*insert curse word of your choosing*

Situation number one:  It’s Saturday.  I’ve done my errands for the day and I’m at home, settling in and doing anything but finishing my sermon for the next day.  There’s a knock on the door and I find my neighbor and her daughter at the door.  [Neutron’s owners.  I love them and think there might be friend potential.  The neighbor at my door, her husband and I totally geeked out after church yesterday about all things Apple and lamenting for faster internet.  We understand each other.]  Rachel, the daughter, is selling Girl Scout cookies.  [Let it begin.]  I invite them into my slightly messy kitchen and they spread the cookie order form out on the counter … right in front of my pint glass that reads “Consumption of alcohol may lead to epic dance parties.”  

*insert curse word of your choosing*  

While the statement may be true, it’s not what parishioners need to see on my counter – let alone a third grader.  [I will make the distinction that the glass was not filled with alcohol.  But still not cool.]

Situation number two:  Now it’s Sunday after church.  Same family.  I see the mom and make some joke apologizing for my appearance on Saturdays.  I always wonder just a little bit when people see me not as “pastor” but instead in sweats with no makeup and crazier than normal hair; I wonder what they think.  I said something about being much more put together on Sundays with makeup and whatnot.  The mom looks at the daughter and say, “Not that women need to wear makeup.  We’re beautiful without makeup.”

*insert curse word of your choosing* while I stick my foot in my mouth.

I totally agree with the mom and it made me realize I should be a bit more careful around young, impressionable girls about makeup/clothes talk.  Reminds me of this article.

Situation number three: My southern Minnesotan family [Paige, Lauren, and jD] and I went to a church gathering in Owatonna last night.  It’s a church that uses space in a Baptist church and a gathering that tries to stay away from what you would even consider church.  As pastors, it’s nice to have a place to worship – actually worship – and not be responsible for leading.  Maybe this could be that place for us?  We walked in [late] to join a group of eight adults sitting around an old oriental rug [it really tied the room together] and coffee table.  A couple is singing songs, a la Indigo Girls.  He looks Amish and she looks bohemian like I’ve always wanted to be.  The gathering continues into an hour discussion on … wisdom?  There were charts.  Diagrams.  Flippant references to Scripture.  And we were missing the beginning of the Grammys.

… get. us. out. of. here.  *insert curse word of your choosing*

Despite the … unconventional? not engaging? … hour of talk about decision making, I kinda sorta want to go back because the people were so incredibly gracious and welcoming.  We were offered tea from the start, and a few people moved so we could sit together.  [Will people move pews in a Lutheran church to accommodate?  Honestly debatable.]  After the gathering was over, they practically swarmed around us, asking us questions and engaging us, telling us again and again that they hoped we’d come back.  Will we go back?  I don’t know.  I wouldn’t mind giving it another go; it could be a fun community to become involved in.  But only if the charts and diagrams end.