lazy way of a bull elk defending his manhood, 'cause it's been a long, cold winter.

Later, we drove on the road on the other side of the elk refuge and saw . . .

. . . big horn sheep!

I love this sheep just hanging out on the wall of rock. A few moments later, it scrambled right up the side to the rest of the sheep.

Returning to the guest house, as we drove up the path we wondered aloud where the moose might be. "Oh, I think I see them, way over there, beyond that set of trees . . .

. . . um, no, actually the moose are in front of the guest house, just passing through.

And last but certainly not least, on Sunday we worshiped together. Yes, indeed, it was a great and much-needed time away.

And we're off . . .

2008-03-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

To medium city where Dave has a COM meeting and there is an outstanding Thai restaurant. I'll technically be working as well, planning worship up through Pentecost. But I'll be doing it outside the confines of my office, which after Holy Week will be so refreshing. I think a coffee house will be just the place.

Friday we'll head to Jackson, where we'll stay in the guest house of a lovely couple with whom we stayed last summer. Ahhh, peace and quiet, beautiful mountains, exquisite scenery, and Grand Teton, where we will likely see some wildlife. This will be our third trip to the park since last July. I love it, love it! This is also the first of our "fifth Sundays off" that our churches agreed to give us this year. Neither of us has to preach on Sunday and we'll visit a colleague's church and worship together.

Today's departure was delayed by a nasty kitchen sink clog. Turns out that no matter how gradually one does it, it's not a good idea to dump leftover corned beef & cabbage, chili, and one pound of pad thai down the disposal. Oops, my bad. So two bottles of industrial strength drain cleaner later . . . This on top of the smoke detector deciding that the batteries needed to be changed at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. And no batteries on hand, which meant Dave going to the church at an odd hour. He thinks that after that and the sink clog he deserves serious husband points.

Why proof-reading is a good thing . . .

2008-03-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

I've been re-writing our liturgy for our traditional Seder meal. Proof-reading the final version today, I came across these:

"On each table there is a bowel and a towel."

"Take the herd and dip it in salt water."

Bet this really makes y'all wish you could come to our Seder Feast tonight.

Spring Cleaning, Catahoula Style

2008-03-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

"Okay, I'll sit by the bathtub."

"Ooh, a cookie. Sure, I'll get into the bathtub for cookie."

*burp*. "That was a good cookie. Now what?"

"Oh, damn."

"No, I don't want to smell like spring flowers. Do you have any shampoo that smells like dead, rotting things?"

"Not on the paws, not on the paws!"

"I am so kickin' your butt after this."

"I don't care if the towel matches my eyes. I'm still kicking your butt after this."

Says Bandit, the Boxer across the street to his sister: "Hey Bridget, you gotta see this! Newman just came outside with a towel on him and he looks all wet."

"Holy crap. What'd he do?" says Bridget the Boxer.

"Oh the horror! I don't want to look but I can't not look!"

Newman's tail before the bath, sleek & streamlined.

Newman's tail after the bath, nice and fluffy.

The final humiliation: "They said my tail looks like a cat's."

"I deserve another cookie. And I'm still kicking your butt after this."

Friday Five: Time for Palms

2008-03-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

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?
The Reformation, of course! Oh, would I love to have been hanging out in Geneva, Zurich, or Wittenberg; hearing Scripture and the Mass in my own language for the first time, partaking of the Bread and the Cup, reading prayer books, learning about being saved by God's grace alone. And the Wild West would be fun, too.

2. What futuristic/science fiction development would you most like to see?
I'm not much of a futuristic or science fiction fan, so I can't think of any development I'd like to see in this area.

3. Which do you enjoy more: remembering the past, or dreaming for the future?
A little bit of all of them! There's a reason why I love historical fiction so much - I enjoy remembering the past! But I also try not to dwell in "Things were so much better when . . ." I remember the good times, the painful times, and how God was present and shaped me through them. I also try to remember that the God of yesterday and tomorrow is also the God of today, working right within our midst. And dreaming for the future keeps me focused on working towards those hopes and dreams.

4. What do you find most memorable about this year's Lent?
I'm not preaching this Sunday! We're doing the Passion narrative and a Lessons and Hymns format for the first time. I'm following words of wisdom from Fred Craddock: "On this particular Sunday, the minister will want to resist the temptation to moralize, to exhort, or to grow sentimental. The text will create its own world in the minds and hearts of the listeners." This has freed my heart to enter into the drama, the solemnity, and the mystery of Holy Week. I am truly looking forward to worshipping with my congregation on Sunday. It's also freed me up to look ahead to Holy Week. I'm re-writing our Seder liturgy, thanks to getting some materials from my former pastor, and I'm creating a more solemn stripping of the sanctuary (somehow between the fellowship hall and walking to the sanctuary we lose the quiet and solemnity of that). I'm feeling renewed energy to create places and space for people to encounter the sacredness of Holy Week.

This opportunity to be creative and write is creating its own feeling of excitement within me, a resonance that I can only describe as call. I don't know what that means, but it's such a strong feeling that I'm going to spend some time after Holy Week trying to discern what it means.

5. How will you spend your time during this upcoming Holy Week? What part do you look forward to most?
Each day, I'll spend time with the lectionary readings for the day. I also have a couple of books of meditations on the Cross, so I'll likely augment the readings with devotional readings as well. Really just preparing my heart for our Thursday, Friday, and Sunday services. Oh yeah, and writing an Easter sermon as well - which is always hard when I'm still on this side of the Cross.

The part I look forward to most? After the darkness of Good Friday, arriving at the church early Easter morning. The sky will be just beginning to turn light. All will be quiet in the town. I will unlock the sanctuary and turn on the lights. I love being the first one at church on Sundays, and no more so than on Easter. The Easter lilies will have arrived, the paraments will have been changed. I will put the finishing touches on the sanctuary - arranging the lilies, hanging the banners, filling the pitcher with water because I will be baptizing a man during the service. The worship committee will prepare the Table, but I will help with that sacred act because I just can't help myself. All the while I will be thinking of what it what like for the women to go the tomb that early morning and find the stone moved, the tomb empty.