Our Book Arrived! There's A Woman In the Pulpit

The RevGals book arrived at my door yesterday afternoon, not too long before I was supposed to leave to prepare and preach for our Saturday evening worship service.  I'll confess, though:  the night before I broke down and bought an e-copy because I couldn't stand it any more.  I had to start reading, even though I had (have) more than enough to do.

I have an essay in this book (I'm not ashamed to admit), but I haven't read as far as my essay yet.  In fact, I have just tonight gotten as far as page 58.  I had tears in my eyes when I finished reading "By Water and the Word," by my friend Jennifer Burns Lewis.  She is my friend from Western Springs:  I even met her once, when were visiting family in Chicago.  In true RevGals fashion, we took pictures of our shoes (many of us blogged anonymously back then).

Some of the women in the book are "virtual" friends:  people whose blogs I have been reading, off and on, from April of 2007 when I created my own blog with the very basic instructions from one of my stepsons:  "Go to www.blogger.com and do whatever they tell you to do."  About a month and a half later, in ignorance of the rules that said you had to be blogging for six months to join the "RevGalBlogPals" blog ring, I requested permission and became a member.  I began to "meet" other women in ministry from other traditions and other areas of the country, learning about their lives and their families and their hobbies, the joys and the struggles of ministry where-ever we were.

So, the book I now hold in my hands is a writing project, and I'm excited about that, but it's also the product of a community.  It is a virtual community which is a real community of support:  we share stories and wisdom and advice; we read each other's thoughts; sometimes we even get a chance to meet in person.

I'm excited and proud to be a small part of this book, which includes so much honesty, so much wisdom, so much diversity.  They are doors left open into our lives, and the lives of our congregations and our families, if you are curious at all.  

Should you read this book?  Yes.
Should you buy this book?  Yes.
Will you laugh?  Will you cry?
I did.

(There's a Woman In the Pulpit is available from Amazon; also check your local bookstores!)

Highlights of the Day (at the Festival of Homiletics)

• taking the 18 Bus downtown (I haven't done that in years); remembering that the first time I took the 18, I got on by mistake (I thought it was a 17) and got lost!
• listening to Thomas Long's sermon and not taking notes, just listening
• hearing Anna Carter Florence talk about preaching as "inviting listeners to live in the world in a new way"
• eating lunch at Jerusalem restaurant
• meeting Possible Water, InnerDorothy, StCasserole, Cheesehead, Mags, Pink Shoes, Against a Brick Wall, and many others (linking later, I'm too tired....) Also, it's possible that names will be added later
• Possible Water's joke: "What did the 0 say to the 8?" "Nice belt!"

What A Difference A Day Makes

Yesterday it crept up above freezing here, and today, it feels like spring! The water is running along the streets during the day, the snow is melting, and my dog gets really dirty when she goes out for walks! A friend told me she heard a cardinal sing yesterday. Can it really be possible? I know it is only March 11, but I feel hopeful.

Yesterday I also committed a daring act: I bought 2 tickets to a poetry reading by Mary Oliver. She is coming to my town the week after Easter. She was here last summer, and the event was sold out. So I am very excited to be going. Even though Husband is not a poetry fan, he says he will go with me.

And I signed up for the Festival of Homiletics in May. It will take place right here in my town, and at a very pretty time of the year. I hope that some of my blog friends will be coming, for I would like to show them a little of the city: perhaps a walk around one of our lakes, or a meal at a nice restaurant. I remember reading about others' experiences last year when I was quite new to the blog community.

Today is my Dad's birthday, too! He's 79 today, and he won't be reading the blogs (he has macular degeneration), so I'll call him later.

My dad used to sing Bing Crosby songs to us when we were little. He also liked to make up stupid puns (still does, but he doesn't hear so well, so he can't hear us groaning), and play silly games with us. At bedtime, he used to pretend he was Methuselah, the world's oldest man, who knew all the Bible characters. But, because he was so old, he would fall asleep during the prayers, and we would have to kick him to keep waking him up.

Rite of Passage

Well, it has finally happened! On Monday, actually, although I waited until today to post about it. YES. I had my first ever RevGal Meet-Up, with RevDrKate of Prairie Light. (The obligatory picture should be posted on her site if not now, soon.)

She came up to my big city for some work and play over the weekend and into this week. (Hope it was fun!) We got in touch on Saturday and Sunday nights by phone, to work out our plans for how we would cross paths.

On Monday I drove to Suburb That Is Almost In Wisconsin to pick her up, and we had a fine brunch together at Edina's Original Pancake House. We both had Swedish Pancakes with lingonberries and talked "shop" and "blogging" (maybe a little too much for Husband).

While waiting for tall Husband to enter the restaurant, I looked up and saw a face that looked somewhat familiar. When Husband sat down with us, he informed us that yes, it was true: Twins center fielder Torii Hunter had just entered the restaurant.

After the picture, when Husband and I were both back at home, he said, "You know, if I had known there was a camera involved, I would have gotten your picture with Torii."

Oh, well. Just missed true greatness by such a little bit.

And for those who don't like baseball, Torii is well known for his community work (especially in the schools) as well.

But as for me, it was enough to meet the famous RevDrKate.

P.S. Please let me know how this rates on the "coincidence scale": at her workshop, RevDrKate met (and had lunch with) a member of my congregation who is a diaconal minister.