A Kitchen Two-for

When I was ordained an elderly preacher friend of mine got up and delivered some thoughts on pastoral ministry. He suggested that I pick an issue to focus on throughout my career. He said there are two many issues to tackle, so pick one and do your darndest. Five years later I have let my life speak and what is the issue? More than ever it is the environment: from coal mining, to water quality, organic gardening and the rest.

One of the qualities I look for on any purchases is its versatility, no one wants a simple one trick pony. So today I present to you multiple reusable tool:

it may appear to be a simple pasta fork. oh no, it is also a:
it is also a Kathy-keeper-away. Once she discovers I scratch my back with the pasta fork, she will never eat anything Italian relater ever again at our house.

A Week Late

On Friday #1 and #2 went out into the garden and planted some peas. We wanted to plant on St. Patrick's Day, but it snowed six inches!

We planted Thomas Laxton peas. We love this variety, they have a crunchy shell with sweetly delicious peas inside. We usually sit on the ground and eat the peas raw. We'll see how they do in a few weeks. We also grew them because they are on sell at Job Lot.

Blog as a Reminder

On an average week I misplace, lose, forget or misquote important events, meetings, receipts at least 43 times. How to solve this? First I purchased a moleskin datebook; second, I purchased on of those mileage and receipt record books that i keep in the truck; third I post bright post-it notes all over the desk where I work; finally, I post stuff on the blog then use it as a reminder.

As Easter draws near I want to share some of the events for April.

April 1st, Palm Sunday, it also happens to be the Sunday closest to Lime Rock's Birth, April 5. We will have your usual Palm Sunday service, process in to All Glory Laud and Honor, pass out Florida grown palms, pick up the palms after the service, beg folk to attend Holy Week services, and have communion.
After the service we are going to gather for the First Ever Stone Throw event. While at CRDS, Bexley Hall observed a day in Spring with all kinds of folly and fare. The dean wore this absolutely ridiculous chasuble, the liturgy was full of puns and humor and then they would go outside for a stone throw. The winner received a plaque of some kind. I never did attend the service nor many of their weekly Eucharist services. Why? one, I didnt like the incense; two, i was severely disappointed when i first attended the feast of St. Margaret literally expecting a feast of some king; three, one time i led the morning prayer (no one told me to pause after reading each petition - I read that thing in about 30 seconds). But I always fancied the idea of a stone throw.

So this year we are going to have our own stone throw. We have a magnificent and underutilized stone wall. And we all need a day of folly and "Springy" fun.

Maundy Thursday, communion with no foot washin'
Good Friday, service of lessons and spirituals (I find Good Friday to be a day of open creativity, we dont have a long history and tradition of G.F. services, odd when we emphasize the theology of the cross so much.)

Easter Sunday, your usual day of Resurrection services.


Sunday after Easter: A Service of Three Stations
The sanctuary was designed to be movable, but they seldom move things. This year we are going to assemble the pews and chairs around the perimeter of the sanctuary and place three stations in the middle: one of light, one of water and one of bread and wine. It is a way to say there is no way we can replicate Easter Sunday but still a way to continue celebrating the Resurrection.

Third Sunday of Easter will begin a Sermon Series on Spiritual Practices/Disciplines called Soul Feast. This will go to Whitsunday.

After Pentecost, Children's Sunday and the program year comes to a close.

Summer worship? A series on Baptist principles and Baptist biographies, vacation in Georgia, vegetable gardening, trips to our favorite RI beach, etc.

Then we will bang it back up come Rally Day/Homecoming Weekend the 2nd Sunday of September with a Golf Tournament, Cookout, Youth vs. Adult Kickball, etc.

Mr. Marshall

Since Ron Jirsa was fired as the head mens basketball coach for Marshall University there has been plenty of speculation over who will replace him. My vote is for Greg Marshall, currently head coach of Winthrop. Although he was an assistant at Marshall and a regional native and has compiled an impressive record at a "mid-major" none of those reasons matter to me; what matters most is his name! Instantly he could walk on campus and become MR. MARSHALL, that right there is the worth the high price tag G. Marshall will demand.

Fiddle Class: Session Two

The Gaylus continues to sound terrific. Playing the fiddle my Pap-Paw made is quite amazing, he made when he was 23. When I was 23 I was learning the difference between Bass and Coors Light.

I see the need for daily practice and training my ear. I wish I had stuck with music as a kid and learned how to read music back then, oh well I'm sure I can learn now - just may take a little longer.

So I am off to the post office, swimming and plucking some Yankee Doodle Dandy then off to a few pastoral visits.

The Starbucks Crowd

This morning I decided to head up to the Starbucks in my town and grab a cup of coffee. On the whole I dont like to go there, for one thing I hate their small, medium and large classifications I never use them. Second, they dont want their workers unionized (like Whole Foods). Third, it seems to attract yuppies like gnats to a dog's pecker. Nevertheless, I like their coffee and it provides a morning of laughter.

Yet seeing the folks there in their imported fancy cars, reading their NY Times, ordering factory made treats I have to wonder why it is that folk who tend to lean to the liberal side of social life (read, not on social issues) dont comprise a major segment of religious life? (confession: I would love to drive a Mini, I also subscribe to the Times, and I love the factory made chocolate muffins)

During my almost 5 years here at the church we have taken in some 25 new members and the large majority of them would lean conservative. I wonder how can that be? Dont they know I went to CRDS? Dont they know my ambition to transform the church into a thriving, living, liberal evangelical church? I even went back and read over my sermons from the past few months just to make sure some of my WV baptist upbringing wasnt seeping through my subconscious to my pen.

So what is going on here? I would have to say that conservative folk are more natural to attend church than liberal folk. The church I serve has no outreach budget, hell we dont even have adequate signage stating we are a church. Nevertheless the conservative people keep finding us and joining. (The other day a woman called wanting some answers. So I called her back, first question do you believe in women pastors. We sure do I said. Alright there is no need in going further she said. She didn't come.)

So I wonder what this church would look like if we did some outreach to folk who are a liberalish and dont attend church regularly? I dont know, but i sure would like to find out! I feel that in some ways that is one aspect of my calling, to help figure that out. Prayers, funding, reading materials are appreciated.

New and Improved but under same old management

I took the liberty of changing the look of the blog this morning. The switch from the old blogger format to the new meant I lost some stuff but that is fine with me. I'll add it sometime soon. I was fed up with the layout management of the old system. I switched the church's blog sometime ago and have been thus far satisfied with its performance, so I converted this one as well. So why dont i just pony up a few bucks for greater creativity control? Don't you remember?

The Postmaster

While building some train tracks the other day with #2 and #3 I put the engineer's hat on #3. #2 looked at him and said #3 is the Postmaster. What do you think about that Kathy?


folks you are not gonna believe this: JosBank is having a sale, no foolin'.

Scot and Irish but not Scot-Irish

Over the weekend the Church had its annual Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner, I cant for the life of me figure out why. To add insult to injury the next day at church the entire sanctuary smells like the sulfur released from the cabbage, uggh. Just for the record the dinner Sold Out.

The kids picked up some decorations and proudly displayed their Irish heritage. The Norvells were Scots who came over in 1603. My mother's people the McAlisters were Irish but I dont too much about them. So we are a Scot and Irish family but not Scot-Irish like most people in Appalachia, that tradition of people were Scots who migrated to Ireland then left for America in the 1800s.

Here are the kids in all their Irish splendor:

The Mischievous Leprechaun

Over the past few years the wife has taken to arranging Leprechaun visits. When he comes he leaves golden nuggets, urinates green in the toilet, turns the milk green, messes up rooms and somehow escapes via an open door or open window. What I love the most is not just the reaction of the kids but their pronunciation of the word mischievous. #1 first said miss-cah-vious, #2 this year came up with miss-ta-bus (like miss the bus).