It's Thursday night, which means I'm getting in my last bit of computer time for the next 24-36 hours. Those of you who know me will remember that when I returned from Sabbatical last fall, I planned on taking my Fridays as "Tech-Free Sabbaths". I'm happy to report that they've stuck.
It took a while for me to understand the difference between the grace of tech-free sabbath and the law of tech-free sabbath. In the beginning, I was anxiously full of questions. Could I take a phone call? Could I make a phone call? Could I check the weather forecast on the computer? Could I watch a show with my family? After several weeks of this, I realized that I was getting so caught up in following the law of the sabbath that I was missing out on true sabbath. So I relaxed and did what made sense, what feels authentic, what seems faith-full.
So I do continue to use the grocery list on my iPhone. And I do check in for my airline flights. And I pick up calls from my kids' schools.
But I don't check or send e-mails. And I don't work on my sermon. And I don't shop or waste time with all the technology around me.
My Friday Sabbaths also include doing things in expansive time instead of in a hurry. Each Friday, I try to see my mom at the nursing home and have a long visit--not rushing off to get anywhere. I now normally do our week's grocery shopping on my sabbath and it is no longer a "chore" but it has become an act of loving service which I do for our family. I also plan our meals for the week and mix up a batch of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day which we'll use throughout the week. I take my kid to preschool. I'm home when the other one gets off the bus. I'm around for them to have fun with. And I thank God for all of it.
Sabbath blessings to you.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Doctoral Course First In-Residence Course Complete
My first 2-week in-residence course for my Doctor of Ministry from Austin Theological Presbyterian Seminary will be complete today. This first course has "been more than I can ask or imagine" (Ep 3:20). I'm part of a great cohort of seven students. The five women in the class have shared living the Dorm Life and we've bonded, becoming true friends and companions on the way.
The course material has been challenging, exciting, and manageable.
Between now and April 15th, each of us will complete a project using the tools and guidelines we have studied in this course. I am proposing a project which looks at Harcourt Parish through the lens of hospitality. (I'll share more details when my project has been approved.) Because I'll be doing some interviewing, my proposal must be approved by the seminary's Institutional Review Board. Because my office is on Kenyon's campus, and because I propose to interview some folks who are Kenyon staff or students, I must also get approval from Kenyon's Institutional Review Board.
While researching my topic, I came across the book, "Good Fences: The boundaries of hospitality" by Caroline A. Westerhoff. It captured me! Harcourt Parish is energized around issues of hospitality these days. A few years ago we helped to start the Winter Sanctuary and continue to volunteer. We have created a Parish House Use Committee to focus on the Parish House and how we are and can be hospitable there. And we are just beginning a Home Stay program to host visitors to Kenyon.
I hope to lead a book study this semester on the book Good Fences. If you would like to be part of this study, please let me know.
The course material has been challenging, exciting, and manageable.
Between now and April 15th, each of us will complete a project using the tools and guidelines we have studied in this course. I am proposing a project which looks at Harcourt Parish through the lens of hospitality. (I'll share more details when my project has been approved.) Because I'll be doing some interviewing, my proposal must be approved by the seminary's Institutional Review Board. Because my office is on Kenyon's campus, and because I propose to interview some folks who are Kenyon staff or students, I must also get approval from Kenyon's Institutional Review Board.
While researching my topic, I came across the book, "Good Fences: The boundaries of hospitality" by Caroline A. Westerhoff. It captured me! Harcourt Parish is energized around issues of hospitality these days. A few years ago we helped to start the Winter Sanctuary and continue to volunteer. We have created a Parish House Use Committee to focus on the Parish House and how we are and can be hospitable there. And we are just beginning a Home Stay program to host visitors to Kenyon.
I hope to lead a book study this semester on the book Good Fences. If you would like to be part of this study, please let me know.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Doctoral Course Introduction
I'm now in residence for my first Doctoral course at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. With two days under my belt, so far so good. I'm in a cohort with six other clergy including Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, Disciples of Christ, and Episcopal. We come from churches that worship 30 on a Sunday morning and churches that worship 1,300 on Sunday mornings. To prepare for class, we each read six books and wrote five papers.
This first course, taught by Chuck Mendenhall, is called "Ministry and Context." On our first day of class, we shared our papers with one another. During the rest of the week we will explore different ways of engaging our congregations in qualitative, narrative research. We will get to know one anothers' congregations by the five papers we have shared with one another. So far, I have shared a brief ethnographic description of our choir and an even briefer family systems analysis of the parish house. I will also be sharing a narrative research about the chaplaincy, a paper on culture and identity which is very similar to what I shared at our Advent suppers, and finally I'll be sharing the timeline we created together during the second Advent supper.
Our classes meet from 8:30-12:30 each weekday for two weeks. Our professor will give us an assignment on Friday which will take much of the weekend to complete to be presented on Monday. This weekend work will be the background material we will work with in Week 2, and the basis of a research project we will do in our congregations in the next several months. Our final project for this course will be due April 15th. Currently, there are many exciting possibilities in our congregation. I haven't yet decided what the focus of my paper will be but I am confident that it will be both informative and useful as we look into Harcourt Parish's future together.
This first course, taught by Chuck Mendenhall, is called "Ministry and Context." On our first day of class, we shared our papers with one another. During the rest of the week we will explore different ways of engaging our congregations in qualitative, narrative research. We will get to know one anothers' congregations by the five papers we have shared with one another. So far, I have shared a brief ethnographic description of our choir and an even briefer family systems analysis of the parish house. I will also be sharing a narrative research about the chaplaincy, a paper on culture and identity which is very similar to what I shared at our Advent suppers, and finally I'll be sharing the timeline we created together during the second Advent supper.
Our classes meet from 8:30-12:30 each weekday for two weeks. Our professor will give us an assignment on Friday which will take much of the weekend to complete to be presented on Monday. This weekend work will be the background material we will work with in Week 2, and the basis of a research project we will do in our congregations in the next several months. Our final project for this course will be due April 15th. Currently, there are many exciting possibilities in our congregation. I haven't yet decided what the focus of my paper will be but I am confident that it will be both informative and useful as we look into Harcourt Parish's future together.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Diocesan Council
For the first time in my 25+ years of active diocesan participation, I am on Diocesan Council. Diocesan Council is like the Vestry of the diocese. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from it, but decided it was time to broaden my understanding of the church by taking a turn as council member. Our Mission Area Council elected me, and I am currently at our organizing retreat. So far, I'm pleasantly surprised. After this weekend we will meet for a half day a month, sometimes on Thursday afternoons and sometimes on Saturdays. Here are some of the things we do:
Financial Oversight
Just like Vestries, the Diocesan Council has some fiduciary responsibilities. Today we will be looking at audit reports and discussing salaries and benefits. The dollar amounts in the diocese are much larger than that in our parish, but the general principles are the same.
Connection with Staff
I didn't realize that diocesan staff attend every Council meeting. This really helps connect the staff to a wider group of folks from the diocese. I will look forward to being able to regularly see all the diocesan staff face to face.
Connection between the Diocese and Mission Area
Some members of council are elected by our Mission Areas, others are elected by Diocesan Convention. Those of us elected by the Mission Area are tasked with being another point of connection between the parishes in our mission area and the diocese. At least quarterly, we are to check in with both the clergy AND the senior warden of each church in our mission area. We are to be conduits both of information from the diocese to the parish as well as from the parishes to the diocese. This is a part of my role of council member that I will especially enjoy.
It's time to get back to our meeting. We begin with prayer and I don't want to be late for that!
Financial Oversight
Just like Vestries, the Diocesan Council has some fiduciary responsibilities. Today we will be looking at audit reports and discussing salaries and benefits. The dollar amounts in the diocese are much larger than that in our parish, but the general principles are the same.
Connection with Staff
I didn't realize that diocesan staff attend every Council meeting. This really helps connect the staff to a wider group of folks from the diocese. I will look forward to being able to regularly see all the diocesan staff face to face.
Connection between the Diocese and Mission Area
Some members of council are elected by our Mission Areas, others are elected by Diocesan Convention. Those of us elected by the Mission Area are tasked with being another point of connection between the parishes in our mission area and the diocese. At least quarterly, we are to check in with both the clergy AND the senior warden of each church in our mission area. We are to be conduits both of information from the diocese to the parish as well as from the parishes to the diocese. This is a part of my role of council member that I will especially enjoy.
It's time to get back to our meeting. We begin with prayer and I don't want to be late for that!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Marking Advent
I love the season of Advent. Somehow it often catches me by surprise and I either get started late or completely miss the many ways we have to count the days of Advent. This year, I'm ready! Here are the ways our family will be marking Advent:
Advent Wreath and Christmas Hymn
Our family always has an Advent Wreath, and we light it each night at dinner time.
Last year, I realized our children were not learning Christmas Hymns anywhere, so we began singing them at the lighting of the wreath. We chose one hymn for each candle. So Week 1, we sing one hymn. Week 2, we'll add a second hymn. By Christmas eve, we have quite a round of singing before we get to eat--but our children now know the hymns by heart.
You may also want to choose one hymn and add a verse each week.
Advent Calendar
When I was growing up, my momma made me a hand-crafted advent calendar. She drew a picture of a big house and used pictures cut from christmas cards behind each door. I treasured it. Here is a template to make one for your family.
This year, I also succumbed and spent $5 at Aldi's on chocolate advent calendars for the boys. I've never had one of these before, but am pretty sure they will be appreciated.
Jesse Tree
I am not particularly familiar with the Jesse Tree but we will be giving the Sunday School children the supplies to make their own this year. Children will have 24 coloring-page ornaments that relate to a person in the Bible. Each day, they can color an ornament and hang it on their Jesse Tree (a bare stick stuck into a bucket of stones). The family can read a related biblical passage or just tell the story of that person as the children color their ornaments.
Last week in Sunday School the children created Advent Chains with the biblical passages on each link, most of which relate to the Jesse Tree ornaments. (The Chain, however, begin on Nov 27th and the Tree begins on Dec 1st. If we had a full-time Christian Ed director, we could correct these little issues. But we make do with what we have.)
What are your favorite Advent traditions? Is there something you'd like to try this year?
Advent Wreath and Christmas Hymn
Our family always has an Advent Wreath, and we light it each night at dinner time.
Last year, I realized our children were not learning Christmas Hymns anywhere, so we began singing them at the lighting of the wreath. We chose one hymn for each candle. So Week 1, we sing one hymn. Week 2, we'll add a second hymn. By Christmas eve, we have quite a round of singing before we get to eat--but our children now know the hymns by heart.
You may also want to choose one hymn and add a verse each week.
Advent Calendar
When I was growing up, my momma made me a hand-crafted advent calendar. She drew a picture of a big house and used pictures cut from christmas cards behind each door. I treasured it. Here is a template to make one for your family.
This year, I also succumbed and spent $5 at Aldi's on chocolate advent calendars for the boys. I've never had one of these before, but am pretty sure they will be appreciated.
Jesse Tree
I am not particularly familiar with the Jesse Tree but we will be giving the Sunday School children the supplies to make their own this year. Children will have 24 coloring-page ornaments that relate to a person in the Bible. Each day, they can color an ornament and hang it on their Jesse Tree (a bare stick stuck into a bucket of stones). The family can read a related biblical passage or just tell the story of that person as the children color their ornaments.
Last week in Sunday School the children created Advent Chains with the biblical passages on each link, most of which relate to the Jesse Tree ornaments. (The Chain, however, begin on Nov 27th and the Tree begins on Dec 1st. If we had a full-time Christian Ed director, we could correct these little issues. But we make do with what we have.)
What are your favorite Advent traditions? Is there something you'd like to try this year?
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Diocesan Convention
Susan Givens, Ben Neuhaus, James Roll and I represented Harcourt Parish at Diocesan Convention last weekend. This year the meeting was held at a hotel in Cleveland with dinner and the convention eucharist at Trinity Cathedral. Here are some of the things discussed.
Haiti
You may remember we were a part of the Rebuild our Church in Haiti campaign last Easter. (Harcourt Parish was able to buy one brick for every person in attendance on an average Sunday, thanks to your generosity.) All 109 dioceses in the Episcopal Church were encouraged to participate in this program. The Diocese of Ohio raised the most money of any diocese--over $80,000. The bishop of Haiti spoke to us during convention and preached at the Eucharist. He told powerful stories of the earthquake and the rebirth happening in Haiti and thanked us for our generosity.
Fraking
One of the debatable resolutions (a parliamentary term, not a descriptive term) presented was to call for a ban on horizontal fraking in Ohio until more results are in studying the effects on surrounding land and water. Someone speaking for the amendment encouraged us to watch the documentary Gas Land to learn more. The resolution passed.
Youth Service Corps
Trinity Cathedral is a new site for an Episcopal Youth Service Corps group. ESC has been around for two decades and offers young adults an internship year to live in intentional community and serve the neighborhood in which they live. These internships could be valuable options for many Kenyon students. A friend of mine is the interim director for the Los Angeles Urban Intern Program. More information about the Trinity program can be found here.
Vision for Diocesan Camp and Retreat Center on a Working Farm
The bishop's address cast an exciting vision for the creation of a state-of the art eco-friendly diocesan camp and retreat ministry centered around a working farm. His vision for this place would include space for 100 campers and staff in tents, yurts, and simple cabins. There would be a retreat center with single- and double-occupancy rooms attached to meeting space, and hermitages for individual retreats. The dining hall could feed 250 and would be served by a licensed commercial kitchen which would be used to create the meals but also would be used for food preservation, classes, and other events. There would be a variety of worship spaces, both indoor and out. Everything would be built green, and the members of the diocese may help with the building. It would utilize hay bale construction, geothermal heating, solar panels, and composting everything. The bishop has a vision of our diocese becoming a leader in healthy living. He presented a very compelling vision (link here at bottom of 3rd paragraph).
Episcopal Youth Event
We heard from several high school students who attended the Episcopal Youth Event this summer. The week was an energizing and life-changing experience for them. They met so many other young Episcopalians like themselves, they were energized by the worship and bible studies, and they had fun at church! I attended one of these events as a youth, and heartily concur. They're fantastic events, and I hope that someday some of our youth will participate.
Elections
Every diocesan convention includes elections. This year both Greg Stark and I were elected as provisional deputies to General Convention which will happen next July in Indianapolis. The diocese pays the way for four clergy and four lay deputies to attend this meeting. Provisional deputies can pay their own way and attend the convention and have a chance to be on the floor to vote if one of the deputies would like to have some time off. I've been to several General Conventions and always am inspired by them.
I also was elected this fall as our Mission Area Representative to Diocesan Council, so will be spending about one day per month with other leaders of the diocese doing things similar to a vestry but on a diocesan level. Our first event will be a planning retreat the first weekend of December.
A Welcome Surprise
Delegates to convention were almost giddy as we realized we were ahead of schedule. We chose to work through our scheduled lunch break in order to complete our business two hours ahead of schedule. It was a lovely way to end a convention.
Haiti
You may remember we were a part of the Rebuild our Church in Haiti campaign last Easter. (Harcourt Parish was able to buy one brick for every person in attendance on an average Sunday, thanks to your generosity.) All 109 dioceses in the Episcopal Church were encouraged to participate in this program. The Diocese of Ohio raised the most money of any diocese--over $80,000. The bishop of Haiti spoke to us during convention and preached at the Eucharist. He told powerful stories of the earthquake and the rebirth happening in Haiti and thanked us for our generosity.
Fraking
One of the debatable resolutions (a parliamentary term, not a descriptive term) presented was to call for a ban on horizontal fraking in Ohio until more results are in studying the effects on surrounding land and water. Someone speaking for the amendment encouraged us to watch the documentary Gas Land to learn more. The resolution passed.
Youth Service Corps
Trinity Cathedral is a new site for an Episcopal Youth Service Corps group. ESC has been around for two decades and offers young adults an internship year to live in intentional community and serve the neighborhood in which they live. These internships could be valuable options for many Kenyon students. A friend of mine is the interim director for the Los Angeles Urban Intern Program. More information about the Trinity program can be found here.
Vision for Diocesan Camp and Retreat Center on a Working Farm
The bishop's address cast an exciting vision for the creation of a state-of the art eco-friendly diocesan camp and retreat ministry centered around a working farm. His vision for this place would include space for 100 campers and staff in tents, yurts, and simple cabins. There would be a retreat center with single- and double-occupancy rooms attached to meeting space, and hermitages for individual retreats. The dining hall could feed 250 and would be served by a licensed commercial kitchen which would be used to create the meals but also would be used for food preservation, classes, and other events. There would be a variety of worship spaces, both indoor and out. Everything would be built green, and the members of the diocese may help with the building. It would utilize hay bale construction, geothermal heating, solar panels, and composting everything. The bishop has a vision of our diocese becoming a leader in healthy living. He presented a very compelling vision (link here at bottom of 3rd paragraph).
Episcopal Youth Event
We heard from several high school students who attended the Episcopal Youth Event this summer. The week was an energizing and life-changing experience for them. They met so many other young Episcopalians like themselves, they were energized by the worship and bible studies, and they had fun at church! I attended one of these events as a youth, and heartily concur. They're fantastic events, and I hope that someday some of our youth will participate.
Elections
Every diocesan convention includes elections. This year both Greg Stark and I were elected as provisional deputies to General Convention which will happen next July in Indianapolis. The diocese pays the way for four clergy and four lay deputies to attend this meeting. Provisional deputies can pay their own way and attend the convention and have a chance to be on the floor to vote if one of the deputies would like to have some time off. I've been to several General Conventions and always am inspired by them.
I also was elected this fall as our Mission Area Representative to Diocesan Council, so will be spending about one day per month with other leaders of the diocese doing things similar to a vestry but on a diocesan level. Our first event will be a planning retreat the first weekend of December.
A Welcome Surprise
Delegates to convention were almost giddy as we realized we were ahead of schedule. We chose to work through our scheduled lunch break in order to complete our business two hours ahead of schedule. It was a lovely way to end a convention.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Vesry Retreat
The PlaceOn Saturday the vestry gathered at a new retreat center, Tabor Cottage in Butler. For several decades the Community of Transfiguration has used this space to do summer camp with groups of inner-city children. A few months ago Sister Nadine and Sister Rachel moved in to begin to create a year-round space. We were their first official group and they did a good job making us feel welcome and cared for.
Both sisters are potters. Here is the Eucharistic set sister Nadine made for their chapel. We were given the honor of blessing these vessels before being used for communion.
The Task
Most of the work we did at this retreat came from the book Values-Driven Leadership by Aubrey Malphurs. In the morning we completed and discussed a "readiness for change" survey and decided our parish was able and ready to deal with the change of no longer having a full-time chaplain.
In the afternoon we began trying to discern our parish's core values: those things which are unchanging, make the church the church, and we would continue to hold even if holding them became a disadvantage. We began with another survey, and from this survey we agreed on a group of words that contain some of the core values of Harcourt Parish.
Survey Results
Community
Worship
Relationships
Encouragement
Cooperation
Team Ministry
Prayer
Fairness/openness
Mobilized Laity.
Those of you who know Harcourt Parish, does that sound accurate?
I could agree with those things, but they still didn't hit on the essence of our parish. So we continued to work and struggle and began with these:
Possible Harcourt Parish Core Values
Empowering Outreach
-we are a caring community that strives to improve the quality of life around us
-we are blessed to be a blessing
-we mentor and encourage newcomers and students in outreach
-"I am the Episcopal Church at work"
-virtually everyone in the pews is involved in some outreach work
-we are very involved locally while not ignoring international concerns
Thought-Full
-we're a congregation of people who like to think
-it's OK to have questions and to ask difficult questions here
-we don't all think the same
Honest Worship
-we are a church because we worship together
-we are linked to other churches because we all use the Book of Common Prayer
-we worship whole-heartedly, sometimes imperfectly, and faithfully
Does that describe us? What is still missing? Any suggestions?
Another Possibility
Near the end of our time together we prayed the Litany of Thanksgiving on page 837 of the prayerbook. This line stood out as a possible mission statement:
Minds to think, hearts to love, and hands to serve.
As the vestry continues to ponder these things, we seek your input. Comment here, catch one of us at coffee hour, or send us an e-mail. Thanks.
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