Outreach - bookstyle and practical

Today we took the members of the DARE group in our youth group (the kids we took to Maine) to the Diocesan Outreach Conference. They were pretty much the only kids - in fact - I felt very young in contrast to those who attended! Spent the morning in the HIV/AIDS session - learned a scary new statistic - the fastest growing infection rates in North America are among girls/women between the ages of 15 and 29. What are we doing wrong that the message about safe sex is not getting across???
The afternoon I spent listening to how to grow outreach in various size parishes. Small/Rural to mid size suburban, to large corporation style. Very interesting, and may someday be very useful!
Then we celebrated the Eucharist with Bishop Johnson... when it was all over, he came up to our little enclave of youth and thanked us for coming. He expressed an honest desire to see the youth become involved and was glad we could come.

I truly shake my head when I recall what happened next.

We decided to have a group photo, and asked the Bishop if he would be in it with us. Keep in mind, he is still in his full regalia - alb, chasuble, stole, mitre and staff....
He handed the staff to one of the kids to hold, one of the other kids asked if he could try on the "Bishop's Hat". A bit stunned by the request, Bishop Johnson recovered admirably and said sure. So the kid removed his baseball hat, put on the mitre, and said - 'you should wear my hat'. So we have a photo (coming to me soon I hope!) with myself, our youth pastor, the bishop (wearing a baseball hat with his vestments) a kid in jeans and a mitre, another kid holding the staff and two other teenagers - we 7 made a very motley crew!

Tonight we had a double feature movie screening of Mrs. Doubtfire and Hitchcock's Rear Window at the church. We erected a huge screen against a tree in the cemetary at the church, set up speakers, a table for the popcorn machine, chocolate and hot chocolate and one for the proxima to play the movie. A couple of rows of chairs and we were off to the movies! There was no wind, and aside from the fact that it was only 5 degrees outside - it was a blast! Families were bundled up in coats and sleeping bags, others were huddled together drinking the hot chocolate. There were about 25 people for the first showing and the second one dwindled down to the youth group - but all in all I would say this was a truly ingenius mode of outreach. We decided to do it again in the spring when the weather is warmer. Practical outreach - the opportunity presented itself... and we took up the challenge!

I think one of my favourite parts of the evening was seeing all these teenagers huddled up watching an old movie. I served them a last shot of hot chocolate, and was given such warm appreciative smiles from each kid. How cool is that?

NOOOO!!!!!!

Laura doesn't look happy.

It snowed in Sarnia today... SNOW!!! It's only October!!!

Apparently the suggestion of making a snowman didn't help.

Shhhh.... don't tell her it's sunny here!

I'm replacing my whine with wine

After 3 weeks of terror – finally success! I preached today – completely free from notes – and success! I got it all out – I didn’t forget my train of thought, nothing! Last week was miserable – I forgot all about St. Francis – at least the parts I was going to tell! But today I preached on the Lord’s Prayer. “Our Father… Abba… daddy…” We met for our bible study afterwards and I heard being discussed over coffee before we started… “well, it’s like Kristen was saying…” I guess they truly were listening – WOW!

There was even a new addition to our little group in the form of a young (mid-twenties) woman. She and I had a good chat, and she’s going to join us for liturgy tonight and the wine and cheese party later – mmm… cheese. Speaking of which - I should go help set up the hall!

Giving Thanks

I’m finding myself at loose ends today. Lots of things I could do, but I’ve been thinking about the things that I’m thankful for – partly because of the weekend this is, and partly because I simply recognize that I am alive.

I wake up every morning with the words ‘this is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it’ on my lips in extraordinary thanks that I am able to get out and live today. That I’m going to make mistakes, that I’m going to learn from them and that I’m going to do whatever I can to make someone else’s day.
I’m thankful for my family and their love.
My close friends and their acceptance of my quirks
My acquaintances and the way they challenge me to growth.
For the privilege to learn and study.
And for the joy of trying new things, fearing failing, but trying anyway.
For a loving community in which to wrestle and struggle about issues of faith and love.

This is just a mini list – if I truly wrote down everything and everyone that I’m thankful for, I would never get out and BE, ‘cause I’d spend the rest of my time writing!

So - on that note - I'm going for a walk to enjoy a bit of creation - you should too!

Excuse me???

I'm sick and tired of all this crap. I came across this to my ultimate horror. It's an actual counter (that counts in decimals may I add... not sure how 0.4 of you can die or who decided the rates of death... but that is the least of the craziness on this stupid "counter") the part that I loved was the part where all these people are going to hell - so get out there and save their souls! KIDDING!
Alright - you found me out. I don't believe in Dante's version of Hell. I don't believe that the "unsaved" will burn forever in the fiery pits. I don't buy the notion that God will abandon his beloved, and if you read St. Paul - for I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.' from a little letter to the Romans - I don't get it. If this is to be the measuring stick by which we are to understand the eternal love of God, how did we so distort this image into notions of eternity in the fiery pits of Hell await those who don't believe?
To understand Hell, scholars point to the valley of Hinnom where child sacrifice was once practiced. In order to appease the Gods, babies were sacrificed and their bodies burned. This practice was condemned, the valley made illegal and it subsequently became a big 'ole garbage dump. Problem was, that the way the winds swept around the valley, the fires never went out - they became the unquenchable fires of Gehenna - or hell on earth. THAT is hell. Not some mythological place in the depths of the earth with some guy with horns and a pitch fork. Karen Armstrong said it right when she said 'what is the fun of religion unless you can look down from the parapets of heaven at the unfortunates roasting below.' She points us to our systematic abuse, one-upmanship and absolute narrow-minded ego points to the understanding that only we have the way to God - and it's our way or the highway. Smart woman. Now if only we can get these televangelists that prey (pray?) on the weak and the vulnerable off the air, we may be able to get back to what matters. What matters is how we treat each other. How we live our lives HERE and NOW. Bring about the kingdom of God in our communities, and in the world - NOW - not because we fear roasting for all of eternity in some mythical pit of fire - but because as Christians we are called to live out our beliefs - not just some pious crap on Sunday, but truly go out, get our hands dirty - weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.
May I be known for my actions.
Something kinda related from the news: The pope is doing away with the concept of limbo where Roman Catholics were once taught that this is the place where unbaptized babies go... in a state of perpetual happiness, but not in the presence of God. Lookie here - human assumptions about the afterlife - called into question... who'da thunk it.

The death of my tree.

I looked outside the window this morning and as usual it was pitch black. I left the house just as the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon line. I love sunrise. This morning however was a bit different. I looked around and noticed that... wait a minute... the leaves on the trees are turning colours already! Fall is my favourite season, crunching leaves under my feet, the smell of fires creeping into the neighbourhoods. Good stuff. But when did this happen???

Now I know the science as to why the leaves turn colours and fall off the trees - the storing of energy, dormancy stages - ways of surviving the winter keeping the lifeblood of sap stored deep within the trees. But it's little help when I know the reason that my tree has no leaves is because it died this summer. What tree you ask? Well, I suppose it was mum's tree first, but she has been watching it for so long, it became my tree too, and in fact, I learn that it had become the tree of many sarnians. Technically it is in the middle of a field on Lakeshore road between Brights Grove and Camlachie in southwestern ontario - right in the middle of a crop of soy beans and just down the road from home - my parents home. It is a majestic elm tree that survived the first bout of Dutch elm disease and has been cared for and studied by the university of Guelph for years, so they could figure out why it survived.

Here is a photo of it last winter - my sister and I put together a series of photo's - one from each season. Isn't it gorgeous!

So even though this is the time that the leaves fall, and the trees store up their potential for the coming spring, there is something sad about this one, for I know it won't be bursting forth with buds after the winter ends. Rumour has it (and small towns are wonderful sources of rumours) that the owners are planning on just letting the tree naturally fall as opposed to cutting it down. There is something beautiful about that, almost like a good death for the tree. My dad (who builds BEAUTIFUL furniture) is going to offer to make the owners a table out of the wood if they would like one - a harvest table - a rather fitting memorial.

(hmmm... I think I've been reading too much for my death dying and grief course!) But you know what? I'm really going to miss that tree - we would sometimes even drive out of our way just to check on it - now there is nothing to check on, and its sad.

Delayed Friday post...

I think I'm going to LOVE fridays.

Every other one I get to spend the first hour of my day with 400 (yes four hundred) kids from grade 1 to grade 8 in Chapel. They do announcements, someone reads the scripture, we sing hymns (to varying speeds on the organ... depending on just how fast the organists fingers can go - it is not uncommon that she can play faster than we can get the words out!)

Chapel ends with a prayer for the school, the grace and the singing of this:

Laudate Dominum, Laudate Dominum
omnes gentes,
Alleluia

(rest, rinse and repeat - sometimes in English)
Sing praise and bless the Lord, Sing praise and bless the Lord
Peoples, nations,
Alleluia

Unless of course you are in grade one or two and can't read Latin (perhaps I should extend this to people at my age... but I digress), you may have been heard singing:

Long may the donkey run, Long may the donkey run
onward, gently
Alleluia!

But you know what? It makes more sense to someone who speaks English as opposed to Latin! However, I thought I was going to split a seam trying to keep my laughter in! If you have ever had a terrible day or a terrible week, there is something so wonderful about hearing that many kids sing. It truly has the ability to raise anyone's spirits!

tales from the chapel

I always thought I was a morning person. Not that I enjoyed getting up at an early hour, but more that I function better in the morning. I think that is still the case, but I'm being forced into becoming an early morning person. I leave the house at 7 to make it to the church for chapel at 8:30. I like to give myself a bit of a cushin to the detriment of my sleep patterns - and now that the adjustment is permanent - I caught a cold and I can't stop sneezing. I feel fine, I just don't sound it!

Chapel is a wonderful adventure. I had to introduce myself to the kids this past week. Who would have thought I would have been nervous in front of 200 kids? I used to volunteer in public schools to help teach kids - the kids don't scare me... talking about myself in front of all of them does! Apparently the first day I didn't talk long enough, and the rector said 'ahh, a woman of few words - very rare!' and the second day - it was a little better, he just said 'now let's see if she can read!' We (me, kids and teachers) all broke out laughing... especially since reading (much to my surprise) is well within my comfort zone. Strange to hear those words from my mouth, but it's true - reading doesn't scare me anymore. The joys of learning how to not be as shy as I truly am. But it is so hard to do!

I preached my first sermon without notes and realized halfway through, that I had completely forgotten a whole section. Not ready for no notes yet... but I tried it!

I'm off to get stuff ready for next chapel on Wednesday - it's nice that Monday is a holiday - since all my classes are on monday, I get a week off school :-)

Bishop Blesses

News today of Archbishop Terence Finlay (retired bishop in Toronto) causes me to cheer from the sidelines. This past summer he officiated in a service at a United Church where he blessed the union of a same sex couple. He has now been sanctioned by Bishop Colin Johnson - who I'm not sure had much of a choice in the matter - because the Church still does not officially condone or bless same sex unions.

From the news: Finlay told the Anglican Journal he did not officiate as a "publicity stunt" to force a debate on the issue in Canada, though his views on same-sex marriage have developed in the years since he fired Jim Ferry, a Unionville minister. (in 1991)
"Life in the church was very different in those days," he said. "I married two people who love each other deeply; they care about the church and I believe their commitment has been blessed by God."

"I think our church has waited a long time and has discussed this issue over and over and in this particular situation, time just run out for me. For me now, this issue has moved from one of unity to one of justice."

More information can be found on the Anglican Journal site


Apparently it is now being seen as a human rights issue - Don't know what you think - but I think it's been a human rights issue for too long. Thank you Archbiship Finlay!

whole wack of stuff

I learned something very valuable about ministry today. I learned just how much fun it truly can be! I started the day helping make breakfast for 50 people. They are the sidespeople who are responsible for greeting everyone who enters the church from those who come most weeks, to those who haven’t been in a while to those who have never set foot in a Christian church before. Their ministry of hospitality is one so key to any parish, I just can’t stress it enough. I was privileged to serve them breakfast this morning, chat and catch up.

Then we proceeded out to the cemetery with a whole bunch of dogs, one cat and one fish for the blessing of the animals (thank you St. Francis of Assisi). What an amazing site, to see just how much people change when they are around their pets. If only we could treat each other like we treat our pets – the world would be a better place!

Next came a wedding with about 150 guests. It was beautiful, everyone looked so happy and I learned how to kibitz with a nervous groom. He decided pacing was to be his form of exercise for the day, and practically wore a hole in the vestry carpet. But when the wedding began, it was a beautiful presentation of love. You could almost feel it in the room. They both kept giving each other almost knowing looks and they flirted with each other throughout the service and it was actually very heart-warming.

Then we had a rehearsal for the baptisms tomorrow – there will be 5 of them. 1 teenager, 1 father and his son and 2 other babies. How cool is it to have a father be baptised with his son?

I think this has been one of the best birthdays I have had, because I got to spend it serving others. This notion didn’t however come without a bit of navel gazing this afternoon! At first I was kinda irritated that I couldn’t do what I wanted on my birthday, that I couldn’t go home to Sarnia, spend time with my family and friends. I was stuck doing ‘stuff’ at the church. I rarely begrudge doing things there, but you know what, earlier in the week, I was dreading today – I wanted it to be about me!

Now let me make one thing perfectly clear. I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m afraid. I’m scared to even entertain the possibility that I have absolutely no idea what I’m getting myself into! This is probably the last thing on the face of God’s green earth that I ever, even in my wildest dreams, EVER thought I would be doing. Me – becoming a priest??? Na….. I think I often wonder if other people will see this side of me. I wonder what other people think of this. I wonder how many of them think that I’m nuts! How many can see into the depths of my mind and understand just how absurd a concept this whole becoming a priest thing is – even to me – especially to me! I guess I’m worried about being found out as a fraud… ‘cause who am I to even think that I could entertain the notion of becoming a priest. Then I have a day like today. A day where the whole picture starts to become less blurry – just for a second – and I catch a glimpse of the truth. This has absolutely nothing to do with me. I’m here, I’m offering myself in service to God and to everyone I meet. I get it. Took me a while. But I get it. I know I’ll forget it again soon – and I hope I can count on another day like today will come along to remind me that I really do understand!