conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

rehearsing with the bride

Here is a fun picture of me and the bride. Anne and Jim celebrated their marriage with a blessing ceremony last weekend. Trish and I flew to VA, thus the time in Detroit, to be there. I presided. I don't remeber when during the rehearsal Trish took this photo. It is not clear, but it still communicates the fun we were having. Follow the link to my Flickr page for more images from the weekend.

musing about mark's gospel and 2 corinthians

I think all of Scripture, in the end, is about God's love for His Creation. But these two passages are great illustrations of the myriad ways that love is revealed. God's love is haphazard in some ways...simply touch the hem of a garment? Well, that is a bit mechanistic, of course, and what heals the woman is the faith she proclaims through her action and proclamation. The haphazard nature is ours and not Christ's. But it illustrates the haphazard nature of relationship...and how we live with Christ.

Christ also gives a great example of how God's love operates. It is generous. He stops what he is doing, undermining the authority of the apostles in the process, to do what many think of as absurd. It is a lovely story. In the face of laughter, God heals. In the face of laughter, God stops everything to save a child.

The 2 Corinthians passage is by some interpretations and example of how God's love flows through how we share our wealth, financial and other. It is a foregone conclusion that there is enough to go around. The model is one of abundance and not scarcity. It is a model that regards assets and not needs foremost. Certainly, there are needs. But a needs-based theology denies the outpouring of the Spirit. Scarcity, according to this passage, may well be an illusion.

What do you think of that. Am I making this up? Is it actually not in the passages at all? I have been staring at them for a while now and think that I may be bringing too much to the table. What thinkest thou? The scripture is in the extended link.

2 Corinthians 8:7-15
8:7 Now as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you--so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.
8:8 I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others.
8:9 For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.
8:10 And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something--
8:11 now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means.
8:12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has--not according to what one does not have.
8:13 I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between
8:14 your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance.
8:15 As it is written, "The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little."

Mark 5:21-43
5:21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea.
5:22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet
5:23 and begged him repeatedly, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live."
5:24 So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him.
5:25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years.
5:26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse.
5:27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,
5:28 for she said, "If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well."
5:29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.
5:30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?"
5:31 And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, 'Who touched me?'"
5:32 He looked all around to see who had done it.
5:33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth.
5:34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."
5:35 While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader's house to say, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?"
5:36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe."
5:37 He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
5:38 When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.
5:39 When he had entered, he said to them, "Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping."
5:40 And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was.
5:41 He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha cum," which means, "Little girl, get up!"
5:42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement.
5:43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

a real fixer-upper

This is Trish's grandmother's old homeplace. It seems Cousin Eddie is going to turn it into a hunting shack. We think it should be our summer home or a retreat center. I t can be done! The roof, rafters and foundation are great. It just needs some help. That's all.

obama's speech

This is a quotation from Obama's speech.

Solving these problems will require changes in government policy, but it will also require changes in hearts and a change in minds. I believe in keeping guns out of our inner cities, and that our leaders must say so in the face of the gun manufacturers' lobby - but I also believe that when a gang-banger shoots indiscriminately into a crowd because he feels somebody disrespected him, we've got a moral problem. There's a hole in that young man's heart - a hole that the government alone cannot fix.

Read the rest here.

a chat gone creative...

Here is something to chat about when you are pastors with IM.

gwbutterfly: yeah. well, i'm fairly convinced that
confirmation shouldn't be a sacrament

AngloBaptist: Is it really?

AngloBaptist: I thought it was not.

gwbutterfly: well, depends who you ask

gwbutterfly: its one of the five sacramental rites... which some people count as part of the 7 Sacraments, and others say we have 2 Sacraments and 5 sacramental rites

AngloBaptist: Ah.

AngloBaptist: Thus my confusion all this time.

AngloBaptist: I though there was one sacrament.

gwbutterfly: TWO!!!

gwbutterfly: Eucharist & Baptism

gwbutterfly: silly baptist

gwbutterfly: just cuz Communion isn't in your name, you think you can forget all about it

AngloBaptist: Nooo

AngloBaptist: Creation...you know, Genesis. That is the one sacrament. Our participation is through the creative action of God. Anything else is an echo of that.

AngloBaptist: I just made that up.

gwbutterfly: wow. cool

gwbutterfly: i love it!

AngloBaptist: Me too!

gwbutterfly: save that one

gwbutterfly: blog!

is it really thursday...

W
ell, there is much to report this morning. And I am excited by most of what I am about to share and saddened by one bit of news. Let's start there, shall we?

AKMA reported the death of one of my favorite "bloggists" and html gurus. Michelle Goodrich has passed away. I don't know the details. My interaction with her was only around html and spiffing up the blog. You will find a link to Mandarin on the left-hand column. She helped me figure my way around html more than most people and that is saying something. "Flights of angels," indeed.

In other news, I am going to be interviewed today by the local CBS affiliate. I am one of several being interviewed for a story on the Emergent Movement. The story will air on July 10th and I don't know if I will make the final cut. Apparently they are interviewing several people. I am excited nonetheless. It is a good opportunity for Reconciler and for Wilmette (website under construction)...though more for Reconciler. The producer wanted to come out on Sunday and filmn some of our service, but we have a guest preacher (candidating weekend of sorts) and Larry and I thought it might be too much for one day...a tough decision, but I think the right one.

Note: Yeah, well...so it is an all or nothing package. Interveiw and footage of worship or nothing at all. So, we caved to the power of the industry! LOL. Come and worship with us this Sunday. You may end up on TV.

I will be slowly tweaking the links to your left over the next few weeks. As Wilmette cleans up the existing website and then replaces it, I need the blog to at least link to the congregation. I cannot believe I have not yet done that. I think that the FAQ reflects it, but I need to double check that as well.

After my interview I will slide by SWTS to work on my sermon and my thesis. I have two chapters due in very short order. No comments about this development, por favor. I am just trying to get the thing done and done well. I need to be done languising in the vagueness of it all. John Calvin is/was The Man.

Okay, now I need to work. The newsletter is going out. We have an ice cream social in July. One of the Girls will be playing. That should be fun.

in wilmette

Hey.

We made it home...with a little delay in Detroit. The house is coming along quite well. I have pictures from the wedding etc to post...including the airport at Detroit which is becomming one of my favorite B&B's.

I am at the church office. Administrivia calls!

BTW, go here to read Larry's sermon from Sunday. It is lovely.

water, water everywhere...

Hey.

Thunderstorms are cool. But flash flooding near the airport is not. Hmmm...

I'll keep you posted.

summer lovin'

dateline June 26, 2006 Huddleston, VA

It is a lovely day. The sun is shining...and it is humid enough to drum up the occasional thunderstorm. You can hear them rumble about the hills. Fantastic.

Last night Trish and I had dinner with about 10 or so of the Austin clan. Lunch today was the same, but only 6 and different Austins. Tonight will be a repeat of last night but it will involve me playing PS2 with my nephew.

We wandered about this afternoon and found Trish's grandmother's homeplace. It is lovely...a small farmhouse perched on a hill. There is a spring on the hill and a creek at its base. I took some pictures. I'll share them when we have the bandwidth to download photos.

a good night

I am pooped.

But it was a great day and night. The service went swimmingly. I was wired for sound which was interesting. I wore both the lav for the church sound system and for the videographer.

The reception was great fun...lots of dancing and good food. I may have scanadalized some with the whole Dancing Baptist thing, but Lynchburg will recover.

oh...right...

The rehearsal went well. I am learning to do them still...a lifelong endeavor I am sure. But it was fun and we worked out the hinkiness.

I just finished the sermon. Follow the extended link to read it if you wish.

One of the things I enjoy about both Jim and Annie is their sense of humor...their well-honed sense of fun. In that spirit, they both like to point to me and my wife, Trish, and proclaim "This is their fault!" Jim and Anne it seems discovered one another at our wedding. Thus, any responsibility or perhaps credit belongs to me and Trish.

My mother, however, would take issue with this.

You see, several months before our wedding, I was in DC for a conference and stayed with my mom. One evening we decided to gather some friends and have dinner. Mom graciously took us out for a lovely evening. And if I recall correctly, Jim and Anne sat next to one another at that dinner.

Now, I don't want to start a fight here at the blessing of their marriage, but there seems to be some disagreement as to who was supposed to call whom and if I was supposed to call someone with someone else's phone number. It becomes very confusing very quickly.

Now, if these competing stories were not enough, there is also the likelihood that they met in college. Jim was singing in an a cappella group and Anne was a groupie. I think she was even serenaded by the group during one concert.

So, really, in all of this who is to blame? Is it me and my wife? Are we to blame? Perhaps my mother is at fault here or deserves all the credit. Then again, there was college.

I think if we worked at it, many of us could think of phone conversations we had, moments when Jim and Anne perhaps wondered where their relationship was going and called friends and family for advice or guidance. In some sense, the credit and the blame belong to all of us gathered here today.

This is the thing I understand about Christian marriage. In spite of some popular notions about marriage, the economy and rugged individualism, we are not blessing this union and then sending Jim and Anne off into the distance to make their own way.

"Good luck, kids! Thanks for the party!" and off we go.

If there is truly a belief in the grace of God and the gathering of a cloud of witnesses, then we cannot leave Jim and Anne alone in this relationship. It may be a theological impossibility, a denial of the Kingdom of God breaking into our lives this day, even to suggest that such independence is possible. Marriage is yet one more way by which God gathers us in to life together with Christ.

...

One of the people who cannot be with us in the flesh is Jim's mother. I have heard time and again from friends and family alike that she wanted desperately to see this day come for her children. And it is with a heavy heart in the midst of great joy that we notice her absense. And yet...

And yet...

Jim and Anne will take communion with one another.
As we pray, we know that God is present...
         ...the Spirit is present
                 ...Christ is present as promised in Bread and Wine.

We also know that there is a cloud of witnesses...a gathering of saints and angels singing praises to God that gather with us. As much as we may miss those who could not be here with us, we know that they are here with us. They share the credit and the blame for the relationship we bless this day.

As our hands our lifted and our arms are opened, so too are those who have gone before us. As we embrace, we are embraced. As we feast, we enter into a holy feast. As we love, we are loved. The beloved who gather are seen and unseen.

Brothers and sisters, friends and family, our Lord is a Lord of Promise. The love that we receive from God in Jesus the Christ is the love that was promised in scripture. It is the love that the prophets foretold. It is the love of our family and friends. And it is the love that will come on the last day.

This day we praise the God of Love.

This day we bless a marriage that is the fulfilment of a promise of love.

This day we bear witness to love gathered, in all who gather here in Spirit and Flesh. There are none absent. None can escape the blame or credit for this marriage, this happy union.

Jim, Anne, as you were gathered together with the love and aid of friends and family, so too will you continue. Our arms our outstretched and God's love is eternal.

This is a blessing indeed.

Thanks be to God!

ruckus/rowdy

dateline June 24, 2006, Lynchburg, VA
So, on our way home from the rehearsal dinner last night my lovely wife asked something like "Why is it that we always end up at the rowdy table?"

I suggested that we may be the lowest common denominator in that equation. "Really? Oh."

Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don't. The table was made up of most of the bride/groom folk...including said bride and groom. We all agreed that after our conversations about tweezing, pregnancy (getting that way), communion bread with walnuts, and other virtuous subjects appropriate to a wedding ceremony, keeping a straight face during the service will be impossible. I love this job.

One guy, toward the end of our evening leaned over to his wife and said, "Well honey, we can honestly say that we sat at the preacher's table at the rehearsal dinner. This should keep is in the clear where sin is concerned."

LOL

Can anyone explain the idea of collateral purity? Not that I am all that pure...I am rowdy don't you know...but that cracked me up. I informed him that in such moments I am a hyper-individualist. He's on his own.

Ah, good times.

Ooo! Ooo! I enjoyed oysters on the half shell for lunch yesterday!! (*dance of joy*) God is good. Today my mother is going to make crabcake sandwiches. And that reminds me of the gift I received recently from a friend. A Jewish friend from Maryland was gifted with some gourmet crabcakes. She claims that Jews in Maryland receive a dispensation when it comes to crabcakes. She had some extras. Mmmm.

I love seafood. Chicago does not have seafood...not for under $30. Yes, we have Sushi restaurants. I love 'em. But this is the summer. I get hankerings and cravings for the bad for ya shellfishy kind of seafood.

Steamed crabs anyone? I'm ready. I have the Old Bay.

Coffee is ready...adieu!

smells

dateline: 11:20am June 23rd, Lynchburg, VA


You know, one of the things I love about summer in Virginia is the perfume. I know, here I go again.

the boxwoods after a rain
the clay dust
my mother's perfume
french toast and bacon
rose bushes
hot pavement

I slept for about ten hours last night. So, things are looking good. I met with the groom yesterday afternoon to walk through the service outline. Long distance planning is frustrating. We accomplished more last night than we had in months of calls and e-mails.

All is good. This is a blessing of a civil marriage. It is holy and right. I prefer these...And it is, ideally, more relaxed than the usual hubub. So, things will be lovely. The liturgy will be simple. There will be communion, but only for the bride and groom. It is what they wanted. 'Nuff said. Ah, and I will be in a Big Baptist Church in Lynchburg. Fabulous.

Later...time to get ready to take Trish for her mani-pedi and to meet my mother's pastor. I am very excited to meet the man who has had such a good influence on her. A rare pastor is good to find.

and we made it...

We left the house at 3:15pm yesterday.
We arrived at the airport in time to find our flight was delayed.
We left Chicago at 11:30pm.
We arrived in Detroit at 1:30am.
Nothing was moving.
There was no room for us at the inn.
We managed to sleep about 37 minutes on the floor of the airport...and flew out of Detroit to Roanoke at 10:05am. We just got to my mother's house in Lynchburg. I am tired. So is Trish. Oy. Veh.

Heh.

Remind me to tell you how this is all Trish's fault. ;-)

out of town

Trish and I leave tomorrow afternoon for a wedding in Virginia. We will return next Tuesday. For those of you who were at our wedding, the couple getting hitched were present at our wedding...in fact they sorta met there. Interesting.

Happy day, Jim and Annie!
This is a great thing.

Tonight before we leave I have a meeting with a committee formerly known as the Out of the Box Committee. I like the name...and they have changed the name. This saddens me. But I understand.

The plumber came. Much more works in the house now. Tomorrow, the painter will come and begin completing that work. That too will be great. If all goes well, we may return to a nigh unto complete renovation. This too is a great thing.

Pax Renovare?

See y'all later.

tuesday mornings in wilmette

It is a glorious morning. The sun is shining in the study. Les McCann and Eddie Harris are playing on iTunes. Life is good.

Yesterday was interesting...good, but interesting. I went to a driving range. Yep. I did. It was fun. I have not wacked at some golf balls in about two years...since Thanksgiving two years ago. It shows, but at least I make the same mistake again and again. Humiliation, thy name is golf. I slice like someone who spent a great deal of time in a kitchen...without effort and the same way every time. That is simply how it is. If any of you play the game, would you tell me how to get the 3-wood to go farther than the 5-iron? I hit 'em both about 150 yards every time. I know I prefer the shorter clubs. I am lousy with the longer club. Pointers? Anyone?

In other news, the ECUSA has a new Presiding Bishop. Go here for the best report I have read.

We had promised them that history is made and seen by those who show up. If they hadn't believed us by then, they sure do now. They were present at a turning point of their Church, and one whose full meaning will not be understood for a long time to come. - The Librarian

sam on fiddle

sam bush

I do wish I could play as well as this guy...though this video does not even begin to give you a sense of what this guy can do. He is tremendous. And Emmy Lou ain't half bad.

Tonight I am going to a mandolin workshop. It should be a good time.

for your reading...

Secretary of State Rice meets the SBC. Why am I confused?

GREENSBORO, N.C. (ABP) -- In an address that was received like a campaign stump speech, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, exhorting her listeners to support the United States in spreading freedom around the globe.

This is the link to a NY Times Editorial about W's "extra-legal" doings.

On Monday, the Bush administration told a judge in Detroit that the president's warrantless domestic spying is legal and constitutional, but refused to say why. The judge should just take his word for it, the lawyer said, because merely talking about it would endanger America. Today, Senator Arlen Specter wants his Judiciary Committee to take an even more outlandish leap of faith for an administration that has shown it does not deserve it.

I find the political landscape in this country more and more confusing as I explore it. There are more layers of engagement and alliance than I can begin to count. The SBC in places still holds on to some racist attitudes...some sexist attitudes, but it would seem the leadership has come beyond that. Who can say? And the amount of trust that is shown any person in office is a great befuddlement to me. I blog amazed.

university update: part two

The newsletter continues anon! Go, Puffins*!

Sjlbvdnzv School of Graduate Studies

Weinberger suggests that Thomas Jefferson would not have been a fan of the Dewey Decimal System. Who knew?!
Weiner is sharing the rules for BloggerCon.
Fluid Pudding is sharing the joys of potty training.
Justin is an uncle!
Rich waxes sarcastic on the fate of the Union and hurricane season.
Sunni has posted pictures.
Sarah is studying the Vampire Squid from Hell. Really. That's the name of the beast.
Inside Voice is running the CaliMan. Why?
Jane longs to get up hay. I understand. Really I do.
Noz posts on the benefits of legal education. Juris whatits are good for you.
Cathy is seeing hotdogs...visions of walking weiners.

H. E. Fosdick School of Baptist Ministry

CrossLeft (Robb Moore) is speaking about "Gay Marriage."
Aimee spent four dollars and received an award.
Travis the Theobilly has had fun at church. Good music abounds!
Mike ponders the word "impetus."
Amy baptized someone in a river. Is this sanitary? I think some Londeners asked the same question a few hunderd years ago.
Bryan is blogging about Christianity and the World Cup.
Michael Spencer wonders if the Southern Baptists have turned a page.
Joel is seeking help for someone in the Atlanta area.
The Anabaptist Monk has been on a road trip.
Mike blogs about happy thoughts and poopy diapers.

And that, fellow denizens of the ether, is our University Update for this week. Again, we are lazy slackers and may not get around to this until November, but know that we do not endeavor to change our ways. Administrivia is our livlihood...and so is spelling.

Help Wanted

Editor Small online "University" seeks editor with sense of humor and knowledge of early Virginia foothills hieroglyphs. No compensation provided. One will receive the praise and honor due the position. Please contact us in the comments section of this post. Grazie!

*Puffins are the official mascot of the UofB-SC.

thinking about my father

Yesterday my father called me at the office. I had mailed him my Pentecost sermon thinking that he might find it interesting. Daddy doesn't really go to church anymore, but he's a good father and tries to take interest in what his insane children are doing.

Our conversation went something like this:

"Hey, boy. How are ya?"
"Good, Daddy. What's up?"
"I received your sermon in the mail. I'm calling to tell you that it's really good. You have clearly found your niche."
"Wow. Thanks."
"I'm serious. The tone and pacing of the sermon was good. And I am sure you will improve even more and become an excellent preacher."

At this point I am on the verge of tears. Affirmation from Dad! Huzzah. But then that wicked Hudgins wit surfaces. Woe!

"I just have one small complaint."
"Yes, sir?"
"You are a human being."
"Sir?"
"Boy, a standing rib roast is 'done.' You are a human being. You can be finished, but you are never 'done.'"
"Yes, sir."
"Remember what your daddy says. You are a human being and not a standing rib roast."
"Yes, sir. I am not a standing rib roast."
"That's my son. Now let me tell you about the baseball game last night..."

Yes, ladies and gentlemen. This is our relationship in a nutshell. I laughed a good long while after we were done.

wednesday at the university: school's out for the summer

Here at the University of Blogaria we have fallen behind in our Updates. So, it may appear to the casual student at the University that the administration has been slacking off. This is absolutely true and should not be doubted. Nonetheless, to put an end to such slacking, we have decided to reinstitute the Weekly Update!

We know you are thrilled.

St. Cyprian Orthodox Seminary (and Catholic Day School?)

Karl is still on leave.
Clifton is off to see his girls...all of them. And he is continuing a long "diablog" that is well worth the read if you are into Soteriology.
Huw is conducting a reading group. He and some of his Orthodox buds (assumption) are going to tackle McLaren's new book.
Larry is tackling many issues at once: Theology and The Church, Relevance and the failure of secular society, and what it means to be safe in the US. Yeah, sometimes he's like that.
CT has been silent. I will likely have to send him on sabatical.
Thomas has been buying books.

Phillips Brooks Episcopal Seminary
Note: The ECUSA is in the midst of its General Convention this week. Keep them in your prayers.

Susie is trying to catch up.
Jane Ellen knows her IQ?!
Micah has been ordained to the Deaconate.
Rev Ref+ is putting out fires and potentially starting a few.
David is working hard on the Mississippi coast. He has a hero.
Beth is working hard.
Sequencia is still posting in spite of the best efforts of some.
Dylan is praying for her denomination.
Rick+ is still working through Barna.
Ryan is in Florida surfing for Jesus.
Jeff is still posting sermons.

Arminian and yet Reformed Theological Seminary of Sjlbvdnzv

Baruch is reading the Constitution of the United States of America. Be ye warned.
Bob wants us to know that God is a DJ.
Jordon is going through the ringer. Hang in there, sir.
Robyn has completed here year-long CPE and is riding her bike.
Mae is feelin' Bohemian. She is also an Auntie all over again!
Wendy wants to get a dog. So do I.
Frank is quoting Obama.
Gordon is working with his muse.
David is talking about the Convention as well. I think he may be moving to the Episcopal Seminary. They need a musician.
Camassia is thinking about Christianity's suitablility for kids. Yeah, that's right. It is not G rated, people! Now what?
Hugo is mourning the loss of a pet.
Geoff is running the gamut around sectarian theologies and the priesthood. This is good stuff.
Jennifer is converting.

More to come...

tuesday...in the subhood?

Monday is my day off. So, you may not see me blog often on that day. For now my computer will live on my desk at the office. There is no place for it in the maze of cardboard that is our home. Maybe, if things lighten up a little and we get internet at the house, I will blog on the day off, but I am thinking I may rest from blogging on Monday. I did not even check e-mail yesterday and it felt great! I fell asleep on the couch at about 1pm and slept until almost 4pm. I am begining to think that I may make that a pastoral discipline. Heh. The trouble is that I always wake up cranky. *sigh*

In other news, Monday was a banner day. Yes, I napped. That was good. I also had lunch with a fellow Wilmettian minister. She shall remain nameless until she grants me permission to post her name on the blog. Suffice it to say that lunch was lovely. The conversation edifying and many of my anxieties were lifted simply by meeting another pastor here in the subhood. We have already started talking about doing things next summer. There is an ecumenical Vacation Bible School. I want in. Trish had a really great idea for it as well...the VBS is in the evening. Perhaps there should be an adult component. With all of the connections that exist, we could easily have a series of speakers for the four evenings. Heck, we might even come up with a single topic, allow each speaker to address it and then on the last night, have an open forum where all kinds of questions can be asked. We shall see.

Today I meet with the out-going and in-coming Moderators of the church. Our annual meeting was Sunday (It went well.) and tonight is a Council Meeting (Read: Vestry, you Anglicans). I want to get together and get our agenda in order. I have a couple of things that I want to put forward. Again, we'll see.

Well, I must be off now. I have some work to do before my afternoon meeting. I'll post the sermon from Sunday later today. I did not type it up. So, I'll need to do that before I post it.

Oh, and One of the Girls had a gig on Saturday. I thought we might get rained out, but it seems not. Huzzah! Sean, our guitarist, could not make it, but we managed without him. The sea shanties were quite fun with accordion and mandolin.

marriage amendment

Follow the extended link for the American Baptist Press' article on the failure of the marriage amendment.

-Robert Marus

WASHINGTON (ABP) -- For the second time in as many election years, the Senate has killed a proposal to amend the Constitution to deny marriage to same-sex couples.

That won't stop the House from taking up the same proposal, though, and opponents of gay rights noted that the measure picked up one Senate vote from the last time.

Senators effectively killed the bill for the rest of the year on a 49-48 procedural vote June 7. The vote was not on the amendment itself, but on a measure to cut off debate and proceed to a vote on the substantive matter of the proposed amendment. Although the margin constituted a majority of the senators present, it was well short of the 60 votes needed in the Senate to cut off debate as well as the 67 votes needed to approve the amendment.

President Bush, who had made two speeches endorsing the amendment in the days prior to the vote, said he was "disappointed the Senate did not achieve the necessary number of votes to move the amendment process forward."

However, he noted that the framers "set a high bar for amending our Constitution -- and history has shown us that it can take several tries before an amendment builds the two-thirds support it needs in both houses of Congress."

While supporters of the ban gained one vote over their 2004 total, they also lost two Republicans who voted in favor of closing debate on the bill then -- Sens. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Judd Gregg of New Hampshire. Several new Republicans replaced Democratic senators in the 2004 elections.

Specter and Gregg were joined by five other Republicans in opposing a final vote on the measure -- Sens. Lincoln Chafee (R.I.), Susan Collins (Maine), John McCain (Ariz.), Olympia Snowe (Maine) and John Sununu (N.H.).

Independent Vermont Sen. James Jeffords joined 40 Democrats in blocking the bill. The only Democrats to vote in favor of ending debate were Sens. Robert Byrd (W.Va.) and Ben Nelson (Neb.).

Three senators did not vote -- Nebraska Republican Chuck Hagel, who was traveling with President Bush in Omaha; and Democrats Christopher Dodd of Connecticut and Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia.

Democrats, gay-rights groups and religious progressives have said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) scheduled the vote as a way to shore up the Republican Party's conservative base in time for the midterm congressional elections in November.

In 2004, conservatives credited several state ballot issues on banning gay marriage with boosting Republican turnout in the presidential and congressional elections. Now, Bush's poll numbers are at near-historic lows, and Republicans run the risk of losing control of one or both chambers of Congress in November.

In the wake of the Senate vote, House Majority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) promised to bring the bill before Congress' lower chamber as early as July.

Gay-rights leaders cried "foul" at that proposition.

"For the House to now take up a bill that's dead and twice failed would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt this is nothing more than election-year posturing," said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, in a press release.

But supporters of the amendment noted that similar proposals on the state level continued to gain steam -- with Alabama voters overwhelmingly approving a state constitutional ban on gay marriage, and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives overwhelmingly approving a similar measure, June 6. "There's good news for marriage across the U.S. today," said a June 7 press release from the Alliance Defense Fund, an Arizona-based conservative Christian legal group.

The Senate bill was S.J.Res. 1. The House version, introduced in that chamber June 6, is H.J.Res. 88.

george herbert

Trinity Sunday

Lord, who hast form'd me out of mud,
And hast redeem'd me through thy blood,
And sanctifi'd me to do good;

Purge all my sins done heretofore:
For I confess my heavy score,
And I will strive to sin no more.

Enrich my heart, mouth , hands in me,
With faith, with hope, with charity;
That I may run, rise, rest with thee.

Posted by tripp at 08:26 AM |

thanks, jane ellen...and dylan

Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone -- we find it with another. We do not discover the secret of our lives merely by study and calculation in our own isolated meditations. The meaning of our life is a secret that has to be revealed to us in love, by the one we love. And if this love is unreal, the secret will not be found, the meaning will never reveal itself, the message will never be decoded. At best, we will receive a scrambled and partial message, one that will deceive and confuse us. We will never be feel real until we let ourselves fall in love -- either with another human person or with God. - Merton, Love and Living

That, brothers and sisters, is the cornerstone of Trinitarian theology.

wednesday...blogging at the church

We don't have internet at home yet. That will be a while. There is a little construction that has yet to be completed and calling The Cable Guy right now makes no sense. So, we wait.

As I said, Sunday's service went very well. One thing that happened is that we, the congregation that is, was presented with a certificate of membership in the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptist (AWAB). This is something that I heartily endorse. I know that it may cause quite a stir in some circles, but if you read this blog on a regular bases, it is not too surprising that a congregation I serve would hold such a stance.

That being said, here is a website for you. Kudos to Susie. I am still poking around, but it looks good to me. Also, here is an article about how clergy are taking opposing sides on the issue of the Amendment.

The move yesterday went swimmingly. The movers packed and relocated our 3-bedroom apartment in about 6 hours. The piano arrived in one piece. It needs a good tuning and there are a few sticky keys, but all in all it is a great thing.

The cats are doing well with the transition. I am most impressed. Mike did manage to shut himself in three or four rooms last night, but this is how he learns his way around. Oy. Veh.

Okay, I have a sermon to prepare. This Sunday is Annual Meeting Sunday...it is also the Feast of the Holy Trinity. I think there may be a connection there.

Peace!

sermon: pentecost sunday

"Christ is the population of the world, and every object as well. There is no room for hypocrisy. Why use bitter soup when sweet water is everywhere?" - Rumi.

Someone has some explaining to do.

That's the phrase that comes to mind when I place myself in the shoes of the devout onlookers at Pentecost. I can hear my mother's voice a little...

Someone has some explaining to do.

I want you all to try something for a moment if you don't mind. I want you all to use your imaginations a little. Would you? Close your eyes. Use your imagination.

Just imagine it. There you are, walking down the streets of Jerusalem. It is a holy time...seven weeks after Passover and one of the few when you actually make the long trip from where you live to Jerusalem. You are gathered with other pilgrims from all across the known world to celebrate the great deeds of the LORD. This is the LORD of the harvest, the same God who brought Israel out of Egypt. It is the same God who provided for Israel in the desert. This is the same Israel who is the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham.

You have come to give thanks and to praise God.

You are devout. You are on a holy pilgrimage.

And then it happens...there is the sound of a roaring wind and there seem to be flames dancing...flames upon the brows of some people who have gathered together. And these people speak, they people speak in languages that are not their own. So, you stand their amazed. Your amazement turns to confusion and confusion to skepticism. You sneer and say, “These people are drunk on cheap wine. Someone has some explaining to do.”

But then you hear a voice, a single voice from out of the multitude. It is Peter's voice.

No, no. This is not drunkenness. This is the fulfillment of a promise.

“This is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

In the last days it will be, God
declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit
upon all flesh
and your sons and your
daughters will prophesy,
and your young people shall
see visions,
and your old people shall
dream dreams.”^°

You are stunned...again perplexed...again amazed.

Take a breath. Come back to the present moment.

Do I have everyone?

The quotation from Joel's prophetic poetry is the beginning of Peter's sermon to the devout onlookers. If you read Peter's sermon to its end, you will find that he preaches them all into the new community of God's faithful. It is quite an amazing bit of homiletics. I encourage you to read it...preferably after I am done preaching. I don't want to have to compete directly with Peter.

I find Joel's work to be lovely poetry. According to those who know something about Hebrew, Joel was a masterful poet. And even in the translation this is evident. Seeing visions...dreaming dreams. Already I am drawn in, my heart leaps a little.

I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh...all shall prophesy. What an amazing Word!

What the devout on-lookers have witnessed, Peter proclaims, is not early morning drunkenness. It is the in-breaking of the very person, the presence, of God, the Holy Spirit. By reminding the devout onlookers of Joel's prophesy, Peter expands the definition of the prophetic community. It is no longer one person, one rare individual. Instead, God has made a nation of prophets.

“...in [their] own languages [the onlookers] hear them speaking about God's deeds of power.”

Young...
    Old... 
         Male...
              Female...

Rich...
    Poor...
        Slave...
            Free...

From every nation and every tribe, God has raised up prophets. What Peter proclaims is the birth of the church, and the church is a nation of prophets, of sacred poets and story-tellers who speak to all about God's deeds of power.

Indeed, someone has some explaining to do and they are all doing it.

This is a courageous people.

I've received a lot of advice about what to say and what not to say in this sermon. It is our first together as a congregation. It is my first to you as your new pastor. From the moment you all voted to bring me on board, you decided to be a different church. How fortuitous that this, our first Sunday together, is Pentecost. We must ask ourselves if God is making something new here. It appears to me that God is.

According to Peter, the Church is a prophetic people, a community of interpretation. As Peter interprets Joel for those who will listen, so too must we interpret the word that we have been given to those who see but are yet unsure...who are not quite certain what it is that they may be hearing...to the devout, the seeker and the skeptic alike. Ours is a community of interpretation. This is how I understand the Church.

• It is a community that preaches and proclaims what it interprets as God's action in the world.

• It shares what it has learned about God.

• It recounts God's mights acts.

• It's work is to share what has been revealed in scripture and to interpret what God may be saying through it to the world.

• It is a community that shares a Living Word...in the beginning was the Word. The Word is a person. We share the person who is God. The church is the Body of Christ who is the Word of God.

• We are the story. We don't simply tell the story. Thus, we share ourselves.

• This is what it means to be a community of interpretation. We are the community who interprets the world through the lens of our life with Christ and as Christ. And by doing so we are prophets.

So, here we stand together, a community of interpretation, a nation of prophets. But we are far from finished.

We must be wary as we understand ourselves as a community. Clearly, this has been the ongoing work of the Community Church of Wilmette. The very name speaks of openness and inclusion. We say by our very name that we exist for the community and not the other way around.

God does not shepherd off his faithful into a specific community...some sectarian movement. No. It is God, by pouring out the Holy Spirit upon all flesh, who designates those who willingly follow as being responsible for the communication of the Spirit, of sharing the Spirit, of helping the world know through word and example that the Kingdom of God is here with us now...not later, but in this very moment. By doing so we must absolutely share ourselves. The whole of creation is being made new in the Holy Spirit. God is sanctifying all of creation with God's very presence. We too are being made new.

This is a community called to call, one sent out so that it too may send. It's very nature, though peculiar to many, is permeable, open, welcoming...even in the midst of challenging the world and holding all to the hope of the Holy Spirit, it sets no insurmountable boundary around itself. It simply proclaims God's truth and love and desire that all things may be made whole.

Are people going to find an outpouring of the Spirit here at Wilmette? I dare say that they will. I dare say that the Spirit is here. I have heard story upon story of compassion and humor, of families growing with one another, of people sharing burdens and joys. These are the great deeds of God. These are acts of compassion and courage. These are the stories of the Gospel.

We need an explosion of story-telling, of prophetic hope proclaimed in word and deed. This explosion of storytelling is the natural response to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The generosity of the Spirit causes people to speak in languages that are not their own.

We will be changed.
God is making us new.
God has called us out to be prophets.
Thanks be to God.

a good weekend

Sunday's service went very well. I will post the sermon later...I keep saying that...but it is on my computer at church, so you will have to wait until Wednesday to read it. Sorry. I know that your week centers around reading my sermons. ;-) I had a very nice time yesterday. Several friends came including people from SWTS, North Shore, and Reconciler. The Scandalous one was also there with her new daughter. It was lovely to see her there. And a good friend of Trish's came (Hi, Steve!). Fabulous.

The picture to the right is of my friend Micah. He was ordained to the Episcopal Deaconate on Saturday. This is a great picture of him with the Chicago bishops. Micah looks quite sharp. I am looking forward to the day when Micah comes to preach at Wilmette.

Today we pack.
Tomorrow we move.
Holy cow.

sunday morning...

I am up early.

It happens. The sun started to brighten the sky about an hour ago...so, I am up. Well, between that and the sermon manuscript that is flying around in my head, it was time to get up.

I'll post the sermon later. It is fifteen minutes of heretical happiness. I think it turned out pretty well.

Last night I went to a party at SWTS. Frank was blessed with yet another 40th birthday celebration. Several friends were there...some old, some new. It was a good time. We sat around a firepit in the back yard. Lovely.

so, what about the first day...

Yesterday was brilliant. I unpacked a dozen boxes of books. I enjoyed a visitor from the search committee. They came with brownies and a plant for the office. Lovely. I spent the day trying to make the office presentable. There is still much to do, but it is getting there. I spent some time working on the sermon as well. I am really interested in the passage from the second chapter of Joel that Peter interprets to the skeptical in Acts. There may be a reason Peter uses that passage and I am trying to puzzle iut out.

There is no internet signal in the pastor's study. Well, that seems to be the case. I hear tell that the interim used to bring his laptop downstairs to check his mail. Do I put this issue near the top of the "to do" list? I think I might. We'll see.

This is a picture of the parsonage. It is only a couple of miles from the church. Suburban living will present new challenges for me and Trish. It is that that we are aprehensive per se, it is more that we know it will taking getting used to. Trish has never lived in the suburbs, and I have not lived in the suburbs since I was in Junior High...and that was a good while ago.

I will take some pictures of the inside of the place soon. The church has worked very hard at making sure the place is ready for us to move into in a few days. Yoemen's work, as they say. It won't be quite ready, the basement is getting new carpet. But we'll be able to move in on Tuesday with no trouble even with the incomplete basement. It is lovely. I saw the place yesterday and the new paint ...all the hard work, really shows. Thanks you, all.

Today is Seabury's graduation. Many people will be coming into town...Ref, Nueva, Jane Ellen, The Librarian, and others are popping in. I won't be able to go to graduation, but I hope to see many of these people at a party this afternoon. I was hoping to be at graduation, but Joel and Acts call me. New job. New responsibilities. And Trish's show opens this evening. So, I cannot work on the sermon tonight as I usually might. There are a thousand ABC functions this weekend as well...Here I am making excuses. I so wish I could be at graduation, but I simply can't. Bugger.

Congratulations to all the SWTS folk who graduate today. Huzzah!

prayers for the first day of work

If I take the wings
of the morning
and settle at
the furthest limits of the sea
Even there your hand
shall lead me
and your right hand
shall hold me fast
(Ps. 139:9-10)

This is my first post in my official capacity as the pastor of the Community Church of Wilmette. I know, I am beating the drum again. And, no, I am not fishing for more kudos, though they are nice. I am simply trying to settle into a new reality...a new identity. I am getting my things together and moving books and a couple of framed items to the pastor's study. Today is my first day in the office. I will unpack books and work on my sermon.

O loving Christ
who died upon the tree
Each day and each night
I remember your love.
In my lying down
and in my rising up
In life and in death
You are my health and my peace.
Each day and each night
I remember your forgiveness
Bestowed on me so gently
and generously
Each day and each night
may I be fuller in love to you.

There is no question that God has been in this process. A call process is a complicated piece of ecclesial wranging to say the least. And The Question is “Does God want us to be together?” The answer that has been discerned, of course, is “Yes.” And that is good news. What has made that bit of discernment possible for me is the understanding that God has been in the process all along. God is always with me...”in my lying down and in my rising.” God was in the process. God was in every meeting, gathering, and meal.

Life be in my speech
Truth in what I say.
The love Christ Jesus gave
Be filling every heart for me
The love Christ Jesus gave
Be filling me for everyone.

My fervent prayer is that the above will be the truth of my ministry...not only at Wilmette, but for all of God's creation. I am writing my sermon...Pentecost Sunday, you know...and wanting it to speak to the overflowing and generous Holy Spirit. It is a life-giving spring, one that fills us with God's love for us, helping us to learn to love one another. This is divine forbearance. Agape.

Bless to me O God
The earth beneath my feet.
Bless to me O God
The path on which I go.
Bless to me O God
The people whom I meet.
O God of all gods
bless to me my life.

Let my ministry at Wilmette begin this way. Let my ministry at Reconciler continue this way. And if it is God's will, let my ministry come to such an end as blesses all.

Thanks be to God.

The prayers are taken from Celtic Prayers from Iona by J. Philip Newell