Thursday, July 31, 2008

Much to Do

On the Churchy side:

We are in the midst of getting moving here at New Church (when WILL I come up with a better name for these folks? How about.... St. Sociable? My God. That's it. St. Sociable.)

We are in the midst of getting moving here at St. Sociable. Getting moving on financial matters (questions such as, how shall we do better at raising our annual budget from Living Giving rather than Dead Giving?). Getting moving on developing a New and Improved and even Smart and Fun website. And, getting moving on figuring out Who we are and What our mission is. (That last is surely both the hardest and the most important.)
For the last eleven months I have been doing the following: getting to know people, listening, moderating, visiting, showing up, pastorally caring, sharing my talents, preaching the Word... the good stuff, the stuff I love. Now I get to begin pushing, prodding, asking the hard questions, making the hard suggestions, trying to figure out whether St. Sociable really wants a pastor or a chaplain. Still the good stuff, but the stuff that is far more challenging for me and for them.

In the Home Realm:

I had sworn I'd use the time of my children's absence to do some organizing, some cleaning, some spiffing up. And by God last Saturday I re-organized my downstairs (except for the CD's, a truly huge and overwhelming task). So, 2/3 of the downstairs. The papers are filed or recycled. The printer has its own place on a table created specifically to hold it (instead of floating around forlorn in a box, to be plugged in at the dining room table on occasion). My living room looks as if mostly grown up people live in it. Makes me happy.

However, much as I have b*tched and complained about my children's lack of organizational skills or even just plain slovenliness, I am now a Humbled Pooh with regard to these issues. You see, I come home, and the house is lovely and clean, just as I left it. And there are no children there. So that's how that feels.

And, on the Children's Front:

Petra's flight lands at JFK mid-Saturday afternoon, and Larry-O drives in from Vermont on Monday or Tuesday. The following Sunday the three of us drive south to be with Grandpop for a week at the shore. I'm glad. I miss them, the dears. I really do. They've been having all these adventures without me.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love that line: so that's how that feels.

I crave the order, miss the chaos when it's all stripped away.

I wish the loveliest of reunions with your family.

Unknown said...

Off topic, I hear scrabulous changed names and now is something different. Are we still on the challenge for that?

LittleMary said...

:) kind of a privilege to watch all these family changes. you inspire me.

Unknown said...

These changes of status really feel odd and wonderful and too much and not enough all at the same time, don't they? We'll have all three home as of Monday, and I can't wait for it, even though it means waiting for the shower and not enough hot water to go around. :-)

Magdalene6127 said...

Big changes indeed. I love it and I fear it.

Wyld, we are absolutely still on for that game, whatever the lawyers decide we can call it.

Anonymous said...

Wasn't it Rabbit who was humbled? You know, Mr. I'm-going-to-organize-everybody? Same lesson!

Anonymous said...

Chaplain vs. Pastor -- there's a question I have been asking myself... Enjoy the vacation and when you get back, challenge me to underground scrabulous!