The Body of Christ - With and Without Mucus

I've had a cold for a couple weeks now. It has now moved from my sinuses into my chest and I've been coughing and wheezing since Thursday. As a pastor I have a lot of close proximity to people, and Sunday mornings, especially mean shaking hands, hugging, placing the Body of Christ into people's hands. On healing service Sundays it also includes listening closely and having my hands on people's shoulders and heads.

So, this Sunday, I gave that up. I always have at least one lay person helping with the laying on of hands and anointing for healing. And both had agreed to help in today's service long ago. We were contemplating having three stations, instead of the usual two, and so it worked just fine with the two.

Instead of me serving the bread, I went and sat in the pew after presiding at the altar. I got to kneel at the altar for both the laying on of hands and for communion. I got to pray ('cause I couldn't sing) for all of the people that I usually look in the eye and say "The body of Christ, given for you." I knew what particular prayers that many of the people would ask for, and prayed for them.

It's nice every once in a while to have the place where I sit - my point of view - be turned around. It's nice to see the church in action. It's nice to not have to stifle my cough and constantly sniff worried that I'm going to spread whatever it is I have.

Also - I made this "Radicchio-Porcini Risotto" (pg 88):

It doesn't look like much, but it was very yummy. I couldn't find Porcini anywhere (looked at a number of stores throughout the week) but it still tasted good w/ Portabella. The book describes it as "Ultra-comfort food." And, it was.

The Good of It All

Well, a number of my things on my list are over and done with. A new week is beginning. I still have a cold that has been hanging on for 2 weeks - which will limit my elderly visiting, but shouldn't hinder anything else.

Cold weather and a head cold sure can bring a person down. But, there are some things that have been bringing me up.

First - my bed. It's comfortable, and I've been getting enough time in it.

Secondly, a little over a week ago, I was able to enjoy the beauty of a freshly fallen 14" of snow while Cross Country Skiing. Here are a couple pics:
Third, though it was cold, there was an attempted Karaoke party held. We missed those who couldn't make it, but still had a good time. I have some pics, but they don't do the event justice.

Finally, I have prepared another recipe for my New Year's resolution. This time it was Potato, Turnip & Carrot Gratin with Garlic-Herb Bechamel Sauce (pp 86-87). Andrew asked about recipes. I would highly recommend buying the book (The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without by Mollie Katzen), but if there are one or two that you would like, shoot me an e-mail and I'll send 'em to you.

On the gratin, I could have actually done without the bread crumbs and cheese on top (but, is that what makes it a gratin?). It was really good though - and I don't think I've truly eaten turnip before.

Hope Comes in the Morning

Things are always better in the morning. They just are for me. I don't know if others feel similarly - but I get that phrase "hope comes in the morning" 'cause I tend to be more grounded...and hopeful during the day. I also am more willing to take risks at night - I wonder why that is...hmmm.

Anyway, I'm unfreaked out. I no longer feel like my life is out of control. After blogging last night, I wrote some thoughts for my sermon and then slept for about 5 hours, got up and got "hoped on" by Barack Obama and then had lunch with a friend. I have accomplished a few things on my lists (yay - the garbage is out!), have plenty more, but feel like I can take a nap (while my clothes are agitating in the washer).

Maybe they'll even be time for a movie.

Freak Out

Man it feels like there is just too much going on right now. And, my freak outs always tend to be at the times when productivity is unreasonable. (Tonight it's only 12:30 and the night before my day off- sometimes it's the 3ams before a Sunday morning.)

In my head I know that failure is not the worst option. I know that I have been accomplishing a lot and that there is just so much more work than possible for one person. But the list of things yet unaddressed is running through my head and it makes it impossible to sleep.

* A number of my homebound really need visits. I'm behind, as I have been for about a year.
* I would have like to have visited the woman in ICU today and now probably won't until Sunday, if not Monday.
* My sermon is barely started.
* Urrgh. Taxes.
* Laundry - which isn't urgent, but looking at my schedule ahead it may soon well be.
* The Christmas present that I've intended to buy and send - and the 2 Christmas cards I've intended to write and send - and the 5 thank you notes.
* I need to return some stuff to the library.
* I have a Bible Study to prepare to lead on Sunday. Haven't started.
* My council report should really be in people's boxes by Sunday am.
* I didn't call my parents today to thank them for the Valentine's treat they sent. Or, just to say I love them.
* I still have the intent to make the vegetable dishes, but haven't don't so since my last post about it. And, I've let some vegetables go to waste because I failed to make anything with them.
* My garbage really needs to be taken out.

Tomorrow is my day off - but it is already full. Of some really good things. But, I just don't know where I'll have any time. And really, I'd just like to sleep. Because I'm worked up now and the sheep seem to have left the building.

I think the freak outs come when I feel alone in responsibilities - even when it's my own mess. Each of those bullet points are things I need to handle. Sure, I'll hand off the taxes to someone else, but I need to gather it together. Yeah, if I get it in her hands soon enough, my secretary will distribute the council report, but I still need to write it.

Just by writing (and processing) I'm calming down - freaking out less. By the time I shut down the computer I might already be asleep. It just really sucks to feel this anxiety - especially when I'd much rather be sleeping.

The Right Place at the Wrong Time

There are many reasons I do what I do (obv. the big bucks and the free wine every Sunday), not the least of which is that I am regularly in the right place at the wrong time.

Milwaukee is in the midst of a blizzard. Somewhere between 10 and 14 inches have fallen today. It's beautiful, heavy, wet stuff. My dead-end is a mess - no plow has been in it at all - and I'm parked one block over (taking over a kind man's spot who helped me as I attempted to cross the street - but got stuck before I even entered the intersection).

Many churches canceled their Ash Wednesday services, but we did not. I'm from Minnesota. You don't cancel things because of a little snow. Actually, my main thought was for the Soup Kitchen - there are some people whose best hot meal of the week is our Soup Kitchen.

Throughout the afternoon I kept second guessing myself. Should we have canceled? Could we yet?

The cooks called and said they could come. Ok - it's on. Other volunteers called. Some to say they were not coming - others to say they were. People watched the news to see if we had canceled - and then called when they didn't see our name to make sure.

The organist called - plowed into his subdivision. We tweaked the service.

Slowly people started to trickle in. A handful of homeless people, but just as many volunteers. I kept reminding myself - we all need the church - not just those who seem needy.

Then, one of our homeless guys - who had been out shoveling (who had been at it all day and was yet as I left) came in with a kid saying his mom had kicked him out.

A 16-yr old who had been jumped in October - by a bunch of kids who wanted him to join a gang. His family moved into our area after that...away from the other kids. Money was tight, his mom was angry with him for disrespecting her...he recognized that it was at stressful times that he and his mom got in the most fights. This was the second time this week he'd been kicked out - and this time he had been out in the blizzard for 5 hours.

I wasn't exactly sure what to do, but I told him to come in, dry off - we would get him some food and make sure he had a place to go and stay. I had no idea where that place would be...could I put a 16 yr old up in a motel? What if all the shelters were full?

I called the emergency number and got the numbers for a couple of youth shelters. The first one was full - but they said to call back at 9 in case everyone who was supposed to show up didn't. They also gave me the number of the other shelter I had gotten. I called there and explained the situation - and Mary, the woman on the other end of the phone, was so incredibly helpful.

The youth shelter is for youth 11-17, for up to 2 weeks at a time. The catch? They need parental permission. They can house a certain number of youth for 12 hours without permission, but if that were to be the case we would want to time when he came in - so he wasn't being pushed out into the streets at 6am.

It turns out it sounded like him mom would give permission - after our Ash Wednesday service, the council president (who has 4-wheel drive) and I drove him to the house. I was relieved to see it had a number of different accreditations posted on the door - including The United Way. After making sure it was legit and he wasn't going to be kicked out in a strange neighborhood (and after giving him the church's phone number) we left him there.

I know the journey isn't over for him - and perhaps not with us involved. But, I am so thankful that we were there tonight. I am so thankful that one of our homeless guys struck up a conversation in the middle of a blizzard and invited him in. I am so thankful that there was an opening for him at the youth house. And I pray that he will received needed help.