Halloween Happy

With her fish clutching a pink plastic scepter our princess ballerina pumped that fist in the air while chanting, "Candy, candy, candy!" This was her cheer as she skittered back and forth across our empty streets getting candy from our neighbors.

The night before we'd carved our pumpkins. Her fingers stirred the pumpkin goop for twenty minutes before she'd finally finish. She graduated to carving this year. No band aids nor stitches were needed, a Halloween miracle.

Our favorite part of the festivity came after we opened and sample all of the candy. Snuggled up on the couch we watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! Even though my husband and I have watched the movie every year for years... we still laugh at every punchline like we're never seen the movie.

It was a great Halloween. Hope yours was happy.

Tomorrow is All Saints Day!

Pumpkin'ing

Most of us grown ups remember fondly our first car. Mine was no exception.

Who could forget a bright orange Ford Mustang with an engine that leaked oil and a hatch back roof with grimy black fabric seats?

Every first car needs a name. Mine was no exception.

I called her Pumpkin.

When I loaded up my fellow band geeks for a run to the local Hardee's for some Cokes and cinnamon raisin biscuits, we'd refer to our activity by creating a verb out of a proper noun. We'd be pumpkin'ing.

Ah- she was a sweet car. Hung some of the Raisins (used in Hardee's commericals in the late 1980's) from my reveiw mirror becase we ate so many cinnamon raisin biscuits.

Sadly, one autumn day she left us. Not to be carved into a scary faces or smashed on someone's lawn like more traditional and organic pumpkins, but Pumpkin was no more because her little engine couldn't function anymore.

My next car was bright red. Gave her a name too; Tomato.

But it was never the same because a tomato is a fruit that thinks it's a vegetable. Obviously, vegetables make better names for cars.

the Faithful's Failed Finances

What if clergy candidates had to have a credit check before entering into ministry? Or submit a personal family budget as well as show how to balance a non-profit budget?

Last week I actually rummaged around our Indiana Area UM website for information about our Rejuvenate program. Classes, grants, and testimonies piqued my interest. My rummaging brought to my mind even more questions about our church's financial stewardship at all levels- local, state and international.

The anonymous testimony by one Indiana area clergy colleagues about filing for bankruptcy multiple times tugged hard at my heart. Last fall my husband and I gave our testimony about our credit card, car and school debt. All of which is now paid off and we are debt free with only the mortgage left. (You can find that testimony on this blog during November 2009. By the way we paid off our debt WHILE tithing 10% of our gross income. Don't tell me it cannot be done.)

So, I know personally how easy it is to get into a bind and stay there. And how easy it is to overlook your giving to God/God's church in the name of your sloppy personal finances.

Several years ago I attended a training seminar for clergy and lay leaders on Capital Fund campaigns. I was stunned when our seminar leader gave statistics of how few Protestant clergy (my colleagues) give financially to their churches. The number of clergy who give a tithe of income is even less.

What?! Clergy not giving!? Preachers, teachers, pastors not contributing to the over all work of God through the church?! Sounds ridiculous- but it sadly seems to be the case because now we're all in debt up to our clerical collars.

Clergy are the leaders of the church now and in the future. Scripture reminds us that a higher standard is set for our teaching, model, and example than for others within the Body of Christ. Moreover, we are the vision casters, the resident theologians, and the spiritual directors within the congregation.

No wonder the church is failing to make an effective and powerful impact in the world when our leaders are failing to lead, by example! Makes me mad and I find that I am sad as well.

I fuss a lot about the spending that is taking place in our national government and how I want to fire congress. But I must be honest and consider not what's "out there", but what's close to home. And that is the Church and my colleagues of whom I care about.

When I was in seminary at Duke one of my second-career friends commented that he didn't understand why a course in finance, leadership and business was not required of clergy before ordination. I didn't get what he was addressing.

Sadly, now I do.

Random...

Severe weather this morning interupted everyone's normal October Tuesday morning. And the interuption reminded me what a odd little collection of insights and musings I have collected these past ten days. Here are a few:

• learned from a 4 year old that "sometimes frogs pee on your hands" during a Children's sermon I attempted to give.
• received roses, best love letter (ever!) and a dinner date from my spouse for our 10th anniversary.
• helped my daughter with her glitter'd surprise birthday card for Daddy ...without attaching glitter to the kitchen counter tops!
• listened to the Senate debate last night on television and is even more puzzled over how I will vote next Tuesday.
• was blessed by a terrific God-conversation with my sister in law who stated with tears and joy in her voice, "I am so falling in love with God all over again!" aw- isn't that the best?!
• babies in the Noland family like to arrive during severe weather. Welcome to the world, Aubrey! (today is your birthday!)
• no, I am not going to develop a six-pack like Todd's before my 40th birthday next spring and wear a red string bikini and put photos on Facebook. The thought is tempting...but, gosh that is a LOT of work.
• read a terrific memoir about a Catholic family living in an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood...what a hoot!
• was blessed with a nap during the NFL games on Sunday afternoon after preaching a sermon that wore me out more than I thought it would.

Wonder what will be in my world these next few days?!

Shabbot

Last Friday night as the sun set to the west... our rag tag group of Gentiles gathered in the long shadows on parking lot to wait. We were waiting to worship. It seems only Gentiles come to worship early at synagogues in Carmel, Indiana. Actually our DISCIPLE Bible class (with their families) were waiting on someone with a key to unlock the doors.

Yes, our Bible class believes in field trips in addition to our curriculum!

I overheard a woman on her cell phone say, rather tartly, "Well, get your rabbinical a** here!" Such a liturgical statement was foreign to my worship experience, but it seemed to do the trick because moments later our Messiah (with the key) arrived!

Greetings, hand shakes and welcomes were given and received while our group doubled the minyan that finally arrived. My kindergartener insisted on sitting in the front row where she would not miss anything. Thus casually and delightfully we began our 90 minute sojourn into all things Hebrew, minor, and foreign.

With teaching commentary sprinkled throughout the service we found our way through the prayer book (backwards) as three teens struggled to lead the service. They chanted the four Psalms and the one hymn from the middle century by an unnamed Jewish mystic. (Who knew there was such a thing as a Jewish mystic? What do you know?!)

We honored the faithfulness of God, welcomed the Bride (aka the Shabbot) as we stood in Her honor, recognized the dead and remembered the grieving (those who are in shiva). All while my kid squirmed in her sqeaky seat counting the Stars of David scattered throughout the room. No one was more glad about 'refreshments' in the social hall than my kiddo!

The Rabbi was very gracious with his hospitality for our non-Hebrew crew. After worship he opened the ark and showed us two of the synagogue's Torah scrolls. (One was over 300 years old!) We learned alot about the work of scribes and the Hebrew language. But also we talked of the Jewish definition of death, what does it mean to work on a Sabboth, and how a 'blessing' is different between Jews and Christians.

My favorite moment though has to be when the Rabbi welcomed us to worship by stating in his quirky, yet loving way, "I am so glad you are here. We need to do this more often- visit each other in worship. I have more in common with a practicing Christian than I do a secular Jew."

He is right because I can say the same. I have more in common with practicing Jews than I do with secular Christians.

Halloween's a Comin'

Got your creepy face on? Halloween's a comin'...

My experience at our local retail stores tells me that this holiday has become quite a moneymaker for our economy: candy, costumes, party favors etc. The list goes on. And supposedly we need it all in order to be scared and have a sugar induced high!

My daughter has been talking about her costume for weeks, but if previous experience is any indication she will change her mind the day of Halloween (causing her mother to have a panic fit!)

Now to buy the candy, put up the decorations, gather the costume and prepare for the final marker that autumn has arrived... All Hallow's Eve!

God and Fantasy Football

With Sunday Night Football on the tube and my hubby screaming about his Fantasy Football league "my mind hatched an idea!" ( a phrase my daughter uses all the time.)

Wonder what God's Fantasy Football team would look like?

I know mine... it would include all my favs from the Pittsburgh Steelers like Lynn Swan, Terry Bradshaw, Mike Webster, Rocky Blair, John Stallworth, Franco Harris, LC Greenwood, Jack Lambert, Mel Blanc, Jack Ham, and who could forget... Mean Joe Greene.

Gosh- all this nostalgia has inspired me to dig through the boxes in the attic for all my NFL trading cards. Probably some money in those now. ha ha!

Here is my best guess of the Lord's 'fantasy team'...

• Quarterback- Peyton Manning or Jesus
• Wide Receivers- Jerry Rice and Lynn Swann or Isaiah and Jeremiah
• Tight End- John Mackey or Moses
• Running Backs- Emmitt Smith and Franco Harris or Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter
• Kicker- Morton Anderson or the Holy Spirit
• Defense- Steel Curtain (Steelers) or the Original Disciples

Whew- that would be one unstoppable team!

To Keep, Not to Keep

Autumn delights us with color and the opportunity to practice the art of letting go. Letting go, shedding, or freeing ourselves offers us the chance to grow more deeply in grace and truth. If the trees can shed their gorgeous leaves - then so can we shed ourselves of the things that are no longer necessary.

Here are some things I want our United Methodist denomination to let go of as the Body of Christ... as well as things I want us to keep.

Let go of ...guaranteed appointments for UM clergy; honor the clergy leaders who show growth rates in the number of Professions of Faith within their flocks.

Let go of ...jurisdictional conference in the UMC; keep the election of bishops and move it into the last few days of General Conference.

Let go of ...three different sets of financial and statistical number gathering (i.e. fall charge conferences, January Check Days, and April audits); keep one annual report due at the end of the calendar year.

Let go of ...clustering within the Indiana Conference of UMC; keep opportunities for cooperative ministry to grow where they do so naturally, creatively (i.e. stop trying to manage them).

Let go of ...all the hoopla (arduous steps) and huge structure of the Board of Ordained Ministry process for ministerial candidates; keep mentors, quality educational, mental health & family standards for future/current leaders within the church.

For our local congregation, Calvary United Methodist Church, here in suburba Indiana...

Let go of ...idea that someone else will fix it, do it, take care of it, and/or give financially for ministry to happen; keep and embrace personal responsbility for all to exhibit leadership in ministry (lay, staff, clergy alike).

Let go of ...our busyness, distractions, and life-clutter; keep inner stillness in order to listen more deeply to one another and grow our relationships with God, self and others.

Let go of ...our hang ups, nervousness, uncomfortability or whatever it is that keeps us from cracking open a Bible to learn or attending a small group in order to find out more about God and our Christian faith; keep small groups of all kinds open and operational as little communities of hospitality, wholeness, and great learning!

What do you want to let go of?

What do you want to keep?

Ready, Set, Fall!

I drove my silver Honda across 56th street from Indianapolis towards Brownsburg this morning and witnessed a miracle. (I decided immediately that God made it for me personally.)

For those of you familiar with this route you know what I may be talking about. Driving across the bridge over Eagle Creek Reservoir captivates the eye with water, trees, and natural (although made-created reservoir) beauty. Well, today God painted it just for lil' ol' me!

Yellow, orange, red, and pine green appreared along the shore lines with a bright blue sky dotted with white fluffy clouds! Mmmm... good!

Last Saturday our family attempted a trip to Brown County to witness fall in season... but got wind, rain, and no colors... This weekend will be a different story but we won't be there. sigh. Maybe you can be there.

Or be where you are admiring what miracle God has painted for you!

Prayers.... going into the world!

What a fabulous, family friendly Pet Blessing on Saturday! What a wonderful World Communion Worship on Sunday! Thanks everyone who participated and made a difference!

15 dogs and one chicken were blessed on Saturday evening.

180 prayer beads were taken home on Sunday after worship. That means over 180 folks will be receiving their token (i.e. prayer bead) as a reminder that they have been prayed for and with... and better yet over 180 people are praying this week! Woo hoo!

Don't forget Calvary family- we're praying through the letter "D" in our church directory this week!

Blessings upon blessings to you as you pray for and with one another!