Hello 2019 and hello old blogging space!
New year, new routines, new disciplines.
When I was a pastoral intern many years ago, I tagged along with my mentor pastor to her lectionary study group. It was so helpful. A group of Methodist preachers had been gathering for lectionary study for a few years. One pastor would host each month, providing coffee and a parlor or Sunday school classroom or fellowship hall. The group met on Monday mornings at 10am. Volunteers would study one of the lectionary passages, and then lead off the discussion on that passage. The group closed with prayer and then went off for lunch somewhere nearby. This study group was helpful on many levels - to hear experienced preachers studying the text and discussing their ministry contexts, to have the friendship of other clergy who freely shared their wisdom and their mistakes, and the advanced planning for preaching. This lectionary study group worked two weeks in advance, so the study gave us time to think and pray about worship planning.
When I moved out of interning and into a role as clergywoman, I was *just* too far from the city to join in that lectionary group on a regular basis. I missed the routine and the fellowship. So I turned to online resources like RevGalBlogPals. This was 2004, and as a newly minted clergy who wasn't yet blogging, I didn't join the RevGalBlogPals party, other than to answer a few of the Friday questions. To be honest, I think those initial blogging efforts were on MySpace (hey, it was 2004!) and they didn't migrate over to this blog when I ditched MySpace. I still read on RevGalBlogPals and am always blessed by the community there. Support, encouragement, questioning, always seeking to be faithful.
Two other resources I used during those early years of preaching were blogs by South African pastors Dion Forster and Arnau VanWyngard. They are still active in ministry and online, but in different ways. I see Arnau's work on Facebook with the Shiselweni Homebased Care Ministry, and Dion is on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. I also can connect with Dion via American Academy of Religion meetings, and have met Arnau's son Cobus at American Society of Missology, thanks to his work teaching theology at UNISA.
I dove deep into further academic study for a few years and got out of the routine of lectionary study and preaching. This last July, I picked up a two-point charge (that's two churches for folks not familiar with Methodist lingo) and am back into the swing of regular preaching - and quickly realized I needed a lectionary study again!
I'm currently in a lectionary lectio divina group. It's clergywomen from several denominations who gather for a bit of conversation, prayer, and study. But it's not advance planning. We meet on Wednesday afternoons and hear the lectionary reading for the upcoming Sunday. Too late to work as a study, and I prefer not to blend lectio divina and study. Lectio divina is a time for me to still my mind and heart and allow the Spirit to speak.
So one of my resolutions for 2019 is to pick up a lectionary study via blog. I'll be using this space each week to write out my study notes on the lectionary readings two weeks in advance. A first glance at the readings coming up in Year C, and I think I'll focus on the epistle and gospel readings at least through Easter, probably through Pentecost.
My goal is to be better prepared for preaching and worship planning, and hopefully to interact with other lectionary bloggers. I have been so blessed by many faithful pastors and scholars, and I hope to pay it forward.
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Thursday, January 18, 2018
New Venture
It has been a long time since I posted on this blog. So much has changed since my last post!
In April 2017 I moved to Asheville, North Carolina and am in the process of starting up a new venture. I'm using my experience and study in short-term mission to launch a consultation business. One of my very favorite things is meeting with people who are active in short-term mission and learning with them about mission.
In my research, I learned that many United Methodist people who are active in short-term mission are not familiar with anything that is written on short-term mission. It's hymns and scripture that form the foundation of their motivation to be active in the mission of the church. And they are hungry for more reflection on understanding God, the work of the Spirit, and how to be more faithful in their mission practices.
So I've launched Sister of Hope Ministries. I'm currently blogging at sisterofhope.org and my website sisterofhopeministries.org will go live in a few weeks. I'm really excited about this new ministry!
There are so many moving pieces - all at once, and I am not familiar with most of them. I'm learning a lot, very quickly. All the while, I'm staying open to the leading of the Spirit, and giving thanks for the many talented people who are helping me in this venture.
So come on over to sisterofhope.org and check things out! This blog will stay mostly quiet, with a few posts with recipes from my grandmother, as my daughters request them.
In April 2017 I moved to Asheville, North Carolina and am in the process of starting up a new venture. I'm using my experience and study in short-term mission to launch a consultation business. One of my very favorite things is meeting with people who are active in short-term mission and learning with them about mission.
In my research, I learned that many United Methodist people who are active in short-term mission are not familiar with anything that is written on short-term mission. It's hymns and scripture that form the foundation of their motivation to be active in the mission of the church. And they are hungry for more reflection on understanding God, the work of the Spirit, and how to be more faithful in their mission practices.
So I've launched Sister of Hope Ministries. I'm currently blogging at sisterofhope.org and my website sisterofhopeministries.org will go live in a few weeks. I'm really excited about this new ministry!
There are so many moving pieces - all at once, and I am not familiar with most of them. I'm learning a lot, very quickly. All the while, I'm staying open to the leading of the Spirit, and giving thanks for the many talented people who are helping me in this venture.
So come on over to sisterofhope.org and check things out! This blog will stay mostly quiet, with a few posts with recipes from my grandmother, as my daughters request them.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Creamy Chicken Soup
Mary Grace came home from college during the Christmas holidays and requested the recipe for creamy chicken and wild rice soup. It's one of her favorites. I made it last night for my husband, who's feeling a little under the weather.
Recipe originally printed in 2003 Better Homes & Gardens "All Time Favorites Soups & Stews"
1/2 cup wild rice
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1 Tblsp butter
4 cups chicken broth
12 oz cooked chicken breast, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 cups half and half or light cream
1. In a fine wire-mesh strainer, rinse the wild rice; drain and set aside.
2. In a 4 qt Dutch oven, cook carrot, onion, and celery in the 1 Tblsp butter over medium heat about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add wild rice and chicken broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chicken breast pieces; simmer, covered for 20 to 25 minutes more or until the wild rice is tender.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour and softened butter to make a smooth paste.
4. Stir the flour mixture into the rice and chicken mixture in the Dutch oven. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in half and half. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 8 main-dish servings.
My tweaks to the recipe: I usually use about a cup and a half of chicken, either from a roast chicken I've made or from a grocery store rotisserie chicken - just be sure you've got a plain roast chicken, because the stores inject flavoring into the breast meat. Cajun or bbq flavored chicken doesn't pair well with this soup. I've used "Royal Blend" rice from Texmati but it isn't as pretty as wild rice - faster, but not as pretty. The wild rice is a nice visual contrast to the creamy soup. You can also reduce the amount of half and half or cream that you add, if you'd like to reduce the calories.
James said it was a tasty warm up on a cold night. :-)
Recipe originally printed in 2003 Better Homes & Gardens "All Time Favorites Soups & Stews"
1/2 cup wild rice
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1 Tblsp butter
4 cups chicken broth
12 oz cooked chicken breast, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 cups half and half or light cream
1. In a fine wire-mesh strainer, rinse the wild rice; drain and set aside.
2. In a 4 qt Dutch oven, cook carrot, onion, and celery in the 1 Tblsp butter over medium heat about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add wild rice and chicken broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chicken breast pieces; simmer, covered for 20 to 25 minutes more or until the wild rice is tender.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour and softened butter to make a smooth paste.
4. Stir the flour mixture into the rice and chicken mixture in the Dutch oven. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in half and half. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 8 main-dish servings.
My tweaks to the recipe: I usually use about a cup and a half of chicken, either from a roast chicken I've made or from a grocery store rotisserie chicken - just be sure you've got a plain roast chicken, because the stores inject flavoring into the breast meat. Cajun or bbq flavored chicken doesn't pair well with this soup. I've used "Royal Blend" rice from Texmati but it isn't as pretty as wild rice - faster, but not as pretty. The wild rice is a nice visual contrast to the creamy soup. You can also reduce the amount of half and half or cream that you add, if you'd like to reduce the calories.
James said it was a tasty warm up on a cold night. :-)
Friday, November 14, 2014
My Village
The saying goes... "...it takes a village..."
I have a village. Not a village to help raise up a child (although I had one of those to help with the two of mine). This time it's a village of women.
Being a woman is complicated. There are career paths, relationships, decisions about child bearing and then, depending on those decisions, more decisions about child rearing. There are choices - focus on career/life partner/children - all choices that result in the prioritizing of one thing and the realization that others will not be a priority. There's guilt. There's women's bodies, women and aging, women and our parents, women and food. It takes a village!
Women need a variety of female relationships throughout our lives. You've probably seen pictures or posts about different kinds of friends or different seasons of friends through our lives, and I agree with aspects of those posts. I'm coming to appreciate the different female relationships I have now in my life, as those women collectively make up a stunning constellation of wisdom and love that sustains my life.
One friend I've known since junior high. She listens to me complain and laughs with me at the silliest things. We've seen a lot in each other over the years. Friends of long standing are essential.
A couple of dear friends encourage me to write and to care for my body. They inspire me with their passion and verve for life. Their artistic and creative vision is like a beacon on days when I struggle to see past my computer screen. I hope to impress them, and that helps me to keep going.
A clergy friend listens whenever I am having a cynical day about pastoring. She probably thinks that I'm Reverend Downer, but in reality, we don't often get to connect and somehow it is usually when I need to vent. For her listening ear, I'm ever grateful, and being with her always makes me commit myself anew to listening more carefully to others.
Another clergy friend of mine has recently begun meeting with me as we hold each other accountable on our academic work. She's writing a D.Min. thesis and I'm beginning my dissertation research. We share similar visions for ministry and academic work, it is a fruitful and joyful relationship. I hesitated to join a writing accountability group but now wish I'd done so earlier.
My mentor is a female academic, and I'd give anything to make her proud of my work. She could see potential in me that I could not when I began this academic program. Now it feels as though I'm on the cusp of some new phase of my life, and I can't quite see it yet, but I know that if I am faithful to the work she's helped me to sketch out, it will come clear in time. Patience, hard work, and dedication are necessary.
My oldest daughter is becoming my friend. A treasure I didn't expect. I think I laugh more with her than with anyone else. What a joy. My younger daughter is still my little girl, who needs me still, and that is a treasure too.
There are young women who I mentor - discerning calls to ministry or working through a new path in ministry. These are informal mentoring relationships, and I doubt they realize how much they give back to me in our conversations. There are women I've met through various church functions whose friendships have grown over time, even though I've moved away from where they live. There are women I have met through other friends, who comment on things through facebook or send me emails, and who probably don't know that they are part of the constellation of women whose lives sparkle and shine through the dark times in my life. There are old, dear friends, those I've found thanks to facebook, after long years apart, lost time made up for in a few shared photos and smiles.
A village of women - fierce, passionate, dedicated, creative, loving, supportive, challenging, fabulous women. It's my village, and they make me a better person.
I have a village. Not a village to help raise up a child (although I had one of those to help with the two of mine). This time it's a village of women.
Being a woman is complicated. There are career paths, relationships, decisions about child bearing and then, depending on those decisions, more decisions about child rearing. There are choices - focus on career/life partner/children - all choices that result in the prioritizing of one thing and the realization that others will not be a priority. There's guilt. There's women's bodies, women and aging, women and our parents, women and food. It takes a village!
Women need a variety of female relationships throughout our lives. You've probably seen pictures or posts about different kinds of friends or different seasons of friends through our lives, and I agree with aspects of those posts. I'm coming to appreciate the different female relationships I have now in my life, as those women collectively make up a stunning constellation of wisdom and love that sustains my life.
One friend I've known since junior high. She listens to me complain and laughs with me at the silliest things. We've seen a lot in each other over the years. Friends of long standing are essential.
A couple of dear friends encourage me to write and to care for my body. They inspire me with their passion and verve for life. Their artistic and creative vision is like a beacon on days when I struggle to see past my computer screen. I hope to impress them, and that helps me to keep going.
A clergy friend listens whenever I am having a cynical day about pastoring. She probably thinks that I'm Reverend Downer, but in reality, we don't often get to connect and somehow it is usually when I need to vent. For her listening ear, I'm ever grateful, and being with her always makes me commit myself anew to listening more carefully to others.
Another clergy friend of mine has recently begun meeting with me as we hold each other accountable on our academic work. She's writing a D.Min. thesis and I'm beginning my dissertation research. We share similar visions for ministry and academic work, it is a fruitful and joyful relationship. I hesitated to join a writing accountability group but now wish I'd done so earlier.
My mentor is a female academic, and I'd give anything to make her proud of my work. She could see potential in me that I could not when I began this academic program. Now it feels as though I'm on the cusp of some new phase of my life, and I can't quite see it yet, but I know that if I am faithful to the work she's helped me to sketch out, it will come clear in time. Patience, hard work, and dedication are necessary.
My oldest daughter is becoming my friend. A treasure I didn't expect. I think I laugh more with her than with anyone else. What a joy. My younger daughter is still my little girl, who needs me still, and that is a treasure too.
There are young women who I mentor - discerning calls to ministry or working through a new path in ministry. These are informal mentoring relationships, and I doubt they realize how much they give back to me in our conversations. There are women I've met through various church functions whose friendships have grown over time, even though I've moved away from where they live. There are women I have met through other friends, who comment on things through facebook or send me emails, and who probably don't know that they are part of the constellation of women whose lives sparkle and shine through the dark times in my life. There are old, dear friends, those I've found thanks to facebook, after long years apart, lost time made up for in a few shared photos and smiles.
A village of women - fierce, passionate, dedicated, creative, loving, supportive, challenging, fabulous women. It's my village, and they make me a better person.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Adios, Leftover Halloween Candy
A couple days ago I wore a pair of my most expensive shoes. They are hot pink and green, with bouncy soles. James bought them for me just over a year ago, right before a 5k race. I wasn't running while wearing them. I was at the office.
As evidenced on this very blog, I am a reluctant runner. However, I learned that running can be fun and I usually feel better when I run (also evidenced on this blog, as well as the fact that "run" is a relative term when my kids are out there with me).
A year ago I was training sort of regularly. There was the 5k to raise funds for mission, in which my bishop nearly powerwalked past me. There was the highlight of my running year, going out for a run with my dear friend Carol, who inspires me from half a globe away with her persistence and joy. There was James, who was proud of my running and bought those expensive shoes.
But somewhere along the line I stopped. I don't know what happened, or why. I could list the multitude of excuses that have lived inside my head for the last year, but I'll spare you all that particular bit of prevarication. The fact is, I quit exercising altogether.
And now I'm faced with a bowl of leftover Halloween candy. Not just any leftover candy. Nope, I was careful about what was leftover. Turns out, that bowl has a bunch of the candy James likes, and a bunch that I like. It's relatively easy to walk past the candy bars at the grocery store or the convenience store, because they are big and full of lots of calories. But this bite sized one, well, it's so cute and really, there's not that much wrong with just a little ole bite sized one, right?
~cue rustling sound~ tick tock tick tock Suddenly I realize that I've lost track of time while here at my desk and ~gasp~ there's a pile of bite sized chocolate candy wrappers beside me!
~sigh~
I know myself well enough to know that thinking up a grand plan for total fitness make-over will be doomed for failure. I'll start off well enough but then I'll fall off the wagon rather soon and give up in frustration. It's best for me if I just pick up again, slowly but surely, starting over again off the couch - specifically, the Couch to 5k program. It works for me, working my way slowly into running again. And if I'm not mistaken, I do still have a gym membership. I'll feel better about holiday meals if I'm already working out a couple days a week. And bonus, then I'll be comfortable with the gym when all the new years resolution types come in to the gym in January, right? Nah, I'll never be comfortable with the gym, who am I kidding? But a habit, well, now that might be worth working on. Never mind if it's not comfortable, it's healthy. I sleep better, think more clearly, and have more energy if I train for a run and go to the gym.
So, it's adios to the leftover Halloween candy and hola to my running shoes! Ole!
As evidenced on this very blog, I am a reluctant runner. However, I learned that running can be fun and I usually feel better when I run (also evidenced on this blog, as well as the fact that "run" is a relative term when my kids are out there with me).
A year ago I was training sort of regularly. There was the 5k to raise funds for mission, in which my bishop nearly powerwalked past me. There was the highlight of my running year, going out for a run with my dear friend Carol, who inspires me from half a globe away with her persistence and joy. There was James, who was proud of my running and bought those expensive shoes.
But somewhere along the line I stopped. I don't know what happened, or why. I could list the multitude of excuses that have lived inside my head for the last year, but I'll spare you all that particular bit of prevarication. The fact is, I quit exercising altogether.
And now I'm faced with a bowl of leftover Halloween candy. Not just any leftover candy. Nope, I was careful about what was leftover. Turns out, that bowl has a bunch of the candy James likes, and a bunch that I like. It's relatively easy to walk past the candy bars at the grocery store or the convenience store, because they are big and full of lots of calories. But this bite sized one, well, it's so cute and really, there's not that much wrong with just a little ole bite sized one, right?
~cue rustling sound~ tick tock tick tock Suddenly I realize that I've lost track of time while here at my desk and ~gasp~ there's a pile of bite sized chocolate candy wrappers beside me!
~sigh~
I know myself well enough to know that thinking up a grand plan for total fitness make-over will be doomed for failure. I'll start off well enough but then I'll fall off the wagon rather soon and give up in frustration. It's best for me if I just pick up again, slowly but surely, starting over again off the couch - specifically, the Couch to 5k program. It works for me, working my way slowly into running again. And if I'm not mistaken, I do still have a gym membership. I'll feel better about holiday meals if I'm already working out a couple days a week. And bonus, then I'll be comfortable with the gym when all the new years resolution types come in to the gym in January, right? Nah, I'll never be comfortable with the gym, who am I kidding? But a habit, well, now that might be worth working on. Never mind if it's not comfortable, it's healthy. I sleep better, think more clearly, and have more energy if I train for a run and go to the gym.
So, it's adios to the leftover Halloween candy and hola to my running shoes! Ole!
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Stewing
I am a doctoral student. This means that one of my priorities should be writing for publication. It's not easy in the internet age - and probably complicated by my age.
Although I'm fairly comfortable with technology and various internet forms of communication, I'm not fast. I like to imagine that the pressure on grad students to write for publication twenty or thirty years ago was more manageable. Peer reviewed journals have regular deadlines, put out books to review, future issue topics, etc. Many days I think that things would have been easier if I'd gotten through my bachelor's degree in a timely manner and moved quickly onto graduate work, seeing as that would now be about 15 years ago.
But the fact of the matter is that I'm a grad student now, the age of super speedy internet. There are blogs, and tweets, and online journals, not just peer reviewed journals. Newspapers are online and move much more quickly than before. It's difficult to keep up.
Often I will use the image of a good stew when talking about writing. A good stew takes hours of slow cooking, with a stir now and again. This is how my mind works. I'll read something, it will strike me as profound, I'll want to reply or respond, but need a bit of time to process, mull, think it over ... to stew.
Unfortunately, in this fast-paced world, stewing isn't helpful. I really need to work on faster response times. That's my writing thought of the day. Less stewing.
Although I'm fairly comfortable with technology and various internet forms of communication, I'm not fast. I like to imagine that the pressure on grad students to write for publication twenty or thirty years ago was more manageable. Peer reviewed journals have regular deadlines, put out books to review, future issue topics, etc. Many days I think that things would have been easier if I'd gotten through my bachelor's degree in a timely manner and moved quickly onto graduate work, seeing as that would now be about 15 years ago.
But the fact of the matter is that I'm a grad student now, the age of super speedy internet. There are blogs, and tweets, and online journals, not just peer reviewed journals. Newspapers are online and move much more quickly than before. It's difficult to keep up.
Often I will use the image of a good stew when talking about writing. A good stew takes hours of slow cooking, with a stir now and again. This is how my mind works. I'll read something, it will strike me as profound, I'll want to reply or respond, but need a bit of time to process, mull, think it over ... to stew.
Unfortunately, in this fast-paced world, stewing isn't helpful. I really need to work on faster response times. That's my writing thought of the day. Less stewing.
Monday, October 27, 2014
When Words Won't Work
A dear friend of mine is struggling. She is exhausted and unhappy. No matter what I say, I know it's not going to help.
Some days, it doesn't matter how many words you know, words just won't work.
I pray for this friend quite often. Some days, the words of a prayer don't quite capture how I feel, how badly I want for something to change for her.
I have a bookshelf full of inspirational books, meditation guides, daily devotionals, uplifting stories. When I recommend one of these to someone who has sought me out for a bit of pastoral counseling, it is gratifying to see their faces - they know that I've walked difficult paths too and these books helped me.
But today, none of these words would be enough, and so I didn't suggest any of them. I just don't know what to say to her anymore. Most of our conversations are over text message, since it's the modern thing to do. Well, that, and we're both working, so actual conversations are hard. I have said a million cliches, stupid cheerful super-perky things. I'm sure none of them quite ring true.
Some days being a friend means not having the right words to say. When you can't be there in person, those days really suck.
Some days, it doesn't matter how many words you know, words just won't work.
I pray for this friend quite often. Some days, the words of a prayer don't quite capture how I feel, how badly I want for something to change for her.
I have a bookshelf full of inspirational books, meditation guides, daily devotionals, uplifting stories. When I recommend one of these to someone who has sought me out for a bit of pastoral counseling, it is gratifying to see their faces - they know that I've walked difficult paths too and these books helped me.
But today, none of these words would be enough, and so I didn't suggest any of them. I just don't know what to say to her anymore. Most of our conversations are over text message, since it's the modern thing to do. Well, that, and we're both working, so actual conversations are hard. I have said a million cliches, stupid cheerful super-perky things. I'm sure none of them quite ring true.
Some days being a friend means not having the right words to say. When you can't be there in person, those days really suck.
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