General Synod 2010
The Reformed Church in America’s General Synod starts next week and I’ll be, once again, posting occasional updates and reflections (timer permitting) on my blog.
It’s shaping up to be a busy year for me but, of course, I’m looking forward to it.
If the rest of my blog isn’t of interest to you, you can reach “Synod 2010″ updates at:
http://synod.tenclay.org
Enjoy….
Grace and Peace,
`tim
I’m back!
No, believe it or not, I have not fallen off of the face of the earth. I am still alive. I am still upright taking in sustenance. I simply haven’t been blogging much lately. Sorry about that (for those few of you who actually read what I put up on here!)
We are doing well and recovering from the move. The trip out to Pultneyville took us almost exactly 12 hours. JJ had the girls in the car and I took Carina (the dog) with me in the van. The trip, although long, was relatively uneventful (exactly how a trip like that should be!) We arrived in Pultneyville around 6:30 and were warmly greeted by a group of people from our new congregation. Their hospitality even before we arrived has been unbelievably generous. I told someone the other day that I keep waiting for the shoe to drop – can a real people really be so kind?!
After a few nights of sleeping on the floor in our sleeping bags, we greeted the moving truck Wednesday morning and, by 12:30, everything was “moved in.” Back then, it all looked so organized and together — now, on the other hand, the whole house is filled with half-empty boxes as we’ve been searching for specific items and, at the same time, tried to find places for everything that we’ll be able to remember.
Sophia and Petra are starting to adjust. Petra has even slept through the night several times in the past week.
If you haven’t heard, my installation will be Saturday, May 22nd at 11:00 am. The installation service, in the Reformed Church, is the formal service that “officially” makes me the pastor here. It’s open to the public and, if you’re in the area, I’d love to have you attend!
In any case, someone reminded me this morning that I hadn’t posted anything since my arrival and I thought I’d better rectify that!
We’re well!
Grace and peace,
`tim
Ministry, Facebook, Friends & Purging
Wow, how’s that for a title?!
When JJ and I started talking about the likelihood of moving, we were immediately faced with a uniquely 21st century dilemma: What to do with our Facebook friends.
On the surface, the answer seems simple: nothing.
The problem is, something seems “wrong” with doing “nothing.”
Here’s what I mean: When I look at my Facebook friends, I notice that they fit into several different categories:
With the possible exception of the first category, each of them contains individuals who’ve “friended” me for various (potentially now-defunct) reasons. There are those who…
Obviously, I want to remain connected with the people in the first category. I may also need to remain connected with the people in the second category (I want to in many cases as well!) The question is, what is the best way of dealing with people in the third category?
You see, there is this strange reciprocity on Facebook. It seems rude to “unfriend” someone after previously “friending” them unless there’s been some kind of obvious break up. On the other hand, it seems equally as rude to put someone in the awkward position of having to “unfriend” me if we’ve been “friended” out of obligation but may not need to (or want to) stay in contact when I move 9 hours away. (This may be particularly true with people who’ve “friended” me because I was their teacher or minister).
(NOTE to Facebook: This is why I think you should set friends to time out in a year if they haven’t interacted at all. In other words, set the software to automatically unfriend people who haven’t written, chatted, or even “liked” each other’s status in 12 months. They can always refriend each other. Or better yet, give them a 1 month warning so that they know they need to get back in touch with one another before the auto-un-friending descends upon them!)
Until Facebook decides to instigate an auto-un-friending policy, we’re left with mitigating these waters on our own. Months of thinking about it have brought me to the conclusion that the best way of handling it is to do a massive-friend-purge when we move.
It isn’t that I don’t like most of the people involved (I do). It isn’t that I don’t want to be friends with them (I do). It’s that I want to give those who’ve “friended” me out of convenience or obligation a gracious way to respond to the fact that they we probably will not stay in contact when I move.
I’m sure it isn’t the perfect way of handling it. I don’t even know if it’s a good way of handling it. I do know that it’s the best option I’ve been able to come up with.
So, if we’re friends now, and you notice in the next few weeks that something happened and you’ve stopped getting my witty and thought-provoking status updates on your News Feed, it isn’t that I don’t like you.
Seriously, if you refriend me, I will eagerly reciprocate the refriendification. If we were somehow connected out of obligation or convenience (and the reasons no longer hold true), you will now have a wonderfully gracious way of opting out.
Don’t worry, the massive-friend-purge will not happen for a few weeks, so the defrendifying, refriending and refrendification will be entirely unnecessary for a while.
I write this now, because I wonder what you think.
How is a situation like this best handled? Leave a comment on my blog… drop me a message on FB… or an e-mail… give me a call… or write on my wall (if it’s appropriate for public consumption). Let me know what you think and what your experiences have been….
Grace and Peace,
`tim
Credo ? Oratio Now Available via E-mail!
Are you a Credo ? Oratio fan?! Do you enjoy the entirely random posts on everything from knitting… to biking… to church politics?
Well, do I have a deal for you! (And it’s FREE!)
Credo ? Oratio is now available through Feed Burner which, among other things, makes it possible for you to sign up and receive new posts into your own private e-mail account!
The sign-up box is on the lower, right-hand side of the page. Simply enter your e-mail in the box and follow the instructions.
If you want to comment, you’ll still have to come to the blog or do it on Facebook, but reading just got much easier!
Grace and Peace,
`tim
Announcing….
Just in case you haven’t been on facebook and/or didn’t otherwise hear…
Our 2nd daughter was born yesterday morning (1/13/09) at 8:25. She was 7 pounds 2 oz… 21 inches long. Her name is Petra Grace.
Both her and JJ are doing well and the hope is that both will be able to come home this afternoon or early evening! Sophia is taking the news pretty well (although she is probably even more excited about staying at “aunt Roxie’s” house while we’re at the hospital than the baby at this point).
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers on our behalf… feel free to spread the news!
Grace and Pace,
`tim
Old Year’s Awards
The new year is fast upon us and, as is usually the case when the calendar makes its remarkably over-celebrated transition from one page to the next, I find myself reflecting on the past year. Meditations like this can easily lean either toward the negative or the positive and, to be fair, this year has provided enough on both sides of the list to write several lengthy posts. It’s the positive that gives life though, so I’d like to end the year giving out a few unofficial awards noting those who have made my little corner of the world better and more hopeful in a variety of ways.
My self-imposed rules are simple:
- No one in the family gets awards – they go without saying!
- No one gets an award who would expect to get one – that defeats the purpose.
- Awards are presented in random order; I’m giving 7 for no other reason than that it seems like a good biblical number.
Award #1: Emily… For all the work she’s done at church… all the ways she’s gone above and beyond… all the times she picked up the slack when others fell through.
Award #2: the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America… for an historic vote on the Belhar Confession and taking the monumental step of sending it to the Classes for approval as the RCA’s fourth standard of unity.
Award #3: Joe Chicago’s Pizza our absolutely favorite pizza joint. Sophia refers to it as the “monkey place” because of the reprinted poster on the wall of a monkey embracing a large bottle of some kind of liquor. This award should probably be shared with Skile’s Tavern, who make the best thin crust, greasy pizza in the world. Truly incredible. The two are too different to be compared, so both win!
Award #4: Joe and Todd… Joe is one of the key organizers of the Men’s Knitting Retreats and Todd, put together the midwest version which I had the pure joy of attending in November. On a related note, MenWhoKnit.com deserves mention. The people from these two (overlapping) groups have, unquestionably, made up the most supportive, most encourage and most caring group of people I’ve had the privilege of interacting with throughout the past year.
Award #5: Von Morgens früh…und bis zur Nacht… my favorite album of the year. Absolutely life-transforming collection of music related to the daily prayer cycle. The album is worth every penny for the masterful “Laudate omnes gentes” (Track 2) and one of the most beautiful and haunting pieces ever set to music: Arvo Pärt’s “Magnificat” (Track 11). That said, every single track is worth the price of the album.
Award #6: Matt & Ragbrai…. This year I eagerly rode my third Ragbrai; Matt has ridden with me through all three of them. Both the ride and the co-rider have been more valuable than any amount of professional counseling could have ever been in providing perspective, relaxation, and rejuvenating (yes, believe it or not 500 miles on a bike can be both relaxing and rejuvenating.)
Award #7: Seminarians… Ok, this may seem like an odd award. Those of you who know me well know that I did not consider seminary a particularly enjoyable experience. This year, however, I’ve had the opportunity to spend more time with current seminarians than I have since my graduation a decade ago. I can’t speak to all of those preparing for ministry in the RCA, but I can say this: the RCA is on the cusp of receiving some it the most thoughtful and intelligent seminary graduates we’ve seen in decades. I hope and pray that rather than dumping them into local congregations hoping they don’t hurt themselves or others, we welcome them into ministry, encourage them along the way, support them, and help them sail faithfully into ministries (both old and new) that the church needs.
There could be more, but I’ll stop there.
Whatever the past year has brought to you and yours, I hope the new one finds you increasingly healthy and wise and that it’s filled with unbelievable amounts of both joy and hope.
Grace and Peace,
`tim
Unexpected turn of events
Consider me floored.
Last week I got a call from a member of Zeeland Classis’ nominations committee asking if I’d be willing to accept a nomination to the position of Classis Vice President. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Reformed Church, a Classis is a regional body (made up of elder and minister delegates from local congregations) that has the rights and responsibilities similar to a Roman Catholic bishop. I am a reasonably active, but often disagreed-with member of our Classis and since the call came so close to the meeting, I assumed they were simply looking for enough people to fill out the nominations spots on the ballot. In short, I had absolutely no expectation that I would ever be elected – literally.
Well. . . you know what they say about assuming. Turns out, I was the only one willing to accept the nomination. That means, the vote ended up being a mere formality. I have now been elected Vice President of Zeeland Classis. That means that barring anything strange, I will be the only one on the ballot for next year’s presidency.
Let me repeat: consider me floored.
As the saying goes, the Lord works in mysterious ways.
This should be interesting! I would appreciate your thoughts and prayers in the months to come.
Grace and Peace,
`tim
Commissioned Pastor and Their Ordinations
I just put up a new post on my portion of the Church Herald blog site regarding the ordination of commissioned pastors.
If you have any interest in such things, I’d appreciate your comments…
Grace and Peace,
`tim
Think good thoughts and offer prayers…
Please?!
I have a thesis deadline coming up in a few days and am still awaiting news from my adviser and second reader – making the deadline doesn’t mean I’m done, but it will mean that I’m dramatically closer to being done. The fortunate thing is that, although the whole process has been dramatically slowed done since my adviser is no longer working at the seminary where I’m studying, he’s brilliant and knows the process really well. I also, apparently, was assigned an awesome second reader. I don’t know him but the rumor is good.
On a completely different note. Those of you who know me know that I have never been accused of being athletic. Although I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Ragbrai the past couple of years, it’s mostly because Ragbrai is only tangentially about being athletic. It’s really more about the people and fun. Despite that, I’ve allowed myself to be talked into running a 5k. Crazy! For the record, Matt Reimink is the guilty party. It’s all his fault. In any case, I’ve now embarked on a 9-week plan called “Couch Potato to 5k” that’s supposed to be able to get anyone – even the likes of me – to the point of being able to make it through the experience. Apparently I’m just a sucker for trying something new. I’ll keep you posted.
On a more theological note, we’re working our way back through the Heidelberg Catechism in our Adult Sunday School class. I am increasingly convinced that one of the fundamental problems in the Church today is a mis-balance of emphasis on Word without Sacrament (in the Protestant Church… just the opposite in most Catholic churches). Add to that the fact that we have so separated the table from the experience of eating and drinking with one another that it’s hard to even pretend that the sacramental table is a “meal.” More will eventually show up on this blog to this effect. I’m just to emotionally and intellectually strung out to type it up for now (see first paragraph of this post…).
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers…
Grace and Peace,
`tim