Hayride!

It's a perfect day for a hayride! The Bright Beginnings kids (preschoolers) are going to pile onto the Youngs' haywagon today and enjoy the great ride that Chris always gives us. Over the hills and through the changing autumn leaves we will travel on dirt roads and maybe even through some fields. I get to tag along with the both the morning and afternoon classes, and I love it! Add "hayride" to my list of pastoral perks. Life is good!

UPDATE: Martha was our tractor driver for the morning ride; Chris drove the afternoon run.

Lucky Me!

Every pastor should be welcomed back from her sabbatical leave by THIS in the parsonage yard. What is it? On the right, a "birthday card" and on the left a sign that essentially says to put your money in and "flush your sins" here! And both signs in Spanish to celebrate my attempts to regain my Spanish fluency while I was gone. How clever they are!

And that same energy is just as creative and unpredictable and fun in our ministry together. How blessed I am!

Summer Sabbatical

I have been blogging mostly at our Dille Parish blog this summer. Go to Dille Parish United Church of Christ blog to see what has been posted over there.

Peace Bubble in LeRaysville

It's been more than a month but Jerry Leggett and his Peace Bubble were a huge hit in LeRaysville. Patsy Ferrell, traveling with Jerry, did a fantastic job with pictures and videos. Some of our Dille Parish group got to see them at General Synod, too!

The Peace Bubble Guy

J.D. Leggett is the "Peace Bubble Guy" and is coming to our wonderful little church on May 27. This is his visit to a Catholic Worker mission around Tucson. Isn't this great?!

UNO!

Today is the last day of the two-week doctor-imposed "vow of silence" to give my voice a rest. She gave me a special dispensation for Sundays, so that I could preach and lead worship. Yesterday, I also did some talking at the two Bible studies I lead. Mostly, though, I have kept to it very diligently, and I really hope that it's helped. Because it's been harder than I thought.

The hard part is not remembering to not talk. I don't slip and talk without realizing it. It's just that life participation and self-reflection rely on verbal communication, and I've discovered that an introvert like me needs "people time" in ways I hadn't noticed before.

The interesting part is what people do when I communicate to them in writing on my personal-sized white marker board. When there are several people I'm "talking" to, they each take the board, read it silently, and then pass it on. I long for the first one to read it out loud, to be my voice for me. It seems it would be more efficient and make more sense and be more compassionate. I think I would instinctively do that, but no one else has.

The funny thing has been my non-verbal way of yelling. I have had, for a long time, a little squirt gun, no bigger than the palm of your hand. It really squirts, too! So, I keep it with my white marker board and use when I need to get the attention of youth and kids in our church or a certain youth leader who has mistakenly thought he could needle me without comeback during this time! The joke was on me when it leaked in my pocket last night during adult Bible study and so when I stood up, there was an embarrassing spot in an embarrassing place. I bring the jokes on myself most of the time.

The thing I miss most remains not singing -- in church, in life -- and that is still off limits until I see the doc.

Playing the last card of this game today! Yea!

Pollyanna is alive and well in LeRaysville, PA

The only thing that seems certain in my life is that I can manage to see the silver lining in every cloud. I'm the one making the lemonade when life hands out lemons. In a sea of cynics, I'll be the one in the rose-colored glasses. They call me "Pollyanna" and I'm not sure it's always meant as the highest praise. No matter -- I can't help who I am!

So, I have just had the second of two meetings in my church where some people are very confounded by the recent "marriage equality" resolution passed by the 25th General Synod of the United Church of Christ. Some people are yelling and some people have (sadly) left the church. Some think we should leave the UCC; others think we should just not give them any more money. Some are presenting misinformation as truth. Others are being way too quiet! It's a tough time. It's a tough time for all who are engaged with the issue or involved with those who are.

But not for me -- of course -- ultimately -- because now that I have heard what I've heard, and now that I've cried over it most mornings in recent memory, my Pollyanna outlook is back, and here is her list of the GREAT things that have happened to me in all of this:

1. I am uplifted by John Thomas' pre-Synod speech which does so much more than merely endorse *the resolution*.
2. I found this wonderful article -- The Past as Prologue: The Church and Change, by Barbara Brown Zikmund. She is incredible.
3. I actually did go to the Synod, and I do have the most wonderful memories of friends, colleagues, worship and music, laughter and hugs, and having my spiritual tank filled up to overflowing.
4. I have a congregation that is so ready to hear -- and perhaps learn for the first time -- what the UCC really believes!
5. AND ... they will have the chance to hear the biblical rationale that homosexuality is a sin AND also the perspective that says that the Bible cannot be used today to condemn homosexuality. Thank you, Toby Holleman, Penn Northeast Conference Associate Conference Minister! What a great and timely gift for our congregation!
6. I found out that people are quoting ... I mean mis-quoting ... my sermon around the community. Who knew that anyone noticed what "little ole me" was saying ?! I wonder what I'll have to do in the future to preach another memorable sermon?
7. I always think I'm totally dispensable in the church, but do know that I am needed now. I'd rather be dispensable.
8. I have not been left alone in this. I never am.
9. This is a tremendous opportunity for our church to be different from the others, even if the biggest difference is simply that we can disagree and be diverse without creating division. Actually, nothing simple about that!
10. I am still so very happy to be a pastor in the United Church of Christ. There is no other place I would want to be. I can only hope that my enthusiastic joy is contagious!