Michigan 35, Ohio State 21

Yesterday was, in my humble opion, a simply great day. Breakfast and dinner with friends (the same friends no less!), wedding dress shopping with the lovely Ms. Trish, and the most important football game of the year. Which, in case you missed the big headline on my blog somehow, we won. OSU barely even launched a comeback. It is a strange thing to watch the biggest college rivalry away from home though - no one seems to quite get how big it all is. To help fill you all in, here is an article that my mom sent me. See guys? Its not just me.

standing still

We're doing exercises in preaching class right now that involve very short (5 sentence) sermons. These really serve two purposes: to get us used to the habit of relating Scripture to the contemporary world,and to learn about our physical stuff in preaching. It has come to my attention that I never stand still. Okay, so this may not be a revelation to some of you, but seriously - I never stand still. I sway. Or bounce. Or shift. Basically, I fidget and its really hard not to. So I was thinking about what in my formation has produced that habit. I'm used to standing in front of groups with a guitar in my hands. I was taught to keep time in high school choir by stepping the beat. I'm used to spending my time with kids: they don't stand still, why should I? Anyway, then I officiated Evensong last night. I had no problem standing still to chant the collects or read the Prayer of St. Chrysostom, and a friend and I were joking that I should just sing all my sermons - my nerves would be gone, my voice would be steady, I'd know how to stand still. It made me wonder though about everyone else's favorite ways to serve the church before arriving here at seminary. Did AKMA always like to read with that booming voice of his? Do people with backgrounds in lay pastoral care tend to preach more pastoral sermons? Do other people who spend a lot of time with kids fidget as much as I do? Gee, I hope so, cuz fidgeting is fun!

Jet-Lagged Thoughts

I'm starting to adjust back to the cold, gray Central timezone. Why is it that jet lag is more difficult going east? We never got a good answer to that question before we left Hawaii. So, the trip. It was great. No, it was fan-flippin-tastic! Some things I learned while I was there:
1. Music that is well done makes a big difference in the spirit of a congregation
2. Being able to truly welcome others is the mark of a caring community
3. Laughing is good group bonding. Laughing hysterically is great group bonding.
4. Pay attention to true humility when you see it - it is amazingly beautiful, particularly in elderly Hawaiian women
5. Its hard to swim in the ocean, but "go with the flow" has new meaning for me!
6. People do still have visions, and God really works through them
7. The Sound of Music is simply a great movie, even if it is cheesy
8. Having faith in the one Church means knowing that not everyone who walks in your door will stay in your congregation, but you can help them find their church home where ever it may be

Thats all I have to say on this for now. I am taking a very long time processing this trip. I take a long time to process most things. But this week we will distill two weeks of stuff into a 45-minute presentation. If anyone is going to be around, stop by Seabury on Dec. 4th at 9am and see what we come up with!

Aloha again

We have fallen from Paradise once again - I'm back from Hawaii. Due to weather in LA, our plane landed in Chicago at 4:45 am, and now I'm off to class. My initial reaction? Go to Hawaii. Go now. Have fun. And while you're there, visit a great new church called St. Nick's, or the Episcopal Pearl Harbor Memorial Church of St. George's. You will find some of the nicest people on the planet in either place.