It's Wednesday Festival Time!

We're headed to the Rhode Island coast immediately after church on Sunday, but there's such a variety of writing around the ring this past week that I'm reminded that summer is a time of fullness as well as a time for escape:

Sarah writes a wonderful letter to her potential home buyers in And I Give Thanks.  She really makes me think about what I might say to whomever buys our home after our (so far) nearly thirty years here.  (No, no plans to move at present.)

A Musing Amma Elizabeth writes about her grand-dog as a spiritual companion.  Our grand cat is coming to stay soon and, though someone else will be caring for him most of the time, I'll be very glad to have furry company for a couple of days.  (And I saw a mouse scurry under the kitchen cupboards this morning, so presumably the cat will be occupied.)

As a longtime and still somewhat serious birder, I enjoyed Rev Glenda's sermon on birds.  I don't know why I've never thought to survey the birds in scripture!

Another of our published pastors, Elizabeth of Irreverent: Musings on Faith, Love, Life and Politics shares a newspaper column she wrote on ministers addressing the issue of gay marriage. 

Need something to chew on?  Chris at Liberal Rev asks a provocative question: Could an atheist preach in your church? 

And for something remarkable, read what Erin has to say about the Holy Spirit creating community in just seven weeks of summer in Did She Say Seminary?  This is a conundrum which often plagues me, as it seems that so much of ministry happens in brief spurts of time with people not well  known to us, and I am usually one for longevity.  This reminder is a keeper.

Hope it's a rich and satisfying rest-of-the-week in your pastoring life!

P.S. Just under the wire: Rachel G. Hackenberg has written a brilliant response to the unsatisfactory piece "Eleven Things You might Not Understand About Your Minister" which has been making the rounds.  Rachel uses Rahab as a Model for Ministry in a post that I so wish I'd had under my belt a few weeks ago when someone asked me about friendships with congregants, someone who was apparently hoping for a response other than the muddled one I offered about boundaries. 

Lots of great reading this week!