Where is everybody?

This summer, Jim and I got to go to my favorite place in the world. One night, we managed to avoid any family stuff and stayed in a nice hotel right on the beach. This gave me an opportunity to stay out on the beach for as long as I wanted. I love late afternoon/early evening on the beach. . . it's still warm enough to be out there -- the breeze is wonderfully warm on sun-kissed skin; the water temp was about 82 degrees so I could've even gone swimming. But I didn't...obviously, the hunky lifeguard had gone home by this time!

We went to the beach almost every day, visited family almost every minute, saw some friends and found out how long it takes to drive from Holland MI to Wilmington NC.

How long, you might (or might not) be asking?
A long time...but waaaaay better than flying!

I'm not much of a picture taker

I'm lame and late . . . but here are some pictures anyway . . .

The Random Pop Quiz

The elder stepson invited his girlfriend over for dinner last weekend. While he is a committed Atheist, she attends a local, conservative leaning Presbyterian congregation.  By leaning, I mean - okay, I mean conservative.  I had heard she was uncomfortable with the pat answers being fed to her in youth group.

Well, one thing led to another and then BAM, there it is - the pop quiz that Greg Love always warned us was coming at us. Please highlight the shortfalls of  substitutional atonement theology, offer up  alternative theologies regarding the death and resurrection of Christ, and while you are at it, please explain the ongoing presence of evil and suffering in this world in the face of an Omnipotent God. In terms that will make sense to an intelligent and compassionate adolescent with a well developed BS sniff detector.  You have about two verbal paragraphs to work within before you will be interrupted. Start... now.

Prayer Concern from SFTS

My sister sent me this e-mail and I thought we would all want to join in prayer for Charles.

Love, Jenn :)

Dear SFTS Community,

I am writing to ask for your prayers and active support for Charles and Amal Marks and their children at the death and resurrection in Christ of Charles’ mother in Savannah, Georgia. Charles will in going to Savannah this week to makes plans related to the funeral.

As I learn more about how we can be supportive and when the service will be held, I will do my best to keep you posted. In the meantime, please remember Charles and his family with your love, cards, and prayers.

Grace and Peace,

Phil Butin
President

Card enclosed, please do not bend

In less than a month, I will turn 50 years of age.

This fact is increasingly capturing my attention.

49 years old is still - well - plausibly deniable.

50 is real.  

50 is a mark. 50 is a clear signal that we do not have forever to accomplish it all. 50 is the beginning of the third quarter with the increased awareness that the clock is still running. 

So I'm starting to think about it. Where have I been? What did all that mean? Where do I want to go? I'm still healthy and strong and expect to be so for a while yet. But that horizon that seemed so far away when I was 20 years old and starting my first real job of my adult life is a lot more closer now. Choices made increasingly can no longer be undone and still more choices lie before me.  There are possibilities - dreams if you will - that need to be evaluated and perhaps released or perhaps retained for a little while longer.

I'm turning 50 in less than a month. 

  

Random

Sam says HEY!

GA Reunion

Hello all! Just wanted to say that those of you not here at GA are missed. It is so great to see friends and have a mini-reunion, however, our class isn't the same without Bob's relax shirt, Steph's smile and laugh, etc. I could go on, but the point is to let you know that I miss you and wish you were her as well.

Heather has taken some pictures and will be posting them soon! Love and God's peace to all. Please keep the Genteral Assembly in your prayers!

Blessings, Jenn :)

Summer Update

Happy Summer! Heather and I are really enjoying the summer here, we are really thankful that it's been over 100 degrees for the past 2 weeks. Really, it's too hot to go outside, it's like a dream. (note sarcasm).

We have finally moved into our house. It's still in chaos, but we are well on our way to being able to walk into all of the rooms. Roux loves it and has made friends with all of the neighbor dogs. We live in the city, but our street is so quiet that we play fetch on the street with all of the dogs.

Heather is doing VBS right now and apparently it is going really well. I could not be more jealous that she gets to play with kids all day.

Due to an accounting error (before I got here) where I work lost a huge government grant, which also happened to be the funding for my position. Which means I am looking for another job. Which is super annoying, but there are lots of jobs out there and after being part of this community for 2 years we have some really good contacts who have been very helpful. I will let you know when something comes up.

We will be in Oregon in August for the Chase family reunion, South Carolina in July for the Myers family reunion, New York for a wedding, and Florida for a vacation. It will be a busy summer, but we are looking forward to all of it.

Hooray Summer!

Friday morning ramble

I love to take photos...I would take them all the time if I could. We'll be driving or walking along and I say to myself, "wow, that would be a great picture." Sometimes, I'll ask permission especially if the person happens to see me taking the photo. And then sometimes, I like the random kind of street scene with action and a flowy purple-lavender cape and the person never knows that her image has been captured forever. Is that bad? My ethicist friend would probably say it's not "bad" but there's something that feels wrong. Actually, she would use ethics-appropriate vocabulary but I'm not up to thinking about that right now. The other thing is, I don't like my camera so much. And I wrestle with the extravagance of purchasing a new one that I would really really like and wounding the feelings of the one who purchased this one for me that I would have never picked out. I still take photos, though. I would take them all the time if I could.

Can't stop laughing

http://bowerbird.typepad.com/mmmhellooo/churches/index.html

My co-worker just said: Did you just snort?? I've ruined my mascara and it's only 8:34 am!

You'll need to scroll down her list to find "Presbyterians."

The OTHER Seminary

Not that I ever thought of Columbia Theological Seminary as the Other seminary. I think I left that right to Princeton. Anyway - I spent last week on the campus of CTS for what they call their Lifelong Learning Program. I was actually there for a conferece about Rural Ministry, although I played the spy trying to compare the students experiance to my own at SFTS.

At meals I sat with students and quizzed them about their time at the school. It was one week before graduation and students were all smiles. I don't need to remind you all that was not the case with many of us. Many students really enjoyed the professors, course work, seminary support, loved the President, etc. The campus is beautiful and appears well cared for. The library is wonderful - speaking to SFTS's lack of care for theirs as it is really only part of the GTU. The place did not seem lacking for funds as they are in process of building a new large dormitory.

I loved my confrence. It was well organized, there was always help if needed, it was easy to relax and enjoy myself. We had a presentation from Bruggeman their retired star and he is really something. All in all, I learned A TON that will help me in my ministry setting, I made new friends, I enjoyed the campus, I will probably be back. Especially because I got in lots of good time with Heather and Alexis.

I am not sorry I went to SFTS but talking to the students at Columbia certainly gave me pause.

On the yellow brick road!

Dear Family and Friends,
Well it has come to pass, I have been called, I have been examined and next is to be ordained. I have been called to serve a 119-member church in Topeka, KS, Oakland Presbyterian Church. I will serve part time and continue to work part time as a Registered Nurse. Oakland is a great church that is use to being served by a bi-vocational pastor; their previous pastor for thirteen years was bi-vocational. I am very excited they are a small church with a BIG Spirit, very family oriented. I will start May 11th, Mothers Day and Pentecost. An ordination date has yet to be determined.
I am currently in New Mexico going through storage units getting ready to make the move. After a week here I will fly to California to pick up things there, swing through New Mexico and end up in Kansas by the 9th of May. Please keep me in your prayers traveling mercies. My primary reason for this note is to inform you of my new address and phone number. I also recently up dated my email address. See all referenced below.
I would love to hear form each of you and would reply personally.
Yours in Christ,
Robert (Pastor Bob)

New email: rhattle@mac.com

New cell phone # 785-213-7763
Office # 785-232-1029

New Address:
Rev. Robert J. Hattle, RN
Oakland Presbyterian Church
2810 NE Thomas
Topeka, KS 66616

I kid you not

Ketchup cow!
Handy-dandy mustard cow dangles near-by!

Preaching On the Unknown God

Yesterday I preached for the 4th time at the local UU congregation. It was going to be very wild with the addition of a Sanskrit Rock Group but they encountered a previous engagement so it was a normal UU service. Actually - a sanskirt rock band can be part of a normal UU service, they are kind fun that way.

At any rate, I noticed that the lectionary for yesterday included Acts 17 where Paul preaches to the Athenians about the Unknown God. Of course I included it because it was useful for helping make the point.

I was preaching on Christian Theology and the Environment. (Christian theology tends to limit itself to a God-human dualism but there is much in our text to remember that we need to think in terms of community with all of creation)

It was a lot of work. Because I knew I could not take any previous knowledge on the subject for granted, I took my time explaining Paul, Athens, and the Creation Story (both versions). In the end, it seemed to be worth the effort because it was fun to be talking about this stuff to folks who haven't already heard it for 30 years already. Many of them - some who are refugees from Christianity and some who have never made it in the door of a Christian church and some who are somewhere inbetween - many of them seemed genuinely pleased with a new way of thinking about Christianity - and also about the Environment.

I wonder what Paul first thought when he was invited to stand before the Areopagus - and I wonder what the novelty-seeking Athenians thought when he left.

Is That You God?

I've been in a bit of a funk lately. The job scene isn't moving. The book sits in a publisher's office w/o further word. No churches in the area are open and I can't seem to make it to the interview stage with the churches that have been open. Recently I was in Portland and ran not once but twice into people I knew and worked with when I was in politics who asked, "Gee what are you doing? all kinds of think I imagine" and I had to quickly sell baking bread and gardening as "all kinds of things" ("I'm deep into earth centered activities" I think I babbled. Yikes, I've been in Sonoma perhaps a little tooooo long. )

So, naturally enough, I take up the tradition of David & the rest of the Psalm writers and the Isrealites trudging their way across the desert and get all whiney on God. Are you there God? Do you still care? Did the call thing have an expiration date I didn't know about? Was I delusional in going to seminary (well, okay don't answer that question, I did choose SFTS so there is some damning evidence there...)? I'm to the point of being so pissed off & discouraged that this afternoon I took down the stoles I have had hanging out in my closet and put them away out of sight.

Then Bill & I go out to a chinese restaurant tonight and my fortune cookie arrives with the following message:

"Trust your intuition. The universe is guiding your life."

Isn't that just like God? Who believes fortune cookies? Its like one of those episodes on Joan of Arcadia where out of nowhere in a form least expected and in a way that leaves open the way for uncertainty - God speaks. (maybe... maybe not) I started looking toward the door for Mrs. Landingham to walk in and glance over at me in a significant way.

Nice job God. Nice sense of humor. And thanks.
I'll take the stoles back out of the bag. Not like they left my mind or my heart anyway.

sheesh.

Daffy-dills!

Oh -- how fun!! The daffy-dills are finally finally showing their beautiful happy yellow faces...the tulips are sure to follow. John Bell is here at Western this whole week, leading worship and opening my eyes, ears and heart to scripture that I have been hungering and thirsting for! Next week, Mark Yaconelli will be here for a contemplative youth seminar and I'm looking forward to reconnecting with him.

This year, I have been volunteering with Vanessa through the KIDS HOPE program. Vanessa is in the 3rd grade; we first started meeting in October and she was a wild child! Walking on tables, running and hiding from me, running and climbing on, over, under, through anything she could find. Over the past few weeks, it seems we've turned a corner. Last week, she decided it would be great fun to take everything out of my purse and examine it!?!? This week, she shared more about her family than I've heard all year while working on painting a heart on the back of my hand.

Anyway -- what's all this got to do with daffy-dills, you may ask. I think that somehow the daffodils remind me that even though I can't always see the growth, or take responsibility for the growth, or even know when those glorious yellow flowers will appear, I trust that it will happen. I have faith that it will happen. And for Vanessa, even on the days when I was chasing her down the halls of the elementary school (NO RUNNING IN THE HALLS!!!), I had faith that someday we would have days like today -- bright, warm and sunshiny, filled with the promise of spring and the gift of a new friend.

Mariners Win!

I had a great week off to celebrate my 30th with my family. I went to Seattle with my parents and we went to see the Mariners. I had hoped to get a Wilbur sign on TV - at least I got on the big screen in the stadium! It was a good week of eating, shopping, and even some time with my brother. I dreamt about church but didn't think about it during the days so that was good.

Now I am back to work and busy sorting through all that I left in my wake. Oh well, I am taking another week out of town in May to attend a confrence in Atlanta so there is another break on the near horizon. Thank God for continuing ed!

A Family Reunion...

At last, Mary has discerned that her ministry at SFTS is coming to a close. She gave notice that she will leave her employ there at the end of May, much to the dismay of many folks -- all of whom knew this was inevitable at some point in time. This will be such a blessing to us as gasoline surges past $4/gallon and we will both be spending *much* less time on I-80. It will also be quite nice to have her around EG full-time to share in all that happens here.

Her plans are to continue consulting to some of her corporate clients while she pursues Commissioned Ministry in the UCC, focusing on her experience and skills at facilitating transitions, transformations, and conflicts in the local church settings. She was taken In-Care of our congregation earlier this month and will visit our COM (think CPM in "Presbyterian-ese") in August to become a "person in discernment" for at least a year before being commissioned.

All I can say is, "Yeaaa!"

Stress Relief

Seems we've been mighty quiet since Heather turned 3-0. Here's something for your amusement, distraction or stress relief. . .

http://www.therightfoot.net/mystuff/whatever/swf/bubblewrap.swf

Hope you're all well. Spring is slowly arriving in Holland. Soon and very soon, it will be Tulip Time again.

"The Big 3-0"

Not that 30 is really all that big but I guess it gets credit for being a round number. I turn 30 on Thursday of this week and its not as much of a retrospective time as I may have guessed it would be. Granted, I don't think I ever thought I would grow up to be a pastor but stranger things have happened. I think the only shocking thing is being 30 with braces. I was at the ortho today for thicker wires and lots of tightening. (OUCH) Right now I have a large light purple rubber band across the top teeth and then alternating light and dark purple on each bottom tooth. Hey - you have to have fun with it right?

I am dreaming of Spring but we still keep having snow off and on. My poor bulbs are trying to come up and don't know what to make of it.

My church threw me a surprise birthday party yesterday. I was surprised and it was quite the cheery little party. We even had a cake with my picture on it, imagine something like that available in Wilbur. We are moving up in the world and will have a gas station with a convenience store soon!

On the actual birthday day Lars and I are going to Spokane for a nice dinner. Then next week I am leaving him alone with the mutts and I am going to Seattle with my folks. We are going to a Mariners game, getting together with my bro and fiance for dinner, and shopping shopping shopping. Should be a good break.

Anyway, hope all your adventures are going well, that you are out in the garden if you want to be, and that wherever you are it is warmer than Wilbur!