And by the way...
So my sermon series through the end of my time at Jefferson is going to use the motif of "letters." So this week one of the things I've been researching is famous letters. Of course one of the best know is Abraham Lincoln's Bixby letter. If you're not a history buff, you may remember it being quoted in Saving Private Ryan. Interestingly (and perhaps sadly) my research led me to find out that not everything is as simple as it seems with the letter (isn't that how things usually turn out...!).
Check out any write up on this to see what I mean...of course there's always Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_to_Mrs._Bixby
Saturday, April 25, 2009
That Which Is New
So I just logged on to Blogger and realized I could set up to SMS text to this blog. Fun. Which I think makes it essentially like Twitter (in theory, if you wanted) at least for my page. I'm all about technology, but now that all the different sites are learning from each other what works, some of the elements of Blogger, Twitter and Facebook are becoming increasingly similar...perhaps someday I'll have to choose...
I'm catching back up after (1) Holy Week and (2) being away on vacation in Minnesota with my husband Chris. That post-Easter week is a really great time, I've learned for a break for a pastor, and also comes at a good time for Chris, being before the summer gets into full swing and all.
It was a lot of fun to visit with Chris' parents, to meet lots of his friends for the first time as well, and to see the sights of his youth. Chris got to grow up in one house nearly his whole life (I can't even imagine!) so it was fun to see that, to see his church, to visit the camp he attended and worked at, etc. I could post a ton more about the trip...perhaps I'll get around to downloading pictures, and will post those, which will help illustrate better at any rate.
As soon as I got back into things, though, I discovered what most people re-learn after returning from each vacation--the mound of work you return to makes you, for a moment at least, wonder whether it was even worth it. Well, the trip was totally worth it for me, but I find myself now, on top of playing catch-up, really digging into the plans for the coming months and preparing for the pastoral transition at Jefferson/Doubs. That in itself is a beast. And that on top of the regular duties of the pastorate, my work with the annual conference worship committee, using spare time to help Chris with camp prep...it just stays busy. But the up side of having a lot to do, is that it also means you will have accomplished A LOT when it's done (I like checking things of lists...)
My final Sunday at Jefferson will be June 21. As I looked at worship planning this week, tried to get a handle on my calendar, and tried to get a firm idea on pacing everything out, I know that these (less than) two months will fly by.
All that said, however, I'm very excited for this transition. It will be a good one for the Jefferson/Doubs charge, and a great new opportunity for Chris and I. We're looking forward to getting to know the folks at Calvary, though in all that I have on my plate, thinking too much about my new appointment is taking back seat at the moment. There will be some of that in the coming months, but July 1 will be here before I know it.
I sat down this week and started making progress on the "check list" of items to prepare for the new pastor. And as long as that is (three pages) I also realized there are things I need to pass on that aren't listed! I worry I'll have a novel or something by the time I'm done. That's better, though, I figure, than not. The more information to pass on the better. For example, it took me MONTHS to figure out there were two locations of switches for the sanctuary. Who knew?!! Well, apparently everyone but me! They all though I knew! I plan to show Paul, the new pastor, BOTH! Of, and also that the island in the kitchen at Jefferson is one wheels and moves. That one surprised me too...
This weekend my brother Jordan and sister Liz are at our house. Chris has a BIG weekend at Manidokan, and today was full of ropes so he needed the extra help. It's nice to be able to see them, and I can't wait to my brother Daniel graduates from Drew (with his MDiv) in a couple weeks and moves to camp (he's the chaplain for the summer)!
There are so many other things I want to post, but I'll have to dive into those next week. For now, I've got to polish things off for Sunday, hang out with the fam., and try not to melt in this 90+ weather (in April?!!)
I'm catching back up after (1) Holy Week and (2) being away on vacation in Minnesota with my husband Chris. That post-Easter week is a really great time, I've learned for a break for a pastor, and also comes at a good time for Chris, being before the summer gets into full swing and all.
It was a lot of fun to visit with Chris' parents, to meet lots of his friends for the first time as well, and to see the sights of his youth. Chris got to grow up in one house nearly his whole life (I can't even imagine!) so it was fun to see that, to see his church, to visit the camp he attended and worked at, etc. I could post a ton more about the trip...perhaps I'll get around to downloading pictures, and will post those, which will help illustrate better at any rate.
As soon as I got back into things, though, I discovered what most people re-learn after returning from each vacation--the mound of work you return to makes you, for a moment at least, wonder whether it was even worth it. Well, the trip was totally worth it for me, but I find myself now, on top of playing catch-up, really digging into the plans for the coming months and preparing for the pastoral transition at Jefferson/Doubs. That in itself is a beast. And that on top of the regular duties of the pastorate, my work with the annual conference worship committee, using spare time to help Chris with camp prep...it just stays busy. But the up side of having a lot to do, is that it also means you will have accomplished A LOT when it's done (I like checking things of lists...)
My final Sunday at Jefferson will be June 21. As I looked at worship planning this week, tried to get a handle on my calendar, and tried to get a firm idea on pacing everything out, I know that these (less than) two months will fly by.
All that said, however, I'm very excited for this transition. It will be a good one for the Jefferson/Doubs charge, and a great new opportunity for Chris and I. We're looking forward to getting to know the folks at Calvary, though in all that I have on my plate, thinking too much about my new appointment is taking back seat at the moment. There will be some of that in the coming months, but July 1 will be here before I know it.
I sat down this week and started making progress on the "check list" of items to prepare for the new pastor. And as long as that is (three pages) I also realized there are things I need to pass on that aren't listed! I worry I'll have a novel or something by the time I'm done. That's better, though, I figure, than not. The more information to pass on the better. For example, it took me MONTHS to figure out there were two locations of switches for the sanctuary. Who knew?!! Well, apparently everyone but me! They all though I knew! I plan to show Paul, the new pastor, BOTH! Of, and also that the island in the kitchen at Jefferson is one wheels and moves. That one surprised me too...
This weekend my brother Jordan and sister Liz are at our house. Chris has a BIG weekend at Manidokan, and today was full of ropes so he needed the extra help. It's nice to be able to see them, and I can't wait to my brother Daniel graduates from Drew (with his MDiv) in a couple weeks and moves to camp (he's the chaplain for the summer)!
There are so many other things I want to post, but I'll have to dive into those next week. For now, I've got to polish things off for Sunday, hang out with the fam., and try not to melt in this 90+ weather (in April?!!)
Monday, April 6, 2009
Today's Random Thought
So I actually really want to blog about a motion coming to Annual Conference this year about setting some guidelines and minimums for congregations as they look at what type of pastoral appointment (full, 3/4 time, half time, etc.) to seek. And I will. But not tonight. After all, today is my day off, and at any rate, my brain has largely shut down. So perhaps I'll post tomorrow. It being Holy Week and all, things are busy for me, but blogging always seems to be a nice way to take a break from the craziness of a week or day and still be (somewhat peripherally at least) working.
But I didn't want to just dork out on blogging today...especially since it's been a few days. So...for now...
My husband came across this hilarious site that teases people for mistakes, or just downright trying silly things. Check it out (for a few laughs) at www.failblog.org
But I didn't want to just dork out on blogging today...especially since it's been a few days. So...for now...
My husband came across this hilarious site that teases people for mistakes, or just downright trying silly things. Check it out (for a few laughs) at www.failblog.org
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Praise
This week's sermon theme, as it is Palm Sunday, is PRAISE. As we've done throughout Lent on each week's theme, we'll be looking at how Jesus' faces it, and how we can face it. What we've ended up really seeing in all of these is that in and of themselves theses (expectations, resistance, praise) are actually quite healthy. What turns them into dangers are when they are extreme or expressed in unhealthy ways. Really, it's much the same as what C.S. Lewis explained about sin in The Great Divorce.
Here are some quotes and stories about pride and praise I've come across as I prepare. They come from www.sermonillustrations.com and www.thinkexist.com, both sites I use, or at least look over, somewhat regularly:
Academy Award-winning actor Charlton Heston has not always had rave reviews. He says he learned "The most valuable single truth about criticism" from Laurence Olivier: We'd done a blank-verse play on Broadway...and the blank verse was not Shakespeare. The critics slaughtered us--before the opening-night party we were doomed. Forty minutes later I found myself alone in a restaurant with Olivier and a bottle of brandy. I was young, green and striving for mature detachment. "Well," I said philosophically, I suppose you learn how to forget the bad notices." Olivier gripped my elbow.. "Laddie!" he said. "What's much harder, and far more important...you have to learn to forget the good ones." He was right. (American Film, January 1992.)
My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was less competition there.
-Indira Gandhi, Bits and Pieces, April 1990, p. 11.
“There is not one wise man in twenty that will praise himself.”
-William Shakespeare
“I praise loudly, I blame softly”
-Catherine the Great
“We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess”
-Mark Twain
“The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.”
-Norman Vincent Peale
Here are some quotes and stories about pride and praise I've come across as I prepare. They come from www.sermonillustrations.com and www.thinkexist.com, both sites I use, or at least look over, somewhat regularly:
Academy Award-winning actor Charlton Heston has not always had rave reviews. He says he learned "The most valuable single truth about criticism" from Laurence Olivier: We'd done a blank-verse play on Broadway...and the blank verse was not Shakespeare. The critics slaughtered us--before the opening-night party we were doomed. Forty minutes later I found myself alone in a restaurant with Olivier and a bottle of brandy. I was young, green and striving for mature detachment. "Well," I said philosophically, I suppose you learn how to forget the bad notices." Olivier gripped my elbow.. "Laddie!" he said. "What's much harder, and far more important...you have to learn to forget the good ones." He was right. (American Film, January 1992.)
My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was less competition there.
-Indira Gandhi, Bits and Pieces, April 1990, p. 11.
“There is not one wise man in twenty that will praise himself.”
-William Shakespeare
“I praise loudly, I blame softly”
-Catherine the Great
“We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess”
-Mark Twain
“The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.”
-Norman Vincent Peale
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