Rogue Reverend

Investing Where You Are

I have lived in Richmond for nearly 5 years. The first 2 years, I traveled for Star Light, so I wasn’t home that much. The 3rd year, I was here, then left in the 4th year, only here on the weekends.

Now I’m back, full-time.

I’ve never really invested here. When I think about it, I am reminded, “it’s not DC.” I miss DC. I think, “It’s not far enough north.” I like the north. I reflect, “It’s so provincial.” I don’t like provincial.

And yet, I’m here. Not anywhere else. I love my church here.

If I decide to invest here in Richmond, I’m going to be really mad at myself. Not for investing here, but for not investing sooner.

My DIY Bedroom and Bathroom Updo

I have lived in my home for 4 years. My room has a dresser, comfy chair, bed, and two night stands. There’s no desk, and no bookcase.

So I decided to truck up to IKEA where I bough a desk and a bookcase. I got this table:

And this bookcase:

The room was make up with a lovely Laura Ashley print on the curtains, the comforter, and the bed skirt. Here’s the print:

I wanted something a little lighter, fresher.

In addition, I scoured thrift shops for a chair, then painted and covered the seat.

So here’s the whole office and craft area, with the bookcase, desk, and new curtains.

Site Updates

You may have noticed that I haven’t posted any pictures on this site in FOREVER. Seems like I had a little problem.

So late last night I updated WordPress, and I solved my little media problem (which really didn’t need me to update wordpress, but oh, well), and now I can upload photos!

Yay!

Here’s a fun one of the Lenten wall hanging I made with some of my church members:

It was made to go with the series that started last year (actually, 3 years ago, when I bought the fabric and started it!) at Pentecost:

Wait until you see the Easter one!

Terror

I have a personal theory about people serving other people in pain… We are most uncomfortable because we are scared to death that what happens to others will happen to us.

In other words, we avoid our friends who have cancer because their bald heads remind us that we’re vulnerable to cancer, too. We avoid grieving families because looking at their loss (of a child, a spouse, a parent) means that we, too, could face that loss. We avoid funerals because we know that the next funeral could be our own.

We think, “I don’t know the right words to say!” and “I could never survive this!”

I have been in ministry long enough to be able to put aside my own fears about cancer, losing loved ones, and losing my own life. I got it. I’m going to lose those things. And no funeral, no bald head, no sitting with someone in loss is going to make it come faster or slower for me.

I think I understand the devastation of natural disasters. I preached a sermon on the day that the Indian Ocean Tsunami hit Indonesia, and remember the horror of more than 225,000 people dying. I remember when Haiti suffered the earthquake and as many as 220,000 people died and 1.5 million were made homeless. I have watched Haiti as it attempts to recover from the earthquake, and feel the loss of all those individuals.

Somehow, Japan is different. Well, the tsunami and the earthquake don’t feel significantly different, but the nuclear meltdown is different for me. It might be because I was born in Japan, in a suburb of Tokyo, when my father served in the Air Force there. It might be because I live now just 50 miles away from a nuclear power plant. It may be that I watched The Day After in the 80′s.

So I watch the Japanese video in horror. I pray for those heroes who are working trying to contain the cores. I pray for the families around the reactors, for the fear of leaving their homes and the fear of staying in them. I pray for the generations to come who will face this devastation for many years to come. I pray for the government officials of Japan, that they might help solve these problems. I pray for the generosity of sister nations who will help with presence, rescues, and resources. I pray, especially for the grandmothers and grandfathers, for the mothers and fathers, and for the children.

Pull Up a Beer, Grab a Stool.

There’s a new website called Two Friars and a Fool, and true to their name, they appreciate foolishness. I’ve written a blog post there, and it’s live today. Go read it.

http://www.twofriarsandafool.com/2011/03/street-cred-for-ministers/

Take a peek.