Tell Me All Your Thoughts on God

I didn't tell you about my crisis last week. My and Amanda's ipod wasn't working right, so instead of, say, planting the garden or talking with my kids, I spent the whole week doing diagnostics. I was pretty desperate and was about ready to beg the Best Buy geek guy to pretty please help me and . . . Alleluia, finally, the trouble shooting worked.

So, in case you were wondering, here are some of my latest downloads:

"Do you Sleep" by Lisa Loeb
"Your Life is Now" by John Mellencamp
"Everyday" by Dave Matthews Band
"Gravedigger" by Dave Matthews
"Possession" by Sarah McLaughlin

And what has to be one of the all time best songs ever: "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon.

So if I could be completely corny for just one paragraph, I want to say how amazing it is to be around here during graduation weekend. It's like all these people -- with all the cracks and flaws like the wingless angel in our community garden -- have worked so hard and for what? Mostly, to go out into the world and be of service. To make this planet a better place. To be the hands and the voice of the Grace of God which his bigger than anything. It's like you never imagine that there are so many people who actually want to do this, so much that they would go into personal debt, etc, ETC.

It's a beautiful thing.

So, here's my John, who is graduating today. I didn't have a chance to ask him if I could post his picture, so I'm hoping he doesn't mind. I just wanted to give you an example of the coolness of all this. When I first met John he was wearing a t-shirt with Archbishop Oscar Romero pictured on the front. He had just come back from two years in El Salvador. You may know that Oscar Romero is one of my heroes. Anyway, of course, I knew I would love John. And I do. I mean, look at him, pictured here at the Bob Speirs Family Benefit. He really is as adorable as he looks. He became and continues to be one of our fabulous LWR Colombia Sal y Luz peace leaders on campus and all over the Twin Cities. He is an amazing diplomat who has been able to chat with our US congress people on why we as Lutherans feel so devout for the situation in rural Colombia. Where pastor assassination and peasant massacres can happen regularly. If speaking up for these people isn't our Christian mandate, I don't know what is. And that's what John does. Sometimes when I bump into him on campus his cell phone rings, "Oh, it's Senator Norm Coleman's office, just a second Terri. . ." God's love through speed dial. Congratulations John!

So anyway, as we see people on campus this weekend, I'm getting emotional. Bob's getting emotional. And we just want to express our biggest congrats and gratitude to all.

And I wish for everyone a clear and timely call to ministry. You wouldn't believe how hard and long it is for seminary graduates to actually get placed in a church, agency, job, anything. The divine and human all mixed up. And sometimes the wait seems to lead to liver failure, a trip around the universe, a nervous breakdown, and a return to something so amazing you can't even describe it. Imperfectly angelic.

Wanted to close with a listen to the most played song on my ipod playlist: "I'll be Around" by the Spinners. Click and feel good!

With love, T

PS And with thanks to our good friend Pastor Deb who came over last night; she, Bob and I told eachother all our thoughts on God.