Claimed, gathered and sent

Kathryn wrote: The Season You're In - Friday Five Headquarters for me is the northeast of the United States. Here school is getting back in session, the tease of autumn is in the air (or the hope for the tease of autumn is in the air) and church life is gearing up to full throttle. One thing I've learned with blogging and social media is that the where I live is not necessarily where you live. And so I want to know what September means to you, in your place of the world and time in your life. This week's Friday Five is: What are 5 things that the beginning of September mean to you? Bonus: What's one thing you could do without?   So...here are my responses:   1. School--this is my last year of seminary!!!! My grown daughter is returning to school and my granddaughter is starting 2nd grade as well. 2. Cooler temperatures--In the mornings it's now starting to feel like fall. 3. New beginnings--New program year at church a...

Jan from RevGalBlogPals wrote this: There is a dramatic and surprising venue for Spiritual Formation/Sunday School classes at my church: Each week a different person teaches about a "word" that expresses his/her passion or interest. The first week someone spoke about "hospitality" with abundant treats on her mother and grandmother's china arrayed on tables. Other words have been "connectivity," "Trinity," "money," and "dreams." No one knows which person will be teaching until the class convenes. I am teaching this Sunday and plan to talk about " stirrings ." For this Friday Five, please list five words that identify your passions, spirituality, and/or life. Describe as much or as little as you wish. 1. faithfulness --When I get discouraged, all I have to do is look back at God's continual faithfulness throughout my life and the lives of so many. This stirs up within me a desire to be a faithful...

Sophia wrote: The pastor of my grad school parish once gave a fascinating reflection, at about this mid-point in the season, called "How to Survive the Mid-Lent Crisis"! As I recall, his main point was that by halfway through the season we have often found it very challenging to live up to our original plans....But, he suggested--on the analogy of the healing and reframing of our life plans that can happen during a mid-*life* crisis--that that can be even more fruitful. So here's an invitation to check in on the state of your spirit midway through "this joyful season where we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind and heart renewed" (Roman Missal). Hopefully there's a good deal of grace, and not too much crisis, in your mid-Lenten experience! 1. Did you give up, or take on, anything special for Lent this year? I took on something, increased attentiveness to hear God's voice, to quiet myself to listen, especially through lectio divina . A grou...

Sophia wrote: My son's tiny beloved lizard, Elf, is looking and acting strange this week. His skin/scales are quite dark, and he is lethargic. We are adding vitamin drops to his lettuce and spinach and hoping and praying that he is just getting ready to shed his skin--but it's too soon to tell. Others in the ring have also been worried about beloved pets this week. And, in the saddest news of all, Songbird has had to bid farewell to her precious Molly , the amazing dog who is well known to readers of her blog as a constant sacrament of God's unconditional love. So in memory of Molly, and in honor of all the beloved animal companions who bless our lives: tell us about the five most memorable pets you have known. The first is my beloved black lab, Tasha who I had to say good-bye to a number of years ago. She loved everyone and if she saw anyone playing a with a ball, she wanted to play too. Abby, who is still with us is next. She's Ray's retired Seeing Eye Dog. Abby...

Thanks to Singing Owl for this Friday Five. Ours was spent on campus with the rest of the "remnant" that didn't go away. We gathered in the seminary refectory for a traditional Thanksgiving pot luck dinner. The fellowship and food were wonderful. 1. How do I limit the number to 5???? Anyway, I am first of all thankful for my husband, Ray, and for his supportive patience as I go to seminary. His love and encouragement have enabled me to make this change in our lives. 2. These are of course not in order as far as the amount of thankfulness I have. But my adult children Sarah and Christian are next. They have both grown i nto wonderful people whom I love with all my heart. For them I give thanks. 3. My granddaughter, Grace, a precocious nearly 5 year old. I am grateful for her and her unabashed love for Jesus. She is pr ecious. 4. I'm very thankful for Marisa, my son's fiancee, who has turned his world upside down. He's a different man. 5. And finally, I am tha...

Sally at revgalsblogpals posted the following for the Friday Five: I have recently been reading a book entitled Jesus wept , it is all about vulnerability in leadership. The authors speak of how Jesus shared his earthly frustrations and vulnerabilities with a select group of people. To some he was the charismatic leader and teacher, to others words of wisdom were opened and explained and some frustrations shared, to his "inner circle of friends: Peter, James and John, he was most fully himself, and in all of these things he was open to God. So I bring you this weeks Friday 5: 1. Is vulnerability something that comes easily to you, or are you a private person? It comes to me very easily, at times too much so. I feel that I have nothing to hide. Of course, I'm in seminary with a wonderful community of faith. In the parish I suspect I will need to be more guarded in what I share and with whom. 2.How important is it to keep up a professional persona in work/ ministry? I despise p...

Singing Owl, one of the Revgals asks this for the Friday Five: what are the five things you simply must have when you are away from home? And why? Any history or goofy things, or stories? We travel pretty light for road trips, as much as possible. Most have been trips to Rochester to see my daughter, granddaughter, and friends. However, next week at this time, the moving van will be here loading up everything for the biggest and most life altering road trip we've had in our five years of marriage--the trip to the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. One of the best parts of this particular trip is that it will begin on our 5th wedding annivarsary. So much for background. Five things I simply must have when away from home: 1. Clothes--the why is pretty obvious. 2. Toiletries--deodorant, shampoo etc.--again an obvious why--who'd want to be around me? 3. A place to stay halfway through the trip. From our current home to Rochester we always broke the trip in Albany. I ...

Thanks to RevHRod at RevGals for this week's Friday Five. So how did you come up with your blogging name? And/or the name of your blog? I use my own name. The name of my blog comes from a line in the ELCA mission statement, "Marked with the cross of Christ forever, we are claimed, gathered, and sent for the sake of the world.” Are there any code names or secret identities in your blog? Any stories there? I'm afraid not. What are some blog titles that you just love? For their cleverness, drama, or sheer, crazy fun? Tribal Church , Reflectionary , Lutheran Chick's "L" Word Diary , Cheesehead in Paradise , Proclaiming Softly ...there are so many. What three blogs are you devoted to? Other than the RevGalBlogPals blog of course! Tribal Church , Law and Gospel , The Heart of a Pastor . Who introduced you to the world of blogging and why? I came across it out of sheer necessity. For an assignment in an undergraduate course, I wanted to have a webpage so I could k...

Sally at Rev Gals posted today's Friday Five. And here they are! 1. Barbeque's or picnics ( or are they essentially the same thing?) They ' re essentially the same thing, but we call them picnics. 2. The park/ the lake/ the beach or staying at home simply being? Normally we'd enjoy getting together with friends at home or at their place. I like gathering at the park or lake, not the beach. This year it's just the two of us at home. 3. Fireworks- love 'em or hate 'em? I love them. 4. Parades- have you ever taken part- share a memory... I have only watched them. When I was little my brother was in one an we went to watch. Today we're watching the Bristol, RI parade, the oldest continuous running 4th of July parade in the country. 5. Time for a musical interlude- if you could sum up holidays in a piece of music what would it be? The "1812 Overture" performed by the Boston Pops. Oh yeah, "Stars and Stripes Forever" too. Now a que...

Those RevGals are such party animals. So in honor of summer, please share your own beachy memories, plans, and dreams with a "Beach Trip" Friday Five. 1. Ocean rocks, lake limps? Vice versa? Or "it's all beautiful in its own way"? I enjoy being out in nature of all kinds, but prefer lakes to ocean. And even better, prefer a swimming pool. 2. Year round beach living: Heaven...or the Other Place? I'm not a real beach fan, but as long as there is shade, maybe it should be considered purgatory. 3. Any beach plans for this summer? None that I'm aware of. There is plenty of recuperation and packing for the move to Gettysburg with little, if any, vacation time. 4. Best beach memory ever? Our granddaughter's first steps into the Atlantic when she was an infant. She cried, but it was their first trip to see us in R. I., so it was special. 5. Fantasy beach trip? Hawaii sounds good. ...

Weekly, RevGalBlogPals has a meme for us. This is the first I've actually participated in and is very apt for this time in my life. Let me know your responses to the following. Mine are. 1. How important is the "big picture" to you, do you need a glimpse of the possibilities or are you a details person? Primarily a big picture person who doesn't worry about the details, sometimes even though I should. 2. If the big picture is important to you how do you hold onto it in the nitty gritty details of life? Lots of prayer and communication with friends who help me keep on track, particularly if I am comparing myself with others too much and second guessing myself. 3. Name a book, poem, psalm, piece of music that transports to to another dimension ( one....what am I thinking....) "I am a Servant." 4.Thinking of physical views, is there somewhere that inspires you, somewhere that you breathe more easily? When I'm sitting, reclining on the swing on our deck. I...

Sally created this week's Friday Five, posted over at RevGalBlogPals : Part of the Ascension Day Scripture from Acts 11 contains this promise from Jesus; "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Then he was taken from their sight into the clouds, two angels appeared and instructed the probably bewildered disciples to go back to Jerusalem, where they began to wait and to pray for the gift Jesus had promised. Prayer is a joy to some of us, and a chore to others, waiting likewise can be filled with anticipation or anxiety.... So how do you wait and pray? 1. How do you pray best, alone or with others? It depends on the kind of prayer: worship, intercession, etc. In the morning I have my alone time in prayer, which I cherish. Without it, the day doesn't seem to go right. Before bed, my husband and I pray together for each other, our family, frie...