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Rambling
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all who read this who are mothers!
I am happy to post that to honor mothers.
However, I also have some questions.
So – where did this “holiday” ever come from? I mean, of course it’s nice to honor mothers…but what about those who aren’t and want to be? What about those of us who don’t want children?
I don’t want to get too whiny, because the tendency recently is to go overboard on “political correctness” and whatnot. But it’s just an interesting day to balance.
How are you celebrating (or not) today?
Who would have thought? But the library has peregrine falcons on their building. You can see them nesting on the webcam.
April is organ donor month. Sign up to donate your organs – through your driver’s license or an on-line organization such as Gift of Life. And then tell people that you did.
So – Shane threw out some helpful stuff at the first round of this.
I, of course, am still working on processing more deeply the implications of decision making and further discerning where I am going.
So – if we use the word “regret” for the emotion that comes from one who has reached a present that s/he is unhappy with, what can we do before we get to that emotion? How does one make decisions now that later will not be regretted?
Of course, I naturally think about my situation. What job should I get? Should we stay in Chicago or move back to Michigan? How does getting married change my future? While I don’t expect answers to all of these things now, what is the process by which I get to the point where I’ve made the best decision possible?
My co-facilitator for the Canterbury discernment group talked about that when choices are made, often things must be sacrificed. If I choose one route, that cuts off some of my other options. This is not brain surgery – obviously, if I choose to get married, then dating other men is not an option. But how can I help ensure that in choosing one route that things that are important to me are not sacrificed?
Okay – of course I’m back to questions. And on some level, answers are self-evident and are silly to even ask – while, on the other hand are unanswerable until after the decision is made.
But my hope in looking at these questions is that I can help others recognize that decisions are being made and that there are actually choices occurring and that people can influence their futures by making more careful decisions today. So – that later – they do not regret. They aren’t stuck in a corner with very few options because they didn’t take time to discern carefully their options.
So – I guess that I’m really interested in reviewing the decision-making process. In my discernment, things have been very clear because I have taken the time to pray through stuff. I actively check in with several different sources in making decisions. Somehow, I end up making decisions that seem to work out well in the end.
How do you make decisions? How do you help other people make decisions?
So – I’ve been a lot of thinking about what people do with their lives.
I just started a group at Canterbury called “What (in the hell) am I going to do with my life?” that now meets weekly. This was a chance for people to start discerning what they would like to do. It’s been going really well. We’re starting with spiritual journeys and having a great time sharing them and getting to know each other better. I’m hoping that through the group, people can start articulating what it is that God is calling them to do.
I saw Brokeback Mountain and just couldn’t believe that the character (Ennis) ended up in a place where he had ever imagined himself. I mean, he had to make choices with life, but then ended up in a really lonely, isolated place, living in a trailer park. He’s separated from the one that he truly loves, and separated from his family. The dreams of living in on the open range are left shattered and scattered, shards on the memory room floor.
This reminded me of people who are places that they never would have dreamt that they would be.
Now, I understand that I’m also not where I thought that I would be – 32, single, a priest. This is not the exact life that I ever dreamed of when I was little. HOWEVER, it’s not completely contrary to it either. I have ended up working as a professional, making a living, and feeling great about my life.
I do have some friends who have made choices that they have impeded on their dreams. They make one decision that gives them part of what they want and desire, but in the process has to sacrifice other major goals and aspirations. (Calls to ordination, basic care due to lack of funds, sacrificing college educations even as top of HS class.) Now, these would not be back if the person looking back says, “Yes, I’m happy with this.” But in some of the cases that I know, people are really unhappy with some of the choices. Looking back, they regret some of the major decisions that they made and implications of some of their choices.
In an article at Charisma (which I read to be in touch with what other groups of Christians are talking about), Paula White talks about how God is Good and how her life is wonderful just because she followed Jesus. Really? Wow – I mean, what about those who are faithful and still suffer? Where their life doesn’t result in magazine articles that talk about those faithful to God will have fabulous lives.
So – it leads me to my place of major discernment. To find a job where God is calling while balancing it with a spouse-to-be. To lively fully into my call as priest and find those areas where I can help organize the world (my general call that I’ve had most of my life). We’ll see how it goes for me.
I’m open for job options. Write me if you know of something cool!
So, I’d just like to rant:
When a person leaves a message, that person should say their number two times. Slowly. I get a ton of messages every week (wandering around campus and not sitting in the office) and there are so many people who just rattle off a number - and sometimes so fast that I have to listen to it three times before I get all the numbers.
I learned this during my first “real” job – from a priest.
Name, number, message, number, (name)
Then you have the number at the beginning and at the end – two chances for the person to get it and write it down. It also means that if the person missed the number, s/he could go back to the beginning and hear just the number before deleting (assuming a digital answering machine). The extra (name) at the end is in case the person doesn't know who you are - then you've given that person an opportunity to get your name down to know who to call back.
So, I beg anyone reading this: consider how you leave a message, especially for someone who doesn't know you or doesn't have your number. It doesn't take much longer and is very helpful.
And if you're doing it well, encourage others to leave nice messages.
Henry (Systems Engineer at Donnelley Logistics) and
Heather (Chaplain at Canterbury Northwestern)
are excited to announce
their engagement to be married!
We’re looking at November – more news to follow.
Yes, I know…some of you already know this. But being a priest and getting engaged is a slightly tricky thing – informing families and bishops and whatnot before getting general announcements out. But it’s out. We’re still having fun. We have some plans and I’m sure that we have lots more to go. But there’s the big news!
But, no, we're not planning on a wedding planning podcast and there probably won't be much more mention of it here until the day. If you would like to be on the invite list, send me an email...
ARE YOU SERIOUS? Okay, I know that some people really like children and babies. But why would you do this? I guess that I just feel badly for the child – who will raise him?
So – if you’re looking for a site for race activism in Chicago, check out the Chicago Reporter. Crazy that I had to hear about them in Utne…
At the beginning of this month, my friend Mike took over as Executive Director of Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation. It is a great organization and he sends out weekly updates of information. You can visit the site to subscribe to these updates and information. It will give you lots of great ways to stay connected to the larger Anglican communion and other things going on in the world.
I will now admit publicly (only because I didn’t have time to blog before the vote…not because I was hiding anything): I was in favor of the smoking ban. The cities that have gone smoke free have not seen a decrease in business. And it definitely makes me more comfortable to not have scratchy, watery eyes when I go out to have fun.
When we went to my sister’s bachelorette party in San Francisco, I was shocked to find no smoke in the karaoke bar. (I had totally forgotten about that law.) Wow. What a nice night. I didn’t have to shower when I got home because I wouldn’t have been able to sleep with the smell in my hair… it was so nice.
I am still trying to figure out how to live in peace with my smoking brothers and sisters. I know that the new rules put them out of some places. But I also have some friends who smoke that find some establishments too smoky. That’s just not good.
But I will support bars and restaurants that are smoke free when deciding where to go. ALA, Chicago is tracking the establishments who just changed (not waiting for the Chicago ban) and also have a complete list of smoke free places.
Well, the test results on my head are back. I received the news that it was “unusual but all removed” which isn’t incredibly clear to me. But, it does seem that something was wrong and I’ll get more information on Thursday when I see the doctor to get the stitches out. So, I’ll reiterate: check for weird, strange moles.
So – I know that it’s been a little sporadic here. Life has been crazy… I keep thinking that I need to blog – and I even have some posts ready…but other things keep interfering. Like surgery.
This is my public service announcement: WATCH THOSE MOLES!
I have a history of skin cancer. While in Arizona, my hairdresser found a spot on my head that she thought looked weird. I showed it to my local dermatologist (who has already removed two spots from me) and he’s like, “OOO..um, go see [this other guy who will do a better job cutting off a spot that big]…”
So, yesterday, I went to another dermatologist who does a good job with plastic surgery (nice cuts, little scarring) and was really hoping that he’d say, “No big deal…we don’t need to remove that.” But he didn’t. So, I now have a patch of hair missing and 6 visible stitches that need to come out next week. But no more spot. I’ll blog about it again if something is wrong with it…otherwise, just figure that it’s fine like my last several have been. I just wanted to help others remain aware of watching their skin.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Well – the trip across Arizona has been great. Beautiful as always – and warm… Which means that it doesn’t seem like Christmas at all. Mom and I flew into Phoenix and then drove down to Tucson. We actually drove over to Deming, New Mexico for a couple of days – another of my mother’s relatives. We attended services at St. Luke’s. There seems to be no official web site, but I did find this site that has some really interesting information. It seems to be out of date, based on the experience I had last night. Very cute little church with a very nice visiting priest - they are currently led by a lay vicar. I'd like to ask him more about how that it working for him. Mom and I are going back for the service at 10:30 am.
We’ll be headed back to AZ tomorrow…the mountains first, and then back to Phoenix. Then back to the cold on Thursday.
Hope that you’re having a wonderful day!
One of the best ministries for serving homeless young adults is Open Door/Next Door. Consider supporting them with your tax deductible donation. (Perhaps a Christmas present?)
So - the rumor is that "a prophet cannot proclaim in [his] hometown"...
Well, I was invited to come back to celebrate at my home church of Good Shepherd in Allegan. It was an incredible opportunity, that ended up by being tainted by the actions of one person (so - perhaps I shouldn't have bothered to try to go back...). But, overall, it was a greaet experience. Tripp will be interested (but not surprised) to know that I cried during the Eucharistic Prayer and giving the bread. Glad to see everyone and have the opportunity to worship with people who were so important in my development.
Congratulations to Dan – now a deacon in the church! It was fun to be back in the Cathedral at Western Michigan – remembering my ordination from 2 years ago. A great reminder of who I am and where I have been.
While driving around in New England (yes, this is a really old saved post), I heard Nathaniel Fick on NPR. I thought that what he had to say was interesting as he talked about his book One Bullet Away.
I also found his critique of Jarhead. It was interesting to glance through and see what’s going on with people who have military experience.
The EPF is drafting a statement about war, the US and Iraq, and it seems that they have drawn from Chicago’s resolution that was passed during the last convention.
My friend Ian (from California and now living in England) had an opportunity to travel to Mississippi to help out with relief efforts. He was able to meet people that I know – David and Anne (the wife of the bishop of Western Michigan). His journal is excellent and provides lots of pictures. Check it out!
Stacy sent this to me because of my desire to get out – outside, away, enjoying nature.
Staying inside the house breeds a sort of insanity always. Every house is in this sense a hospital. A night and a forenoon is as much confinement to those wards as I can stand - and then I must go outdoors.
Source: Journal, 1856, Mark Twain recalls the glories of a North American fall. See more.
Well, I’m a little behind on the news…but here’s an interesting letter that’s being signed by clergy.
My sister is now a quarter of a century...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
On Saturday, I went Kayaking on the Chicago River. It was a really fun way to see the city. I went on the “Ghosts and Gangsters” tour. Some interesting history and a whole lot of exercise. Definitely something fun to try – I would wait until the spring when it is warm again.
Tim is now ordained an Episcopal priest. Welcome to the Episcopal Church, Tim! He is serving as Assistant Chaplain with Canterbury. The service took place at Seabury’s Chapel on Sunday night – a “regular” Canterbury service – well, the regular time, anyway…It was a great celebration and I’m glad that it all worked out so well. Great food by Kris followed the service! It was great.
I volunteered last night at the Cradle’s Casino Night. Architectural Artifacts was an amazing and wonderful space. I dealt Blackjack for 3 hours. I had a nice and helpful table. Being that I’m not a professional dealer, the people at my table had more experience than I did. It’s a good thing that I play cribbage now, because I can add a lot better than I could several years ago. However, after 3 hours of counting, my brain was fried. Overall, a great night and a fun thing to volunteer for in an evening.
Hope and Andrew got married today! It was fabulous! Congratulations to both of them as they being their married life together. The service was well planned and well executed (as one would expect from a deacon and a seminarian) and the reception was a fabulous gathering of friends and family. Hope looked radiant and they both looked very cute all day long. It seems that they actually like each other…always a good place to start a marriage!
Congrats again to them (even though they are a little too busy this week to read this post…)!
...to celebrate Phil and Callie getting married!
It was a great celebration. Lots of friends to see and visit with.
The ceremony was beautiful - well structured (as one would expect from 2 aspirants to Holy Orders). Catherine Phillips did a great job presiding. The reception was held at the Morton Arboretum which was a beautiful setting.
CONGRATS TO THEM!
So – AKMA would really like this Bible Quiz. And you can visit every week!
This was posted at the Maritime Institute in Baltimore:
Do not job on roadway except during daylight hours.
Exercise caution at all times.
I love New Orleans. I have spent a lot of time there and have enjoyed it. I have feared the day when the city disappeared. I knew that the “big one” would come and that a “mandatory evacuation” would come. (The city is below sea level! There is no way that that much water could not create a crisis.) However, I never dreamed that “mandatory evacuation” would mean “for those who can afford it.” That’s wrong. I am so repulsed that people would be left behind. What does this say about our society?
Then, of course, there are a bunch of police officers that I know who are still there dealing with the fact that they didn’t get everyone out to begin with. “Mandatory evacuation” should mean that everyone gets out. Yes, that means some buses and some trains. But it means preventing the mess that could happen in an emergency (like now…). So many things could have prevented in this mess…
Time magazine (July 18, page 57) had a column about pro-ana sites. These sites talk about weight issues and seem to encourage people to try anorexia or bulimia. The site they referenced was ceruleanbutterfly.com. This really interested me – how the author of this site identifies that medically-based food disorder sites never include inspiring pro-recovery stories from people who have lived it (especially teens). The medical people are concerned that this site encourages people to try starvation.
I have very little experience with eating disorders (besides my own over-eating). But I know people who need help. How do I help them? Are there resources that might be helpful on the web? I think that this also points to one of the known problems of the web – anyone can put up a website and discuss anything. (I mean, just look at THIS one…) This was one area that wasn’t on my web-radar screen.
John Dreibelbis, leadership professor at Seabury, always said to solve a tough problem during sleep. He instructed us to think about the tough problem right before sleep and then wake up and see if something else had occurred to us by the morning. Discover magazine states: “Clinical tests show people solve problems faster when lying down. Sitting or standing triggers norepinephrine, a stress hormone that reduces the ability to reason and pay attention to detail” (July 2005, 11). Wow – now there is even scientific backing for him! (And it works.)
Christianity Today, June 2005, had a one-page article by Andy Crouch about “Visualcy.” He talks about how we have now moved into the digital age – and the age where people are expressing themselves visually (not orally or with written words). I think that this is a really interesting idea and helps make sense of where society is going. Crouch also didn’t make judgments about it, but identified that we need to look at it. How do we communicate between the people raised in different “ages”? How we recognize the beauty of the visual age?
How do churches connect with people in this age? I think that this whole thing may be one of the reasons that churches are struggling with using “powerpoint” or not. Powerpoint can capture the images and help people connect visually to the message. This way of connecting doesn’t matter for those who grew up in the “written word” age. Made for interesting food for thought.
Searching for a pet? Check out Petfinder. Though I’m not quite in the business for another pet (since my dad has my old one and my currently life cannot support one), it is fun to look at some great options. There are a couple of great horses on there now. I am excited about getting to a place where I can get another one! A dog would be fun, also.
So – the problem with vacationing at a house that has wireless is that I don’t get enough email. I have nothing more to do in a day then check email and read. This means that I open my computer a lot more than I do when I’m home. And sometimes, when I open my computer, I don’t have any new messages. What’s up with that?
Now, realize, soon I’ll be back working, so this is not an invitation to send me lots of email and expect immediate replies. (Though, I do like lots of email. I just can’t guarantee that I will return it soon when I’m busy with work and “real” life.) It was more an observation of my vacationing habits.
My sister says that she doesn’t know how much internet access we might have. But I figured that there has to be SOMETHING, right? But, if I drop out of sight, know that I’ll be back eventually…
Again – behind on blogging.
But congrats to Si and Nick and everyone else for the great performance of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown last weekend. It was great and I was really glad that I got to see it.
Also – congrats to Northwestern graduates! I attended Honors Day today where 3 people involved with Canterbury events were honored – GO Sarah, Georgina, and Nate!
So - my bike got stolen yesterday. So, I was really angry, got over that, and just decided to pray.
So - let us pray for the person who decided to steal my bike. I hope that s/he needed it.
But it also had my brand new lights on it...my dad just got them for my birthday and Shane just put them on the bike. They were the best part of the bike!
Thanks to the Adam Family for the loaner.
So – I haven’t been awake enough to say anything substantial on the blog – and didn’t want to do the prepared reviews that I have…because life has been too good for just the basic review…
U2 really was amazing. Stacy and I had some discussion about the liturgical aspects of the show. Some very interesting stuff that they have put together – a headband (stole), retractable bead-like “screens”/dividers (like the beads that you find handing to separate rooms). They were actually AV equipment that showed different scenes – a man walking at one moment, flags from many different countries another. (Which made me wish that Laurie were there to tell me what they were.) I wish that I had listened to the newest albums all the way through before I went. But, it was wonderful.
Saturday was a fun adventure. Got some stuff done – a little bit of work, some grocery shopping, and then the dinner with the Seabury Women’s Board. It was great. I was very happy to have a chance to go and meet many wonderful people.
Pentecost at Canterbury was great. For Acts, we read the lesson in many different languages. It was very fun to hear. The best part was that the Hebrew and the Greek were the last 2 being read, with Greek last. It was just amazing to me. So very cool to have those as the last languages. I was so touched.
This morning, Laura and I went and got pedicures. I have never done that before. She suggested it as something to do, and boy it was GREAT! I had a great time and my toes are very cute! Very exciting and great foot massage and green tea and everything. Salon on Davis. Go there.
Tonight I went to Combofest at the University. It was very cool with some really great music. A student was playing – so, some days I’m thankful for my job!
Tomorrow night I am taking some dear friends out for a surprise dessert. It will be VERY cool. I’m very excited.
I’m a country girl. I grew up on a 90 acre farm in Western Michigan. It’s 5 miles to the smaller town, 10 miles to the bigger town, and 25 to Kalamazoo (a “real” city). I had horses and cows and chickens and dogs and cats and LAND. Lots of land – with trees and a creek. I love this farm. When people ask about home – that’s mine. It’s all about the land that is there. I’ve lived in different places and have enjoyed my adventures, but the true “home” is tied to the land.
Now, I live in the city, which is a great adventure. I love my membership at the Adler. I love to be able to visit the city and see the plays and walk to a movie theater. I love public transportation (and it drives me nuts that CTA and Chicago can’t figure out how to increase the usage of trains and buses). I wish that I could convince everyone to use it – and demand that more lines are built and services are increased.
Living in the city has some interesting challenges for me. There are people and buildings and buildings and people. 4 trees and very little empty land. Luckily, I have a big yard, which I appreciate every day. But no horse. The yard is almost big enough to keep a horse, but I’m pretty sure that the Evanston authorities would not appreciate me keeping one there.
And then there was the other night at 5 am with someone walking by and yelling. So much for a full night’s sleep.
So, some people say that small towns have nothing to do. But I’ve been hanging out in Allegan for almost a week (and a trip back to Chicago for Sunday) and I’ve stayed plenty busy.
Larry’s retirement – my boss from Camp Kidwell retired! Congrats to Larry! Get rest!
Hanging with Marc – and seeing Hitchhiker's Guide (review coming later)
Ellen’s show – my friend Ellen makes beads (for necklaces, earrings, bookmarks). She and her friends get together twice a year and hold a show. I stopped by for a surprise visit to see what was there. Ellen’s stuff is of course fantastic – and unique. I love wandering around town and seeing people wearing her beads. It’s always a fun conversation starter – “Hey – aren’t those beads by Ellen?”
ECW dinner – The ECW of the diocese of Western Michigan had generously supported me through seminary. I went back for their annual meeting and shared with them my process and current job.
Township Meeting – Well, I thought that I would be hanging out with my friend JoAnne, but that didn’t work…so I went to the township meeting instead. Not much really went on, but I got to see people and help plan where the new play equipment will go at the township hall.
Camp Kidwell – Of course I stopped by and helped out by creating more work for my dad. I looked at the old cabins that they are refurbishing and though, “Light would help these out a lot.” So, they are now working on increasing the amount of light in the cabins – by almost three times the previous light. I haven’t seen a completed one, but did get to see a partially completed one and it looks great!
Horses – there are horses in my/my dad’s backyard that belong to camp. I was going to ride, but it was too cold most of the time. I did get to brush them a lot. They seem to like that.
Delora – hanging out with a friend that I haven’t seen in YEARS. We haven’t really hung out in like 23 years…and we couldn’t name the last time that we had seen each other. But she’s back in Allegan now and we got together for dinner. Very, very fun.
A massage – because no vacation should be without one.
Target Practice – Marc and Aaron took me out to shoot guns. It’s always a fun adventure. I’m getting better each time and they are both good teachers.
Planting TREES! – this was one of the best parts of the trip. I have been planning on planting trees for a good year now and probably longer. Someone a long time ago was clever enough to line 104th Avenue with sugar maples. For all of my years growing up, we had these pretty trees along the road. Unfortunately, trees get old and these are falling apart. I’ve now been trying to figure out howt o get more trees planted along the road. Unfortunately, sugar maples seem to be hard to come by. But we did pick up some red maples for not very much money and planted 4 of them! Again, it was cold, so I didn’t get as far as I was hoping. Next trip back, we’ll start transplanting the sugars from the woods. But for now, I can at least be happy about the 4 trees.
My cousin Tina came to visit. It was very much fun. She and Phil and Shane and I played euchre several times. The first night – Tina and I won BIG. The second night, the guys did as well.
But, I won Monopoly! Now, this may not seem a big deal, but Tina and I have been playing our game together fro 25 years. We have our own rules and I don’t really like to play by the “real” rules. My mother doesn’t understand how we can play our way – but we figure that it’s our game and we agree on the rules. Anyway, since Tina is older than I am (not much, but was more significant when we were 6 and 8…), she always wins…or, almost always. Therefore, my winning is a big deal.
We also visited Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge on Davis. You all definitely need to check this place out. It’s amazing!
The big news – I learned that Blokus can be played on-line! How great is that??? Just what I need – more distraction in my day…
This last week was full of lectures. AKMA did GREAT! Congrats on a job well done. I was sorry to not be able to see everything because of other job requirements.
Then, the official welcoming for Dean Hall. A nice service was held in Alice Millar which is an interesting change for the Seabury community. I would like to say, however, that “Lift Every Voice and Sing” is not a funeral dirge. It’s one of my favorite songs ever.
But, I did get to sit next to Trevor. It was great to see him.
So – the good news is – there is now a bus that runs from Davis Street, Evanston to O’Hare. This is a good thing – being that it only takes an hour. This means that it’s even faster than the trains, especially when it’s not rush hour train times.
I took said bus the other day to see my friend Ian that was flying from SFO to Manchester, England. It was very much fun to see him.
Congratulations to Fulton Porter - ordained priest today. It rocked!
Happy Easter to everyone!
Friday and Saturday I traveled to Michigan to deliver my dad’s new computer. About a month ago, Laurie and I went shopping and spent bunches of money. A new 17” Samsung monitor and mac mini for dad and a new DVD/VCR for me. We also fed a bunch of different people that weekend which meant lots of food for game nights and a trip to Target.
I’ve been holding the info because my dad reads my blog and I couldn’t figure out how to cover for $1500 in 2 days without admitting to a new computer…
So, for his Easter/birthday/whatever present, I set up his new computer and introduced him to life with his first ever brand-new machine! (Others have been used.) Now, we just need to get him DSL or a cable modem and life will be way high-tech!
I had the opportunity to see Michigan State men play in the Big Ten Tournament yesterday. So, we lost. But, thanks to Milner and Paul who made the opportunity possible. While I was there, it made me realize that I don’t think that I ever went to a game while I was at State.
Luckily, the women came through for us…
So, I’m in this place and our meetings are on the 8th floor of one tower and I live on the 3rd floor of another tower. On Monday, I wandered around and figure out the layout of the building. I had found one set from the 3rd floor, but it only went to an emergency exit or the basement. The people working down there were clueless about the stairs.
Discussion with front desk person:
“Where are the stairs to get to my room?”
“Stairs?”
“Yes…to get from here to my room.”
“Um, I don’t know…hey, [other person in room next to the desk] where are the stairs to the rooms? … We think down the hall.”
“Great. Thanks. Where are the stairs to get to the meeting room?”
“You want one to the meeting room? That’s up 8 flights!”
“That’s okay. I’d rather use the stairs.”
“Um…those stairs there…”
“Great. Thanks.”
Well, it turns out that “those stairs there” don’t actually go all the way to the top. I have to change stairways on the 6th floor.
What is up with stairs now?? I mean, really…. I’ve had the hardest time finding stairs to use. In hotels, I understand that many people don’t want stairs. One would think that hospitals would encourage people to walk and not take elevators. But, NO, I can’t find them in most of the hospitals I’ve been in either.
Theories on why no one makes easy-access stairs any more?
Laurie came to visit!!!!!!!!!
We played lots of games. Had a very nice party with lots of people over (thanks for coming if you did, sorry we missed you if you didn’t). We didn’t get to making the greeting cards…which is sad. But it seems that we can really only fit games or card making into a weekend. Or both of those and me not working…hmmm…Laurie doesn’t seem to be holding her breath for that, though…
We then got up WAY TOO early. My plane went out of Midway at 7:50 am. YUCK.
But I’m here at Interim Ministry Training at the Maritime Institute Conference Center. It’s going well so far. There are about 30 people and almost half are Episcopal priests. We’re well on our way to having our brains overloaded with information…
Well, we’re sitting here watching the Superbowl. Canterbury tonight with dinner now. It’s all very nice.
On Friday, Sky’s mom and sister and I went to the Observatory. We saw Saturn, and the Orion Nebula and the Green Comet. It was a very fun outing.
Saturday, and student and I went out to St. Mary's, Park Ridge for their Mardi Gras party.
I would be happy to post my sermons for you, but neither of the texts particularly covers what I actually preached. However, you can read the words to Fran McKendree’s song Transformation. I used it in the sermon at Canterbury. I was preaching on how we fear change, but it may be in change that we find God interacting with us most.
Transformation
Fran McKendree
Sometimes I feel that my life is a series of trapeze swings
I’m either hanging onto a trapeze bar, swinging along
or for a few moments in my life I’m hurtling across space in between trapeze bars
Now, most of the time I spend my life hanging on for dear life to my trapeze bar of the moment
It carries me along at a certain steady rate of swing
And I have the feeling that I’m in control of my life
I know most of the right questions and even some of the right answers
But once in a while as I’m merrily or not so merrily swinging along
I look out ahead of me into the distance – and what do I see?
I see another trapeze bar swinging towards me
It’s empty
And I know in that place in me that knows that this new trapeze bar has my name on it
It’s my next step. My aliveness coming to get me.
And in my heart of hearts, I know that for me to grow that I have to release my grip on the present well-known bar and move on to the new one
Now, each time it happens to me I hope, no I pray, that I won’t have to grab the new one
But in my knowing place, I know that I must totally release my grasp on my old bar and for some moment in time, I must hurtle across space before I can grab onto the new bar
And each time I’m filled with terror
It doesn’t matter that in all my previous hurtles across the void of knowing
I have always made it
Each time I’m afraid that I’ll miss –
that I’ll be crushed on the unseen rocks and the bottomless chasm between the bars
But I do it anyway
Maybe this is the essence of what the mystics call the faith experience
No guarantees
No net
No insurance policy
You do it anyway because somehow to keep hanging on to that old bar is no longer on the list of alternatives
And so, for an eternity that can last a microsecond or a thousand lifetimes
I soar across the dark void of the past is gone, the future is not yet here
It’s called transition
I have come to believe that this is the only place that real change occurs.
I mean real change
Not the pseudo-change that only lasts until the next time my old buttons get punched
I have noticed that in our culture this transition zone is looked upon as a
no thing, a no place. Between places
Sure, the old trapeze bar was real and the new one coming towards me,
I hope that’s real, too.
But the void between that’s just a scary, confusing, disorienting no where
that must be gotten through as fast and as unconsciously as possible.
What a waste.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the transition zone is the only real thing and the bars are the illusions that we dream up to avoid the void where the real change occurs.
Now, whether or not my hunch is true,
it remains that the transition zones in our lives are incredibly rich places
They should be honored
Even savored
With all the pain and fear and feelings of being out of control that can accompany transition they are still the most alive, growth-filled, passionate, expansive moments of our lives
And so transformation of fear may have nothing to do with making fear go away but rather giving ourselves permission to hang out in the transition between trapeze bars
Transforming our need to grab that new bar is allowing ourselves to dwell in the only place where change really happens
It can be terrifying
It can also be enlightening in the true sense of the word
Hurtling through the void, we may just learn how to fly.
Here’s the deal. I grew up in the middle of nowhere. Driving meant that you could actually go the speed limit (not more – of course because I’m a good girl). That means that going from my house to town (10 miles) takes about 15 minutes. I hate driving in the city. Going 10 miles here takes 30 minutes. Or more.
So – I’ve been taking the train or buses anywhere that I can. I can sit and read and relax and not worry about the traffic or sitting around doing nothing or wasting gas. It’s a great way to travel and some people think that I’m nuts. But I so hate driving now. I’d much rather ride a bus or the train. Some people seem to think that I’m strange. Others understand. And I also know that I’m lucky enough to have the option of a car when I need one.
So, I did my first day of supply at Church of the Epiphany. It was really fun. They were really helpful and made me feel welcome. Attendance seemed to be down due to the snow issues in this town. I didn’t even bother to drive. I took the Metra downtown and caught a cab. The warden took me back to the train station so I could get back. Very nice day.
Then, we had a joint service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Instead of Canterbury). Dinner afterwards. I think that we should do that more often. It was a nice service with great food.
So – it was a day off. I was looking forward to sleeping in and having a restful day. Most of that worked…
6 am – I woke up. What’s up with that? I mean, really. What’s up with that? (Yes, I did get up at 5:30 yesterday to shovel the walk – but then went back to bed…)
- read some blogs – all of them
- read some email
- IMed with some people (who were shocked and amazed that I was up)
7:30 – decided that I really wasn’t going to be able to get back to sleep
- talked to Phil (who was also shocked and amazed to find me up)
- talked to Ann
9:00 – went to Ann’s house
9:15 – came back to Canterbury House to meet the plumber (ok – not quite a day off)
then back to Ann’s to watch…
Punch Drunk Love
A GREAT movie. I really, really liked it. It was really interesting. It started out really strangely and I was really interested in seeing how it would all work out. The lighting was intriguing. It was all wacky and refracted. I enjoyed trying to figure the light out. Ann and I also thought that hallways were interesting.
1 pm – back to shovel the walk, meet Laura, go to the car shop and Blind Faith Café (.
4 pm – back to the office…(right..day off…I know…), the Bookshelf, and shoveling the walk again
5 pm – food and some more Arrested Development with Phil. (More on that later.)
6:30 – some reading,
7:30 – The Apprentice, Season 3 while finishing taxes
Arrested Development
Dessert
Hope, Andrew, Sky, Phil all around
10 – well, hopefully I’ll be going to bed soon. And sleep longer tonight.
Congratulations to Mary Tudela, ordained priest tonight!
Great service. It was wonderful fun to return to St. Michael's, Barrington where I spent my field ed time last year. Lots of really great people. It was fun to see everyone and be present for the awesome event. Al's sermon made me cry. Great priest. Great team there. I'm so happy for them.
A license plate: DRNKWTR
Definitely mine! I can’t believe that someone else already has it! Oh, well, I probably wouldn’t spend the money to pay for it…
My Christmas present: I thank Wes, Nic, Xavier, and Lavender for my wonderful new water bottles. Now Sky and Shane will stop harassing me about the re-used water bottles that I have been using. However, this also means that I will need help. If you find my water bottle abandoned/lost somewhere, please return it. (Don’t worry – they will all have name tags!)
If you’ve spent any time with me, you know that my motto is NOT “early to bed, early to rise, makes one healthy, wealthy, and wise.” My motto is more like, “up late and sleeping late makes Heather a happy person.”
When I got up early (6:30 am) to catch all the trains to Kalamazoo, I commented to Sky: “but it’s still dark out!” He seemed nonplussed, but I kept thinking, “What am I doing up??????” Though, for the one special case it was worth it. On a daily basis, I’d die. (Of course, while I was teaching, I did it all the time. But it always amazes me that my natural body rhythms, when given the chance, will always switch to later. 11:30-8:30 are good sleeping times. Later would work also, but even for my job, some people expect to have meetings during the day…)
While driving around at one point recently, a radio station was advertising its morning show – that was being re-run later in the day. Their catch line went something like: “We replay [the show] because we know that there are some people that are smart enough to not be up that early.”
Exactly what I was thinking!
An update from Laurie and the Target Store Saga.
So, my friend Laurie works at Target in Fort Wayne. If she had a blog, I know that she would tell everyone about a very special event that happened at her store. (Please note that this is a BRAND NEW STORE that opened in the last couple of months.)
Since she doesn't have a blog, I thought that I would share it with you.
I know that many people have been blogging about the tsunamis. I wanted to let everyone know that I am not ignoring them…it’s just been busy with reflecting on them.
Chaplains at NU gathered on Monday to talk about how to respond. We decided that a “Day of Remembrance” was in order for Friday. Actually, everyone was remembering the tsunamis today.
12 noon – we gathered at Norris (the student union) to have this time. People from many different religious and cultural traditions came to share their story. Some tried to address the theology of “What did God let this happen?” or even “Why did God make this happen?” How are people feeling about this one?
3 pm – My take on the whole thing comes from being a scientist. If life were slightly different, I would be a seismologist. I love geology and the earth. I am in awe of its workings – faults, plates, movement. I went to a seminar in the geology department today and learned about the science of it. We looked at maps and history and how things are moving around. We talked about earthquakes and tsunamis. We talked about the almost impossible problem of identifying and warning about tsunamis. The history of earthquakes is interesting. The build up of pressure in the Indonesian area is also something to continue to watch. They think that we might be seeing some more coming up over the next 100 years.
And of course, I do have the life of pastor and priest:
The damage from the earthquakes and water is devastating. May all those involved know God’s grace and love. May those not directly affected keep in mind those who are suffering – in this situation and all other ways.
I pray that everyone is having a great day!
Peace!
Well, it was a great way to spend the 1 year anniversary of my diaconal ordination (December 18). I went to the ordination of 4 deacons in the Diocese of Michigan. Susie was radiant, of course. It was great to be there to support Shannon and Joyce, also. I was able to meet Lisa at her after-ordination party (nice to have connections so I can crash these things…).
I was able to reflect on where I was a year ago and what is going on. I was in the middle of my last year of seminary – a total whirlwind of being in 4 different places. I was somewhere for 10 weeks and then moved on to another place for 10 weeks. My ordination was a great celebration, but one on which I did not have enough time to reflect, because then I was off to write GOEs. So, being at other ordinations is a great event to spend some time reflecting on what it means for me to be ordained.
I am sorry that I missed the priesting of so many friends and colleagues in Chicago, but I had seen their diaconal one 6 months ago.
Thanks to Gary and Terry and Tracy for giving me places to stay and eat. It was nice to visit with everyone. Thanks for the great gifts. Gary is obviously psychic (or knows me well, whichever way you want to go with that…) because he got me Scene It which I’ve been wanting to play and very interested in owning.
So – this last week has been a little hectic for me. I owe so many people thanks that I just thought that I’d start here. Thanks to Andrew (for a ride from the train), Micah (the store run, my million questions and the random Iming for me), Laura (sermon discussion and lunch, and understanding when I bailed on her) Susie (the car ride, the TV, the more TV), for Hope (the support and lunch), Jane (lending me her car), Beth (trying to lend me her car), Ellen (for that darn letter). And all of them for helping me stay sane.
I really appreciate the help. It makes me grateful to still be near and part of (in new and interesting ways) the Seabury community.
Disclaimer: I know that vegetarians reading this might disagree at various levels. I do not oppose a vegetarian lifestyle. I am only encouraging carnivores to be more aware of their food.
So – lots of people know that I purchased Danielle’s (an employee of Camp Kidwell when I was director) pigs at the 4-H auction at the Allegan County Fair. And several people think that I’m strange for having a picture of them (Dani and the 2 pigs) hanging in my office. Honestly, I’d love to hang it in the kitchen, but am afraid that that would be a little over the top for some people.
But my history is filled with a farm. I’ve met my meat, and know that the cow turns into the steak that I’m eating. I’ve plucked my own chickens. And, as time goes on, my family and I realize that a happy cow is a tasty cow. The cows that wander around a forty-acre pasture and some woods are better meat than those raised in tight holding pens.
Being in Korea has brought this more in focus. Pretty much everyone there is in touch with their food sources. They meet their fish, their very few chickens, their cows. They understand that meat comes from animals that they (or a close friend/relative) have caught. They don’t hide it behind packaging and processing. The fish in the market have heads (as did the fish that was cooked on my table at one of the best meals I ate while I was there), squids have eyes. I’ve always encouraged people to know about food sources – and have always been open with my classrooms about my history. (My 6th graders in a suburban area couldn’t believe that I’d eat the pig that I had kept like a pet. My response, “But that’s why we had it.”) I feel that I have kept a respect for the life that has been taken. If I get queasy about the thought of killing something for food, then I don’t feel that I have a right to eat the meat.
Which brings us to dogs. Heather and I were talking about them – and how she avoids the dog aisle at the market (which I appreciated). Because I’m pretty sure that I couldn’t look at a dog (or a horse for that matter) and go, “Yum. Lunch.” I’m thinking that I need to avoid eating it. I don’t get queasy knowing about my cows or my pigs, because it’s part of my upbringing. And I’m sure that some of this is also cultural – since plenty of cultures eat both. My eating habits would be different if I had grown up in a different area of the world (or even the US).
I ran across the article on Inuit diets in Discover (October 2004). They talked about all kinds of weird food options that have never been on my radar. But the author and the Inuit woman interviewed both have interesting things to say:
Not often in our industrial society do we hear someone speak so familiarly about “our” food animals. WE don’t talk of “our pig” and “our beef.” We’ve lost that creature feeling, that sense of kinship with food sources. “You’re taught to think in boxes,” says (Inuit) Cochran. “In our culture the connectivity between humans, animals, plants, the land that they live on, and the air that they share is ingrained in us from birth…It’s part, too, of your development as a person. You share food with your community…if we don’t take care of our food, it won’t be there for us in the future.” (Discover, October 2004, 54).
So, I encourage you (if you’re of the meat eating variety) to meet your meat. If you’re going to eat a steak, please look at the bull and say, “Thanks.” If you need a place to do that, come visit. I’m happy to share.
You can read more about Inuit Nutrition and Environment.
Well, I sit here in Korea and wait for election results. But, it is currently 5:30 EST, and there are still no results. So, I blog instead (and pray - I fear that more pain and division will result from either outcome). I also
But, catching up on this site, I'd like to officially welcome Joelene and Sky. (Sky to the blogroll, the big city and congrats on a great job!).
More trip updates will be coming soon. Peace to you all.
Well, every time I post I think – great, I’m posting again, I’ll be able to blog regularly. And then, something else comes along and I don’t get back for a long time.
So, I have some belated congrats to Andrea on her ordination. She is the carrot (curate) at All Saints. And a congrats to Andrea and Rene. It’s been a busy week with them…
Every since I was in first grade, I've been waiting until I was old enough for my eyes to start getting better. In case you don't know, I'm pretty much blind. I don't do anything without my glasses. And now, 8 more negative points and 25 years later, my eyes are getting better!
One of the things that I got to do this last week was to travel quickly (all in less than 24 hours) back to Allegan. It’s time for the Allegan County Fair (biggest county fair in Michigan, and one of the largest in the country). Last year I decided that I would buy a pig this year – because I would have a job and the money to do so. So, I traveled back and got to wander around the fairgrounds, which I always find entertaining. I think that the whole experience is fun. I see people I know, learn new information, and get free things. And I got to buy a pig. Well, actually, I had to buy a pen and one will get sold on the market. But my friend Danielle had her pen in and I got to do the actual bidding – which is something that I have never done at a real auction. AND I WON THEM! I thought that someone was going to out-bid me, but they didn’t! So, I have a new pig – it’s going to get processed. But, in my office I have a picture of Dani and the 2 pigs. They’re very cute. And soon, I’ll be able to serve them for dinner. Pork chops, anyone?
Yes, I know that it’s been forever since I’ve posted. And I’m really sorry about that. But things have been very busy in the last 2 weeks. The new job has started. Interim Episcopal Chaplain at Northwestern University. And it has kept me very busy. There are a long list of interesting things that I have been able to do, so I will share them with you.
- looking at houses and making maintenance lists
- preparing mailings for returning students
- working with the assistant chaplain to get things ready for the new year
- meeting with other chaplains at Northwestern to find out what is going on at the University
- meet with people who can answer my silly questions about the details and planning of activities
- have a birthday party
- catch up with all my friends in real life
- make up flyers and post cards for incoming students – grad and freshmen
- wait for Sears to come look at the refrigerator
- wait for Sears to come look at the dryers
- de-skunk Shane’s dog
- wait for Sears to come fix the refrigerator
- walk the dog (Shane was out of town)
- check email
- write email
- coordinate with caterers
- work on the conference for Young Adult Ministry – a David Gortner project
- wait for Sears to come and fix the refrigerator
- clean the house – for people coming over
- PRAY – A LOT!
- wait for Sears to come and fix the refrigerator (and pray more so that I wouldn’t crawl through a phone line to kill anyone)
- realize that the YAM conference is only a week away – and not 2. and wonder how I will get anything done.
- go shopping for 7 events in the next 4 days – ok – only 4 events in 4 days
- write a sermon
- give a sermon
- wonder how I will be able to write another one for Sunday and do the 4 events in the next 4 days (and pray a lot!)
- wait for Sears to come and fix the refrigerator
That’s the list. That’s what I’ve done with my last 2 weeks. It’s been great to catch up with friends in the Chicago-land area. It’s been interesting to start work – and I’m getting to use gifts that I had no idea that I would be using. And I have several old posts ready to be put up – mainly movie reviews… but really, it’s been a mess. And the day that I thought that I would blog, the dog got skunked. And while I had some fabulous help with that (thanks to the Scheid children and several kind donations from SWTS people), it still took out that time that I thought I would be doing that.
Okay - for those of you keeping track - I am empolyed. I began 3 days ago and life has been too busy to even type about it. I'm moving in and getting settled and trying to figure out what's going on.
The title - Episcopal Chaplain at Northwestern University. See the Canterbury Northwestern homepage - and know that I haven't touched it yet. On the schedule for next week. Anyone want to help me be creative with it? I'd gladly accept help!
My house is big and fun. Lots of great things going on. More (hopefully) soon.
So, if you know me, you know that my 90 acre farm is one of the greatest places on earth. That land, open and free, is important to me. I was listening to NPR the other day and they were talking about the water shortages in some places of the country and how they want to pump water out of the great lake region. Now, my first response was of course – NO! However, after some thinking…if we don’t pump the water to them, they will move to us. So, perhaps, I would like to pump some of the water out to them – and keep my pretty land like it is…
Well, it’s all over – the ordination and the first 2 services as a priest. The ordination was amazing. I have some great friends who made a great effort to get to the service. I appreciated all the people that made an effort to get there. And I missed everyone that couldn’t make it for some reason or another.
Today was an interesting experience. Doing my new job in some aspects is very easy – it’s what I’m called to do and it all comes very naturally. On the other hand, it’s a weird experience – to have the responsibility of blessing people – that’s my big one. How did I get authority to do this??? I gave the blessing to 3 couples for their anniversary and 1 birthday. Amazing.
Doing the Eucharistic Prayer is also an interesting experience. Because I’ve done it before in play church – but totally different today. Somewhere along the chalice part of the story, I was suddenly struck by the fact that I was really doing it…
Amazing. Time for bed.
Well – tomorrow’s the big day. So, yesterday I went on retreat. I really thought about what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go. This is what I ended up with:
- morning – relaxing, checked email
- lunch – with the woman who was my interpreter when I was in the deaf class
- afternoon – target shooting with my friend Marc. I used his .45 – which I think is my favorite. He also has a revolver that holds .38s and .357s. Fun looking, but better accuracy with the .45.
- massage
- the candy store – peanut butter and chocolate covered oreos. YUM!
- time on the waterfront in Allegan. Just me and the water and trees and birds and fountains. I love to sit there. It’s one of the places that I will miss.
- the ice cream shop – to look for a friend. She was working, so she gave me free ice cream for my ordination present. We talked for a good long time.
- the library – to read friend’s blogs. Boy, I can’t wait to get back to a fast connection. I definitely won’t be missing the dial in.
It was a fun day. Not quite what other people would call “retreat” but definitely what I needed to be doing.
Today has been the last minute stuff – stole and chausible to the church. Setting up the rehearsal bulletin – so I know what I’m doing. Running through Eucharistic Prayers for Sunday.
Big breath…and I promise to relax!
You can also visit some information dedicated to
You are invited to check some information about
My sponsoring parish, St. Martin of Tours, Kalamazoo, just welcomed their new rector and did a celebration of new ministry. The Kalamazoo Gazette covered the story! It was a great celebration. I was the deacon and was honored to serve. They are a wonderful parish and I think that Mary is a fabulous match for them.
Please check the sites in the field of
I am now a graduate!!!!! Friday, June 4, 2004 was the ceremony. It was a beautiful service. And I now have my Masters of Divinity. And no job… oh, well…. On to the next thing! Which includes lots of rest and relaxation, reading FICTION, and watching movies! Oh, right…and catching up on the blog (yes, it has been greatly neglected over the past 2 weeks). Check this page out over the next few weeks to find out all the fun I’ve had since graduation day! (That is, if anyone is still checking to see… It has been really hard to get thing organized to figure out what I’m doing…)
In case you missed the last post about Utne, a friend gave it to me for a Christmas present.
Interesting things in this issue:
Finally, a way to really help the hungry and needy. I am excited to see what will happen with this…Should work since the theory is that we have all that we need to feed all people.
For educators who want to look into nonviolent conflict resolution, check out the Tariq Khamisa Foundation.
There are so many different ways to do personality tests. Here is an enneagram test.
I am a big fan of green spaces. I grew up on a 90 acre farm. I had a LOT of green space. Places like Evanston drive me nuts – too many people and not enough space. At the Project for Public Spaces, you can find out how to save some place in your neighborhood.
This is how you can create less traffic. This would be good in my opinion too. How can we create safer places in the areas where we live?
So, thing have been busy here at Seabury. Thursday night was Award’s Night. A fun time was had by all. During the serious award time, I was granted the Henry Hoover Leadership Award. I was somehow overlooked in the less serious award time. Which was just fine…
Then, we had the “Rummage Free-for-All” in the Lounge for two days. I call it a smashing success. It would have been fun to do time-delay pictures. Though, some stuff seemed to disappear within fifteen minutes of being dropped off. I really hope that it starts a tradition. I think that many people could benefit from it from year to year.
LIGHTNING STRIKES STEEPLE!
FIRE DAMAGES CHURCH! NO ONE HURT!
Larry Dillon, Communications Committee
Shortly after 6pm on Sunday evening, May 23rd, it is suspected lightning struck at the lower part of the historic steeple on St. Thomas Episcopal Church. This caused a fire which quickly spread through much of the 100 year old steeple, the most recognizable part of St. Thomas's physical structure.
The Battle Creek Fire Department was alerted by the Police Department, when security alarms in the church went off and were relayed to the emergency dispatcher.
Thanks to God, the sanctuary and the rest of the church were spared with, hopefully, only minor damage. It appears that we will be able to hold services in the main church next Sunday. Mother Joy Rogers, our rector; our Senior Warden Carol Dore'; and Junior Warden Robert Hibbard were shortly on the scene, witnessing the fire department, with its tall "cherry picker" ladder, pouring thousands and thousands of gallons of water into the steeple. It took a while to put the fire out.
Water poured through the steeple, through the narthex and into the basement. Luckily, water damage appears to be limited, but witnesses say the "Bride's Room" took in a lot of water. The slate shingles on the steeple were blown away by the force of the fire hose, causing powerlines near the church to be severed, with resultant power outages. The Battle Creek Enquirer had to use generators in order to print the morning edition of the newspaper.
The steeple is still standing, but the fire department was concerned it could collapse. Later Larry Rizor, local architect, came to the church at the request of Mother Joy. He felt the steeple could remain standing and may be repairable. Peter Kobs, parishioner arrived and immediately contacted a local disaster/restoration service. The service began working that evening taking water out of the basement.
The santuary was spared for the most part. Some wet carpet, smokey odor, and some stains may mean it will be usuable very soon, maybe next Sunday. The beautiful stained-glassed windows appear to have missed being damaged. The Parish Building avoided any contact with the fire.
But final determination will have to await a visit by an engineer/consultant. Fortunately, the parish complex is complete insured. Churchmen's Mutual was also contacted during the evening.
Interesting stories are already spinning around the event. Sexton Jim Hooper was probably in the church working when the lightning hit. He left, noticed a lot of emergency vehicles around, but didn't realize the problem was in the front of the church.
Firefighters at the Central Fire Station, three or four blocks away, heard the lightning crack, probably hitting St. Thomas. Some said they heard a bell ring. At first they thought it was the bell from First Methodist. Now they are wondering if it was the bell in the St. Thomas tower, perhaps struck by the lightning.
The EFM group, that normally meets at that time in the lounge, had scheduled a special meeting in a member's home.
Fr. Charles Fischer, Pastor of St. Philip's Roman Catholic Church, across the street from St. Thomas, walked through his church when he thought he smelled smoke. He saw the lights from outside the church, discovered it was St. Thomas unfire, and called his good friend Mother Joy to alert her to the situation. She already was on her way out to rush to the church.
Bill Colwell, parishioner, helped to move Altar candlesticks, crosses, paintings, etc., out of the santuary to a secure place for the night. He and Junior Warden Bob Hibbard slept overnight in the church to make sure there was no vandalism or restarting of the fire.
Channel 3 TV News talked on air at 11pm as if the church was "ravished" by fire. Actually, it appears the parish was fairly fortunate. We still have our beautiful historical church, our people and maybe even our magnificent steeple. It could have been much worse.
Streets (Capital Avenue and Van Buren) were blocked off due to lack of power and concern that winds could topple the damaged steeple.
Today is the celebration of the Feast of Dunstan. Music was a central piece of worship. Eucharist was amazing. Paula wrote the music for the Eucharist Prayer (3 out of Enriching Our Worship). Other musicians used their gifts to add to the music. It was an amazing and wonderful service.
Evensong was written by student. It was also an amazing experience, also.
Thanks to all those who did great work! Thank you for sharing your gifts with the community.
Luke just posted…check it out.
An exciting new edition of CYSI Online is now available.
(yeah - so, i'm a little behind on linking it...but wanted to get it up for people who might now know about it)
Well, we started with cats and we’ve quickly moved to humans. Having babies to be donors for siblings is unfair to the child being born. S/he is being used as a commodity. This is ethically wrong. Only when the child is old enough to make his/her own decisions can we take the organ/needed part for a donation. It is sad to me that we would not recognize children as gifts from God with their own individual needs, thoughts, and feelings. Children are not replacements for other children or useful items to exploit.
There is pain and suffering and I am sorry for that. However, another child is not the answer. S/he is then created for the sole purpose of “saving” his/her sibling. That’s a lot of responsibility. Especially if it doesn’t work.
(This short summary is based on longer works – a systematic theology paper and an ethics paper. )
Well, we’re almost there. Genetic Savings & Clone will offer a genetic replica of a cat later this year (Newsweek, May 3, 2004). I knew that the day would come. And it makes me very sad.
The comment at the end from a woman at the Humane Society: “It’s irresponsible to duplicate an animal when we are euthanizing happy, healthy animals because there aren’t homes for them.” AMEN, Sister! I would add that there are better things to do with $10,000 also.
And remember – your cloned animals will be twins (unless you try the calico idea again – then, not so much because the colors might be drastically different), but attitudes and personalities will be different – just like twins in humans.
It was a great weekend! I got an early graduation present (a BIG THANKS to Laurie!). Blokus. Laurie got it from More Than Games which is the coolest game store I’ve ever been to. There are games to play lying out on tables. So, we played this game with the owner and another person. I want to work at a game store so I can play games all day!
I also got mentioned in the Fort Wayne’s Journal Gazette!
So, I love U2. I own the book. Now I’ve found the site.
Chapel services: 3 (1 wedding for play church, 1 east facing altar for play church, 1 Seabury chapel service)
Assignments done: 3 writing assignments, some time reading
Sermons written: 1 (for tomorrow’s chapel)
Gym time: 0 – not enough time to get there…
Not a bad day overall. Much better than being so tired I could barely stand (yesterday)
So – have you heard? You too can own a robot dog. And they’re even allowing people to write programs so that they do new and fun tricks. They’re trainable and don’t shed and don’t make a mess. Now, I’m a big geek. I know that and admit to that. However, how far is too far? Part of me is really excited about them. They are amazing technology. However, I love my dog too much to think that this is a great solution to “household pets for the busy person”.
Gary and I share an appreciation for Amtrak. Rode it home today after a great weekend in Michigan. Great time to read and preapare for class. Actually, if you look at the “Rail Sale” page, you can find some GREAT deals. My round trip ticket: $16.
I was able to visit Camp Kidwell. If you know a child looking for a summer camping experience, check it out! It’s a great place!
I preached on Sunday at St. Mark’s, Paw Paw. It went really well. I talked about peace (this is not sermon text, but a summary of reflection and intent). Jesus says, “Peace be with you” 3 times. A greeting, an assurance and then expanding on that for a blessing (“receive the Holy Spirit”) and a commissioning (“As the Father sent me, so I send you”). I asked questions about where they are feeling called, what have they been commissioned to do? I believe that Easter is not the time to sit around and passively receive the peace, but a time to go out proclaiming the Good News of the Risen Christ! We have been blessed and commissioned and need to then go out and do it!
So – I have been a little behind. But I have now added some more links. CJ is back on – she’s been blogging. And Gary sent me here – oh, Keanu – a beautiful man. Micah is up and running. Ryan has been neglected from for a while.
Thanks to Wes’ dad, I now get The Utne Reader. There were some great things in the March/April issue.
For those of you who are, will be, or work with college students, you might check out this site. It talks about suicide risk, how to notice it, and how to get help.
It also made me think about voting and the need to vote. We have spent some time around here discussing politics and religion. It’s been something that I’ve basically avoided – I’ve never kept up with national politics. But they had some great reasons on why I should vote. Which got me thinking about my apathetic tendencies. Voting might matter and they had some fun ideas on how to get more people to the polls (make it a holiday, serve refreshments, give away beer).
Do you vote? Why or why not?
Well, it’s been a long week. I keep thinking about blogging, but nothing has really come to me. I’ve been working on some GOE re-writes and getting class work done and trying to figure out jobs. So, I haven’t been good about thinking of deep theological things and getting them on paper. Like – does God answer prayer? Does God interact with the world and change things based on prayer? Is it 3 days? Or is it really not 3 days? And is the Triduum one service? And where does Saturday fit into it?
A big CONGRATULATIONS to The Reverend DOCTOR David Gortner!
For all those who have been waiting….
I now have OSX!
Congratulations to Andrea on her ordination to the transitional diaconate!
It was a beautiful service and I was so happy to be there celebrating with her. Great preaching. Champagne as the celebratory element. I think that it's really cool that All Saints' uses champagne for the high holy days and large celebrations.
Very odd to be on the other side and participating in the ordination. I know that there will be many more...but it wasn't that long ago that it was me...It's still a new - and very exciting - experience.
Thos who know me, know that I am not the earliest riser (like – that’s the understatement of the year. Though, in my defense, for some reason I’ve been getting up really early this term… like 7 or 7:30 am…). Because of my later night/morning ways, I prefer “Daylight Saving Time” (not "savings", as the link below explains). It allows me to get light later in the eve