Why Mal can't take himself too seriously either

Mal writes - Prior to leaving Bris there were some issues. 

• I forgot my belt – okay with these trousers but not sure about others – can buy a belt if I need it.
• I printed my boarding pass last night as you know.  It would not read this morning when I checked my bags in – so the lady said I will print you another in case this doesn’t read at the gate.
• She did, put it in a folder with the baggage check and off I went to Q club.
• At Qantas club I was greeted with “Oh would you prefer to go to the Captain’s lounge opposite gate 23 sir?”.  I looked at the time thinking, what entitles me to those lounges, “Oh maybe Silver status” but didn’t think any more of it.  Went into the Bus lounge (new and part of the original Q club lounge now but separated).
• Went off down to gate when called, was first in line.  Hostie greeted me with “Oh this is the Gladstone flight sir, not Darwin”.  She handed back the pass and it was for Mr (Another) Hamill in seat 23A going to Darwin..  When I said I was on the Gladstone flight she asked me to go to the other counter.
• I did, they explained the new computer system had some bugs and they were running the old and the new side-by-side.  Got my original 3A seat allocation back and went back to the line. Then thought, “I bet my port is on the way to Darwin!!”.  Got the folder with baggage tag attached and yup – Darwin bound.
• Pulled out of line and back to counter.  They called baggage to see if they could get my bag pulled and onto the Gladstone.  Line for Gladstone flight was now empty – they asked me to board and that if the bag didn’t arrive then they would get it on the 8.30am flight and deliver it to me in Gladstone.
• So got to Gladstone and my bag arrived – about the third one off.

Linda writes - the lesson.... look at the name on the boarding pass and take the offer to Captains club. :-) 

 

The questions are....

1.  The question for the semester is "What do you think ordination is/means?" 

I will spend the semester exploring this and hope to post periodically on this subject.  I will let you know what I come up with for me at the end of the semester.

2. The question for this week is "What does it mean for you to be a human person?"

Yup, only a week to figure this one out.

I would love to know that you think.

Ecumenical

As a young person, I recognized that I was formed by several denominational traditions.  I was baptized in the Presbyterian Church not that I remember much of that but throughout the years when we worship with my Gramma it was at the same church that I was baptized in so I imagine there was formation there.  My church memories begin in the Isabel United Church of Christ (UCC), however, we were a rural community and ministry among churches was shared so these early memories of the UCC were influenced by the Methodist minister serving there.  I was confirmed into the UCC by United Methodist minister.  As I became an adult, I found myself drawn to the Methodist church because it was most familiar; fancy that.  After the Methodist minister moved on the UCC was served by a Lutheran minister so much of my youth camp experience was Lutheran.  This does not include Vacation Bible School  (VBS) that we attended every year with my cousins.  VBS was run jointly by an Assembly of God and a Lutheran Church.  It was at the Assembly of God church that I made a commitment to Christ, whatever that meant to a 9-10 year old.

My ecumenical formation continues.  My supervisor, for a few months while I was in field placement at the Lutheran Church of Guam, was Brad Boydston.  He introduced me to lots of people (through blogs) from the Evangelical Covenant Church. 

I attended lectures on Old Testament Law by Terence Fretheim, Lutheran.

I had the opportunity to listen and speak to Bishop Nazir-Ali, Anglican (see post).

I recently attended lectures on the Spirituality of Mark by Bill Countryman, Episcopalian. 

As well as, formation from all my lectures by the local Uniting Church of Australia, Anglican and Catholic lecturers who are part of the Brisbane College of Theology.   

I am in formation with the Uniting Church of Australia and am committed to the Basis of Union.   There is no doubt in my mind that I am where God wants me to be.  Yet I find it extremely interesting that my formation has been and is still so ecumenical.  What a blessing!

Vacation

Dear Readers,

Thank you for sticking with my blog even though I haven't posted for a while.  I have been on vacation and just arrived home today.  The attached photo was one of the highlights.  The 4th of July fireworks (actually held on the 3rd) at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota were spectacular.  I told Mal that I would never need to see fireworks again.  I am not sure any will top it.  The day was glorious - good thing too because we got there about 9 am and the show was not until 9:15 pm.  We were early because the parking fills up by 10 am and the closest parking additional parking means a 2 mile jaunt up the mountain.  There were activities all day and we had a group of people.  Mal's daughter and family came from Florida, friends from Washington state, my brother and family from Florida and of course my family including my daughter's and their partners were amongst the gathered.  

The best part of the holiday though was all the people that we caught up with.  While there was fireworks of the spectacular kind; the trip really was about people who are very important to me.  I love them so and now that I am home in Brisbane, I wish the trip had been a bit longer (usually, I am ready to come home).  This trip was many people and too little time.  I pray that I will get to see them all soon again.   

But since the semester is starting again, I imagine I will blog more frequently.