Breaking into Spring

Our local Catholic Bishop re-scheduled his parishioner's travel Spring Break time to this current week so that folks would be in their parishes for Holy Week. Wonder if our United Methodist Bishop, could try that next time for us Protestants??? hmmm....

Otherwise- it will be a Spring Break and Holy Week together for the Knight family. This is the first time in seven years my husband is not traveling during my daughter's Spring Break, but my work, this year, will keep us bound close to home. oh well... Here is what we will be doing this coming week while friends and family are at beaches, watching BB games, and traveling:

• Indianapolis children's museum visit
• reading nineteen 6th grade Confirmation Faith Statements
• local indoor pool visit
• writing a Good Friday mediation
• shopping for Easter shoes
• hoping for my Blue Devils to make the Final Four (Todd, can we invite the team to worship with us when they are in town?)
• riding our bikes!

What fun are you making happen, right where you are?

Orthodoxy Meets...Well, Little Ol' Me

What does a Duke t-shirt and blue jean clad protestant do when she stumbles upon a fellowship hall full of twenty Russian and Greek Orthodox priests?

The priests were wearing their long black linen robes and long pointy beards...smiling as if this sort of thing happens every day. A beautiful blond clergywoman must stumble into their small group meetings daily because the happy little man who found me trying every door in the vestibule (for a non-existent escape hatch) seemed not at all phased by my presence.

Well, I didn't ask what they thought about the Trinity and who proceeds from whom.. that was a bust in 1094 or so. Nor did I inquire about their favorite icon trading cards... that too didn't go over well either. The Great Crusades and various take-overs of Jerusalem throughout Medieval history also are taboo topics. But if you must know what happened...

...I was lost so, I asked for directions.

Profound and providential, really.

Yep, the delightful priest saved me from a historic vestibule full of doors... all of them not leading to the place I sought: an incense-smelling-crammed-with-fading-icons bookstore with a book awaiting for me. My black robed angel cheerfully led me past his chattering colleagues around a couple of corners and into the haven of treasures.

My gratitude spilled out into a stack of books that I had to bring home...after I met the most outgoing nun who broods over her books like they are her preschool students. Parting with several was sweet sorrow for her. With promises to return and tell her how I enjoyed them ... she helped me find the way out.

Only the door was locked!

(Hmmm...perhaps that is their church growth method- get us in for great reading material and then never allow us to leave?!)

It was quite an unorthodox encounter with orthodoxy!

Books... I've been reading

Just in case our District Superintendent is scouting out on the web how the clergy in our district are keeping up with our continuing education requirements, I thought I would share my latest reading list.

Strangely enough there are a couple of assorted novels thrown into this mix... and this is just what I have been reading since the New Year began. I may need to shake my reading list up a bit after Easter.

• The Love Dare by the Kendricks
• The Rule of St. Benedict by St. Benedict
• Enough: Discovering Joy through Simplicity and Generosity by Adam Hamilton
• Crazy Love by Francis Chan
• This Odd and Wondrous Calling: Private and Public Lives of Two Ministers by Martin Copenhaver and Lillian Daniel
• Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
• Romans by Paul
• Corinthians 1 and 2 by Paul

What's next? My reading list has the following next up:

• Six Books on the Priesthood by John Chrysostom
• Deep Church by Jim Belcher
• Galations by Paul

So, what are you reading to grow your mind and expand your Christian thought?

Facing Up to Facebook

Less than ten days ago I took the plunge into the cyber-net world of Facebook. Previously, I had been leery of Facebook users (even though I know many) because well, they seemed a bit cult-ish. Being a Christ follower I know a bit about cults so I was...well, hesitant "to put myself out there".

Mostly I think it was because I've never had all my friends in one place before and I wasn't sure if anyone still 'liked' me. What if I got un-friended by not even having enough friends to participate? To appreciate this weird little phobia of mine you need to know something of my life. Coming from a background in which my family moved me every three years while growing up (yes- that was 3 states and 8 schools before graduating High School), I was always saying 'hello' to someone new or saying 'goodbye' to someone familiar.

The only friend who stayed constant in my life, Jamie, never even went to the same school as me (our families were friends). My friendship with her gives me hope that I can sustain long term friendships (even into a fourth decade...).

Now via this internet phenomena, my motely collection of friends from all those grade schools (yes...I am finding people I knew in grade school four states ago), high school, college, Divinity School, CPE, my first congregation out of seminary, and my current congregation...are in one place! Never before have I been able to connect with so many parts and places of my journey before. Imagine the jagged quilt pieces of your life suddenly woven together! I feel whole.

And get this- I found out that people I once knew have been looking for me. Little ol' me?! Isn't that a great feeling of want and acceptance, love and assurance?! No wonder our world is addicted to Facebook- we are hungry for home.

And the greatest gift as I look into the lives of people I knew 26, 20, 15 and 10 years ago is... the majority of them are in the other cult I am in...they are Christ followers too.

So, truly my collection of friends on Facebook is just a tiny, human glimpse of what heaven will be like as all the faithful will be gathered together. We just won't need a prolife picture anymore!

Spring Blogging

God is good. The evidence around us is staggering, overwhelming and just breathtaking. Birds sing to me in the morning, little green things appear in the flower beds, and ants moved into my mastoer bathroom- all of which are lovely signs of spring.

Amazing to consider it isn't even St. Patrick's Day yet and my kiddo has been riding her bike every day for about a week now. (She has outgrown her previous Santa-provided bike and is begging for a new one. Purple, of course.)

Time to look at seed catalogs and plan the Knight garden adventure. It is that season to dig out all the outdoor toys and clean off the cobwebs. Time to enjoy more light, more warmth and less dreariness and cold!

Hip hip hooray for spring!

Women, Careers and Little Girls

Last week a pithy email appeared in my inbox. A mother from our congregation requested my presence at her daughter's Girl Scout troop meeting. (Ah ha- it is cookie time!) But no, this request was for career week. She was looking for women with unusual and atypical careers to visit with her small group of 2nd graders. I guess I fit the bill- a clergy woman.

Packing up toys for my preschooler we drove over to their house. Sitting criss cross on the living room floor five little girls listened to my stories of seven years of education, post graduate school training, vocational discernment (i.e. defending my theology in front of clergy peers), and calling.

They didn't believe me that being a pastor isn't boring. They thought it was weird that I claimed to have 'heard God ask me to be a pastor'. '"You cannot hear God," one mighty brunette informed me self-righteously.

Well, I did. And I still make that claim.

The best questions, actually, came from the other moms there. Did you know when you were in 2nd grade that this would be your career? (No, I wanted to be the first woman president of the United States in the 2nd grade.) What do you like best and least about your career? (a- Helping people get to know God better and b- helping people get to know God better.)

What has been the hardest part of your career? That question caused me to pause a moment.

I've had my share of discrimination as a woman in a highly male vocation. Not to say that hasn't had it's difficulties or challenges. Some of the sexism I have encountered was in the church, our culture, and even my larger extended family- I have learned sexism 'just comes with the territory'. I've got my scars and stories like my fellow clergywomen.

But really, as I sat in that living room with my petite daughter playing her puzzle toys and watching these grade schoolers- I realized that the toughest part of my vocational career hasn't really been the vocation. It's been about balancing a challenging, all encompassing career (with it's atypical schedule/routine) with being a wife and mother.

I told those Girl Scouts that day- that they can be anything they want to be (or what God asks them to be)- but the discernment (yes, I had to unpack what discernment is) is how they can do that well while choosing other parts of their lives like marriage and motherhood. They can have it all, but the better question is how to balance these roles and opportunities well, honorably, and joyously with their future careers.

Not sure what the Girl Scouts heard as they handed me my box of cookies for the road. Not sure what sunk in which they will remember when sitting in a future college religion class.

All I do know is that my daughter was not impressed. Nor was she particularly motivated because she declared from the back seat while driving home, "Mommy, that was boring."

Guess that cinches it. Being a woman pastor is boring AND talking about being a woman pastor is boring too.

Cleaning Up after Old Growth

Glorious sunshine and warm temperatures blessed us today. What a joy for our family to take a walk, bike ride and visit the local playgrounds! Spring is coming- finally.

Most of the afternoon we trimmed bushes, raked leaves and prepared for the coming new growth. It never ceases to amaze me how leaves can collect in every nook and crevice. Don't ask how many large garbage bags I'll be carrying to the curb next trash day. Whew.

It occurred to me while stuffing twigs, leaves, branches and other leftover foliage growth- that there is a lot to clean up after a growing season. Mostly my mind concentrates on my growth. I've never stopped to think about what it takes to follow behind growth.

Cleaning up, pruning, and shaping; each of these prepare for more growth. And in fact are a necessary step to the growth process. Maybe, just maybe this is could be another way to consider what it is we do during Lent. We reflect upon how our lives have born fruit of the Spirit or not. How we are growing in grace and truth or not. And we sweep, rake, prune, trim, and gather together the leftovers... ready again for God's grace to warm our roots in growth.

Praying for Grace

Friday afternoon while sitting at my home office desk- the laptop open and the web camera on- my daughter and I watched my husband (in Alabama) received a cell phone call. His face turned gray and his eyes locked with mine. Our blond blue-eyed goddaughter had just been diagnosed with a brain tumor...life turned upside for this little family and all of us who dearly love them.

Many of you know what has since followed...multiple seizures, MRI, waiting for surgery throughout the weekend, 5 hour neuro-surgery Monday March 1 to remove a large tumor from her brain, recovery and watchfulness since then, and waiting on full pathology report with the oncologist this coming Monday the 8th.

We are praying the following:

• hedge of protection against infection and radical swelling
• wholeness of mind, personality and body following such an invasive procedure in the brain
• thanksgiving for the skilled staff and medical personel at Riley Children's Hospital
• strong bonds for these two parents to remain strong for their daughter during her most difficult hours, days and weeks
• praise that our Great Physician, Jesus, who has never lost a patient. Healing takes place in this life and in the life to come.
• that all will be made well and whole

The family deeply appreciates all your prayers, well wishes, and kindnesses. On their behalf, thank you. Please be so kind and continue to pray.

My preschooler has lots of questions about what is happening to her best friend and misses her already. (We did sneak our daughtger to the window of the ICU unit before Grace's surgery so that the girls could wave and blow kisses at each other. Since then they have passed coloring pictures to one another.)

My family is grateful for the gift of community in which we can care for one another together. We have witnessed the church at its best these past six days. Wow- the church is alive and well! Praise God!

Survived Retreat

God is good! All the time.

Below are some of the best highlights from yet another fantastic, exhausting and wonderful retreat with terrific young people and marvelous adult mentors! Kudos to Andrew and Shelly!

• Our little Chloe won two of the games in the first hour of the retreat!
• Sleeping on a hard floor doesn't not compare to the joy of awakening youth with loud noise and flashing lights!
• Young people sat in silent prayer/writing/coloring/reading for over 20 minutes AND LOVED IT! (they even read their Bibles and made some profound discoveries.)
• Never let youth take their cell phones into the bathroom with them. Cell phones tend to fall into full toilets.
• Four and a half hours of worship rocks youth's worlds! It can change adult's faith lives too.
• Father Dave was the best tour guide of Roman Catholicism and his parish's sanctuary. We give you an A plus, Father Dave!
• Be careful of what you pray for.... you might get it. I prayed for the opportunity to learn more about our 6th graders lives... well for over an hour ALL of them talked to me about the various social groups and cliches in the 6th grade. It was an awesome sharing. We adults just listened and asked more and more questions. Thanks- youth for being so candid in your sharing. We appreciate your trust in us.
• At breakfast I prayed for discernment about adding to the Confirmation curriculum something on sexuality and dating. Three hours later the Holy Spirit supplied with us an answer: Pastor Charles' sermon on Christianity and Dating called Love and Happiness. (PS I loved the Reverend Al Green reference...)

Whew- it was an exciting and exhausting experience, but an excellent one for our young people and us grown ups! God is indeed good in the lives of our Calvary youth!