BEFORE
AFTER
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Zachary Weems 1st Birthday party
Now that I've gotten the hang of it (sort of) Here are some pictures from the celebration of Zach Weems first birthday party.
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
Pictures from John's ordination/installation at LOPC
They gave him an office and everything!
SFTS folks help John celebrate.
Good News and Challenging News For Women
The Marin IJ website reports that the Rev. Dr. Cornelia Cyss Crocker has been called to Two Rock/Tomalis. Cornelia has served as adjunct falculty for the Spirituality track and worked at First, San Anselmo. This is good news for her and for Two Rock/Tomalis. The installation will be Sept 10th at 3 pm at Tomales.
On the other hand - the New York Times has run a piece on the challenges women face getting into the pulpits of congregations with 350 or more. We face a future of small, struggling congregations or associate pastor only at the larger ones. This cuts across denominations. The quote that most frustrated me: “When we met with the search committee in Louisville, people on it said to me, ‘We really didn’t want a woman, because we know that we’re dying when we get a woman,’” the Rev. Lucia Oerter said of her experience at John Knox Presbyterian in Louisville three and half years ago.
And then there is this:
A Presbyterian minister in Northern California, who asked not to be identified because she did not want her congregation to know she was looking for a new post, said she received 65 rejections when applying for a job in the mid-1990’s. Over the last two years, as she has sought to move to a larger church, she said she has been passed over by 15 churches, even though her own church is thriving and she teaches preaching at a prestigious seminary.
Setting aside the desire to play the parlor game of who-is-this-unidentified-minister, this actually gives me a little bit of comfort as I receive yet another thanks-but-no-thanks letter. Its not necessarily about me, Anitra, but me, a woman. Thats a level of rejection that is a little easier to deal with but at the same time frustrating of course. It also re-enforces my awareness that I'm going to have to get very creative if I want to be ordained.
Cornelia is a very bright and talented woman. She deserves to be teaching in a seminary or working in one of those 350 member + congregations. Two Rock/Tomales is very lucky to have her. I hope she finds joy in her call, and I believe she will - but is this the best option women with her skills and talents get?
At any rate - Read the article for yourself (free, just requires registration).
And yippee for Cornelia and Two Rocks/Tomales!
On the other hand - the New York Times has run a piece on the challenges women face getting into the pulpits of congregations with 350 or more. We face a future of small, struggling congregations or associate pastor only at the larger ones. This cuts across denominations. The quote that most frustrated me: “When we met with the search committee in Louisville, people on it said to me, ‘We really didn’t want a woman, because we know that we’re dying when we get a woman,’” the Rev. Lucia Oerter said of her experience at John Knox Presbyterian in Louisville three and half years ago.
And then there is this:
A Presbyterian minister in Northern California, who asked not to be identified because she did not want her congregation to know she was looking for a new post, said she received 65 rejections when applying for a job in the mid-1990’s. Over the last two years, as she has sought to move to a larger church, she said she has been passed over by 15 churches, even though her own church is thriving and she teaches preaching at a prestigious seminary.
Setting aside the desire to play the parlor game of who-is-this-unidentified-minister, this actually gives me a little bit of comfort as I receive yet another thanks-but-no-thanks letter. Its not necessarily about me, Anitra, but me, a woman. Thats a level of rejection that is a little easier to deal with but at the same time frustrating of course. It also re-enforces my awareness that I'm going to have to get very creative if I want to be ordained.
Cornelia is a very bright and talented woman. She deserves to be teaching in a seminary or working in one of those 350 member + congregations. Two Rock/Tomales is very lucky to have her. I hope she finds joy in her call, and I believe she will - but is this the best option women with her skills and talents get?
At any rate - Read the article for yourself (free, just requires registration).
And yippee for Cornelia and Two Rocks/Tomales!
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Fall Ord takers
Please keep the following people in your prayers as they begin Ords tomorrow (Friday)
Peter Barnes-Davies
Michael Chang
Peter Choi
Joy Church
Meghan Davis
Nate Dreesman (Fuller student)
Edward William Elissabake (??)
Bob Evans
Robert Hattle (writing in Albuquerque)
Dani Holland
Ben Jung
Simone Kim (Princeton student)
Anni Mingin
Ellen Patterson (writing in Washington)
Linda Powers
Heidi Skidmore
Thom Taylor
Wendy Taylor-Clyde (??)
Nick Valadez
Peter Barnes-Davies
Michael Chang
Peter Choi
Joy Church
Meghan Davis
Nate Dreesman (Fuller student)
Edward William Elissabake (??)
Bob Evans
Robert Hattle (writing in Albuquerque)
Dani Holland
Ben Jung
Simone Kim (Princeton student)
Anni Mingin
Ellen Patterson (writing in Washington)
Linda Powers
Heidi Skidmore
Thom Taylor
Wendy Taylor-Clyde (??)
Nick Valadez
Monday, August 21, 2006
The Reverend John Weems
Much joy and congratulations as our dear friend John has now become the Reverend John Weems! On Sunday August 20th at 4pm several of the SFTS gang were in attendance at Laffayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church for John's ordination and installation as Associate Pastor of Mission and Evangelism. It was a great time of celebration and worship. (I admit it, I got a little teary eyed) Here are some of the highlights: Jake did a great job carrying the cross and leading the processional! Colleen read one of the scriptures and presented John with a beautiful stole. Charles lead the closing prayer, Phil charged the new pastor, and I was thrilled and honored that John asked me to read a scripture lesson for the service. I'll close this post with the silent meditation John included for prior to the service. (What can I say, it's Buechner so you know I was sold.) "A crucial eccentricity of the Christian faith is the assertion that people are saved by grace. The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been but you are becasue the party wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It's for you I created the universe. I love you. There's only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you'll reach out and take it." --Frederick Buechner in Wishful Thinking
News from Here and There
I called Garrett Andrew today. As we all know - Garrett and Melinda Speich are getting married this weekend on campus at Stewart. James Noel will officiate. Garrett promises photos from Maui in a couple of weeks. He has lined up some work both on campus and in the area while Melinda completes her degree. Garrett will be serving as Adjunct Falculty in the Advanced Preaching class along with James Noel who will be replacing Jana Childers in that class leadership. He'll also continue at both Marin General and Sojurner Truth.
Robert Hattle spent the last few weeks mostly in Chicago where he saw friends and family and house-sat (actually, incredible view cond-sat) a place for a friend. He also visited with his mother who is now in a nursing home in Ohio where she can be close to most of Robert's brothers and sisters. Robert spent the first part of summer working with his family to help get his mother stablized in Florida and then driving her north in a marathon shot to Ohio. Robert is now back in Albuquerque where he is preparing to take another shot at the ords this week. Prayers are welcomed.
Elizabeth McCord is moving today! She has a place in Pittsburg, CA so she can be close to her CPE which will be in Concord. Sarah Knowles will be her roommate. Sarah is working on an MA at PSR which means a lot of BART to get there. Elizabeth had been hither and yon this summer including spending the last two weeks as Claire Love's roommate and it wasn't hard to miss the excitment in Elizabeth's voice as she and Sarah head toward a little more stable living space. Elizabeth says her email remains the same and that she plans to send out her new contact info sometime soon.
Cheryl and Elizabeth (at least - probably more but I wasn't there (sorry John) so I didn't take names...) were at John Weem's ordination yesterday. Cheryl promises to blog and post photos.
Garden Newsbreak: Snails like beans. They beheaded a few of the bean starts. The baby beenstocks look so pathetic with their little leaves hanging out to either side and no growing center stem thingie (do I look like an ex-biology grad student? I know these things have names - its just they are latin and I barely got greek and hebrew...)
so - write, send photos, links, news, etc. I miss you all.
Robert Hattle spent the last few weeks mostly in Chicago where he saw friends and family and house-sat (actually, incredible view cond-sat) a place for a friend. He also visited with his mother who is now in a nursing home in Ohio where she can be close to most of Robert's brothers and sisters. Robert spent the first part of summer working with his family to help get his mother stablized in Florida and then driving her north in a marathon shot to Ohio. Robert is now back in Albuquerque where he is preparing to take another shot at the ords this week. Prayers are welcomed.
Elizabeth McCord is moving today! She has a place in Pittsburg, CA so she can be close to her CPE which will be in Concord. Sarah Knowles will be her roommate. Sarah is working on an MA at PSR which means a lot of BART to get there. Elizabeth had been hither and yon this summer including spending the last two weeks as Claire Love's roommate and it wasn't hard to miss the excitment in Elizabeth's voice as she and Sarah head toward a little more stable living space. Elizabeth says her email remains the same and that she plans to send out her new contact info sometime soon.
Cheryl and Elizabeth (at least - probably more but I wasn't there (sorry John) so I didn't take names...) were at John Weem's ordination yesterday. Cheryl promises to blog and post photos.
Garden Newsbreak: Snails like beans. They beheaded a few of the bean starts. The baby beenstocks look so pathetic with their little leaves hanging out to either side and no growing center stem thingie (do I look like an ex-biology grad student? I know these things have names - its just they are latin and I barely got greek and hebrew...)
so - write, send photos, links, news, etc. I miss you all.
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