People in Trouble? Call Them

Here's some advice on being a pastor:

If you hear a colleague is in trouble, call them. You don't have to do a gossip monger on them, don't even mention the trouble. If they want to talk about it with you, they will bring it up. But call them. Don't leave your peeps out to dry in misery.

If a local official or neighbor or whoever gets indicted. Call them. Write a note if you'd rather do that but get in touch with them. Let them know you know they are in trouble and you are praying for them.

It doesn't matter if you think they are guilty. An indictment means the grand jury says they need to be in court. Grand juries present one side of the issue, the defendant doesn't get to present his/her side.

Probably you don't know anyone in jail. Think about how isolating and miserable it is to have your name in the paper as an accused.

Our Mayor is indicted. His wife, too. I doubt they did anything wrong but the Grand Jury handed down enough charges to scare the skin off an elephant. People are judging them without knowing the case. The couple have elementary school children. Once the government decides to move on you, you are in big trouble. I think the Mayor's troubles are a technicality without any thought of fraud. Whatever is going on, anyone who knows the Mayor needs to hand him support rather than allowing him to dance in the wind, friendless and pronounced guilty.

Come on, reach out to the troubled.

St.Casserole

Oh! Now I understand. I thought we were a charm worn on a cat's collar used in a game like marbles.

Oh!,

St.Casserole

Wonderful Day! 2

In 1993 on Inauguration Day, I dressed nine month old LD up, got fixed up myself and sat on the sofa with her to watch Bill Clinton's first Inauguration.

Clinton's election made me happy.

Today, LD is off at Art School, I'm at home with cats and dog. I'm in my flannel jammies transfixed by history unfolding on my TV.

Wish we could hear TD Jake's message at the private worship service. He's articulate and smart.

I hope Michelle Obama's outfit is lined with thermal something for warmth when the ceremony moves outside.

I am having a happy attack.

St.Casserole

Wonderful Day!

Wonderful Day! I'm watching the Inauguration at home today. The cats all have new collars to celebrate. Sister, the best dog Nanny in the world, is spiffy in her new collar, too.

I have hope. I want to be part of the change. I want to see the United States realize progressive government.

When you hear the crowd roar in Washington, listen for my voice in that mix.

St.Casserole

Young Clergywomen

Preacher Coffee Group this week discussed the good influence of the young clergy in our conferences, presbyteries, etc. We have one just-about-30 year old who drinks coffee with us. We consider him a treasure.

Rev. Bird Dog said that when he was a young pup preacher, the old guy preachers made things difficult for him. They lied to him, let him know he knew nothing worthwhile and used him for scut work. He says he vowed to never do that to a younger pastor.

I witnessed similar stuff as a young pastor. Older preachers made it clear that I needed to "apprentice" for years before anyone took me seriously and because I was a woman, my sojourn as a scut worker would last longer. I vowed to not treat younger colleagues like this.

When I preach about Samuel's call tomorrow, I'll reflect on his prophetic ministry even though he was young. "Even though", as if God recognized age as a blessing! Age doesn't mean much with second career pastors and the absolute brightness of so many of the young clergy I meet.

Summer before last, I went to the Young Clergywoman's Conference at the College of Preachers. That conference is in the top two continuing ed. events I've ever attended. I have great confidence, respect and hope for young clergywomen. Second career gals, too, impress me.

I want a young clergywoman nearby with time to talk with me. Lord, send me one, ok?

St.Casserole

29 Degrees

Computer probs fixed~!

Cold here! 29 degrees outside. Cold for us! Hope bugs die! Kill all mosquitos! 55 degrees yesterday! Turned on heat! Cats on bed! Wearing fleece now!



Happy!
St.C.

Waiting for Repair Person

The computer fix-it person arrives this morning. He'll pull wires, type in commands and wave a magic wand over this machine.

I'll be doing laundry, reading the book open on the kitchen counter and looking out the windows.

Together, we may get the 'net/computer/bloggage up to speed.

Until then, I remain,

St.Casserole

There is a long stretch of state highway to LD's school. This four lane, mostly without traffic road goes on forever. The road is lonely day or night. Gives me the creeps but the alternative route takes about 20 minutes longer. I do not want to drive this stretch alone at night and I am a brave woman.

The new semester began today so LD stocked up on school supplies, more shoes, junk food for the dorm and new make-up. The kids dress like kids and most do not wear make-up although the town around them is filled with beautifully made-up groomed women who believe "a woman without jewelry is like the sky without stars." I'm talking really Southern dressed up women. I pulled my hoodie over my head, put on sunglasses and kept quiet.

I'm glad to be home but I miss LD.

St.Casserole

Thinking About 2009

I'd like to see the Northern Lights. This pic was taken in Tromso, Norway from Information Jack's blog.

I want a satisfying way to relate to Presbytery.

I want to explore flexibility in my sermons but not sure what I mean by this yet.

Is this the year I write a letter to the Presbyterian Outlook? May.be.

I want five wooden pallets to build into a compost container for my back yard. I know where to get the pallets but need a truck to bring them home. I'll use one for the base, four for the sides and leave the top open. I'll staple chicken wire inside the container so water flows through it. I want good compost to add to my flower beds to limit how much watering I do to keep plants and shrubs alive.

This is the year to finish Little Church repairs and restoration. Really.

What is someone of my generation supposed to wear? I hope to discover the answer this year.

More peace, less poverty. More food for more hungry people. Health care for everyone.
Education for life for everyone. Encourage the Arts. Recycle more. Give more. Garden more. Read and study new areas of interest. Support the new President. Pray for the world and my backwater portion of the world.

Kiss cats on the head.

Read Calvin through the year to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of his birth.
Sit down with LLS and explain everything I know about Calvin to her without jumping up and bolting from the room.

Love,

St.Casserole

Lovely Christmas with the family. So glad to have everyone home and happy.

Today Songbird arrives for our annual visit! Love it!

She'll see Little Church restored on Sunday when she is our Preacher.

We plan to see our S. and go to Pearlington to meet a RevGal.

Wish you were here,

St.Casserole

Aunt Bostic Writes

Dear Niece,

I'm sitting at my kitchen table writing to you. Lila's dog, Champ, is on my lap. He's not happy (or safe!) anywhere else. I agreed to keep him while Lila and Hattie drove to Houston to see Dora. I'd forgotten Champ's troubles: incontinence, deaf, can't see and toothless. I'm grinding up his dog crunchies in that little food processor you gave me before the Storm. He's a sweet dog and I'm glad to keep him while the girls are gone but he reminds me how needy dogs and people can be.

Lila plans to drive back on Friday after going to the Houston After Christmas sales. I can't imagine that the sales will be any better after Christmas this year. Seems like the retailers are coupon crazy and slashing prices right and left. I bought less this year and made more. You showed me that "Buy Handmade" site of those young craft girls so I took this to heart. I made jelly, corn relish and decorated pine cones for the birds with peanut butter and sunflower seeds to give as gifts. I did some shopping at the Senior Center but only if the prices made sense. I'm not paying $7 for a kitchen towel with crochet on the top. My house looks like an old people's museum without adding to the atmosphere.

Did you see that news thing about Hallmark recalling snow globes? Seems the globes caught the light so well fires broke out. I read this and think you might have a good sermon illustration here. Something like, "snow globes focused light into fire and got recalled." People with great passion and ideas get recalled, too. Not everyone likes focus and passion. It's easier to just go along to get along. Not sure if this will help you. Did you use those Reader's Digest jokes I sent you?
Our pastor reads us "Life in These United States" when he can't think of anything for a sermon. Phew!

Champ just let loose on my lap. I'll say good-bye and love to you and your family.
Merry Christmas!

Aunt Bostick

P.S. Bridge Club got huffy with me again this week when I asked them what they thought of Rick Warren and President-Elect Obama. Every last one of them think Rick Warren is a big whopping liberal. I choked on my fruitcake when I heard that! Not a one of them knows how upset our GLBT friends and people of conscience are about the choice of Pastor Warren. I think Obama is doing his best to include everyone. He should have asked you to pray. No one knows you anyway. I doubt you'd offend too many.

Why I Live Here

Charming story, top of the fold, in our local news.

Celebrating the Prince of Peace wherever I am,

St.Casserole

Bowling Ball Contest Winners Announced!

The winner of the contest to guess which bowling ball hides the secret cache of chocolate is 1-4 Grace! The ninth bowling ball is the correct answer. She was the first guess #9! Contact me so I may mail your prize to you!

Knitting Preacher wins the contest for most over-the-top compliment on my Yard Artage. Contact me so I may mail a prize to you, too!

Congrats to the winners and many thanks to all of you who entered the contest.

St.Casserole

I can be reached at your google mailage.

Aunt Bostic Writes

Dear St.Casserole,
I hope you received the envelope of coupons I sent from Effie Pennington's house.
After Church and lunch we read their Sunday paper. She doesn't use her coupons and I hate to see them wasted so I hope you can use them.

When I go to another Church, I appreciate my own Church more. Effie's Church has a name like yours but she said they began to call your church "apostate" in 1973. I had to look that one up in her dictionary on the stand in their living room while she was turning out the tomato aspic. I thought she said something about their pastor's personal man health but that's not the same word.

Her pastor is a young man. I don't suppose anyone supervises him but he could use it. He's the one who prays imprecatory prayers. Thank you for explaining that one to me. I don't care for the idea at all. Like anyone should advice the Lord on how to hurt other people. Sounds rude to me.

Sunday, this young man preacher was discussing listening. He talked about how we don't listen all the time. True enough, I filter out most of what I hear because I am not interested in gossip. He wasn't talking about that exactly but used an illustration where he took the paper into a private place every morning and didn't want to be disturbed. Now what does that sound like he was doing? That's what he meant! Can you believe it? He went on and on about this and his wife was turning pinker and huffier than usual. She's the one who tells him to to get rid of if she doesn't like them. Where do they get pastors like this?

Effie said they had African American visitors two Sundays ago. It's an all white person church. If they don't let women preach, then you know the white boys want to hold on to all the authority. Believe me, Effie said, he pulled out such phrases as "white people can't dance" and other bon mots to beat the band. She was so embarrassed. It's not like he uses racial remarks to a white congregation but let two ladies wander in to worship and he's all about the 'hood. Effie may be old as Job's turkey but she isn't stupid. I said, "Effie, did anyone else comment on it?" She said they all just raced to greet and give coffee to the visiting ladies.

I thought his sermon sounded like he made it up on the spot. I thought your people liked to compose their sermons prior to preaching.

You let me know if you want those crochet hosiery bags I told you Annie Lemon is selling over at the Senior Center. The bags seem right popular and if you want one, I need to go get it this week.

Love to all of you,

Aunt Bostic

Teaching the PW Lesson

I'm teaching the PW lesson for December from the 2008 Jubilee study next week. Didn't realize that my high school classmate, Louise Lawson Johnson co-wrote the book.

Amazing to recall that Louise, Little S. and I graduated from high school together and entered Seminary. I think there was a third girl from our graduating class who went to Gordon-Conwell, but I didn't know her well and don't remember her family name. Wasn't it extraordinary that four girls from the Class of '70 and '71 (Little S.)ended up as pastors? Did anyone notice then?

Thirty years ago we were pioneers of a sort. Little S. graduated the following year after Louise and they ended up at the same university and seminary.

I saw Louise last at the 1989 G.A. in Philadelphia. We spoke for a few minutes then ran back to our work.

She's a smart, fun gal. Brave, too.

Reflecting,

St. Casserole

Q Conference in Austin

Taking a break from contests (see past two postings), I wondering about
this

Do you know anything about it? Attended it?

I like the concept and the location.

Just wondering during Advent,

St.C

The Next Contest: Yard Art

Whew. I'm the judge for this contest.

Look at this yard art installation*.

You see thirteen bowling balls arranged in front of a large azalea. One bowling ball hides the opening to a secret cache where I keep my emergency chocolate rations. Which bowling ball, numbering 1 to 13 from the left, covers the secret sealed chocolate vault? Ignore the blue flag near the temporary water faucet. The hurricane blew out my underground watering system and I haven't decided if I want to take up a sod section to have less grass or change how I water.


The first thirteen entrants should guess one number each. The fourteenth comment may begin the gratuitous enthusiasm about how lovely my yard art installation is.


One small prize goes to the correct guess on which ball hides the secret cache.

One small prize goes to the most over the top compliment for my yard artage.


Yours,
St.Casserole

Bloganniversary and Contest!

Today is my bloganniversary. I'm so pleased to belong to a community of RevGals and friends stretched out in every direction.

To celebrate I propose to have several contests this week.

The first contest begins now.

Please give three suggestions for the blog.

Skip any suggestion that I increase my blog activity. I blog off-kilter when I'm busy. Skip any idea of adding techie stuff unless my Tech Advisor, arriving in less than a month, feels like helping me.

Leave your entry/suggestions in the comments. The Judges are: me, Whistle and Aunt Bostick.

If your entry is chosen, you will receive a small gift.


Love,

St.Casserole


UPDATE: Four days later. After several conversations with Aunt Bostick and Whistle, let me say that I will be the SOLE judge from here on out. Aunt Bostick voted for everyone who mentioned her. She said about QG, "you can tell she was raised right", about Sue she said, "Tell that sweet little thing to come down here and get away from that snow". She wants Songbird to be in the new Cabinet. Whistle voted for Sue, I-4 Grace, Aunt Songbird and Mary Beth. When pressed to pick a winner, Aunt Bostick said everyone "of those sweet girls" should get a prize. Whistle took a long bath and went to sleep. I.Give.Up.

So, the winner of the contest is the Vicar of Hogsmeade.

Thank you to everyone who commented and left suggestions.
I will return to discussing ministry, then and now. Aunt Bostick isn't sure she has anything to say in a blog. (HA!) and Whistle said to remind everyone that Greenies are his favorite brand of cat cookies.

Vicar, contact me so I may send you a prize. Congrats!


St.C.

2008 Good Gifts for Preachers

Crying in worship along with having a good cry with the Pastor is healing. When I go into a Pastor's office and see a box of kleenex (or "facial tissue"), I know the Pastor is comfortable with tears. If you can cry around a Pastor, you can tell them anything.

Tears clean out soul and mind debris.

If you can cry, be grateful. Crying is a gift if you have bunched all your sadness inside.

St.Casserole

Picture of kittens from I Can Haz A Cheeseburger?

2008 Good Gifts for Preachers

I have a rooster lamp in my dining room. I'd put the lamp in my study if I could find a place for it. Roosters and chickens as decorations don't mean much to me but I love the idea of a preacher owning a rooster lamp. Why? Because we need reminders of our betrayals. Peter needed a rooster lamp but got the lesson directly from Jesus. Glance at your lamp and remind yourself not to betray yourself or others. Turn on the lamp and see light reminding you of God's light coming into your darkness.

Here's the one in the picture: rooster lamp