Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Inkling 11: Love

Inkling 11: Love
I've been struggling with the thought that love can't fix everything, I was beginning to doubt the power of love, and then I had sit down and ask myself some questions. And the word that I've fixated on is fix. I think asking love to fix something isn't in its job description; not even under unconditional. Love and Unconditional Love are about presence, and I've been re-reminded of this of late. Re-reminded that love in all of its many forms requires one to wait, not always, but at times. Love leaves doors open, it's up to the other to walk through.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Inklings on Church

Seeing as one day I hope to be a pastor, these inklings are mostly a reminder to myself.

Inkling 1: I've been thinking that all churches should have a vegetable garden and the produce should be divided so that a small portion can be used at church gatherings and all the rest be given away to soup kitchens or food pantries.

Inkling 2: Pastors and deacons should walk through and around the community in which their physical church sits at least once a week. They should know their neighbors well.

Inkling 3: Have your church host every event under the sun. Thus giving parishioners opportunities to talk about said event and/or invite people to said event. Sends message to community that your doors are open. That the church is welcoming.

Inkling 4: Liturgy is meant to be alive; every congregation should have one experimental Sunday.

Inkling 5: Someone on the church staff has to be technologically savvy and hip.

Inkling 6: I love pieces of the emergent church philosophy, but it often feels like the sole purpose is to recruit 20 and 30 somethings, and the rest of us are chopped liver. In my opinion creative, compassionate, radical hospitality church just plain gets people excited no matter what your age is.

Inkling 7: Pastors should join or form interfaith peer groups.

Inkling 8: All churches should recycle and compost, and if they have a community garden then they should use their own compost.

Inkling 9: The details really do matter.

Inkling 10: If your pastor isn't praying, modeling prayer, and talking about prayer; something is probably wrong...go hug that pastor.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Monday, May 10, 2010

Getting Recommended

I had my last Parish Discernment Committee meeting this month. They are going to recommend me to my pastor and the vestry. This will happen once my pastor returns from sabbatical - not as soon as I would have liked but not horribly far away either - if timing works with me, then the recommendation to will be given in September. The PDC will share with me their recommendation prior to it going to the vestry, which will be really nice.

If the vestry affirms the PDC's decision, then the diocesan side of the discernment process will begin: meet the bishop, get permission to get pyche eval done, then get permission to meet with the COM (of course assuming all positives/thumbs up). This timeframe takes me into 2011, so lots of time to get my seminary applications prepared :)