"because it is bitter -- and because it is my heart"

I was going to take a staycation after last spring semester and then I never did -- for reasons which seemed like totally good reasons at the time, though I can't remember what they were now. Cate said tonight that I should really take some vacation before it gets to after-spring-semester again. I suspect she is right.

I am also thinking about Advent, and feeling glad that I will have morning prayer every weekday morning (even though that also means I will need to be more conscientious about getting to bed every night at a time such that I can still get eight hours of sleep), and wondering what a good Advent discipline for myself would be.

***

At Midway Studios tonight, there was a handwritten sign on the vending machine: "DRINKS ARE WARM; CHANGE IS VARIABLE" (I didn't have my camera with me and wasn't committed enough to take a picture with my camera phone. /typo correction)

thefourthvine posted her Yuletide letter. It includes the "Son of a Preacher Man" song -- which I was immediately excited about, but she talks about writing m/m fic about it, to which my immediate reaction was to feel like boys are boring, plus I use this song to tag my own preaching-related posts, so I think I really want a female involved in it, which then got me thinking of Queer Soup's "Home" [see tag].

I thought I had a third item, but maybe not.

Elizabeth F. did the Stewardship Moment at FCS this morning. She said she had been coming to FCS off and on since 2007. She said that on March 30, 2008, she walked into church and was handed rainbow sunglasses and a lei. She said that it was the anniversary of FCS becoming an Open & Affirming church. Laura Ruth preached. Elizabeth F. that Laura Ruth asked all those who had come to FCS because of it being O&A, or if you feel that you have benefited personally and/or spiritually from it being O&A, to stand -- and about 50% of the congregation stood. She said that Laura Ruth asked anyone present who was GLBT and wanted to out themselves to stand. Elizabeth F. said that at that point she wasn't out in any context of her life, but that she stood anyway -- and she looked around, and about 20% of the congregation was standing. She said that Laura Ruth asked anyone who loved someone who was GLBT to stand -- and that everyone stood.

Yeah, I cried.

***

FCS this morning had a service of healing. And at the point when the space was open for folks to come forward and receive a blessing and -- if they wished -- an anointing of oil, I assumed people would go forward as we do for Communion, but no one got up. *I* wanted a blessing and anointing, so I got up and went forward -- though I felt a little bit offensive because I went across the front to Laura T. because I was still feeling resentful at Ian H. from Rest and Bread last week.

But at the receiving line after service, Ian H. unprompted and enthusiastically thanked me for being the first to go forward -- called me "a worship leader's dream."

(no subject)

After dinner tonight, Rob was talking to Julia about ANTS, incl. whether she took many classes at other BTI schools. She said no and mentioned various reasons, one of which was that for some classes -- like pastoral care.

me: "Who teaches pastoral care?"
Julia: "Leanne."
Rob (to me): "BU this fall?"
me: "I'm flipping you off in my head."
Rob: "Come on, I've got to have someone to come with me."
me: "I almost stopped myself from asking the question, because I maintain that I'm not Called to ordained ministry, so why am I even asking about pastoral care classes?"

Julia pointed out that a lot of it would be relevant in various arenas, which I know.

+

Rob is also talking about teaching Basic Lay Speaking at CWM -- 2hrs/night after worship for 5 weeks, instead of the 2 Saturdays that is the way MBH usually does it (and hey, the next round is likely to be in Quincy -- which MBTA.com says is a short walk from Wollaston, so that's way better than it could be).

+++

I also have to decide if I want to go to the UMC holiday party (which is followed by the HGLC holiday party that evening, and I think is the same day as the UCN church fair).

***

Edit: And I forgot to mention, apparently RMN is doing YouTube videos for next summer's Convo -- whose theme is "Sing a New Song" -- and some folks have put pressure on CWM to step up and do one. I'm unclear on the exact lead up to this train of thought, but Sean imagined us doing "Getting to Know You" (The King and I), very proper and demure and all, and Samuel stepping out and interjecting stuff like, "And pointing out your racism!" and then me adding, "And fixing it!" ♥