Blogthoughts!

Random blogthoughts…

I just received word that will be able to stay at the retreat centre for a full week, instead of the five days it originally seemed it would be. One of the groups scheduled to come the weekend before didn’t need the cottage after all, so I will be installed there instead! I’ll be sharing a bit more about what this retreat will mean to me in the next week.

I haven’t felt well the last couple of days—nothing so much that I wanted to go to bed, but just draggy and slow and achy. Thanks to you all for your prayers (and a healing slap upside the head from Rev Dona…owww). I spent the time not terribly productively (but very entertainingly) in playing with themes and colours and wallpapers on my ‘puter. I am amazed at the variety of tastes and the amount of creativity in the world. If you like something, anything, you can probably find a theme, and definitely a wallpaper for it—from the predictable like angels, cars. Pets, various movies and TV series to wine, obscure authors, and even manatees. Oh, and a theme is a set of customized items for your computer desktop (wallpaper, icons, colours, pointers, sounds, screensaver, etc.) with a (duh) theme. So a theme on, say, the Fourth of July might use red, white and blue as a color scheme, with firecracker and brass band sounds (for programs opening, new mail, etc.), a desktop picture of a Fourth of July parade, and a screensaver of fireworks. I now have themes for cats and books (yes, together), wine, the beach, fall and an aquarium. If I could find one for corgis, I'd use it. Or Canada. Or Michigan. Or....

I’m working on planning a worship service for our denomination’s regional conference later this year. As many of you probably already know, it’s difficult to create a service when you aren’t preaching, consecrating communion, or directing music. Luckily I’m working with a good, long-time friend—one of the first people I came out to, my first UFMCC pastor, and a kindred spirit when it comes to worship tastes. We had a phone conference today and have worked out how we’ll deal with things. It’s good to know we have each other’s back in this…

I wish there was a First Parish Project for us “old ‘uns.” FPP is a wonderful program endowed by the Lilly fund and other organizations for pastors in their first church (please note, I tried to insert the proper html here for a direct link and Blogger wouldn't let me; the URL is http://www.hintoncenter.org/pdf/first_parish_project.pdf#search=%22first%20parish%20project%22
). I think we have one or two revgalblogpals who are participating. My worship-planning friend also participated (in the past), and he was singing its praises to me. Collegiality, mutual support, continuing education, etc. Well, shoot. I’m not in my first parish, really—it’s the second church I’ve served—but the first was only for a year. However, I’m way too old…upper age limit is 35, and I’m not even close anymore (Can’t open hailing frequencies, Cap’n!). Surely I’m not the only first “real parish” pastor over 40 out there? Does anyone know of such a program?

But, I have to add, he was envious of my community here on revgalblogpals. The concept of a community that shares values, interests, goals, hopes, dreams, fears, silliness and recipes while it transcends geographic boundaries intrigued him. He says he’s not that technologically savvy, but if I can do it, I think he can too. I have talked to more than one person recently who has that same reaction—“wow, what a neat concept! That’s what the Internet was supposed to be about!” Well, not quite, but that’s another lecture. However, RevGalBlogPals is a Good Thing, and I bless the day I found all of you!