Reflecting

My Baby Girl is eleven months old today and I'm feeling a bit reflective, but it's not so much because of this day. A 4 month old baby girl died in my community this week. I don't know the family at all but I know people who do. Apparently she was a healthy girl and so they are saying it was SIDS. She went to the babysitter and never came home. I've been thinking about the mother especially. I love nursing my baby. There are moments I complain--I never thought my life would revolve around my breasts. But life has these eleven months. I need to know when she's eaten; I need to plan when I go somewhere if she might eat; I need to carry the pump with everyday to work; I know when it's been a long time between feedings. At the same time, though, there is nothing more restful than her gently nursing and slipping into sleep. It always calms and relaxes me too, sometimes to the point that I just fall asleep too. To be able to do this is such a gift. So I've been thinking about this mother. I don't know if she was breastfeeding or not, but I can't help but think of how awful it must be--full breasts, empty arms. My baby's getting extra love.

Friday Five--Appliance Edition

1. What is the one appliance you simply couldn't be without?
Probably the microwave. I'm not much of a cook--so microwave it is. That or our toaster oven.

2. What if anything would you happily give up?
Coffee maker. I don't drink coffee, but we own one in case we ever have company who does. It is stored in the cabinet.

3. What is the most strangest household appliance you own?
I guess that would be the "Magic Bullet." My husband decided we needed one and we use it pretty regularly for smoothies.

4. What is the most luxurious household appliance you own?
I don't think any of our appliances are luxurious.

5. Tell us about your dream kitchen- the sky is the limit here....
I'm not much of a cook, so the simple appliances work for me. But maybe, if we are dreaming....how about a chef?

Friday Five--Time Out Edition

As posted at RevGals:
Holy Week is almost upon us, I suspect that ordained or not, other revgal/pals calendars look a bit like mine, FULL, FULL, FULL........Jesus was great at teaching us to take time out, even in that last week, right up to Maundy Thursday he withdrew, John's gospel tells us he hid! He hid not because he was afraid, but because he knew that he needed physical, mental and spiritual strength to get through...So faced with a busy week:

1. What restores you physically?
Sleep--good solid sleep, especially if it means sleeping in. With a 10 month old, my definition of sleeping in is changing. I'd take an 8 a.m.

2. What strengthens you emotionally/ mentally?
Time away from work. I recently had vacation which helped a whole lot. Hearing Baby Girl laugh and giggle helps, as does snuggling with her, and simply having time with her. Yesterday I got her dressed, fed breakfast, saw her about an hour in the afternoon, got home to put her in jammies, fed and put to bed. Just not enough.

3. What encourages you spiritually?
Music--good music. Sunshine.

4. Share a favourite poem or piece of music from the coming week.
Holy Week by Ann Weems in Kneeling in Jerusalem

Holy is the week…
Holy, consecrated to God…
We move from hosannas to horror
with the predictable ease
of those who know not what they do.
Our hosannas sung,
our palms waved,
let us go with passion into this week.
It is a time to curse fig trees that do not yield fruit.
It is a time to cleanse our temples of any blasphemy.
It is a time to greet Jesus as the Lord’s Anointed One,
to lavishly break our alabaster
and pour perfume out for him
without counting the cost.
It is a time for preparation…
The time to give thanks and break bread is upon us.
The time to give thanks and drink wine is imminent.
Eat, drink, remember:
On this night of nights, each one must ask,
as we dip our bread in the wine,
“Is it I?”
And on that darkest of days, each of us must stand
beneath the tree
and watch the dying
if we are to be there
when the stone is rolled away.

The only road to Easter morning
is through the unrelenting shadows of that Friday.
Only then will the alleluias be sung;
only then will the dancing begin.

5.There may be many services for you to attend/ lead over the next week, which one are you most looking forward to and why? If there aren't do you have a favourite day in Holy week if so which one is it?
Our bishop (new this year) is hosting a service for us clergy-types on Monday of Holy Week. Add to the busy-ness--but it's a chance to be the worshiper, not the worship leader. I'm looking forward to that, even though it's a bit of a drive to get there and since it's my day off, it means no babysitter, so Baby Girl will be with me. I'm not used to sitting with her in worship. The other thing I love is being the first to enter the dark sanctuary on Easter morning and being inundated with the scent of lilies.

To Do List

So...we are flying up to Holy Week and these are the major points of my to do list.

• Palm/Passion Sunday Sermon (services Saturday evening and 2 Sunday morning)
• Maundy Thursday Sermon
• Good Friday "sermonette" -- we have an ecumenical service and a series of 6 short (i.e. 3 minutes max) reflections and I have to do one of them

So in the midst of sermonizing, I have decided to apply for a job that I probably have no chance of getting. A job which is going to begin looking at applicants on April 15. Yeah....

So my goal is to get Sat/Sun sermon done tonight or first thing in the morning and get going on the application. I'm the kind of preacher who has difficulty with writing two sermons at the same time, so even though I have ideas for both Thursday and Friday, to actually write them before Sunday is over isn't likely.

The good news (in this) is that I'm an associate pastor and so not preaching on Easter morning! On the other hand, the reason I'm looking for another job is that I'm an associate pastor. Not completely true--I'm learning that being an associate pastor isn't all bad...it's just not so good for me here right now.