Friday 5: Seasonal Grinching

(From Will Smama and the Rev Gals...)

Parishioners pushing for carols before you digested your turkey?

Organist refusing to play Advent hymns because he/she already has them planned for Lessons & Carols?

Find yourself reading Luke and thinking of a variety of ways to tell Linus where to stick it? (Lights please.)

Then this quick and easy Friday Five is for you! And for those of you with a more positive attitude, have no fear. I am sure more sacred and reverent Friday Fives will follow.

Please tell us your least favorite/most annoying seasonal....

1) dessert/cookie/family food - The only thing that occurs to me is the cranberry sauce in a can. You know-- the kind you slice into little gelatinous rounds. My husband (otherwise a man with estimable tastes and habits, really!) enjoys it, so we have it for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. But for me... not so much.

2) beverage (seasonal beer, eggnog w/ way too much egg and not enough nog, etc...)
Egg nog, period! To be fair, I haven't tried it since I was a young girl-- but that's because it was nasty, nasty, nasty. No, thank you. I'd rather have the cranberry sauce.

3) tradition (church, family, other) - I will admit that I'm not fond of the Yankee Swap-- a tradition developed with my husband's siblings, several years ago. Each person brings a small ($5 or so limit) wrapped gift. Then numbers are drawn, we take turns selecting and unwrapping, and the trading, bartering and (mostly) friendly bickering begins. I play when we're there, because I do want to participate with the family; but it's really not my idea of a good time.

4) decoration - The huge inflatables that are becoming all the rage. Snowmen, Santa, Rudolph... and all Larger Than Life! We have one neighbor who has several of them, including a carousel in a snow globe, taking over her yard. A snow globe. Outside. In Montana. Every time I pass it, my "live and let live" side does battle with the side that wants to find a BB gun...

5) gift (received or given) - Our kids have gotten old enough that the annoying gift era has passed; but my brother used to be the master of the genre. If there was a toy that made raucous noises, played bad music, or emitted noxious smoke, he was on it. One year he managed to find a robot for my nephew that did all three! He has kids of his own now, but my sister and I haven't tried to get even, because a) we do love our sister-in-law, his sweet wife, and b) he wouldn't mind.

BONUS: SONG/CD that makes you want to tell the elves where to stick it. Anything performed by barking dogs-- especially that godawful version of "Jingle Bells" that gets waaaay too much airplay. Thanks be to God the radio has multiple settings.

Friday 5: Post Thanksgiving

1. Did you go elsewhere for the day, or did you have visitors at your place instead? How was it?
We had folks here: Rev. Ref, his Lovely Wife, and their two kids-- one home grown daughter, one temporarily adopted via foreign exchange. Nine people at the table altogether. This is the second year we've done this-- one more, and it may be entered in the canon as Tradition. (Why not? Seems to me the extremists in the church get away with that claim on far flimsier grounds, and to not nearly as good a purpose.) It's been a grand day.

2. Main course: If it was the turkey, the whole turkey, and nothing but the turkey, was it prepared in an unusual way? Or did you throw tradition to the winds and do something different?
Oh, we were entirely commonplace: turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, salad, cranberry sauce... and an assortment of pies for dessert.

3. Other than the meal, do you have any Thanksgiving customs that you observe every year?
Napping. Hanging out. Calling family who live far away. Not going to work. Nothing especially exciting here.

4. The day after Thanksgiving is considered a major Christmas shopping day by most US retailers. Do you go out bargain hunting and shop ‘till you drop, or do you stay indoors with the blinds closed? Or something in between?
I am not a shopper on my best day. The idea of braving the insanity that is "Black Friday" is so far beyond anything I'd plan to do on purpose... Not. A. Chance. I know, I know-- this may be the least stereotypically feminine facet of my personality. However, others here relish the adventure . So there will be a contingent, led by LW and our eldest, heading out first thing in the morning. The saner part of our little tribe will bide our time at home, and then meet the intrepid hunters later for a movie. I don't know which one; there are a couple options.

5. Let the HOLIDAY SEASON commence! When will your Christmas decorations go up?
Used to be we didn't put them up until the week before Christmas-- after our daughter's birthday on the 18th-- so as to provide a space that separated the two occasions for her. As she's gotten older, that's slid back a little; so we'll probably start in a bit sooner than that. At church, I'm a purist-- a wreath, purple vestments, and nothing related to the "C" word until Advent is over. One season at a time, people!

Polity and tradition

There's a dust-up in Roman Catholic circles coming out of Baltimore, and it's making it's way around the blogisphere. The actions taken against Fr. Martin for this one event (allowing an Episcopal priest to proclaim the Gospel at an RC funeral mass, and to receive Communion) do seem extreme, though I can understand why the archbishop thought some discipline was necessary. At the same time, I cannot help but wonder if (like most events that get media attention) there is more to the story than we're hearing. So I'm hesitant to offer an opinion as to whether he *should* or *should not* have been removed from his post, barred from celebrating Mass publicly, etc.

For the record: I've had critters in my church before, too! (for Blessing of the Animals, on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi-- the weather outside was icky).

On the other issues being bandied about, however...

Let me state first that I don't believe that this has anything to do with the Roman Catholic Church's dogmatic opposition to women's ordination. It's not about a woman priest serving, but rather about someone other than an ordained RC priest (or deacon--also canonical in RC tradition, as it is in Anglicanism, I believe?) formally proclaiming the gospel in the context of the Eucharist, in opposition to canon law and tradition. The same restrictions apply in the Episcopal Church (though there are rare variations-- allowing a layperson to translate the gospel for a congregation that does not speak the same language as a visiting priest, for example, is certainly permitted). One may disagree with the rubric; but that's the way things currently stand. Fr. Martin would not be reading the Gospel in my church either, even if he were a guest preacher.

I would imagine there would not have been an issue had the Episcopal priest been invited to take another role, or even to read another of the scriptures of the day (as any person may do, with the consent of the clergy). There is certainly precedent for this. I have attended many RC masses over the years with people taking on a variety of roles. I've even been invited to participate in a few myself, before as well as after my ordination, though my role has always been within the confines of rubric and canon.

As to Communion: It is our current faith practice in the Episcopal Church that any person may come forward to ask for a blessing, and that any baptized Christian may receive the bread and wine. Yes, this distinction is a hot topic in theological circles, and there are any number of theologians far more learned than I who debate this particular stance, with many who argue for fully open Communion; but again, that's where we are today.

That said, I do not make a practice of inquisition at the rail, and I don't know of any decent priest who does. If someone I do not know comes forward to receive, I will err on the side of offering the sacrament without a qualm. However, if I know someone is not baptized, I will offer them a blessing. It is also not unusual for a Christian to ask for a blessing rather than the sacrament, for reasons of their own (honoring restrictions in their own faith tradition, for example, or personal concern about the current state of their souls). In either case, I am as careful as I can be to offer God's blessing in a way that does not seem in any way to relegate the receiver to second-class status. All people are welcome and encouraged to seek God's grace. Period. No, it is not the same thing; but the altar rail during worship is not the time or place for theological discussion or dispute.

So it seems to me that both priests might have followed a similar practice, had they chosen to do so, without giving or taking offense. I could wish things were different, of course; but were I in the Episcopal priest's position, taking another liturgical role, and accepting God's blessing from a friend and colleague in ministry would certainly be acceptable alternatives.

RevGal Friday Five - "Extravagant Unbusiness"

From Sally, over at RGBP: A timely reminder of the need for self-care, as this is the second week in a row that my day off will not actually be "off." Good reasons, and unavoidable, but a bad habit to get into. All work and no play makes for a cranky cleric. I sense some comp time coming on. In the meantime, here' s my play.

Name 5 things you would do...

1. ...to care for your body.
I'm still in that free weights class, and it's been wonderful! Even though the teenage athletes who regularly use the weight room equipment would likely snicker at the weights I use (far smaller than the tonnage they leave lying around-- home is not the only place they do not pick up after themselves!), I am pleased with my progress.

The current session finishes up the week after Thanksgiving, and the next session doesn't begin until after the new year. I've done so well with this, that I'm hoping to find make time to keep up in between-- doing what I can at home, a few days a week.

2. ...to care for your spirit.
Morning prayers are critical here. I often use the formal Morning Prayer office in the BCP, but not always. In any case, starting the day in prayer is foundational. And then... listening to music. Almost as necessary as breathing.

3. ...to care for your mind
Believe it or not, this is harder than you might think. I love to read, and have all kinds of interesting things lying around waiting for me. I look forward to the opportunity to delve into something that makes me think. But here's the rub-- it also makes me feel guilty if I do so as part of my work day. I struggle with a sense that sitting in a chair with a book in my lap isn't "real work." Yes, I do know it is. I know I cannot be an effective preacher and teacher if I don't; but "knowing" and "feeling" are two different things. I'm working on it.

4. ...to bring a sparkle to your eye.
Fun stuff, with husband and family! One thing we like to do is go to the movies. This can get pricey; but they've just opened up a discount theatre over in Billings, and it's very nice. We saw Ratatouille there a few weeks ago. Not the greatest movie ever made, but a thoroughly fun flick. I'd like to do that more often.

5. ...to place a spring in your step.
Walking! I don't have a routine about this, at the moment; but all four towns that I serve are smallish places, so unless there's a downpour (a real rarity here), I love the opportunity to park my car at the church and walk wherever I need to go. The additional time it takes to get around is relaxing, as well as energizing, and a blessed alternative to all the time I spend sitting behind the wheel.

Enjoy the time to indulge and dream.... and then for a bonus, which one on the list are you determined to put into action?
Make it two: Exercise, and fun family time!

New wine

What do you get as a thank-you present for the priest next door who watches your cats while you're away? This was my neighbor's solution:

Birds do it, bees do it...

Actually, only the bees. Make honey, that is. And apparently they've been busy!

I got a phone call the other day from one of my parishioners, who lives on a spread just south of here. Seems that she and her husband know a beekeeper who keeps his hives on their ranch. He stopped by the other day and dropped off some of the fruits of his little friends' labors. "But there's more than we can use; would you like some?" I thanked her for thinking of us, and said we'd be delighted. We like honey on biscuits, and I use a fair amount in cooking, often preferring it to granulated sugar.

She said she'd bring us a container on Sunday.

I did not see it until we got home, as one of the kids took it from her and put it in the car. The "container" turned out to be a bucket. A bucket the size of my head.

I weighed it on the bathroom scale: More than TWELVE POUNDS of honey.

We are going to be eating an awful lot of biscuits.

Malicious slander

The Lead has a word of correction to offer, today. I suggest that folks in the Episcopal blogisphere pay due attention to the source.

That sort of display, and the commentary that follows, is why I try very hard not to go to the site in question, and why I refuse to link to it on my blog: it has got to be the most consistently venomous excuse for Christian expression since Fred Phelps, and I am embarrassed and ashamed to think that it comes from people who call themselves Anglican.

Lord, have mercy.