Coincidence?

First, a disclaimer (a long disclaimer):

I think it's getting to be the right time to reiterate what this blog is supposed to be, and what it's not.

Weblogs in general are kind of like diaries, or if you're a grownup, like keeping a journal, but online where others can see it. So you try to be free with your thoughts to keep true to what a diary or journal is for: to get your thoughts into words in the hopes that you can understand things better. For some people, like me, writing is cathartic, theraputic, all by itself, whether someone reads it or not. It helps me think and process stuff better if I write about it.

But on the other hand, doing this online is like keeping a diary and knowing that your pesky little brother has a key to it, so how free with your thoughts are you going to be, really? And if now and then you get a little *too* free with your thoughts, like how you feel when you are kissing the person you're dating... your little brother is probably going to give you grief about it. So.. you guard your words a bit. Unless in your enthusiasm you slip up, get too specific, and then he reads it, is shocked, goes and tells mommy, and you get grounded for having such thoughts at your age! ;) (Of course mommy herself had those same thoughts at your age, too - just never wrote them down where anyone could see!) :P

So.. what's here serves multiple purposes. For those of you who are friends and family, it provides a little news - status reports on how things are going. But it also is a bit like a webcam into my head. You sometimes see things there you would rather not have seen, as if you pulled up a construction site webcam that you look at from time to time to note progress of the facility, and unexpectedly saw someone in their underwear close up who should *never* be seen in their underwear, you know? Too much information, scary information no less, and in the wrong place.

That's because the second purpose is: I put my feelings here, my worries, fears, hopes, dreams, joys, simple pleasures, mistakes.. all that stuff. I will continue to do that because it's helpful - to ME! It may or may not be helpful to you. But that's not why I write - at least not here. But I don't mind if you watch the webcam into my head and heart. Just don't be surprised if now and then I'm in my underwear. Metaphorically speaking... I won't post pictures. You're welcome. ;)

What this blog isn't... is a teaching tool. While I teach instinctively, and want to vocationally as well, this.. isn't it. These are my musings. Sometimes they develop into mini-lectures, little homilies. Can't help it, it's how I think. But all I'm doing is thinking online. The ideas here are mostly half-cooked, still in process, developing. When they become a finished product they get printed and put into a file for the next adult or Sr. High class I teach. :)

Like I told my Sr. High classes, if you want to read Solomon's teaching principles for how life works, read Proverbs. If you want to see his musings on life, his frustrations with it, questions about it, conclusions about it, read Ecclesiastes. Proverbs is his textbook. Ecclesiastes is his blog. This is a blog, not a textbook.

Okay, disclaimer over. On to the coincidence.



Our streak of pastorless worship services continues. :( The Baptist church down the street had a guest speaker today. But! So did the Catholic church yesterday, so there! :P But what is it with people here? Does everyone vacation in July and August? It's crazy! "Hey, stupid!" you might say, "you're on vacation all the time right now, remember? Why should you complain?" Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm still unemployed. I guess that qualifies as vacation. But I'm ready to go back home now. Can we be done with vacation?

But the guy who preached did a great job on grace from Romans 5. He's on staff apparently, in a "community life" pastor role, whatever that is. It sounded a bit like a customer satisfaction sort of job. Leave it to the Evangelicals to think like marketers, and the parishioners like consumers. Grr...

But he had good things to say, and I learned something. Unlike at Mass yesterday, which was pretty flat. I don't think I'll go back to that service. The liturgy was still rich - they couldn't suck the life out of that part. But even a rousing Andre' Crouch gospel song (with harmony, no less!) they used as a closer came off lifeless. Too bad. Anyway, the fill-in guy used a phrase I liked to describe the Christian life. It was "apprenticing under Jesus." Yeah. I get that. :)

Music at "Baptist World" today, though.. woooboy! Rock band. Big sound. The guy who played lead sounded just like The Edge from U2. But - no way was it performance oriented. Not at all. Limited solo work, lots of congregational singing. Verrry worshipful, and the songs were content-rich. Best contemporary worship I've seen in this community yet. They handled announcements well - not distracting or disruptive. Nicely done, and respectful of God all 'round. And, one of my upcoming profs (Systematic Theology III come Spring) goes here and filled the pulpit 3 weeks ago (while, yes, the pastor was vacationing - again.)

The best part, though, was a happy coincidence! A young couple we knew from our old church in SE WI was there today! They recognized us and came over, and after talking, turns out they live about 3 blocks away! The guy got his MATS from Bethel a couple of years ago, and now is an adjunct there doing a few classes while finishing his doctoral dissertation (which degree is from Marquette!)

So.. new friends! Woo. And, we may just have found a church home. :)