Canada's next top Lame-o

yup, this confirms it.

I'm the LAMEST person I know.

Tonight was one of those lovely nights, pulling me out of a funk that's taken over the past few days. Brisk air, sun shining down, dinner with dear friends, and a concert.

Not just any concert.

The lovely Martyn Joseph was in town.

I love this guy's music. It's from just the right spot.

here... have a video. (ok two).

So, I've had the privilege of seeing him in concert several times. The first time was out at the gallery- in the middle of '08's worst snowstorm. This summer he played at the festival- and I ran into him around the campfire a few times- he played my Uke (and put me to shame).

so of course, what's the first thing I say to him when I see him at the show tonight? (let's preface this with- I've just been greeted with "oh! hello beauty") (that would be Martyn's version of knowing he knows me from somewhere) (I'll take it)

yes, of course, I embarrass myself by saying "so, did you pick up a ukulele for yourself when you got home?"

and then... further it later with....

Singing harmonies as loud as I can- like I'm lost in church... and then he wanders out into the audience with his guitar and sits down beside me... I forget the words and stop singing.

yup.

ok.

awesome.

I think I'll go to sleep now.

my shack, your shack, and a bungalow

Other than those little picture books from growing up... the first bible story I ever learned was the story of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego... and the furnace. (Daniel 3 if you want to check it out).
I heard it at "the Ranch" (MCCR) and from there... ended up spending the next 10 years of my life working there. Just a summer job (for the most part) I'd start in May or June and live on the property till September wound it's way into the valley. In later years, I'd work there all seasons, teaching riding lessons in the evening, leading retreats and "horse clubs" on the weekends. All told, I figure I lived there 3 years of my life... if not more.
This past weekend at church, Scott was speaking about Daniel. The funny thing is... I'd never paid too much attention to his part of the story. And it really fit with what's going on in my own life right now. But that's not what this post is about.

Today I got an email that said the ranch had finally sold... 100 acres of memories. I tried not to cry when I read the email. That place shaped me in a huge way.... for the good, and for the bad (as is the case with life). I think I'm going to do a "time travel" week here in the Parsley Patch. Maybe dig out some old journals... lol, from back in the days before blogs.

they make 'em young?

So, as for the distraction... (Sunday's post)
The priest.

No, not the old Spanish one (or whatever his background).
The young Italian one.
Not that I was attracted to him (not everything is about sex) (despite what others might tell you), I wasn't staring at him in lust... but the thing that caught my attention was the fact he was my age. I didn't know they made Priests my age. I mean... I know that a Priest at one point in time has to live out the twenty something's years... but I don't know, it just seems like Priests are born old.

So, aside from the shocker that, in fact; Priest do NOT materialize in ancient form; Nor the fact that I didn't know people still became Priests (I think I figured they really DID materialize in ancient form)(or, that we'd reached some sort of Priestly quota in the 70's); I was more concerned about his social life.

What does a young Priest do on a Saturday night?
(I mean, aside from Saturday night mass)

Does he have friends? Does he laugh at a dirty joke? Does he hope to all hopes that he can find a good show? Does he wear his collar to the movies?

I used to wonder the same things about pastors... if they went out for dinner or not.

Then I thought... HEY! I should ask the Priest out... not on a date... but you know, so he could get to meet some people his own age. But. But what if someone thinks I'm after the Priest? What if he makes some guy friends... are people going to think that he's after one of them? Does he only hang out with old ladies in their parlours drinking tea out of their grandmother's favorite china pattern? Or does he get together with the nuns for bowling? What if... what if he was hanging out with someone for coffee and then he DID like them... (turns out it really is all about sex after all). Or what if the church-goers got their panties in a knot because Priesty went out to a concert?

needless to say, I missed most of the message, and mumbled my way thru the last two songs.
anyway, I'm going to go try to find out his name.
people like friends.
right?

The young Priest (or) what to do on a Saturday night?

I visited the local Catholic Church this weekend. It was thru work, but I'd been contemplating going for a visit there for awhile, the timing just happened to be good.

Not much has changed there.
But a lot has changed too.

There's the physical changes, the building is older, the murals more faded, the faces I recognized have aged, as mine has too. There's scaffolding up, pews taken out, someone is trying to bring a newness to the old murals, holding the plaster back into place.
The same refrains are chorused, but the tune they are sung to has changed- I come from a straight spoken refrain background, but my last few years in the church the sing-song refrains had taken over... it seems the tunes they are a'changing (insert eye-roll here).

My visit brought up all sorts of strange memories, concerns, lifelong frustrations... and peace too. I love liturgy. So it was good to be back... BUT
here's the but::
There was one thing that occupied my mind the entire mass.

Part two will be added after work.....

the email that doesn't end....

I love my church...

this is an email that's been "replied to all" to the pastor, worship and sound team at church over the past few days... enjoy!
oh... start at the bottom...


from Pastor::
RE: July 8th

You do not want to know why they call me the Great white hunter...

My neighbours are still in therapy...

:)

from Pony::
RE: July 8th

Woah, that’s deep

From: Les
Re: July 8th

lol... no... it was "and"
Parsley Seasonings

From: pastor
Re:July 8th


And "A" was for attitude?


From:Les
Subject: RE: July 8th

prayer AND "L" "m" was "missional"
Parsley Seasonings



From: Pony
Subject: RE: July 8th

So if you were stuck on the L, what’s the P & the A?

From: Les
Subject: Re: July 8th

wait wait wait wait....let me get this right... "great white hunter"?????
that's you scott??? fttflshtmsohn... (lesley falls to the floor laughing so hard that milk spits out her nose..) (and she hasn't even drank milk in a week)(much more effective than lol)

oh goodness, I love acronyms. haha... did I tell you about the time I tried to tell some friends about our church using the "oasis" acronym??? except I was certain it was "palm" (as in the tree... because you find those in an oasis....) I got stuck on "L".
Les
ps. there was a trade, I'm on sound the 8th (it's written on the back of my hand) Rob and I switched.
Parsley Seasonings


From: Pastor
Subject: Re: July 8th

Maybe the message that week can be on how to live without a tony for a week?

Great White Hunter...

From: Les
Subject: RE: July 8th

lol...baby cheeks?Les
Parsley Seasonings

From: Jon

Oh Ok then .. I say we through a party that sunday!!! ;) HeHe ..

BABY CHEEKS

From: Pony

Hey All:I just wanted to let you all know that I will be away on July 8th.

Thanks,

Pony

um... hostess?

Last night a group of us went out to Casey's after the Dock... we went to the same place we've been going to for Karaoke, and generally, well... we go there a lot.
As our group stood at the front door waiting to be seated, the main hostess came to us and said::

"If you can't seat yourself by now, you shouldn't bother to come back"

we plodded off and rearranged the tables like we always do.

oh small town, I love you.

agreed. and well said.

Ruth said...
Having been at the same conference, heard the same talks and discussions and felt the same disappointment, let me say that I don't think it's apathy. In my experience it's a closer cousin to defensiveness.
You've got a whole (generation? echelon? elite?) of mostly men who believe that they've had a 'call to full time ministry' that the rest of us haven't and the rest of us should be following their God given vision. If we don't, we're not 'respecting the leadership'.Discussions like the ones we had for those two days are a very in-your-face rejection of that system.
From the few 'clergy' who I heard speak while we were there, I heard good intentions and a recognition of the truth of the principles, but a misapprehension and misunderstanding of what it means to 'solid churches'. eg. "How do you change a solid church into a liquid church?" Answer: You don't!
I was thinking the other day that the solid church is like my grandma's house. When I go there, I'm welcome. She asks me how it's going, she gives me tea and date squares and we reminisce. Sometimes she gives me advice or $20 and she prays for me.
It's good to know she's there and I love her, but when the tea's gone and the date squares are all eaten up, it's time for me to get back to my life. And she doesn't come with me. Because it's not hers.
My ideal situation for a local church pastor who attended this conference would be to start preaching these principles from the pulpit and !actively! encouraging his congregation to pray and talk about who they are being sent to. Then to have a team of people go to the leadership and say, "OK, we know where we're being sent. But it means that Bill won't be playing the guitar on Sundays, and Sally can't teach the grade 5 and 6 girls anymore." Then to have the pastor say, "Go for it! We have a piano and the girls can sit through a sermon once in a while."
But I'm not holding my breath.
r

Lesley would add::

Well said.
and.
My pastor this Sunday gave a fantastic message, it was on the Holy Spirit, and living your faith... It was completely complimentary to what M.Frost had to say... and funny to hear it prefaced with "Now, I may be talking myself out of a job".
and.
Slightly off topic he used the words "by golly" and "gumption" in the same message.

Apathy....

I just spent two fantastic days at the Michael Frost conference held here in little ol' Northumberland.
I was so disappointed. In my town... or rather in the leaders in my town... who didn't even bother to go to an evening talk. I was disappointed in the number of people who are always saying "something needs to happen" or "we need to look at church a little differently" who didn't darken the door. I was proud of our little group from the dock!
The talks were fantastic, challenging, and difficult. Some people got it... some people sort of got it... and some people didn't get it at all... but it raised some excellent discussions, and thinking is good.

red alert

I ventured out to the "alternative" service at the Anglican church this morning with the Sheff bunch. The service itself takes place in the small chapel that was just recently added on to the giant church across from the beach. I love this space. I've mentioned it before with the Taize services there... It brings you to a place of worship just being there... the place feels set apart. That, and the floors are heated. I like that.
We were just about to get into everything when it happened.....
The heat had been turned up so high in the building, that the boiler room, after labouring away, gave up... and something burst. Not that we knew that.. but we did know that the fire alarm was bursting our ear drums.
Stage right, the evacuation. And outdoors, a continuation of our worship, while the firemen tramped about.