Get Her Words Out

Experience

I had my nose rubbed in something this week that I had noticed before and which I find really frustrating.  It seems like, in the PC(USA) at least, that the work that a person does as a member of the church counts for nothing when it comes to seeking work within the church.

Where I was forced to face this idea this week was during an interview for a DCE position. 

I freely admit that I have never been paid to be a DCE, but I have, and my resume shows this, taught Sunday School to both youth and adults, taught part of my home church's  Elder training, taught Eighth Grade Bible study in the Logos program for years, been a youth advisor in two different churches, been a Small Group Leader at five Montreat Youth Conferences, Co-chaired the Logos committee at my home church and chaired both the Youth and CE committees.

So what was the first question I was asked during the interview?  "You have no direct experience, do you?"

The other place I get this is from the people who keep telling me that what I need is to go do an internship in a church so that I can get experience with how churches operate and what it is like to be in a church.  Because, obviously, I'm fresh out of seminary and have never experienced real life in a church.

In addition to the education experience above, I have served on the Sessions of two churches, I have been a Clerk of Session, I have been a Lay Pastor and Supply Preacher, I have been a church secretary, I have chaired Building & Grounds and Finance committees, I have been a YAD to a Synod and a commissioner to a number of Presbytery meetings.  I have hung sheetrock in the CE building, poured concrete for the new swing set outside, pulled pork for the church BBQ, painted murals in the youth rooms and made banners for the sanctuary.

But what I really need is to do an internship so that I can see how a church really works. 

Now, is this just me, am I just doomed to live out a life of crappy, entry level jobs no matter how much training, experience or talent I have?  Or is this a larger truth, is the work of the lay members of the church really considered meaningless and worthless?  Why?

I know it's wrong but...

...There's a part of me that laughs maniacally every time I think about how there are Ords going on this weekend and I don't have to worry about them.

Sorry and good luck to those of you who do.

Magic Bracelet

Friends know about the two dozen or so rubber bracelets I wear on my left wrist.  Some even know the back story of them.  But what you don't know, what I didn't know until yesterday is that they can control the weather.

In the middle of July we had a run of 100 degree days and I took the bracelets off because they were too hot to wear.  As the last month went by the temperature has trended down and on Tuesday I put the bracelets back on.  Wednesday's high temperature?  101 degrees.

Magic bracelets, from Claire's of all places.

I don't know what to think about this

I learned something interesting this week and I don't know if it is funny, tragic, depressing or what.

All across the PC(USA) there are people and churches who are upset about the direction the perceive the church to be going and that upset has become particularly loud in the wake of the GA's action on the PUP report.  Churches all over the country are up in arms about the GA's vote and are starting the process of leaving the denomination.

But, I heard this week that the churches of that ilk in my home presbytery have a different rallying cry, sure they're upset about the PUP, but what's really got them worked up is that the CPM recommended me for candidacy.

I don't know exactly why, although I imagine it's something along the lines of, "the CPM recommending a person like that proves that even the local governing bodies are completely out of touch with the people in the pews."

I also don't know how to react.  Part of me wants to go down there and confront them and ask them to point out to me the bit of polity that they think I am in violation of.

Part of me thinks it's hilarious that they are getting so worked up over my wanting to wear a skirt and change my name.

And part of me thinks all of this is tragic, not for me so much but for the church as a whole.

I don't know

One good thing...

...about being out of school and unemployed is that I have time to read.  Both for fun and, even better, to go back and look at some of the books that I had to go over quickly in seminary that I wanted to have more time for.

In the first category right now is Shelby Foote's (no relation) 3-volume Civil War narrative.

In the second category, I'm taking time to look at Pedagogy of the Oppressed again.

A Bit of an Upswing

I applied for four jobs this week and have already heard from two of them about doing interviews.

I applied in Boston, San Francisco, Muskegon, Michigan and Greeley, Colorado.

I've heard from Boston and SF. 

Every little bit helps

A New Car

In response to #2 below I am now the, more or less, proud owner of a 1998 Ford Explorer 2 door, 2 wheel drive with a 5 speed manual transmission.  There are pictures of it in the gallery at the end of the side bar.

Now I guess I have to come up with a name for it.  It was hard enough coming up with a name for myself.

News

1.  I had a wonderful time last weekend at a retreat for LGBT people under care in the PC(USA).  We shared our stories, worshiped, met with great resource people and shared fellowship and community.  I really needed that.

2.  While I was doing that, my niece was using my car in Denver and got into what would have been a minor fender bender if it hadn't been for the fact that the airbags went off.  She's okay, a few burns and scratches, but it would take almost $3000 just to fix the airbags, so I'm shopping for a new (used) car.

3. My CPM is meeting on Monday, and one of the things on their agenda is to discuss a letter I sent them asking for guidance.  I wasn't too worried about it until Tuesday when I was accidentally CC'd on an email from one member of the committee saying that he thought the guidance they should give me is that I should either leave the Presbytery or give up on ordination all together.

4. Still haven't found a real job, but I do have a growing collection of "thank you for applying, but you were not selected to be interviewed" emails.