Rory Swenson

I still think we need another Star Trek TV series. At least I could learn about parallel universes , time distortions and alternate realities without having to read about physics. Remember the shows where you end up with more than one Picard or Kirk? Are there others of me? 2, 3 4?
I googled up "Rory Swenson" and found out that I am not the only one in the universe! My name is not that common so Iam not used to sharing it. There is a Rory Swenson in Saskatoon who is on facebook. Another Rory Swenson works for Franklin Covey and either that or another Rory Swenson writes on other blogs. Some other Rory Swenson is a very active Mormon. Some Rory Swenson has political opinions that are the opposite of mine! So when you are out in the cyber unverse, try to get the real me!

Un-offical ecumenical movement

Today the 56 year old Lakota woman whose funeral service I had on Tuesday was buried out in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. She was going to have a traditional Lakota ceremony for the burial. I also noticed that the burial place was in a Catholic cemetery. When we were planning her service the family said that she and the family had not been particularly religious but when they had had gone to church it was with the Methodists. For her service here in Brainerd the family wanted a religious service with time to share stories. So that is what we arranged. At first we started in a smaller room with the chairs in a circle near the open casket but the numbers soon crowded the seating arrangement so we ended up with a few rows. Several shared stores. Indeed the person had not lived a traditional religious life and was described as a rascal and a rebel. Yet I also heard of her humor, her love for the outdoors, for family, and of her hospitality as a place where many of them had been able to "just go and crash there." She had worked with social service and tribal agencies, worked for welfare reform, loved Indian art. When we got to the sharing of those memories and stories I felt like we had entered the deeper part of the service. Talking about someone's life is sacred work. Clearly (to me) she had some attributes in her life that would be called "spiritual." I am glad that some Methodists got to be part of that along the way in some small influence at least, and I assume that she had been baptised in a Catholic church, yet had been coming home to her Lakota spirituality as well. She probably never made much of an impact on any official church membership rolls, but it sounds like she had a calling and a ministry with some folks that we just don't see in the churches. Maybe it took an "ecumenical , inter-faith movement" to pull it off: Catholic baptism, Methodist Sunday Schools, Lakota spirituality, and some mysterious mix of God's rebellious, "rascally" Holy Spirit. Maybe there is more of that going on than we know?
Rambling on

"Whats new?"

Sara got back from the Neil Young concert in the Cities and said she was writing about it on facebook. Well that left me out so she kindly posted it on her blog so I could get at it too. But it was enough to motivate me to set up a facebook page. Thats what is new. My first thought was that it wants me to be a lot more extroverted and chatty than I usually care to be. But I will give it a try.

She had a great time at the concert, had no troubles getting to Hamline and then back to Duluth. Since she put some Neal Young music on my ipod I think I will finish my day with that music.

The Laramie Project

Beth and I just got back from Central Lakes College's production of the Laramie Project, the story of Matthew Shepard's death and the awareness that it raised. Our son, Nick, played the part of the bicyclist who found Matthew on the fence. A powerful piece of dramatic literature, well done. Go see it! better yet.. hear the message.

Today's Vision Statement from the Upper Room

WORLDLY ORGANIZATIONS spend most of their time and energy worrying about tomorrow. This worry is manifested in strategic planning, financial predictions, five-year goals, and vision statements, to name just a few. … Jesus, on the other hand, knew that God would lead and guide him in his life and work. The path of his activity would be laid out for him day by day, week by week, and there really was no need to worry about tomorrow. This was especially true because for him, and therefore for us who claim to be the church, his vision statement was simple and clear: follow God.
- Daniel Wolpert Leading a Life with God: The Practice of Spiritual Leadership
From p. 142 of Leading a Life with God by Daniel Wolpert. Copyright © 2006

What's going on?

Last week I got busy with a funeral on Monday for Jessie B, and with a wedding on the weekend so it felt like I was trying to press everything else in to the middle of the week. Brainerd had a community homecoming celebration on Saturday and Nick and his tuba got to march in the parade wearing the parade uniforms for the first time.
Sunday was a nice CROP walk in spite of some light rain. Now I am thinking this could be more of a normal week, but what is that?

I sometimes think the image of the plate spinners describes parish ministry.Gotta keep the preaching plates going, plus a few people looking for a home visit. Today it was two hospital visits in Brainerd plus one in Crosby, (none of which I knew would be on my schedule today) And I needed to get some preparation done for the confirmation class orientation tomorrow. Then a few other emails, phone calls and visits arrived in the office. But I got a start (maybe) on the Sunday service planning! Actually it felt like a rather slow and easy day. So maybe I should worry ahead to next week because its is looking busier.


Tonight I plan to watch the debates and the "spin" that follows and check in on the latest Wall Street juggling. I have thought about trying to do some thoughtful, informed blogging on the banking crisis and the ethical issues but since I have never done anything of that much depth in my "ramble' it might be easier to go read the thoughts of others.
Or maybe that's just more of the cultural plate spinning!
Have we become a nation of plate spinners? When does being amazing and talented become trapped and ridiculous? *(see PS) Why did this get started and how do you stop and catch the plates without the breakage? Seems to me you can't stop unless there is someone next to you , who is not spinning the plates, so you can toss them to that person. How many non-plate spinners do you know?
Maybe some of it needs to just stop?
Ok, I'm off for a walk. The maple leaves are gorgeous. Didn't Jesus say "Consider the lilies how they grow: they neither toil nor 'spin'...

Rambling on, ending this entry before it spins out of control?
*PS now read this: posted on inward/outward

By Jim Wallis
Most Americans feel that they are “just getting by.” No matter how much they have, they continue to protest, “We’re barely keeping up with the bills.” Most are up to their necks in credit card debt. Even if they wanted to get out, it would take years. They are, indeed, trapped. Or, in more biblical language, they are in bondage.
The people who have more money and goods than any people in the history of the world spend most of their time worrying about not having enough. We have come to hold all the values of the consumer system without recognizing our subservience to it—the most perfect form of slavery.
Source: The Call to Conversion

From Today's Verse and Voice of Sojourners.
Feeling that morality has nothing to do with the way you use the resources of the world is an idea that can’t persist much longer. If it does, then we won’t.
- Barbara Kingsolver,Backtalk

That comment covers a lot of ground
such as the banking crisis, and Wall Street, and global warming, and energy policy (both the national and my personal energy policy)....and the book that I am reading with some clergy colleagues...Freedom of Simplicity by Richard Foster...or the stewardship emphasis that will happen in Park church this month..and ...and ....and...
maybe I will stick to a smaller piece of ground!