February 2013

Can the PC(USA) Really Change?

Leave a Comment / Leadership and Spirituality, Lent, PCUSA, Personal, Theological Reflection / By /

Last Sunday night, my husband and I hosted a black-tie five-course dinner for eleven other friends in our home. The occasion was the finale of Season Three of Downton Abbey, giving us the opportunity to live a brief fantasy of British aristocracy. The purpose of the evening was to enjoy the company of friends, have a luscious meal served to us (the thirteenth person, by prior arrangement, was our footman—and a fine one he was indeed), and discuss the characters and plot lines of the British television series. [May I just say, in a moment of personal privilege, that the […]

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The Skeleton in the PC(USA) Closet Is a Woman

Leave a Comment / ECO (Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians), PCUSA, Personal, Women in Ministry / By /

The WQ (“women’s question”) remains one of the most elusive and baffling aspects of ministry, even within a mainline denomination such as the PC(USA). The WQ has been a part of my life-long learning process since the 1970’s, when I felt a strong call to the ministry but believed the Bible prevented me from aspiring to pastoral leadership. Since then, and with the help of marvelous evangelical scholars, I’ve explored the WQ biblically, theologically, organizationally, and personally. And now, as a PC(USA) teaching elder ordained for over 25 years, I face the WQ from a different angle. The current question

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Do Evangelicals Have a Voice in the PC(USA)?

Leave a Comment / Marriage Definition, Parnell v. San Francisco, PCUSA, Teaching / By /

I have lost my singing/speaking voice only once in my life. I had just completed a Palm Sunday performance of the Brahms Requiem, in which I was the soprano soloist. Some time during the reception to follow, my voice suddenly closed down. And so it remained for a full six days. I was advised to drink a lot of water, rest as much as a church worker can during Holy Week, and stop trying to talk. My greatest anxiety came with the awareness that I was scheduled to lead the musical worship at a large Easter sunrise service the following

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UFOs and Close Encounters

Leave a Comment / It All Started in the Garden, Quilting, Spiritual Disciplines, Teaching, Theological Reflection / By /

Quilters refer to UFOs, unfinished objects, to describe the projects tucked away in mid-course. The QT (Quilt Therapy) group I belong to ’fessed up to UFOs on Tuesday, making commitments to complete said projects within the year. For me, the list includes the famous “Ahwahnee Quilt,” inspired by Yosemite’s oldest and most famous hotel. This quilt has been stashed for at least five years, but 2013 is the year to get it done. In the same way, I have some UFOs in the writing realm, outlined but unfinished, that await my attention and effort. Here is the list of working

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Downward Mobility Gets Personal

Leave a Comment / Essential Tenets of the Reformed Faith, Fellowship of Presbyterians, Lent, PCUSA, Personal, Theological Reflection, Women in Ministry / By /

Ash Wednesday is as good a day as any to reflect on what God is doing in one’s life, and anything that tends toward “examination of conscience” is particularly fitting during Lent. Lent for some is seen as a period of self-imposed “downward mobility” during which one denies oneself in order to follow Christ. This concept is taking on new meaning for me, as I examine the contours of my life and Christian service with an eye to reshaping my ministry life.  Since it has been awhile since my last blog, and inertia must be overcome, today I am going

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