Cabin Fever Retreat 2009

I'm home, after a marathon drive in a blizzard that made the normal 7-hour trip an adventurous two hours longer. But the weekend was wonderful. Prayers and meditations, walks and wonderful food and conversation interspersed the crafting of quilts that will be given to the kids who attend Grace Camp-- a week-long camp program for children with incarcerated parents.





I pieced two quilt tops. The first contains remnants of our old jeans made new again. If none of the kids chooses it, there are several interested takers waiting in the wings.










The second has pretty squares donated from the sample supply at a local quilt shop; I just did the assembly.





Most of the weekend's two dozen participants at breakfast under the fruits of their labors. We hung them on the rafters as they completed various stages; this only shows about half the room.





After the closing Eucharist, we placed all the quilts on the altar for blessing.






It was a very Benedictine sort of weekend-- conversation and silence, prayer and work in balanced proportions. Nothing better for putting life into perspective-- especially when you get the chance to do all of it in the middle of some of God's best handiwork.

If you'd like to see more pictures, you can click on the view from our cabin doorway (as seen yesterday, before the weather changed).

Tired today

Thoroughly, completely tired. Worn, inside and out.

• ...hurting souls.
• ...winter weather.
• ...getting behind the wheel.
• ...short-sighted cluelessness.
• ...long evenings away from home.
• ...hours at the desk/computer/copier.
• ...lots of admin, and no admin assistance.
  
• ...those who undermine in the guise of support.
• ...two steps forward, anywhere between one and three steps back.

God is merciful; I leave for four days' retreat on Thursday. It can't come soon enough.

Lord, have mercy

I got home from my third service this evening a bit ago and, after changing and putting the kettle on, settled down to read accumulated email.

The first thing I read was this:

FAA: 17 killed in Montana plane crash

(CNN) -- A single-engine airplane crashed in Butte, Montana on Sunday, killing at least 17 people, including children, authorities said.

You can also read more about it here.

Gracious God, grant to them eternal rest. Let light perpetual shine upon them.
May these and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

In space no one can hear you scream

Last week our fearless Canon for Administration forwarded an email request to all the clergy in the diocese. Someone in the bowels of the national church offices is doing a survey on policies and procedures that churches follow in dealing with children. Yesterday I took five minutes to fill it out... sort of.

The "sort of" is because it is very obvious that whoever assembled the survey has a specific church model in mind, and it is not mine. Come to think of it, it's not most of the churches I know out here. Just a few examples:

• "Your congregation": The survey repeatedly asks questions as though one priest/one parish were the only possibility. Hello-- almost half the congregations here are part of a yoked or cluster ministry, and Montana is not the only place where that is true. Should I complete it 4 times? But then what about the joint efforts my churches occasionally sponsor?
• Attendance: Total number? Number of boys? Number of girls? Number of minority children? All the same answer: "less than 10," which tells them nothing. I'd love to have more than 10 children attending any of my churches in this region, EVER!! Heck, sometimes that describes the TOTAL Sunday morning attendance at a couple of my churches. Which brings me to...
• Percentages: The presence of one African-American child among 3 children in one congregation is going to give an awfully skewed representation of racial diversity that just plain does not exist in Montana the same way it does in New York City.
• Identity Verification Policy: (to make sure that kids don't leave with the wrong adults). No, we don't have one. Shocking, how lax we are! But really-- for the children in our ecumenical Wednesday-after-school club in Absarokee? We know them, and they know us. It's not hard in a community of 1000 people, when there are 12-15 kids from the 4 mainline churches in that town supporting the program.

I wrote an email to one of the nice survey people, suggesting it might be helpful to remember that we are not all program-sized parishes out here-- indeed, most of us operate much smaller than that-- and some of us are trying to serve in ways that do not fit traditional expectations. Mind you, this is something I've pointed out to folks at the hallowed halls in NYC before. I could have copied and pasted similar comments from correspondence to the offices of Small Church Ministry, Ecumenism, Evangelism, Congregational Development... and I can't be the only one out here sounding the drum of Envisioning Life Beyond Trinity Wall Street. This should not be a news flash.

It was. Awe and amazement! "It never entered our minds to put in any instructions for those serving more than one congregation." Then the poor dear hoped I'd talk with the people overseeing the survey project, because "the information you have about the realities of your congregations and community is absolutely essential to their designing programs effectively."

*ahem*

Would those be more seminars back east that I cannot afford to attend? Or more complex programs that I do not have the time or ability to implement without support that is not forthcoming?

Sweet Cherry Wine

Turns out that one of the folks who's coming to our Lenten Soup & Study program has a hobby: he makes his own wine. We got to talking about it last week, over supper-- how he got into winemaking, where he gets his ideas for various fruits and mixes, what's worked for him, or hasn't... interesting stuff.

This week he walked in the door with a bag. "Here-- this is yours."


Actually, there are three bottles: two cherry, one plum. I'm looking forward to trying them. Care to stop by and join us some evening?

RevGal Friday Five: Mid-Lent check-in

... a RevGals invitation (from Sophia) to "check in on the state of your spirit midway through 'this joyful season where we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind and heart renewed' (Roman Missal)."

1. Did you give up, or take on, anything special for Lent this year?

• I'm entirely too good at taking things on, and with four churches I don't need to add to the list. So I gave something up: I made a commitment to regular breathing space. My aim is to have some time, every day, for quiet contemplation-- and time behind the wheel doesn't count.

2. Have you been able to stay with your original plans, or has life gotten in the way?

• I've had days that have stretched far too long; sometimes it's part of the job. But keeping the intention in mind has helped me to give myself permission for comp time without feeling as though I'm slacking. That's the hard part.

3. Has God had any surprising blessings for you during this Lent?

• I've actually had encouragement in this-- a few parishioners who are supportive and have said so. Suffice to say this is not something I take for granted.

4. What is on your inner and/or outer agenda for the remainder of Lent and Holy Week?

• Simply to keep moving... and breathing. To get it all done-- Lenten programs and bulletins and newsletters and worship and pastoral care and Holy Week and Easter-- and still have some of me left to rejoice.
  

5. Where do you most long to see resurrection, in your life and/or in the world, this Easter?

• In the world, I long for a spirit of generosity to overcome the effects of self-centeredness and greed which have been so prevalent in recent months. Personally, I want to be... inspired by godly joy. Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
  

Bonus: Share a favorite scripture, prayer, poem, artwork, or musical selection that speaks Lenten spring to your heart.

This was contributed to our most recent newsletter: “In A Country Church” by Welsh poet and priest R.S. Thomas (1913-2000)

To one kneeling down no word came,
Only the wind's song, saddening the lips
Of the grave saints, rigid in glass;
Or the dry whisper of unseen wings,
Bats not angels, in the high roof.

Was he balked by silence? he kneeled long
And saw love in a dark crown
Of thorns blazing, and a winter tree
Golden with fruit of a man's body.

Target practice for the Lord?

On the way home from our diocesan offices in Helena on Tuesday, I went through Townsend, where I learned of a whole new sort of Christian ministry:



You know, when my Baptist buddies talk about "Jesus shooters," I don't think this is what they have in mind...

Liturgical Geek Moment

Caution: OCD Episcopal liturgical jots and tittles to follow. Proceed at your own risk.

I had occasion today to look up some history about the liturgical use of the Creeds in the Episcopal Church. A commenter on this post over at Mark Harris' Preludium asked when they are used (or not) in worship. This was my reply:

Nestled in the Eucharistic rubrics is the following instruction for the Nicene Creed: On Sundays and other Major Feasts there follows, all standing (BCP pp. 326 and 358).

I take this to mean that when one is celebrating the Eucharist on a day other than Sunday or a Major Feast (these are listed in the BCP, p. 15), one may omit the Creed.

Since use of the "Rite III" Outline form on p. 400 and following is specifically intended for a particular occasion apart from Sunday or regular weekly celebration, it would not be out of line to use an alternative profession of faith (such as is found in the New Zealand Prayer Book), or to skip the profession entirely.

The omission you note pertains to use of the daily offices, where one is permitted to skip the Creed if one has already said Morning Prayer. This was also a caveat allowed in the 1928 BCP.

(Interestingly enough, the 1928 not only allows a choice between the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, but permits changing the words of the Apostles' Creed to avoid mention of hell--see p. 15. But I digress.)

Saying the Creed is clearly intended to be a regular habit, but it is true that provision is made for its omission now and again.

I find myself bemused by that 1928 rubric:

¶ Then shall be said the Apostles’ Creed by the Minister and the People, standing. And any Churches may, instead of the words, He descended into hell, use the words, He went into the place of departed spirits, which are considered as words of the same meaning in the Creed.

Let's recap: this is not a "new innovation," or something suggested by a modern-day "reappraiser;" this is a rubric contained in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer-- still the preference of a small but vocal and decidedly liturgically conservative group. I can only imagine the hue and cry that would arise if such an option were proposed at our General Convention this summer...

Hello? Is this thing still on?

Almost a month is a long time for radio silence, I know, and I'm sorry. I've missed my little corner of the blogiverse.

My absence has been due to a combination of factors. First, a fair number of things going on in my life really have not been bloggable; and when I'm trying not to talk about something significant, I find it's generally best not to talk at all.

Secondly, things have just been stupid busy here, so even when I have had things to share with you, I've not had time. My assistant took a 6-month medical leave of absence beginning February 1, so I'm flying solo in the region, clergy-wise. Even though Randy is normally only very part time, there is a very great difference between "a little bit of help" and "you're on your own, kiddo."

Adjusting to the new rhythm is a challenge. The parishioners are, for the most part, being very understanding, and I am learning where and how to set limits so they don't find me curled under my desk in the fetal position before he comes back. Plans and boundaries don't always work, of course-- the week before last was a 65-hour, 750-mile week even with a day off-- but it's much better this week. I'm working on developing a new pattern (well, as much a pattern as one can ever have in this gig), and getting quite stubborn about carving out breathing space. A trite saying, but 'tis true, and I've learned it the hard way: if I don't allow time to rest and recreate and all that, then I'm not much use to those I serve, or who depend on me. Stress-related migraines do not qualify as vacation days.

So that's my Lenten discipline this year: down-time as God-time. I am trying to make appointments with myself-- not as an afterthought, or to be squeezed in when other commitments allow (which they do not, willingly), but high on the agenda, as a priority line item. It hasn't happened every day, but I'm trying... and the world is a better place for it.

Speaking of which... it's bedtime.

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen.