Today is so warm, it's tempting to put on shorts. Some of the kids at the school are wearing them; this makes Sam think he's eligible for them-- he also thinks all moms are "mean." Oh, well. It's a gift I suppose. Someone at the school told me it is supposed to snow again tomorrow. I sure hope not.
A family at the school was in need of childcare for a kindegardner this week, so the mom could work two extra days and have enough money to put her kids in the after-school care program. When something broke at her work, she was told not to come in, so she won't have the money she needs to enroll them this week. I told her to ask the social worker for ideas-- then called the SW to say our church would pick up the cost-- (only $110) and they say at the school that I shouldn't help her, because we have before. I'm pretty confused about it. Some moms they seem to help indiscriminantly and others only sparingly. It makes me wonder why. Do they pick and choose? Is it right to judge whether someone else's crisis is legitimate?
I think it's a slippery slope to be on when one begins to judge whether another person's issues are major or not. Friends of our family have a child who has behavioral issues. Frankly, so do the parents. The child has been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, though I think the parents ought to be also. The parents are not all that well-adjusted socially-- at least one of them isn't, in particular-- and it comes as no surprise that this particular child also has social interaction problems. He has nearly been expelled numerous times since kindegarten, and is only in sixth grade. Of course, he is quite smart, having a "Gifted," diagnosis too, but you have to wonder whether most of the behavior problems are environmental or biological. I am aware of his parents' poor parenting on numerous occasions, and wonder whether his counselors and school officials are aware of these instances.
And of course all of this is on the slippery slope as I sit in a position where I can simply judge them and not be effected by their "crises" and just shake my head... there is probably a family systems chapter out there somewhere written all about them. Isn't that a judgmental statement?
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Saturday Night
Here it is Saturday night, and I'm rethinking tomorrow's sermon. We have had another death-- this makes the fourth this month. Three this week. In stead of talking about the serious nature of Lent and the need for repentance, I'm feeling like doing a pep rally-style talk on how good God is; people are really freaking out about all the death. We seem to go through phases where several people die quite closely in time to each other. It's really not a supernatural thing, though, but a fact of the age of the congregation-- but most people aren't really realizing that. In stead they're saying things like, "Oh, no. Now there will be two more..." because they think deaths come in threes.
Isn't that weird? I really never thought about it that way-- once I saw a Clint Eastwood movie where a character said that celebrities die in 3's, and I have always remembered that line. But I never really thought about people in general that way. Kate says that a scientist told her it's just human nature to think that things happen for a reason, and that that's why people say the thing about 3's. Maybe. She compared it to the superstition around certain numbers-- like 13, or 7-- but still, you wonder. One of my former professors, Kris Kvam, said it would be interesting to do a study on the correlation-- whether congregations do indeed have members die in 3's. I told Kate this, to which she responded that people die around holidays because holidays are at the hottest and coldest times of the year. Trust the Vulcan to reason it all out.
I think I'm going to look at this superstition-fixation thing and try to preach on people trusting God, and not leaving things to "fate," or whatever they think is the mastermind behind such weird occurrences. Perhaps assuming God's bigger plan is more important will help them not search for other explanations.
Isn't that weird? I really never thought about it that way-- once I saw a Clint Eastwood movie where a character said that celebrities die in 3's, and I have always remembered that line. But I never really thought about people in general that way. Kate says that a scientist told her it's just human nature to think that things happen for a reason, and that that's why people say the thing about 3's. Maybe. She compared it to the superstition around certain numbers-- like 13, or 7-- but still, you wonder. One of my former professors, Kris Kvam, said it would be interesting to do a study on the correlation-- whether congregations do indeed have members die in 3's. I told Kate this, to which she responded that people die around holidays because holidays are at the hottest and coldest times of the year. Trust the Vulcan to reason it all out.
I think I'm going to look at this superstition-fixation thing and try to preach on people trusting God, and not leaving things to "fate," or whatever they think is the mastermind behind such weird occurrences. Perhaps assuming God's bigger plan is more important will help them not search for other explanations.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Glad I'm not the only one!
I am so glad today is the day after yesterday.
I have dreaded yesterday for nearly a year, after last year's Board of Ordained Ministry interviews were so stressful. Last year I did fine in three of the four interviews, but the fourth one (actually the first one) was horrible-- the chair of the committee was -- to put it lightly-- verbally confrontive. He told me there was no God in my sacraments, and my service was dead. He said a pause of more than 2 seconds was indicative of a dead worship service, and when he was done berating and insulting me, asked if I had any questions; I couldn't verbalize what I was thinking in such esteemed company. That night I was called after 10:30 and asked to come back the next morning (meaning I had to find childcare for my kids until they went to school) and finally I agreed to return. I stayed up all night studying, and when I got there, the man asked if my worship leadership style was particular to that church, and when I said "yes," he said that everything was okay and that was that. How much stress for something so inconsequential!
Not only did I have to face that man yesterday, but I had to sit by him. However, this time, my mentor was in the room, and the chair was the minister of my hometown church, which for me was quite comforting. I just pretended the offender in question was a business person I had to have dealings with, and we got along quite famously. And last night at 9:30 I got the call that I had passed. Whewwww! Now I have to anticipate next year's interview, which is when they will ask if I have created the Sunday night program I told them I was contemplating. Some day I will learn to shut my mouth...
I have dreaded yesterday for nearly a year, after last year's Board of Ordained Ministry interviews were so stressful. Last year I did fine in three of the four interviews, but the fourth one (actually the first one) was horrible-- the chair of the committee was -- to put it lightly-- verbally confrontive. He told me there was no God in my sacraments, and my service was dead. He said a pause of more than 2 seconds was indicative of a dead worship service, and when he was done berating and insulting me, asked if I had any questions; I couldn't verbalize what I was thinking in such esteemed company. That night I was called after 10:30 and asked to come back the next morning (meaning I had to find childcare for my kids until they went to school) and finally I agreed to return. I stayed up all night studying, and when I got there, the man asked if my worship leadership style was particular to that church, and when I said "yes," he said that everything was okay and that was that. How much stress for something so inconsequential!
Not only did I have to face that man yesterday, but I had to sit by him. However, this time, my mentor was in the room, and the chair was the minister of my hometown church, which for me was quite comforting. I just pretended the offender in question was a business person I had to have dealings with, and we got along quite famously. And last night at 9:30 I got the call that I had passed. Whewwww! Now I have to anticipate next year's interview, which is when they will ask if I have created the Sunday night program I told them I was contemplating. Some day I will learn to shut my mouth...
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Tuesday's musings
Today has been the longest day. I had my big annual interview with the Board of Ordained ministry, and had to spend half the day down in Sedalia for a thirty-minute meeting. I couldn't believe it when I had to sit next to the guy who was so awful last year. I just turned on Southern sweetness and bluffed my way through. I got the call tonight that I did indeed pass. I found out also that I may have to do two funerals on Thursday, plus go to a three-hour meeting and meet with my mentor. Nothing like have gobs of stuff all at once. Don't know why, but I just KNEW my stuff would all be the same day.
The warm weather here has made the days more bearable; I hate cold weather. You can actually hear the birds singing now that they don't have to huddle in nests. The only problem is mud. My 7-year-old has the knack of tracking in like nobody's business. It just finds him. He brought in ten clumps of mud tonight, which were all over the floor from one end of the house to the other. And he just looks at me like, "What?"
Yesterday I had another experience of realizing how smart he is. We went to the nursing home to visit one of the parishioners and she asked him to fix her gameboy game, which she said was in Japanese. Abby tried to fix it first, and declared it permanently "Un readable." Sam took the game and in thirty seconds, it was in English. Then he taught the adults watching how to change it, too. I guess it goes to show you that kids under ten can do anything with electronics.
The warm weather here has made the days more bearable; I hate cold weather. You can actually hear the birds singing now that they don't have to huddle in nests. The only problem is mud. My 7-year-old has the knack of tracking in like nobody's business. It just finds him. He brought in ten clumps of mud tonight, which were all over the floor from one end of the house to the other. And he just looks at me like, "What?"
Yesterday I had another experience of realizing how smart he is. We went to the nursing home to visit one of the parishioners and she asked him to fix her gameboy game, which she said was in Japanese. Abby tried to fix it first, and declared it permanently "Un readable." Sam took the game and in thirty seconds, it was in English. Then he taught the adults watching how to change it, too. I guess it goes to show you that kids under ten can do anything with electronics.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
As this week starts, I am thinking about a eulogy for a church member. Two years ago our church lost 7 people in three months, and it was really hard on the congregation. I hope we aren't going that direction again. We lost a long-time member two weeks ago this Tuesday, and two more members today. Even though those who passed were not well, it's hard to lose church family members.
I guess it is interesting timing too, as we approach Ash Wednesday, when we formally repent for our sins. I have to admit I have always hated getting the ashes on my forehead; it's a vanity thing, really. But it has to be done. And having these recent deaths as a reminder of the condition of human frailty, it's probably good to do this.
On an "up" note, we had a good turnout again for the Dead Sea Scrolls Bible study. I don't know if I'm teaching anything other than vocabulary words, but I guess that's something. I just wish there was an existent one to compare to! There are too many documents to be able to copy things for the class, and I am probably hitting and missing a lot of the time. I keep waiting for feedback, but none yet.
I guess it is interesting timing too, as we approach Ash Wednesday, when we formally repent for our sins. I have to admit I have always hated getting the ashes on my forehead; it's a vanity thing, really. But it has to be done. And having these recent deaths as a reminder of the condition of human frailty, it's probably good to do this.
On an "up" note, we had a good turnout again for the Dead Sea Scrolls Bible study. I don't know if I'm teaching anything other than vocabulary words, but I guess that's something. I just wish there was an existent one to compare to! There are too many documents to be able to copy things for the class, and I am probably hitting and missing a lot of the time. I keep waiting for feedback, but none yet.
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