Tuesday, March 27, 2007

New Starts


Okay, I obviously didn't yet start this project, but every day is a new beginning, right?

The guilt about constant lurking is growing, so I think I shall attempt once more to actually contribute something to blogland, if only a small and inconsequential little stop in a corner.

So, my daughter, who is three almost four, loves zebras, loves everything striped. I think zebras are fascinating - they stick out so much in the landscape, I don't quite yet know how they got that way. I think I feel a kinship to them. I am a pastor, but I am much younger and much femaler than almost everyone's idea of what a pastor looks like. People have outright laughed when they hear it. One guy recently was looking for the pastor to ask for a handout. He literally could not believe that the pastor was me. Could not grasp it. At all. You'd think someone who wanted something from me could try to contain his shock at least a little.

And just this last week I had a painful experience with a colleague who decided to blame her frustration with my decision not on the fact that we might have different understandings of our faith and our role as pastors, but on the fact that I am "so young" and just don't know. The fact that I now have 5 years of ordained ministry and 6 years before and during seminary working in lay positions in the church doesn't matter a bit - but it won't matter when I have 30 years of experience either, I imagine.

And so I think of myself as a little like the zebra wandering around - sticking out so clearly for the tourists to gawk at, but still a beautiful creature of God. And hence the name of the blog, which still doesn't seem to fit - too cheesy, I think. But as much as I hate naming sermons, naming a blog is a billion times harder. It may change again soon, we'll see.

1 comment:

Rev SS said...

I Love your blog name! And, the thinking behind it. As for being too young .. you're not ... remember "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in seech, in life, in love .." I Timoty 4:12 Hope your Zebra can let it roll of its back! Keep up the good work.