pretty good

Wolfgang Puck Organic Creamy Butternut Squash Soup is pretty good. In case anyone else is out there looking for liquid/soft foods other than ice cream and mashed potatoes.

gratitude

Gratitude is a good thing.  pastor peters tagged me to list 10 things I'm thankful for, so here we go...

1.  kitties.  they're so cute and they seem to know when you need some love.

2.  an oral surgeon's office staff that aren't annoyed when I call with my paranoid issues every single day, and a surgeon who would see me "anytime this afternoon."

3.  the clove oil stuff they put on the packing that went into my dry socket--that stuff is amazing.

4.  carol hoefer's mashed potatoes.

5.  breyer's french vanilla ice cream.

6.  people who take care of me by bringing me aforementioned food items.

7.  the library, where you can get free books!

8.  wireless internet at my house that means I can take my computer to my bed if I want.  (it's squishier than the couch...)  Then I can keep watching pointless tv on hulu or reading blogs or listening to NPR podcasts...

9.  my tomato plant, which is growing its first tomato right now!!!

10.  friends.  you know who you are.  :-)

ummm...up next...amy, songbird, ppb, and cheesehead.  :-)

numb again...

Okay, so today I thought "I hurt more than yesterday--that can't be good." Since I was sick yesterday, I was concerned that I dislodged a blood clot in all the throwing up experience. So I went back to the doctor's office, and got the hole poked (OW!) and was told yep--blood clot gone, dry socket here. That's apparently not good. So the man (the other surgeon in the office, not the one who did my surgery--he was at the other office today) numbed me up a little, then packed it up with some kind of minty fresh dressing and now it's supposed to get all better. At least, that's the theory. Here's hoping, because I feel like a big wuss because my mouth hurts and everyone says I should be better by now. Plus I want to eat. (just sayin'.)

In other news, I got my hair cut today and it looks good again!

things which require opening your mouth...

...that you don't really think about until that's hard.

1. putting on chapstick/rubbing lips together.
2. licking your lips.
3. talking.
4. eating with a spoon.


Okay, so that last one seems obvious, but have you ever noticed how much you need to move your jaw in order to use a spoon? I'm just saying. Wow. and Ow. It makes the ice cream eating a lot slower than it might be otherwise. Too bad straws are out of the question because dang that would be easier!

I can feel the stitches with my tongue and they are driving me crazy. They're supposed to dissolve on their own after a while, but I keep wanting to poke them. According to my instruction sheet, that's a bad idea.

The pain is significantly less today--no vicodin involved (yet, anyway), just a little advil. A lot less ice today too. Still not much outside swelling, though one of the glands/nodes in my neck is swollen and sore. Still no bruising--hallelujah! I think I'm home free on that part. I think the fever business is past and though I was sick once this morning things seem fine now, and best of all: I'm HUNGRY!!! For the first time in days. Unfortunately I can't eat much because of the aforementioned spoon problem. And I would just about kill for some tostitos and cheese dip, which are definitely out of the question (not to mention being really bad for you...).

I am going to a meeting tonight, and I am determined to be cheerful even if it is at a Mexican restaurant and I can't have a margarita. :-)

reading challenge 2008

Today I read Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier.  It was recommended by my PhD in English lit friend Jenny.  She said I should read a real book instead of just fluffy princess books.  :-)

It's a classic, of course...well written, real literature.  Compelling story, only a few typos in my copy (but they did irritate me).  Predictable ending, unfortunately.  But overall good.  I haven't seen the movie (a Hitchcock) and am not likely to, but I did spend an enjoyable day reading, even if I was annoyed at how nameless new girl is a doormat and how the dead Rebecca runs (and ruins) everyone's lives.  

Anyway, if you're in need of a serious-literature break from the fluffy princess books, this is a good choice.  but for a hurty-mouth day blurred by various kinds of prescription drugs?  Decide for yourself based on how vicodin works for you.  (for me?  not much.)  The book's recommended.  

teeth gone, pain here

Okay, teeth are gone.  I really was in and out in an hour, which is good because it means no complications.  I've already been crying (cuz, ow) and so I know my sinus cavities are intact (that was a concern).  The anesthetic has worn off so I can feel and move my chin, lower lip, and tongue....and also feel everything else.  No tingling or numbness in my bottom jaw either, which means he didn't end up injuring my nerve in my bottom jaw--seriously good news!  But when I take the gauze off (it says leave it for an hour then take it off...if it keeps bleeding, bite down on teabags--been there, done that already) it hurts like a lot of curse words that are inappropriate for a non-anonymous pastor's blog.  vicodin popped, to no effect so far (1.5 hours in to the 4 hours before the next one).  angel being watched through the tears.  jamba juice is hard to eat even with a spoon...mashed potatoes have just arrived for dinner!  hopefully my jaw will stop hurting enough to eat them.  

End of update for now...

update:  gauze is off, for now...and i DO in fact have a hole into one sinus cavity.  awesome. (that was my sarcastic voice.)  Vicodin's still not good enough, in my opinion, and the whole tea-bag thing has meant I'm not even tired.  I'm going to try to be tired now...

PPS:  now I have two different antibiotics, because the surgeon is concerned about the possibility of infection due to that exciting hole.  Do I take both of them?  Or just the new one?  I guess I'll have to call in the morning, because I'm confused.  And that's not a good place to be when there are prescription medications on the line, you know?

wisdom...

....teeth.

Mine are coming out in about an hour.  

Also, I just saw a cardinal on my balcony.

That's all for now...back later!

reading challenge 2008

I finished a few more books....

Leadership 101, an "interactive leadership training guide for students."  I'm using this with the new youth leadership team to develop leadership skills.  I had to cut some of it because it's not so Presbyterian, but quite a bit of it is useful and good.  Sadly, my least favorite part are the journaling prompts.  With a little more time on my hands, I would write my own.  Instead I just cut them out from the stuff we're using right now.

Today, my day off, I read The Rapture of Canaan.  It was really good--a novel about a girl growing up in a religious cult.  I couldn't put it down and ended up finishing it in only a few hours.  I don't want to write too much about it here because I'm afraid of giving it away.  Highly Recommended!

teehee!

Okay, so I'm spending a little time perusing a book of new hymns to old tunes (New Wine in Old Wineskins) and I like lots of the stuff in it.

But this verse made me giggle and want to jump up and down on the chancel if we ever sing it.  Which would probably not be good.  Also part of it made me giggle in a way that says, "I'm 12 and can't hear anything without double entendre."

"God of ev'ry fresh creation, Tend us with a gard'ners hand.  On your people pour your Spirit, Water on a thirsty land:  Till we spring like grassy meadows, Poplar trees by flowing streams.  God of ev'rey fresh creation, Reawaken Eden's dreams."

teehee!

stuff

Actual stuff.

I have lots and lots of stuff--way more stuff than I need.  But this week I've also been acquiring more stuff.  I got new books, a new camera (crucial for that Scotland trip that's coming up in a month!), and a new bigger memory card for said camera.  I got a new phone (at last I could upgrade--my phone was being bad, bad, bad.  It would ring continuously even though the caller was long gone.  It would randomly turn itself off and on.  The volume would change.  The display might or might not work.  awesome.)  My new phone is purple and doubles as an mp3 player.  Now I'm figuring out whether I can bluetooth my itunes over and then turn them into ringtones--fun.

I am also ordering some new clothes for my summer adventures--a bathrobe (mmm, shared bathrooms), fuzzy flipflops, t-shirts, and a waterproof jacket.  Cuz, you know, in Scotland it rains and stuff.  

I don't think I've spent so much money on myself in a long time.  It's weird and a little scary--I don't like being such a consumer or materialist, and I don't like using my credit cards, but alas....unless I'm going naked for 1-1/2 of the weeks I'm gone this summer, I'm into necessity-land here.  

Well...back to the Bible in 90 Days....

Extreme Hospitality--a sermon for Ordinary 11A

Rev. Teri Peterson
RCLPC
Extreme Hospitality
Genesis 18.1-15
June 15 2008, Ordinary 11A

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, ‘My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.’ So they said, ‘Do as you have said.’ And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, ‘Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.’ Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
They said to him, ‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ And he said, ‘There, in the tent.’ Then one said, ‘I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?’ The Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, and say, “Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?” Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.’ But Sarah denied, saying, ‘I did not laugh’; for she was afraid. He said, ‘Oh yes, you did laugh.’


As many of you know, we here at RCLPC are in the middle of a summer of Scripture reading—we’re reading the Bible in 90 days. Each day we read about 12-15 pages, and each day I write some reflections about the reading on our church blog, and then each Wednesday we gather for an hour to talk about what we have read, to share our questions and insights, and to learn about some of the background. We are 15 days in right now, and today we’ll finish Deuteronomy. In 15 days we read the entire first five books of the Bible, often called the Torah, meaning law or instruction, or the Pentateuch, meaning five books. You may have figured out that that’s a lot of Bible reading!

While I will admit to having some moments of confusion as I thought this week about Abraham and Sarah but read from Numbers and Deuteronomy, I have to say there is something really intriguing about this process. It has helped me make connections I might not have made otherwise. Sure, there are lots of names and numbers, but there are also a lot of stories and a lot of talk about what it means to be a community of God’s people. Granted, in the ancient near-eastern culture that was expressed by rules and regulations…and more rules and regulations…and then a reiteration of the rules in case you missed them…but still, I am intrigued by this idea. I also began to think about the fact that these books are called Torah, instruction, and they include so many stories like the one we read today. Clearly these stories are designed to tell us something, to show us how to be a community of God’s people.

So we head back to the story—Abraham and Sarah, in their tent, somewhere in Canaan. It’s the middle of the day. It’s hot. Sarah is stuck inside cleaning up and thinking about dinner. Abraham is sitting outside where it’s cool when suddenly he looks up and sees three strangers getting some rest in the shade under the oak tree a little way off. He jumps up, runs over to them, begs them to stay a little while, runs back, orders a servant to go wash their feet, orders his wife to bake bread even if it is 100 degrees in the tent, runs to the herd and chooses the best calf and orders a servant to kill, clean, and cook it…Abraham’s household prepares a whole feast of barbeque for these strangers, all from scratch!

This is a whole new level of hospitality from what we are used to. Normally if we are going to entertain, we plan ahead, invite people over, then prepare most of the meal before our guests arrive. If someone stops by unexpectedly, we offer a beverage, perhaps, but probably not a whole meal. The one similarity between my experience of hospitality and Abraham and Sarah’s is the part where Abraham stands by the guests while they eat. That sounds suspiciously like the way my grandmother and mother would always take the seat closest to the kitchen, and then would invariably get up to grab things for people throughout the meal, sometimes allowing their own food to get cold. I have had one experience, while I was living in Egypt, where my hostess set a table just for me, and then literally stood by, not eating herself but ready to get me anything I wanted and to serve me seconds, all the while commenting on my appetite and demeaning her own fabulous cooking skills. I can’t remember being so uncomfortable in any other situation—it felt so awkward to me. But that’s what extreme hospitality seems to look like, at least Abraham-style!

In our culture we have, I think, lost a little of the art of hospitality. We’ve turned it over the Hospitality Industry, to restaurants and caterers and hotels. A study done a couple of years ago found that Americans only entertain in their homes an average of 8 times a year, including holidays and family visits. That’s not a lot, really, and is significantly lower than at times in our past and compared to our sisters and brothers elsewhere in the world. So I wonder what this story might have to say to us? A simple “welcome the stranger” or “feed the hungry” isn’t going to cut it for us—we need some practice as well as the case study.

One place that we practice, I think, is right here. In worship we experience extreme hospitality—especially at the communion table, where Christ welcomes every single person, no matter who we are, no matter what we’ve done, no matter what we look like or how much money we make or who our family is or even how strong our faith is. When we come to worship, everyone is welcome. We have the experience of hospitality and we also practice extending hospitality to others. I would be willing to bet that there are people here today that you don’t know well. Take a moment to look around—sure, you see some friends and family, some long-time members too. Do you see anyone you don’t recognize? Anyone whose name you can’t remember? Anyone you’ve never seen before? Anyone you’d like to get to know better? We’ve all been welcomed here by God, now we practice welcoming one another.

You may be wondering how worship is a place where we can practice this most central of Christian disciplines—after all, isn’t it the other way around, with life being practice for worship? I don’t think so—I think worship is where we practice for a life lived with God, for an integrated, whole, and truly real life. And we practice in worship in several different ways. It’s where we practice prayer so we can pray whenever need arises. It’s where we practice praise so we can praise with our lives and our words when we’re outside these walls. It’s where we practice community so we can live like God’s people out in the world, building community across boundaries, breaking down walls. It’s where we practice peace so we can make peace in a world of violence. And it’s where we practice hospitality so that when we are actually confronted with a stranger or just someone who’s strange, we can offer hospitality and welcome just as we have learned it here. In short, it’s where we practice loving the way God loves, so we can love all the way out the door and into the world.

Take a moment to think about our worship service—can you see the ways we practice together? Worship isn’t only about being filled up and feeling good, it’s about learning and practicing being people of God so we can walk this journey together. After all, practice makes perfect, right? When Jesus says, “be perfect as God is perfect,” he knows that we can’t be perfect. He’s telling us to practice for it anyway!

Today we have been baking bread here in the sanctuary, letting the smell of hospitality permeate our worship. Perhaps it’s what Sarah’s tent smelled like as she prepared dinner for unexpected guests who turned out to be God. The bread will be sent out with our bread-basket ministry this week, offering first-time visitors who leave us an address a sign of hospitality and welcome, a sign of new friendship, of God’s love for all. And as we leave today, we will borrow an ancient Celtic tradition of taking our practice of hospitality outside the sanctuary walls. When you leave you’ll be offered a bagel—in the Celtic tradition it would be an oatcake, but we’re in the Midwest!—and invited to break it in half and then share half with someone you don’t know well. Consider it a sign of hospitality and love taken outside this place and shared with the world that God loves.

Thanks be to God.
Amen.

sometimes...

...people make me crazy.

...days that are sunny when you wake up turn out to be disappointingly cloudy.

...vacuuming counts as exercise (due to aforementioned clouds).

...you just have to start the day with a pedicure...even if it means reading the day's Bible in 90 Days assignment while your feet are in the spa pool.

...kitties are adorable.  Oh wait, that's all the time.  :-)

home

I ended my semi-contemplative retreat with a trip to the Indigo Girls concert, which was so fabulous!  Standing room only (the venue is always standing-room, I think), packed, hot, full of dancing and singing girls (and a few boys too).  so fun!

Then I spent Saturday sleeping in (got home from the concert at 2am!) and watching part of the movie Into Great Silence, following the lives of monks.  I was too sleepy to keep up more than an hour or so, but I plan to watch the rest anytime I need beautiful visual meditation.  It's so interesting.  Also, I sort of want a monk's cowl--that's the name for that robe with a hood, right?  I so want that.  Not enough to become a monk (that would be hard) but I think it would be so comfy and useful.

Yesterday was a full day of worship (another week in the swirling vortex of despair RE children's sermons...) plus an afternoon trip to the final CSO concert of the season with some church members (they offered me a free ticket!).  It was a great concert and we ate Greek food after--yum!  I'm generally not a huge fan of spending hours upon hours with church people after a long morning of...church people...but this was an offer I couldn't turn down.  Unfortunately I missed an awesome graduation party for one of our fabulous youth, but I hope she'll understand the double-booking problem.  I hope too that the party wasn't horribly rained out--we've had many consecutive days of thunderstorms, tornado watches and warnings, and various other severe weather alerts.  It's been crazy with the wind and rain around here!

Now, after that utterly boring update, I must return to reading Leviticus.  We're well on our way in the Bible in 90 Days!  I'm blogging about each day's readings over here, in case you're interested....

away and reading!

I'm on a retreat this week, which is so fabulous.

I've finished two books that I haven't posted about yet, too:

The Powers That Be--pretty much fabulous.  I'm ready to read it again already.  More on nonviolence later...

A Fatal Waltz--the third in the Lady Ashton series (basically a princess book, but about Society rather Court...but with intellectually stimulating content!  The heroine studies Greek, art, and antiquities!  And solves mysteries!).  Awesome.  I read it last night--in about two and a half hours, when I should have been sleeping.  I started at 11 and couldn't stop so didn't go to sleep until 1.30.  excellent!

Anyway, back to retreating...also, FYI, I'm blogging about the Bible in 90 Days readings (we are doing this at church this summer) over at the church blog.  

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prayer on the Great Commission...

Lord, you said Go and make disciples…
It’s easy to say and harder to do.
You said Go and make disciples…
but we don’t always know how to be disciples ourselves.
We walk your beautiful earth, admire your creation, and try to imagine your story for the world.
You said Go and make disciples…
but what about the times when life doesn’t make sense? What about cyclones and earthquakes and sickness and death and grief and hopelessness?
You said Go and make disciples…
And so we go, trying to follow your example, live by your word, but the church is full of human beings with flaws and foibles.
And so we pray today, O God, that you would remind us that your promise is true:
You will be with us always.
Even when we doubt, even when we fear, even when we grieve, even when we make mistakes, even when we don’t know what to say.
Walk with us again this day, Lord, that we might go from this place to be your witnesses, here and to the ends of the earth. Send your Holy Spirit to sustain us and to fill us with your love and your word for all people. Help us to shine your light to the world.
We pray in your name, Jesus, and we use the prayer you taught us:
Our Father…

Reading Challenge 2008

Last night I finished Take This Bread, the RGBP book for Monday's discussion.  It's been a while since I finished a book ahead of the discussion, so I'm really proud of myself right now!

I really liked this book.  I enjoyed Sara Miles' honesty about her skepticism and cynicism about religion, her realization that her church wasn't "normal," and her willingness to follow her call.  I love the concept of BEING the bread for the world, and the stark reality that bread is at the center of our faith and also our life.  I spent a lot of the time I was reading this book wondering if I could make this one of the book options for confirmation class (there's some bad language and some acceptance of behaviors I don't want to promote among my 8th graders).  I haven't decided, but I love the story of doing what God calls you to do, of a real person encountering faith and doubt and call and the body of Christ, of LIVING faith not just believing it...and maybe even living it without believing everything.  Action can lead to belief, it doesn't necessarily have to be the other way around.

Anyway--I'm looking forward to Monday's discussion!

Friday Five--grand tour!

Over at RGBP this week's Friday Five is all about travel--one of my favorite things! So, without further ado....

Name five places that fall into the following categories:

1) Favorite Destination -- someplace you've visited once or often and would gladly go again
Hmmm....a little tricky. Probably Scotland, especially Iona. I love that little island. It's pretty much my favorite place in the whole world--and I'm going back for two weeks this summer! But I also really loved Rome and would go back tomorrow if I had the $$. And Jerusalem/Bethlehem too. And Damascus--I would love to go back and explore more of Damascus. I told you it was tricky!

2) Unfavorite Destination -- someplace you wish you had never been (and why)
You know, I actually can't think of any place I wish I had not gone. Sure, things happen and make for bad memories sometimes (thinking of some Cairo experiences now) but I don't regret going any of the places I've been.

3) Fantasy Destination -- someplace to visit if cost and/or time did not matter
India India India!! Also West Africa (I'd love to visit Ghana or Cameroon for a month or so of mission work--awesome. And I'd love to go to Guinea and learn more about the djembe!). And I have a sort of fantasy of going to spend a couple of weeks helping build a Watoto children's village in Uganda. Also I'd like to eat Thai food in Thailand. :-)

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
Rivendell, for sure. So cool! Or else the island from Swiss Family Robinson. Wouldn't it be fun to live in a tree mansion? (yes, I've been to Disneyland but they renamed that for Tarzan, I guess because Swiss Family Robinson isn't cool anymore? But that's a theme park attraction, I mean a REAL tree mansion on an island!)

5) Funny Destination -- the funniest place name you've ever visited or want to visit
Hmm, I don't know...I always think the towns on the drive between Chicago and Atlanta have the funniest names but I've never wanted to visit one--it's just happened. Then again, I'm from Yakima (which is variously called "Yak" and "Crackima" by my HS classmates...) so maybe "weird" is harder for me to imagine...

Reading Challenge 2008

Two more books down, and another almost finished.

This week I finished What the Thunder Said, a novel made up of short stories.  Each story is told by a different character in the story--the two main characters being two sisters who grow up in the dust bowl of Oklahoma during the Depression.  While they are the center of the story, the characters who tell the story are often peripherals.  This was really well written and I loved how each short story could stand on its own but was also part of the larger picture.  I also enjoyed the way the author managed to make clear that choices and actions have effects far beyond what we see or experience ourselves, and that things are so interconnected--what we think has an impact only on us in fact ripples out, sometimes for generations and sometimes across state lines.

Just a few minutes ago I finished Jesus for President.  In spite of the crazy layout, font, color, and other trendy things that make up this book (every page is a different color!), I did like it.  I think Shane Claiborne is pretty amazing and he makes me want to figure out how to do some things I've dreamed about--you know, live in intentional Christian community (I've been wanting to do that ever since I lived in Scotland...then again since I read Blue Like Jazz...then again since Egypt...and now again after reading Shane's two books), get trained in nonviolent response, etc.  I think that, as I rework the confirmation curriculum, I may ask the youth to choose a book about Christian discipleship (from a list I provide), read it, and then report on it to the class.  This book would be on the list.  

I was warned, but I did think the book ended abruptly.  I turned the page expecting there to be more, and found the appendices.

Also, I'm not sure about the stewardship issues here--each page is printed with lots of color--it's not that the paper is different colors (some pages are red on one side and brown on the other, etc).  What kind of cost (both $$ and environmental) does this excessive use of ink incur?  Also, some pages are not accessible--black print on red pages is hard to read unless you're in really bright light (I had to turn on more lights at my house in order to keep reading, even in the daytime), and some have VERY small print.  There are people I would love to recommend this book to, but they won't be able to read everything because they would need stronger glasses and directional lighting.

Overall, though, content-wise (though some was lifted straight out of Irresistible Revolution), it was good.  I got it from the library but will probably end up buying it.

And now back to your regularly scheduled pajama day....

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, that's all.  Just needed to get that little panic out so I can focus on making sure 5 youth get confirmed this Sunday with plenty of fanfare and no crises.  :-)