New treasures as well as old.

• I don't know about new, exactly... we've been friends since seminary, so that's been 4 or 5 years. But when Mark arrives today, he certainly will be new here! The chaplain will be spending a couple of weeks in Big Sky Country-- first in our part of the world, and then over for a few days with Rev. Ref and his Lovely Wife. I am purely looking forward to his visit, and some quality playtime with a good buddy.

• Another friend is on sabbatical, and has started a new blog. This one really does qualify as an old friendship: "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away," the Rambling Rector was my youth pastor. It's been a good while since then, but it is a time I remember well, and a relationship I still treasure. I'm grateful for the opportunity to share him with you here.

Homeowner adventures

So, Jane Ellen... how have you been spending your spare time lately?

Glad you asked. When we moved in last summer, we very quickly discovered that all the clearing out of accumulated clutter (remember filling the dumpster?) and the downsizing we had done (leaving behind two whole rooms of furniture, not to mention our eldest child) still had not reduced our household enough to make the main floor of our little ranch sufficient living space for two adults (who each need a home office) and a preteen whirlwind.

So we have been working to finish off our basement. We spent last fall and winter laying it out-- rearranging rooms and walls, outlets and light switches-- using painter's tape on the concrete floor and living "between the lines" while we decided what would work best for us: one more bedroom (to be the boy's room, while the upstairs second bedroom will become a guest room), husband's office, family room, laundry and small bathroom, and a sewing room for me-- yay! After we settled on the layout we wanted, some wonderfully competent people with more speed and skill than we possess did a good deal of the basics-- framing and drywall.

Then it was our turn again. First, we painted:

Then we framed doorways and hung doors (my diligent spouse gets all the credit for these; he did a marvelous job) and laid flooring: carpet in the bedroom, and laminate in family room, office and sewing space:

Even though it is a glueless system, the floor was seriously time-consuming-- cutting around doorways and corners is finicky work, and of course the pieces never end exactly where one would like them. It took several times longer to measure and mark on the boards where to cut (my job), than to actually cut them (his job) and tap them into place (we took turns with that part).

But we finally finished-- and it doesn't look half bad.

We still have woodwork to do, and a drop ceiling; and the bathroom and laundry will remain quite raw for a while, until our pocketbooks recover from this stage of the process. But we are tickled with the results so far. More pictures later, after we get furniture and artwork and such into place.

RGBP Friday Five: Habits

All right, I'm a day late. Sorry 'bout that-- Stuff Happens.

1. Have you ever successfully quit a bad habit, or gotten a good habit established? Tell us about how you did it.

• I gave up caffeine. I mean, totally-- no tea (I never drank coffee but I consumed tea by the gallon), no caffeinated pop, no chocolate (which was, hands down, the absolute hardest part of the program). Headaches for days, and feeling sluggish all the time. . . but after a diagnosis of fibroid tumors, and a discussion of how they wax and grow fat on caffeine (especially at the levels I was used to consuming), I was motivated. I was totally abstemious for a couple of years. Now I will have an occasional bit of chocolate, or now and again a caffeinated beverage while I'm dining out, if it's lunchtime-- but I a) do not keep any at home; b) I will only have one; and c) I do not consume any after about 3:00 in the afternoon.

2. “If only there were a 12-step program for _________________!”

• Clutter. Holy moly-- I seem to fight it All. The. Time. And get nowhere.

3. Share one of your healthy “obsessions” with us.

• Currently: frozen fruit. Frozen red seedless grapes are a wonderful snack. I also keep a bag of blueberries in my freezer, and toss a handful in my cereal bowl every morning. I love that chilly combination of fruit and flakes and milk. Mmmm....

4. Share the habit of a spouse, friend or loved one that drives you C-R-A-Z-Y.

• I have a husband who is so fair-minded that almost any inquiry into a preference of his will illicit a response that begins "Well, it depends. . ." Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comic strip, once offered an accurate translation of this phrase: "Abandon Ye All Hope of a Useful Answer."

5. “I’d love to get into the habit of ___________________.”

• Walking every day again. I did that during seminary-- and it was not hard, because I had a couple of friends who got up early and walked with me; we motivated one another. It felt great. Now, on my own, it's harder to get moving-- and there's always something else to do.

Bonus: What is one small action you might take immediately to make #5 a reality?

• Finish this post, and put on my sneakers!

Bonus 2: Try it, and let us know how it goes in a future post!

• Okey doke. Maybe making it public will help. . .
  

"The honor of your presence..."

Wouldn't you know, there's been something of a dustup while I was away. Can't leave you people alone for a minute!

As most folks heard before I did, the invitations to the 2008 Lambeth Conference ( aka "The Big Party") have started to roll out, and a few bishops have been informed that they are not on the "A" list. Notably, this included both Bp. Robinson and Bp. Minns (though apparently the door has been left open for +Robinson to stop by for a visit if he happens to be in town).

Now, I have not in recent months been inclined to comment on The Goings On in the Anglican Communion-- largely because:

• a) there are boatloads of folks who are more articulate than I am who had some things to say about this (Please see Fr. Jake/Mark Harris/Tobias Haller/Father Jones, just as a start).

• b) postings of a theological/political/opinionated nature have a recent history of bringing trolls out of the woodwork around here-- folks who are not content simply to disagree, but choose to be ugly about my musings, or theology, or the validity of my orders... and I just plain get tired of dealing with it. With comment moderation, they no longer land here, of course-- I cast them into the Outer Darkness before they see the light of day. However, I have better things to do with my time than to play Hall Monitor to cranky miscreants.

However, I'm making an exception, God only knows why. And rabid centrist that I am, I'm about to say something that will likely make everyone unhappy. With due respect to friends on both sides of the Current Unpleasantness... it seems to me that Abp. Williams has not chosen an unreasonable path, here.

• 1. Given the option of risking heresy, or disunity, I tend to err toward the former, the latter being in my understanding a higher Gospel imperative. And, however one may feel about the validity of the ordinations involved, the men in question have both been polarizing figures-- lightning rods for divisive forces in the church.

• 2. While neither man has been invited formally, I believe Bp. Robinson has been given to understand that his presence would be welcome as a visitor. A second class status, yes-- obviously not what one would wish for, and certainly demeaning to one's pride and position. But... is that the point of this? Is it not a start? After all, he did actually offer to attend under just those terms, not too awfully long ago. And once present, I think it entirely possible that he will be "asked to move up higher," and find opportunities to speak in ways that might be better heard if he is willing to exhibit a certain humility in all this. Keep in mind that all of the other bishops who supported his ordination have been invited, and will be there to support him and speak on his behalf. Additionally, I'd like to believe that the rest of the House of Bishops-- with the exception of a very few-- are highly unlikely to allow any active mistreatment of their brother in Christ.

I should probably mention that, were I filling out the invitations, I would be hard pressed to include Archbishop Akinola. Why? First, see Part 1 above, about the importance of seeking unity in the church, rather than actively working to divide it. Secondly, however one may feel about his opposition to the ordination of partnered homosexuals, his active, vocal support for their legal harassment, abuse and imprisonment is simply intolerable, and just as much in defiance of the Lambeth Resolution he keeps waving about as any action taken by the American or Canadian churches. For heaven's sake, one does not have to approve or agree with other children of God, to treat them with dignity and respect!

(Yes, I know not inviting him would be seriously damaging to the cause of Christian unity I was just espousing. I didn't say I wouldn't-- just that I would be gritting my teeth in doing so. So, perhaps ++Rowan is better suited to his position than I am... go figure).

Home again. . . naturally

The weather sucked: three days of record rainfall, and high winds, and clouds thick enough that I couldn't see the mountains only 20 miles away.

Inside however, was warm-- in prayer, and in Benedictine hospitality-- which provided a gentle place for my soul to dwell for a time. We prayed the hours together, according to the sisters' Rule: Vigil at 5:25 AM, Lauds at 8:00 AM, Vespers at 5:30 PM. (all you night people out there now cringing in horror, please relax-- this is an optional part of the tour). And I joined them for lunch, and for dinner.

Other than that, I was on my own. Solo. A very unusual feeling for priest, wife, and mother. What did I do with the time? Well, let's see... there were a couple of short walks, between rain showers; some devotional reading and additional meditation/prayer time; the guitar saw some use... but those were simply the framework. Generally, what I did was listen, in the stillness.

So, now I have all the answers, right? Oh, please-- you know better than that. But I believe that I'm better equipped in the doing, to improve on the questions... and to begin again, in Jesus' name.

God is good.

All my bags are packed, and I'm ready to go...

Oh, boy, am I ready.

I will be spending the next few days with the good sisters here, sopping up a few days of intentional retreat time-- focusing on prayer, and music, and silence. There's some discernment that needs to happen, and some recharging... so as hard as it is to make time, I'm making time.

Pray for me, please. And for my family, while I'm gone.

God's peace be with you.

RevGal Friday Five: Meeting up!

• 1. What would the meeting be like? (Continuing Ed? Retreat? Outside Speakers? Interest Groups? Workshops? Hot Stone Massages? Pedicures? Glorified Slumber Party?)

I'm with Songbird on this one: Primarily, lots of time to chat-- mixed in with spiritual prayer/renewal opportunities, and perhaps some common interest discussion group things. But not so tightly scheduled as to not allow for flexibility and breathing space.

• 2. When in 2008 might you be able to attend? January? Shortly after Easter? Summer? Fall? Some other time?

Spring, in the "downtime" after Easter, would be lovely.

• 3. Where would your dream meeting location be? (Urban Hotel? Rural Retreat Center? New England Camp? Southwestern Fantasy Hotel? Far away from civilization? Nearby Outlets or Really Great Thrift Stores?)

I have no particular preference, though non-urban tends to be better than urban, in my little world.

• 4. Who would make a great keynote speaker? (That's if #1 leads us in that direction.)

I'm more interested in the RevGal Meet & Greet prospect than I am in listening to a speaker, however gifted s/he may be. That said... perhaps someone like Kathleen Norris? Or golly... Katharine Jefferts Schori would have some things to say.

• 5. Did I leave out something you want to suggest?

Only plenty of advance notice, please! The clerical calendar fills up so quickly. . .

Full disclosure

Over at Fr. Jake's place, the good man has commented on one of Episcopal Cafe's requirements:

As regular Web travelers know, freedom of expression and Christian charity are sometimes in conflict in the blogosphere. At Episcopal Café, we hope to establish an ethic of transparency by requiring all contributors and commentators to make submissions under their real names.

This is not unfamiliar turf for me. I do not use my whole name, but this part has in fact truly been mine since birth; and anyone who has been around this blog a while likely knows that much. I could also add other info that may or may not be familiar:

• Born at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and raised in Indiana, the eldest of three children.
• Graduated Purdue University with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering, and married the unreasonably patient guy who tutored me through all my Physics classes.
• Moved hither and yon about the midwest before transplanting to Montana last year.
• Mother to two children-- one home grown, one imported.
• Cradle and lifelong (barring college years spent wandering in the evangelical wilderness) Episcopalian.
• Attended Seabury-Western Seminary; ordained to the priesthood by one godly bishop, and now serve under the authority and direction of another as vicar for a regional cluster of four churches in Big Sky Country.
  

I decided long ago that hiding was futile. After all, we were warned when we used class blogs in seminary that our words would be visible to "bishops, Commissions on Ministry, and random passers by." It was part of learning that the priesthood is a very public ministry.

Yes, there are occasional trolls-- mean-spirited souls who feel the need to snipe and snark. I handle them via a time-honored method: the Maternal Time Out. Once that meant simply deleting spurious comments; recently I enabled the comment moderating feature that Blogger so thoughtfully provides.

I am certainly no magnet for vast quantities of attention... this is a little personal blog, and I do not (thankfully!) draw the legions that Jake, or AKMA, or other notables attract. However, the info is still out there, and so I simply do not post things I do not want known.

Welcome to my little corner of the blogiverse!

Religious Wars and Reconciliation

One of my churches has a number of people who do beautiful things with yarn. Shawls, slippers, hats and scarves, throws and afghans. . . you name it, they can make it, and wonderfully well. I hope to encourage this behavior, as a basis for spiritual discipline and as an opportunity for outreach and/or evangelism. My thought is to start a group (a guild of some sort) which can meet regularly to work and laugh and pray together.

They have been receptive to the idea, even if there is some inherent conflict among the crew. Significant conflict, actually-- over deeply held beliefs and time-honored traditions. Enough that it sometimes erupts into snide comments and even the occasional muttered insult (delivered with a smile, of course).

What? Here?? In the church??? Yes, my friends, it's true. There seem to be irreconcilable differences among these godly people.

You see, some are avid (rabid?) knitters. . . while others are zealous (obsessive?) crocheters. This seems to be one of those situations where one is necessarily a (*ahem*) dyed-in-the-wool loyalist, and ne'er the twain shall meet.

And yet, even amid the internecine strife, it seems we can find common ground among the yarn, and the desire to share God's fibrous gifts with one another as Christian disciples.

Anyone out there taking notes?

Church Football

I love baseball; but I am not, I will admit, the world's biggest football fan. With all due respect to Rev. Ref, and despite his best efforts, I still find it mildly confusing. Like how most of the player positions change names when the football changes hands (The guy standing in the same spot on the same field, who magically turns from a center into a nose guard. Who thought that was a good idea?!). Or how sometimes a player is allowed to catch the ball, and sometimes he isn't... depending on where he happens to be crouched when the ball starts moving. Maybe. Or how the time clock has nothing to do with reality. The last two minutes can take half an hour, for pete's sake. Oy.

Of course, part of the issue is probably that, like all fields of human endeavor, football has its own jargon, and it's a language I never really learned to speak.

However, I came across some definitions today in my email. Maybe this'll help...

• Quarterback Sneak - Church members quietly leaving during the invitation.
• Draw Play - What many children do with the bulletin during worship.
• Halftime - The period between Sunday school and worship when many choose to leave.
• Benchwarmer - Those who do not sing, pray, work, or do anything but sit.
• Backfield-in-Motion - Making a trip to the back (restroom or water fountain) during the service.
• Staying in the Pocket - What happens to a lot of money that should be given to the Lord's work.
• Two-minute Warning - The point at which you realize the sermon is almost over and begin to gather up your children and belongings.
• Instant Replay - The preacher loses his notes and falls back on last week's illustrations.
• Sudden Death - What happens to the attention span of the congregation if the preacher goes "overtime."
• Trap - You're called on to pray and are asleep.
• End Run - Getting out of church quick, without speaking to any guest or fellow member.
• Flex Defense - The ability to allow absolutely nothing said during the sermon to affect your life.
• Halfback Option - The decision of 50% of the congregation not to return for the evening service.
• Blitz - The rush for the restaurants following the closing prayer.

Mother's Day

Despite popular sentiment, the origins of Mother's Day do not lie in the floral industry. In the U.S, this is where it began-- a place worth revisiting, today.

Mother's Day Proclamation
by Julia Ward Howe (1870)

Arise then...women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
"We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country,
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe out dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil
At the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace...
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God -
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.

RevGal Friday Five: "Po-TAY-to/Po-TAH-to"

There are two types of people in the world, morning people and night owls. Or Red Sox fans and Yankees fans. Or boxers and briefs. Or people who divide the world into two types of people and those who don't. Let your preferences be known here. And if you're feeling verbose, defend your choice.

• 1. Mac? or PC?

No question. I've used both extensively, for many years-- and I will only own a Mac. Even if someone gave me a flashy new PC with all the bells and whistles I'd trade it in for A Real Computer. DOS-based machines are a creation of the antichrist. (Did you know that even Windows runs better on a Mac? True fact! Though why you'd willingly waste your time... )

• 2. Pizza: Chicago or New York style?

Oh, here we go. Honestly, how can you even ask the question? Why in heaven's name would anyone forgo the wonder of Chicago's thick, luscious, hearty delectibility for a flaccid, soggy cracker? (Despite brother Tripp's otherwise often laudable character, in this he is seriously misguided and in need of reformation).

• 3. Brownies/fudge containing nuts:

Adulterated brownies (and I use that word advisedly) are an abomination before the Lord. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. 'nough said.

• 4. Do you hang your toilet paper so that the "tail" hangs flush with the wall, or over the top of the roll like normal people do?

"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways..."

The only reason we ever hung the paper flush to the wall was to prevent small children from slapping it into a festive pile on the bathroom floor. Now that our kids are old enough to cause trouble in other ways, we put it back over the top of the roll the way it belongs. I do not care if less paper is theoretically used the other way; I do not want to be fighting with trying to find the little tail in the middle of the night.

• 5. Toothpaste: Do you squeeze the tube in the middle, or squeeze from the bottom and flatten as you go?

Squeeze from the bottom. I do not care for wrinkly, wasteful tubes that have been wantonly abused by unwarranted midrange mashing.

This was a bone of contention when my husband and I were newlyweds-- and an area in which we finally came to detante by each owning and maintaining our own tube. In recent years, however, he has apparently seen the error of his ways, because his is generally much tidier than it used to be. However, we still use two separate tubes. Why mess with success?

Poetry Corner

In honor of the joys of springtime... a little youthful versification to warm the cockles of your heart (clicking on the photo will make it larger and easier to read).

H.A.M.S.T.E.R.S. A.R.E. E.V.I.L.
Originally uploaded by lla.

Spotting credit to my husband for this little gem.