Putting Down the Lists

Sometimes life gets so crazy that all I know how to-do is make list. I keep making lists until there are no more lists to make anymore.

Right now my life is about a lot of lists. There was the wedding planning to-do list last weekend in GA that got out of control fast! There is the legal pad to-do list that is constantly on my desk at work. There is the house chores to-do list as I get ready for lots of company coming my way over the next several weeks. There is the I wish to-do list-- what I want to do but don't have time too, like getting my haircut and windshield wipers replaced on my car.

But tomorrow evening I'm putting the lists aside and going to Norfolk to visit a dear from seminary. I haven't seen her since December which is too long in my book! The anticipation of spending the "minister's weekend" aka Friday-Saturday with Abby has been fuel to get me through the craziness of this week.

I think the pastoral types need to make time for "no list" weekends like I'm hoping to have tomorrow. While our work as pastors may not be physically draining, it is emotionally. There are so many people and personalities to deal with and care for on a regular basis. Time for one's self is easily lost in the shuffle of everything else. It has already been shown to me loud and clear that if I don't take Sabbaths, I won't survive in this business very long. Keeping the Sabbath is one of ten commandments after all :)

So, Friday will be my Sabbath to prepare me for the LONG Holy Week ahead!

The Gang

If there is one thing I'm learning alongside my friends in the ministry it is how difficult it can be to make friends outside of the church. When church=life and being a good minister means you spend your free time investing in church relationships, little time is left over for yourself and being around people who don't know you by your professional title.

However, I feel very blessed in this regard because of meeting Kevin. He has introduced to me an amazing group of people who have adopted me as if we known each other for years. And they are people with whom I now spend my weekends. Some of these folks are Kevin's roommates, others are friends of his from grad school and others who have formed a connection to the group through just being in DC.

While it is against my natural tendencies, I love how laid back this group can be with one another. It doesn't take a grand event for fun to occur-- anything is fine as long as fun people are there. I'm learning a lot from them about how great it can be to make spontaneous plans for a Saturday afternoon or just share a regular Sunday night dinner together. There are always lots of jokes and laughter, especially if Bhavik and Patrick begin their bickering or if Frank gets Kevin started or if Michelle tells a funny story. Jeff always adds a sense of randomness to every encounter while Kerry just tells it like it is. Beyond just laughter, I've experienced a lot of great DC restaurants because of them including the new favorite of several: Thai Shiryington

Religiously the gang is as diverse as they come-- Catholic, non so Catholic, Baptist, Hindu, and Baha'i, but even still these fine people are a part of my community of faith. I feel that they are cheering me on and challenging me intellectually and spiritually to see God and life in new ways. I love how we all respect and appreciate one another's differences in perspective.

My life is rich with the gang in it! (Don't we look happy?)

A Fire to Remember

The following is a story I think I'll never forget. It has taken me a week or so to find funny. Now that is funny, I am happy to share it with you in hopes you'll get a good laugh out of my mistake.
As a means of background, Ash Wednesday fell on my birthday this year-- a day which should be a joyous celebration but instead I was in charge of the prayer meeting service about the beginning of the season of Lent-- a day to remember our morality. This was troubling to begin with, but whatever. Secondly, the senior pastor of our congregation was in Hawaii celebrating his birthday (the same day as mine) during Ash Wednesday; thus, leaving me in charge of the service (totally not fair, right?)

It was 6:10 p.m. before prayer meeting/ the Ash Wednesday service began at 6:30. I was on the phone with Kevin on my way back to church. I knew I was running late and trying to get back to church as fast as I could. Yet, in the course of our conversation I remembered I had forgotten one important element for the service: the ashes. There was no time to go home and get them.

Kevin offered a suggestion. He reminded me that it wouldn't take very long to burn some more ashes. All I would need to do is go outside with a metal trash can and burn some paper in it for a few minutes. While I could see the logic in this activity, Kevin's idea sounded a little risky to me. (My vision of what could happen is much like the picture to the left!) I thought I had a brilliant idea. Our fellowship hall has a fire place in it. I decided I'd just burn some paper in there. No big deal, right?

Wrong, because I forgot to open up the flue. Before I knew it, smoke began to fill the fellowship hall. It was just my luck that the smoke sensor was right beside the fireplace-- so the church fire alarm began to immediately sound. That awful loud noise began to fill the walls of the church along with the smoke.

I quickly began to pour water on the paper burning I had begun (not thinking that I was in that moment totally defeating the point of exercises as I was soon to have soggy ashes). I thought if I could get the smoke to leave the fellowship hall, then all would be well and the fire alarm would go off.

In a few minutes, the fire alarm did indeed go off thanks to my fabulous pastoral colleague, Lonnie. He had just walked in the building when the alarm sounded and soon thereafter began calling the security company telling them that everything was ok as well as doing crowd control for me upstairs. But the first person I saw after the event was one of our most faithful deacons, Tom, a older gentleman who came bursting down the stairs trying to see what was wrong. With panic in my voice, I admitted that I was the one who had started the fire. Yet, everything was ok; the fire was out. I felt bad for making Tom run through the church with such a sense of panic.

By the time that I cleaned everything up and make my way upstairs, I found that the fire department had already made its way to our church. Thank goodness Lonnie was there to deal with them-- taking them to the fireplace downstairs, letting them know that all was well because by this time I had lost it. I was so embarrassed. I didn't think I had it in me to go and lead the service. I wanted to go home and find some joy of this 27th birthday of mine.

But, I knew I was a professional and professionals must act as they must, not as they feel. By some grace, I wiped my tears and headed for the conference room to begin talking about the symbols of Lent, including the wet ashes. I told everyone the story of what had occurred earlier that evening and a roar of laughter came from those present (If you don't cry, you laugh, right?).

Somehow the Joel 2 lectionary passage for the day had a whole new meeting for our group that evening: "Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming." For our alarm really did sound! What a day!

Kevin did treat me to a nice dinner afterwards. It was the best part of this crazy birthday.