Nick and I enjoyed the drive back from Michigan by way of the Upper Peninsula and Nick got to drive across the Mackinaw bridge. On the way we talked about road trips and I told him how I had driven out to Boston back in seminary days and on other trips I drove out to Montana, Colorado, Arizona, and Mexico from Minnesota. Lots of miles by myself... and I managed to point out that I did it in cars with no cruise control, no air conditioning or tilt steering wheels or much seat adjustment; no tape or CD decks (I'm not sure if I even had an FM radio on the 1970 Maverick that followed my Rambler.) Although I am more or less mechanically incompetent, back then out of necessity I carried an assortment of automotive fluids, spare parts and tools and told Nick about the parts I replaced on the road : starters, alternators, belts, water pumps etc. He probably heard it as one of those "what it was like in the old days" and how he is supposed to think of how he has it easy.
Actually I was reminding myself of how easy it is now, and how my expectations of what I think I have to have are now very different. Besides the cars, what changed? When, how and why did I change? Is it just because I want my family to be safe in a vehicle? That would be good reason enough. Or is it a change in me? When did adventure give way to comfort and reliability? Has this happened in other areas of my life? I would like to think that my spiritual travels haven't lost the sense of adventure and risk? But there is a very good chance I have opted for an easier ride and less surprises.
My second thought in this blog has to do with re-entry... re-entry as in "coming off vacation and back to work. " To use the analogy, as I understand re-entry into the earth's atmosphere if you come in too fast or with too steep of an angle of descent, or with damaged heat tiles, you could burn up. Quite often thats what getting back feels like; trying to catch up too fast and getting up to speed too soon; in time for a funeral or wedding or Sunday service prep or meetings and pastoral care or some church problem and....right away the heat is on. This time I tried, and was able to come back slower by not rushing in on Tuesday afternoon. I slipped into church Tues. evening to get the mail and was pretty busy on Wednesday, but I am feeling good about being back. It was a good re entry.
Rambling on
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Lakeside
Rory:
Just a quick blog from Lakeside, Ohio. Sara got on line so I could fix the spelling errors in my last blog entry. There's probably an analogy there, about fixing our mistakes that the whole world can see; but since we couldn't get back onto the internet, they couldn't be fixed!
The next two days will be spent playing minigolf, eating donuts from "The Patio", checking the waves, and feeling the breeze off of lake Erie; tonight, it's Mary Wilson of the Supremes at the Hoover Auditorium.
Sara:
As dictator (no pun intended) of my dad's )above) blog post, I required a typing fee. I am being paid in donuts.
Growing up, I've got a lot of fun memories from Lakeside. All the times we've met my mother's family here to chat on the front porch of this old Lakeside Hotel (built circa 1880-something). It's the kind of place where fancy dinners are commonplace, shuffleboard courts overrule tennis courts, and you can rent kites for a buck fifty down by the pier.
It's an old lecture tour, concert sites place my dad says. He's got some fancy word for it... Chitaqua? Chitakwa? Looks like I'm the one who can't spell here. Either way, it's a long, pretty word that sounds just like the waves on the shore - you know, where the back haul of the water rolls the pebbles like rain? Long, long, long reaching waves with a mind of their own. Chataqua...
Chautauqua, he says. C-h-a-u-t-a-u-q-u-a. Like water, I say. All I hear is water in a word like that, no matter what it really means.
Alright, I'm off now. We're set for a game of minigolf and, if I'm lucky, a few more of those home-fried donuts from The Patio. Cool beans, I say. Something with coconut. Makes your mouth water.
Goodnight!
-Sara
Just a quick blog from Lakeside, Ohio. Sara got on line so I could fix the spelling errors in my last blog entry. There's probably an analogy there, about fixing our mistakes that the whole world can see; but since we couldn't get back onto the internet, they couldn't be fixed!
The next two days will be spent playing minigolf, eating donuts from "The Patio", checking the waves, and feeling the breeze off of lake Erie; tonight, it's Mary Wilson of the Supremes at the Hoover Auditorium.
Sara:
As dictator (no pun intended) of my dad's )above) blog post, I required a typing fee. I am being paid in donuts.
Growing up, I've got a lot of fun memories from Lakeside. All the times we've met my mother's family here to chat on the front porch of this old Lakeside Hotel (built circa 1880-something). It's the kind of place where fancy dinners are commonplace, shuffleboard courts overrule tennis courts, and you can rent kites for a buck fifty down by the pier.
It's an old lecture tour, concert sites place my dad says. He's got some fancy word for it... Chitaqua? Chitakwa? Looks like I'm the one who can't spell here. Either way, it's a long, pretty word that sounds just like the waves on the shore - you know, where the back haul of the water rolls the pebbles like rain? Long, long, long reaching waves with a mind of their own. Chataqua...
Chautauqua, he says. C-h-a-u-t-a-u-q-u-a. Like water, I say. All I hear is water in a word like that, no matter what it really means.
Alright, I'm off now. We're set for a game of minigolf and, if I'm lucky, a few more of those home-fried donuts from The Patio. Cool beans, I say. Something with coconut. Makes your mouth water.
Goodnight!
-Sara
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Fair Booth Reflections
Thanks Nick for guest blogging!
The Crow Wing County Fair is over and Park church was there at its food booth once again. I found myself feeling very proud to be with a church that can pull off such a huge undertaking. We get all levels of participation , including some helpers from Light of the Lakes United Methodist Church and others who just like to come and work with their friends and every bit helps. Some people have served faithfully in the same jobs for years: pantry worker, kitchen worker, shift honcho, waitress, phone caller etc. I think some families have had three generations of church fair booth working.
Personally I got to put in a few hours at the grill, one shift as a griller's assistant, a couple of shifts as dishwasher and even covered the cashier spot for a few minutes with Charles on a lunch break. I tried to check in and visit with each shift and we have four shifts a day starting at 7 am, finishing up between 10 and 11 pm. My first year at the fair I worked as one of the waiters but found out that it was not my favorite spot!
Several times during the week I was asked if I had my sermon done yet and would it be about the fair booth? They said there should be plenty of lessons in here somewhere. That's true. In an earlier blog I thought about how it was a "community maker"and not just a money-maker and used the body of Christ image from I Corthinians 12; many differing parts and one body. I saw that again as I realized how every job at the food booth was absolutely essential. Where would we be without the dishwashers! How could we operate without the person who laundered the aprons every night at her home? What about the food prepared back in the church kitchen? When I was grilling I was helpless with out the helper and the steam table worker. If no one took the orders what would happen? Who took care of the shopping list and ran the errands and washed the floors? What if we had no customers! You get the idea.
Another lesson would be comments that I heard from Nick and Sara who were taking orders as waiter/waitress. They spoke of how most people were understanding and courteous as they came to the food booth. We are , after all, volunteers in a job that happens only once a year. But there were a few exceptions - the people who snapped their fingers at you 'like you were a dog" or who thought they should be treated as if all other customers had to be ignored but them ,and so on. We talked about how when they are in a restaurant they will have a new appreciation for the wait staff. But there is a larger analogy to work with here. In ministry we will serve all kinds of people. Most will be appreciative and understanding and willing to join in the Spirit of the venture and that even with our best training and efforts we will still make some mistakes. And there will also be a a few exceptions; those who will always be critical or demanding or just plain hard to satisfy. But we are still here to offer the ministry of Christ. Grace seems to be the featured item on the menu. We serve it with prayer and patience, forgiveness and faith; and every now and then we take off the aprons and we sit down at the booth and enjoy a good helping just for ourselves. We need it!
This morning (Fair Booth Recovery Sunday on our local liturgical calender) we celebrated the sacrament of Holy Communion and we remembered all that God has done to feed us and serve us. We are first of all, those who receive. God, in Jesus Christ, has come to serve us. We are hungry. We come to the table. I suppose most of the time I come with my best gratitude and patience and open-ness. Some times I am probably like the self centered customer who wants it fast and wants it now. I have probably snapped my fingers at God a few times. Thank God I still get served. Grace.
Rambling on....
The Crow Wing County Fair is over and Park church was there at its food booth once again. I found myself feeling very proud to be with a church that can pull off such a huge undertaking. We get all levels of participation , including some helpers from Light of the Lakes United Methodist Church and others who just like to come and work with their friends and every bit helps. Some people have served faithfully in the same jobs for years: pantry worker, kitchen worker, shift honcho, waitress, phone caller etc. I think some families have had three generations of church fair booth working.
Personally I got to put in a few hours at the grill, one shift as a griller's assistant, a couple of shifts as dishwasher and even covered the cashier spot for a few minutes with Charles on a lunch break. I tried to check in and visit with each shift and we have four shifts a day starting at 7 am, finishing up between 10 and 11 pm. My first year at the fair I worked as one of the waiters but found out that it was not my favorite spot!
Several times during the week I was asked if I had my sermon done yet and would it be about the fair booth? They said there should be plenty of lessons in here somewhere. That's true. In an earlier blog I thought about how it was a "community maker"and not just a money-maker and used the body of Christ image from I Corthinians 12; many differing parts and one body. I saw that again as I realized how every job at the food booth was absolutely essential. Where would we be without the dishwashers! How could we operate without the person who laundered the aprons every night at her home? What about the food prepared back in the church kitchen? When I was grilling I was helpless with out the helper and the steam table worker. If no one took the orders what would happen? Who took care of the shopping list and ran the errands and washed the floors? What if we had no customers! You get the idea.
Another lesson would be comments that I heard from Nick and Sara who were taking orders as waiter/waitress. They spoke of how most people were understanding and courteous as they came to the food booth. We are , after all, volunteers in a job that happens only once a year. But there were a few exceptions - the people who snapped their fingers at you 'like you were a dog" or who thought they should be treated as if all other customers had to be ignored but them ,and so on. We talked about how when they are in a restaurant they will have a new appreciation for the wait staff. But there is a larger analogy to work with here. In ministry we will serve all kinds of people. Most will be appreciative and understanding and willing to join in the Spirit of the venture and that even with our best training and efforts we will still make some mistakes. And there will also be a a few exceptions; those who will always be critical or demanding or just plain hard to satisfy. But we are still here to offer the ministry of Christ. Grace seems to be the featured item on the menu. We serve it with prayer and patience, forgiveness and faith; and every now and then we take off the aprons and we sit down at the booth and enjoy a good helping just for ourselves. We need it!
This morning (Fair Booth Recovery Sunday on our local liturgical calender) we celebrated the sacrament of Holy Communion and we remembered all that God has done to feed us and serve us. We are first of all, those who receive. God, in Jesus Christ, has come to serve us. We are hungry. We come to the table. I suppose most of the time I come with my best gratitude and patience and open-ness. Some times I am probably like the self centered customer who wants it fast and wants it now. I have probably snapped my fingers at God a few times. Thank God I still get served. Grace.
Rambling on....
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