Overdosed on Lutherans (January 7, 2009)

I put my status on FB as "overdosed on Lutherans" as a sort of humorous thing. Actually, it's not that I OD'd on Lutherans in particular, it was just a somewhat later night last night than I'm used to. I had a work day starting at 7:30 AM, and didn't end until after 9:00. So I'm tired this morning. But I wanted to say a little more.

Since I'm heading up an interfaith organization, I'm considered a "ministry leader" by some of the churches, and I get invited from time to time to more really internal discussions. Last night was one of those times.

The church is in one of these sorts of suburban communities in which everyone is white and upper middle class. Nearly everyone goes to the public school because its all white and upper middle class. None of the streets go through, and its miles to walk anywhere, even to your neighbors in a different subdivision. Most of the houses were built in the last 25 years, and probably even most of them were built in the last 15 years.

The meeting was in one of these nice homes, the sort where you can have a meeting of twenty people and comfortably seat them in your informal dining and family room areas. It started at 6:30, and included a potluck supper.

One of the things that really struck me, from my conversations with people before the meeting while having supper, and then in the meeting itself, was how these were people who were really engaged in a search for meaning and authenticity.

It's pretty easy for people to dismiss folks in these suburban settings. And dismiss them for the same things that I heard people at the meeting say that they were struggling against: pretending that everything is perfect, trying to maintain status or one-up those around them, having only superficial relationships, inability to find things that really mattered.

I also think it is easy for people who don't have much truck with organized religion to also dismiss people seriously engaged in the structures of organized religion - clusters and committees and the synod.
But what I witnessed was that people were using their involvement the church to find a way to break through the traps of suburban culture to figure out who they really are, to form deeper relationships with their fellows, to make a difference in the world.

I can understand why some folks don't want to have this sort of search dressed up in "Lord" and "Jesus" and "ministry" and "discipleship". But I came out of that meeting impressed with those who do.

Saturday afternoon (December 20, 2008)

 

We've had a cascade of colds and then some secondary infections around here. We keep on meaning to buy more tissues at the store, but we'd forget. Consequently, every box of tissues was completely used up. We started to go to using toilet paper to blow our noses instead. When I pulled out the last roll of toilet paper, I knew we had a crisis on our hands.

I wasn't 100% keen on going out, because they've been predicting our second big arctic blast around here to begin in the afternoon. Sure enough, by the time I finally got into the car with Emma for an expedition to Fred Meyer (our regional big box retailer - we really don't have WalMarts here), it was beginning to snow lightly and the wind was just starting to blow.

Fred Meyer was a madhouse. The combination of a storm coming that threatens to blow down the powerlines plus the last weekend before Christmas meant the place was jammed. We couldn't get a shopping cart. Emma tried to fetch one on the other side of the store, only to find two women nearly at blows over the one empty one left in the cart corral. Shelves were emptied of firewood, matches, and batteries. The lines were immense.

We got baskets, and then set out. I got 6 boxes of tissues, and an enormous package of a dozen rolls of TP. Emma found a couple of cans of chicken soup for her father, per his request. I thought of all the poor birds out there with nothing to eat, and I bought a bird feeder and bird food. I figured it would double as an early Xmas present for our cat.

Our line for the cash register probably had two dozen people in it. We abandoned the line for one in Home Electronics, which was only three deep. (Pretty smart, eh?) After we dumped everything in the car, we went to the South Asian mall on the other side of the parking lot. Why not. I got a block of paneer, and then a pile of Indian sweets: pistachio barfi, soan papdi, and something new made out of cashews I haven't tried before. By the time we returned to the car, it was covered. I got an old tape cassette cover and scraped the windshields of the accumulated snow and ice.

We crept through the blowing snow back to the house. I filled and put up the bird feeder, then watched it sway in the wind. Probably it'll blow down by morning. It might not the best evening to put up a bird feeder - when they're predicting a blizzard. But if it stays up, the birds will be fed; and our bored silly cat, who doesn't like to go out in the cold, will have some greater amusement in her life.

Roo (December 3, 2008)

At work, Roo has become my special friend, who has waited for me to arrive in the morning, and then sits on my lap all day. Many days I’ve seen more of Roo than my own cat at home.

Roo’s health has quite deteriorated over recent weeks. Already quite thin, he’s gotten to be just skin and bones. One of his eyes is now cloudy.

Out of concern for our friend, we arranged for Roo to receive a special blessing from Father Fred Jessett from Good Samaritan Episcopal Church today. We thanked Roo for the comfort, joy, and companionship he has brought to our staff and residents.

I do not expect Roo to live out the week.