Good Evening

Good Evening -

My very favorite word in the English language is "evening." It has such a smooth, parallel sound to it and reminds me of my favorite time of day.

I haven't posted much in the last week as I have been very busy. Busy visiting, busy writing, busy planning, busy leading and following... and busy discovering why Eugene Peterson understands "busy" as pastoral blasphemy. The way he describes his idea is just about right, however. "Busy" can be a simple excuse to avoid responsibility or to simply look as though one is doing their task. "Busy" for a pastor might also mean allowing others to simply take over his or her schedule - absolving oneself of boundaries. Peterson thinks pastors must have command over his or her daily planner and learn to schedule clear time boundaries around prayer, scripture study, and time with friends and family. That being said...

I've been busy all week. I've been learning how to say "yes" and follow through, and say "no" and make faint attempts at not feeling guilty about it.

A few fun things about the week:

1. Visiting Jim and Ruth at the hospital. Jim was in for a few procedures and he told me loads of great stories. He was the only one in his very extended family who "made it out" without becoming a pastor! He was a teacher and loved every moment of it.
2. Going to the Valparaiso University womens volleyball game (against Central Indiana U.) with a professor and his family (Dr. Mark Bartusch - head of my internship committee). VU won! And to top it off Mark began squinting across the court and said, "Oh! There's Jim and Ruth!" I said, "No way! I was just visiting him in the hospital this morning!" But no - there they were!
3. Really enjoying my new membership at the YMCA. I visit there VERY regularly to experience the joys of sweat and the runners high - as well as the free sauna!
4. The strangest part of this is being called "Vicar." It is apparently my name, now. "Hi, Vicar!" I hear it at the Y, at church, at the grocery... everywhere! Some people in the congregation who I have become close with sometimes hesitantly ask me if they might call me "Natalie" outside of church (of course!). My name is a title. Strange.

And the highlight of this past week was certainly tonights' youth group meeting. The kids are very close to one another and are a great mix of silly and thoughtful. They pick one another up and guide the younger ones with cheers and a gentle hand. We have one boy who deals with some mild form of autism - extremely bright and delayed socially by a margin. While we sang the opening to our worship tonight he perfectly and beautifully - throwing caution to the wind - sang harmonies and support tunes. For a freshman boy who can't sit still... amazing. Everyone in the group was so quick to support him and he was just basking in it.

We closed with "Prayer around the Cross" - a service of candles, scripture and soft song.

It has been a good week - busy in the un-Peterson way, I hope. I'm in for it this week, though! Jerry will be gone, visitations abound, and I've got the whole set of services to plan for next Sunday - baptism and all... !