Ironing

Ironing is probably at the top of my list of least enjoyed domestic chores. Maybe it is because I am part of a generation that still had to put that on our weekly schedule in the past. I ironed six white shirts each week for Ron and other items for me for many years. (It is with great joy that I know that my sons do most of their own ironing.) Although it is now an occasional activity for me, I still have certain standards. Linen blouses and tablecloths must be dampened, put in a plastic bag and placed in the refrigerator for at least several hours. Then sprayed with a liberal amount of starch, I iron each item carefully. I have come to realize that there is satisfaction in participating in a ritual that produces a crisp, wrinkle-free item or garment.

Rituals are times of focus. For me, as I iron a garment, I try to achieve perfection by making sure there is not a wrinkle to be seen. Realizing that this won’t happen without careful preparation, I give intentional thought to this process. I remember days gone by when I practiced this skill as a young girl by ironing dishtowels and pillowcases. It becomes apparent that when we include rituals in our lives we enjoy a sense of comfort and security. We celebrate who we are and understand how important rituals are to our identity. So it is as we claim our Christian faith. What rituals do we need to include in our lives as we seek greater understanding of our discipleship?

Farewell, Laura

This week our congregation has been saying good-bye to Laura, our Duke Divinity School intern. It is amazing how she has become such a part of us in just ten short weeks and how saddened we are for her to leave. She has been an extraordinary extra set of eyes, ears and hands as we have been in ministry together. We are in awe of her abilities and have learned from her insightful and caring observations of people and situations. Blessings, Laura, as you pursue what God has called you to do.

Of course, Laura’s call to ordination as a deacon has been a joy to me. She is not only pursuing a Master of Divinity degree, but also a doctorate in psychology and plans to counsel clergy and congregations as they face challenging situations. She has a clear understanding of the role of a deacon and has been able to assist our congregation grasp what this means in the life of the church. Participating in the field education experience of a seminary student has once again proved to be a valuable experience for all involved. We look forward to our intern next summer and all the gifts that he or she will bring as it gives us an opportunity not only to be a teacher, but also a learner of what effective ministry might look like.

A New Computer

Recently, after numerous aggravations with my laptop computer, I faced the fact that I needed a new computer. This made my personal shopper, Ron, very happy as this meant he had a research project. What did I need? What would be a good price? Finally, the purchase was made yesterday and I am now happily using my new HP Pavilion. However, I wonder why having this computer is a necessity? We have a desktop computer and I have a computer at the church. Of course, this means Ron and I don’t have to share. It also means I can take my work with me wherever I go. I think that I have bought more than a computer. I have bought into some of our cultural ills…consumption of stuff and workaholic practices.

A Bucket List

I recently saw the movie, The Bucket List, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman and have been thinking about it ever since. Truly, I have been reflecting more on the idea of a bucket list than this enjoyable movie. The lead characters, each terminally ill, purposely set out to live their bucket list, a wish list of things to do before dying. Of course, I have had to ask myself about what my bucket list might include. To date, I have not been too creative, but have started this list:

• see the Grand Canyon,
• be a co-creator of a well-loved yard,
• observe Sabbath faithfully,
• have a loving, caring relationship with my grandchildren.
  

What might you include on your bucket list?

Another TED Talk

As noted previously, TED talks provide a wonderful opportunity to hear a variety of today's voices share thoughts and wisdom that can have a signifiicant impact on our lives. Wofford students and alumni should be quite proud of President Ben Dunlap's presentation, The Story of a Passionate Life. I invite you to listen to it.

What You Doing?

When we talk with our grandchildren via Skype, Annaka usually asks “what you doin’? Sometimes the answer isn’t easy to give in the vocabulary of a five year old. When my sister asked me that same question last night I also found myself unable to articulate exactly what I have been doing. Perhaps I have the misconception that the answers should be exciting and enviable words. Anyway, during these lazy, hazy days of summer this is what I am doing:

- finally have started reading Suite Francaise,
- still finding peace in knitting prayer shawls,
- planning congregational learning opportunities beginning in September,
- putting the finishing touches on Dancing with God,
- enjoying my responsibilities with our Duke intern,
- attending to some Board of Ministry matters,
- enjoying some time with grandchildren and
- having a little renewing time at the beach.

Thank God for July.

Fourth of July

Our Fourth of July was enjoyed at home doing a few little housekeeping projects, preparing some traditional holiday food and attacking the to-read stack of books and magazines. With the darkness of night, fireworks lighted the neighborhood sky and we walked the streets to experience their beauty and sounds. What a great way to appreciate the freedom we have to make choices as to how we spend all of our days.

In honor of the day, I once again read some of American Gospel by Jon Meacham. It is one of a number of very interesting books that have been written in recent years about those who are known as the heroes of the American Revolution. The incredible stories of these Founding Fathers have given me a greater appreciation of their commitment to and understanding of human rights. Meacham reminds us that “faith and freedom were inextricably linked from the beginning.” Belief in God was central to the making of this nation, yet faith was a matter of choice. The issues that surround this basic tenet have almost continuously been a source of debate and sometimes misinterpretation. It would seem that in this presidential election year, it would be important for us to untangle the web of misconception about church and state by studying our past and learning what it really means to us today.

Three Years

I failed to note recently that I have now been a blogger for three years and this is my 530th post. As I review the variety of topics explored, it interests me what I have chosen to use and not use. Obviously, personal relationships are important to me as is my ministry. Life's journey takes many twists and turns, but intentionally claiming it as a walk with God is my focus. My passion for social justice emerges from time to time, but never as much as it should. The intent of this blog is to share some of what I am thinking and reading and to encourage conversation about some of them. I have discovered that having others share my pilgrimage in this blog helps me find my way. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Computer Brain

The land of blogs takes me at times to some interesting and inviting places. Such was the case today when I read Larry Hollen’s comments about a recent article in The Atlantic Monthly. I had to follow the link to it and read for myself about what the Internet is doing to our brains. I really think there may be some truth in it when I think about my own current scattered reading habits. I just thought it was a matter of aging. Also, I have found that I have to compose my thoughts on a keyboard versus the once favored yellow tablet. Apparently as we increasingly use a computer a different kind of thinking process is beginning to shape us and one wonders where this is leading us. The author, Nicholas Carr theorizes that “as we come to rely on computers to mediate our understanding of the world, it is our own intelligence that flattens into artificial intelligence.” Being of a generation that values reading, I tend to agree with this observation included within the article:

“In the quiet spaces opened up by the sustained, undistracted reading of a book, or by any other act of contemplation, for that matter, we make our own associations, draw our own inferences and analogies, foster our own ideas. Deep reading, as Maryanne Wolf argues, is indistinguishable from deep thinking.

If we lose those quiet spaces…we will sacrifice something important not only in our- selves but in our culture.”

Personally, I trust that we can find a way to use both deep reading and Google power to shape our thoughts. I will be interested in what others think.