Peace Yo!

I just came across this...and I'm itching to actually buy it!
The Hip Hop Prayer Book......aka Book of Common Prayer...adapted....


Psalm 23 as adapted by Ryan Kearse
The Lord is all that, I need for nothing.
He allows me to chill.
He keeps me from being heated
and allows me to breathe easy.
He guides my life so that
I can represent and give
shouts out in his Name.
And even though I walk through
the Hood of death,
I don't back down
for you have my back.
The fact that you have me covered
allows me to chill.
He provides me with back-up
in front of my player-haters
and I know that I am a baller
and life will be phat.
I fall back in the Lord's crib
for the rest of my life.

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Lenten Musings

My lent journey has included daily meditations from Dr Marty(Places Along The Way) and Journeying Through Lent with Mark while listening to Bach masses, Vivaldi Glorias and Taize music...particularly this Jubilate sold by GIA.

All this has helped to really focus me during this time. Marty's covers mostly old testament. I think that I should start on some old testament study after Easter.

Oh, and I'm reading (when I get around to it) The Gospel: According to Peanuts Which I'm enjoying...rediscovering the Peanuts......and getting some strong theological thought too! It's quite tactful which makes me wonder if I would enjoy this.

At any rate, I have enough reading to get through before I go crazy ordering things....like this very textbooky looking one....the topic of which is very interesting to me.

Oh and I'm house sitting a pack of wolves this week...some fish...some mountain lions.

But OH, the highspeed internet connection.

Who's up for a fish fry this friday?

Episco's Rock!

Oh, I forgot.
I visited yet another Episcopal parish in less than a week...for an Evensong...where this wonderful group did the majority of the service in traditional Anglican chant...a capella...AMAZING.....simply beautiful. And the most amazing pitch.

Get over yourself!

An unpleasant interaction with a co-worker (why are people like that?) and I dunno...maybe hormones....has had me in an absolutely wretched and toxic mood all week. No intellectual thought (This is silly, don't let her get to you....let it go....peace....) has been able to wrangle my emotion.

I've been praying for patience, understanding, peace, calm.....Thank God, I think I'm through it.
I've realized my mood has also been hindered by difficult times for people around me....and that got me into realizing I've been very ME, very I, very MEMEMEME.....returning to God, to thinking on others....it's all good.

What sort of snapped me out of it....was another one of those little whispers that enter my quiet thoughts on occasion, "I love you" said the voice today.

So absolute, so BIG.......so much bigger than the stupid little things that can get us down.

Now, that co-worker....I should not be mirroring her meanness.....I should be mirroring the light...

Keep me going God, fueled by your great love.
Amen.

cleaning distractions...

A day after a youth sleepover at the church....I'm around the condo cleaning...
I still have bins of Christmas things sitting in a corner....which I'm to put away once I'm done weeding out trash.....

I came across my Christmas card box....and it's filled with boxes of years past's cards. Probably about eight boxes (I do about 2 diff cards a year to suit the recipients) with 3 or 4 leftover cards. What do you do with these cards? I never wanted to reuse them but for new friends...because I didn't want to seem unthoughtful and send someone the same card every year....my previous solution for this was to keep track every year of who got what card...and then flip the next year....that seems needless mental effort......what to do with these cards...

...then I got what I think is a GREAT idea for a youth project! Unfortunately since probably about 90% of those who celebrate Christmas have stowed away all things noel by now...this project won't work til November...STILL....here it is....

I can't be the only person with these xtra cards, I KNOW this has to be a rampant disease of excess paper. Me and the "yoots" (read youths) would get word out to the papers, other churches, area businesses....that we are collecting unused/extra christmas cards (putting this out with very clever copy on fliers, etc.). Put boxes in stores, allow drop offs at the church, arrange pickups at other churches....

THEN, we sort all of the cards...perhaps into "funny", "secular", "religious" and "misc".
Bunch them together with a ribbon and a tag and RESELL these card collections...advertising in the same way. All proceeds going to....a hunger appeal or something.

How simple (time consuming but not crazy) is that?

Hmm...or if a community-wide drive is just too much of an undertaking I suppose a test run within the congregation would be good.


Back to cleaning....................................

Stay with Me, remain here with Me

When trials arise within you or
misunderstandings arrive from without,
never forget that in the same wound
where the pangs of anxiety are seething,
Creative forces are also being born.
And a way opens up that leads from doubt
towards trusting, from dryness to creation.
Brother Roger

This evening I took a trip to a local Episcopal parish across the way. They were hosting an ecumenical Taize prayer service....flute, guitar, harp, violin...etc. Candles....readings.....it was positively beautiful! So moving, so right, so....ahhhhh! I was pleased also to meet their rector afterwards. A neat LADY. They have weekly fish dinners during Lent...I'll have to make it to one. I think this parish could be my "back-up church" for when I need a service an hour earlier.....or just a change of scenery some week.

Help Wanted

A glass or two of wine later.....she posts.

So, if you read me at all...you know I've started to recognize a call. Well, I thought I'd share a realization that I had the other day.....that was just amazing to me.....yet I couldn't think of who I could share it with that would appreciate it and not say "mmm, yeah you're a little out there". Blog!

I've said this before that, growing up in the male dominated LCMS, I didn't find any path or room to even consider the ministry. Growing up I always knew that I thrived when I got in front of people and captured their attention. So naturally, since 'girls aren't preachers' and my early worship life was rather one dimensional.....I ventured in the direction of a career in entertainment! Off at college I studied theatre, I studied communication...etc. That was surely my calling in life! To get up in front of people (in whatever capacity) and make an impression on them. I enjoyed the study of the history and current events of the field. I was even, very much aimed in the "right direction" to "make it work" whatever "it" might be...theatre?tv?radio?publishing?

In the quiet of my days as I, a hopeful college student, thought of what my life might bring....I found myself here and there caught up in thought. You know...the sort of thought where you hear your "inner voice" playing out daydreams, or just thinking. In the quiet of that thought a phrase started on occasion to be 'heard' in my mind...."Why don't you come work for me?". I always loved hearing that thought. I imagined that it was my subconscious dreaming into the future when I'd hear that phrase from a producer, or someone important.....and my worry about where I'd work, or what I'd do was solved. I'd go work for....whoever that was!

One year "Why don't you come work for me?" would come from a theatrical director...and I'd be cast in a broadway play. The next "Why don't you come work for me" would come from a producer and I'd come be their assistant. Or, it'd come from a TV producer and I'd be the next big talkshow comedian. Regardless...."Why don't you come work for me?" would regularly pop into my head and bring me peace.

I graduated from college,.....I worked in TV......it did not satisfy me in the least. Sure it was interesting....and I've got a plethora of interesting stories to impress people. Yet, I did not "see" myself there in the future. I did not derive any resounding joy and earth shattering pleasure from this flimsy business. So I left it....and went back home for a while.

"Why don't you come work for me?" then became the local publisher, the local advertising agency offering me a job. Surely I'd go in that sort of direction. In the quiet of my hopes for a new and satisfying career...I would hear the same phrase again. I ended up in a nice little job...creative....somewhat entertainment related......pretty good people......and yet.....still....a hunger for something more.....something more deep....more rich.....and I didn't mean a bigger paycheck.

What started as dabbling in the ELCA in college....by this time had become....full membership...and an appreciation for the absolute sense that it all made now...my frustrations with faith in the past were resolved.....by a group of believers that were more...graceful...more loving....more..deep. I found in my pastor an immense spiritual mentor. He grew in me many ideas and feelings for God that I'd never really grasped or contemplated before. By his example and teaching...I started to understand and recognize...just when it was that God spoke to us. I started to realize how to listen. I was amazed to realize that the "little voice" within me every day....generally regarded as conscience.....was in fact....God....guiding...nurturing. This is when I started to seriously and in my heart consider the ministry in a serious sense....whereas before it was a "oh wouldn't that be 'nice'".

Last week....as I sat quietly at an interval at work.....contemplating if I really wanted to remain there...and for how long.....I heard that same voice.....that I haven't actually heard in a while say.... "Why don't you come work for me?" and it hit me....like a GIANT wave....

Steven Spielburg...Lorne Michaels.....Ted Turner.....if they asked me this same question....the implications of what they were offering would only fill me with joy for so long......their industry is so one dimensional....

The ultimate employer has been offering me a job all this time.....

Just how, do I answer?

more dreams, less churchy

I'm into the dreams lately (well..more than one dream in a month in recent years is a lot for me).

Last night...I had a dream that was similar to one a few weeks ago. In it my boss basically says I suck and that I'm fired. The funny thing is this dream always follows a day when the boss has liked something I did, or trusted my opinion etc.

hmmmmmm

Sew, I said to the Lord......

Well, I don't know if anyone caught my mood earlier this week (deleted that post).
Anyhoo...after staying up literally all night wednesday with a full head and heart....and post nasal drip, I decided to call out from work. It was just what I needed. A day to chill and catch up on sleep....catch up with my emotions. I think I'm starting to get there.

So, in keeping with trying to stay positive about our transitional time at church...and being lent...I thought I might start a project these next 40 or so days. That being, making a new set of paraments for the church. I believe all of our current sets pre-date my birth, which is fine mind you but some have some marks and discoloration. (hmm or I could treat them to dry cleaning!).

My thought is, to freshen things up, dust off the pall of uncertainty, make things look current to perspective new people. What season should I make for? I suppose Easter (white) would be the obvious. I doubt my ability to complete the whole set in time though... :) Should I attempt it or go for common time (green)?

AAAAND.....any online suggestions for fabric sources? Links to pictures of great paraments?
Oooh! I could do a matching stole too...yes, that'd be nice.

Comments please!