Cat, get off my chest!
Apr. 18th, 2004 09:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sarasusaKind of hard to compose an entry when my cat is standing on my chest, purring madly and blocking my view of the laptop screen propped on my leg.
I accomplished more today than I have in...weeks?
As one of the members of my Quaker Meeting's Worship & Ministry Committee, I was responsible for care of Meeting today. It's the job of the care-of-meeting person to close worship by shaking hands with her/his neighbor; also to welcome folks at the end of worship, invite visitors to introduce themeselves, and make announcements. The role goes beyond the nitty-gritty, though. Ideally we're a sort of anchor for the worship, by our own centeredness helping to ground others in "expectant waiting" on the Spirit.
...That's ideally. I have a hard time centering myself, let alone helping others do so! This in spite of growing up as a Friend in the unprogrammed tradition. Faith-by-osmosis only works up to a point.
Well, I got myself to Meeting in plenty of time to attend First Day School beforehand; set out the announcement sheets, contribution envelopes, Bibles and copies of Faith & Practice on either side of the facing benches; and sat myself down on said facing benches several minutes before the official starting time of worship. (...An improvement on the time when I arrived a couple of minutes late and other W&M Friends were already sitting in the care-of-meeting spot! ^^;; Apparently they figured I was going to be a no-show.)
All through worship, I found my mind wandering, straying as far as fanfiction at times... at least there was a smattering of vocal ministry that succeeded in tugging my thoughts a little deeper for a few moments.
Then it was noon, and I stood up and stammered my way through the welcoming/announcements spiel. One of the other members of W&M asked later if it was my first time closing Meeting (it wasn't).
:-/
Sheesh, I'm making it sound as if W&M is a judgmental group of fuddy-duddies. They aren't. I just feel...lightweight sometimes, immature, insubstantial, not as rooted as I ought to be in the life of the Spirit.
But at least I soldiered, er, I mean Quakered my way through a task that makes me exceedingly uncomfortable!
I walked much of the way home from meeting. Exercise good. Dehydration headache bad (today was unseasonably hot here). One thing about walking, though--it makes me feel more like I belong to this city. So I plan on doing a lot more walking this spring/summer.
Back home, I scrubbed ferociously to remove at least some evidence of mouse-invasion from the kitchen floor. Yergh. Vacuumed up Shag-fluff and more mouse detritus.
And after much postponing, I finally sent an email of condolence to a friend I haven't been in touch with in forever--her sister passed away. That was the real accomplishment of the day, I think. (I caught up on some other correspondence too, but that was the Big Scary-feeling one.)
*sigh* enough rambling. Time to make myself something to eat.
(Shag apparently thinks so too: in one sinuous motion she rolled herself to her feet, meowed, dropped off the futon and padded toward the kitchen.)
I accomplished more today than I have in...weeks?
As one of the members of my Quaker Meeting's Worship & Ministry Committee, I was responsible for care of Meeting today. It's the job of the care-of-meeting person to close worship by shaking hands with her/his neighbor; also to welcome folks at the end of worship, invite visitors to introduce themeselves, and make announcements. The role goes beyond the nitty-gritty, though. Ideally we're a sort of anchor for the worship, by our own centeredness helping to ground others in "expectant waiting" on the Spirit.
...That's ideally. I have a hard time centering myself, let alone helping others do so! This in spite of growing up as a Friend in the unprogrammed tradition. Faith-by-osmosis only works up to a point.
Well, I got myself to Meeting in plenty of time to attend First Day School beforehand; set out the announcement sheets, contribution envelopes, Bibles and copies of Faith & Practice on either side of the facing benches; and sat myself down on said facing benches several minutes before the official starting time of worship. (...An improvement on the time when I arrived a couple of minutes late and other W&M Friends were already sitting in the care-of-meeting spot! ^^;; Apparently they figured I was going to be a no-show.)
All through worship, I found my mind wandering, straying as far as fanfiction at times... at least there was a smattering of vocal ministry that succeeded in tugging my thoughts a little deeper for a few moments.
Then it was noon, and I stood up and stammered my way through the welcoming/announcements spiel. One of the other members of W&M asked later if it was my first time closing Meeting (it wasn't).
:-/
Sheesh, I'm making it sound as if W&M is a judgmental group of fuddy-duddies. They aren't. I just feel...lightweight sometimes, immature, insubstantial, not as rooted as I ought to be in the life of the Spirit.
But at least I soldiered, er, I mean Quakered my way through a task that makes me exceedingly uncomfortable!
I walked much of the way home from meeting. Exercise good. Dehydration headache bad (today was unseasonably hot here). One thing about walking, though--it makes me feel more like I belong to this city. So I plan on doing a lot more walking this spring/summer.
Back home, I scrubbed ferociously to remove at least some evidence of mouse-invasion from the kitchen floor. Yergh. Vacuumed up Shag-fluff and more mouse detritus.
And after much postponing, I finally sent an email of condolence to a friend I haven't been in touch with in forever--her sister passed away. That was the real accomplishment of the day, I think. (I caught up on some other correspondence too, but that was the Big Scary-feeling one.)
*sigh* enough rambling. Time to make myself something to eat.
(Shag apparently thinks so too: in one sinuous motion she rolled herself to her feet, meowed, dropped off the futon and padded toward the kitchen.)
