Pastor Ray & Lynn

The following was written by Katemn of www.cafemom.comOnly One Sock?Morgan asked me what I was knitting. I said, “a sock.”  He replied, “only one??” Morgan is 14, and he has not grown up from infancy in my house so he doesn’t have the mom-is-always-knitting-something thing as second nature the way Andrew and Chloe will.  So he occasionally tends to be funny about my knitting, heck, he’s occasionally funny about everything.  For example, he just asked Andrew, who is 2, if he was part of koat.com. I have no idea what koat.com is, it’s probably a radio or TV station. But why would you ask a 2 year old that question?  See what I mean.

Has anyone heard the Queen song, “I’m Going Slightly Mad”? It’s such a great song, and if I could put it on my profile page, I would.  The song is full of lines that are metaphors for going crazy, and one of them is, “I’m knitting with only one needle.” A person has to be crazy to try knitting with just one!

But I really do love that song for so many reasons, not the least of which is that it mentions knitting.  A classic rock song by a seminal classic rock band (”Bohemian Rhapsody”, anyone?) that mentions knitting.  That’s how cool Queen is.  But I digress.Morgan is kind of like that one sock. The one you find in the laundry pile after you’ve folded everyone’s sad stretched out undies and the t-shirts that say something about who you are and the zillions of identical sport socks. After all that folding, you come to the pile of misfit socks, and there he is. I’m not trying to say Morgan is a misfit, especially not now.  He certainly was headed down that path, because life didn’t seem to hold much promise for him.  He was kind of raising himself (as so many of my students seem to be doing) and doing a Not Very Good Job of it.  We took him in, and I won’t go into exactly why, but we took him in temporarily, and then it got longer and longer, and now here we are almost a year later and listen to this:He got straight A’s on his last report card. He’s learning a new song on his guitar practically every day. He gets along with Andrew most of the time and when he doesn’t he comes to ask for help, in a way that’s no longer frustrated. He knows how to make a mean pan of roasted potatoes and if I was desperate and in a pinch he’d put together a loaf of bread in the machine for me, and if he absolutely had to cook supper we’d have frozen burritos. He doesn’t pick out ALL the kiwi from the fruit salad leaving none for the rest of us anymore. He is on his fourth sport this year; and from what I gather a girl from school has been texting him. He sees his mom occasionally and he talks to his dad occasionally which is good, of course, but he sits at our dinner table in the evenings. I’m really not trying to toot our own horns.  Really, I’m not.  I’m just as amazed at the change in him as anyone else, including his teachers, principal, coaches, and grandparents.   He chose to respond to the parenting we offered. And yes, I readily admit we make mistakes all the time, who doesn’t?  I often lie in bed at night thinking, oh, dang, I could have done or said that better.  Raise your hand if you do the same. But I credit Morgan. Deep down he wants to be liked and loved, and so instead of going deeper into his funk and his depression he chose to come out of it and start taking responsibility for his actions and his life, naturally with the occasional foray into mind-boggling 14-year-old dumbass-ness.But if you want to know what we did, it’s this: 1. Regular bedtime.  2. Regular chores. 3. Asking about homework and putting a little pressure on, every day.  4.  Listening to him when he plays guitar for us or wants to talk about cars, which seems like about every six minutes. 5. Having him sit with us at the dinner table and eat the same food we’re eating (this one seems like kind of a no-brainer but it wasn’t the case in his former life). 6. Taking him on trips with us. 7. Making his each hour of the day productive and meaningful, even if he sits and reads his book for a couple of hours. 8. LOVE–saying it, expressing it, meaning it, and on top of that telling him he’s a good kid.Remember I said Morgan was kind of like that lone sock in the laundry pile, or that’s what he used to be.  Now, I think of him as the sock I’m knitting. The yarn is variegated, nuanced with blends of many colors.  There are some mindless parts like the leg and foot, but some complicated parts like the heel and toe.  I’m knitting around and around, but every time I come around to the same point where I started, I’ve gotten a little further, like the revolving days and weeks of Morgan’s time with us. Once the sock is done, it isn’t really done because as I will wear it, the yarn on the bottom of the foot will get firmer and stronger as it felts from the heat and moisture of my foot and the top of the leg will get a little stretched out from putting it on and taking it off. Life is like that; it makes us stronger in some places and a little stretched in others.And yes, it’s only one sock. I can only knit one at a time on the same set of needles, but if I really wanted to, I could have several kinds of socks going at once, like I do with all my children, including Morgan. So here’s to Morgan. Yes, I’m knitting only one sock, you smart aleck, and then I’ll knit the other one!! 

HE IS RISEN!! 

Did you notice the difference in the energy within the church on Easter morning?! The volume of all those voices singing the hymns and reciting the creed, etc. gave me goosebumps. Too bad we don’t have a crowd like that every Sunday! 

At the 8:00 a.m. service on Easter morning, I was privileged to carry the processional cross into and out of the sanctuary. Traditionally, having the empty Cross and Holy Bible enter together symbolizes Christ coming among us. I was taught to walk with reverence when I lead the ‘parade’ into the worship center and to hold the cross as high as possible.
The really great thing in performing this service on Easter is that by the time the worship service is over, I’m so filled with love and excitement for my Lord’s resurrection, that I can’t help but smile on the way out! Some of you commented on my ear-to-ear grin as I carried the cross out. I hope my smile was contagious.
The Processional is an inspiring part of the worship service and personally I’d like to see it included every week. Would YOU like to serve as the Crucifer some Sunday morning?

With all the evening meetings, classes and calls on prospective members, Ray is home for dinner usually just twice a week so I try to make our meals special. One of the things I can cook that he REALLY likes is corned beef and cabbage so during March we have that at least once and some years twice. Here’s how I do it:
   Put the brisket in the slow cooker WITHOUT THE SPICES and cover it with water the night before and set it on the lowest temperature. The next morning, turn the temp up one notch and let it continue throughout the day.
   About an hour before dinner, put about two cups of the juice from the meat into a 3 qt pan, add raw potatoes and carrots and cover with water. Cover and cook over medium heat until tender but not mushy. Drain just before serving.
   Half an hour before dinner: In a large skillet or dutch oven, put in 1-1/2 inches of the juice from the meat and bring to a slow boil. Slice fresh cabbage across about 1″ thick and cut into two semi-circles. Place the cabbage in the juice and let it simmer covered for 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Remove from pan & place on platter with meat.
   Shortly before the potatoes are done, make the gravy. Put two cups of the juice from the meat into a 1 or 2 qt pan and bring to a rapid boil. Mix 2 heaping teaspoons of corn starch with 1/4 cup cold water and pour slowly into the boiling juice while stirring. Immediately reduce the heat and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
   You can mash the potatoes if you like.  Fixing the corned beef in the slow cooker like this produces tender tasty meat that practically falls apart.

We like this best when gravy is poured over all the items - meat, potatoes, carrots and cabbage. I also have a recipe for a simple Irish Soda Bread that goes wonderfully with this. Just send me an email and I’ll send it to you.
  

Hi Everyone! Welcome to “my blog” at Calvary’s Website. I thought it might be fun to share with you some of the reading I do on a regular basis as a way for you to know me better and also as a way to challenge you in your reflections about life and faith. Here goes:

        I ride a stationary bicycle as much as six days a week. I have an attachment on the handlebar that holds magazines in a position to read. While my legs are churning away, these are the magazines that I read:

a. THE LUTHERAN: I read each issue cover-to-cover. I find a treasure cove of ideas for ministry and program elements; check up on what is happening in the ELCA; and find provocative theological articles in each issue. I fondly wish that we were on the every member subscription plan, but since we are not, I encourage you to get your own subscription. Click on the logo on the Links of Interest page here on our website.

b. Another magazine of the ELCA aimed at clergy is entitled: Lutheran Partners. It is published six times a year and has themed issues on various topics. I always find it challenging, and containing many ideas for congregations to grow in their ministry.  I haven’t had much luck at Calvary with some of the ideas I get from LP, but I’ll keep trying.

c. CONGREGATIONS is a quarterly journal of the Alban Institute, one of my favorite places to learn new and vital things about the development of contemporary ministry in the church. This journal is popular with many main line denominations.

d. Another Journal that appears four times a year is THE LUTHERAN FORUM published by the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau. I find items of historical importance here as well as in depth treatment of issues in the Lutheran traditions from a “conservative bias.” As I write, I’m waiting for an issue that will go into great detail on the new hymnal Evangelical Lutheran Worship. I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated what was written about the LBW when it came out.

e. The same organization publishes a monthly Newsletter entitled Forum Letter which always contains items about what is currently happening in the ELCA and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Not much gets by the editors of FL so I get to read what the leadership of the church would rather not make it to print.

f. Some of you may know of Martin Marty, a long-time professor at the Divinity School at the University of Chicago. He is probably the most well-read person in religion in the world. He publishes a monthly newsletter entitled CONTEXT which gathers paragraphs from a whole host of magazines and journals and reprints them. The topics range from philosophy to sports so it is quite a treat to read.

g. NET RESULTS is published 10 times a year and as it says, it has: “Effective ideas for pursuing Vital Ministry.” Nancy also subscribes to this. Most of the articles challenge the church to become mission-minded in the 21st Century. They almost always are ahead of the curve. I have copied a number of articles for the Planning Council and Board of Elders. Let’s just say the result has been mixed.

h. THE CLERGY JOURNAL is printed ten times a year and each issue has a theme.  One topic I appreciate in this magazine is computer-related issues, as well as congregational finance issues. They are always up-to-date on Federal tax issues for congregations as well as the rapid development and changes surrounding computers.

i. The last journal I read on my bicycle is WEAVINGS: A Journal of the Christian Spiritual Life. This is a complete change of pace from the other readings. It calms me and sends me deeper into the Christian Faith. It is one of the places that sparked my interest in Spiritual Formation and my participating in the Grace Institute of Luther College. I believe this is a very important area of growth for Calvary, and I remain disappointed in development of growth within our members thus far.

I do read other magazines, just not on the bicycle. I am a fan of Sports Illustrated and usually read each issue from cover-to-cover. We subscribe to both Time and Newsweek, and I at least look through both of them, and pick and choose articles to read. Remember: my undergraduate major was Political Science so I tend to keep up with what is happening in the political sphere of our nation. I’ve just started taking The New Republic, so I will make judgments on its worthiness for my time after a while.

Probably my favorite magazine of all is The Christian Century. It has been around for over a Century and represents classical main line, “liberal” tradition. I hope that it someday goes on my bicycle to read. It is published 24 times a year, however.

[Oh, did I mention that my bicycle reading is currently on those items published in July of 2007. I never give up, however in my attempts to stay current. I recently passed the 6,000 mile mark on the bicycle.]

I invite you to ask me questions or comment or even to make suggestions.

Pastor Ray

I found this quote in a Christian publication to which I subscribe: 

The Resurrection is not just a story about a dead man who got up and walked. It is the story of a mystery so compelling that it has changed and challenged minds for generations. . . “Someone said to a college professor, ‘I understand John Jones was one of your students.’ The professor answered, ‘He may have sat in my classes, but he was not one of my students.’
It is one thing to sit in the sanctuary; it is quite another to be a student of the risen Christ.
       ~Rev. Felix A Lorenz, Jr.     Christian Church of Dearborn Heights, MI

I am continually excited and amazed how the insights and learning never stop coming as I study the Bible and listen to the sermons. Spending a few minustes each day in study and meditation gives me energy and calms my spirit. This week I’m looking at the 24th & 25th Chapters of the Gospel of Matthew and reading from a book I received from Donna Schunamen called “How Strong Women Pray” by Bonnie St. John.

Going to join the ladies at Quilting this afternoon. They always have such a fun afternoon!
Please remember to pray for my husband!   Lynn

Friends,
The 21st Century has provided us many opportunities to learn new skills (like blogging) and to explore new ideas as we try to understand the world and those around us. We’re going to try this new form of communication and see where it leads us. Who knows what you may find posted here!?! We hope you’ll visit often and we welcome your comments, ideas and insights. All we ask is that you refrain from being negative as much as possible.
   Meanwhile, please remember to pray for my husband!  Lynn