California dreamin'

Today has been a long, long day. We arrived back in Kansas City from California a few hours ago, and I have reverse jet-lag it seems, and so am wide awake.

The last few days with our friends the Campbell's have been lovely - we've had good conversation, good food, and laughed a lot! Let's see - there are several highlights -

*Andrew met Shaw (10) and Seth (6), and I renewed acquaintance with them - they are lovely lads, and skilled, funny, lovely, sweet, generous, and wonderful to chat to. And we both met Mick the dog (think TOTO in TW of Oz)

*Shaw plays basketball, and we watched his team play - stamina, and skill... in young lads - it was great. The game was in a local school, with a wonderful gym, and whole families came and watched, which we thought was wonderful - I can't think of the equivalent in the UK - but maybe I'm just ignorant. It was just healthy - and, there was not scoring! (Not to say that the lads didn't know who won (us), and who scored, and so on, but the essence was to play well!

*Andrew was minding Seth in the evening service, and at one point Seth leaned over and said - very seriously - 'this is pure, pure torture.' Oh my word, we laughed! He also loves being outside in the rain, and seems completely and utterly unihibited, so refreshing - I hope he keeps his sense of joy.

*We went for a walk near a bridge called the 'Sundial' - the walk was stunning - it is in a ribarian area, and there were all kinds of people, and incredible beauty. We went for a drive looking for a bald eagle nest - and spotted it, and what looked like a little bird in it. Brilliant.

*We ate wonderfully well - especially something called a 'Javanese Stack-up' which I think our Wednesday group will benefit from as soon as we are back!

*We attended the Church that Steve works for (he's officially the youth pastor, but really is a pastor of all) and I preached in two services. It is hard to describe them - but... 'The Door' is an ambient type service, multi-generational, quite creative in its approach, a young and developing leadership team - the entrance has art work displayed, and people have clearly put a lot of thought into various elements of the service. Steve is the key leader in the service, and is shaping it, and there is a real sense of love between him and his parishioners. So many people love the service and new people seem to come regularly. It is much more outward-looking than many churches. Preaching there was interesting because there is lighting (which I'm not used to really), but people really actively listened [or maybe i just couldn't see :-)). In some ways it was a really difficult service for Steve (I think), since in the notices he had to announce a big shift in their leadership, which made it all the more remarkable that people listened. I think that that congregation/service is the hope for the church. In particular something that really stood out was how many people (almost all, I think) had book-bibles - I hadn't really noticed the absence of bibles at home until I noticed them present here. I'll think on it.
The second service was a more traditional Sunday evening one. It felt very odd being at church twice (!) and I realised that I appreciate the freedom of a Sunday with just one service [or an elongated block, since I at times attend Word and Table too]. The evening service was mostly full of older faithful people - and (quite funnily I thought!) the entire NNU baseball team - Three rows of College-age guys. I think they made the average age drop considerably! [though if there had been many young women there, the pulse rates would have gone up!)

*Had a great ride to Sacramento today with a youngish man, planting a church in KC, he was interesting to talk to, and we spent a lot of the journey talking about depression and mental illness, as well as life itself. I was reminded of how grateful I am that I am a little more able to recognise depression as it creeps up on me (which it has been), and deal with it (which I need to) - and, that I am graced by Andrew. It does make you want to just quit - everything. Anyway, we had a great and enriching conversation - which gave me/us a lot of food for thought.

*Now we're back. Andrew's not feeling especially well - somehow or other he's acquired conjuntivitus, which is horrible for him.

I have now moved on from Lamott, and reading Ysabel, by Guy Gavriel Kay, one of our favourite authors. He is always interesting, and creative, and has a good idea of nobility, honour, and love. Suplemented by Louis L'Amour, and Hirsh/Frost the shaping of things to come.

Well - i guess I should try and sleep. I hope this makes sense in the morning! I've just sent an e-mail I think I'll regret, and another one is in the draft box for revising :( New motto: NEVER write e-mails when a) you're overtired b) you're paranoid c) you are far from home d) you're ranting e) you've only read what you're responding to once.

An old friend of mine [Gary Hartke for those who know him] drove us to the Airport last week - and it was great to catch up with him, and the NYI world - very distant from me now. I still think that in many ways I am formed by the experiences I had with NYI, and have been shaped in ways I don't know and don't fully understand. Certainly I feel a part of something that is 'familial' - but the loss of NYI has also been quite enormous - and I don't think I've really figured out how huge until recently. A lot of my internal questions about life, meaning, significance, moving, changing, calling have perhaps been triggered by thinking through endings and beginnings.

Last, but not least, there is snow here in abundance! 5" last night - and more tonight - it is cold, and fresh, and crisp and wonderful.

So - all in all, a great few days - travelling with Andrew is fun, and being with good friends is wonderful - I wish we could have stayed longer, but SOON they'll be coming to us! And that is great news! Sorry - this has been a babble of one-in-the-morning thinking. sdv.