Off the Grid.

I've been off the grid for awhile. Attending to my ailing mother and cerebrally-absent almost-97-year-old grandmother. Not to mention my almost-6month-old, church, husband, dog....and me.

I'm sure I've learned something along the way. Bet there's a lesson in there....somewhere.

All I know is that I'm thankful to that things seem to be calming down an eensie bit so I can perhaps think and blog and pray a bit more. (Okay, I've been praying A LOT over the past few months!)

Someone emailed this to me, and I wanted to get your opinion:

"One of my observations about a postmodernism worldview is that it's reliance on inward validation (it's true because I believe it to be true) as opposed to outward validation (it's true because it corresponds to known facts) enables one to insert into that worldview  whatever ideology they like, kind of a convenient coincidence."

What do you think of this observation? Do you agree or disagree? How does this impact the way we do theology and biblical criticism? Discuss....

Ode to the Business Card

I've not written here for awhile...not because I've not had things to say, but because my mom has been in the hospital, mostly in ICU, since October 24th. She is making small strides which are encouraging....and I can attest to the power of prayer throughout all of this. Taking care of my 3 month old, being back at work and caring for my 96 year old grandmother with dementia on top of it all has been quite challenging...
Now onto what I really want to talk about: business cards. I've not been one to go out and get cards made up right away once I've shown up at a church. Why? It seems like every time I get business cards, something changes. Once it was my name (after I got married), a couple of times it has been my email address. I always seem to have to change something on my cards. But I've realized throughout this time with my mom why it is so important for pastors to have business cards.
WHY?
Well, there was some confusion about whether my mom's pastor visited her in ICU. Another pastor was kind enough to contact her church and the pastor to let them know she was very ill. She's been awesome about checking in with me and offering care to me throughout all of this (and visited my mom a couple of times, too!) Having heard nothing from the pastor, I thought for sure he had not visited. I asked her nurses who said they had not seen anyone but my brother and I...so I was puzzled. (I was there in the beginning almost twelve hours a day--husband and baby in tow...) When I talked to him he said he had seen her and then described an accurate picture of what he experienced (and I knew he had been there because it matched her condition at the time!). Had he left a business card somewhere in the room (on the little table, tacked to the board, etc.) letting us know he had been there, it would have offered a little bit of spiritual relief. Instead, we went on the notion that he had not gotten over to see someone from his congregation who was in critical condition. (Not a good image for a colleague to have of another!) I share this not to criticize my colleague who I respect, but to encourage all of us to see how this is a helpful practice!
The moral of the story: even if your card is inaccurate and the person you visit seems to be coherent, leave a card so that the family knows you have been there to see their loved one. It may seem silly, or simple, but an easy way to provide pastoral care.

A Post Worth Taking a Look At...

Check out Molly's post about CA prop 8. Worth your time!

Economical Turmoil

While I have been on maternity leave I've had the opportunity to spend plenty of time watching what is happening in the world around me on television while I bond and FEED my daughter. (She's quite a good eater, I might add...meaning I spend A LOT of time feeding her!) I've watched carefully these past few weeks as the economy has wobbled and the government bailed out this group and that. I've had a friend lose his job as a result of the latest market craziness. And our President came on television today to say, and I paraphrase, (I used the DVR 8 second button to make sure I heard him right) "we will persecute those (CEOS) who knowingly take advantage of investors." (He really did say persecute instead of prosecute. Yep, he is still our president until January.)
In her book Tribal Church, Carol Howard Merritt talks about the complex economic realities facing not only young people but all generations. Her words about how issues around money get lost in translation between generations is important for all folks in the Church to hear. She talks about how it is almost impossible for single young people to live on the salaries they make these days (which she points out is why many couples move in together before they marry-- it is a practical issue-- they can't afford not to!) She clearly states the way that Boomers are not willing to loan their children money to put a down payment on a house or to buy a sensible vehicle because they are scared to dip into their savings for retirement. (Though their parents loaned them the money at their children's age to do the same!) Since Boomers are living longer there is a need and desire to have adequate savings so that they can live comfortably into their golden years.
This brings me back to the rocky market and buyouts. Because of the way things have been handled, an already unsteady situation for many people in our pews has become even more so. As the Church, facing smaller tithes and offerings because of the financial hardship facing many faithful disciples, we are challenged to find ways to pay our bills and lovingly respond to the stewardship issues and crises facing our people. How do we respond when someone is about to lose their house because of the mortgage crisis? Are there ways for the Church to translate faithful stewardship in ways that doesn't sound self-serving?

Gratitude: There's a note for that! (Post-it® Notes Contest)

While a clever commercial for post-its (does post-its really need to advertise?!) this video is a wonderful way to express gratitude. What would you do to express gratitude in this way?
Hat tip to Laura Gordon.

A New Understanding of Connection...

One thing I read often about my generation and the ones following is that there is a deep longing for connection. This is usually followed by statements about how due to the fact that young people move a lot, don't know their neighbors, don't have smaller communities they gather with (like PTA or church groups), that young people seek ways to connect with each other outside traditional ways. And, because most of these observations are written by people of older generations, there is usually some sort of judgment about how bad these attempts at connection are.
I have to say that I have come to appreciate one of these ways of connecting with people a lot. I joined Facebook to have more ways to communicate with my friend Krista who is serving as a missionary in Germany. I also loved that I could connect with other friends on Facebook--and this has allowed me to have more communication with people I had not had that kind of connection with up to that point. I even recruited my husband Joel to facebook. (And because we run in clergy and teacher circles-- it seems like a lot of clergy and teachers are on Facebook!)
When I went into labor, it was pretty incredible to be sitting in the labor and delivery room updating our facebook status to let our friends know what was happening. We could ask for prayers and let a whole bunch of folks know without making a ton of phone calls. We even were able to post pictures of Kat quick-like so that our friends near and far could see our beautiful daughter not long after her birth.
I've joked with some friends and family that Kat was born via Facebook. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated and continue to appreciate that connection with friends. While I may not see them or talk with them, there is an intimate sense of connection I've enjoyed that's hard to explain. It is amazing to me how the internet can connect people in powerful ways. While it might not be the same thing as sitting across the table from someone in a PTA meeting or a Bible Study, likely drinking bad coffee, applications like Facebook have become a real "third place" for people like me.

Psalm 23 and Pink Floyd

Between feedings I picked up the latest issue of Christian Century (August 26, 2008) and saw something in the "Century Marks" that caught my attention. There towards the bottom of the page was a note about a question asked by Professor Peter Hawkins of Boston University (my alma mater for seminary). He asked his Intro class on the Bible if they had heard the 23rd Psalm. Apparently, after he recited it, people recognized parts of it-- but did not know that it was originally in the Bible. Students thought it was from a Pink Floyd song, from rapper Coolio's song, "Gangsta's Paradise," or Pulp Fiction (but that was wrong-- that was actually a quote from the cheerful book of Ezekiel). According to Professor Hawkins, "My students knew their movies and their lyrics but not the biblical source of 'the valley of the shadow of death.'"
It strikes me funny that these kind of notes show up in stuff like Christian Century. Why, you ask? Folks within the Church seem to expect that young people will at least know what we would consider to be basic things about the Bible and faith. What this note helps to point out is that we cannot assume people know what we consider to be basic things of faith. That in fact it is modern artists-- movie makers, rappers, rock stars, authors-- who are teaching young people aspects of spirituality. Some of the best communicators of faith in the last generation have been people outside of the Church. (That's not new, but it seems to be new every time I read something like I did in Christian Century!).
It begs us folk on the inside to do a few things-- a gut check about what we assume people ought to know, and also, to realize that art is an important and under-utilized resource/gift. Perhaps it is another nudge to embrace art-- in all of its diversity and creativity!