Not A Good Experience

It is a rare occasion to write about a negative and unhappy experience playing tennis! That is what I like to do for fun and entertainment. Usually there are four women who play together. When one of the four cannot be there, someone tries to get a substitute. Last Friday, one of our group ran over to the next court to ask Boris, the Russian, if he would play with us the following Friday. I know a little bit about Boris because Gerry has played with him before. I was not excited about having him play, but it seemed perhaps better than playing with three.

So today, my partner and I played against the other woman and Boris. He, of course, has many tricks that the women do not have. Specifically, he has a wicked spin that comes toward you, hits the ground, then takes a ninety degree turn one direction or the other. We lost the first set. I honestly don't get upset about losing. Lord knows, I spent twenty five years losing to my dear husband before getting to the point when I could defeat him from time to time.

At the end of the second set, Boris decided he would give us instruction, and criticized our mistakes, telling us harshly how it is supposed to be done. I found that I was offended by that. He was a guest invited to play, but he was not invited to be our coach. I was not happy. Maybe his criticism was accurate, his observations true; still I was very angry. At least, out of that anger came victory, because we won the next two games.

Unfortunately, he was invited to play again next week; my partner cannot be there. I don't really want to go. Tennis is for pleasure, not for pain! Boris is a pain!

Criticism is an unwelcome guest!

The Bells Toll

Today I was sitting at my desk reading. It was material I had taken with me to the office, in preparation for writing a future sermon. The commentary was about the old familiar hymn 'Onward Christian Soldiers'. The writer was commenting on how problematic that particular hymn has become in our world today.

As I sat at my desk, I could hear in the background the sound of the organist practicing. Then shortly after that, I could also hear the church bells doing their ten o'clock chiming. I read on:

Some say Onward Christian soldiers is too triumphalist, suggesting that it is not sensitive to the other religious persuasions in the world. Many Christians live side-by-side not only with Jews, but also, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and others. Our friends and neighbors of other religious persuasions might get a little nervous if we marched out of here in lockstep singing, "Forward into battle, see his banners go."

Something clicked deep in my subconscious mind. At the very exact moment I read that last line, the very same notes peeled out of the church chimes, in complete unison. Suddenly I understood. The church chimes were playing 'Onward Christian Soldiers' in perfect harmony with the paragraph, as I was reading it at that moment.

I was floored, flabbergasted, amazed, astonished. What are the odds that I would be reading those exact words at the exact moment they rang out of the church bells for all to hear?

For me, it was a jaw-dropping serendipitous moment, the kind that is so easily forgotten. I wanted to save it, savor it.

And so I wrote this down to be preserved for posterity.

I want to remember how the bells tolled their musical notes, in complete unison with the words I read, just for me! The bells tolled for me!

Being the Officiant

I am very fortunate and blessed to be able to serve as the officiant at my children's weddings. So far, they have wanted me to. It is a unique and rare privilege, and a thrill to be part of this special event in that way.

In order to prepare for that, I met today with daughter MC (middle child) and her fiance' PA (to protect his identity.) We went over all the details of the wedding and what the ceremony would contain. It was my first "semi-official" meeting with them. Of course, as mother, I can not really be all that "official", but it was a wonderful experience for me. It was a context in which I learned a lot about MC's future husband, PA.

In fact, PA did something that I felt was so very thoughtful and helpful. Yesterday, in preparation for our meeting today, he delivered what he called a "long overdue letter" in which he described his feelings about marrying MC, and he described what their relationship is like. I was so happy to receive that letter, which gave me insight and brought me comfort! The pair of them are among the most humble and gentle souls you would ever meet!

They have been together for five years now, and I could not be happier. No doubt their wedding will be a joyful event for both families, as we witness the joining together of our children.

With both M & P and Yo and Matt, Gerry and I are so glad we have "lived to see this day" when these two offspring have found their best friends and lifelong partners.

And the greatest of all is love!

Newsletter Article

I wrote this for the May Newsletter, and thought it might be a good blog article, so here it is:

The Church In My Life

My father was a minister, so I grew up in the church. That meant that most of the activities of my childhood and youth centered around church events and happenings. Even as a young adult, I never strayed too far from the church. There are several reasons for that. First and foremost is that it is through the church of Jesus Christ that I found meaning and purpose, identity and the core beliefs of my life. As an adult, when I moved far from my home and relatives, the church became 'my family' even more fully than before.

Then later in life, the time came when I felt a strong sense of calling and followed that. I attended seminary, even though doing so was a significant challenge with four children, one of whom was four years old when I started. I enjoyed twenty wonderful years in the ministry, bringing my gifts and service to the Lord. Eventually, I came to believe it was time to retire from full time ministry, and do something different, like interim ministry perhaps.

I recognize now that not only have the activities and events of my life come from church, so also has the work of my life and most of the primary relationships. It doesn't get much more central than that.

UPC (my current church) is a special treat as I continue my love affair with Christ's church. I am learning all about the community in which I live. I am still actively serving the Lord; I am forming new relationships. I am part of something that keeps me connected to the believers from every age. God is so good!