The Learning Continues

My new adventure into becoming a Walgreen's photo tech continues with lots of learning everyday. Yesterday I opened - that is I got both the film and paper processors turned on, tested and ready to roll. I also put a new roll of the print paper in the paper cannister, being very careful because one of my co-worker's did it last week, and a paper jam ensued. I also was asked to correct a problem with another cannister - that required a little assistance from one of the better trained techs, and even he had some trouble with it.

I have also learned that we are the department within the store that covers more of what needs to be done than any other! Photo also covers the coolers, the food shelves, the vitamin and pharmacy shelves, and the stationary and photo frame/album aisle. When it is time to deal with sale tags for a week or monthly sale - we have more tags to hang.

I learned yesterday that at the beginning of the month we pull expired food items from the shelves - I did that, and was complimented and told I had done too much because Frito-Lay is supposed to do their own.

I'm off n0w until I start to work the end of this week at the new store, helping to set up the store and get it ready to open.

So, what does this have to do with pastoral duties? Well, let me just say that I have done a bit of counseling with a co-worker working off some anger over past experiences that still bother her. I have listened to customers and tried to help them with difficulties, and have worked hard to counter prejudices that have come up in my presence - but gently. And I'm helping people!

What makes this better than being in a church? When I clock out, I'm done! I don't have people second guessing me all the time! No Board claims I just won't listen, while in fact they are not listening to me. I ask when I don't know, learn more about my position and continue to find ways to help! I'm looking forward to the new store and the development of our team.

So, the adventure and the learning continue apace! Peace!

The New Adventure

Well, I've started a new job, and if it works out, my ministry may turn to being there for other pastors. I'm training as a photo tech with the possibility of becoming the team lead at a brand new Walgreen's store in Evergreen, Colorado. I've had a week of training and seem to be coming along nicely. I've made some mistakes, asked some questions more than once, but I am learning what I need to know. The biggest thing over the next week and a half is to get 17 computer modules completed per my new manager's wishes. I've worked the opening shift and the closing shift. I've processed film - it's all automated, taken orders, run the register and helped get the shelves lined with sale tags and kept up their appearance.

The thing I think I like most is the ability to walk away from the job at night and know that I'm not likely to get called for an emergency, not needing to go to a meeting where someone will light in to me for a difference of opinion instead of dealing with the facts. I'm here, I serve our customers and my fellow employees, I do my job, then I get to go home to my wife, and not need to boil over for a hour to become even close to being able to sleep. I can play computer games with my daughter for the sheer enjoyment of the games without NEEDING to bash "booglies" to slow down and get rid of frustrations.

You know, now that I think of it, shouldn't the church also be able to let their pastor go home that way? Why do we seem to feel a need to dump all our frustration and anger on the one person who is supposed to be there to help us? Why do we feel the need to argue with the one who has the training to help guide the changes we might need to make? Where in those beloved scriptures does it say the pastor is the whipping member of the church? I know Jesus spoke of the first being the last, but I'm not sure he was referring to the pastor being the crapper of the church. I truly think the Savior was saying we ALL need to come down off our high horses, get used to the idea that we are CALLED to MINISTRY and SERVICE, roll up our sleeves and ALL strive to do the work of the Christ in our world - not pay someone a salary and require them to forget their own life in order to fulfill the dreams and wants of everyone else.

Some of my anger has come to the fore, but that's alright because Jesus wasn't slow to tell the disciples or the listening crowds where they were failing and how to get it right - though I'm not sure he had much more success than pastors do in that regard. Perhaps the time has come for pastors to reassert the prophetic role once again, and call a few spades by their rightfully earned names. May the quite humble folk of the church need to find their voices and tell some of those big-money-loudmouths to sit down and shut up, or take their money and find another place to bully folk into being an extension of their desire to be pampered - because there is ministry to be done here, and only action people are desired. Wow! That's quite a dream, but it just might be the dream necessary for Christianity to reassert its rightful place in the world, to make the whole voice of Christianity heard instead of one hate-filled strand.

Anyway, the new job is pretty nice for a change, and I've given you a bit to chew on!

Peace!

Here's to Irena!

My brother sent me a You.tube portion of the Glen Beck show telling the story of Irena Sendler, a Polish woman who worked for the Welfare Department in Poland as Hitler began his final solution. She was in charge of controlling TB, and used her restriction-less freedom to smuggle over 2500 Jewish children out of the ghetto in Poland - carrying them in toolboxes, caskets, gunny sacks and in ambulances accompanied by her trusted friend and cohort - a dog that would bark incessantly while she was questioned, so the Gestapo officers wouldn't hear the crying children.

When she was caught, she was tortured and beaten mercilessly, but escaped execution by bribing a guard and living in secret until the war was over. Not wanting the children to lose their true identities, she had written their names down, buried them in a jar by an apple tree in her backyard. After the war's conclusion, she retrieved the list and began helping the children rediscover their true identity and place many of those whose parents had died during the war and the Final solution with family members.

Glen Beck mentions that he heard of her because she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. My gut reaction is to state without fear of error that there are literally hundreds who have similar stories of heroism and simple true compassion for persons caught in the hate-filled hands of dictators and tyrants. Glen Beck had to end her wonderful story taking a shot at a political figure. That's too bad, because it cheapened his sharing of her wonderful story, and it demeaned the announcer himself.

God's speed on your new venture in God's new realms, Irena, and thanks for the ideal to live up to!

Peace!

Huzzah!

The drought is over! I applied to Walgreen's on-line, because they have a new store opening in Evergreen, where my beloved is working. Two days after I completed what you can do from home I received a call from the manager of the new store. He could offer the position for which I had applied, but like the application enough to want to interview me. By the time that was done, he was saying he would like me to work in another department that would give me nearly a dollar an hour more in pay, and train me to help set up the store, possible to become the team lead - more pay and a first step on the way to management.

I won't be making what I did, nor as much as my beloved has been told she will make when her training is over, but it is income and there is the possibility of more, and of advancement. Sounds like a pretty good start to me! If it goes as well as we hope, and nothing truly exciting appears on the pastoral search front, it may be time for a mid-life career change, away from the frustrations of churches that don't want to be part of the future except for the people and money, away from the people who cannot exert control in their own lives so they do it by making the church a miserable place to be, away from people expecting you to be there 24-7-365. I have to admit that right now a steady job I can leave behind at the end of the shift sounds very nice, and I'm sure I can find a pastor in a local church that would be glad to have a listening ear with a little experiential commonality to support with my companionship and support.

I am thankful to my family for their confidence that this would come about, though I confess I was starting to doubt it as applications were filed and nothing resulted. This feels wonderful!!

Peace!

A Sign of the Times?

There has been a lot of talk about personal responsibility for the last 8 years - and now we have a sign of it's outcome - a higher teen birth rate than last 15 years! Why does this bother me? Teens are prepared to be parents - heck, few us adults are truly prepared! Furthermore, in our society it is the young woman who pays for her birthing a child, and the baby's father walks free in most cases, only laughing with "adult" males about sowing his wild oats!

It has been about that same 8 years that the emphasis has been on abstinence only, forgetting that only the studies done by ab-only groups show any success at all. During that time, I and others have fought for a comprehensive approach to teens and sexuality - including education, contraception and urging our youth to wait - to no avail with the current administration and their religiously right-wing allies who have pushed more and more for ab-only programs as the only approach to take - stating that education actually encourages sexual activity though studies show otherwise, stating that contraception increases a desire to become active - ignoring the thousands of young girls in our country raped by male members of their households or families that have no choice in the matter, and creating the "re-virgining" myth that if a sexually active girl is inactive for so long, she becomes a virgin all over.

It's so twisted, is it any wonder the kids do or say what is expected in both the church or group pushing ab-only and in the back seat of a car or a bedroom of a home without active concerned parents? I've even known parents who said, "The kid's going to do it anyway, so I just have them do it here so I know what's going on." Now there's a healthy attitude! NOT!!!

Come on, people, it's time we place more trust in our children and teach them what they need to know to face an ever-more complex world. After all, if we let them do it all by trial and error, will we have any room to complain when they pack us off into homes that allow them to shirk responsibility just as we have? Think about it, then go talk honestly and bluntly with your children about the whole gamut of sexual information - or find someone who will do it because you are too embarrassed to talk to your beloved child. Parents, grow up, and act your role!

Peace!

Along the way

Along life's paths we get surprises that are important to help us keep our positive perspective - such as total strangers offering help, friendship, concern - if only we are willing to see them and acknowledge them. Moving into this apartment complex has shown plenty of people more than willing to help - even more than in the heartland area of central Iowa where we used to live.

It causes me to pause and reflect on the manner that we delude ourselves into thinking we live in a cold, distant, compartmentalized world where it is possible to become a hermit within a city. I know that this is possible, but I also know that the world isn't quite as insular as we might like to believe. I've had conversation with persons from East and West Germany, with Hispanics, Blacks, Asians and Northern Europeans. All were delighted to compare thoughts, to enjoy simple human companionship, and to simply be together. I've listened to those in my youth (and later) who said "those" people moving in would destroy the neighborhood, and more than once have actually seen "those" people actually enhance the neighborhood by keeping up their property, living quietly friendly lives and working to pay their way - while some of the complainers had trashy property, noisy obnoxious home lives, and were constantly looking for someone to bail them out of their self-induced problems.

I've had strangers along highways stop to help with automobile troubles, and offered help. I've had hotel and motel staff go out of their way to help with problems - even more so than would normally be associated with keeping a good image. I've witnessed waitresses, chefs and managers of restaurants go far out of their way to accommodate my wife's food allergies.

See? The world still has a preponderance of good people, we've just become used to noticing the nasty and difficult ones. Open your eyes, and you might get the surprise of your life - you might be one of the nasty, difficult people you complain about so much!

Think about it and try it! Practice random acts of kindness and see how the world can change - one person at a time. The commercial is right, a smile is contagious and very effective at change!

Peace!

Moving In

I was fortunate enough to have another of those experiences that counters the usual perception of today's youth and young adults being all about themselves. We arrived from Iowa on Wednesday, and Thursday night our daughter and three friends from work arrived - and 7 hours later two trucks were unpacked and furniture was in the apartment along with most of the kitchen stuff. We have been back each day since (spending the nights at our daughter's) to unpack and get a little closer to actually moving in - which happens today.

We are looking forward to getting more of our things in and settling. This week will also see the beginnings of the search for employment. This is a worry, though we do try to remember what we share about our faith - that God will meet our needs. I'll be making a trip by the office of the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Church of Christ to see about preaching or interim opportunities that can put a little spending money in our account.

I've gotten a new Hewlett Packard Notebook to replace my old Dell that died just before the move. Now the problem is trying to download the game my daughter and I enjoy playing together as a de-stressing exercise at the end of a day. I tried last night, and it popped up a message that it was having trouble saving, but if appeared to continue to download - but this morning - only an empty folder for it. We'll have to try it again.

Well, off to see what mischief I can get into!

Peace!