I don't know whether my life is actually busier, or whether it just feels that way because I spend a couple of days each week at work in a nearby town. In any case, I feel like it has been awhile since I shared some thoughts here.
A unique event occurred yesterday at the church where I work. After some years of deliberation and study, the congregation officially became "An Affirming Congregation." In the parlance of my denomination, that mean a gay and transgendered friendly congregation. There are only 17 of these critters in existence in this very conservative province of Canada, and all of the other are in two major urban areas, Calgary and Edmonton. The emergence of St. Andrews, Lacombe, as an Affirming congregation is a signal occurrence - almost a miracle in central Alberta.
It was quite moving to be a small part of that event, and to watch the people who had worked so hard to change attitudes and bring people on board see the fruits of their labours blossom in a formal way. It's impossible to tell just how this move will affect the future of the congregation. But as a step in justice-making and openness, it was very satisfying to see.
I'm also involved in another aspect of the congregation's life. I am a representative from the Court of Presbytery to their Joint Search Committee looking for a minister to replace Rev. Mervin Gallant, who left in June. The Committee's work is done within the confines of a confidentiality covenant, and with great deliberation. We've had only two meetings so far, and are just barely getting under way. At the moment, we lack a youth member, and I hope that will be remedied in the near future.
The Aquaplex opened this morning after a three closure for maintenance! Back in the pool at 8:30 AM. I felt the layoff in my legs and abs, but it feels good to be back on the road to some level of fitness. A layoff such I've just experienced reminds one of how quickly fitness deteriorates, especially in an aging…or aged…body. Of course, the latest round of "information sharing" among the male members of the group was good to experience gain as well.
I was very pleased to find that my broken rib has healed enough that i felt no pain during the time in the pool. At least I heal relatively quickly. Of course, I have been earned by others who have been down this road that full healing of a cracked or broken rib takes four or five weeks. The big test will come tomorrow evening, when I venture into a more strenuous workout in the deep-water pool.
I'm doing a big PowerPoint presentation as part of worship this coming Sunday. It's the third Sunday in the season of Creation, and the focus is on"The Sky." It seemed to me mandatory that I allow the sky to "speak" with its own voice, which is visual rather than auditory. Everything I say will be accompanied by slides, and I will encourage people to see the images as the "voice" of sky, with whatever I say as backdrop and commentary.
Preparing for this has involved learning to use PowerPoint proficiently enough to create a simple presentation. This seemed to me to be a monumental task, since I had never even OPENED the PowerPoint program previously! Initially, I was simply overwhelmed, until I asked for help. I got it from two young people, aged 13 and 17, both very proficient at using the program. They were also good teachers. They showed me things, encouraged me, offered on-call help, and then left me to apply what I had learned. The encouragement gave me confidence, and I am almost finished, thanks mainly to them. I plan to thank them in a public way on Sunday.
I think I'd best get back to the completion of my presentation. If I don't keep at it, the anxiety drives me crazy!
A unique event occurred yesterday at the church where I work. After some years of deliberation and study, the congregation officially became "An Affirming Congregation." In the parlance of my denomination, that mean a gay and transgendered friendly congregation. There are only 17 of these critters in existence in this very conservative province of Canada, and all of the other are in two major urban areas, Calgary and Edmonton. The emergence of St. Andrews, Lacombe, as an Affirming congregation is a signal occurrence - almost a miracle in central Alberta.
It was quite moving to be a small part of that event, and to watch the people who had worked so hard to change attitudes and bring people on board see the fruits of their labours blossom in a formal way. It's impossible to tell just how this move will affect the future of the congregation. But as a step in justice-making and openness, it was very satisfying to see.
I'm also involved in another aspect of the congregation's life. I am a representative from the Court of Presbytery to their Joint Search Committee looking for a minister to replace Rev. Mervin Gallant, who left in June. The Committee's work is done within the confines of a confidentiality covenant, and with great deliberation. We've had only two meetings so far, and are just barely getting under way. At the moment, we lack a youth member, and I hope that will be remedied in the near future.
The Aquaplex opened this morning after a three closure for maintenance! Back in the pool at 8:30 AM. I felt the layoff in my legs and abs, but it feels good to be back on the road to some level of fitness. A layoff such I've just experienced reminds one of how quickly fitness deteriorates, especially in an aging…or aged…body. Of course, the latest round of "information sharing" among the male members of the group was good to experience gain as well.
I was very pleased to find that my broken rib has healed enough that i felt no pain during the time in the pool. At least I heal relatively quickly. Of course, I have been earned by others who have been down this road that full healing of a cracked or broken rib takes four or five weeks. The big test will come tomorrow evening, when I venture into a more strenuous workout in the deep-water pool.
I'm doing a big PowerPoint presentation as part of worship this coming Sunday. It's the third Sunday in the season of Creation, and the focus is on"The Sky." It seemed to me mandatory that I allow the sky to "speak" with its own voice, which is visual rather than auditory. Everything I say will be accompanied by slides, and I will encourage people to see the images as the "voice" of sky, with whatever I say as backdrop and commentary.
Preparing for this has involved learning to use PowerPoint proficiently enough to create a simple presentation. This seemed to me to be a monumental task, since I had never even OPENED the PowerPoint program previously! Initially, I was simply overwhelmed, until I asked for help. I got it from two young people, aged 13 and 17, both very proficient at using the program. They were also good teachers. They showed me things, encouraged me, offered on-call help, and then left me to apply what I had learned. The encouragement gave me confidence, and I am almost finished, thanks mainly to them. I plan to thank them in a public way on Sunday.
I think I'd best get back to the completion of my presentation. If I don't keep at it, the anxiety drives me crazy!
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