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28 de fevereiro Elliot thinks that Jesus is trickyI like Elliot's post about the seemingly random nature of who God chooses! (he lists Anne Lamott as one example) Willowlake's vision/callingThere's been more talk lately about what we at Willowlake should focus on. The BUWC is asking: What has God called you to as a church? Pastor Mark returned from the Callahan church seminar week, speaking about mission with these ideas: ...if you're going to count anything, count the amount of people served in mission.We discussed the BUWC question briefly at last night's congregational meeting. It was interesting, because I really don't think that we know what we're called to. When we were looking for a church (many years ago), I always phoned a church before we'd spend a Sunday morning visiting it. I called a lot more churches than we went to! One of the questions I asked - usually the first question - was, What is your church's vision? I was trying to discover whether the church had an idea of its identity, of what God was doing through its people because of who and where they were. Most of the time I wouldn't get a satisfactory answer. Most of the time the pastor would admit that they didn't have that specific of a vision. Now we at Willowlake are moving toward that kind of specific vision! It is exciting, but also scary. Exciting because I think we'd be moving towards working where God is already at work, and moving beyond thinking just of ourselves. It would be healthy change. Exciting because right now we're not very focused. We do some ministry/programs because of tradition (some are specific to Willowlake and some might be general expectation that those kinds of programs happen at churches), and I think we try to do too much for our size. We're doing better than 20/80 but that 30 or 40% is getting tired and some are burning out. Scary because I might not be excited about the vision/calling that we settle on. For example, if we had come to Willowlake and discovered that it was a church that was called to minister to bagpipers, there's a good chance we wouldn't have stayed. That's an extreme example, but I'm just trying to be clear. We wouldn't have stayed if its focus was puppet ministry in community centers, schools, and hospitals either. For a while, I heard many people say that Willowlake's vision/role was to act as a place of healing. I never felt in alignment with that. I also get a lot of vibes that we could be a church that would focus on outreach to children. If that's true, I would have to seriously reconsider my commitment to Willowlake, since I know that I'm not called to children's ministry. I'm focusing on the 'exciting' part! 27 de fevereiro 12 peopleSo, you're supposed to keep track of the next 12 people to email you. If you receive multiple messages from the same person, don't list them more than once. It took much longer than I expected to receive emails from twelve different people:
Can you say something nice about 6? He has a natural way of including everyone - he is friendly and speaks to new folks plus he dances with every follow. When's the next time you're gonna see 4? Tonight. Is number 8 pretty? I don't think he'd want that label to be applied to him! What was your first impression of number 10? She had a lot of friends and was very busy planning things to do with said friends. How did you meet 3? At church. Is 11 your best friend? No, but she's my best sister-in-law. Have you seen 2 in the last month? Sheila lives in Calgary and I haven't seen her for years. When was the last time you saw 12? Sunday evening Have you ever been to 1's house? Yes, to dance and to sew. When's the next time you'll see 10? Maybe tonight, but if not, we are going to Hull's on Friday for the library booktable. Have you ever been to the movies with 4? Yes, in a group. I don't recall which movie though. Have you ever gotten in trouble with 2? Yes. What are the odds that this question would have applied to Sheila? We went to high school together, so of course we got into trouble together. What do you and number 3 talk about the most? Work. Do you even know 9? Not very well anymore, although in the past he was my boss, and before that we were in small group together. Would you give number 3 a hug? Only for special occasions - he's not as much of a hugger as I am. Do you know a secret about number 4? No, he doesn't have secrets. I do know him quite well, though. What is the best thing about your friendship with number 10? It is authentic; we acknowledge and treasure our differences. Have you ever danced with number 7? Yes! How long have you known number 12? Three years? Have you ever been in a fight with number 8? No, we disagree with words when necessary. Would 2 and 4 make a good couple? That's an interesting thought. Maybe. But they're both in happy relationships already! Has number 1 ever met your mother? They likely haven't met, although they were both at the Kinetic social. My mom knows who Vicky is. How did you meet number 6? I met Benoît at UMSwing, if I recall correctly, but only got to know him well through Kinetic. Do you live close to 7? We're in the same city, but not the same area. Out of these twelve, which one would you say is the funniest? Mike If you could change one thing about number 12, what would it be? Her financial situation. Say something about number 11. I admire her. Which one lives the farthest away? Sheila Which one do you hang out with the most? Lyndon Who is the loudest? Mike or Vicky What kind of car does number 7 have? He usually drives a smart fortwo. Have you traveled anywhere with number 9? Just to Brandon, when I worked for him. If you gave number 5 $100 tonight, what would he spend it on? He might take me out for supper. Or he might give it to charity. It's a toss-up. (No, I'm not a charity case.) 25 de fevereiro book memeI went to sleep with a headache last night, and woke up with a bad headache this morning. Light made it worse, and I found out that I'm not so useful with my eyes closed. It was first behind my eyes & nose, then went up to the forehead, then along the whole top of my head and lastly to the back. After it had taken that tour, it decided it liked the house and moved right into all the rooms. The bolded books are books I've read,
I would be interested to learn how this list was compiled. Mike tells me I should link back to where this came from, so here's where I saw it first: Elliot 24 de fevereiro Free PressWe're mentioned (and Lyndon is quoted) in today's Detour section. I was beginning to think they weren't going to run the story since that conversation took place on the 15th. For those of you who can't read the Free Press, it is just about a new dance club that opened in the Regent Casino. 23 de fevereiro do I get a gold star?Your Language Arts Grade: 100%
Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes). 22 de fevereiro community, part sixIn The Search to Belong, Joseph Myers writes about front porch space. It was a buffer between public and private spaces. A woman could listen to a salesman on the front porch. Folks could visit with a neighbor on the porch. These days, if a neighbor stops by, we have to either speak with him/her while holding the door open, or invite them in. Neither option is appropriate. Myers goes on to propose that restaurants and coffee shops are our new porch areas, where we can meet people in a neutral place. He also discusses the difference between 'church shopping' and 'church dating.' ...people are dating our congregations. They are looking for communities where they can become a part of the family. You do not shop for family. You date to find family.So we need to think about having space to develop front porch experiences, both architechturally and with regards to programs. 21 de fevereiro WednesdayI need to learn more dexterity with my left hand.
My left shoulder has been problematic, and I realize that I tend to carry things in my left hand so that I can unlock and open doors with my right hand. I need to switch that up! (not as easy as it sounds, but I'm practicing)
On Sunday we had fish for supper. It still smells like fish in the house! Blech.
This was an attempt to eat healthier, since fish are supposed to be such brain food.
The fish we'd had the previous week didn't leave such a lingering aroma, so there will definitely not be any more red snapper brought home!
community, part fivemore from Joseph Myers' The Search to Belong:
Okay, valid.
But (and you knew there was a 'but' coming, didn't you?) if we're going to use the term relationship, let's remember that those are two-way, and therefore if the church is the other party in the relationship I don't see why the church can't be upfront about their expectations of the relationship.
Y'know, I become a quick fan of a book that tells me that life can be easier than I thought it was. (Waking the Dead, as an example.) The Search to Belong seems to be saying that a personal relationship with God isn't attainable for most of us, never mind an intimate relationship with God. That might let me off the hook, but I am not ready to give up.
20 de fevereiro WiiI finally found a Wii today! We'd promised Todd one as a Christmas gift even though they were not available at that time. So, for Todd it is Christmas-in-February, and I'm hoping he'll be really motivated to finish his schoolwork today...
community, part four: small groupsmore from Joseph Myers' The Search to Belong
1. No, but public and social relationships ALONE do not make community. Also, relationships can be personal without being helpful to my spiritual growth.
2. Depends on the person and on the small group.
3. The most? Maybe not, depending on the person and on the group.
Really I see small groups as micro-churches, so to me the idea that they are optional is odd. Does the church help or hinder a person's search to belong? Are churches honestly the most significant way a person can grow in relationship to others and to God? These are odd questions. Of course there are aspects of church (and of small group) that I don't prefer and that could make me feel less like I belonged - but that doesn't change the fact that we are called to be the body of Christ, that we are called to minister together, that we are called to share each other's burdens and put up with each other and let our sharp edges be knocked off.
Sometimes it does. Well, yes, community can happen spontaneously. But significant community?
It has been my experience that we are lazy and that we separate our spiritual life from the rest of our life. Therefore, we can have social and personal relationships that make absolutely no difference to our souls.
If we aren't intentional about our expectations, it is much easier to talk about things that aren't eternally significant (this makes Satan very happy).
Perhpas intimate relationship isn't my goal with most people on a person-to-person level, but if intimate relationship isn't the goal for each of our relationships with God, then I've misunderstood the point.
I must be abnormal: I think that personal relationships are the space that caring occurs, not social relationships. And what is an appropriate distance from which to care for someone, socially?
The group may be a healthy social space, but that would not qualify it as a success to me. It isn't really that difficult to have a good social experience, but how does that help me to follow Christ? How does it challenge me to be less selfish and lazy?
I do agree about the size of a small group! Six or seven would be my size. And self-organized groups have been the most helpful, in my experience.
I go back to: yes, a group of friends can form spontaneously, but of what use is a group with no eternal purpose?
Maybe this problem is unique to me - the tendency to do the least.
In a group of friends I'd much rather play Settlers or just talk about life and laugh a lot.
I know that I need my friends to challenge me to look at what God is doing in my life and how I'm responding to Him, but does that 'naturally' come up? Not in my experience.
So until I've more successfully integrated God into the rest of my life, I have to be intentional about including faith in personal interactions.
19 de fevereiro community, part threemore from Joseph Myers' The Search to Belong I don't know how much I agree with this statement made about bingo players... Some theorists suggest that it is impossible to make significant connections in public spaces. Don't tell these people that. Their connections burrow deep. I doubt that they visit each other's homes or get together outside of the bingo hall, yet they care for one another - all in public space. They may not know each other's names, but they are not strangers. They are family.Clearly this is a defininition of "family" or "care" that I don't use. I agree that we do need to have connections in public spaces - with the building superintendent, the person who works at the grocery store, etc. Public belonging happens when we connect through outside influences. It isn't about connecting person to person; it is about sharing a common experience. Think of fans at a football game, members of the PTA, shoppers at a grocery store. In each case an outside influence brings these people into a common grouping. They connect because of the outside influence, not because of shared personal information. He also writes about the difference between a stranger and a public belonger, the difference being that the stranger does not feel connected. As modern and hypermodern churches grew, they embraced anonymity for first-time guests: "Let somebody explore the faith without any level of commitment. Let's see what happens," they said, thus providing a comfortable public space for visitors. Or so they thought. People may want anonymity, but they do not want to be strangers. They do no want to be strangers to the communication styles. They do not want to be strangers to the decor, the music, the language, even the inside jokes. They came to church wanting to connect with God, and they certainly do not want us to make them feel like they are strangers to him. Myers compares his commitment to his favorite basketball team to the people who we see as being on the fringe of the church.
At first this sports-team comparison rang true for me, but the more I consider it, the flatter it falls. A sports team is a closed group - it cannot grow by the choice of someone who wants to belong to it. In this way it is very different from a church. Myers has a spectator relationship to his favorite team and cannot get any closer to them than watching what they do, cheering for them, and talking about them. Finding people to be spectators isn't the goal of the church! I'm challenged by what Myers writes about Jesus' exhange with the centurion:
Jesus is a master at permitting people to belong to him in all four spaces. He offered to come to the centurion's home. Why didn't the centurion want Jesus to come? He had his reasons. Whatever the reason, Jesus accepted the centurion's statement; he did not insist on coming closer. He allowed this centurion to be a part of the "family" in public space. The centurion did not want to be intimate with Jesus. The centurion was not after a personal or a social relationship. He needed Jesus to accept him in a public space and yet help him in a significant way. Jesus honored that request.
Can we be comfortable with people belonging to Jesus and the church in public space? Can we give them help, hope, and home in the space where they choose to belong? Without pushing them to come closer? I'm pushy!
I agree that we all need to have a good ratio of relationships in these four spaces! But Myers seems to be disagreeing with himself. He says this, then he says that we can't ask people to form personal relationships. He seems to say that we should leave them alone if all they want is public and social relationships, yet he also says that they need personal relationships too. cruise overviewGlad we went? Yes. Todd enjoyed this vacation, and he typically does not. He is a homebody who prefers not to travel. The cruise gave him a lot of freedom and independence. There was also time for Todd to establish friendships. 24-hour food availability is a positive thing for teenage-boys too. Todd specifically enjoyed the comedy shows; there were four during our ten-day cruise. So since he enjoyed the vacation, I pronounce it to be a success. Would we go again? No. A cruise is so much more expensive than our typical vacations. (Perhaps if we'd tried a cruise earlier and discovered Todd's vacation style we would have considered additional cruises, but he is now outgrowing both family vacations and the teen program aboard.) We could have nearly two vacations for the price of a cruise. Also, we found the time in port to be too short. We like to find favorite places to return to, and we like to have time to explore - both prevented by the limits of cruises. If we felt like we wanted to be spoiled on another vacation, we might try a land resort, from which we could still explore. The only cruise I'd consider now is a lindyhopping cruise. Think of how convenient - you could go back to your room to change/shower/nap whenever you wanted, and there is always food available! Food? Wonderful! No complaints. Coffee? Horrible, apparently. Ask Lyndon for details. On Princess, the free coffee is made from syrup (like pop) and the purchased coffee was never hot. Nickeled and dimed? Yes, it did feel like that at times. Especially annoying was the price of photos. Many of them were smaller (maybe 4x6) but were made into an 8x10 with borders or with information about the cruise, and then priced as an 8x10. Firstly, what do I want an 8x10 for? Regular photo-album size is all that is necessary, except perhaps for formal portraits which they could offer in larger sizes to frame. Secondly, why charge me for an 8x10 when the photo of us is only 4x6? Thirdly, isn't $25 a bit steep for an 8x10? Charge less and we'd buy more, which in the end would improve your profits! (We didn't buy any ship's photos.) 15 de fevereiro the dark side I bought lots when they were available (which was a long time ago*) and ate most of them that month, saving just this lonely bag until today. They're in the Star Wars themed package, and I'm advised to "CHOOSE DARK CHOCOLATE" as if I'm choosing the dark side of the force. But they're delicious! I feel like a salivating Homer when I think about them. So sad that this is the end. *Wikipedia says that the dark chocolate variety were first offered in April 2005 to tie into the release of Revenge of the Sith. I've got ribs, rice, and creamed cauliflower ready for supper, so my guys will be very very happy. I will have them wrapped around my little finger... No, no, I will not choose the dark side. 14 de fevereiro BNL concertLast night's excellent Barenaked Ladies concert was enthusiastically received by their fans. Tomi Swick put folks in the mood. Even though some of their material rocked a little harder and louder than the mature crowd preferred, I was impressed by the variety of styles they included. www.tomiswickmusic.com The Ladies know how to entertain! Not only are they musically tight, but they appear to be having fun and they inject lots of humor into the evening. It was T-bar Tuesday, which was the butt of several jokes throughout the evening. They also spoke briefly about our city's loss of two firefighters, and dedicated a song to the families and coworkers. Our seats were on the floor, which is apparently where the more fervent fans are. The dynamics of floor seats is that you'll not actually USE them much - everyone stands through most of the concert. Photos of the concert can be seen here. There was a lot of emphasis on ecology; BNL has taken many steps to 'green' this tour (including using biofuel, composting & recycling backstage materials, buying carbon offsets, and promoting greener living to their fans through Barenaked Planet). Canoe's review of the concert: http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/B/Barenaked_Ladies/ConcertReviews/2007/02/14/3616393.html 12 de fevereiro February 4I was one of four Kinetic Swing members who appeared at the Winnipeg Wind Ensemble's Feb. 4 concert as guest dancers. It was a special jazz/big band concert and they wanted to enhance it by having period dance. The biggest snag was improvising a performance. We'd not previously heard the music, and they also played medleys with transitions that are challenging to dance through. (We generally perform a choreographed dance to a particular song.)
The other guests they had were Steve Kirby's jazz quartet, and Steve also played with the entire Ensemble. prayer etiquetteGenerally in group prayer, everyone prays for different requests. If someone covers a request that I intended to pray about, I agree with their prayer and silently include aspects that I would have spoken. But sometimes I'm in a group and someone will pray for a request that was already prayed for. What's up with that? So, if I had felt 'led' to pray about something in particular, should l do that even if someone has already done so?
Last week I would have said no, but at small group last Sunday, one of the aspects of prayer we discussed was praying about what is really on your heart - what matters to you rather than what you think should matter to you. So now I'm questioning my previous attitude... maybe I should revist a request if it is one that I initially felt led to pray about.
09 de fevereiro Friday reportToday I met a friend for "coffee" (hot chocolate, actually) and we sat and talked for two and a half hours. It was great. I want to do that more often! Apparently one of the other Starbucks patrons was waiting for our comfy chairs for much of that time... too bad for him. I had success with boots  but no luck with jeans  and I hope that the nameplates I had engraved for ASI are correct! Today I got another two compliments on my red coat. That thing is just a magnet for acclaims. I'm trying a new recipe for supper... will let you know whether it was a hit. Tonight Lyndon will complete the Willowlake Financial Statements, and I'll try to stay out of his way. That's not as easy as it sounds. This afternoon I picked up five of the library books I'd requested so hopefully they can distract me from my dh. |
The music was great!
The stage didn't have a very danceable floor.
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