Camping and Anniversaries

Since I discovered an old and re-doable sermon on Jacob and Esau in my archive, I'm playing the Friday Five. My husband and I just today determined the date of our first date 4 years ago. So as I reminisce about our first date on July 16, 2004 and our second date being a week-long camping trip in Wyoming a year later on July 18, 2005, here are my answers to Friday Five.

1. Did you go to sleep away camp, or day camp, as a child? Wish you could? Or sometimes wish you hadn't?
I went to girl scout camp a few times with close friends. We slept in these tents that were on raised platforms in the woods of texas. STrangely enough, as I got older (5th grade) I got more homesick...not sure why. Glad I went though. I'll be one of those moms who says to my kids, "yes you have to go away to camp even though you're homesick because it'll be good for you! BAck when I was a kid I went away for camp and we didn't have cell phones or internet to keep in touch!"

2. How about camping out? Dream vacation, nightmare, or somewhere in between?
Second date with my husband, and a mostly dream vacation. The only exception being that my husband found this Deet-free, organic insect repellant, that we took with us that turned out to be worthless against the massive mosquitos we enountered at 10000 ft. We spent the whole time standing in the freezing lake freezing off our bites and using a towel to flap away the buggers from our exposed skin.

3. Have you ever worked as a camp counselor, or been to a camp for your denomination for either work or pleasure?
My church always went to synod camp in Texas in July. Never worked there as a counselor though.

4. Most dramatic memory of camp, or camping out?
My gentlemanly husband waited 4 days into our second date/camping trip to kiss me.

5. What is your favorite camp song or songs? Bonus points if you link to a recording or video.
While hiking, I discovered I would frequently burst into song. For some reason (before he kissed me) I found myself bursting into the Sound of Music singing "I could have danced all night!" accompanied by as much of a dance as I could muster with 25 lbs on my back. With a horrid wide-brim Wal-Mart hat with a hand-towel hanging out behind to protect my sunburned neck, I looked slightly more ridiculous than this: this

First time posting a link...hope this works!

In the Beginning...

As I struggle to find one and only one thing to talk about with the creation story, I'm also preparing for the Festival of Homiletics. As I start to read about separating the sea from the dry land, I start to wonder what the weather will be like in Minneapolis. As I wade through commentaries and become inundated with the wealth of inspiring stuff on Genesis 1-2, I start the packing list in my head. I'm struggling to accomplish anything. As one Crow Indian I worked with years ago said of going to a pow-wow, "up here (pointing to his head), I'm already there."

Up here, I'm already there...unfortunately, "there" is not my sermon.

I've also been contemplating words. There's a quote from My Fair Lady where Eliza Doolittle after weeks of practicing speaking "correctly" exclaims "WORDS WORDS WORDS!" I'm beginning to feel that way about worship planning. It's only words. I gather words for liturgy from the four winds, carefully pick the ones that are life-giving and freeing and affirm God's love and our purpose. I string together what often feels like self-absorbed, self-important words for a sermon. I choose hymns based, not on the hymn tunes which would be my preference, but on the words and meanings they convey. And each Sunday, I show up in faith at church. We say these carefully picked words. I deliver my carefully, sometimes, worded sermon. We sing our hymns of words. And at the end of the day, I have to trust that the words meant something to someone. But when have we heard someone say, "wow! that call to worship was really inspiring!"

I believe in words. Not just the Word. I believe words can free us. I believe words can liberate our souls from previously read or stated destructive words. But our worship order and manner seems completely inundated with words. I wonder if we miss the forrest for the trees.

Having been to Taize several times, I've accepted that I'm a leader in the wrong tradition. Taize worship is musical, rather than liturgical. As a musician, I'd much prefer a worship centered on music rather than words. And the words we sing at Taize in the songs, sung repetitively, begin to sink into your soul just as much as the melodies you find yourself singing in the shower the next morning. Taize reminds me less is more when it comes to words. But our order of worship doesn't seem to accomodate that theory. Because if we had fewer words in worship, we'd be done in 30 minutes or less. So we fill up time with more words...a longer prayer of confession, longer sermon, maybe we take a break and throw in a period of silence (blessed silence in the flood of words).

There has to be a better way. In a larger church with a more accomplished pianist or organist than our blessed volunteer one, I could make use of music more. But I must work with the cards we've been dealt. And I'm having trouble thinking outside the box. I'm having trouble being creative. I'm having trouble coming up with a better way. So I continue stringing words together.

I'm hoping the FEstival will offer me new hope and a better stewardship of God's holy words.

But all of this, really, is just a bunch of words.

Is Christ resurrected yet?!

You would think being part-time I would get stuff done far in advance...sadly total depravity is still alive and well in me. I have an Easter bulletin to throw together and with worship lately feeling really spectacular, I loathe the idea of throwing together something for easter. First sunday after easter is fine, but Easter deserves my utmost for God's highest to borrow a phrase. I had this great idea to borrow liturgy from a worship conference I attended last summer and don't you know, I can't find that book of liturgy anywhere since I moved. I have three hymns picked. I have this vague idea of lots of scripture and talking about our redemptive history. So it looks a lot more like an Easter Vigil service than Easter Sunday. Not that anyone would care at this church, and might like.
ARGH!!! Must get this done, however I'm going to do it.

Holy Week

A wonderful service of palms and passion yesterday. I really felt the spirit moving through the scripture, the baptism, the music, the liturgy. Now to figure out the Maundy Thursday service. Yesterday a woman approached me to do a reading she'd written after her son died in a motorcycle accident. Recognizing the control freak in me who sometimes rears her ugly head, I agreed and kept thinking, "I hope this works out ok." But I also was thinking this is something she needs to do, and what better time than at the service of Christ's last supper? Now to plan the rest of the service so that it's casual yet structured, easy-flowing yet liturgical, and filled with Spirit. Which isn't really my call so that's up to her.

I also realize I really need to start planning more than one service at a time so that Holy Week doesn't creep up on me and I'm planning 2 services that week. And I only work part-time! I should have plenty of time to plan ahead.

A stormy day here in Texas. A good day to get holy week blocked out.

Day 1

My first blog ever. I've never blogged before. Hope I do it right!