Random Dots of Ministry

• I went to visit the sick parishioner from Saint Diverse, and was gratified that she is doing much better today. Mixed feelings about the lack of clarity in my role, though. Not a priest but a pastoral presence. Not a seminarian at that site anymore, but still called upon by my supervisor to help out in his absence. I'm glad to be of service to folks whom I consider parish friends, but he really should have a clergyperson who's covering for him in his absence. Lord knows there are enough Episcopal priests around here.

• I spent a good part of the morning planning my work at Saint Middle School for this year. I'll be doing several Adult Spiritual Formation classes, maybe a women's retreat, some KidZone, and the usual liturgist/deacon stuff. It will be fun to be teaching adults again.

• Non-ministry moment: I took StrongOpinions to the DMV to replace her driver's license, which had expired two months ago (oops). It's a new experience, standing there while the DMV clerk hits on your daughter. He asked her out tonight. She said, "I'm going out tonight, but not with you." Bada-boom! That's my girl!

• StrongOpinions is advocating hard for PH and me to move to the Big Apple...I imagine there are jobs in ministry there for me, and we love the place, but I'm not so sure about that. On the other hand, I'd be closer to the grandkids. No need to decide on that anytime soon, thank goodness. It's hard enough to imagine moving to another abode here in VA. The thought of moving a few hundred miles north gives me a headache.

And this is what happens after you go to seminary and get advanced degree(s) in ministry - you get to be a silly pirate in Vacation Bible School and make a blessed fool of yourself. PH (Princeton MDiv & PhD)is at the right, pastor of his church (Yale MDiv) in the middle, forlorn teenager at left (learning his lesson about this kind of thing in case he has any interest in pursuing a call to ministry). Brings new meaning to "fools for Christ."

Back in the Saddle...or something....

I spent Tuesday through Thursday down in the capital of the Confederacy, taking a course in Interim Ministry. It's the first step in a four step process of certification in Intentional Interim Ministry.

Observations:

• It feels good to be treated as a colleague by other folks in ministry, rather than as a lowly peon seminarian.
• I know more than I sometimes give myself credit for.
• Being good at reading people and analyzing situations must be balanced by a willingness to abandon your first impression when you get more information.
• Much of the work of entering the "system" of a church is the same whether you're an interim or a pastor who will be there for a goodly chunk of your career in ministry.
• Much of what was taught in this course should be taught more thoroughly in seminaries. In ours, we get some of it but not all of it. Skills of unpacking the history of the parish, dealing with difficult people, helping heal old wounds, getting people to imagine the future rather than being mired in the past...it's the work of every pastor, every day. We all need to know this. For interims, because one deals with some specific tasks in a compressed time period, it's more evident. Still, we all should be learning the skills. We will all need them at one point or another.

I'm still processing much of what I learned but I'm pretty sure I'll continue with the training toward certification. That's the last "official" stuff I've got until classes start at the end of August, with the exception of some supply preaching gigs.

StrongOpinions is in town for a visit - it's good to have her around the house. She cleaned and organized our ridiculously tiny fridge last night. I never thought the day would come when she'd ask for permission to do that! Her brothers are coming into town next week. Should be fun.

The morning was spent at the funeral of the mother of a friend who died the day after her 91st birthday. A dear, outspoken, incredibly open and friendly person. She will be missed. May she rest in Jesus' loving arms, and may the knowledge of that blessed rest be a comfort to her family, who loved her so deeply.

The afternoon was spent on the couch, watching a DVD of "The Diary of a Mad Black Woman" from Netflix. Ah, stay-cation!

Actually, PH and I are going on an actual vacation, spending a few days at a French style B&B, a few days at a mountain cottage near Shenandoah National Park, and then a couple of days on the Eastern shore, eating crabs and lobsters and such. Bliss.

Saturday Random Dots

• After last week's great big drop in weight, I'm up almost a pound at Fat Club. Sigh. I know this is the way it goes sometimes, but...

• 2nd Stepson turned 31 yesterday. It seems like only yesterday he was five years old (when I first met him). He was cute then, and he's still cute today. Happy Bday, B.

• Stonemason requested a replacement engine for his mini-bike for his 22nd bday, in two weeks. They may be chronologically adult, but there's a still a little bit of little boy in all of them. Thank goodness, I think.

• Today is a busy day. I went to Fat Club, came home to do a very light workout on the elliptical, and will leave soon to do icon-writing, then out to Saint Middle School for our Saturday Night Contemporary Service. It feels good to be getting back into the swing of things, although I still get tired. Yes, I'm being careful.

• This week will be rock-'em sock-'em. As with all folks in the religion business, this is our busiest week of the year. Tenebrae on Tuesday, Maundy Thursday service, Good Friday Service, sunrise service on Easter morning, later service, Easter egg hunt, potluck brunch...thank goodness there's no school. Somehow I think I'll be relying heavily on Trader Joe's prepared foods rather than cooking this week. No time to do ANYTHING domestic (which is why I'm doing wash today and sorta giving up for the next eight days. I think I've got enough clean clothes...

• The cats are very grateful that I have made it easier for them to get their daily supply of water by leaving a cup of water at my bedside. The cup is just big enough to get a paw into. They are also grateful that I left out my meds, which roll very amusingly across the nighttable when batted by a paw.