Hoosier Musings on the Road to Emmaus

My Sincerely Held Religious Belief

2014-02-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

I’ve been hearing a lot of news lately about efforts in many states across the country, including our own, to pass laws which purport to “protect religious freedom.” These legislative initiatives would allow businesses to cite “sincerely held religious beliefs” for refusing to provide goods or services. Some even would expand their reach into the public sector by trying to allow government employees to make the same choice; they would allow a civil clerk, for example, to choose whether or not to issue a marriage license to a couple legally permitted to obtain one, if the couple’s marriage would be objectionable by the clerk’s personal religious standards. None of these laws have passed (although one version is sitting on the Arizona governor’s desk for consideration as I write this); but the efforts continue.

As a minister of the Gospel, religious freedom is a particularly precious right to me, so these ongoing efforts have my concerned attention. Let me be as clear as I can be: these actions are NOT what protecting religious freedom looks like. In fact, it is precisely the opposite. Passing these sorts of laws would allow people to force their particular religious views on the rest of society. They would render U.S. citizens constantly unsure of whether they could trust equal access to government services or public businesses, solely because of someone’s idea of religious propriety. And it would establish an area where businesses could use the language of religion to exempt themselves from public laws everybody else has to follow.

It really does not matter that these laws have been aimed primarily at LGBT people and same-sex marriage. Over the years, people of strongly held opinions have had the same arguments over interracial or inter-religious marriage, or even remarriage after divorce. We’ve disputed in the same way over serving people of different races and ethnicities-- and indeed, religions. Over and over again, we’ve determined that the public marketplace is not the place to demand our individual views be upheld.

This movement is simply antithetical to the principles of religious freedom upon which our country is founded. Not incidentally, I believe it is also contrary to the gospel message of embracing love which Jesus Christ offered to all who came to him. But my local grocer doesn't need to agree with me on that in order to sell me apples and bananas.

I am grateful from the bottom of my heart to live in a country where I am free to proclaim the ridiculously all-encompassing nature of God’s love from our pulpit each and every Sunday. If another pastor wishes to proclaim a different message in another pulpit— well, the guarantees of our Constitution permit that, too. However, a public business owner or government employee who cannot serve everyone with equal respect, does not have the right to use “religion” as an excuse.

Extreme Random Friday Five

2013-09-13T10:11:00.002-06:00

Random in the questions; but also in that I haven't done a Friday Five in halfway to forever, and have no reason for doing today's version, other than because I can.

So with thanks to Karla at RevGals, and without further ado...

1. How are you? What’s up with you?

So far there is no migraine, so that is an excellent start to the day. This is a busy weekend: I hadn't been planning to preach on Sunday until yesterday (I was supposed to be away at a camp event that got cancelled), so I'm prepping a sermon. We're also hosting a cookout on Sunday afternoon at the house. Lots of getting ready in the next couple days, but all for good stuff.

2. Last Saturday, I went to the outlet store and stocked up on underwear for the year. I love a bunch of new fresh underdrawers! I also love a cabinet full of paper towels. What silly thing makes you happy?

In the midst of said busy, I will be having a pedicure. I have learned that pretty toes make me happy in a way that really has no logic. But happy does not need logic. It just is.

3. Give a shout out to someone you love, appreciate, or want to thank!

Our granddaughter, Lady Elaine, turns 4 this weekend. What a joy she is! Because of her I laugh, and get at least one full body hug, every single day. Priceless.

4. Miss Kansas has the Serenity Prayer tatooed on the side of her body. I sadly do not have a tatoo, and maybe you do, but if you were going to get a prayer tatooed on the side of your body, what would it be?

Temp tattoos are all well and good, and sometimes highly entertaining; but I am unlikely ever to get a real one. Anybody sticking a needle in my body had best have a good medical reason for doing so. In the unlikely event I ever change my mind on that score, I think it would say something about grace.

5. Use some or all or a form of the following words in a sentence: jello, kittens, mercy, dump-truck, tabuleh, terror, skipping, monkey, Rev. , health, and snoring.

It would take a dump-truck of jello to keep the kittens from sleeping in the tabbouleh; but mercy sakes, the snoring is wreaking terror upon Rev's mental health, so she is skipping straight to the Chunky Monkey ice cream.

Defriended

2013-05-04T22:32:00.002-06:00

When I began blogging, "Social Media" was not the juggernaut we know today. Oh, I am by no means a forerunner; my initial exposure to blogging was part of a class requirement at my seminary, hardly an institution known for living on the leading edge of new technology. "Online Journaling" had been extant for a decade or more at that point.

That said, it was newish, from a more widely known perspective-- and the now more popular platforms of Facebook and Twitter did not yet exist. When our professors introduced us to class blogs, and the requirements of posting and commenting, it was certainly new to me and most of my classmates. So in addition to the functional instructions on how to access the blog, post, edit, and comment, we had a discussion about the nature of public discourse. We were reminded that the Internet was a widely public forum-- much more so than the papers and reports and other projects that were our usual assignments. I can still hear AKMA's gentle voice reminding us that whatever we wrote would be "readily accessible to anyone-- including Bishops and Standing Committees and Commissions on Ministry."

In fact, this was part of the purpose: we needed to learn to communicate while always keeping in mind that our public discourse was just that-- public. And we needed to understand that nothing posted online, however carefully "protected" by passwords or firewalls or pseudonyms, is ever private or free from the possibility of question or argument. If you don't want to be associated with it, or if you're not prepared to defend it, then don't post it.

On Facebook I continue to operate with this reality in mind. I am responsible for anything I post, both in content and in tone. This is especially true when I link to someone else's work (video, article, blog, etc.). That's why there are a lot of posts out there to which I do not link. Some are simply distasteful on their face. Others may indeed be views I share, but they are expressed in a way that is disagreeable, snarky or rude; that is not the way I want to be known, or behavior I wish to uphold, so I don't share them.

And sometimes I simply do not have the energy or inclination to defend a post. Will it surprise you to learn that not everyone I know and love agrees with me on every issue? So sometimes we have discussions about things that I post, or that they do; and I value those conversations. But Virtual Reality is not the only reality I own; Corporeal Life also matters, and often trumps. I have other ways to spend my time and energy than online conversations. So sometimes I don't post the link.

But if I do post something, then I expect to stand behind it.

A while back, a relative of mine-- someone with whom I grew up, and who I still care about-- "defriended" me on Facebook. I didn't notice right away; this dear soul is not in the habit of posting daily, and sometimes several days would go by without seeing the familiar name in my news feed.

But I did notice. I missed the postings about family, and life activities. I missed the comments on my own news feed as well, reminding me of connections we share. I missed family. So I asked-- what had happened? Had this been intentional, or an interface glitch of some sort?

The response I eventually received was a comment about "being tired of defending myself."

I was stricken over this. As it happens, we are often on the opposite sides of a variety of issues. Through this person's links I would often read views and positions that were troublesome to me. Occasionally I chose to respond-- to ask a question, or to comment from the other side of an issue. Now I wondered: when I did so, had I been overly harsh? Had my critiques crossed the line at some point to personal attack? Was I in some way rude, or disrespectful, or unkind?

I cannot go back and read them to check, of course, as I no longer have access to that page. But so far as I'm aware, I always chose to question or comment on the opinion expressed, rather than the person posting it. I try very hard as a matter of course to limit disagreement or dispute to the specific subject at hand, without insult, vulgarity or sarcasm. I had no reason to do otherwise, and every reason to be careful. After all, this was someone I've known my whole life, with whom I share some deep and beloved roots. This was family.

If I knew this would be the result, would I have done anything different? To be honest, I don't know that I would. Don't get me wrong-- I wholly regret that this connection has been severed. I miss hearing about that branch of our common family tree-- pictures and updates, joys and concerns. I miss sharing with someone who gets my background and foundation because we hold so much of it in common. And it still hurts, that a desire to post political views without dispute was sufficient reason for abruptly severing our relationship. And I pray for reconciliation.

But I still believe that a posted link is the responsibility of the poster, as well as the original writer. And part of that responsibility includes being willing to engage in conversation about, and sometimes to defend, views which are made public, even if it is by the magic of social media.

Remembering Mama

2013-04-23T16:50:00.001-06:00

Today is the anniversary of my mother's death. I wrote the original version of the following 10 years ago, and updated it only a little. That's all it needed; some things never change.

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She was a Depression baby, born to a family hit hard, dressed in homemade clothes and love.

She was a tomboy, playing baseball and mumbledy peg and shooting marbles in the cinders in the alley. She drew constantly, sketches in notebooks and on scrap paper. And she read-- Lord, she read. Zane Grey and Frank Yerby, adventures and history, fiction and biography. New books of any sort were relished, and old favorites were cherished as old friends. "Don't ask which ones to bring home from the library; start in the 'A's' and work your way around."

She was smart. It took her five years to graduate college (the first in her family) but she had 4 degrees when she was done: Math. Physics. History. Government. "Everything’s worth knowing, and there's no such thing as wasted education. "

She married a boy she met in her high school geometry class-- the swimmer with the wavy hair and the ice blue eyes. Together they raised three children: demanding, challenging, and inordinately proud parents. "Never settle for less than your best.""Why yes, they are marvelous, aren't they?"

She was a "doer." Episcopal Church Women and Sunday School teacher, golf lessons and painting lessons, garden club president and PTA room mother. "Everything's a challenge: find the most efficient way, get it done quicker, so there's time for more of what you want to do. "

She was a survivor. Diagnosed with a neuro-muscular disease, she was put to bed at 38 and told to stay there or she might not see 40. The kids were 13, 10 and 6. No more doing, except in her head. And she smiled, and continued loving and learning. The master bedroom became the family room and stayed that way. She kept track of the world, figured out the stock market, and taught those kids to deal with life, all from the left side of a king-size mattress. Like everything else, she learned to manage, to get the most out of what she had. "That's life, and at least I'm still here to live it. "

Fifteen years ago today she died, but she still touches me when I least expect it. Her hands on my keyboard. Her voice when I answer the phone. Her scent on the blouse in the back of my closet.

Love you, Mama.

Rector’s Corner

2013-04-23T16:27:00.002-06:00

I wrote this for our upcoming parish newsletter. Nothing profound; just thought I'd share.

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On days like this, it’s hard to stay indoors. The skies are clear and the temps are warm (but not too warm yet!). The yard was beckoning as I ate breakfast, and I’m almost sure I heard a siren's song calling me from the corner by the door where my sneakers and garden gloves reside. I want to be out walking, or digging in the dirt, or... well, something other than sitting at the computer, anyway.

But here I am. And one good thing about it is that I can look out my office window and I see that I’m not the only one itching to be outdoors. Every day there are parents who bring young children to swing or slide or climb on our playground equipment. Older children come on their own to play catch in the grass, or ride their bikes and skateboards up and down and around the parking lot. As I go in or out the office door, I’ll notice the occasional neighbor (adult or child) walking the labyrinth.

Those of us who drive to church from elsewhere in the Tri-Cities sometimes forget how much a part of this community we really are. Some churches with buildings in more commercial locations only have neighbors during business hours; but life on this residential street stirs around us and touches us 24/7.

Jesus talks a lot about neighbors, and about the importance of loving them-- something so important that it becomes part of his Great Commandment. “Who is my neighbor?” someone asked him. Although Jesus makes it clear that we are all neighbors to one another, sometimes the answer is even more obvious.

One of the ways we show love and care for our neighbors around the church is by maintaining our grounds and encouraging their use. Are there other ways we can be the kind of loving neighbors Jesus commands us to be?

Perhaps we need to spend some time outside to find out.

Say what?

2012-12-16T22:40:00.003-07:00

As the initial shock of the latest multiple murder settles out, people are beginning to speak. Often this is a good thing: prayers and laments of the faithful rising before God, words of love and comfort to grieving families... these are ways we begin to cope, and to heal.

But sometimes, my friends... sometimes people say things that are not helpful. And I've about lost patience.

Now, I am not referring to those who, with the best of intentions, inadvertently blurt out some trite phrase that is more appalling than appealing, more hindrance than help. They aren't the ones who get under my skin. Mostly I'm able to remind myself that they mean well, overlook the action, and focus on the intent and the concern behind it. After all, it happens to all of us at one time or another. Goodness knows I've had my own share of foot-in-mouth moments.

No, what I mean are the kinds of things people say with far less altruistic motives. Like...

"We ask why there is violence in our schools, but we have systematically removed God from our schools."

First, I find the suggestion that people in that school in Connecticut, or any school, do not or cannot have lives of faith and prayer simply because some official does not force the issue, to be simply ludicrous. It certainly did not stop me, or many of my friends, or my children and their friends. In fact, if I dug out my old (public) high school yearbook I could show you a picture of our church's youth group. It's not in there because it was a school activity; they took our picture because we were a group of students taking part in our community in this way. It was something we did on our own because it was important to us. Which is the way faith, and prayer, works best.

But this statement is worse than ludicrous. Quite bluntly, to say that God has been somehow "removed" from school is both arrogant and blasphemous on its face. Do we honestly believe that any human being, or any human action, can possibly be powerful enough to keep God out of anywhere??

I do not believe this has anything to do with comfort or good intentions. I believe this is an effort to make political points using religious language as a political tool. Offensive at anytime, and doubly so in the face of this horrible tragedy.

Children didn't get killed in Connecticut because Christian prayers are not required in public schools. Children got killed because a damaged soul didn't get the help he needed and had easy access to weapons specifically designed for wholesale slaughter. If you want to get political, address those issues. And by all means, pray while you're doing it-- for guidance, for peace, for grace and comfort, for justice... or whatever else it occurs to you to take before God in prayer.

But do not presume that you have any say over where God is, or is not. I guarantee that's above your pay grade.

How long, O Lord?

2012-12-14T14:06:00.002-07:00

As I write this, my heart aches. I can hardly stand to watch the news coverage-- the shooting at a school in Newport, Connecticut-- and yet I can't look away.

More than 2 dozen people shot and killed at close range. Most were children-- small people, 5 to 10 years old, murdered while they sat in their classrooms. A community has been forever wounded, and the pain radiates around the world.

It's the worst time, but not the first time, of course. The first school shooting I remember was in Winnetka, IL in 1988. I was a new mother, and I remember clutching our infant daughter and rocking, in tears as I watched the coverage.

But it goes back way further than that. I had no idea, until I found this list of U.S. school shootings, that this phenomenon goes back throughout our history.

And it's not just schools. Remember the mall in Oregon last week? The movie theatre in Colorado a few months ago?

And although these horrible things mostly involve guns, and mostly happen here in the U.S., it's not only guns, and it's not only here. The news reports for today-- the same day as the Connecticut shooting-- also include someone who stabbed 22 children at a school in China.

Lord, have mercy. I pray, and I ask...

How long before we decide that weapons-- guns or any other-- do not provide a solution to our ills and fears? How long before we understand that striking out in response to rage is not the answer? How long before we realize that violence, by whatever means, is not redemptive?

Testing: 1, 2, 3...

2012-10-15T14:16:00.001-06:00

So, I'm trying something new: texting to the blog. Let's see if it works.

Pro-what?

2012-02-16T14:08:00.009-07:00

You have no doubt heard the political kerfuffle of late. Abortion, Contraception, Planned Parenthood... all the overlapping issues that come under the general heading of "Women's Reproductive Health." Some wild discussions about "lady parts" are making the news-- and strangely, almost always in the bass clef tones of people who are, biologically speaking, on the outside looking in.

*ahem* Sorry. Couldn't resist.

Anyway, I'd like to hear more women's voices in the conversation. And I'd be glad to join in, even though there are a lot of areas over which I still struggle. Why?

I'm a feminist. That means I mean I believe wholeheartedly in the notion, sometimes quaintly expressed on bumper stickers, that Women Are People-- adults capable of making their own independent decisions, for good or ill. I neither need nor want a representative from the federal government present when I consult with my doctor.

And...

I'm an adoptive parent because a woman carried her child to term, even though any but the most virulent would have supported her decision to do otherwise (and probably driven her to the clinic). The idea that a fetus is only so much tissue? Can't go there.

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I have listened to those who chose abortion because they had suffered abuse, or whose health would have been sincerely jeopardized by a pregnancy.

And...

I have also read the interviews of women who were "still having fun," and thought a baby would get in the way.

*********

I have heard the horror stories from before Roe v. Wade-- tales of coat hangers and evil potions and (for those who could afford it) being quietly whisked out of state for a "procedure" that might or might not have been safer than the above.

And...

I have also known women (yes, plural) who were heartbroken because their "safe, legal abortion" had left them infertile.

*********

I have held sobbing young women who chose to have an abortion because of fear over how a pregnancy would be received. Not the "geez, my folks are gonna kill me if I'm not home on time" kind of fear, but real "I'll be kicked out if I'm not beaten to death first" terror.

And...

I have held sobbing young women who chose adoption, only to have kith and kin excoriate them for "throwing away your own flesh and blood."

*********

So, what's the answer? I don't know. But here's what I believe:

I believe that people having sex when they are not ready to be parents has always been. Our sexualized culture may make it more acceptable and prevalent, but it is not a new phenomenon.

I believe that the 1950's mindset of shaming a woman for having sex, let alone getting pregnant (and it clearly is always her fault, of course; boys will be boys. Yes, I'm twitching as I type that.) is a sign of a warped worldview.

I believe the 2012 mindset that something is *wrong* with the person who chooses not to be sexually active (either before she's ready, or before they're married, or ever), is equally warped.

I believe that having safe and reliable contraceptives readily available, along with accurate information about how to use them, reduces the odds that the choice of what to do about an unintended pregnancy will ever have to be made.

I also believe there are good and solid reasons for saying no to sex, and they can be taught right alongside the above with a straight face, and without ridicule.

I believe that other options for an unintended pregnancy (either raising the child or planning for an adoption) ought to receive a whole lot more cultural support, emotionally and financially, than they do.

All this means I am sometimes "pro-life," and sometimes "pro-choice," and always in prayer over the very messy reality. Lord, have mercy.

Annual Report

2012-02-14T11:55:00.009-07:00

The following was my sermon for our Annual Meeting Sunday; it was also printed in a packet with all the other ministry and financial reports. I don't write out sermon manuscripts very often anymore, so I thought I'd post it here where I can find it again.

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Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified. (I Corinthians 9:25-27)

By the time you read this, Super Bowl XLVI will be over. One team—either the Giants or the Patriots—will have emerged the winner. If you missed it, I’m sure you can catch it in reruns on the sports networks. Camera crews and photographers will have recorded every moment of the game, as well as the moments afterward when the owners, managers and players of the winning team brandish the Lombardi trophy while screaming fans rejoice at their victory.

I think it’s helpful to remember two things about this event. The first is that, although we don’t know the outcome until the game is over, it is not a moment which comes along suddenly and unexpectedly—not for anyone involved. The players and managers in both locker rooms have envisioned this for years or even decades. Because of that vision they have practiced, on and off the field—untold hours over a good portion of their lives spent in games and scrimmages, in the weight room, studying play books, watching videos, fine tuning details. Whether or not they win this game, they have prepared for and proven themselves capable of winning, many times over.

But in the end, one team wins and the other loses. So, what then? What happens when the cheering (or the recriminations) die down? Well, that’s the other thing I want to note: the end of the season is never really the end. Win or lose, both teams will be back at it again next year: pushing bodies, hearts and minds toward the goal of the next win, the next game, the next championship. They may change managers, and they will almost certainly draft and/or trade players. They will lift weights and hit the sleds. They will study films and try to see what went right or wrong. They will put in new plays that work better with the current roster, or take out old ones that were not as successful. In other words, even when they look back, they are also looking ahead as well. There is always something to strive for, and to work toward.

Our Annual Meeting is a bit like that. Everyone knows we do this every year, and we plan some bits weeks or even months in advance. Our treasurer and bookkeeper spent a lot of time and effort looking at our finances and assembling a proposed budget for the vestry to consider—and the vestry has done so, thoughtfully and carefully, at the last 2 or 3 vestry meetings, before approving the final version. Our outgoing vestry members concluded their terms of excellent service to God and to the parish by prayerfully considering and developing a slate of candidates to fill their positions, as well as other lining up other candidates willing to represent All Saints’ at our next diocesan convention. Our administrator gently but firmly reminds all those who serve in leadership positions (and there are a good number, thanks be to God!) that our reports need to be in early enough that she can print and assemble the packet you'll hold in your hands.

But that’s far from all that goes into this day. To begin with, All Saints’ has more than 60 years of history as a community of faith. Only a few of you go back that far, but many of you have been here for years and even decades. Your commitment, as the Catechism states, “to work, pray, and give for the spread of God’s kingdom;” has borne and is bearing fruit, right up to this day.

The events of the past year—our first full year together, as priest and people—bring that into sharp focus. We have many reasons to rejoice, brothers and sisters! We have welcomed new members into our community—our records show a modest but measurable increase in regular Sunday attendance, and more than a dozen souls have made a deeper commitment to a life of discipleship through baptism, confirmation, or reception. Our pledges indicate that we can expect to cover all of our needs and some of our desires in the next year, and our budget reflects that. We have worshipped together, in music and silence, in word and sacrament, centering ourselves in Christ. We have celebrated the lives God has given us: in new birth, in marriage, and at death & entry into larger life. We have prayed with and for, and cared with and for, one another. We have studied and learned, worked and played, laughed and cried together. And we have reached beyond our walls to share the abundance we have been given, with God’s beloved children elsewhere—in our community and around the world. In all this, we are striving to live as disciples, doing the work of God, and most of the time it shows. Oh, we are not perfect, goodness, no; but in this work we are continually being transformed by the Holy Spirit. We are being perfected.

So, take a deep breath, and be grateful. Give thanks for all that we have, and all that we are, by the grace of God.

And then… let’s begin to look ahead. Because of course, this is not the end. We don’t stop here, resting on our laurels, as though the job is done. Like those football players—like any athlete—the next step, the next challenge, always lies ahead.

What is the next step for All Saints’? Where do we go from here? Answering very question is going to be part of our task in the days and months that follow. Of course, we will continue much of what already gives life to our congregation: worship and prayer and study and giving and fun. At the same time, we will talk about the next stages of our work together, and where we believe God is leading us. Whether you call this discernment, or strategic planning, we will have invite prayer and conversation that eventually involves all of us in developing a vision toward which we can move together.

Let me give you one example of why this is important. As I said, our congregation seems to be growing, slowly but steadily. If this continues, we might expect to outgrow our current worship space and structure in maybe 5-10 years. What do we do then? Well, as I see it, there are four options:

We could add another worship service—perhaps a later Sunday service, perhaps Saturday evening, to make room for additional worshippers.

We could renovate and expand our current building, adding to our worship space—and maybe additional meeting rooms and classrooms as well.

We could decide to move: buy property elsewhere, and construct a new building that more closely fits our needs for mission and ministry.

We could be the starting place for a new Episcopal Church in the Tri-Cities, seeding and then supporting a new congregation until they were ready to be independent and self-supporting.

So, which is it? Any of these—or perhaps a combination—would be good and godly options, and ways we could faithfully we live out our mission “to equip the saints to seek and serve Christ in all people.” None of them are bad ideas. But choosing which path to follow will require deciding where we want to end up: what our focus is to be as a congregation. This means listening, choices and commitment—work that rightly ought to be done before the time of decision arrives. Like Paul, we do not want “to run aimlessly;” we are far better prepared to accomplish what God sets before us if we have a clear vision and purpose in mind.

So that will be our intent this year, my friends. But remember, at the same time, we will also continue to do God’s work in this place—and what a privilege it is to do that with you! In this way we will reach together for that “imperishable wreath” of abundant life that Our Lord offers to his beloved people, in this life and the next. Thanks be to God!

RevGals

2012-02-03T23:45:00.001-07:00

Another reason for coming back to blogging? An online circle which began a few years back, when a small group of clergy women (or women who were to become clergy -- I was in seminary at the time) found one another's blogs. We got to know one another on the Interwebs, and eventually, sometimes, In Real Life. These women (and a few men) eventually became a community: the RevGalBlogPals. We wrote a couple of books together which raised money for relief after Hurricane Katrina, and helped one another weather some personal storms along the way as well.

Today we/they maintain a series of community blogs-- in addition to the main blog there are also BookPals and PrayerPals-- and sponsor an annual continuing education Big Event. This year's incarnation, BE 5.0, is the first I've been able to attend. It will not be the last.

One of my great privileges is that I had a wee part in the birth of this community. Although others have contributed in greater measure, you might say that I am, by grace, one of the Founding Mothers. To paraphrase Paul: a few planted, more watered, and God has given the growth. Insert doxology here.

I have no desire to leave that behind. So here I am.

Beginning again... again

2012-02-03T23:33:00.002-07:00

Well now... This may work.

My grandiose plans to start blogging again ran into a technological stumbling block of my own making-- the switch of my daily connecting tool. Giving up the old laptop was a necessity; it belonged to my previous church, so naturally it stayed behind when I moved. My new escort became an iPad-- smaller, lighter weight, and (after an extended and aggravating learning curve with the little beastie) able to do the stuff I needed to do on the go.

Except for blogging. It turns out that iPads do not play well with Blogger (or maybe the other way around). Either way, it wasn't working, and the app or two I tried to use to make it work were not successful. Of course, all I needed was to sit down at the computer sometime; but that inevitably got postponed in favor of Real Life.

However, time marches on. I've gradually adjusted to The Beastie, more or less; and the new and improved app seems to be functioning closer to the way I want it to.

So, let's try this again, shall we?

Dear Congress: Grow Up

2011-07-22T19:03:00.003-06:00

After listening to this bit of news, the following went out to my (Republican) congressman:

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Dear Representative,

I am writing in regard to what should be among the U.S. Congress' highest priorities at the moment: addressing the federal budget, the annual deficit and the national debt. Like most Americans, I have read and listened to a dizzying amount coverage of this issue recently. Radio, television, newspapers and online sources have been consumed with the subject, high levels of hyperbole and posturing obscuring reality. In my efforts to weed though the rhetoric, I have determined the following:

The federal debt stands at a staggering $15.476 trillion. This level is projected to exceed our GDP for the first time in decades. Reducing the deficit will not put a dent in this; indeed, at best it will only slow growth. It doesn't take sophisticated bookkeeping to figure out that any spending which exceeds income will still add to the debt.

Our economic recovery from the recent downturn is spotty at best, with unemployment levels, housing starts and other economic indicators still at uncomfortably poor levels in many areas of the country. Even those areas with better numbers are still fragile in their recovery. And every one of those numbers represent our neighbors.

At the same time, large corporations are showing record profits and individuals with higher incomes are taxed at some of the lowest rates since the Great Depression. These also represent our neighbors.

In the end, there are really only two ways to deal with a budget that is out of balance: decrease spending and/or increase revenue.

I agree with the necessity of cutting federal spending. I do. It's hard, but it's necessary. However, given the state of our economy and the level of debt that is simply not enough.

Now, the deal on the table today (when the last round of negotiations broke down) involved more than 3 trillion dollars in cuts-- cuts that would be acutely felt by those who are already suffering in our society. And by all reports the revenue increases asked by our president were roughly $1.2 trillion-- 1/3 of the previous figure, most of which was found by simply closing loopholes that never should have been open in the first place. Not accepting this as a viable compromise seems to me to be simply ridiculous posturing and thoughtless intransigence.

So I expect-- no, as one of your constituents, I require-- that you speak to your colleagues about finding a point at which you can compromise, and that you find a way to agree upon tax increases for the wealthier citizens and corporations in this country. It is not unreasonable to expect those who most benefit from our society to bear more responsibility for its upkeep.

"From those to whom much is given, much will be required." This teaching applies clearly, not only to the tax argument on the table but also to the role of leadership you hold. You are in a position of great privilege, sir. With that privilege comes great responsibility. In other words, someone has to act like the grownup. Please do so.

Desperate Blogscape

2011-07-12T14:41:00.004-06:00

Have you ever seen the show Desperate Landscapes? It's one of those home improvement shows that are so very popular these days. Each episode features a neglected yard in dire need of some attention. Overgrown weeds, patchy grass, dying shrubs... places that sometimes look suited to Halloween haunting, inhabited by overwhelmed owners who know they need help, but simply don't know where to begin.

However, by the end of the show the yard is a showplace-- abundant plants, trees and flowers, and often patios, water features, and other improvements. And it happens so quickly! Through the frenzied application of money and manpower, an elaborate design that would normally take several days or weeks happens in the space of one day. It's almost magical to watch.

Here in the blogiverse, I have some sympathy with those homeowners. After more than a year, this blog was a desperate landscape: a template with an outdated header and a blogroll full of links that were either equally neglected or simply no longer functional and a background that honestly seems boring. I hardly knew where to start, and I didn't really want to, knowing how time-consuming the effort would be.

But it seems there's no one interested in stepping in to take over the clean up of my untidy mess. No video crew standing by to record either the knowledgeable instructions of savvy html specialists or the well-intentioned efforts of clueless assistants. There's only me, dagnabbit.

So I have been spending my allotted blogging time chipping away at the mess. And finally it's beginning to clear up. The header is not precisely how I want it, but at least it's not inaccurate. The blogroll is generally functional, with links that work to sites I favor or at least care about. I've changed the name back to what I used when I started blogging, lo these many years ago. I don't know that I'll keep it, but it's as good a place holder as any while I mull over possibilities.

And the background? Well, that is an abundance of code work which will simply have to wait for another day(s).

Suggestions for continued improvements welcome.

Taming the Beastie.

2011-07-04T12:40:00.001-06:00

Beginning in seminary I had a laptop that, like Mary's little lamb, followed me everywhere. I was a "weekend commuter," at school during the week and home with my family on weekends. The laptop made school work and connectivity possible and portable. My first call was at a church roughly 45 minutes from my house, so transportablility was a continued blessing. Then I moved to Montana and took up the challenge of serving four widely dispersed mission churches. My office became my car, and "blessing" became "utter necessity."

All this meant that I always had a fully functional computer with me. It was easy to post to my blog and keep track of dozens of others with the click of a mouse and an rss reader.

Then we moved last summer. The laptop I was using at that point had been purchased as part of a diocesan grant, so it stayed behind. I needed something to replace it, but we also needed a computer for the house, upon which The Boy could do homework and upload music to his iPod (not necessarily in that order).

The cost of two new computers was beyond our means. But Apple thoughtfully came up with a new option: the iPad. Portable, less expensive, and seemed at first blush to let me do everything I needed: email, web browsing, calendar and address book, etc. So we bought a desktop iMac for the house and an iPad for me to cart around.

I think I'm generally comfortable with new technologies, but I've had a frustrating learning curve with this little beastie. It's a clever toy, and wonderfully lightweight to cart around; but operates very differently. It's rather like dealing with an idiot savant: it does some amazing things in elegant ways, but others are functionally clunky. And some things it just plain refuses to consider. Stubborn Beastie.

One of the trouble spots for me was blogging. I couldn't use my old rss reader, and the app versions I've tried so far are decidedly unsatisfactory. With my own blog, functionality was bad for posting and I couldn't work on my template at all.

But time marches on, and new apps appear. I'm posting this with one such: a test run of sorts.

I'm still looking forward to a new laptop one day. Don't tell the Beastie.

Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more

2011-06-29T10:58:00.007-06:00

My, it's dusty in here...

It's hard to believe that it's been almost a year since I've posted. And even longer since it was a regular discipline. There are a whole lot of reasons for that, very few of which am I eager to share on the global stage. Suffice to say that my focus and energy were necessarily elsewhere.

But I've missed it. I've missed the discipline of writing this way, and the resulting conversations and the connections that drew me into the blogiverse in the first place. Oh, some of that is now available in other venues that simply did not exist when I began blogging several years ago. I'm not entirely sold on tweeting, probably because I do not own a SmartPhone of any sort; but the Face, used with care, is a happy tool.

That said, there's something meaty about the nature of a blog. Something substantive. A full meal instead of a snack.

And so I'm taking it up again. I don't know as anyone else will notice; many of the friends I originally found here have moved on. And I don't blame them a bit. After all, there's no point in stopping by if no one ever answers the door! But some of those relationships have lasted, thanks be to God, albeit in other venues. Others may show up if I make the place look a little more lived in. But whether they do or not, I find that I need to be here, to have a place for writing and listening and working things out.

So I've gotten out the dustpan and tidied up a bit. Washed a window or two and swept the front walk. God willing, more of that will happen in the days ahead. And we'll see how it goes.

It's good to be back.

RevGal Friday Five: Decisions

2010-07-22T22:22:00.002-06:00

Like Songbird, I've been in the midst of a discernment process. And getting that all figured out means I'm thrust into a whole different realm of deciding: new house, moving company, schools... I'm glad to have nothing more complicated than this to decide at the moment.

Let's keep it simple and go with five word pairs. Tell us which word in the pair appeals to you most, and after you've done all five, give us the reason why for one of them.

Here they are:

1) Cake or Pie
No contest-- pie!

2) Train or Airplane
This one's harder. Train for comfort, plane for speed (since there is very little comfortable about air travel anymore).

3) Mac or PC
Mac, all the way. I've used both extensively, and I wouldn't own anything else, for a lot of reasons.

4) Univocal or Equivocal
Equivocal (it's always "more complicated than that.")

5) Peter or Paul
Paul gets it right more often, but I do love Peter-- he's so honestly earnest in his fumbling, which makes him endearingly real. Hmm... when in doubt, see #4.

"The way, the truth and the life..."

2010-07-02T18:11:00.005-06:00

Someone asked me That Question the other day. Clergy peeps, you know the one. Christians all get it at one time or another, and priests and pastors with a certain regularity.

"What happens to Them after death?"

("Them" can include Jews, Muslims, other sorts of non-Christians, or even *low whisper* non-believers, agnostics and atheists.)

Now, I realize that some of my esteemed brothers and sisters in Christ believe they have an easy answer to this one. They quote a favorite verse, John 14:6, as Jesus' definitive answer to that question:

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

And they assume that settles the issue. Christian believers will be welcomed into Heaven, while all others get a ticket on the fast train to Elsewhere.

The thing is, the Bible has this pesky foible: there's more in there than just one verse. There are actually lots of verses, and they say lots of things about Jesus, God, faith, life, and so forth. Which means, as my favorite NT professor often notes, it's more complicated than that.

Even after learning a little in seminary about a couple thousand years of discussion and debate, the short answer is, I don't believe we really know. No one does for sure, except God. But I can tell you what I believe...

First, yes: I believe that Jesus matters. Knowing the Messiah makes a difference. I do believe that. It's why I'm Christian, and a priest.

However, we hear a few other things as well.

1a. We know that for thousands of years before Jesus, God had a covenant with the Hebrew people-- a connection, a relationship, affirmed and reaffirmed, repeatedly. Jesus did not erase that-- as he said, he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it (Matt 5:17).

1b. Throughout scripture, over and over, we see that ours is a God of second chances. Adam & Eve, Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Rahab... all the way forward through Samaritans and sinful women and even wayward apostles in the Gospels, God is always giving people another shot, another chance, another opportunity. I could quote verses all day-- it's a consistent theme, from Genesis to Revelation.

So why wouldn't it be true that the people beloved enough to be the ones with whom God's first covenant was made, not have the same sort of second chance option offered them yet again?

2. I believe this is also true for many sorts of non-Christians, especially when you consider what a lousy witness to Jesus we his followers have often been. Never mind history; think about the Christians that make the press in our own day with mean-spirited announcements and/or bad ("UnChristian") behavior: pedophile clergy, money-grubbing televangelists, Ted Haggard, Pat Robertson, Fred Phelps, Donald Wildmon, etc. Let alone the far-less-than-perfect rest of us! With this sort of witness to go by, I can see why it would be very hard for a non-believer, looking at the Body of Christ, to accept Jesus as a Savior worth following.

But of course, that is not the fullness of Christ, not by a long shot.

Given all that, I have to believe that God, who so loved the world that he came in the flesh to live with and die for ALL of us, would provide an opportunity at some point to see clearly what Jesus was/is all about-- if not in this life, then perhaps in the next. I do not know how it happens, nor can any of us on this side of eternity; but that's what I believe.

What are you looking for in a church?

2010-06-11T07:56:00.007-06:00

"What are you looking for in a church?"

This question is not so often asked of clergy. As it happens, it was asked of me because I'm in the process of searching for a new call. The reasons for this are myriad. Some are surface reality-- financial issues, and small, isolated communities, and differences in approach to mission. Others are unbloggable, as issues of ministry often are (and I tend to err on the side of caution in this regard-- one reason for the long stretches of silence recently). In this day and age of almost daily salacious news reports about priests and pastors, I will say that it is in no way due to any sort of misconduct, thank you.

But the end result is the same: I have dusted off my Church Deployment Office (CDO) profile and started looking around.

"What are you looking for in a church?"

The ideal will never be there, of course. No such thing as a perfect parish-- and if there were, they certainly wouldn't call me!

That said... what sort of congregation might I aspire to serve?

One who attempts to be the church as the Body of Christ, and not simply as a form of respectable civic religion. By this I mean folks who participate in the life and work of the congregation in a way that moves beyond showing up on a Sunday morning because "that's what one does," and who do not resent the suggestion that church membership, let alone outreach or social justice, might be about more than good citizenship.

Corollary: one who sees the spiritual life as integral to our work together, and not simply a veneer that I'm hired to apply.

One with an eagerness for offering the best we have in worship. I don't necessarily mean fancy vestments or expensive appointments, but more that we bring all that we are and offer it to God. Sing and respond and pray and listen and move like our collective efforts matter. Because they do.

One that cares for the church property as more than afterthought or repository for second-hand items that aren't good enough for one's house anymore.

One with a certain willingness to risk. I know this is asking a lot of Episcopalians! I'm not talking about flinging aside the Prayer Book, honest. But in a thriving church, as with any living organism, changes inevitably occur, and new things will occasionally be tried-- in worship, in outreach, in study, whatever. This prospect does not need to be met with fear and anger and the constant digging in of heels.

One that expects its leadership to spend time in intentional reading and study, the better to preach and teach the Gospel effectively. Of course, this presumes a congregation interested in solid, Christ-centered preaching and teaching. Most say they are, but that's kind of like a church saying it wants to grow-- some mean that differently than others.

One that exhibits a charitable approach to relationships. No, there won't always be unanimity; no two people agree all the time, let alone a larger group like a church. But God is honored and the church remains healthy, even in conflict, if we can try to listen and speak with charity toward one another. Even situations of necessary correction or dealing with wrongdoing can be handled with compassion and goodwill.

So... What are you looking for in a church?

"Lack of compassion"

2010-05-05T07:33:00.004-06:00

A friend of mine just got one of those emails. I suppose clergy all get them at one time or another. I'll admit that it gets under my skin in a way that one sent to me would not. It's harder to see it happen to friends. But this one is a pip.

The email accused the priest of "a lack of compassion," because said priest had the temerity to express disappointment with the vestry's recent decisions-- actions that mean the end of the parish being able to support any full-time clergy person. Did I mention the vestry also lay the blame for their decision at their priest's feet? Of course, they are not responsible for choosing as they have done; it's all the fault of the cleric. They have every right to be angry, it seems-- angry enough to ignore years of faithful, committed service and to disregard any notion of civility, let alone Christian charity.

So, let me get this straight: clergy are supposed to offer the sacraments of the church, plan and lead worship, provide for ongoing Christian education, visit the sick and shut in, take midnight phone calls, bury the dead, and otherwise provide for all the spiritual needs of the parish at any hour of the day or night...
...AND assemble and print the bulletins, shovel the walks, water the lawn, wield the weedeater, sweep up dead flies, run the vacuum, wash dishes and clean bathrooms...
...AND hold their parishioners' hands and tell them everything will be all right, that their precious pile of stone and mortar is the most important thing in the world, and the survival of the church as a thriving part of the Body of Christ is a secondary concern at best...
...AND put up with petty sniping, take all the blame for anything that goes wrong, and accept in silence any rudeness and cheap shots toward oneself or one's family...
...all for compensation (when and if paid on time) only slightly higher (considering hours worked) than one could make slinging burgers at a fast food joint.

Because anything less would indicate a lack of compassion.

Only in Montana...

2010-04-07T11:52:00.002-06:00

Easter

2010-04-04T11:41:00.002-06:00

Rejoice now, heavenly hosts and choirs of angels,
and let your trumpets shout Salvation
for the victory of our mighty King.

Rejoice and sing now, all the round earth,
bright with a glorious splendour,
for darkness has been vanquished by our eternal King.

Rejoice and be glad now, Mother Church,
and let your holy courts, in radiant light,
resound with the praises of your people.

Holy Saturday

2010-04-03T07:34:00.003-06:00

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Good Friday

2010-04-02T09:35:00.003-06:00

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, we pray you to set your passion, cross, and death between your judgment and our souls, now and in the hour of our death. Give mercy and grace to the living; pardon and rest to the dead; to your holy Church peace and concord; and to us sinners everlasting life and glory; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

RevGal Friday Five: Winter Olympics

2010-02-26T08:07:00.002-07:00

Songbird offers a timely Olympic set of questions:

1) Which of the Winter Olympic sports is your favorite to watch?
I have a hard time picking one favorite; I enjoy most of them for one reason or another. Perhaps it's because I'm so seriously unathletically talented, but I admire all the things they do. Even the ice dancers that catch so much disdain: that is serious skill that I will never have.

2) Some of the uniforms have attracted attention this year, such as the US Snowboarders' pseudo-flannel shirts... and the Norwegian Curling team's -- ahem -- pants. Who do you think had the best-looking uniforms?
The ice skaters were far and away the fanciest, of course; but I also liked the hockey uniforms-- especially the way the goalies' helmets were customized. Really fun!

3) And Curling. Really? What's up with that?
I loved the curling! LOVED. IT. The precision in the competition was fascinating. It does not require the high level of physical training that the other sports do, but the strategy, coordination and teamwork required is huge, and I think really exhibits the best of the Olympic ideal.

4) Define Nordic Combined. Don't look it up. Take a guess if you must. (There will be a prize for the best answer, but be aware, this is a judged sport.)
Cross-country skiing and... something else I can't remember. I've seen the skiiers but not the other half, so it's not coming to mind.

5) If you could be a Winter Olympics Champion just by wishing for it, which sport would you choose for winning your Gold Medal?
Well, I'd love to try the sport I'm purportedly going to win; to have the sense of what it feels like to really be *that* good. So if my wish included the skill, perhaps ski jumping. The feeling of almost flying, coasting in the air for a hundred meters or more looks as though it would be awesome.
On the other hand... curling still looks like great fun, and it would be nice to have playmates. :-)