I was ordained one year ago today. It was quite a day--like a wedding, in terms of lots of family in town, and all that who-needs-to-be-where-and-when kind of stuff... weddings are easier though because there are two of you at the center of those details, and also, people know what to do at weddings. "What's the proper response to an ordination? Congratulations?" Yes.

Today the staff of this wonderful church I'm blessed to serve threw a little first-birthday party for me. They gave me a bunch of practical and fun stuff to take with me to the conference I'll be preaching at starting next week--snacks, toys, fun lotions and pampering stuff. What a great group of folks.

Every now and then I forget that I'm ordained. It doesn't make much difference on a daily basis. There are three things that ordained people can do in my denomination that non-ordained folk can't--weddings, baptisms, and communion. (Sometimes I think that's a little ridiculous, but whatever.) I've had the opportunity to do all three of those in the past week, and it feels utterly normal and, if I'm not careful, mundane. There's a part of me that goes robotically through the motions of life--the part that is concerned about everyone else's well-being and comfort. Luckily the part of me that wants to LIVE and to experience life as it's happening (not later, paging through the scrapbook) kicks the robot's butt back to Camazotz, because this is the land of the flesh-and-blood living. (If I knew how to do html there'd be a link to A Wrinkle in Time there.)

Anyway, back to the ordination. I remember a lot of joyful details about the day--being surrounded by family and friends who supported me during this journey; the truly awesome sermon my mentor preached at the service; the fun reception afterward at the pastor's house. I also remember being stressed out about when and where to breastfeed my then-four-month-old so she wouldn't get cranky during and after the service. Honestly, it's amazing the girl's as laid back as she is, given how much I obsessed over what now seem to be 1,000 insignificant decisions.

Speaking of laid-back girl--she and I had a fun weekend together while hubby went to a college friend's wedding and a guys' weekend. I don't know--it was so fun to realize that, not only is she my daughter and I'm responsible for her care and safety, but she's also really fun company. She entertains herself, then it's time for a book on my lap, then it's off to the park, then we come home for a snack, then it's time to wrestle and tickle. She's the best. Although I don't think I could do ministry as a single mom because it's just too hard to get the two of us dressed, fed and out the door in time for an 8:30 service--and then to be really on for the next five hours, preaching and teaching.

If it seems like I'm rambling, I am... part of this is procrastinating finishing those sermons before I leave for the conference on Thursday... part of this is also priming the pump, what Julia Cameron has called her Morning Pages. (Again, imagine a link to The Artist's Way.)

On to the sermons...