off to school - camping style

I am off to Indianola, IA, for the weekend to attend the first weekend of the School for Lay Ministries. This weekend is kind of an introduction to the coursework and a workshop on reconstructing the church. I have been reading the material for the first class, and it is really good. Its all about shifting paradigms and how the church is (or, more likely, is not) keeping up. It is all stuff that I have discussed with former church folks and roommates, but to read a fresh perspective and to go to meet with others to discuss it is exciting.

I have chosen to camp for the weekend. I borrowed a tent and a sleeping bag from our pastor (not Josh, Doug) and a nice sleeping pad that he thought might just keep me alive in the Iowa November night. We all have the option of hotels for the weekend, and seeing as how I consider sleeping in cushy beds and eating nice meals while discussing culture, poverty and church action to be somewhat hard to digest, I thought this might be a better way of experiencing the weekend for myself.

Plus, my family doesn't camp, so this is a great opportunity to retreat for myself. I am looking forward to some food and conversation, some study and prayer, and some quiet time with my thoughts and my really cold little toes.

I will have a full report next week (give or take a week or two).

Wesley, Claiborne, and 1607

I was sitting at my desk in tears during this video. (its kind of long, so carve out some time.)



I am going to Simpson college on November 2 for the weekend to start my Lay Ministries class. and I have been reading John Wesley and revisiting Shane Claiborne in my attempt at getting ready to enter servant leadership and embrace what it truly means to be a servant. I am excited, and I want to maintain the kind of excitement that changes my life and impacts the people around me. I think that I will watch this video twice a week until it really sinks in.

It has been amazing to read all of the blogs and emails from the folks from our community at 1607. I am encouraged by the ways that our experiment is playing out in everyone's life. And in my own as well. I think that I will be running on the inertia that I got from that place for a long time, and I didn't really even realize how much of a push I was getting.

I am enjoying Iowa, but part of my heart will always be in Nashville. (How's that for a souvenir t-shirt)

A final food budget...

I think that we have settled on a food budget after our monthly struggle trying to wrestle the budget down to one dollar per person per day. I think that the kinds of sacrifices that we have to make to get there start to interfere with other parts of our value system. For instance, I couldn't shop anywhere other than Aldi, and that store is on the other side of town. No walking and no stopping by on the way home for milk. I read on Ariah's blog that he allowed 100 dollars per person for food in his $1000 monthly budget, and I figure we can cut that in half. Of course, two of our people barely eat, so that has a huge impact. I am capping our food budget at $200 per month, knowing that some months will require more money than others, and I am hoping to average $180. So that's that.

Our weekly bible study is evaluating the spiritual disciplines along with our walk thought the book of Luke, so I am trying to use that as a springboard to be more intentional about this blog. I have to admit, it has been only a little better than a failure so far, but I am still trying to create a rhythm that will lend itself to more disciplined living. I am, sorry to say, a long way off.

I think I will go read a bit and say a prayer. Small steps, you know. Small steps.

Obama, Tornadoes, Wesley, etc., etc...

We didn't get to see Barack Obama last night. We had a babysitter and everything, then these pesky tornadoes came and spoiled our evening out. Since Avery has a new found phobia of tornadoes and all, we felt it would not be fair to have her first experience with one be with the babysitter. Alas, there was no tornado, though the storm that produced one did go directly over our house. Better safe than sorry, but we played it safe and I was still sorry that I didn't get to go to the rally.

I met Dawn during her lunch hour yesterday at the Wesley center downtown and we helped serve free lunch. Well, actually, i did dishes. Then we sat and had lunch with the locals and enjoyed ourselves, and Roman was a big hit. The free lunch is served there the first Friday of every month, so I think that I can make a routine of it and not overwhelm my schedule.

I applied with the School for Lay ministries of the Iowa Annual United Methodist Conference to take coursework to pursue becoming a licensed local pastor. The Pastor/Parish Staff Relations Committee of our church met on Monday, and as far as I know they sent the application on to the charge conference. If I end up going, the course would require four weekends a year for three years and would begin on November 9, so I would be gone that entire weekend. I would leave Friday afternoons and be back Sunday evenings.

I will keep you posted...