Here's how you can do it for yourself. 03 August 2007
Another Squandered 15 Minutes...
But at least I now know what I'd look like on "The Simpsons!" Here's how you can do it for yourself.
Here's how you can do it for yourself. Friday Five: Post-pilgrimage edition
reverendmother from RevGalBlogPals has the Friday Five this week:Hello friends, I am just back from a lovely time of pilgrimage in the isle of Iona, "cradle of Scottish Christianity." It has provided much food for thought, to say the least, and so, to keep the pilgrim mojo going:
E. the friendship of the group with whom I traveled - we really did have an incredible cross-cultural experience. Not to mention a LOT of kostliche dunkel Bier. If you're ever in Wittenberg, the dunkel beer at the Kartoffelhaus is divine.
2. Share a place you've always wanted to visit on pilgrimage.
3. What would you make sure to pack in your suitcase or backpack to make the pilgrimage more meaningful? Or does "stuff" just distract from the experience?
1. camera
2. journal
3. Bible
4. clean underwear ;-)
4. If you could make a pilgrimage with someone (living, dead or fictional) as your guide, who would it be? (I'm about this close to saying "Besides Jesus." Yes, we all know he was indispensable to those chaps heading to Emmaus, but it's too easy an answer)
I'd love to see Cologne and the surrounding countryside with my great-great-great-grandfather, August Spengler, who was born and raised there. Ditto for Smaland in Sweden on the Johnson side. How about Dublin and Belfast with Michael Collins? Of course, I'd give just about anything to see Wittenberg with Katie & Martin.
5. Eventually the pilgrim must return home, but can you suggest any strategies for keeping that deep "mountaintop" perspective in the midst of everyday life? (don't mind me, I'll be over here taking notes)
Hard to say. Jesus himself struggled to 'keep the feeling' when he descended following the Transfiguration, and Luke tells us that Jesus often left to go away and pray. Could it be argued that mountaintop experiences are transformative rather than strengthening experiences? That is, our outlook on the rest of the world should change as a result of a pilgrimage, but it shouldn't be an escape - God hasn't intended the world to be a place from which we escape! Luther thought that holiness is found in everyday life; changing diapers, brewing beer, teaching, preaching the Word, forgiving sinners. If a pilgrimage shows us the rest of the world in a different light, maybe that was the point all along.
Pictures (all from my trip in January 2003):
1. The Schlosskirche in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, as seen from the Town Square.
2. The Schlosskirche pulpit, and the tomb of Martin Luther below it.
3. Luther's tomb up close.
4. That's me in front of the Thesentur (Theses door) of the Schlosskirche. The actual door burned during the Thirty Years War; this replacement was a copy of the 95 Theses cast in bronze.
1. Have you ever been on a pilgrimage? (however you choose to define the term) Share a bit about it. If not, what's your reaction to the idea of pilgrimage?
I think my trip to Wittenberg, Germany would definitely qualify as a pilgrimage, though of course dear Martin would cringe at the thought. In January 2003 I and four fellow students from Luther Seminary joined several students and a professor from Wartburg Seminary in Iowa for three weeks in Wittenberg and Berlin, with a few overnights to Eisenach, Erfurt and Eisleben. We saw more than I can tell here, but a few memories are very dear to my heart:
A. Worship in the areas of Germany where Martin Luther lived.
Time spent in the Schlosskirche (Castle Church) and the Stadtkirche (City Church) of Wittenberg, where Luther preached and taught for most of his life (Luther and Melanchthon are entombed beneath the pulpit and lectern of the Schlosskirche);
B. Our stay in the Haus Heinstein, a hotel in Eisenach with a view of the Wartburg Castle on the hill above us;
Time spent in the Schlosskirche (Castle Church) and the Stadtkirche (City Church) of Wittenberg, where Luther preached and taught for most of his life (Luther and Melanchthon are entombed beneath the pulpit and lectern of the Schlosskirche);B. Our stay in the Haus Heinstein, a hotel in Eisenach with a view of the Wartburg Castle on the hill above us;
C. The city of Erfurt, with its bridges and majestic Marktplatz and our stay at the Augustiner Kloster, where Martin was first a monk and priest - I especially remember our worship service in the sanctuary, where it was so cold we could see our breath as we sang;
D. Buchenwald Concentration Camp, which is not a dear memory but rather seared into my soul - I've never felt the palpable power of evil as I did on that frozen ground;
E. the friendship of the group with whom I traveled - we really did have an incredible cross-cultural experience. Not to mention a LOT of kostliche dunkel Bier. If you're ever in Wittenberg, the dunkel beer at the Kartoffelhaus is divine.2. Share a place you've always wanted to visit on pilgrimage.
Well, Iona will do as well as anything, I suppose! I would like to travel to Jerusalem someday, but I know that a)travel in the Holy Land is dangerous and b)I would really struggle with the commercialization and tourist-ization of the places where our faith story was first written. Scotland would be wonderful, especially Edinburgh and the highlands and St. Andrews (a pilgrimage of a whole other kind). In my home country, Holden Village in Washington state has always been a goal for a long-term stay.
3. What would you make sure to pack in your suitcase or backpack to make the pilgrimage more meaningful? Or does "stuff" just distract from the experience?
1. camera
2. journal
3. Bible
4. clean underwear ;-)
4. If you could make a pilgrimage with someone (living, dead or fictional) as your guide, who would it be? (I'm about this close to saying "Besides Jesus." Yes, we all know he was indispensable to those chaps heading to Emmaus, but it's too easy an answer)
I'd love to see Cologne and the surrounding countryside with my great-great-great-grandfather, August Spengler, who was born and raised there. Ditto for Smaland in Sweden on the Johnson side. How about Dublin and Belfast with Michael Collins? Of course, I'd give just about anything to see Wittenberg with Katie & Martin.
5. Eventually the pilgrim must return home, but can you suggest any strategies for keeping that deep "mountaintop" perspective in the midst of everyday life? (don't mind me, I'll be over here taking notes)
Hard to say. Jesus himself struggled to 'keep the feeling' when he descended following the Transfiguration, and Luke tells us that Jesus often left to go away and pray. Could it be argued that mountaintop experiences are transformative rather than strengthening experiences? That is, our outlook on the rest of the world should change as a result of a pilgrimage, but it shouldn't be an escape - God hasn't intended the world to be a place from which we escape! Luther thought that holiness is found in everyday life; changing diapers, brewing beer, teaching, preaching the Word, forgiving sinners. If a pilgrimage shows us the rest of the world in a different light, maybe that was the point all along.
Pictures (all from my trip in January 2003):
1. The Schlosskirche in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, as seen from the Town Square.
2. The Schlosskirche pulpit, and the tomb of Martin Luther below it.
3. Luther's tomb up close.
4. That's me in front of the Thesentur (Theses door) of the Schlosskirche. The actual door burned during the Thirty Years War; this replacement was a copy of the 95 Theses cast in bronze.
31 July 2007
Confirmation Camp 2007, Part 2
Okay, so we've been away for the weekend and now we've got head colds, so I'm sorry this has taken so long to get online. But here is Confirmation Camp 2007, part II: The Arrival.
We began our week at Carol Joy Holling with a little Tri-Ball. Here, Marcus the Counselor shows great form. 
Monday morning was our first "Co-Op" experience. Here our kids are playing "Captain"
Alayna and a few of her new friends had to "gobble" their food to stay in the game.
Ashley the counselor and Erin salute the Captain
Tess (second from right), Shelby and my Beloved "gobble" and stay in the game.
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"HEY! THERE'S A BABY IN THE POOL!"
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Alayna enjoys a cool moment in the pool.
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First time I saw this picture, I thought, "Hey, who's the bald guy playing with Ainsley?" Then I realized it was me. Ouch.
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The happy family, swimming at camp. Does it get any better?
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27 July 2007
Friday Five: Floods & Droughts
Sally at RevGalBlogPals asks:
1. Have you experienced living through an extreme weather event- what was it and how did you cope?
3. The Christian message needs to include stewardship of the earths resources agree/ disagree?
And because it is summer- on a brighter note....
4. What is your favourite season and why?
5. Describe your perfect vacation weather....
Here in the UK we are struggling with floods, other parts of the world have similar problems without the infrastructure to cope with it, still others are badly affected by drought.... My son Jon is in Melbourne Australia where apparently it has been snowing ( yes it is winter but still!).... With crazy weather in mind I bring you this weeks Friday 5...
1. Have you experienced living through an extreme weather event- what was it and how did you cope?
In my five summers of work at Carol Joy Holling Camp in Nebraska I lived through a lot of thunderstorms and such. I've seen a tornado with my naked eye once. I watched a blizzard bury my uncle's Ford Escort one Thanksgiving. But I've never been through something life-threatening like a drought, a flood or even a killing heat wave. Hopefully I never will.
LATER NOTE: I can't believe I forgot this. On October 15 1997, Lincoln, NE was hit with 15 inches of snow overnight. I started the evening watching NU play Kansas at LutheranHusker's apartment, then drove home in light snow, thinking, "Gosh, that's odd - even for Nebraska!" Imagine our shock when we woke up the next morning to a winter wonderland. We'd had a late fall, so most of the leaves were still green and on the trees, which of course meant downed branches all over town. It literally looked like a war zone: streets blocked by trees and snow and power out all over the place. We didn't have classes at the University for three days and the elementary and high schools were out for a week. I think it was Tuesday before my roommates and I could drive away from our house. We watched more movies than I can count and without beer and Kraft Mac & Cheese we never would have survived the storm. The sad thing is what forced us to leave the house: we had all run out of cigarettes. :-)
LATER NOTE: I can't believe I forgot this. On October 15 1997, Lincoln, NE was hit with 15 inches of snow overnight. I started the evening watching NU play Kansas at LutheranHusker's apartment, then drove home in light snow, thinking, "Gosh, that's odd - even for Nebraska!" Imagine our shock when we woke up the next morning to a winter wonderland. We'd had a late fall, so most of the leaves were still green and on the trees, which of course meant downed branches all over town. It literally looked like a war zone: streets blocked by trees and snow and power out all over the place. We didn't have classes at the University for three days and the elementary and high schools were out for a week. I think it was Tuesday before my roommates and I could drive away from our house. We watched more movies than I can count and without beer and Kraft Mac & Cheese we never would have survived the storm. The sad thing is what forced us to leave the house: we had all run out of cigarettes. :-)
2. How important is it that we wake up to issues such as global warming?
More important than we can imagine. I knew this was the case even before we watched An Inconvenient Truth this week. The fact that we're out of the Kyoto protocols in, in my opinion, an unconscionable shirking of our responsibility as the greatest pollution creating country on the planet. Frankly, I don't care about the economics because, as Al Gore noted, the planetary concerns are greater beyond comparison.
3. The Christian message needs to include stewardship of the earths resources agree/ disagree?
AGREE AGREE AGREE AGREE AGREE AGREE AGREE.
And because it is summer- on a brighter note....
4. What is your favourite season and why?
I'm an autumnal kind of guy. I love the days when the leaves are changing, I need a sweatshirt in the morning and it's just crisp outside. Football is in the air and the combines are in the field harvesting grain. For me, there's no better time to live than October.
5. Describe your perfect vacation weather....
Cool mornings - I mean 50 degrees or so, on the deck of "our cabin" at the resort on the shore of Lake Superior. Cool enough that my cup of coffee keeps my hands warm. Sunny skies and low 70s for the day, just a touch of a breeze. A brilliant sunset at night, which we can see reflected in the Lake as we sit by the fire and snuggle.
26 July 2007
"Handyman"
Milton has been posting poems from The Writer's Almanac this week. I enjoyed today's poem so much I thought I'd do the same. Here it is:
"Handyman" by Barton Sutter, from Farewell to the Starlight in Whiskey. © BOA Editions, 2004. Reprinted with permission. (buy now)
Handyman
The morning brought such a lashing rain
I decided I might as well stay inside
And tackle those jobs that had multiplied
Like an old man's minor aches and pains.
I found a screw for the strikerplate,
Tightened the handle on the bathroom door,
Cleared the drain in the basement floor,
And straightened the hinge for the backyard gate.
Each task had been a nagging distraction,
An itch in the mind, a dangling thread;
Knocking a tiny brass brad on the head,
I felt an insane sense of satisfaction.
Then I heard a great crash in the yard.
The maple had fallen and smashed our car.
Note: I loved this poem for its use of language and the surprise at the end. As I was pasting this thing into my blog I realized this is a sonnet: the rhyme scheme is abba abba abba cc. How cool is that!
"Handyman" by Barton Sutter, from Farewell to the Starlight in Whiskey. © BOA Editions, 2004. Reprinted with permission. (buy now)
Handyman
The morning brought such a lashing rain
I decided I might as well stay inside
And tackle those jobs that had multiplied
Like an old man's minor aches and pains.
I found a screw for the strikerplate,
Tightened the handle on the bathroom door,
Cleared the drain in the basement floor,
And straightened the hinge for the backyard gate.
Each task had been a nagging distraction,
An itch in the mind, a dangling thread;
Knocking a tiny brass brad on the head,
I felt an insane sense of satisfaction.
Then I heard a great crash in the yard.
The maple had fallen and smashed our car.
Note: I loved this poem for its use of language and the surprise at the end. As I was pasting this thing into my blog I realized this is a sonnet: the rhyme scheme is abba abba abba cc. How cool is that!
25 July 2007
The Good Side of the NFL
Tired of hearing about Michael Vick, Pac-Man Jones and other NFL players who can't seem to keep their names & faces out of the police blotter? Try this article on for size.
Thanks for the good work, guys, and can we publicize this stuff more and the criminal behavior less?
Thanks for the good work, guys, and can we publicize this stuff more and the criminal behavior less?
 | You scored as Sirius Black, You are a gifted wizard and very loyal to your allegiance. Whilst you have a big heart and care very much about those around you, you can be a little arrogant and reckless at times.
created with QuizFarm.com |
24 July 2007
Membership Decline? Fuggedaboutit...
An ELCA news release elsewhere in this newsletter notes that ELCA membership declined 1.6% in calendar year 2006 – some 76,573 members left the rolls of the member churches of the ELCA. Every year since 1991 the ELCA has faced a membership loss when annual reporting for each calendar year was completed. This year was no exception.
There is, of course, a voice within me that sounds worried about this decline in membership. Frankly, I'm depending on the membership of the ELCA to care for my physical needs when I can no longer occupy the office of pastor, so I have a personal stake in what happens in our denomination. But in addition to the voice of worry, another voice sounds, if not thrilled, at least delighted by the thought that our church is growing leaner and more fit for discipleship. You see, a good portion of the membership loss is from roll cleaning: purging congregational members who show a decided disinterest in the ministry of the church as it stands.
Understand that I would prefer our members to repent of our inactivity and return to active participation in the ministry of the church. But let's be honest, folks: in some cases, it ain't happening. Inactives stay inactive and show no interest in worship, service or fellowship and thus they have already, in effect, removed themselves from being members – we just finish the act by purging them from the roster.
Now before some of you start gloating about your regular worship attendance, let me draw your attention to the final sentence of the previous paragraph – particularly the bit about "worship, service or fellowship". I would argue that within our church and our denomination there are far too many people who could be described as "worshiping inactives:" those folks who "draw near to [God] with their mouths and honor [God] with their lips, while their hearts are far from [God], and their worship of [God] is a human commandment learned by rote…" (Isaiah 29.13). Our denomination is experiencing membership decline, but we are also entering the beginning of a time of greater turmoil that will be centered in one undeniable problem: we don't live what we confess. Because of this, our witness, service and fellowship suffer from a lack of integrity, authenticity and genuine love. We've traded discipleship for comfort and service for security, neither of which are God's plan for the church.
In Mark 8.34 Jesus says, "If any want to be my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." Ched Myers says that "the cross in Mark's day was neither religious icon nor metaphor for personal anguish or humility. It had only one meaning: that terrible form of capital punishment reserved by imperial
Could it be that our membership decline is a sign that the true meaning of discipleship is beginning to surface in our denomination? Could it be that we are finally learning to invite one another to a life of faith that actually means something? Could it be that we are beginning to remember that when God calls us to follow, God also calls us to leave everything else behind? Could it be that we're finally moving away from being a "social club at prayer"?
I hope so, with all my heart. God doesn't need a praying Kiwanis club in Barrett. God wants disciples, people who have been captured by the life and message of Christ and understand that there is work to be done in the name of Christ in this world. God wants disciples, people who are willing to risk themselves for the sake of their neighbors. In the words of Søren Kierkegaard, "Remove from Christianity its ability to shock and it is altogether destroyed. It then becomes a tiny superficial thing, capable neither of inflicting deep wounds nor of healing them. It's when the absurd starts to sound reasonable that we should begin to worry." I think God wants a church that is a little less reasonable and far more passionate about its mission in the world, and I think that before we get to be in that church, we're going to have to go through a time of great turmoil and anxiety while the old, comfortable, reasonable church dies a slow and painful death.
Am I excited about the thought of "cleaning the rolls"? Of course I'm not. No one should be. But do I think it might be necessary to come closer to carrying out our mission? Yes, I do. Perhaps the time is coming for all of us to examine the way we live our lives and ask the hard question: "Am I really a disciple of Jesus? Do I live what I believe?" I can't answer that for you – only you and the Holy Spirit can answer that question. But I do believe that the only way to learn what it means to be an active disciple of Jesus is to be an active disciple of Jesus – membership in a church is not the same thing. Let the membership decline if it must – I'm more interested in the work of discipleship, and I believe that as discipleship grows, so will membership. It's an exciting, frustrating, challenging, invigorating time to be your pastor, because I sense a hunger for genuine faith in the world and our denomination is slowly starting to turn toward addressing that hunger. I invite all of you to consider spending more time worrying about developing discipleship and far less time worrying about building membership – God wants far more of the former and really, honestly, couldn't care less about the latter.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Scott
Monday Stuff: Phoenix
| You Are a Phoenix |
 Driven and ambitious, you tend to acquire material success easily. You have grand schemes - both for your own life and for changing the whole world. You are a great leader, and you have no problem taking the reigns. However, you aren't all business. You also have great talents for performing and visual arts. |
This Week's Entry from the "You've Got to be F%#!ing Kidding Me!" Department
Christian protestors interrupted a Hindu prayer in the Senate last week. *sigh* Nice to see how far we've come, no?
23 July 2007
Accio New Reading Material!
Well, at long last I'm done with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Wait - I bought it on Saturday and finished it this morning. That's not really "at long last," is it? Anyway, fear not, no spoilers here, just admiration for a splendid final 300 pages. I was worried sick about halfway through, when the story didn't seem to be GOING ANYWHERE for a few chapters, but as usual, the final act was a real barnburner.
Now it's time for the next book, which is One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters To Those Seeking God. After hearing about the U2charist I decided it was time to start looking seriously at these blokes and figure out just what drives this spiritual aspect of their music and how it impacts their fans. I'm a fan, but not for the spiritual aspect of their work - I love Bono's voice and I think they've done some of the most passionate, original music of the past 30 years. I'll report later on what I think.
Wait - I bought it on Saturday and finished it this morning. That's not really "at long last," is it? Anyway, fear not, no spoilers here, just admiration for a splendid final 300 pages. I was worried sick about halfway through, when the story didn't seem to be GOING ANYWHERE for a few chapters, but as usual, the final act was a real barnburner.
Now it's time for the next book, which is One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters To Those Seeking God. After hearing about the U2charist I decided it was time to start looking seriously at these blokes and figure out just what drives this spiritual aspect of their music and how it impacts their fans. I'm a fan, but not for the spiritual aspect of their work - I love Bono's voice and I think they've done some of the most passionate, original music of the past 30 years. I'll report later on what I think.
Confirmation Camp 2007, Part 1
So, now that I've finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I'm free to begin posting about our trip to Nebraska for Confirmation Camp. (I had to finish quickly or certain folks in Oregon were threatening to spoil the ending for me. You know who you are.)
Anyway, we pulled out of Barrett around 12:30 last Saturday afternoon, bound for my parents' farm in Wakefield, Nebraska, where we'd be staying the night. We arrived around 6:30 and promptly convinced my dad to start the fire and dig out the basketballs. We had some fun while we waited for the fire to get going so we could roast wieners.
After supper we adjourned to the yard, where we played with Adam's golf disc for quite a while.
After a while the disc got stuck in the mulberry tree. Rather than have one of our kids climb it (and risk falling out, liability, yadda yadda yadda) I climbed up & shook it free. Funny how mulberries fall out of the mulberry tree when they're ripe - most of our kids got a berry to the face. Even funnier was Erin's big toe: she looked as though she'd voted in some bizarre foot election:
In the morning, our happy campers took a look around Wakefield before heading to worship at Salem Lutheran Church - here they are overlooking Eaton Field in Wakefield, which, of course, is "The Baseball Capital of Nebraska."
After worship we snapped a quick picture in the front of the church before heading home for pizza.
Anyway, we pulled out of Barrett around 12:30 last Saturday afternoon, bound for my parents' farm in Wakefield, Nebraska, where we'd be staying the night. We arrived around 6:30 and promptly convinced my dad to start the fire and dig out the basketballs. We had some fun while we waited for the fire to get going so we could roast wieners.
After supper we adjourned to the yard, where we played with Adam's golf disc for quite a while.
After a while the disc got stuck in the mulberry tree. Rather than have one of our kids climb it (and risk falling out, liability, yadda yadda yadda) I climbed up & shook it free. Funny how mulberries fall out of the mulberry tree when they're ripe - most of our kids got a berry to the face. Even funnier was Erin's big toe: she looked as though she'd voted in some bizarre foot election:
Shelby, of course, didn't know what to make of any of this:
Later we moved inside for our first Nooma video of the week and a short discussion:
In the morning, our happy campers took a look around Wakefield before heading to worship at Salem Lutheran Church - here they are overlooking Eaton Field in Wakefield, which, of course, is "The Baseball Capital of Nebraska."
After worship we snapped a quick picture in the front of the church before heading home for pizza.
And, of course, Grandma & Grandpa Johnson thought they needed just a bit more Ainsley time:
But all good things must come to an end, so we packed up the kids & the car & headed south to Ashland, where Carol Joy Holling Camp awaited.
21 July 2007
Lifelong Dream of Returning to Camp as a Pastor bringing Kids who will have the same lifechanging Experience I once did as a Camper:
Done.
Pictures to follow later this afternoon after they are developed. For now, Beloved, CRANKYBaby and I are happy to be back home, but wishing our new friends could have come with us!
Oh, yeah, if I can tear myself away from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, that is. Anyone who spoils the end for me will be sacked.
Pictures to follow later this afternoon after they are developed. For now, Beloved, CRANKYBaby and I are happy to be back home, but wishing our new friends could have come with us!
Oh, yeah, if I can tear myself away from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, that is. Anyone who spoils the end for me will be sacked.
13 July 2007
Tired and Ready for Camp
This has been a week of weeks, for more reasons than I care to count.
First, we're leaving tomorrow for a week of Confirmation camp in Nebraska with seven of the youth from our two churches. I'm thinking it's going to be a great week. Maybe even a GRATE week! (stop your groaning, you two). But making sure all the money is accounted for and everything is just not in my inventory of spiritual gifts, so it's been a little stressful this week.
I've been nervous for about a week because of my track record with planned time away and funerals. It seems that whenever we decide to get away, be it for a church trip, a continuing education event or a vacation, someone in the congregation dies and I've got a funeral to plan. This is not so much a complaint as it is a painful observation: I'd rather have the time to spend with the family after the funeral and all the pomp and circumstance is done, since there will still be lots of grieving to do after the flowers are gone and no one is sending condolence cards anymore. But tomorrow is going to be rushed because we need to leave directly after the committal to make it down to Nebraska in time for supper at my parents' farm. So I have to leave a family for whom I care a great deal very quickly, and it just doesn't feel right. It's what has to happen, and that's just how ministry works sometimes, but it doesn't feel right.
The other thing, of course, has been planning our confirmation activities for camp. We're going with a series of NOOMA videos on different aspects of life as a Christian, and I'm pretty excited to see how it goes with our kids. But that was a loong session in front of the computer to get it all put together this evening. At least Microsoft Word works on the new machine. I nearly had a heart attack at 11:00 when a lightning strike knocked out our power and the document was lost, but Word was able to recover it and I promptly saved it just in case. You never can tell.
Add in with all of this a baby who has started demanding a 2 a.m. bottle, my continuing back stiffness, an emotional exchange with a friend that is now resolved but not yet behind us and cats who decided to spray some of our clean laundry this afternoon, and you've got the makings of a LOOOOOONG day. It was. Now I've had my beer and a bit of blogging and I'm off to bed. It's time to sleep hard.
First, we're leaving tomorrow for a week of Confirmation camp in Nebraska with seven of the youth from our two churches. I'm thinking it's going to be a great week. Maybe even a GRATE week! (stop your groaning, you two). But making sure all the money is accounted for and everything is just not in my inventory of spiritual gifts, so it's been a little stressful this week.
I've been nervous for about a week because of my track record with planned time away and funerals. It seems that whenever we decide to get away, be it for a church trip, a continuing education event or a vacation, someone in the congregation dies and I've got a funeral to plan. This is not so much a complaint as it is a painful observation: I'd rather have the time to spend with the family after the funeral and all the pomp and circumstance is done, since there will still be lots of grieving to do after the flowers are gone and no one is sending condolence cards anymore. But tomorrow is going to be rushed because we need to leave directly after the committal to make it down to Nebraska in time for supper at my parents' farm. So I have to leave a family for whom I care a great deal very quickly, and it just doesn't feel right. It's what has to happen, and that's just how ministry works sometimes, but it doesn't feel right.
The other thing, of course, has been planning our confirmation activities for camp. We're going with a series of NOOMA videos on different aspects of life as a Christian, and I'm pretty excited to see how it goes with our kids. But that was a loong session in front of the computer to get it all put together this evening. At least Microsoft Word works on the new machine. I nearly had a heart attack at 11:00 when a lightning strike knocked out our power and the document was lost, but Word was able to recover it and I promptly saved it just in case. You never can tell.
Add in with all of this a baby who has started demanding a 2 a.m. bottle, my continuing back stiffness, an emotional exchange with a friend that is now resolved but not yet behind us and cats who decided to spray some of our clean laundry this afternoon, and you've got the makings of a LOOOOOONG day. It was. Now I've had my beer and a bit of blogging and I'm off to bed. It's time to sleep hard.
Friday Five: Wotcher, Harry! ...and not.
Posted by reverendmother at RevGalBlogPals
I'd have to say that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is my favorite thus far, for sheer suspense and the sense that things are starting to draw toward a major climax. [No spoilers here for those of you who might be interested in still reading the entire tale!]
2. Which character do you most resemble? Which character would you most like to get to know?
I get the feeling I resemble McGonagall the most (aside from being both a Muggle and a man, of course). She seems exactly the kind of no-nonsense, fiery person I aspire to be. Besides, no everyone gets to be Harry or Dumbledore. I will say that being Charlie Weasley would be cool - chasing dragons and such. [Added later] I would like to get to know McGonagall better - she just seems interesting to me for some reason!
3. How careful are you about spoilers?
a) bring 'em on--even if I know the destination, the journey's still good
b) eh, I'd rather not know what happens, but I'm not going to commit Avada Kedavra if someone makes a slip
c) I will sequester myself in a geodesic dome to avoid finding anything out
Definitely C for me. I'm careful like Hermione cooking up a potion for Snape's class. I HATE knowing the end of the story/movie. The really unfortunate thing is that I married a "read the last page of the book first" woman, so we have a row about spoilers every time a new Harry Potter book comes out. In fact, we had one last night on our way home from the Transformers movie. (Transformers, Harry Potter, what am I, eight again?) And there are others in my life who do the same (do you hear me, LH?).
4. Make one prediction/share one hope about book 7.
[SPOILER ALERT!!!]
I think Hagrid will meet an unfortunate end early in the book and I think Harry will sacrifice himself in the end to save the world from Voldemort.
Oh, and one hope: I hope that Dumbledore and Sirius aren't really dead.
[SPOILERS END]
5. Rowling has said she's not planning any prequels or sequels, but are there characters or storylines (past or future) that you would like to see pursued?
Definitely the relationship between Lupin, Sirius Black and the Potters, and perhaps Albus Dumbledore's backstory as well.
Option 2: Please Mommy, Anything But Those Blankety-Blank Books!
And we do mean anything:
1. Former U.S. First Lady "Lady Bird" Johnson died this week. In honor of her love of the land and the environment, share your favorite flower or wildflower.
Definitely the mandrake, although care and feeding can be...what? Oh, MUGGLE plants. Gotcha. Can I share my least favorite plant? Well, I don't care: I'm gonna. I DESPISE COTTONWOOD TREES. We have several around our house, and although they are beautiful, tall and sound really cool when a breeze blows through at night, they also shed bark, branches and debris all over the yard and cottonwood seed gets into everything every summer and makes our house look like it's molting.
2. A man flew almost 200 miles in a lawn chair, held aloft by helium balloons. Share something zany you'd like to try someday.
Sky-diving. I want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 feet. I don't know why - I'm scared of heights and would never consider bungee jumping; I don't even like those rides at the fair where they put you in a harness, pull you way up in the air and let you swing at the end of a long cable, but I want to go sky-diving someday.
3. Do you have an iPhone? If not, would you want one?
I would love to have an iPhone, but not until the cost drops a bit (and I wear out my Palm Pilot so I can justify the expense).
4. Speaking of which, Blendtec Blenders put an iPhone in one of their super-duper blenders as part of their "Will It Blend?" series. What would YOU like to see ground up, whizzed up or otherwise pulverized in a blender?
You mean other than the Vice President? How about the idiots at NBC who cancelled "Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip" but left "Age of Love" and "Wedding Crashers" on their fall schedule? No people? Okay, how about, ummm, any Bluetooth earpiece worn outside of an automobile? No offense to any Bluetooth users out there, but that thing in your ear makes you look like a pretentious, self-important git.
5. According to News of the Weird, a jury in Weld County, Colo., declined to hold Kathleen Ensz accountable for leaving a flier containing her dog's droppings on the doorstep of U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, apparently agreeing with Ensz that she was merely exercising free speech. What do you think? Is doggy doo-doo protected by the First Amendment?
Only if it means I can exercise my right to free speech on the White House lawn. One could argue that because the doo-doo was in a portable container, it was permissible; had there been smearing involved, it might have crossed the line, don't you think?
As you may have seen in this Wednesday's Festival, Pottermania has hit the RevGals---though not all of them. Yes, I am all over Harry like a Seeker on the Snitch, but I know there are others who will be ecstatic to see the July madness end.1. Which Harry Potter book is your favorite and why?
So today's F5 is a Choose Your Own Adventure: do the magical version or the Muggle one, or both:
Option 1: Accio Friday Five!
I'd have to say that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is my favorite thus far, for sheer suspense and the sense that things are starting to draw toward a major climax. [No spoilers here for those of you who might be interested in still reading the entire tale!]
2. Which character do you most resemble? Which character would you most like to get to know?
I get the feeling I resemble McGonagall the most (aside from being both a Muggle and a man, of course). She seems exactly the kind of no-nonsense, fiery person I aspire to be. Besides, no everyone gets to be Harry or Dumbledore. I will say that being Charlie Weasley would be cool - chasing dragons and such. [Added later] I would like to get to know McGonagall better - she just seems interesting to me for some reason!
3. How careful are you about spoilers?
a) bring 'em on--even if I know the destination, the journey's still good
b) eh, I'd rather not know what happens, but I'm not going to commit Avada Kedavra if someone makes a slip
c) I will sequester myself in a geodesic dome to avoid finding anything out
Definitely C for me. I'm careful like Hermione cooking up a potion for Snape's class. I HATE knowing the end of the story/movie. The really unfortunate thing is that I married a "read the last page of the book first" woman, so we have a row about spoilers every time a new Harry Potter book comes out. In fact, we had one last night on our way home from the Transformers movie. (Transformers, Harry Potter, what am I, eight again?) And there are others in my life who do the same (do you hear me, LH?).
4. Make one prediction/share one hope about book 7.
[SPOILER ALERT!!!]
I think Hagrid will meet an unfortunate end early in the book and I think Harry will sacrifice himself in the end to save the world from Voldemort.
Oh, and one hope: I hope that Dumbledore and Sirius aren't really dead.
[SPOILERS END]
5. Rowling has said she's not planning any prequels or sequels, but are there characters or storylines (past or future) that you would like to see pursued?
Definitely the relationship between Lupin, Sirius Black and the Potters, and perhaps Albus Dumbledore's backstory as well.
Option 2: Please Mommy, Anything But Those Blankety-Blank Books!
And we do mean anything:
1. Former U.S. First Lady "Lady Bird" Johnson died this week. In honor of her love of the land and the environment, share your favorite flower or wildflower.
Definitely the mandrake, although care and feeding can be...what? Oh, MUGGLE plants. Gotcha. Can I share my least favorite plant? Well, I don't care: I'm gonna. I DESPISE COTTONWOOD TREES. We have several around our house, and although they are beautiful, tall and sound really cool when a breeze blows through at night, they also shed bark, branches and debris all over the yard and cottonwood seed gets into everything every summer and makes our house look like it's molting.
2. A man flew almost 200 miles in a lawn chair, held aloft by helium balloons. Share something zany you'd like to try someday.
Sky-diving. I want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 feet. I don't know why - I'm scared of heights and would never consider bungee jumping; I don't even like those rides at the fair where they put you in a harness, pull you way up in the air and let you swing at the end of a long cable, but I want to go sky-diving someday.
3. Do you have an iPhone? If not, would you want one?
I would love to have an iPhone, but not until the cost drops a bit (and I wear out my Palm Pilot so I can justify the expense).
4. Speaking of which, Blendtec Blenders put an iPhone in one of their super-duper blenders as part of their "Will It Blend?" series. What would YOU like to see ground up, whizzed up or otherwise pulverized in a blender?
You mean other than the Vice President? How about the idiots at NBC who cancelled "Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip" but left "Age of Love" and "Wedding Crashers" on their fall schedule? No people? Okay, how about, ummm, any Bluetooth earpiece worn outside of an automobile? No offense to any Bluetooth users out there, but that thing in your ear makes you look like a pretentious, self-important git.
5. According to News of the Weird, a jury in Weld County, Colo., declined to hold Kathleen Ensz accountable for leaving a flier containing her dog's droppings on the doorstep of U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, apparently agreeing with Ensz that she was merely exercising free speech. What do you think? Is doggy doo-doo protected by the First Amendment?
Only if it means I can exercise my right to free speech on the White House lawn. One could argue that because the doo-doo was in a portable container, it was permissible; had there been smearing involved, it might have crossed the line, don't you think?
12 July 2007
11 July 2007
Whew! Still a Lutheran...
 | You scored as Martin Luther, The daddy of the Reformation. You are opposed to any Catholic ideas of works-salvation and see the scriptures as being primarily authoritative.
Which theologian are you? created with QuizFarm.com |
Seriously, more Schleiermacher and Edwards than Tillich? Bizarre...
mmmmmmm...latte.....
| What Your Latte Says About You |
 You are very decadent in all aspects of your life. You never scale back, and you always live large. You are a very serious person. You don't have time for silly antics. Intense and energetic, you aren't completely happy unless you are bouncing off the walls. You're addicted to caffeine. There's no denying it. You are responsible, mature, and truly an adult. You're occasionally playful, but you find it hard to be carefree. You are deep and thoughtful, but you are never withdrawn. |
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