From the RevGals:
In this Sunday's gospel Nicodemus asks Jesus, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Poor old Nicodemus! He was so confused about the whole "water and Spirit" business of baptism. For today's five, tell us about your baptismal experiences.
When and where were you baptized? Do you remember it? Know any interesting tidbits?
I was baptized on April 30, 1974 at the Blytheville Air Force Base hospital. Easy for me to remember, because it's also the day I was born. There were some pretty big complications surrounding my birth, and they weren't sure I was going to survive, so my baptism was an emergency one. I need to ask my parents about the details...not sure who was in the room at the time it happened, or how long after I was born...but now that I'm thinking about it, I really oughta ask. My curiosity is piqued. =)
What's the most unexpected thing you've ever witnessed at a baptism?
Well, I really haven't seen anything funny or strange or out-of-the-ordinary...BUT, I can tell you how surprised I was when I was in 4th or 5th grade and was an acolyte at a service that included a baptism. Before the service, the pastor called me over and handed me the little bowl that goes in the baptismal font, and asked me to fill it halfway with warm water. I asked him where we kept the baptism water.
After he was finished laughing, he told me that we kept the baptism water right over there in the tap above the kitchen sink, and that once I turned the faucet, I'd have all the baptism water I needed. But to make sure to make it a little warm so it didn't startle the baby too much.
I couldn't believe we used just normal, everyday tap water for such a miraculous event. Now, I see the beauty in it...Jesus using common, ordinary elements to impart the holy. But as a 4th grader...just didn't seem quite right. =)
Does your congregation have any special traditions surrounding baptisms?
During the service itself, the children of the congregation are invited to the font to get a "close-up" view of what's happening. I love when churches do that...helps connect kids to the idea that there's really something going on there. And after the baptism, the congregation sings Jesus Loves Me. I love that for two reasons: first, the song expresses the gift of love that baptism is, and second, it's another way to involve the kids.
Are you a godparent or baptismal sponsor? Have a story to tell?
Sweetie and I are sponsors for Krugie23's son (who also happens to be Kiddo's best friend). We're proud of our godson, and love him to pieces. As he continues to grow up, we look forward to many years of spiritual mentoring and guidance, and hope that we do the best job we possibly can of living up to the promises we made the day he was baptized.
Do you have a favorite baptismal song or hymn?
Right now my favorite is We Know That Christ Is Raised by John Geyer. I love that it's just as fitting theologically as a funeral hymn as it is a baptism hymn--a reminder that we are baptized into Christ's death and reborn as a new creation.
1.We know that Christ is raised and dies no more.
Embraced by death, he broke its fearful hold,
and our despair he turned to blazing joy.
Hallelujah!
2. We share by water in his saving death.
Reborn, we share with him an Easter life,
As living members of our Savior Christ.
Hallelujah!
3.The Father’s splendor clothes the Son with life.
The Spirit’s fission shakes the Church of God.
Baptized, we live with God the Three in One.
Hallelujah!
4. A new creation comes to life and grows
As Christ’s new body takes on flesh and blood
The universe restored and whole will sing:
Hallelujah!
LH
Showing posts with label Friday Five. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friday Five. Show all posts
Friday, February 15, 2008
Friday, February 08, 2008
Friday Five: What are you doing for Lent?
From our friends over at the RevGals:
1. Did you celebrate Mardi Gras and/or Ash Wednesday this week? How?
We were going to celebrate Shrove Tuesday by going to church for the annual pancake dinner that the men's group puts on, but a pretty wicked snowstorm kept us home.
1. Did you celebrate Mardi Gras and/or Ash Wednesday this week? How?
We were going to celebrate Shrove Tuesday by going to church for the annual pancake dinner that the men's group puts on, but a pretty wicked snowstorm kept us home.
As for Ash Wednesday...
...for the last two or three days, Kiddo had been looking forward to Ash Wednesday. He couldn't stop talking about going to church and having the pastor put the ashes on his forehead. He told his friends at daycare, he told his friends at preschool, and he couldn't stop telling Mommy and Daddy how excited he was about the ashes.
Our church has two Ash Wednesday services--one at 5 PM, and the other at 7. We had planned on going to the 7:00 service as a family, and I was scheduled to assist with the imposition of ashes at that service. That afternoon, though, I got a call from Sweetie--she's 8 months pregnant and had been fighting a pretty good cold--saying that she just didn't think that she'd be able to make it through a worship service.
I couldn't just take Kiddo to the 7 PM service myself, since I was going to be up front, and we knew that Kiddo would have none of sitting with someone else. And we also knew that if he didn't go to church, he'd be crushed. Sooooooo...I left work early, picked him up from daycare, and took him to the 5 PM service.
On our way, he asked, "Daddy, why will we put ashes on our forehead tonight?"
Hm.
Well, we had talked about death before...the subject had first come up when we were talking about Easter some time ago...and he understood the concept that only Jesus had come back to life, but once we were dead, we would live in heaven with God, but wouldn't be alive again on earth. And, more importantly, he was fine with that understanding. So, rather than using the more generic answer of "to help us remember how much God loves us," I decided to expand it a little bit.
"It's to help us remember that even though someday we'll die, that God loves us..."
Kiddo finished my sentence for me. "...and we'll be in heaven with God. And Jesus." (I decided to hold off on dealing with his 4 year-old tritheism...all in good time.) =)
He seemed satisfied with it all. And so we got to church, and the service began. There was a responsive chanting of Psalm 51, followed by a time of confession, and then came the imposition of ashes. We were about 2/3 of the way through the psalm when suddenly, Kiddo grabbed my leg and looked up at me. His lip was trembling.
And then he began to cry. The heartrending, plaintive, authentic cry of a child in anguish.
I sat down, took him on my lap, held him close, and whispered, "what's wrong? Is the music too sad?"
Looking at me with a scared, sad, expression in his eyes, he whispered back, "I don't want the ashes on my forehead."
I was dumbstruck. This had been the highlight of his week! I asked him, "why not?"
He looked me in the eyes.
"Daddy, I don't want to die."
I almost burst into tears right then and there. Somehow in our conversation, he had internalized that having the ashes put on his forehead would make him die.
I immediately felt like the worst dad in the world. Ever. I had made my son think that he was going to die. And worst of all, that I would let him.
I held him tightly, and rocked him, and whispered assurances that this was just something to help us remember how much God loves us, and that it was not going to make us die.
As Psalm 51 came to a close and the rest of the congregation intoned "the sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise," I wiped the tears from Kiddo's eyes, and he smiled.
"Okay, Daddy. I want to remember. I want to go get the ashes now."
Later that evening, when I told the story to our pastor as we got ready for the 7:00 service, he turned to me and said, "You know, those tears meant your son gets it. In his way, he gets the meaning of Ash Wednesday better than the majority of the other people in the pews."
He was right.
2. What was your most memorable Mardi Gras/Ash Wednesday/Lent?
My most memorable Lenten season was 2005. I was at the Lutheran student Center, and the senior pastor, Larry Meyer, was losing his battle with cancer. The seminary intern and I took the lead in planning the Wednesday evening Lenten series--we used Marty Haugen's Holden Evening Prayer (as was the custom) and had a different student each week give the message on "God With Us." He and I co-led the Ash Wednesday service, and as we told each student "remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return," we did so with the knowledge that our beloved boss knew the meaning of those words more deeply than any of us in that sanctuary.
3. Did you/your church/your family celebrate Lent as a child? If not, when and how did you discover it?
Yep. I grew up with Lent as part of the road toward Easter. As a result, I can't imagine Easter without the penitential preparation of Lent. Without that time, Easter sneaks up on you as just another day. And my joy as a Christian, the hope embodied in my baptism, the assurance of death's defeat and sin's demise in the empty tomb, are too much a part of who I am to have it be just another day.
4. Are you more in the give-up camp, or the take-on camp, or somewhere in between?
I used to be squarely in the give-up camp. I found, however, that the temptation to be a self-proclaimed martyr was just too much, and every year I inevitably ended up doing the right things for the wrong reasons. When the prophet Joel wrote, "rend your hearts, not your clothing," he was speaking to how I was in college. I've found that for me, it's more useful to take on a discipline. Part of that for quite some time now has been to read the book A Skeleton in God's Closet, by Paul Maier. A good piece of Christian fiction that (aside from a poorly written side-plot love story) emphasizes the importance of the resurrection.
5. How do you plan to keep Lent this year?
We're expecting Kiddo's little sister to arrive on (or before) February 28th. My Lenten discipline this year will revolve around being the best husband and daddy I can be, especially during that first sleepless month. To do anything other than focus on the family (MY family, not James Dobson's) would be self-serving, which is exactly the opposite of what Lent is about. Sweetie's going to need all the support I can give, and as much as Kiddo's looking forward to being a big brother, he's going to need plenty of extra love too.
And of course, there will be our new little life to love and nurture.
...for the last two or three days, Kiddo had been looking forward to Ash Wednesday. He couldn't stop talking about going to church and having the pastor put the ashes on his forehead. He told his friends at daycare, he told his friends at preschool, and he couldn't stop telling Mommy and Daddy how excited he was about the ashes.
Our church has two Ash Wednesday services--one at 5 PM, and the other at 7. We had planned on going to the 7:00 service as a family, and I was scheduled to assist with the imposition of ashes at that service. That afternoon, though, I got a call from Sweetie--she's 8 months pregnant and had been fighting a pretty good cold--saying that she just didn't think that she'd be able to make it through a worship service.
I couldn't just take Kiddo to the 7 PM service myself, since I was going to be up front, and we knew that Kiddo would have none of sitting with someone else. And we also knew that if he didn't go to church, he'd be crushed. Sooooooo...I left work early, picked him up from daycare, and took him to the 5 PM service.
On our way, he asked, "Daddy, why will we put ashes on our forehead tonight?"
Hm.
Well, we had talked about death before...the subject had first come up when we were talking about Easter some time ago...and he understood the concept that only Jesus had come back to life, but once we were dead, we would live in heaven with God, but wouldn't be alive again on earth. And, more importantly, he was fine with that understanding. So, rather than using the more generic answer of "to help us remember how much God loves us," I decided to expand it a little bit.
"It's to help us remember that even though someday we'll die, that God loves us..."
Kiddo finished my sentence for me. "...and we'll be in heaven with God. And Jesus." (I decided to hold off on dealing with his 4 year-old tritheism...all in good time.) =)
He seemed satisfied with it all. And so we got to church, and the service began. There was a responsive chanting of Psalm 51, followed by a time of confession, and then came the imposition of ashes. We were about 2/3 of the way through the psalm when suddenly, Kiddo grabbed my leg and looked up at me. His lip was trembling.
And then he began to cry. The heartrending, plaintive, authentic cry of a child in anguish.
I sat down, took him on my lap, held him close, and whispered, "what's wrong? Is the music too sad?"
Looking at me with a scared, sad, expression in his eyes, he whispered back, "I don't want the ashes on my forehead."
I was dumbstruck. This had been the highlight of his week! I asked him, "why not?"
He looked me in the eyes.
"Daddy, I don't want to die."
I almost burst into tears right then and there. Somehow in our conversation, he had internalized that having the ashes put on his forehead would make him die.
I immediately felt like the worst dad in the world. Ever. I had made my son think that he was going to die. And worst of all, that I would let him.
I held him tightly, and rocked him, and whispered assurances that this was just something to help us remember how much God loves us, and that it was not going to make us die.
As Psalm 51 came to a close and the rest of the congregation intoned "the sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise," I wiped the tears from Kiddo's eyes, and he smiled.
"Okay, Daddy. I want to remember. I want to go get the ashes now."
Later that evening, when I told the story to our pastor as we got ready for the 7:00 service, he turned to me and said, "You know, those tears meant your son gets it. In his way, he gets the meaning of Ash Wednesday better than the majority of the other people in the pews."
He was right.
2. What was your most memorable Mardi Gras/Ash Wednesday/Lent?
My most memorable Lenten season was 2005. I was at the Lutheran student Center, and the senior pastor, Larry Meyer, was losing his battle with cancer. The seminary intern and I took the lead in planning the Wednesday evening Lenten series--we used Marty Haugen's Holden Evening Prayer (as was the custom) and had a different student each week give the message on "God With Us." He and I co-led the Ash Wednesday service, and as we told each student "remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return," we did so with the knowledge that our beloved boss knew the meaning of those words more deeply than any of us in that sanctuary.
3. Did you/your church/your family celebrate Lent as a child? If not, when and how did you discover it?
Yep. I grew up with Lent as part of the road toward Easter. As a result, I can't imagine Easter without the penitential preparation of Lent. Without that time, Easter sneaks up on you as just another day. And my joy as a Christian, the hope embodied in my baptism, the assurance of death's defeat and sin's demise in the empty tomb, are too much a part of who I am to have it be just another day.
4. Are you more in the give-up camp, or the take-on camp, or somewhere in between?
I used to be squarely in the give-up camp. I found, however, that the temptation to be a self-proclaimed martyr was just too much, and every year I inevitably ended up doing the right things for the wrong reasons. When the prophet Joel wrote, "rend your hearts, not your clothing," he was speaking to how I was in college. I've found that for me, it's more useful to take on a discipline. Part of that for quite some time now has been to read the book A Skeleton in God's Closet, by Paul Maier. A good piece of Christian fiction that (aside from a poorly written side-plot love story) emphasizes the importance of the resurrection.
5. How do you plan to keep Lent this year?
We're expecting Kiddo's little sister to arrive on (or before) February 28th. My Lenten discipline this year will revolve around being the best husband and daddy I can be, especially during that first sleepless month. To do anything other than focus on the family (MY family, not James Dobson's) would be self-serving, which is exactly the opposite of what Lent is about. Sweetie's going to need all the support I can give, and as much as Kiddo's looking forward to being a big brother, he's going to need plenty of extra love too.
And of course, there will be our new little life to love and nurture.
Only 20 more days. Not that anyone's counting... =)
LH
Friday, February 01, 2008
Friday Five--Super Bowl Edition
From Sally over at the RevGals:
Superbowl ( someone explain to this Brit the significance)- love it or hate it? 5 reasons please!!!!!
I love the Super Bowl! And here's why:
1) It's football. And I know it's the very last football game of any significance until August. It's my last chance to savor the beauty and wonder of this glorious sport, at least for another seven months or so. Sometimes the game itself isn't the best (the playoffs tend to be better games than the Super Bowl itself), but the bottom line is that it's still football. I'll take it. A day with a bad football game is still better than a day with no football game.
2) Best commercials of the year. This is the one time, maybe the only time, where you don't want to get up to use the bathroom during a commercial break. This is the big event companies pull out all the stops and advertising dollars for. The Super Bowl has introduced some of the most classic commercials in American pop culture. Here's a great one by FedEx from a couple of years ago. The best line? "Not my problem."
3) It's football. See #1 above.
4) Super Bowl Salad. Growing up, the Super Bowl was the one time the whole year where we were allowed to eat supper in the living room in front of the TV. And the tradition was Super Bowl Salad...a lettuce salad with tomatoes, assorted bell peppers, cucumbers...well, basically any veggie you can imagine that goes well in a salad...with shrimp. And homemade salad dressing. Good stuff.
5) Lest I forget...it's football. See #3 above.
LH
Superbowl ( someone explain to this Brit the significance)- love it or hate it? 5 reasons please!!!!!
I love the Super Bowl! And here's why:
1) It's football. And I know it's the very last football game of any significance until August. It's my last chance to savor the beauty and wonder of this glorious sport, at least for another seven months or so. Sometimes the game itself isn't the best (the playoffs tend to be better games than the Super Bowl itself), but the bottom line is that it's still football. I'll take it. A day with a bad football game is still better than a day with no football game.
2) Best commercials of the year. This is the one time, maybe the only time, where you don't want to get up to use the bathroom during a commercial break. This is the big event companies pull out all the stops and advertising dollars for. The Super Bowl has introduced some of the most classic commercials in American pop culture. Here's a great one by FedEx from a couple of years ago. The best line? "Not my problem."
3) It's football. See #1 above.
4) Super Bowl Salad. Growing up, the Super Bowl was the one time the whole year where we were allowed to eat supper in the living room in front of the TV. And the tradition was Super Bowl Salad...a lettuce salad with tomatoes, assorted bell peppers, cucumbers...well, basically any veggie you can imagine that goes well in a salad...with shrimp. And homemade salad dressing. Good stuff.
5) Lest I forget...it's football. See #3 above.
LH
Friday, January 25, 2008
Friday Five--Winter
This week's Friday Five, from the RevGals:
1. What is the thermometer reading at your house this morning?
This morning, it was -7 F, though I see now it's gotten up to the lower 20's. But with a 30 MPH north wind, that wind chill goes down in a hurry!
2. Snow—love it or hate it?
Love watching it fall. Love looking at it on the ground, while I'm inside with a nice hot cup of coffee.
Hate absolutely everything else about it. Snow means shoveling. And cold, wet feet.
3. What is winter like where you are?
Being right smack-dab in the middle of the US, we pretty much get all the extremes. Summers get freakin' hot...winters get freakin' cold. There are places that are colder and get more snow, but when one considers the absolute variance between August and January, it's pretty amazing.
4. Do you like winter sports? Any good stories?
I don't do winter sports. I don't like being wet OR cold, and that pretty much rules out everything. Yeah yeah, go ahead, call me Mr. Winter Grinch. =) As far as stories, my first year as a youth director, I took my high school kids on a ski trip. The first day, I went out on the slopes, but quickly discovered that I hated skiing. I'd get up a little speed, get nervous, and fall down intentionally (the way they teach you in class, on your side almost like you're sliding into second base) after going about 50 feet. I did that the whole way down the mountain...50 feet, slide. 50 feet, slide. After a couple of runs down, I had pretty much worn off all the skin on that side of my body from falling "correctly" so often.
I spent the next day in the chalet, watching my kids through the window and drinking coffee. Now that's my kind of skiing!
5. What is your favorite season, and why?
I absolutely love love love love autumn. I love the changing of the leaves, I love the cool (NOT cold) weather, I love wearing sweaters and sweatshirts and walking through the trees and being absolutely comfortable, I love the feel and sights and smells and sounds of college football Saturdays, I love the relative warmth of the afternoon dropping to a slight chill in the evening. I love hayrack rides and roasting marshmallows and harvested fields and hot apple cider.
The only downside to autumn is that I know winter will soon follow.
Bonus: Share a favorite winter pick-me-up. A recipe, an activity, or whatever.
My favorite crock pot recipe ever (and it's super-easy!). WONDERFUL winter comfort food!
Put the following ingredients into the crock pot:
A beef chuck roast
An envelope of dry onion soup mix
A can of cream of mushroom soup
About half of a smll bottle of A-1 steak sauce
5 or 6 chopped up red potatoes (leave the skins on!)
Most of a bag of baby carrots
Turn the crock pot on low...cook for about 8 hours...then eat. You won't need a knife...the roast will just fall apart with a fork...
...okay, I'm hungry now.
LH
1. What is the thermometer reading at your house this morning?
This morning, it was -7 F, though I see now it's gotten up to the lower 20's. But with a 30 MPH north wind, that wind chill goes down in a hurry!
2. Snow—love it or hate it?
Love watching it fall. Love looking at it on the ground, while I'm inside with a nice hot cup of coffee.
Hate absolutely everything else about it. Snow means shoveling. And cold, wet feet.
3. What is winter like where you are?
Being right smack-dab in the middle of the US, we pretty much get all the extremes. Summers get freakin' hot...winters get freakin' cold. There are places that are colder and get more snow, but when one considers the absolute variance between August and January, it's pretty amazing.
4. Do you like winter sports? Any good stories?
I don't do winter sports. I don't like being wet OR cold, and that pretty much rules out everything. Yeah yeah, go ahead, call me Mr. Winter Grinch. =) As far as stories, my first year as a youth director, I took my high school kids on a ski trip. The first day, I went out on the slopes, but quickly discovered that I hated skiing. I'd get up a little speed, get nervous, and fall down intentionally (the way they teach you in class, on your side almost like you're sliding into second base) after going about 50 feet. I did that the whole way down the mountain...50 feet, slide. 50 feet, slide. After a couple of runs down, I had pretty much worn off all the skin on that side of my body from falling "correctly" so often.
I spent the next day in the chalet, watching my kids through the window and drinking coffee. Now that's my kind of skiing!
5. What is your favorite season, and why?
I absolutely love love love love autumn. I love the changing of the leaves, I love the cool (NOT cold) weather, I love wearing sweaters and sweatshirts and walking through the trees and being absolutely comfortable, I love the feel and sights and smells and sounds of college football Saturdays, I love the relative warmth of the afternoon dropping to a slight chill in the evening. I love hayrack rides and roasting marshmallows and harvested fields and hot apple cider.
The only downside to autumn is that I know winter will soon follow.
Bonus: Share a favorite winter pick-me-up. A recipe, an activity, or whatever.
My favorite crock pot recipe ever (and it's super-easy!). WONDERFUL winter comfort food!
Put the following ingredients into the crock pot:
A beef chuck roast
An envelope of dry onion soup mix
A can of cream of mushroom soup
About half of a smll bottle of A-1 steak sauce
5 or 6 chopped up red potatoes (leave the skins on!)
Most of a bag of baby carrots
Turn the crock pot on low...cook for about 8 hours...then eat. You won't need a knife...the roast will just fall apart with a fork...
...okay, I'm hungry now.
LH
Friday, September 28, 2007
Friday Five
From the RevGals:
On Endings and Goodbyes:
1. Best ending of a movie/book/TV show
Bar none, the final scene of the final episode of Newhart was the best TV series ending I've ever seen. Bob Newhart played Dick Louden, an inn owner in Vermont, who was surrounded by a cast of lovable crazies (remember Larry, Darryl, and Darryl?). In the final episode, he gets hit in the head by a golf ball. The screen goes black.
"Then a light is turned on, and viewers see Newhart in bed, saying "Honey, you won't believe the dream I just had." Another light comes on, revealing not Dick Loudon's wife Joanna, but Bob Hartley's wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette). The bedroom is a recreation from The Bob Newhart Show, and – in a parody of a 1980s television vogue – the entire Newhart series is revealed to have been a dream in the mind of Newhart's 1970s character. Bob tells Emily that in the dream, he lived in a weird Vermont town surrounded by strange people: a snobbish maid and her alliterative husband, a dense handyman, and three eccentric woodsmen, two of whom were mute.
When he reveals that he was married to a beautiful blonde in the dream, an annoyed Emily tells Bob to go back to sleep and flicks off the light on her side of the bedroom. Reviving a technique from The Bob Newhart Show, in which one of the Hartleys incredulously flicks back on a bedside light and restarts the conversation, Emily turns her light back on and inquires, "What do you mean, 'beautiful blonde?!' Bob tells her to go back to sleep, commenting, "You should wear more sweaters," something Joanna was noted for. The scene ends to the strains of the old Bob Newhart Show theme song (although this was removed for syndicated reruns)."
--from the Newhart Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newhart
**edit: runner-up for best ending is Fever Pitch with Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. The only reason of course being that the Red Sox win the World Series.**
2. Worst ending of a movie/book/TV show
Hmmm....I'm having a tough time coming up with a single one that I'd say was the worst...but in general, I have a great dislike for nice, neat tidy endings. Life very seldom is nice, neat, or tidy. Give me some muck, some non-resolution, some lingering pain, sadness, or uncertainty.
3. Tell about a memorable goodbye you've experienced.
When Pastor Larry Meyer from the Lutheran Student Center passed away, his funeral and memorial service was an amazing, collective goodbye. It was Larry to a T--first, the public memorial service was in a large, classic sanctuary with one long aisle running down the middle and a big ol' pipe organ to blast the congregation out of their pews. He had specifically said he didn't want (as he put it) a "preacher parade," so the procession consisted only of family and participants in the service. There was no eulogy, but there were addresses to the family and congregation, stories told of the things he loved (even with props!), from cheap beer to Volkswagens, Husker football to sauerkraut. And it all came back to his love for Christ and more importantly, Christ's love for him. There were hundreds of people there, many of them former students from campus ministry, and the reception afterwards turned into a gigantic reunion. Larry would have loved nothing better than seeing old friends reunite, share stories, laugh and cry together.
4. Is it true that "all good things must come to an end"?
Yes, it is true, all things--good, bad, indifferent--must come to an end...except for one thing. And that thing is not merely "good," it is perfect. And it is eternal. AND it is given to us, through no deserving of our own, as a gift.
5. "Everything I ever let go of has claw marks on it." --Anne Lamott Discuss.
Letting go of something means relinquishing control over it. And that's the scariest thing. Whether it's our relationships, our things, our fears, our prejudices, our salvation...to let go is to say "I no longer control this. It's no longer in my hands." It takes faith and the willingness to open ourselves up to vulnerability.
Bonus: "It isn't over until the fat lady sings." I've never loved this expression. So propose an alternative: "It isn't over until ____________________"
For my fellow Red Sox fans: It isn't over until Bucky Freakin' Dent hits the home run. It isn't over until the ball goes through Bill Buckner's legs. It isn't over until Grady Little leaves Pedro in the game one inning too long.
LH
On Endings and Goodbyes:
1. Best ending of a movie/book/TV show
Bar none, the final scene of the final episode of Newhart was the best TV series ending I've ever seen. Bob Newhart played Dick Louden, an inn owner in Vermont, who was surrounded by a cast of lovable crazies (remember Larry, Darryl, and Darryl?). In the final episode, he gets hit in the head by a golf ball. The screen goes black.
"Then a light is turned on, and viewers see Newhart in bed, saying "Honey, you won't believe the dream I just had." Another light comes on, revealing not Dick Loudon's wife Joanna, but Bob Hartley's wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette). The bedroom is a recreation from The Bob Newhart Show, and – in a parody of a 1980s television vogue – the entire Newhart series is revealed to have been a dream in the mind of Newhart's 1970s character. Bob tells Emily that in the dream, he lived in a weird Vermont town surrounded by strange people: a snobbish maid and her alliterative husband, a dense handyman, and three eccentric woodsmen, two of whom were mute.
When he reveals that he was married to a beautiful blonde in the dream, an annoyed Emily tells Bob to go back to sleep and flicks off the light on her side of the bedroom. Reviving a technique from The Bob Newhart Show, in which one of the Hartleys incredulously flicks back on a bedside light and restarts the conversation, Emily turns her light back on and inquires, "What do you mean, 'beautiful blonde?!' Bob tells her to go back to sleep, commenting, "You should wear more sweaters," something Joanna was noted for. The scene ends to the strains of the old Bob Newhart Show theme song (although this was removed for syndicated reruns)."
--from the Newhart Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newhart
**edit: runner-up for best ending is Fever Pitch with Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. The only reason of course being that the Red Sox win the World Series.**
2. Worst ending of a movie/book/TV show
Hmmm....I'm having a tough time coming up with a single one that I'd say was the worst...but in general, I have a great dislike for nice, neat tidy endings. Life very seldom is nice, neat, or tidy. Give me some muck, some non-resolution, some lingering pain, sadness, or uncertainty.
3. Tell about a memorable goodbye you've experienced.
When Pastor Larry Meyer from the Lutheran Student Center passed away, his funeral and memorial service was an amazing, collective goodbye. It was Larry to a T--first, the public memorial service was in a large, classic sanctuary with one long aisle running down the middle and a big ol' pipe organ to blast the congregation out of their pews. He had specifically said he didn't want (as he put it) a "preacher parade," so the procession consisted only of family and participants in the service. There was no eulogy, but there were addresses to the family and congregation, stories told of the things he loved (even with props!), from cheap beer to Volkswagens, Husker football to sauerkraut. And it all came back to his love for Christ and more importantly, Christ's love for him. There were hundreds of people there, many of them former students from campus ministry, and the reception afterwards turned into a gigantic reunion. Larry would have loved nothing better than seeing old friends reunite, share stories, laugh and cry together.
4. Is it true that "all good things must come to an end"?
Yes, it is true, all things--good, bad, indifferent--must come to an end...except for one thing. And that thing is not merely "good," it is perfect. And it is eternal. AND it is given to us, through no deserving of our own, as a gift.
5. "Everything I ever let go of has claw marks on it." --Anne Lamott Discuss.
Letting go of something means relinquishing control over it. And that's the scariest thing. Whether it's our relationships, our things, our fears, our prejudices, our salvation...to let go is to say "I no longer control this. It's no longer in my hands." It takes faith and the willingness to open ourselves up to vulnerability.
Bonus: "It isn't over until the fat lady sings." I've never loved this expression. So propose an alternative: "It isn't over until ____________________"
For my fellow Red Sox fans: It isn't over until Bucky Freakin' Dent hits the home run. It isn't over until the ball goes through Bill Buckner's legs. It isn't over until Grady Little leaves Pedro in the game one inning too long.
LH
Friday, September 21, 2007
Friday Five: de-cluttering edition
From the RevGals:
With Jo, Jon and Chris all moving to college and University accommodation there has been a big clear up going on in the Coleman household. We have been sorting and trying hard not just to junk stuff, but actually to get it to where it can be useful. On a brighter note we have used Freecycle ( check it out) to provide the twins with pots and pans etc that other folk were clearing out.Making the most of our resources is important, I have been challenged this week by the amount of stuff we accumulate, I'd love to live a simpler lifestyle, it would be good for me, and for the environment I think...With that in mind I bring you this Friday 5;
1. Are you a hoarder or a minimalist?
I'm a minimalist at heart, but a hoarder in practice. Which echoes the dichotomy I deal with at work too: I'm a neat freak trapped in a clutterer's body. I WANT to have few things and a nice, simple, neat house (and office). But stuff just keeps accumulating. And getting put into piles. And before you know it you take a step back and exclaim, "good LORD how did all of this get here?" Then begins the purging process (affectionately referred to in our household as "gutting the house").
2. Name one important object ( could be an heirloom) that you will never part with.
Other than my wedding ring (which is a no-brainer), I'm gonna have to cheat and say my pictures. I love pictures. Love 'em. And with the advent of digital photography, that's both wonderful and dangerous (in a cluttery sort of way).
3. What is the oldest item in your closet? Does it still fit???
In January of 1987 I took all my Christmas money, went to the local sports clothing store at the mall, and bought a Red Sox jacket. Looked just like the one Sam Malone wore in Cheers, with the big pair of socks on the left chest. The only size they had was Adult XL, and even though it was a little big on me (I was only a 7th grader, after all) it still worked well enough. My friends can attest--I wore that jacket for years and years and years until Sweetie FINALLY put her foot down and bought me a new one for Christmas in 2004 (after the World Series win). It still hangs in the closet, though. By FAR the oldest piece of clothing I own. Still fits, too.
4.Yard sales- love 'em or hate 'em ?
Generally not so fond of 'em, with two exceptions: 1) when looking for kids' clothing or toys, and 2) every once in a while, when someone with a great library decides to clean it out.
5. Name a recycling habit you really want to get into.
After years of doing nothing and feeling guilty, Sweetie and I have finally started to recycle cans in the past year or so. Eventually, I'd like to see that expand to other stuff...plastics, paper, etc. But you've gotta start somewhere, right?
LH
With Jo, Jon and Chris all moving to college and University accommodation there has been a big clear up going on in the Coleman household. We have been sorting and trying hard not just to junk stuff, but actually to get it to where it can be useful. On a brighter note we have used Freecycle ( check it out) to provide the twins with pots and pans etc that other folk were clearing out.Making the most of our resources is important, I have been challenged this week by the amount of stuff we accumulate, I'd love to live a simpler lifestyle, it would be good for me, and for the environment I think...With that in mind I bring you this Friday 5;
1. Are you a hoarder or a minimalist?
I'm a minimalist at heart, but a hoarder in practice. Which echoes the dichotomy I deal with at work too: I'm a neat freak trapped in a clutterer's body. I WANT to have few things and a nice, simple, neat house (and office). But stuff just keeps accumulating. And getting put into piles. And before you know it you take a step back and exclaim, "good LORD how did all of this get here?" Then begins the purging process (affectionately referred to in our household as "gutting the house").
2. Name one important object ( could be an heirloom) that you will never part with.
Other than my wedding ring (which is a no-brainer), I'm gonna have to cheat and say my pictures. I love pictures. Love 'em. And with the advent of digital photography, that's both wonderful and dangerous (in a cluttery sort of way).
3. What is the oldest item in your closet? Does it still fit???
In January of 1987 I took all my Christmas money, went to the local sports clothing store at the mall, and bought a Red Sox jacket. Looked just like the one Sam Malone wore in Cheers, with the big pair of socks on the left chest. The only size they had was Adult XL, and even though it was a little big on me (I was only a 7th grader, after all) it still worked well enough. My friends can attest--I wore that jacket for years and years and years until Sweetie FINALLY put her foot down and bought me a new one for Christmas in 2004 (after the World Series win). It still hangs in the closet, though. By FAR the oldest piece of clothing I own. Still fits, too.
4.Yard sales- love 'em or hate 'em ?
Generally not so fond of 'em, with two exceptions: 1) when looking for kids' clothing or toys, and 2) every once in a while, when someone with a great library decides to clean it out.
5. Name a recycling habit you really want to get into.
After years of doing nothing and feeling guilty, Sweetie and I have finally started to recycle cans in the past year or so. Eventually, I'd like to see that expand to other stuff...plastics, paper, etc. But you've gotta start somewhere, right?
LH
Friday, August 17, 2007
Friday Five
Today's Friday Five:
Below you will find five words. Tell us the first thing you think of on reading each one. Your response might be simply another word, or it might be a sentence, a poem or a story.
1. vineyard
For a few seconds I thought about cheating on this one, doing some thinking and coming up with some deep, meaningful association between this word, the vine, the branches, my life and my faith.
But no, I will stick to the directions.
First thing I think of whenever I see or hear the word "vineyard" is the portion of the liturgy from LBW Setting 2, as the offering and elements are being brought forward (and it's always the Setting 2 version I hear in my head): "Let the vineyards...be FRUIT-FUL-LORD...and fill tothebrim our cup of BLESS-ING..." etc.
2. root
Root canal. No reason in particular--it's just the first thing I thought of.
3. rescue
Right now, my thoughts and my prayers are with the trapped miners and those trying to rescue them in Utah. Especially the families of the three rescuers who were killed last night in a cave-in while trying to search.
4. perseverance
Sweetie. She's persevering big time right now. Every night, she goes to bed knowing that when she wakes up she's going to feel extremely nauseated. Every morning at 4:45 she forces herself to eat something and takes a Zofran for the nausea. Then at 5:30 she has a little something else. Then she gets in the shower and gets ready for work, most often still fighting some nausea. She spends all day listening to other pregnant women complain (she's an RN at an OB-GYN office), comes home, rests, and gets ready to do it all over again.
She's so ready for this part of her pregnancy to be done. But in the meantime she perseveres.
5. divided
"A house divided against itself cannot stand." --Abraham Lincoln
True for nations, true for churches, true for congregations, true for families. Where does one draw the line between dispute and division? Not so sure I can define it, but I know it when I see it.
LH
Below you will find five words. Tell us the first thing you think of on reading each one. Your response might be simply another word, or it might be a sentence, a poem or a story.
1. vineyard
For a few seconds I thought about cheating on this one, doing some thinking and coming up with some deep, meaningful association between this word, the vine, the branches, my life and my faith.
But no, I will stick to the directions.
First thing I think of whenever I see or hear the word "vineyard" is the portion of the liturgy from LBW Setting 2, as the offering and elements are being brought forward (and it's always the Setting 2 version I hear in my head): "Let the vineyards...be FRUIT-FUL-LORD...and fill tothebrim our cup of BLESS-ING..." etc.
2. root
Root canal. No reason in particular--it's just the first thing I thought of.
3. rescue
Right now, my thoughts and my prayers are with the trapped miners and those trying to rescue them in Utah. Especially the families of the three rescuers who were killed last night in a cave-in while trying to search.
4. perseverance
Sweetie. She's persevering big time right now. Every night, she goes to bed knowing that when she wakes up she's going to feel extremely nauseated. Every morning at 4:45 she forces herself to eat something and takes a Zofran for the nausea. Then at 5:30 she has a little something else. Then she gets in the shower and gets ready for work, most often still fighting some nausea. She spends all day listening to other pregnant women complain (she's an RN at an OB-GYN office), comes home, rests, and gets ready to do it all over again.
She's so ready for this part of her pregnancy to be done. But in the meantime she perseveres.
5. divided
"A house divided against itself cannot stand." --Abraham Lincoln
True for nations, true for churches, true for congregations, true for families. Where does one draw the line between dispute and division? Not so sure I can define it, but I know it when I see it.
LH
Friday, August 10, 2007
Friday Five Stress Busting Edition
From the RevGals:
1. First, and before we start busting stress, what causes you the most stress, is it big things or the small stuff ?
Definitely the big things. In fact, I probably ought to stress more over the "small stuff" than I do--I'm one of those big picture folks who doesn't miss the forest for the trees--I miss the trees for the forest. =)
2. Exercise or chocolate for stress busting ( or maybe something else)?
Between the two, definitely chocolate. In fact, the thought of exercise stresses me, which I know as time goes on will need to change in order for me to continue to take care of myself
3.What is your favourite music to chill out to?
James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel, Joshua Radin, and Sonya Kitchell are my top four. Acoustic guitar playing singer-songwriter types. Soul healing stuff, it is. Puts my mind right at ease.
4. Where do you go to chill?
On my couch with a book, a glass of wine, and some soft music playing in the background.
5. Extrovert or introvert, do you relax at a party, or do you prefer a solitary walk?
Introvert to the Nth degree. One of the best ways I've heard to distinguish introversion and extroversion is asking the question, where does my energy come from? From being alone or from being with people? I enjoy people, but it sucks my energy to be around people for too long--like, for example, on a Sunday morning. In fact, according to this particular Myers-Briggs online test, I scored 100% introvert! (Not a common trait, methinks, in your average church youth director...) Gimme the solitary walk.
LH
1. First, and before we start busting stress, what causes you the most stress, is it big things or the small stuff ?
Definitely the big things. In fact, I probably ought to stress more over the "small stuff" than I do--I'm one of those big picture folks who doesn't miss the forest for the trees--I miss the trees for the forest. =)
2. Exercise or chocolate for stress busting ( or maybe something else)?
Between the two, definitely chocolate. In fact, the thought of exercise stresses me, which I know as time goes on will need to change in order for me to continue to take care of myself
3.What is your favourite music to chill out to?
James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel, Joshua Radin, and Sonya Kitchell are my top four. Acoustic guitar playing singer-songwriter types. Soul healing stuff, it is. Puts my mind right at ease.
4. Where do you go to chill?
On my couch with a book, a glass of wine, and some soft music playing in the background.
5. Extrovert or introvert, do you relax at a party, or do you prefer a solitary walk?
Introvert to the Nth degree. One of the best ways I've heard to distinguish introversion and extroversion is asking the question, where does my energy come from? From being alone or from being with people? I enjoy people, but it sucks my energy to be around people for too long--like, for example, on a Sunday morning. In fact, according to this particular Myers-Briggs online test, I scored 100% introvert! (Not a common trait, methinks, in your average church youth director...) Gimme the solitary walk.
LH
Friday, July 20, 2007
Friday Five--Looking Back, Looking Forward...
From our good friends over at the RevGals:
When I began work here at Downham Market a wise friend told me that after one year I would see a few changes and sense God at work- years two and three would cause me to question and to wonder why I had chosen to accept the post here and in year four I might see the beginnings of something new.And so with that in mind alongside yesterdays celebrations I bring you Friday 5 Looking back, looking forward...
1. Share a moment/ time of real encouragement in your journey of faith.
For me, working at Camp Carol Joy Holling was a series of seminal moments in my faith walk. It was a place where I lived out my faith in very real and concrete ways, making my faith for the first time more than an interesting intellectual exercise...it was where it was first suggested that maybe I ought to think of ministry as a vocation (by a female pastor...you go, RevGals!)...it was a place where I experienced God through creative and meaningful worship (thanks Roger Sasse!)...it was where God spoke to me time and again through the voices of friends, campers, supervisors, pastors, and the world around me. I came out of my time at camp a much more mature Christian than when I came in.
2. Do you have a current vision / dream for your work/ family/ministry?
Yes. When I started at the new church last month, the pastor told me his vision for the youth program was in five years to have the best church youth program in the city. I think that's a pretty good goal. Concretely, what that's going to look like is going to take some time to develop. But I'm blessed to be in a place with the desire to see God working in and through their kids and the determination to do what it takes to see that happen. They want to do it right. Next year sometime (spring maybe), after I've spent enough time to get a good handle on things, we're going to begin a visioning campaign. We may bring in a consultant to help guide us through the process. We're going to define where we are, why we exist, where we want to be, and how we want to get there. This congregation is really big on serving others--I have a feeling that the shape of the youth ministry will end up being a model of finding your vocation through service. I'm excited to see what God's going to be doing here!
3.Money is no object and so you will.....
Build enough schools around the world so that everyone has the opportunity to have an education. So many of the world's problems and suffering--hunger, homelessness, poverty, war, hatred, bigotry, etc.--in the end boil down to a lack of educational opportunity. Tackle the very foundational issue of education, and you're equipping others to tackle so many of those secondary issues. As long as there are humans, there will always be sin...and therefore there will always be suffering. But there's so much out there that could be ended, if only people were equipped with the right skills and given an opportunity.
4. How do you see your way through the disappointments? What keeps you going?
In my youth Bible study this past week we talked about when bad things happen to good people (using the example of Ned Flanders' failure when he tried to open The Leftorium, a store for left-handed people). One of the scripture texts we looked at was Romans 5:1-5. You know, the whole "suffering produces endurance produces character produces hope which does not disappoint" passage. What keeps me going is knowing that through the disappointments, God is with me. When I cry, God is with me. When I'm angry at God, God is still with me. God suffers with me, walks alongside me, carries me when I need it. I have hope--not that things will be okay, but that no matter what, God will not leave me.
5. How important are your roots?
Very. Both my personal roots and my faith roots are of utmost importance to me. My parents both grew up in Massachusetts, and though I've never actually lived there, I consider myself a New Englander at heart (only without the accent and rude driving habits). As a military brat, we actually didn't move as often as one might expect--however, every base we were stationed at until I was in 4th grade has now been closed (I like to joke that the government has closed down my childhood). So there's a part of me whose roots don't really start until I was 10 years old, and another part of me who considers himself rooted in a place and people he has visited but has never really been a part of. It's almost a mythological thing, but those roots are actually very real and very sustaining. As a Lutheran who embraces paradox, it just makes sense.
Faith roots...I am a liturgically-minded, confessionally grounded Lutheran Christian who sees himself as part of a continuing reform movement. Old, yet new. Reaching forward but looking back. Looking forward but reaching back. Liturgically contemporary and contemporarily liturgical. Looking for both the law and the gospel, the old death and the new life, in everything I do. Again, as a Lutheran who embraces paradox, it just makes sense.
6. Bonus= what would you like to add ?
I would like to add two plus two. Okay, that's four. =)
LH
When I began work here at Downham Market a wise friend told me that after one year I would see a few changes and sense God at work- years two and three would cause me to question and to wonder why I had chosen to accept the post here and in year four I might see the beginnings of something new.And so with that in mind alongside yesterdays celebrations I bring you Friday 5 Looking back, looking forward...
1. Share a moment/ time of real encouragement in your journey of faith.
For me, working at Camp Carol Joy Holling was a series of seminal moments in my faith walk. It was a place where I lived out my faith in very real and concrete ways, making my faith for the first time more than an interesting intellectual exercise...it was where it was first suggested that maybe I ought to think of ministry as a vocation (by a female pastor...you go, RevGals!)...it was a place where I experienced God through creative and meaningful worship (thanks Roger Sasse!)...it was where God spoke to me time and again through the voices of friends, campers, supervisors, pastors, and the world around me. I came out of my time at camp a much more mature Christian than when I came in.
2. Do you have a current vision / dream for your work/ family/ministry?
Yes. When I started at the new church last month, the pastor told me his vision for the youth program was in five years to have the best church youth program in the city. I think that's a pretty good goal. Concretely, what that's going to look like is going to take some time to develop. But I'm blessed to be in a place with the desire to see God working in and through their kids and the determination to do what it takes to see that happen. They want to do it right. Next year sometime (spring maybe), after I've spent enough time to get a good handle on things, we're going to begin a visioning campaign. We may bring in a consultant to help guide us through the process. We're going to define where we are, why we exist, where we want to be, and how we want to get there. This congregation is really big on serving others--I have a feeling that the shape of the youth ministry will end up being a model of finding your vocation through service. I'm excited to see what God's going to be doing here!
3.Money is no object and so you will.....
Build enough schools around the world so that everyone has the opportunity to have an education. So many of the world's problems and suffering--hunger, homelessness, poverty, war, hatred, bigotry, etc.--in the end boil down to a lack of educational opportunity. Tackle the very foundational issue of education, and you're equipping others to tackle so many of those secondary issues. As long as there are humans, there will always be sin...and therefore there will always be suffering. But there's so much out there that could be ended, if only people were equipped with the right skills and given an opportunity.
4. How do you see your way through the disappointments? What keeps you going?
In my youth Bible study this past week we talked about when bad things happen to good people (using the example of Ned Flanders' failure when he tried to open The Leftorium, a store for left-handed people). One of the scripture texts we looked at was Romans 5:1-5. You know, the whole "suffering produces endurance produces character produces hope which does not disappoint" passage. What keeps me going is knowing that through the disappointments, God is with me. When I cry, God is with me. When I'm angry at God, God is still with me. God suffers with me, walks alongside me, carries me when I need it. I have hope--not that things will be okay, but that no matter what, God will not leave me.
5. How important are your roots?
Very. Both my personal roots and my faith roots are of utmost importance to me. My parents both grew up in Massachusetts, and though I've never actually lived there, I consider myself a New Englander at heart (only without the accent and rude driving habits). As a military brat, we actually didn't move as often as one might expect--however, every base we were stationed at until I was in 4th grade has now been closed (I like to joke that the government has closed down my childhood). So there's a part of me whose roots don't really start until I was 10 years old, and another part of me who considers himself rooted in a place and people he has visited but has never really been a part of. It's almost a mythological thing, but those roots are actually very real and very sustaining. As a Lutheran who embraces paradox, it just makes sense.
Faith roots...I am a liturgically-minded, confessionally grounded Lutheran Christian who sees himself as part of a continuing reform movement. Old, yet new. Reaching forward but looking back. Looking forward but reaching back. Liturgically contemporary and contemporarily liturgical. Looking for both the law and the gospel, the old death and the new life, in everything I do. Again, as a Lutheran who embraces paradox, it just makes sense.
6. Bonus= what would you like to add ?
I would like to add two plus two. Okay, that's four. =)
LH
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Friday Five
From the RevGals (two options this week, I chose the Harry Potter option):
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.So today's F5 is a Choose Your Own Adventure: do the magical version or the Muggle one, or both:
Option One: Accio Friday Five!
1. Which Harry Potter book is your favorite and why?
So far, it's definitely been Book 6. I've enjoyed each succeeding book even more than the one before. It seems with each go-round, Rowling has either become a better writer, or has allowed her writing to become more "adult" as the characters grow up and find themselves in more "adult" situations, or a combination of both.
I love the darkness of Book 6. I love the heartwrench and betrayal at the end. And I love the hints for hope and redemption that may be coming in Book 7.
2. Which character do you most resemble? Which character would you most like to get to know?
Hmmm...I'd say I most resemble Harry, only without the temper. People look up to him and he doesn't have the foggiest idea why--he's constantly thinking "if they only knew how unsure I am of myself, they'd never think so highly of me." He knows he has gifts, he knows a calling has been thrust on him, and he's just muddling through trying to figure it all out.
I'd like to get to know Dumbledore. He seems like the perfect mentor. And he likes candy. That's a plus.
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
Wth the other 6 books, I would have been somewhere between a and b. For book 7, I'm leaning toward c...I have a feeling this is going to be a special reading experience, and one that doesn't come along but few times in one's life.
4. Make one prediction/share one hope about book 7.
I predict/hope that Snape redeems himself or shows that he's been on the "good" side all along--that Dumbledore's death was necessary, either as part of a larger plan or as proof of his following through on his vow to protect Draco. I also think that Draco's going to realize he's in waaaaaaaay over his head, and will try to turn on Voldemort--but will lose his life in the process. Rowling said at least two major characters will die...I think Snape redeems himself by dying to protect Harry...and somehow is able to find some peace in regards to his relationship with Harry's parents by giving his life.
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?
I would love to see a prequel (or series of them) dramatizing the events of Snape's and Harry's parents' generation at Hogwarts. I think there's some good stuff to be mined there.
LH
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.So today's F5 is a Choose Your Own Adventure: do the magical version or the Muggle one, or both:
Option One: Accio Friday Five!
1. Which Harry Potter book is your favorite and why?
So far, it's definitely been Book 6. I've enjoyed each succeeding book even more than the one before. It seems with each go-round, Rowling has either become a better writer, or has allowed her writing to become more "adult" as the characters grow up and find themselves in more "adult" situations, or a combination of both.
I love the darkness of Book 6. I love the heartwrench and betrayal at the end. And I love the hints for hope and redemption that may be coming in Book 7.
2. Which character do you most resemble? Which character would you most like to get to know?
Hmmm...I'd say I most resemble Harry, only without the temper. People look up to him and he doesn't have the foggiest idea why--he's constantly thinking "if they only knew how unsure I am of myself, they'd never think so highly of me." He knows he has gifts, he knows a calling has been thrust on him, and he's just muddling through trying to figure it all out.
I'd like to get to know Dumbledore. He seems like the perfect mentor. And he likes candy. That's a plus.
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
Wth the other 6 books, I would have been somewhere between a and b. For book 7, I'm leaning toward c...I have a feeling this is going to be a special reading experience, and one that doesn't come along but few times in one's life.
4. Make one prediction/share one hope about book 7.
I predict/hope that Snape redeems himself or shows that he's been on the "good" side all along--that Dumbledore's death was necessary, either as part of a larger plan or as proof of his following through on his vow to protect Draco. I also think that Draco's going to realize he's in waaaaaaaay over his head, and will try to turn on Voldemort--but will lose his life in the process. Rowling said at least two major characters will die...I think Snape redeems himself by dying to protect Harry...and somehow is able to find some peace in regards to his relationship with Harry's parents by giving his life.
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?
I would love to see a prequel (or series of them) dramatizing the events of Snape's and Harry's parents' generation at Hogwarts. I think there's some good stuff to be mined there.
LH
Friday, July 06, 2007
Friday Five
From the RevGals:
Today, what are you:
1. Wearing
Right now, old shorts and an old Lutheran Student Center t-shirt classic design on the back: "Where you are known as (insert name here) and not as (insert social security number here)". Later today when I play for a wedding rehearsal, khaki pants and a collared button-down patterned shirt.
2. Reading
No books right now...I'm saving up my "reading time" for a Harry Potter marathon in a couple of weeks when Deathly Hallows comes out. Woo hoo!!!!!!
3. Eating
Mmmmmm....leftover pineapple bratwurst with honey mustard, leftover 7-layer Jello salad, Cheetos (gotta be the crunchy ones, not the puffs), and a Coke. That's gonna be my lunch in about an hour and a half.
4. Doing
Staying home watching Kiddo, who currently has a touch of the stomach flu. Though he HAS held down the waffle he had for breakfast for almost three hours now...that's a good sign.
5. Pondering
How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? And why don't more lollipop manufacturers have chocolate flavored lollipops? Chocolate Tootsie Pops so rock my world!
LH
Today, what are you:
1. Wearing
Right now, old shorts and an old Lutheran Student Center t-shirt classic design on the back: "Where you are known as (insert name here) and not as (insert social security number here)". Later today when I play for a wedding rehearsal, khaki pants and a collared button-down patterned shirt.
2. Reading
No books right now...I'm saving up my "reading time" for a Harry Potter marathon in a couple of weeks when Deathly Hallows comes out. Woo hoo!!!!!!
3. Eating
Mmmmmm....leftover pineapple bratwurst with honey mustard, leftover 7-layer Jello salad, Cheetos (gotta be the crunchy ones, not the puffs), and a Coke. That's gonna be my lunch in about an hour and a half.
4. Doing
Staying home watching Kiddo, who currently has a touch of the stomach flu. Though he HAS held down the waffle he had for breakfast for almost three hours now...that's a good sign.
5. Pondering
How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? And why don't more lollipop manufacturers have chocolate flavored lollipops? Chocolate Tootsie Pops so rock my world!
LH
Friday, June 29, 2007
Friday Five--Gifts and Talents
From the RevGals:
Our Circuit (Methodist) is having a "Gifts and talents day" tomorrow- we have a minister visiting from another circuit who has modified the Myers Briggs personality test and added a few things of his own to run a day where we get to look at ourselves in the light of giftings and of the whole church. The idea is to encourage everyone with the news that there is room for you in the ministry of the church- and perhaps to discover where that ministry might be.....It should be an interesting day, and one where I hope people will leave feeling encouraged and challenged...So with gifts and talents in mind here is todays Friday 5;
1. Personality tests; love them or hate them?
Love them, when used correctly. I'm in the ELCA's candidacy process as an Associate in Ministry--as part of that, I underwent a psychological evaluation, wich included taking about 2 hours' worth of personality/psychological tests. A psychologist wrote up a summary of the results, and I'm tellin' ya, it was downright spooky how dead-on it was. I tend to be fairly introspective anyway, so there wasn't a lot there that came as a surprise to me--other than how a complete stranger could write such a clear and concise summary of who I am and what makes me tick. Very cool. For what it's worth, on the Meyers-Briggs I'm a very strong INFP...not even close to being anything else. Especially on being an introvert. Which comes as a shock to many who knew me out at camp. =)
2. Would you describe yourself as practical, creative, intellectual or a mixture ?
I try to be practical, I really do. I definitely fall into a combination of creative and intellectual, though. Yet I keep trying to be practical. Maybe someday. =)
3. It is said that everyone has their 15 minutes of fame; have you had your yet? If so what was it, if not dream away what would you like it to be?
I've always wanted to be a rock star--specifically, Billy Joel...only without the whole drinking/driving/crashing cars into trees thing. The closest I've come was in college...I was the intermission entertainment for the big spring skit competition, which was the highlight of a week called "Dog Days." I played and sang an Elton John song (I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues) and two Billy Joel songs (Everybody Loves You Now and Piano Man). Piano Man was my finale (of course) and I did it complete with a harmonica strapped around my neck. 1,500 students sang along with me...the last time through the chorus, I stopped playing and singing, letting them take it themselves, then came back in for the instrumental part at the end. Got a standing ovation.
It freakin' rocked.
4. If you were given a 2 year sabatical ( oh the dream of it) to create something would it be music, literature, art.....something completely different...share your dream with us...
I'd write a book. It wouldn't be the Great American Novel...rather, it would most likely be a collection of essays, along the line of Frederick Buechner or some of Walt Wangerin's stuff or Real Live Preacher. Essays that highlight the intersections between life and faith. It's something I've wanted to do for some time, but haven't had the time to even start.
5. Describe a talent you would like to develop, but that seems completely beyond you.
I wish I could draw. I love art--I love looking at it, I just can't produce it to save my life. I've been blessed with artistic gifts, but they definitely lie in areas other than the visual arts. Even if I could draw a decent stick person...is that too much to ask?!?!?!?
Bonus question: Back to the church- what does every member ministry mean to you? Is it truly possible to encourage/ implement?
As a Lutheran, part of my core theology includes the priesthood of all believers. We're all called to minister to each other, and so I do believe that every member ministry is not just possible, it's necessary in order for the church to truly be the church. Now, the question becomes, what does this look like? If you're wanting every member of the congregation to be on some sort of committee, then we're never going to see that happen. But if it means being intentional about equipping and empowering the people of the church to serve each other and the world through their gifts and talents...their individual callings...and then giving them the opportunity to do so...then heck yeah. That's what we ought to be about.
LH
Our Circuit (Methodist) is having a "Gifts and talents day" tomorrow- we have a minister visiting from another circuit who has modified the Myers Briggs personality test and added a few things of his own to run a day where we get to look at ourselves in the light of giftings and of the whole church. The idea is to encourage everyone with the news that there is room for you in the ministry of the church- and perhaps to discover where that ministry might be.....It should be an interesting day, and one where I hope people will leave feeling encouraged and challenged...So with gifts and talents in mind here is todays Friday 5;
1. Personality tests; love them or hate them?
Love them, when used correctly. I'm in the ELCA's candidacy process as an Associate in Ministry--as part of that, I underwent a psychological evaluation, wich included taking about 2 hours' worth of personality/psychological tests. A psychologist wrote up a summary of the results, and I'm tellin' ya, it was downright spooky how dead-on it was. I tend to be fairly introspective anyway, so there wasn't a lot there that came as a surprise to me--other than how a complete stranger could write such a clear and concise summary of who I am and what makes me tick. Very cool. For what it's worth, on the Meyers-Briggs I'm a very strong INFP...not even close to being anything else. Especially on being an introvert. Which comes as a shock to many who knew me out at camp. =)
2. Would you describe yourself as practical, creative, intellectual or a mixture ?
I try to be practical, I really do. I definitely fall into a combination of creative and intellectual, though. Yet I keep trying to be practical. Maybe someday. =)
3. It is said that everyone has their 15 minutes of fame; have you had your yet? If so what was it, if not dream away what would you like it to be?
I've always wanted to be a rock star--specifically, Billy Joel...only without the whole drinking/driving/crashing cars into trees thing. The closest I've come was in college...I was the intermission entertainment for the big spring skit competition, which was the highlight of a week called "Dog Days." I played and sang an Elton John song (I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues) and two Billy Joel songs (Everybody Loves You Now and Piano Man). Piano Man was my finale (of course) and I did it complete with a harmonica strapped around my neck. 1,500 students sang along with me...the last time through the chorus, I stopped playing and singing, letting them take it themselves, then came back in for the instrumental part at the end. Got a standing ovation.
It freakin' rocked.
4. If you were given a 2 year sabatical ( oh the dream of it) to create something would it be music, literature, art.....something completely different...share your dream with us...
I'd write a book. It wouldn't be the Great American Novel...rather, it would most likely be a collection of essays, along the line of Frederick Buechner or some of Walt Wangerin's stuff or Real Live Preacher. Essays that highlight the intersections between life and faith. It's something I've wanted to do for some time, but haven't had the time to even start.
5. Describe a talent you would like to develop, but that seems completely beyond you.
I wish I could draw. I love art--I love looking at it, I just can't produce it to save my life. I've been blessed with artistic gifts, but they definitely lie in areas other than the visual arts. Even if I could draw a decent stick person...is that too much to ask?!?!?!?
Bonus question: Back to the church- what does every member ministry mean to you? Is it truly possible to encourage/ implement?
As a Lutheran, part of my core theology includes the priesthood of all believers. We're all called to minister to each other, and so I do believe that every member ministry is not just possible, it's necessary in order for the church to truly be the church. Now, the question becomes, what does this look like? If you're wanting every member of the congregation to be on some sort of committee, then we're never going to see that happen. But if it means being intentional about equipping and empowering the people of the church to serve each other and the world through their gifts and talents...their individual callings...and then giving them the opportunity to do so...then heck yeah. That's what we ought to be about.
LH
Friday, June 08, 2007
Friday Five--Getaway Island Edition
From the RevGals:
We snitched a bit of time on an quiet island nearby this week. It was a last minute plan, escaping with a minimal amount of preparation. One must have essentials that make it a relaxing time. Perhaps you have had this opportunity to escape, or maybe it's only been a thought to get away. However, suppose you were told to pack some essentials for a trip to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Describe your location, in general or specific terms and....
1) What book(s) will you bring?
2) What music accompanies you?
3) What essentials of everyday living must you take (as in the health and beauty aids aisle variety)?
4) What technological gadgets if any, will you take with you or do you leave it all behind?
5) What culinary delights will you partake in while there?
My location of choice would be a spiritual retreat center somewhere in New England...up in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, or somewhere in Vermont. It would have to be during the summer or fall, because snow stresses me. In the woods, by a lake, with lots of walking trails available. Nice breakfasts and lunches, with gourmet suppers. Quiet places to read, pray, and worship. Free, open 24 hours a day hospitality room with, among other things, grapefruit juice, gourmet coffee, and York peppermint patties. Don't know if such a place exists, but I'm thinking along the lines of the Swanson Center at Camp Carol Joy Holling in Ashland, NE...(well, the Swanson Center does have everything I've described, including the hospitality room, complete with York peppermint patties!)...only in New England instead of 30 miles from home.
To the questions:
1) Ask me some other time and you might get a different answer, but right now I'd bring Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies, Donald Miller's Searching For God Knows What, and Brian McLaren's A Generous Orthodoxy...all of which I own, but none of which I've had occasion to read yet. Add to those a Bible, a copy of the ELCA's ELW hymnal, and the first six books of the Harry Potter series, and you'd have a very happy LutheranHusker.
2) When I read, I need music without words. So I'd have plenty of Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky for my reading time. For general listening, I'd have Joshua Radin, Storyhill, Sonya Kitchell, Teitur, James (not Jim) Morrison, Ray LaMontagne, Norah Jones, James Taylor, and Paul Simon. And maybe some others too.
3) Well, I think I'd need some soap. And shampoo. Toothbrush and toothpaste. Deodorant. Electric razor. A little hair gel would be bonus. Other than that, I'm easy.
4) Maybe a TV...if the Red Sox are playing the Yankees, it would do my heart good to watch. An iPod would be nice to handle the whole music thing. That would be about it.
5) One night I'd want to have steak, baked sweet potato, caesar salad, steamed veggies, wine, and chocolate cheesecake. For breakfast--lots of french toast. All other meals it would be fun just to try some new and exciting stuff--the executive chef at the Swanson Center is very gifted in this regard.
LH
We snitched a bit of time on an quiet island nearby this week. It was a last minute plan, escaping with a minimal amount of preparation. One must have essentials that make it a relaxing time. Perhaps you have had this opportunity to escape, or maybe it's only been a thought to get away. However, suppose you were told to pack some essentials for a trip to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Describe your location, in general or specific terms and....
1) What book(s) will you bring?
2) What music accompanies you?
3) What essentials of everyday living must you take (as in the health and beauty aids aisle variety)?
4) What technological gadgets if any, will you take with you or do you leave it all behind?
5) What culinary delights will you partake in while there?
My location of choice would be a spiritual retreat center somewhere in New England...up in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, or somewhere in Vermont. It would have to be during the summer or fall, because snow stresses me. In the woods, by a lake, with lots of walking trails available. Nice breakfasts and lunches, with gourmet suppers. Quiet places to read, pray, and worship. Free, open 24 hours a day hospitality room with, among other things, grapefruit juice, gourmet coffee, and York peppermint patties. Don't know if such a place exists, but I'm thinking along the lines of the Swanson Center at Camp Carol Joy Holling in Ashland, NE...(well, the Swanson Center does have everything I've described, including the hospitality room, complete with York peppermint patties!)...only in New England instead of 30 miles from home.
To the questions:
1) Ask me some other time and you might get a different answer, but right now I'd bring Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies, Donald Miller's Searching For God Knows What, and Brian McLaren's A Generous Orthodoxy...all of which I own, but none of which I've had occasion to read yet. Add to those a Bible, a copy of the ELCA's ELW hymnal, and the first six books of the Harry Potter series, and you'd have a very happy LutheranHusker.
2) When I read, I need music without words. So I'd have plenty of Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky for my reading time. For general listening, I'd have Joshua Radin, Storyhill, Sonya Kitchell, Teitur, James (not Jim) Morrison, Ray LaMontagne, Norah Jones, James Taylor, and Paul Simon. And maybe some others too.
3) Well, I think I'd need some soap. And shampoo. Toothbrush and toothpaste. Deodorant. Electric razor. A little hair gel would be bonus. Other than that, I'm easy.
4) Maybe a TV...if the Red Sox are playing the Yankees, it would do my heart good to watch. An iPod would be nice to handle the whole music thing. That would be about it.
5) One night I'd want to have steak, baked sweet potato, caesar salad, steamed veggies, wine, and chocolate cheesecake. For breakfast--lots of french toast. All other meals it would be fun just to try some new and exciting stuff--the executive chef at the Swanson Center is very gifted in this regard.
LH
Friday, April 27, 2007
Friday Five
Okay...had to make time today for the Friday Five!
What are you...
1. Wearing
My favorite Levi 569s with a St. Louis Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt. Feelin' comfy today!
2. Pondering
Later this morning I'll be taking Kiddo to register for preschool in the fall, and I'm doing the "I can't believe my little baby is about to go to preschool" thing, and thinking about all the stuff he's learned in just three short years. It's really mind-boggling how much knowledge we absorb in the first years of our lives. I mean, it wasn't that long ago where he couldn't do much more than smile, cry, and poop. And now he counts to thirty, makes up funny stories, and roots for the Red Sox and against the Yankees (by the way, they lost again last night...woo hoo!)!!!!!
3. Reading
Well, I should be reading The Screwtape Letters, since that's what I assigned for my church's book club which will be meeting in a week and a half...and I haven't read it for about 5 years...but hey, I've got a week and a half, right? It's short.
4. Dreaming
Since I hardly ever remember my actual dreams, here's a recurring daydream I'm having: I'm mere months from paying off my Paul Douglas Teacher's Scholarship eleven freakin' years after graduating from college (that's right, I'm paying back a scholarship...as long as you went into teaching, it was a scholarship, but if you did what I did and changed your mind about teaching, it became a loan), and I keep dreaming about all the other ways I can make that money disappear...
5. Eating
My mother will be happy to hear that ever since I posted about not eating breakfast, I've eaten breakfast every day. This morning it's Post Spoon-Size Shredded Wheat With Bran, strawberries, and orange juice.
LH
What are you...
1. Wearing
My favorite Levi 569s with a St. Louis Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt. Feelin' comfy today!
2. Pondering
Later this morning I'll be taking Kiddo to register for preschool in the fall, and I'm doing the "I can't believe my little baby is about to go to preschool" thing, and thinking about all the stuff he's learned in just three short years. It's really mind-boggling how much knowledge we absorb in the first years of our lives. I mean, it wasn't that long ago where he couldn't do much more than smile, cry, and poop. And now he counts to thirty, makes up funny stories, and roots for the Red Sox and against the Yankees (by the way, they lost again last night...woo hoo!)!!!!!
3. Reading
Well, I should be reading The Screwtape Letters, since that's what I assigned for my church's book club which will be meeting in a week and a half...and I haven't read it for about 5 years...but hey, I've got a week and a half, right? It's short.
4. Dreaming
Since I hardly ever remember my actual dreams, here's a recurring daydream I'm having: I'm mere months from paying off my Paul Douglas Teacher's Scholarship eleven freakin' years after graduating from college (that's right, I'm paying back a scholarship...as long as you went into teaching, it was a scholarship, but if you did what I did and changed your mind about teaching, it became a loan), and I keep dreaming about all the other ways I can make that money disappear...
5. Eating
My mother will be happy to hear that ever since I posted about not eating breakfast, I've eaten breakfast every day. This morning it's Post Spoon-Size Shredded Wheat With Bran, strawberries, and orange juice.
LH
Friday, April 20, 2007
Friday Five--Surprised By Joy
From the RevGals:
Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No."He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. (John 21:5-7)
Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5b)
This week I've been watching parents of the young people slain at Virginia Tech trying to make meaning out of the lives of their lost children, and each one seems to begin by focusing on something joyful about that child. It's a gift that most humans have brains wired to respond in that way. For some of us it can be harder to work our way out of dark places, but I believe joy remains the key. It is the spirit of resurrection.
Tell us about five people, places, or things that have brought surprising, healing joy into your life.
1) Sweetie. When she and I started dating 10 years ago, I was not in a good place emotionally, spiritually, or financially. She was there for me in so many ways--looking back, I'm not surprised in the least, but at the time I was continually surprised at what a healing, joyful presence she was in my life. And she's continued to bring joy to my life ever since.
2) It's not surprising to me that Kiddo is a source of joy...what surprises me is all the ways he finds to bring that joy. Whether it's an unexpected hug, something he says, or something I see him do, he's an amazing fountain of love and joy and life.
3) I'm a hymn-crier. Sometimes, in the middle of a great hymn, everyone's singing and the organ is blasting and I just know God's right there and the goosebumps start on my arms and I get that little catch in my throat, and here come the tears. It's not anything I can predict or cause to happen on my own--it just happens. And when it does, oh, those are beautiful, sweet, refreshing tears of joy and healing and new life.
4) Camp Carol Joy Holling, near Ashland Nebraska. I was a camper there when I was young, and later served as a counselor-in-training, a counselor, and a site manager. I've since come back numerous times for fundraisers, meetings, retreats, and to volunteer. There's something about that place that has healing properties. Maybe it's just the simplicity of God's presence in His outdoor sanctuary. I don't know. What I do know is that whenever I'm out there, I come away spiritually renewed.
5) The weekly text study group. There's a group of mostly pastors and some laypeople that meet every Tuesday to go over the texts for the following Sunday. I started coming to these three and a half years ago, partly as a way to network and keep the area pastors in the loop about the ministry I was doing, which was funded by the area churches, and partly to learn. With the exception of about 6 months when I was working a temp job between church positions, I've been there almost every week. It's been an informal seminary training in and of itself, and I've grown to love it and depend on it as a well of spiritual refreshment to go to. The third Tuesday each month, instead of studying, we have worship with Holy Communion, which gives everyone (except the one person leading) a chance to be a worship participant instead of worrying about the nuts and bolts of leading worship. I'd miss it incredibly if I ever had to stop going.
LH
Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No."He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. (John 21:5-7)
Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5b)
This week I've been watching parents of the young people slain at Virginia Tech trying to make meaning out of the lives of their lost children, and each one seems to begin by focusing on something joyful about that child. It's a gift that most humans have brains wired to respond in that way. For some of us it can be harder to work our way out of dark places, but I believe joy remains the key. It is the spirit of resurrection.
Tell us about five people, places, or things that have brought surprising, healing joy into your life.
1) Sweetie. When she and I started dating 10 years ago, I was not in a good place emotionally, spiritually, or financially. She was there for me in so many ways--looking back, I'm not surprised in the least, but at the time I was continually surprised at what a healing, joyful presence she was in my life. And she's continued to bring joy to my life ever since.
2) It's not surprising to me that Kiddo is a source of joy...what surprises me is all the ways he finds to bring that joy. Whether it's an unexpected hug, something he says, or something I see him do, he's an amazing fountain of love and joy and life.
3) I'm a hymn-crier. Sometimes, in the middle of a great hymn, everyone's singing and the organ is blasting and I just know God's right there and the goosebumps start on my arms and I get that little catch in my throat, and here come the tears. It's not anything I can predict or cause to happen on my own--it just happens. And when it does, oh, those are beautiful, sweet, refreshing tears of joy and healing and new life.
4) Camp Carol Joy Holling, near Ashland Nebraska. I was a camper there when I was young, and later served as a counselor-in-training, a counselor, and a site manager. I've since come back numerous times for fundraisers, meetings, retreats, and to volunteer. There's something about that place that has healing properties. Maybe it's just the simplicity of God's presence in His outdoor sanctuary. I don't know. What I do know is that whenever I'm out there, I come away spiritually renewed.
5) The weekly text study group. There's a group of mostly pastors and some laypeople that meet every Tuesday to go over the texts for the following Sunday. I started coming to these three and a half years ago, partly as a way to network and keep the area pastors in the loop about the ministry I was doing, which was funded by the area churches, and partly to learn. With the exception of about 6 months when I was working a temp job between church positions, I've been there almost every week. It's been an informal seminary training in and of itself, and I've grown to love it and depend on it as a well of spiritual refreshment to go to. The third Tuesday each month, instead of studying, we have worship with Holy Communion, which gives everyone (except the one person leading) a chance to be a worship participant instead of worrying about the nuts and bolts of leading worship. I'd miss it incredibly if I ever had to stop going.
LH
Friday, March 30, 2007
Friday Five--Holy Week, Batman!
From the RevGals:
Well, the Clergy Superbowl is almost upon us, and so, I offer up this Friday Five (with apologies for the irreverent title):
1. Will this Sunday be Palms only, Passion only, or hyphenated?
This Sunday will be palms only, mostly because it's also my congregation's 75th anniversary celebration, and from a logistics standpoint it's tough putting together a truly cohesive Passion Sunday service, nevermind adding all the additional anniversary "stuff" on top of it. (Plus, people don't want a damper put on their celebration with messy things like betrayals, beatings, and crucifixions.) In my perfect little world, Palm Sunday would be Palm Sunday only anyway. Just as Lent is a journey to Easter, so too should Holy Week be. Give me palms and hosannas on Sunday; footwashings, Seder and eucharist on Thursday; "Crucify him!" on Friday; and "He is risen indeed!" on the following Sunday. Trying to mash them all together in an hour takes away from the separate spiritual experiences of the separate parts of the passion, and more importantly takes away the time my brain and my heart have for processing them. That being said, I suppose if folks are only going to come to church on Sundays, giving them the full passion story on Palm Sunday is better than them not getting it at all...
2. Maundy Thursday Footwashing: Discuss.
I've been to services where everyone gets their feet washed by the pastor (ick). I've been to services where everyone washes each other's feet (not as bad). I think footwashing on Maundy Thursday is a wonderful "bringing to life" of something Christ did for his disciples, and a powerful reminder of how we are called to serve each other. That being said, I think the best way to do it in a service is for the pastor to wash one preselected person's feet as an "exemplar" of everyone else. A lot of folks are very self-conscious when it comes to their feet, and you hate for the gospel message to get lost in thoughts of "oh my god my feet are so gross," even though ironically that very thought symbolically is at the heart of the gospel message.
3. Share a particularly meaningful Good Friday worship experience.
The Lutheran Student Center at UNL has had a tradition for a number of years of having a seder meal the evening of Maundy Thursday, followed by the Maundy Thursday service, followed by a prayer vigil. Students (and staff) sign up for half-hour blocks of time through the night. The lights in the sanctuary are dimmed, but there are candles going, and hymnals and prayer resources available in the front pew. All through the night, as Christ is betrayed and put on trial, there is at least one person continually praying. The Good Friday service begins at 7 AM and in the past has been a tenebrae service, with the candles that had been lit the night before being extinguished one by one. Very powerful--all of it.
4. Easter Sunrise Services--choose one:
a) "Resurrection tradition par excellence!"
b) "Eh. As long as it's sunrise with coffee, I can live with it."
c) "[Yawn] Can't Jesus stay in the tomb just five more minutes, Mom?!?"
C. Definitely C. For me, Easter begins no earlier than 8:00. Yes, there may be a service before then, but you aren't gonna hear a full-blooded "HE IS RISEN INDEED!" out of me until at least 8.
5. Complete this sentence: It just isn't Easter without...
It just isn't Easter without the hymn "Jesus Christ is Risen Today, Alleluia!" (LBW#151). Anything else is optional. For that reason, since I have to play for both our traditional and contemporary services Easter morning, we're doing that hymn at both, genre be damned. Organ and trumpet at first service, piano, guitars, bass, and songleaders at second service. Now that's praise music!!!!!!!
LH
Well, the Clergy Superbowl is almost upon us, and so, I offer up this Friday Five (with apologies for the irreverent title):
1. Will this Sunday be Palms only, Passion only, or hyphenated?
This Sunday will be palms only, mostly because it's also my congregation's 75th anniversary celebration, and from a logistics standpoint it's tough putting together a truly cohesive Passion Sunday service, nevermind adding all the additional anniversary "stuff" on top of it. (Plus, people don't want a damper put on their celebration with messy things like betrayals, beatings, and crucifixions.) In my perfect little world, Palm Sunday would be Palm Sunday only anyway. Just as Lent is a journey to Easter, so too should Holy Week be. Give me palms and hosannas on Sunday; footwashings, Seder and eucharist on Thursday; "Crucify him!" on Friday; and "He is risen indeed!" on the following Sunday. Trying to mash them all together in an hour takes away from the separate spiritual experiences of the separate parts of the passion, and more importantly takes away the time my brain and my heart have for processing them. That being said, I suppose if folks are only going to come to church on Sundays, giving them the full passion story on Palm Sunday is better than them not getting it at all...
2. Maundy Thursday Footwashing: Discuss.
I've been to services where everyone gets their feet washed by the pastor (ick). I've been to services where everyone washes each other's feet (not as bad). I think footwashing on Maundy Thursday is a wonderful "bringing to life" of something Christ did for his disciples, and a powerful reminder of how we are called to serve each other. That being said, I think the best way to do it in a service is for the pastor to wash one preselected person's feet as an "exemplar" of everyone else. A lot of folks are very self-conscious when it comes to their feet, and you hate for the gospel message to get lost in thoughts of "oh my god my feet are so gross," even though ironically that very thought symbolically is at the heart of the gospel message.
3. Share a particularly meaningful Good Friday worship experience.
The Lutheran Student Center at UNL has had a tradition for a number of years of having a seder meal the evening of Maundy Thursday, followed by the Maundy Thursday service, followed by a prayer vigil. Students (and staff) sign up for half-hour blocks of time through the night. The lights in the sanctuary are dimmed, but there are candles going, and hymnals and prayer resources available in the front pew. All through the night, as Christ is betrayed and put on trial, there is at least one person continually praying. The Good Friday service begins at 7 AM and in the past has been a tenebrae service, with the candles that had been lit the night before being extinguished one by one. Very powerful--all of it.
4. Easter Sunrise Services--choose one:
a) "Resurrection tradition par excellence!"
b) "Eh. As long as it's sunrise with coffee, I can live with it."
c) "[Yawn] Can't Jesus stay in the tomb just five more minutes, Mom?!?"
C. Definitely C. For me, Easter begins no earlier than 8:00. Yes, there may be a service before then, but you aren't gonna hear a full-blooded "HE IS RISEN INDEED!" out of me until at least 8.
5. Complete this sentence: It just isn't Easter without...
It just isn't Easter without the hymn "Jesus Christ is Risen Today, Alleluia!" (LBW#151). Anything else is optional. For that reason, since I have to play for both our traditional and contemporary services Easter morning, we're doing that hymn at both, genre be damned. Organ and trumpet at first service, piano, guitars, bass, and songleaders at second service. Now that's praise music!!!!!!!
LH
Friday, March 23, 2007
Friday Five: Rivers in the Desert
From our friends at RevGalBlogPals:
I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19, NRSV
As we near the end of the long journey toward Easter, a busy time for pastors and layfolk alike, I ponder the words of Isaiah and the relief and refreshment of a river in the desert.
For this Friday Five, name five practices, activities, people or _____ (feel free to fill in something I may be forgetting) that for you are rivers in the desert.
- Playing the piano in solitude. In those desert times, if there's a piano available and I can be alone with it for a time, I come away refreshed. Sometimes I'll play hymns, sometimes it's other "church" music, sometimes it's classical pieces, sometimes it's something by Billy Joel, Elton John, or Paul Simon. Sometimes I'll sing along as I play...sometimes not. It all depends on the situation and the mood, but whatever I play is balm to my wounded soul. And I have to be alone. No feeling like I'm playing for an audience (even an audience of one), no needing to explain what I'm playing or why I'm playing it. Just me, the music, and God.
- "Baptizatus Sum." Years ago, as a "prop" during a sermon, Pastor Larry Meyer handed out half-sheets of heavy paper with that Latin phrase printed on them. Mine hangs in a bookshelf in my office, and is a reminder to me in my desert times that "I am baptized" and that God holds me, carries me, sustains me, forgives me, and has made me a new creature.
- Watching Kiddo sleep. I used to be an incredibly sound sleeper. Sweetie used to kid that once I found my sleeping position for the night, I never even moved until our alarm went off in the morning. That changed when Kiddo was born. If I get up with him in the middle of the night, I can still often get right back to sleep afterwards, but more and more my body's been keeping me awake one, two, sometimes three hours after spending 5 minutes settling him down. One plus to this phenomenon is that sometimes I'll just sit on his floor and watch him sleep. He's so at peace and innocent...it just gives me this strange combination of love and pride that just makes me want to burst. I know I don't have much longer that I'll be able to do that without it creeping him out (not too many 13 year old boys are keen on the idea of dad sitting on the floor watching them sleep), so I treasure these times now. Even if I'm tired as heck as a result during the day.
- Conversations with Sweetie. We love to talk. To each other. About anything and everything. Back when we were dating, before the days of kids and mortgages, we'd stay up until all hours of the morning just talking about stuff. We still do, but when the alarm's going to go off at 5:15 AM, a late night is 11:00, not 3 in the morning. She's my best friend, and it's so renewing just "hanging out" and talking.
- Reading. Put on some soft jazz or classical music in the background, grab a mug of coffee (if it's morning) or a glass of wine (if it's evening), settle into a comfy chair with good lighting, and just lose myself in a good book. The rest of the world melts away for a while, and I come away refreshed.
LH
Friday, March 16, 2007
Friday Five
From our friends at RevGalBlogPals:
Well friends, this is one of those weeks when I simply must work today, which is normally my day off. I know, I know. We may tut-tut all we want, but the fact is, some weeks are like that. So, this week's F5 is simple.
Name five things you plan to do today.
Bonus: If today is about "have-to" for you as well, share up to five things you'd like to be doing today.
This is an easy one for me, since Fridays are generally my day off too, and Sweetie, knowing how scatterbrained I am, always leaves me a Friday "honey-do" list. Yes there's more than five here, but I've always been an overachiever (yeah, right). Here we go!
1) Get our niece's birthday gift
2) Reply to all emails that I haven't gotten my rear in gear and replied to yet
3) Recharge the digital camera and the video camera
4) Put away clean laundry
5) Take care of dishes
6) Buy some more tapes for the video camera, and some more milk
7) Call a couple of people
8) Pick up a prescription for Sweetie at CVS, don't forget the coupon to receive a $25 gift card for having a new prescription filled there (we usually go to Walgreens across the street, but for $25, heck yeah we'll send a prescription there!)
9) Call a church in town with a preschool where we're thinking of sending Kiddo to in the fall to see if there's a waiting list and ask about a tour
10) Finish cleaning out the file cabinet in the computer room
11) Go to my office and pick up my copy of Evangelical Lutheran Worship that I'm going to need to help lead a synod introductory event tomorrow, that I left on my desk due to my scatterbrainedness
Here's my add-ons to the above list:
1) Have a couple cups of coffee
2) Watch some basketball
3) Read a little bit of A Skeleton in God's Closet by Paul Maier (one of my annual Lenten disciplines)
4) Watch some more basketball
5) (Most likely) Curse at my March Madness bracket
Happy Friday!!!!
LH
Well friends, this is one of those weeks when I simply must work today, which is normally my day off. I know, I know. We may tut-tut all we want, but the fact is, some weeks are like that. So, this week's F5 is simple.
Name five things you plan to do today.
Bonus: If today is about "have-to" for you as well, share up to five things you'd like to be doing today.
This is an easy one for me, since Fridays are generally my day off too, and Sweetie, knowing how scatterbrained I am, always leaves me a Friday "honey-do" list. Yes there's more than five here, but I've always been an overachiever (yeah, right). Here we go!
1) Get our niece's birthday gift
2) Reply to all emails that I haven't gotten my rear in gear and replied to yet
3) Recharge the digital camera and the video camera
4) Put away clean laundry
5) Take care of dishes
6) Buy some more tapes for the video camera, and some more milk
7) Call a couple of people
8) Pick up a prescription for Sweetie at CVS, don't forget the coupon to receive a $25 gift card for having a new prescription filled there (we usually go to Walgreens across the street, but for $25, heck yeah we'll send a prescription there!)
9) Call a church in town with a preschool where we're thinking of sending Kiddo to in the fall to see if there's a waiting list and ask about a tour
10) Finish cleaning out the file cabinet in the computer room
11) Go to my office and pick up my copy of Evangelical Lutheran Worship that I'm going to need to help lead a synod introductory event tomorrow, that I left on my desk due to my scatterbrainedness
Here's my add-ons to the above list:
1) Have a couple cups of coffee
2) Watch some basketball
3) Read a little bit of A Skeleton in God's Closet by Paul Maier (one of my annual Lenten disciplines)
4) Watch some more basketball
5) (Most likely) Curse at my March Madness bracket
Happy Friday!!!!
LH
Friday, March 09, 2007
Friday Five
RevGalBlogPals Friday Five: Matters of Taste
My mother loved figs.
I only like them in a Newton.
It's all a matter of taste.
Name five things you like a lot that some close relative or significant other did/does not like. This could be food, movies, hobbies, music, sports or whatever springs to mind.
1) Moxie. It's a soft drink that I l-o-v-e!!!! I love it. Love love love it. HOWEVER, Sweetie and my good friend RevScott share the opinion that it tastes like Robitussin. I did a blog post not too long ago about Moxie--you can read it here.
2) Well, since RevScott mentioned The Statler Brothers (who he loves but I can't stand) I've gotta mention The Carpenters (who I love but he can't stand). Sweetie's with me on this one, both concerning the Carpenters AND the Statler Brothers. Personally, I think most people are closet Carpenters fans, whether they admit it or not...kinda like that scene in Tommy Boy where a Carpenters song came on the radio...trying to act all cool, Chris Farley said, "you can change the station if you want," and David Spade said "that's okay, YOU change it..." then next thing you know they're roaring down the highway together, crying and singing "don't you remember ya told me ya loved me babeeeeeee....ya said you'd be comin' back this way again maybeeeeeee....baby baby baby baby oh baby.....I love you....I really do...."
3) Prairie Home Companion. Love it. Love Garrison Keillor. Love the sketches, the music, the greetings to folks back home from people in the audience, Lake Wobegon, you name it. Of course it helps that just about every Saturday evening from 1981 until 1992 (when I left home for college) my family would have PHC on the radio as we ate supper. Sweetie? Thinks it's both hokey and boring.
4) I love to read, though I don't read as often as I ought or would like. My parents told me growing up that when I was sent to my room for being naughty, they had to specifically tell me "no reading!" as part of my punishment. Otherwise I'd be happy to stay in my room for hours. They couldn't believe that they were actually telling their child not to read, but there you go. Sweetie's not a fan of the whole reading bit.
5) I LOVE keeping score when I go to baseball games. It just ain't a real game if I don't have a scorecard and pencil (preferably a mechanical one). Sweetie wonders why I just can't watch the games. I'm looking forward someday to teaching Kiddo the fine art of keeping score, which was passed down to me from my own dad.
LH
My mother loved figs.
I only like them in a Newton.
It's all a matter of taste.
Name five things you like a lot that some close relative or significant other did/does not like. This could be food, movies, hobbies, music, sports or whatever springs to mind.
1) Moxie. It's a soft drink that I l-o-v-e!!!! I love it. Love love love it. HOWEVER, Sweetie and my good friend RevScott share the opinion that it tastes like Robitussin. I did a blog post not too long ago about Moxie--you can read it here.
2) Well, since RevScott mentioned The Statler Brothers (who he loves but I can't stand) I've gotta mention The Carpenters (who I love but he can't stand). Sweetie's with me on this one, both concerning the Carpenters AND the Statler Brothers. Personally, I think most people are closet Carpenters fans, whether they admit it or not...kinda like that scene in Tommy Boy where a Carpenters song came on the radio...trying to act all cool, Chris Farley said, "you can change the station if you want," and David Spade said "that's okay, YOU change it..." then next thing you know they're roaring down the highway together, crying and singing "don't you remember ya told me ya loved me babeeeeeee....ya said you'd be comin' back this way again maybeeeeeee....baby baby baby baby oh baby.....I love you....I really do...."
3) Prairie Home Companion. Love it. Love Garrison Keillor. Love the sketches, the music, the greetings to folks back home from people in the audience, Lake Wobegon, you name it. Of course it helps that just about every Saturday evening from 1981 until 1992 (when I left home for college) my family would have PHC on the radio as we ate supper. Sweetie? Thinks it's both hokey and boring.
4) I love to read, though I don't read as often as I ought or would like. My parents told me growing up that when I was sent to my room for being naughty, they had to specifically tell me "no reading!" as part of my punishment. Otherwise I'd be happy to stay in my room for hours. They couldn't believe that they were actually telling their child not to read, but there you go. Sweetie's not a fan of the whole reading bit.
5) I LOVE keeping score when I go to baseball games. It just ain't a real game if I don't have a scorecard and pencil (preferably a mechanical one). Sweetie wonders why I just can't watch the games. I'm looking forward someday to teaching Kiddo the fine art of keeping score, which was passed down to me from my own dad.
LH
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