I DID IT! - Preached on LGBT teen suicides

I DID IT - preached on LGBT teen suicides and came out as an Ally and my parishioners were supportive and appreciative. I do have most of a full text, but didn't preach exactly word for word. Hoping the audio recording came out so I can revise my hard copy to read exactly as preached. Will try to post something later.

My nephew. And still thinking & websurfing

I had a whole list of things I wanted to do today, but most of the day has been preoccupied by thinking about LGBT issues and whether to preach, and looking for resources, and reading and learning. I'm a little frustrated by lack of local organizations or resources... at least in my internet searching. I'd love to take part in Ally Week that will happen later this month, but the one program is really run by Gay Straight Alliances which are student programs. I'm not a teacher and I don't have any children in school. I don't even know if local high schools have a chapter. I looked like at one time a local community college did, but that myspace page for it looked pretty outdated and inactive.

Still Thinking about LGBT issues & Preaching

After I posted yesterday's entry both here and to an egroup I belong to, I found myself continuing to think about it, and whether or not to preach this week. It seems like it's working on me, like sermons often do... especially if I start my sermon prep earlier in the week, but I haven't made the space to really pray about it yet.

I don't know about you, but the shower (or driving in the car, or some other busy task that keeps my body occupied but lets my mind wander) is a place where parts of a sermon often come together. It's where I might get ideas of something I want to say and how to say it, or what the introduction is to kind of set up the sermon and have me poised for where I want to go, and often at the last minute it's where things gel enough that all the thoughts and ideas I've encountered get weeded through enough that suddenly the several main points and a possible order or outline that makes sense clicks into place. The only problem with that is that you are now dripping wet, and so you have to try and remember what came to you long enough to write it down. Sometimes, if I suspect this is going to happen, I'll take the clipboard and ballpoint pen (won't smear) with me and have them on the counter just outside the shower so I can write down what has occurred to me. If it happens while I'm driving, I will sometimes call home and leave myself voicemail messages.

Preaching on LGBT Suicides?

Similar to the article at The Episcopal Cafe, and was quoted in it, is this Open Letter to Religious Leaders at the Washington Post.
Open Letter

http://tinyurl.com/2dqdx6l

A UU minister talks about the current situation/events and encourages us to offer support for LGBT youth and adults, perhaps even from the pulpit, as National Coming Out Day is October 11.

Given some of the history in my parish of previous rector causing a split and leaving because of GC 2003 & Bp. Gene Robinson, I have some anxiety about talking about this in the pulpit even tho the ones with the most issues left with previous rector. (I did talk about similar intolerance issues related to Muslims the Sunday after 9/11 and people were appreciate and supportive afterward).

A Season to Be Present

As I write this we are several days into a new season. Autumn began officially on September 23rd this year. Vacations have been taken and we are beyond the “lazy days of Summer.” You can sense the change happening all around us as school gets into full swing, the nights dip into the 50s and 40s, the trees along Main Street begin to show us their brilliant red and gold hues, and we find ourselves thinking about wearing long sleeves or a jacket.

To me, when September and October arrive, with them come the sense that it’s “time to get back to work.” I think part of that comes from being a student for so much of my life. I’ve grown accustomed to the change in rhythm that comes with a new Fall Semester. I think part of it is also related to the rhythm of parish life and the Church Calendar. Things that were put on hold during the summer start up again as people return from their travels, and at the same time we find ourselves thinking about Diocesan Convention & stewardship, and nearing the end of our longest Church season and needing to plan for Advent.

Busy Day

It's 9:30pm, been on the go since 7:30am until about an hour ago... including being notified of a death of friend of parishioner that I'd ministered to some including prayers this week at the start of hospice care (might be involved in funeral), newsletter article/pics, laundry, being at our booth at the local Harvest Festival, an Open House & Dinner at the local Islamic Center and phone call to parishioner to check on their spouse who has been in the hospital. Starting to lose some steam, but still need to finish figuring out tomorrow's sermon. At least clothes for tomorrow already ironed and all set out, which I'm not always good at doing the night before. :)

Still feeling drawn toward faith (particularly 2Timothy re: first lived in family/elders, and the concept of "rekindling").

Sept 29 2010 - Looking back 9 years

Nine years ago this month I started my first online journal. I'm not sure if the term "blog" had become all that popular yet. One of my best friends since Jr. High (we're still friends) had shared with me that she had run across the phenomenon of online diaries and journals and had decided to start one and gave me the website, knowing that I had often journaled through the years. I set up my first online journal and wrote my first entry in the wee hours of the morning leading up to the attacks on September 11, 2001. The shock etc. related to those events is recorded in one of the first entries. But I didn't write much... why? Honestly I think there was just too much, it was sad and overwhelming and much was shifting.

Been a while... med change issues

I have not been good about blogging or journaling for some time. I used to get a lot out of it, so I'm not sure why I'm not making time now. some earlier concerns about people stumbling across it and no longer being as anonymous have lessened over time.

I found myself thinking about my blogs when someone I know recently asked me about my story of call. I was journaling and keeping an online diary/blog all through my ordination discernment and seminary.

No time for a long post.

Doctor and I decided to try a medicine change, but that left me feeling unwell and very fatigued all last week. I've done some reading online and while it's possible it could have been from discontinuing the one medicine, I think it was from starting the new medicine. Haven't taken it for a couple days and feel a bit more normal today. after reading more about the original medicine, wondering if we shouldn't give that another try. Didn't really have side-effects except for the first week and when we were going to go from the minimum dose to the next higher (which seems to be listed as the typical dose for most folks), I don't think I gave it a fair chance. On the original/minimum dose it didn't seem to be doing much of anything at all... but maybe it was subtle? But I definitely felt better than I did this last week and a half, that's for certain!

procrastination & distraction

I've discovered Farm Town and Mafia Wars on Facebook. Great little diversions. Can suck you in. I've discovered that whenever I get so hyperfocused on something like a game or a task that it sometimes means I'm trying to avoid something else. So I'm wondering what it is that I'm avoiding or trying to distract myself from.

Is it creating an annual report which I find painful and other similar tedious tasks asking for my attention? Is it housework because I don't know where to start? Is it emotions? Is it all 3?

Been awhile... Why haven't I blogged or journaled?

I haven't been blogging. I haven't been journaling. I don't know why when it has always been so helpful to me. Something I have done pretty consistently since I was 13. I understand the possible reason for lack of blogging... maybe it doesn't feel safe, maybe I'll be found out, maybe I need to censor what I say, etc. etc. But then why not just write in my written journal? Especially with some of the ups and downs I've experienced since the summer journaling would probably been helpful through some of it... as a place to process, a place to vent.

So... perhaps as I begin 2010 I will be better about journaling... and blogging.