Alice in Wonderland

The High School production of Alice in Wonderland began last night. I went to tonight’s showing to take some photos. Shelley plays the part of the Duchess.

No more sermons

No more for the foreseeable future unless something changes.

Because I have resigned from the pastoral duties of the church, I am apparently no longer welcome to provide the sermon during the church hour. I have not received this as a formal statement, but only as rumors, innuendos, and implied-read-between-the-lines statements.

Apparently I am still welcome to lead and teach in every other way. If my preaching is so threatening and dangerous, shouldn’t my teaching be as well… The stupefying illogic rises to new wonders and astonishment.

Whatever…

My apathy level regarding the Seventh-day Adventist political organization and those that feed into it and from it are about 99.999%.

So there you go.

February Picnic

This past Saturday, at the initiative of one of our parishioners, we went out to Blind Slough rather than hold a regular church service. It was a sunny day, though a tad cool. Even though there was a thin layer of ice on the water, it was more like spring than winter.

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Spring in February?

That’s what it felt like today. The temperature warmed up to almost 50 degrees and the sun came out for a bit, though now it is mostly cloudy and breezy.

I went out on the bike for a short, 45 minute spin. I couldn’t find my arm warmers so I went out with just a short sleeve jersey and a wind vest. Fifty degrees is still too cold for shorts so I had leg warmers. This is the lightest cycling clothing I’ve ever worn around here in February. Normally I’d be wearing a long sleeve jersey, perhaps a jacket, and wind-and-water-proof pants.

On another topic, Shelley made it out of Juneau yesterday, but the ferry broke down in Sitka. She is stuck there today. If the boat doesn’t get repaired, they will be on the next ferry leaving Sitka tomorrow and arriving here on Wednesday.

Shelley is stuck in Juneau

Shelley was supposed to return today but the ferry broke down. The scheduled return is now early morning on Wednesday.

No sermon yesterday

There was no sermon yesterday. Not because it is related to any of the things going on earlier, nor because I didn’t have one ready to go, but because we spent something like two hours working through the defense Stephen gave before the council (Acts 7).

School News

There are a number of items about Shelley and school to report on today.

First, she is currently in Juneau as part of the Drama, Debate, and Forensics team. She joined this semester and this is her first school trip away from home. She returns Sunday.

Second, Shelley will be part of the cast of the High School production of Alice in Wonderland. She has been hard at work rehearsing her part and also doing a lot of work putting together the costumes. Her sewing skills have been noticed.

Third, Shelley submitted a marine themed art (colored pencil) to the Tsunami Bowl Art Show. The Tsunami Bowl is a regional competition for high schools on ocean sciences. The competition includes research papers and quizzes for the school teams, and also includes an art show aspect. Shelley won Best in Show for her artwork. The High School art department was awarded $500 for the win. We received an invitation for next Tuesday, February 16, where the Petersburg City School Board, during their monthly Student Recognition, will recognize Shelley’s achievement in art.

Since Shelley seems to enjoy and excel at drama, theater production, and art, perhaps there is a future career direction found in one or more of those areas.

When you get KOed…

Apparently the psalmist knows a thing or two about getting knocked down and beat up. One of my short devotional pieces this morning referenced Psalm 42, so I looked it up. (This is the chapter that begins, “As the deer longs for streams of water…” NLT) Translation notes for the psalm indicate that this and the next psalm, Psalm 43 were originally a single psalm.

The psalmist knows about discouragement, distress, depression. In these two chapters a refrain is repeated three times. I like the way the New Living Translation translates the refrain:

Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again -
my Savior and my God!

End of a chapter

I have chosen to resign as the pastor for the local Adventist church. A new district pastor came last summer and after a number of interactions, came to the conclusion that the differences were simply insurmountable at this time. This, in addition to some of the other things that have transpired over the past half year, I could sense my entire well-being – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual – coming apart and I simply could not continue.

I guess it is now time to see what happens next.