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."

Faithful Living, Faithful Dying

There is an excellent book on christian ethics and issues of death and medical treatment by the name of this post. We read portions of it in my ethics class this year, and had some fascinating and difficult discussions about the issues it raised.

This afternoon I got to live some of those issues. Although I'm done with my internship at Saint Diverse, their priest is away, and an elderly parishioner was hospitalized, so I was asked to go make the hospital visit.

This dear soul is 96, and had been housebound with severe arthritis for the past few years. she suffered what appeared to be a stroke, and is now in renal failure. The family is debating whether they should try dialysis. She is allergic to most pain medications, is in great pain and is not recognizing people. Her husband of 68 years is with her in the hospital, looking sad and lost. We prayed and read the psalms and talked stories. He quetly said, "I'm not optimistic. And I don't know what will happen if things get worse."

I sat and listened as he told me of their life together as husband and wife, as faithful Christians who did so much for Saint Diverse over the years, as just plain good people.

The books tell a story about decision making at the end of life, and about how we as Christians are to approach these sacred moments. But it is in the stories that we learn how they are truly lived. And in those moments, there are no words for me to say. I can only listen and silently pray.

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.