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today’s list.

29 Jun
Wear a gray t-shirt that I fashioned in this style under a favorite yellow cardigan? Check.
Converse via email multiple times with a friend who always makes me feel good about myself? Check. (As friends should … and even if she does live in Texas.)
Watch New Moon in anticipation of Eclipse tomorrow with Emily and her daughter, Hannah? Check. (That’s right. We’re going to wait in line. It will be an adventure.)
Do a little bit of (fun) grunt work for Kendall to earn my time off and my way out of Wednesday night services in order to see Eclipse? Check.
Bake a strawberry rhubarb pie for our staff planning retreat on Thursday? Check.
Three mile run? Check. (5k, Cassie!)
Visit and do more socializing than actual work today at church? Check. (It’s hard to not be social when Harry, the man who calls me Sweet Pea, is working the food shelf across from my office for the afternoon.)
Have an overall pretty awesome day? Check.

Riverfest wkend.

27 Jun
Oh, the emotions I felt throughout Dawson’s summer festival, Riverfest, this past weekend.

Accompanied: I drove to Watertown on Friday morning to meet up with my friend, Kate, and then we were off to Brookings to pick strawberries. $1.19/lb strawberries! Afterwards, I convinced her to come back to Dawson with me to partake in some Riverfest activities. Yes! She bought pajamas and a toothbrush at Target and then hopped in the car with me; I had a friend to accompany me to the festivities!
Loved: I love walking down the street and having people, especially kids, say, “Hi, Pastor Lindsay” or stop me to have a conversation. It makes me feel like I belong here and that I’m loved … well. At least liked. Err, maybe acknowledged is the best term.
Awkward: Kate and I attended the new gnome unveiling on Friday night and it felt a bit like we crashed a family reunion. I’ve been in Dawson for ten months so I recognize names and know a good number of people through Grace but the roasting and toasting of Dick, the new gnome, seemed like a family ordeal at times. Dawson is kind of like a big family … everyone knows each other and pretty much everyone is related in one way or another. (Below: The new gnome, Dick, only minutes after is was revealed in a very anti-climatic manner with a black garbage bag. Can’t help but say I was anticipating more but, for the most part, the new gnome lives up to my expectations.)

Comforted: We visited Jesus at the cemetery before the fireworks. Nothing like a little high-five action with the Savior.
Disappointed: My decorated gnome did not win. sad face. But at least I entered.
Caffeinated: Both Kate and I bought the reverend gnome mugs. Perfect for coffee. (Apparently there are gnome mugs for nearly each of the gnomes in the park! If only I had known, I would have started collecting!)
Embarrassed: Kate and I entered the two-person blind lawn mower racing on Saturday morning. (I am so not joking right now.) I drove blindfolded and Kate sat behind me and directed me through the course. In my head, the course went right; it was a circle to our right. We started out and I don’t think I was even really listening to Kate who was saying, “Left. Left.” because I thought I knew where to go and that was right. Oh my. Kate didn’t stop me or tap me on the shoulder or anything … so we went in a circle. Our time wasn’t so great but we did make it though without hitting any of the orange markers, even with our detour. Great laughs were had by all at Lindsay’ inability to know which way is left/right and her inability to relinquish control and listen to her eyes.
Fulfilled: Good weekend.

graduation celebrations.

31 May
This past Sunday marked the first of our summer worship schedule at Grace, meaning now just one service at 9am. Kendall was gone so it was all me – solo. I led worship, preached, schmoozed at coffee hour and then at 11am, hit the road for St.Paul. It was the day of Luther Seminary’s 141st commencement ceremony and I was super excited to make the trek and celebrate with a few graduating friends!
The ceremony is always held at Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis, one of the largest, most beautiful Lutheran churches. I met up with my pal, James, and we found our spots in the balcony to cheer on the graduates. This year there were about 45 graduates with two-year master degrees and about 75 graduates with master of divinity degrees (the degree which I seek and will receive next year at graduation – eek!).
It was my dapper friend, Justin, who invited me to make the journey to graduation. Justin and I met last year when he moved into the room next to mine in the dorms on campus. I’ve been knocking on his door, bothering him ever since and he politely tolerates my friendship. I couldn’t help but tell him so many times that day how proud I am of him! My dear friend, Kate, (below in the white dress and master’s hood) also crossed the stage and received her master of divinity degree! Kate was one of my very first friends at seminary; we were set-up by a high school friend of mine who went to college with Kate. She will be serving a parish in the U.P. of Michigan; the specific location of the lucky congregation to have her as their pastor is still to be determined.
After the ceremony, James and I joined Justin and his family (who flew in from Pennsylvania for the occasion) in celebrating the day. We ate a fancy schmancy dinner downtown, where I may have accidently thrown expensive French cheese on the floor. My reaction as Justin picked the cheese up : giggles. Fancy places make me giggle; the hick in me feels out of place and uncomfortable. The cheese was still good; the five second rule also applies to fancy food.
Later that evening, we headed out to further celebrate Justin’s graduation. We visited The Happy Gnome in St.Paul (naturally) and then, after 45 minutes of driving around looking for a respectable eating establishment that was open, landed at Pizza Luce where the three of us quickly devoured a baked potato pizza. Back to the dorms for a bed time story and incessant laughing before bed.
Wait. Bed? We heard the birds begin to chirp at 4am and then noticed when the sky started to get lighter at 6am. We scored a good 2.5 hours of sleep before heading to IKEA for brunch/lunch/celebratory cake and then, sadly, my trip to the cities needed to come to a close; I headed back to Dawson after a most fulfilling and exciting night in St.Paul catching up with two of my most favorite friends.

And how does one drive three hours by oneself on two and a half hours of sleep?
Thank you, Caribou.
Thank you, espresso.

Jesus?

29 May

Remember this guy that resides in my office?
He’s pretty cool. Fun office mate. Sometimes I would give him a high five on my way out the door. You know, just a way to say, “Hey, thanks for being here, Jesus” or “Hey, Jesus, you’re pretty boss.”
Last Wednesday night he went missing. Jesus was no where to be found. It was the empty tomb all over again and I was a Mary.
After we had cleaned up from of Women of Grace event, it was nearing 9pm. Karen and I then spent the next half hour looking for Jesus, certain that someone had just moved him but concerned that it might have been the high school choir kids who were there that night. We would feel better going home if we knew where Jesus was.
We checked all the obvious places – Tammy’s office. Nope. Emily’s office. Nope. Kendall’s bathroom. Nope. Where was Jesus?
Jesus has been known to be moved every once in a while, to surprise a staff member or bring comfort. (Really, the former more than the latter. Comfort? This Jesus tends to scare the bejesus* out of me if he moves.) But Karen and I looked everywhere and found the statue of our Lord no where.
We find out the next day that Jesus had ascended. To the cemetery. The original intent of the Jesus statue was that he be placed in the cemetery but after the statue had hung out in the intern’s office for more than two years, it was a surprise when it actually happened.
And so suddenly. I didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to my faithful office mate. As Kendall told me in pastoral-care-via-text-message, “The Lord works in mysterious ways.” I walked to the cemetery today to visit my buddy. He looks good, perched and preaching from a rock in the middle of a round-a-bout. It is nice to know that he hasn’t gone too far and I can still visit him when I feel so moved to spend time in the cemetery.
* bejesus : an exclamation traditionally attributed to the Irish, used to express surprise or for emphasis. they were forty minutes late, cocky as bejesus (the example used in my apple dictionary).

an olive oil picnic.

16 May
I escaped to the Cities this past weekend to spend time with friends and enjoy some of the comforts of the larger city. The highlight of the weekend was easily the trip to Stillwater on Friday evening. I worked in Stillwater for two and a half years, living there for one year and commuting for the other year and a half from St.Paul. After leaving the area, I have realized that I didn’t take advantage of the town. So much to do, places to go and good food to eat!
We started our Stillwater evening at the new Stillwater Olive Oil Co. on Main Street. I had heard rumblings of this magical place on facebook and thought it sounded like a new and different experience. We walked into the store and found ourselves surrounded by metal vats of balsamic vinegars and olive oils in all different flavors and varieties. I saw another customer drinking olive oil from a small test cup and worried this was a bad choice … eww? … but was soon proved otherwise. It was the coolest experience. We did shots of olive oil – lemon, garlic, basil, butter. We tested combinations of vinegars and oils … so delicious. I ended up walking away with a small bottle of blackberry ginger balsamic vinegar. After Sara dipped a piece of bread in a sample of this one, she exclaimed, “It’s like candy!” So good. I have never cooked/ate/bought balsamic vinegar before but I drizzled it over my strawberries and yogurt last night with rave results. It will make mighty delicious salad dressings as well.
After drinking some olive oil, we walked further down Main to the River Market Co-op to buy dinner from the deli. Three years ago, when I was in Stillwater, most of the sandwich choices they offer would have made me turn up my nose – turkey with avocado, tomato, lettuce and sprouts? In wrap form = delicious. We carried our picnic basket and our sandwiches to sit by the river and enjoy. It was the perfect evening to be outside and enjoying the water and each other. The evening was further perfected by ice cream at Nelson’s and a visit to the Gieseke family. I love Stillwater and vow to make it a place of regular visiting once I return to St.Paul in four months.

handshake helper.

26 Apr
C. and I have spent a bit of time together lately. He likes it when I come over to his house to play and the feeling is mutual. I enjoy it when his parents invite me over to hang out. I’ve been over a couple of times for dinner and after-dinner games of car racing, I Spy, and Guess Who. C. and I, we’re pretty good friends now.
So on Sunday, the minute the closing hymn was over and “Go in peace; serve the Lord!” was proclaimed, C. left his parents and sister in the pew and ran out to the narthex to greet me. He threw his hands around me in a hug and then still wanted my attention as the rest of the congregation was leaving and trying to shake my hand – my hand that had a four year-old attached to it. I asked C. if he wanted to help shake hands with me. He nodded yes enthusiastically.
He stood next to me and shook every hand I did until the last congregation members had exited the sanctuary. I think the congregation members enjoyed it. “Oh, you have a helper this morning!” Apparently, C. tells his parents that he wants to be a pastor when he grows up. And a policeman. And a doctor. And a fireman.

Wedding weekend!

12 Apr

My best man duties were put to the test this weekend. Could I :
  1. Get manicures and facials with the groom-to-be?
  2. Organize, set-up and participate in the bachelor party?
  3. Accompany the groom in getting ready/calming nerves before ceremony?
  4. Walk without tripping on my heels?
  5. Be any more excited? [No!]

It was a wonderful weekend and I couldn’t have been more honored and more happy to be with Adam throughout it all. I LOVED being a best man – HIS best man. It was simply an absolute joy to hang out with him. It has been a long while since Adam and I had spent time together so to be with him this weekend was great.
The wedding was perfect. beautiful. all things lovely. Both Kara and Adam looked overjoyed to be walking down the aisle and promising their lives to each other in front of family and friends. I’m so happy for them both and the new joys they will discover in this journey!
[[ Click the play button in the bottom task bar, beneath the photo, to begin a slideshow of more wedding photos! ]]

wooden people.

24 Mar

Pastor Lori was ordained last Saturday – ordained as a legit pastor.  Woot!  She can now “legally” wear a stole and preside over communion.  It was a wonderful service and a great honor that Lori asked me to assist at the service.  Lori’s ordaination called for gifts and we at Grace put much time and much effort into these gifts.  The time and effort included Kendall and I shopping at Dueber’s (classic downtown Dawson everything-you-can-imagine store) for theological and ministry-related gifts.   (An angel puzzle, law enforcement kit, bug spray, nail polish for the liturgical season, you know.  The like.)  The time and effort went to the extreme with the making of a mission: impossible-themed video, telling Lori that she would need to come to Grace to receive her gifts and save the Christian church.  Right.  (But if she or any of her IM forces should be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow knowledge of her existence.  Naturally.)

Lori came for lunch today to claim her gifts.  One of the gifts were these wooden people – colored to be the staff at Grace, so that when Lori needed to practice a sermon or bounce ideas off of someone, we would always be there for her in her ministry (and for another reason that would take too long to explain here).
Here we are with Lori and our wooden look-a-likes.  From left to right: Keith, custodian; Chris, choir director/organist; Lori (holding the wooden Jesus and cow); Emily, membership care; Pastor Kendall; Tammy, youth; Pastor Lindsay; Karen, administrative extraordinaire.

hoedown.

15 Mar
I received a facebook message last week from a seminary friend named Katie. In the message, Katie told me that she had written hoedown lyrics about me … Who’s Line is it Anyways? style. How great is this?! Start stomping your feet and sing along —

I’m gonna be a pastor, I knew it all my life

Worked and read and theologized, even had some strife

Now it’s time for internship, far away from home.
Sadly it’s in Dawson, and my neighbor is a gnome.

weekend update.

14 Mar
On SNL, they have a weekend update.  Here’s mine:
  • I drove to the Cities to meet up with friends.  Highlight numero uno: Art Scraps with Sara.  
  • Board games, birthdays, and balls!  We gathered at my college roommate’s abode to celebrate her birthday and the birthday of another college friend.  Carcassonne and Settlers were the games.  The balls were cake.
  • A sleepover with my college roommate.  While her husband fell asleep early, we stayed awake until 3am, catching up on work, families, and everything in between.  It reminded me of our years at Luther and oh, how I miss that.
  • A wonderful afternoon reconnecting with a friend over coffee and the vegetarian #6 sandwich at Jimmy John’s.  He’s teaching me – the daughter of a beef cattle farmer – the ways of vegetarianism.  
  • I felt in my element today at church.  We used Marty Haugen’s Now the Feast and Celebration at the first service (Love it.  It reminds me of when I played flute at East every other Sunday.) and sang an offertory song at the second service that I have began to love.  Confirmation between services was a lot of fun as we all got involved in the retelling of the Jacob-and-Esau saga.  The conversation turned often to sex; I think they like to see me squirm.  I planned and led the care center service followed by a few hospital visits.  Phew.  It was a long day and a good day.
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