stumbling toward divinity

my biography

I updated my biography in my "about me" section.

Check it out and tell me what you think.

re-evaluation

So a good friend read my two previous blog entries, and became concerned and gave me a call.
He wanted to make sure I was ok, but we also had a conversation about my blog and what might happen if members of my congregation found it.  The last thing I want to do is to upset or harm someone from my congregation because of things I say or don't say on my blog, or because of things that are inferred in my posts. 

I've decided what I need to do is just take a step back, figure out what I want to use my blog for and what it should and shouldn't be used for.  Don't worry.  I'm not leaving for good.  I will be back.  I appreciate having this outlet.  I just need to think about it.

So, I will talk to you all again.  Sooner or later.  We'll see.

a veritable plethora of anniversaries and remembrances (okay, maybe not that many...)

I was getting ready for bed and decided, at the last minute, to check my e-mail to make sure that no one had actually e-mailed me.  Then, of course, I got distracted and started surfing the net for a bit, and that's when it struck me.

This particular manifestation of my blog turned a year old last month.  It was February of 2006 when I decided to give Typepad a try, and then was bombarded by people wondering how my very first congregational interview went.  That was quite a time in my life, filled with excitement and uncertainty and nervousness and exhilaration surrounding the call process.  I was surprised and elated to have received an assignment to the synod that I did, and was just beginning the journey into the unknown of the call process.  I was also slowly coming to terms with the fact that it was my last semester at the Mothership (though I was able to successfully live in denial for quite some time).  And now, a year since then, I've graduated from seminary, received a call to a congregation, moved to a new state, been ordained, adopted a dog, and have begun the real and exciting and sometimes messy work of fulltime ministry.

Speaking of that, with the arrival of March I have been in my call for six months.  It doesn't seem like I've been here that long, at all.  Time has surely flown but I think I am able to remember a lot of names; I'm getting comfortable in my new house, in the church and in the town; I think I have done some good work and have ideas for some other good things; I seem to have connected well with many of the youth; and I still enjoy the place and people I have been called to serve and the work I have been called to do.  Which is good.

In that same vein, March 2007 marks that I have been in the blogging world for three years.  It was towards the end of my third year at seminary that I discovered the world of blogs and started my own.  For some reason I've managed to stick with it for three years (which, for me, is QUITE the accomplishment).  I'm sure I have gained and lost readers over those three years, but I know quite a few have been journeying with me almost since the beginning.  I've had my moral character called into question, received some weird comments, fumbled in and out of anonymity (here's hoping I'm still mostly in anonymity...), started and completed my internship... quite a lot of stuff has been chronicled from my life on the pages of this Internet.  Some is more readily accessible than others, but, for the most part, it's all still out there somewhere.  It has been a long, strange trip, and the title "stumbling toward divinity," still describes the process in an extremely appropriate manner.

Thanks for journeying along with me, whether you've been here since the beginning, or even if this is your first time reading.  So, here's to three years of stumbling, and here's hoping for many, many more!

it was only a matter of time

For those of you who were concerned, I received word that Congregation C voted "strongly and overwhelmingly in favor" of calling me as their new associate pastor.  So, that is good news.

In other news, I suppose it was only a matter of time, but I have been publicly shamed.  Yes, my friends, someone has found MY blog worthy enough to dedicate nearly an entire blog post for talking about how immoral and reprehensible I am.  And also how unfortunate it is that some congregation has chosen to call someone as immoral as me to be their pastor.

I don't know...  I'd think about being angry, but I think that takes more effort than I feel like expending right now.  I do, however, think that it's great that my blog is finally receiving some of the negative attention that all of those other big time blogs out there seem to get.  Does this mean I've finally made it in the blogworld?

Anyway, I am going to head for bed.  You see, the stars aligned just right and the opportunity arose for me to be able to spend the week with my good friends The Awesomes, and so I jumped at the chance.  So I'm in the northlands for about a week.  I'm excited!

belated birthday greetings

I have a tendency to forget birthdays until days later.  In fact, I'm notorious for it.
So, I guess it makes sense that I would be tardy for blog anniversaries and birthdays, too.

Anyway, for some time I have been a part of the internet blog community known as the RevGalBlogPals.  They turned a year old this month.  So, without further ado, the weekly RevGal's Friday Five:

1) What is your first memory of the RevGalBlogPals?

They talk about the famous 100+ comment post on St Casserole's blog, where the idea for the RevGals was brought up and discussed, and then a Webring and Blog were created, and then a Cafe Press website with merchandise.  Although I did not comment on that conversation, I was present for it and remember reading it.  I did not join the webring for a while after that, but have considered myself involved (if in the shadows) since the beginning.

2) Have you met any of the other ring members in real life?

The only one I have met in real life is Tara at Praying on the Prairie, and that's because she's a former seminary classmate of mine.  Does that count?

3) Of those you haven't met, name a few you would love to know in person.

It would be fun and interesting to meet most of them.  The ones that jump to mind right away are St Casserole, Cheeshead, Stacey, Reverend Mommy, Dylan, Lutheranchik, PPB, Katherine, Reverend Mother, Marie, Jeff, Songbird, Lorna...  I could just keep going... but feel free to insert your name here, too.  There are too many that seem too interesting to pass up on the opportunity to meet!

4) What has Ring Membership added to your life?

Humorous, supportive and insightful people who are on a similar journey.  Good stories and fun procrastination tools (such as this).

5) Describe a hope for the future of the WebRing.

More books would be fun (I promise to actually write something for the next one...), um...  I'm gonna go along with everyone else and say that some sort of gathering has the potential to be fun, too!  In the capable hands of the matriarchs, I'm excited to see where the RevGals are headed!

i'm deficient

I'm trying to figure out how to renovate my blog.   I mean, like, add the links to my friends' blogs and whatnot.  When I was over at blogger, it was easy to figure out how to do that.  Perhaps it is just as easy here at Typepad, but I'm just deficient.  That could totally be the case. 

In other news, I should hear on March 2 from the Bishop of my assigned synod.  I'm getting myself prepared for any of the synods in that region.  There are some that I would love to be in more than others, but I know if I get my heart set on one or two, then when a bishop calls from one of the others I'll be disappointed.  And there's no better way to make a good first impression with a bishop than breaking down into tears when she/he tells you that you are now a part of their synod.  They love that stuff!!!