This weekend I treated myself to some time away to play. It was great. I went to the Shake Rag Alley School for Arts & Crafts in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. I highly recommend both Shake Rag and Mineral Point, Wisconsin as places to get away.  
  
    I made a Power Doll, a Dream Box, a hand-bound journal and painted a mandala. Yes, all pretty touchy-feely art projects. The great thing was they could either be as whimsical or as deep as I wanted to make them...or a mixture of both. It was very fun to be a playful student. I thought of the children in my congregation and the energy in which they approach the same kind of whimsical yet deep projects. I found great delight in enjoying the process and not obsessing about the finished product. And in the end...I liked all my not-quite-finished products. 
    
    You'll see my power doll has stripped leggings like the little girls at church. My dream box became a story box based on a children's tale written by Charles Dickens.The pages in my journal began taking shape as they embraced adventure. My mandala reflects my word for 2013 - cultivate. The base is done. I look forward to adding more detail.

    There were 7 other women at the retreat. We had varied lives (everything from an engineer from Madison and a farmer from Iowa to the church geek in Illinois!) but we shared in common a love and need for whimsical and deep play!

    I am excited to keep playing and not only make it a once in a while treat.
~Pam

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
And sustain in me a willing spirit.
                                    Psalm 51: 10-12


    We hear familiar words from scripture all throughout the church year.
"In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered."
"In the night in which he was betrayed our Lord Jesus took bread..."
"I am the vine and you are the branches."

    On Ash Wednesday when the familiar words from Psalm 51 are read, they feel different. They are not comfortable. They sit with me restlessly. For me Ash Wednesday isn’t about answers. It is about prayer. It is about listening to God. Lent takes me on a journey. It is a season like no other. It compels me to reflect on my life. Am I noticing God’s presence in my life? Do I have a willing spirit? Am I open to God using me for the sake of the gospel? What if God wants to use me in a different/new/surprising way for the sake of his world?
Like I said - not a season for easy answers but for listening.

    I am leaving for church in a few minutes to witness the burning of the palms. Palm that were used to shout Hosanna! last Palm Sunday and now will be used today to remind me that I am dust and to dust I will return. It is one of those full circle moments. A moment for humility and to remember that life isn’t about answers. Life is about living in relationship with God and with each other through Christ.

My prayer today:
Open my heart, Lord.
Open my eyes, Lord.
Open my ears, Lord.
Sustain in me a willing spirit.
Amen

~ Pam

    I have been thinking about those of us who are called to work in the church. It is an amazing profession/culture in which we work. We are surrounded by people we are called to care for, lead, encourage, and challenge. Our work involves valuing and prioritizing both the individuals and the community. Many times those relationships can be at odds with each other. Reconciling the needs and wants of individuals with the vision for the whole group can be a challenge. It requires us to sometimes put our own opinions and ideas on the back burner as we negotiate a healthy balance. 

    Because we invite people to be vulnerable, both individually and as a community, we are different than any other place. No school, no agency, no profession, not even all families live in this reality. It can be overwhelming to negotiate all of that as a leader and not let ourselves get in the way of what God is doing in and among the individuals and the community. It requires listening deeply to not only the people but also the Holy Spirit.

    Being called to work in the church is an honor. It is also the hardest job I have ever had. Many evenings I come home exhausted and yet...I can't wait to go back the next day and imagine more ways for people share and to grow in their faith.