I meant to do this yesterday, but I got carried away by the Taste of Chicago and then by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire...so here I am, late to the party but playing anyway!
1. Personality tests; love them or hate them? ooh, I like them, at least sometimes. They can be really helpful, and sometimes they can just be silly and fun...
2. Would you describe yourself as practical, creative, intellectual or a mixture ?
hmm, probably a mixture, with a teensy bit less "practical" than I need.
3. It is said that everyone has their 15 minutes of fame; have you had your yet? If so what was it, if not dream away what would you like it to be?
Well, I was on the front page of the Northwest Herald (the county newspaper) because I came to this call from serving in Egypt--and I'd met the church not through the regular call process but through their trip to Egypt--and that's probably as famous as I'm likely to get...sadly. Or perhaps happily.
4. If you were given a 2 year sabatical ( oh the dream of it) to create something would it be music, literature, art.....something completely different...share your dream with us...
I'd probably work on a book of liturgical pieces and prayers.
5. Describe a talent you would like to develop, but that seems completely beyond you.
dance...I would love to take ballet for beginning grown-ups.
Bonus question: Back to the church- what does every member ministry mean to you? Is it truly possible to encourage/ implement?
"every member ministry" to me means that the church is the place that empowers people to, sorry for the cliche, "live the Way of Christ in the world." It is possible. Now, if we want to talk about every member being a minister to other members, and it all having to do with "church" then I also think that's possible, but it takes people with serious organizational skills. I don't know where those people have been hiding...
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
it's about time....
I want to think this will make a big difference. I want to think that this would never happen to "my" girls from last year. but I know better.
but maybe this time it's different...
why does it always take someone dying before rules/laws get changed/enforced?
why did anyone ever think that FGM was a good idea?
what constitutes an "exceptional circumstance"???
Maybe this time the law will work for young women instead of against them. I hope so!
but maybe this time it's different...
why does it always take someone dying before rules/laws get changed/enforced?
why did anyone ever think that FGM was a good idea?
what constitutes an "exceptional circumstance"???
Maybe this time the law will work for young women instead of against them. I hope so!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
a good Sunday
Today we had three distinctly different services--the 8.30 alternative service, which was all about the theme "listen" and included a guided meditation that invited us to experience Elijah's story (instead of a sermon), the 9.30 Taize service, with its standard singing and silence M.O., and the traditional 11.00 service with a sermon about silence (bizarre, and you can read it in the post below this one)--including more than two minutes of actual silence! That's right, Presbyterians can in fact be quiet. I was extremely impressed with the level of silence achieved by the 50 people in the sanctuary--it was really, really quiet. So different from our usual deal.
I have become more comfortable with silence over the past several years. There was a time when I tried to fill every silence with words--I am a wordy extrovert, after all. But I've learned to just sit in the quiet, to leave anxiety about what to say next behind. Some of that probably has to do with living alone with no TV! Some probably has to do with living in a country where I didn't speak the language very well and couldn't go out on my own, at least not usually...and where in spite of all that there was still no silence. The cars, music, people, animals, buses, bike-bread vendors, and mosquitos kept the noise level high during pretty much my entire Egypt experience.
My Iona experience was not characterized by a ton of silence either--working there is not going on retreat, it's living in community (and that's not often quiet!). But in the Abbey church is the place I first learned that quiet times can go by surprisingly quickly. Sunday evening worship there is quiet--there are prayers at the beginning, then 15 minutes of silence in the near-darkness, then a blessing, and that's it. I used to take my watch off and put it in my pocket so I wouldn't check it constantly, and I found that 15 minutes sometimes felt like the 2 minutes we had this morning--not nearly enough time to clear the clutter in my brain and just relax and listen.
I live by myself, I once again have no TV, my neighborhood is pretty quiet (usual sounds: birds.), and I get to practice silence in my house every day. But today's silent times in church, surrounded by my community, were different. Even though I was "in charge" and even though I had to watch the clock, the quiet was profound and wonderful. I hope others thought so too.
And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming (in my case, reading and dreaming of travel...).
I have become more comfortable with silence over the past several years. There was a time when I tried to fill every silence with words--I am a wordy extrovert, after all. But I've learned to just sit in the quiet, to leave anxiety about what to say next behind. Some of that probably has to do with living alone with no TV! Some probably has to do with living in a country where I didn't speak the language very well and couldn't go out on my own, at least not usually...and where in spite of all that there was still no silence. The cars, music, people, animals, buses, bike-bread vendors, and mosquitos kept the noise level high during pretty much my entire Egypt experience.
My Iona experience was not characterized by a ton of silence either--working there is not going on retreat, it's living in community (and that's not often quiet!). But in the Abbey church is the place I first learned that quiet times can go by surprisingly quickly. Sunday evening worship there is quiet--there are prayers at the beginning, then 15 minutes of silence in the near-darkness, then a blessing, and that's it. I used to take my watch off and put it in my pocket so I wouldn't check it constantly, and I found that 15 minutes sometimes felt like the 2 minutes we had this morning--not nearly enough time to clear the clutter in my brain and just relax and listen.
I live by myself, I once again have no TV, my neighborhood is pretty quiet (usual sounds: birds.), and I get to practice silence in my house every day. But today's silent times in church, surrounded by my community, were different. Even though I was "in charge" and even though I had to watch the clock, the quiet was profound and wonderful. I hope others thought so too.
And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming (in my case, reading and dreaming of travel...).
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Earth, Wind, and Fire--a sermon for Ordinary 12 C
Rev. Teri Peterson
Ridgefield-Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church
Earth, Wind, and Fire
1 Kings 19.9-15a
June 24, 2007 11.00am, Ordinary 12C
1 Kings 19.9-15a (The Message)
Elijah walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb. When he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep.
Then the word of God came to him: "So Elijah, what are you doing here?"
"I've been working my heart out for God," said Elijah. "The people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed the places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me."
Then he was told, "Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by."
A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn't to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn't in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn't in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.
When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, "So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?" Elijah said it again, "I've been working my heart out for God, because the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me."
God said, "Go back the way you came through the desert to Damascus.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a dark and stormy night, both inside and outside Elijah. Inside, there was a chaos of pain, disappointment, and fear. He had triumphed brilliantly over the prophets of Baal, calling down the all-consuming fire of God onto his altar while theirs stood untouched, and so all 450 of them were killed. And yet the Israelites did not seem to be turning from their idol-worshiping ways, the queen was still wicked, and now she wanted him dead, so he had run away, to the desert, to die alone in his confusion and despair. Elijah fled to the desert—back to the wilderness from which his ancestors had come, back to the basics, the foundation of his faith: the mountain where God spoke with Moses and established the covenant that Elijah so fiercely defended. Inside Elijah, the night was dark and stormy indeed, as his thoughts and feelings and faith swirled about like a tornado.
Outside, there was a chaos of earth, wind and fire, all tumbling about. A dark and stormy night, chaos within and without, the end near.
And then….nothing. Some translations of this story say there was a sound of sheer silence. The King James says there was a “still small voice.” The translation we heard says a “gentle and quiet whisper.” In any case, it was very quiet. It was the opposite of the chaos that had been going on. It was the opposite of the chaos inside Elijah. It was the exact opposite of a dark and stormy night.
And into the silence, God spoke. Gently, quietly, perhaps in a whisper that could easily have been missed had it not been so quiet all around.
This is not the kind of silence we encounter much these days. There’s almost always some sound—our lives are filled with electronic sounds of fans, air conditioners, microwaves, televisions, radios, and lights, with people sounds of talking and laughing and singing, with natural sounds of birds and wind and rustling corn leaves and cicadas. Sheer silence is an unusual thing, and it often signals something unusual or important—when even the birds and insects make no noise, something’s coming. In Elijah’s case, God was coming.
God didn’t show up in the whirlwind, fantastic though it was, and useful as it would prove on Pentecost morning. God didn’t show up in the earthquake, though God had used them before and would use them again. God didn’t even show up in the all-consuming fire, though Elijah had just proved God’s supremacy over Baal with fire a few days before, though the tongues of fire would come on Pentecost, though the fiery pillar was the most recognized symbol during the Exodus, though God had come in fire on Mount Sinai once before. All of these special effects are great, they’re flashy, they’re high-budget and spectacular…but that’s just what they are—special effects, not the real deal. Most of the time God doesn’t give us a burning bush, a fiery pillar, a tornado, or a literally earth-shattering sign. Most of the time, what God is waiting for is for us to listen…to be quiet enough to hear the still small voice, the gentle whisper. Into the silence, God speaks gently and quietly—and sometimes hearing that voice can be more earth-shattering, more groundbreaking, more special than any flashy effects.
We Presbyterians aren’t good at silence. Perhaps even as people we’re not good at silence—with all the constant background noise, with all the talking we like to do, it’s hard for us to just be still, to just listen, with no agenda, no purpose, no pre-determined outcome, and no noise. Our lives are filled with auditory chaos, and many of us probably keep it going even when we pray—at least in worship, when we pray we spend a lot of time doing the talking and no time doing the listening. Silence can be uncomfortable. It takes practice to be able to be silent. But when the silence came, Elijah knew what was happening—he knew he was in the presence of God and it was time to listen up. Do we know what that silence is like? Do we know how to let the chaos subside and to be still in the alternative?
It seems a little odd to be standing here talking about silence. Earlier this morning we had a service in the style of Taize, which seems a little more appropriate. In a Taize service, we sing simple songs together, over and over, until they become a part of us. They become our prayers. And then the music subsides and we sit in silence, in the presence of God and each other, for ten minutes. Ten minutes can feel like a long time, or it can go by in a flash. What’s remarkable is the depth of silence. It’s so different from everyday life. And even the singing seems to come from a place of deep peace. The whole experience of just resting in God is one that I treasure. We normally gather for this service on the first Thursdays of the month, and it’s such a treat to find calm in the middle of a chaotic week. It seems the perfect way to experience Elijah’s story today.
Here I am, still talking about silence. There’s no way I can ever say the right words about the importance of silence, about how God speaks…partially because God speaks differently to each person. Moses, after all, got lots of special effects—burning bush, pillars of fire and cloud, fire surrounding the mountain he was to climb, the parting of the sea. Abraham just got a voice. Elijah got a sound of sheer silence followed by a quiet whisper. Jesus had both booming voice and quiet on the mountaintop. No matter how God speaks to us, though, we need to be listening. If we’re looking for miracles of earth, wind, and fire, will we notice if God speaks in silence and whispers? If we’re consumed by the chaos that is both within us and around us, will we hear the still small voice?
I think that, instead of me standing here talking about listening for God in the silence, we should practice. I promise to watch the clock so you do not need to worry about how long it will be. Just close your eyes, relax, let go of the chaos inside, let the alternative to the dark and stormy night creep in, and listen. Perhaps you will hear the very voice of God. (2 minutes silence)
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Ridgefield-Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church
Earth, Wind, and Fire
1 Kings 19.9-15a
June 24, 2007 11.00am, Ordinary 12C
1 Kings 19.9-15a (The Message)
Elijah walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb. When he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep.
Then the word of God came to him: "So Elijah, what are you doing here?"
"I've been working my heart out for God," said Elijah. "The people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed the places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me."
Then he was told, "Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by."
A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn't to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn't in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn't in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.
When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, "So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?" Elijah said it again, "I've been working my heart out for God, because the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me."
God said, "Go back the way you came through the desert to Damascus.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a dark and stormy night, both inside and outside Elijah. Inside, there was a chaos of pain, disappointment, and fear. He had triumphed brilliantly over the prophets of Baal, calling down the all-consuming fire of God onto his altar while theirs stood untouched, and so all 450 of them were killed. And yet the Israelites did not seem to be turning from their idol-worshiping ways, the queen was still wicked, and now she wanted him dead, so he had run away, to the desert, to die alone in his confusion and despair. Elijah fled to the desert—back to the wilderness from which his ancestors had come, back to the basics, the foundation of his faith: the mountain where God spoke with Moses and established the covenant that Elijah so fiercely defended. Inside Elijah, the night was dark and stormy indeed, as his thoughts and feelings and faith swirled about like a tornado.
Outside, there was a chaos of earth, wind and fire, all tumbling about. A dark and stormy night, chaos within and without, the end near.
And then….nothing. Some translations of this story say there was a sound of sheer silence. The King James says there was a “still small voice.” The translation we heard says a “gentle and quiet whisper.” In any case, it was very quiet. It was the opposite of the chaos that had been going on. It was the opposite of the chaos inside Elijah. It was the exact opposite of a dark and stormy night.
And into the silence, God spoke. Gently, quietly, perhaps in a whisper that could easily have been missed had it not been so quiet all around.
This is not the kind of silence we encounter much these days. There’s almost always some sound—our lives are filled with electronic sounds of fans, air conditioners, microwaves, televisions, radios, and lights, with people sounds of talking and laughing and singing, with natural sounds of birds and wind and rustling corn leaves and cicadas. Sheer silence is an unusual thing, and it often signals something unusual or important—when even the birds and insects make no noise, something’s coming. In Elijah’s case, God was coming.
God didn’t show up in the whirlwind, fantastic though it was, and useful as it would prove on Pentecost morning. God didn’t show up in the earthquake, though God had used them before and would use them again. God didn’t even show up in the all-consuming fire, though Elijah had just proved God’s supremacy over Baal with fire a few days before, though the tongues of fire would come on Pentecost, though the fiery pillar was the most recognized symbol during the Exodus, though God had come in fire on Mount Sinai once before. All of these special effects are great, they’re flashy, they’re high-budget and spectacular…but that’s just what they are—special effects, not the real deal. Most of the time God doesn’t give us a burning bush, a fiery pillar, a tornado, or a literally earth-shattering sign. Most of the time, what God is waiting for is for us to listen…to be quiet enough to hear the still small voice, the gentle whisper. Into the silence, God speaks gently and quietly—and sometimes hearing that voice can be more earth-shattering, more groundbreaking, more special than any flashy effects.
We Presbyterians aren’t good at silence. Perhaps even as people we’re not good at silence—with all the constant background noise, with all the talking we like to do, it’s hard for us to just be still, to just listen, with no agenda, no purpose, no pre-determined outcome, and no noise. Our lives are filled with auditory chaos, and many of us probably keep it going even when we pray—at least in worship, when we pray we spend a lot of time doing the talking and no time doing the listening. Silence can be uncomfortable. It takes practice to be able to be silent. But when the silence came, Elijah knew what was happening—he knew he was in the presence of God and it was time to listen up. Do we know what that silence is like? Do we know how to let the chaos subside and to be still in the alternative?
It seems a little odd to be standing here talking about silence. Earlier this morning we had a service in the style of Taize, which seems a little more appropriate. In a Taize service, we sing simple songs together, over and over, until they become a part of us. They become our prayers. And then the music subsides and we sit in silence, in the presence of God and each other, for ten minutes. Ten minutes can feel like a long time, or it can go by in a flash. What’s remarkable is the depth of silence. It’s so different from everyday life. And even the singing seems to come from a place of deep peace. The whole experience of just resting in God is one that I treasure. We normally gather for this service on the first Thursdays of the month, and it’s such a treat to find calm in the middle of a chaotic week. It seems the perfect way to experience Elijah’s story today.
Here I am, still talking about silence. There’s no way I can ever say the right words about the importance of silence, about how God speaks…partially because God speaks differently to each person. Moses, after all, got lots of special effects—burning bush, pillars of fire and cloud, fire surrounding the mountain he was to climb, the parting of the sea. Abraham just got a voice. Elijah got a sound of sheer silence followed by a quiet whisper. Jesus had both booming voice and quiet on the mountaintop. No matter how God speaks to us, though, we need to be listening. If we’re looking for miracles of earth, wind, and fire, will we notice if God speaks in silence and whispers? If we’re consumed by the chaos that is both within us and around us, will we hear the still small voice?
I think that, instead of me standing here talking about listening for God in the silence, we should practice. I promise to watch the clock so you do not need to worry about how long it will be. Just close your eyes, relax, let go of the chaos inside, let the alternative to the dark and stormy night creep in, and listen. Perhaps you will hear the very voice of God. (2 minutes silence)
Thanks be to God. Amen.
what are you doing here?--a guided meditation for Ordinary 12C
Today we will walk in the footsteps of Elijah.
Close your eyes.
Put your feet flat on the floor, sit up straight, and be comfortable.
Take a deep breath in, and let it out slowly.
Take a deep breath in, and let it out slowly.
Picture a place you like to go…
a place you go when you need to get away,
when you need some perspective,
when you need to be reminded of what’s important,
a place where you feel grounded and secure.
What do you see?
What do you hear?
What do you smell?
What do you feel?
Just be in the place, relax.
Why are you here? What are you doing in that place?
God is asking a question, right into your ear: what are you doing here?
After hearing your story, God says, to you,
I am coming to visit. Come and see.
(Wait for the Lord)
What does it look like when God comes to visit?
What happens?
A great wind, a Pentecost wind, begins blowing all around…
trees are bending…
papers are flying…
your hair is whipping about your face….
is this God?
no, not this time.
(Wait for the Lord)
The earth is shaking,
the mountains tremble,
the rocks fall,
the barriers that divide people are torn away…
is this God?
no, not this time.
(Wait for the Lord)
A bush is burning,
tongues of flame are dancing,
a pillar of fire whirls around…
is this God?
no, not this time.
(Wait for the Lord)
And then…
nothing.
silence.
No birds. no breeze. no sound.
Like the silence that comes when something unusual is happening.
…………..
Finally, there are no distractions, no outside noise, no inner noise, no clutter around or within you, no chaos—just calm.
You stand up and hear a gentle, quiet, whisper calling your name.
God has come to visit.
What are you doing here?
(Wait for the Lord)
Into the silence, God whispers:
I am with you.
I will never leave you.
I am the rock on which you stand.
My grace is enough.
I have a job for you to do.
All that chaos, all that destruction, was not the end, but a beginning of new work.
Will you speak, sing, even shout, my word, my love, to the world?
Will you come and follow me?
(Be Still)
Close your eyes.
Put your feet flat on the floor, sit up straight, and be comfortable.
Take a deep breath in, and let it out slowly.
Take a deep breath in, and let it out slowly.
Picture a place you like to go…
a place you go when you need to get away,
when you need some perspective,
when you need to be reminded of what’s important,
a place where you feel grounded and secure.
What do you see?
What do you hear?
What do you smell?
What do you feel?
Just be in the place, relax.
Why are you here? What are you doing in that place?
God is asking a question, right into your ear: what are you doing here?
After hearing your story, God says, to you,
I am coming to visit. Come and see.
(Wait for the Lord)
What does it look like when God comes to visit?
What happens?
A great wind, a Pentecost wind, begins blowing all around…
trees are bending…
papers are flying…
your hair is whipping about your face….
is this God?
no, not this time.
(Wait for the Lord)
The earth is shaking,
the mountains tremble,
the rocks fall,
the barriers that divide people are torn away…
is this God?
no, not this time.
(Wait for the Lord)
A bush is burning,
tongues of flame are dancing,
a pillar of fire whirls around…
is this God?
no, not this time.
(Wait for the Lord)
And then…
nothing.
silence.
No birds. no breeze. no sound.
Like the silence that comes when something unusual is happening.
…………..
Finally, there are no distractions, no outside noise, no inner noise, no clutter around or within you, no chaos—just calm.
You stand up and hear a gentle, quiet, whisper calling your name.
God has come to visit.
What are you doing here?
(Wait for the Lord)
Into the silence, God whispers:
I am with you.
I will never leave you.
I am the rock on which you stand.
My grace is enough.
I have a job for you to do.
All that chaos, all that destruction, was not the end, but a beginning of new work.
Will you speak, sing, even shout, my word, my love, to the world?
Will you come and follow me?
(Be Still)
Friday, June 22, 2007
mental clutter
There's been a lot in my brain this week...too much to get it into any coherent post. So, naturally, I've abandoned coherence as a goal and decided to write anyway. In no particular order:
I currently have a strange desire to eat French Toast and/or waffles. I cannot explain this.
re-reading Harry Potter and re-watching the movies. I'd forgotten some things about the first book, and while watching the first movie I was reminded how flat-out COOL it is to watch quidditch!
re-reading Walking the Bible and am reminded of how frustrated I was by Zionist overtones last time. As I read, I'm constantly talking to the book saying things like "when are you going to talk to a Palestinian who's just as connected to the land? Or an Israeli who is sympathetic to Palestinian concerns?"
Listening to the news early this week (like Monday) about Abbas dissolving the Palestinian government and appointing a new Prime Minister, and then hearing the Israeli government make comments like "now there's a new opening for peace talks" makes me angry. Wasn't there this same opening 18 months ago, before Hamas was democratically elected? Maybe if there'd been any significant progress in the past, maybe if people in the region actually saw a good-faith effort on the part of the Israeli government, maybe if there was real desire for the justice and compromise that need to be the foundation of peace...maybe then Hamas wouldn't have been elected to begin with, because Palestinians would see other options, another way out of the hell in which they live, surrounded by a 20 foot concrete wall and a hostile population. Just saying.
I am preaching on Elijah and the still small voice this week. It seems rather counter productive to talk about silence. So at 8.30 we are doing a kind of guided-imagery-meditation thing that allows us to place ourselves in the story and practice listening for the quiet whisper in the sound of sheer silence. At 9.30 we are doing Taize instead of a traditional service, so there will be an opportunity to practice silence there as well. At 11 it's traditional, with sermon and all. No, I have not yet written the sermon. I'm still trying to answer the preaching-prof question: "what do you want to say?" When I figure out what I want to say, then I'll be able to write it. I hope I figure that out sometime today.
The Lakeside Festival is this weekend. Taste of Crystal Lake (which I think is a funny thing since I used to live in Chicago and Taste of Chicago is awesome and huge), the cardboard cup regatta (where people build boats out of cardboard and then actually have to ride in them on a course on the lake--prizes for all kinds of things including Most Spectacular Sinking), etc...all this weekend. Fun. Must have sermon done in order to go....
Game night last night was fun. Grownups don't really get human battleship, but they figured it out and we had a good time.
It's cold in my office.
I don't think my thermostat at home actually works properly--I turned it up to 85 and my air has still been coming on sporadically. So I turned it up more and am using my beautiful new fan from Target.
I think that's all for now....I'm going to go satisfy my french toast needs.
I currently have a strange desire to eat French Toast and/or waffles. I cannot explain this.
re-reading Harry Potter and re-watching the movies. I'd forgotten some things about the first book, and while watching the first movie I was reminded how flat-out COOL it is to watch quidditch!
re-reading Walking the Bible and am reminded of how frustrated I was by Zionist overtones last time. As I read, I'm constantly talking to the book saying things like "when are you going to talk to a Palestinian who's just as connected to the land? Or an Israeli who is sympathetic to Palestinian concerns?"
Listening to the news early this week (like Monday) about Abbas dissolving the Palestinian government and appointing a new Prime Minister, and then hearing the Israeli government make comments like "now there's a new opening for peace talks" makes me angry. Wasn't there this same opening 18 months ago, before Hamas was democratically elected? Maybe if there'd been any significant progress in the past, maybe if people in the region actually saw a good-faith effort on the part of the Israeli government, maybe if there was real desire for the justice and compromise that need to be the foundation of peace...maybe then Hamas wouldn't have been elected to begin with, because Palestinians would see other options, another way out of the hell in which they live, surrounded by a 20 foot concrete wall and a hostile population. Just saying.
I am preaching on Elijah and the still small voice this week. It seems rather counter productive to talk about silence. So at 8.30 we are doing a kind of guided-imagery-meditation thing that allows us to place ourselves in the story and practice listening for the quiet whisper in the sound of sheer silence. At 9.30 we are doing Taize instead of a traditional service, so there will be an opportunity to practice silence there as well. At 11 it's traditional, with sermon and all. No, I have not yet written the sermon. I'm still trying to answer the preaching-prof question: "what do you want to say?" When I figure out what I want to say, then I'll be able to write it. I hope I figure that out sometime today.
The Lakeside Festival is this weekend. Taste of Crystal Lake (which I think is a funny thing since I used to live in Chicago and Taste of Chicago is awesome and huge), the cardboard cup regatta (where people build boats out of cardboard and then actually have to ride in them on a course on the lake--prizes for all kinds of things including Most Spectacular Sinking), etc...all this weekend. Fun. Must have sermon done in order to go....
Game night last night was fun. Grownups don't really get human battleship, but they figured it out and we had a good time.
It's cold in my office.
I don't think my thermostat at home actually works properly--I turned it up to 85 and my air has still been coming on sporadically. So I turned it up more and am using my beautiful new fan from Target.
I think that's all for now....I'm going to go satisfy my french toast needs.
Friday, June 15, 2007
oh.my.goodness
You need to see this. I thought it would be depressing, but instead it made my day.
(shamelessly stolen from Will Smama)
(shamelessly stolen from Will Smama)
Friday Five: books books books!
If ever there was a Friday Five for me (besides the one about hair), this is it!
Sally over at RGBP says:
5. Describe a perfect place to read. (could be anywhere!!!)
Where isn't the perfect place to read? Inside or out (as long as I have sunglasses and sunscreen!), all I need is a place where I can choose whether to curl up or stretch out. A nice chaise is perfect. The location of said chaise is irrelevant, since I'll be busy roaming around someone else's world anyway!
my bonus: What are you reading right now?
At home I'm reading Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles. True to form, I'm almost done though I only started the 866 page novel on Monday. At church I'm reading Contemplative Youth Ministry and The Male-Female Church Staff. What are you reading?
(12.30 update: finished the last 100 pages of Mary Queen of Scotland and am now, for real, writing a sermon for the wedding tomorrow...seriously, I swear. No more books or blogs til it's done.)
(2.17 update: sermon finished too. many blogs read. do I start my Harry Potter re-read now, knowing I need to leave in an hour, or do I mindlessly watch the Food Network, milking my last two weeks of cable, instead?)
Sally over at RGBP says:
I've just returned from a meeting in Cambridge so I'm posting this late here in the UK (it is 3:45pm).. because I took the opportunity of a free afternoon in Cambridge's wonderful book shops... I only bought a few- and they were on sale- very restrained for me!!!
So with my head full of books I've seen and a long wish list in my mind, I bring you a Friday Five on books!!!
1. Fiction: what kind, detective novels, historical stuff, thrillers, romance????
ooh, all kinds. Though I have a weakness for cheesy novels about kings and queens (ie titles like "the Constant Princess" and "the Other Boleyn Girl", etc). In other words, books with young women in pretty Elizabethan garb on the cover. I also enjoy a good mystery novel, and have been drawn to the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency for a quick read in the bookstore now and then. But my shelves at home are filled with a wide variety from classics to Gregory Maguire (author of Wicked...and then some others), from serious to frivolous, and including the occasional disappointment.2. When you get a really good book do you read it all in one chunk or savour it slowly?
Usually I can't put it down--I get so immersed in the world of the book that I forget other things, that I crunch my schedule so I can read more at the most inopportune times, etc.3. Is there a book you keep returning to and why?
There are a few--like good comfort foods. The macaroni-and-cheeses, the mashed potatoes and green bean casseroles of books: The Princess Bride, for a good laugh and a relatively feel-good story, Pride and Prejudice, the best of the period novels, Good Omens and Lamb, for irreverence when I need a break from "religious life" (whatever that is), Blue Like Jazz when I need a reminder that faith and organized presbyterian church are not synonymous...(plus I just love the sexy carrot cartoon sequence!)4. Apart from the Bible which non-fiction book has influenced you the most?
Ever? umm...good question. I'm not a big reader of non-fiction, so I'm not sure. Maybe Girl Meets God which helped me think about the ideas of "conversion" and "evangelism" and "church" and many other things...maybe The Dance of Anger which taught me how to get out of unhealthy relationship patterns...are you sure I can't say the bible, seriously?5. Describe a perfect place to read. (could be anywhere!!!)
Where isn't the perfect place to read? Inside or out (as long as I have sunglasses and sunscreen!), all I need is a place where I can choose whether to curl up or stretch out. A nice chaise is perfect. The location of said chaise is irrelevant, since I'll be busy roaming around someone else's world anyway!
my bonus: What are you reading right now?
At home I'm reading Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles. True to form, I'm almost done though I only started the 866 page novel on Monday. At church I'm reading Contemplative Youth Ministry and The Male-Female Church Staff. What are you reading?
(12.30 update: finished the last 100 pages of Mary Queen of Scotland and am now, for real, writing a sermon for the wedding tomorrow...seriously, I swear. No more books or blogs til it's done.)
(2.17 update: sermon finished too. many blogs read. do I start my Harry Potter re-read now, knowing I need to leave in an hour, or do I mindlessly watch the Food Network, milking my last two weeks of cable, instead?)
Thursday, June 14, 2007
a milestone is near...
I am approaching my 1,000th post.
What shall I post about? Now taking suggestions, questions, etc....
What shall I post about? Now taking suggestions, questions, etc....
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
thinking about the phone
So, for some reason, over the last week or two I have had an inordinate number of things I wanted to call my mom about. Of course, I can't do that, and that's one of the worst parts of not having her anymore, but it's also weird because normally, these days anyway, I go through the day just fine without wanting to tell her about something. I don't know what set it off, but for some reason I've thought "I should call mom about that" a lot the last week or so.
I think it all started with Costco (where I haven't been in a while).
Did you know they sell organic pretty-much-everything now?
update: I went out to get my first box-o-veggies from the farm and as I was driving through the rolling country hills, I thought of where I grew up. Then, on my way back, I was going almost exactly the speed limit (55--which, for the first time ever, I think is too fast) and as I went over a little hill my stomach did that roller-coaster thing, and I really wanted to tell mom about how it was like the big"roller coaster hills" that are on the way to grandma's house. Those are awesome. We used to coast down, then let g-forces do their work as we hit the bottom and started up the next one. Scott and I would squeal with glee, seriously. I did a little squealing myself, yes with glee, as I returned from the farm...
I think it all started with Costco (where I haven't been in a while).
Did you know they sell organic pretty-much-everything now?
update: I went out to get my first box-o-veggies from the farm and as I was driving through the rolling country hills, I thought of where I grew up. Then, on my way back, I was going almost exactly the speed limit (55--which, for the first time ever, I think is too fast) and as I went over a little hill my stomach did that roller-coaster thing, and I really wanted to tell mom about how it was like the big"roller coaster hills" that are on the way to grandma's house. Those are awesome. We used to coast down, then let g-forces do their work as we hit the bottom and started up the next one. Scott and I would squeal with glee, seriously. I did a little squealing myself, yes with glee, as I returned from the farm...
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
8 Random Things
I have been tagged by 1-4 Grace to do this -- so here goes
Okay, first the rules:
1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged write their own blog about their eight things, with these rules.
3.At the end, choose eight people to tag and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
8 Random things about me:
Okay, first the rules:
1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged write their own blog about their eight things, with these rules.
3.At the end, choose eight people to tag and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
8 Random things about me:
- I am not sporty. Everyone else in my family enjoys playing sports and is athletic. Not me. To those who think athleticism is a requirement for people who work with youth: ppllllttthhhh.......
- Mashed potatoes are my favorite food.
- My cats are almost never called by their given names. Ollie is usually referred to as "meow meow" and Andrew is often called "buddy."
- I hate unloading the dishwasher. I don't mind loading it, but putting dishes away--blah.
- I have driven almost the entire length of I-90. I only lack a little bit of the part between Boston and Lake Michigan.
- With only a few exceptions, I do not like chocolate ice cream. But ice cream with chocolate sauce is good.
- I have never read anything by Virginia Woolf, though two of her books are currently in my possession AND I have an agreement with a friend to get started on that.
- I really miss Scotland and am having severe Scotland cravings.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
once more with feeling!
The verdict on the Buffy sing-along:
super fun.
Glad we went.
Loved it!
Would go again in a heartbeat if it were not at midnight tomorrow night (it's 3.30, just got home...no good for a Saturday night...).
Can't wait for next time!
:-)
super fun.
Glad we went.
Loved it!
Would go again in a heartbeat if it were not at midnight tomorrow night (it's 3.30, just got home...no good for a Saturday night...).
Can't wait for next time!
:-)
Thursday, June 07, 2007
velvet elvis
I finally finished Velvet Elvis. (for the record, my cover is exactly like the one pictured on amazon...) It was a pretty good read, not hard to get through, with some insightful things, some great personal anecdotes, humor, and whatnot. I didn't feel like it was written for me (a mainline protestant pastor) but there are still things I got out of it. There's already a great review and discussion (from 10 days ago, when I had hoped to finish the book) here.
So I'm reading along, agreeing with quite a bit but not finding anything terribly new...I enjoy some of Bell's metaphor and his story-telling style, his conviction that following Jesus makes a difference in how you live...
but then I got near the end, and on page 166 I read this: "it is so toxic for the gospel when Christians picket and boycott and complain about how bad the world is. This behavior doesn't help. It makes it worse. It isn't the kind of voice Jesus wants his followers to have in the world. Why blame the dark for being dark? It is far more helpful to ask why the light isn't as bright as it could be."
I disagree on so many levels...it's hard to even begin. Isn't protesting/boycotting a way of asking why the light isn't as bright as it could be? Isn't standing up for those who can't stand up part of the gospel? The biblical tradition--in both the old and new testaments--is rife with examples of people doing something like picketing and boycotting, and there's even some complaining about how bad the world is. Just open up Jeremiah or Lamentations or the Psalms and there it is. Tell the prophets or John the Baptist not to speak up, loudly and publicly and even in the halls of power, against injustices they see. I think it is a sweeping generalization and overstatement to identify boycotting with "complaining about how bad the world is." There is such a difference between standing up and asking for what's right, which often involves first naming what is wrong, and simple complaining. This statement of Bell's seems, in many ways, to counteract the statement found literally on the opposing page, at the same space on the page and everything:
So while we'll have to agree to disagree on this point, the rest of the book is worth the read.
Just don't do what I did and read it at work while you're reading A Generous Orthodoxy at home...it can make your brain confused.
So I'm reading along, agreeing with quite a bit but not finding anything terribly new...I enjoy some of Bell's metaphor and his story-telling style, his conviction that following Jesus makes a difference in how you live...
but then I got near the end, and on page 166 I read this: "it is so toxic for the gospel when Christians picket and boycott and complain about how bad the world is. This behavior doesn't help. It makes it worse. It isn't the kind of voice Jesus wants his followers to have in the world. Why blame the dark for being dark? It is far more helpful to ask why the light isn't as bright as it could be."
I disagree on so many levels...it's hard to even begin. Isn't protesting/boycotting a way of asking why the light isn't as bright as it could be? Isn't standing up for those who can't stand up part of the gospel? The biblical tradition--in both the old and new testaments--is rife with examples of people doing something like picketing and boycotting, and there's even some complaining about how bad the world is. Just open up Jeremiah or Lamentations or the Psalms and there it is. Tell the prophets or John the Baptist not to speak up, loudly and publicly and even in the halls of power, against injustices they see. I think it is a sweeping generalization and overstatement to identify boycotting with "complaining about how bad the world is." There is such a difference between standing up and asking for what's right, which often involves first naming what is wrong, and simple complaining. This statement of Bell's seems, in many ways, to counteract the statement found literally on the opposing page, at the same space on the page and everything:
"if the gospel isn't good news for everybody, then it isn't good news for anybody."Well, yes, exactly. The problem is that we human beings aren't normally good at allowing it to be good for everybody. That's why we need protests and boycotts sometimes, because there are people who would prefer to keep the earthly part of the good news (which, according to Bell, is the most important part) to themselves while saving the heavenly part for those whose earthly lives suck because they get paid 30 cents a bushel for picking tomatoes.
So while we'll have to agree to disagree on this point, the rest of the book is worth the read.
Just don't do what I did and read it at work while you're reading A Generous Orthodoxy at home...it can make your brain confused.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
self care
Normally Wednesday is sort of my self-care-in-the-workday day. Every other week I talk to my therapist on Wednesday at lunch time. I don't even have big huge issues staring me down right now, but it's just so nice to have an outside person to give me perspective on pastor life, you know? Plus sometimes old/underlying issues come up, not to mention the mom thing pops up every now and then (as it should...). On the other weeks, I usually just take a long lunch and grab a nap or a little reading time. Today, though, was pedicure-with-a-friend day! Emily and I went to her nail place and had pedicures, and now I have summery colored toenails and my feet are happy and soft and pampered, and I got to spend some time hanging out with a wonderful and interesting woman. That's a pretty good 90 minute lunch break!
I love my job and its flexibility that lets me do that mid-week....
I love my job and its flexibility that lets me do that mid-week....
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
"goals"
Tonight we are having a special session meeting devoted to the "goal making" or "goal discerning" (or whatever) part of our visioning process.
I don't really do "goals." I more the big-picture, hope, vision, idea type rather than the specific, measurable, attainable type. Not that there aren't things I want, or things I hope for, or whatever, and not that I have no drive. Just..."goals"?? It seems so black and white.
I was listening to David LaMotte this afternoon as I thought about this session meeting, and the song "Hope" began to play. In the chorus are these lines:
I've got a lot of hope for the futureSee, that's more my speed. I dream. Other people (people with the skills to make things happen) implement. So the question is, in the 10 areas we've identified so far in this process, what are my dreams, what are the session's dreams, what are the congregations dreams, and how do we work to make them ours?
I've got a lot of faith things can work out fine
Got a lot of dreams for a better world
Got a lot of work to do if I'm going to make them mine
(For the record, I sort of did the homework, which was to write goals for each finding in each of four areas, which should result in 40 goal statements. I've never written a goal...ever...so that was way beyond my capabilities. Instead I wrote a few dreams for 6 of the 10 areas that are both important to me and part of my own sense of call. I figure it's not helpful for me to write goals or dreams for things that aren't part of my own sense of call, because they'll be inaccurate at best and destructive at worst. I hope that's okay. It's not that I don't care about the wider community of the church or what the congregation has identified as important, it's just that I know I can't do everything, nor am I qualified to dream about some of these things. This is me being realistic and also boundary-setting.)
art is "dream a little dream" by Emelisa Mudle. You can find it, and her other work, here.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Angel
Okay, seriously, Angel is a pretty good show. The themes are good. They're real. The characters are authentic. The premise, of course, is sci-fi/fantasy, but the point is there. People struggle with black-and-white vs. shades-of-gray, good and evil, loss and grief, love and hate, work and personal life, balance and sabbath, grace and redemption and forgiveness and hope. It's good.
I've been watching it kind of obsessively for the last couple of weeks and I'm almost done. Just two more discs to go--7 more episodes.
Thank God for DVDs.
In other news: church picnic tomorrow. new worship schedule tomorrow. 3 Little Pigs children's time tomorrow (somehow). pre-wedding meeting with a couple tomorrow. More Angel tomorrow.
Hopefully, no rain tomorrow!
I've been watching it kind of obsessively for the last couple of weeks and I'm almost done. Just two more discs to go--7 more episodes.
Thank God for DVDs.
In other news: church picnic tomorrow. new worship schedule tomorrow. 3 Little Pigs children's time tomorrow (somehow). pre-wedding meeting with a couple tomorrow. More Angel tomorrow.
Hopefully, no rain tomorrow!
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