Gratitudes: Popcorn. Wolf Howls. Monday meditations

Monday gratitudes, in lieu of average Monday morning minister reflections:

RantWoman arrived at worship already well-fed spiritually and otherwise from Friend "Faithie's" memorial. Memorial was sooner after her death than Quakers sometimes do. "Faithie" has many children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren. There was much love, much energy.  Family nerves were a little achey and raw the way nerves sometimes are right after a death. In RantWoman's experience and observation at least, the being together is holy and sometimes also holy  sh*t at the same time. RantWoman would SO like it if she had ANY confidence that Worship and Ministry had any capacity to talk and think about these points. Hold that problem in the Light. Which problem? Lack of confidence? Lack of Capacity? (Sarcasm alert: further lacks deleted for now.)

Sister and Irrepressible Nephew were also on the bus to worship. Sister does much better when mobile; for that we thank new wheelchair. Irrepressible Nephew is on his way to another Camp with due gear in tow. Boring Square Auntie suggested that the backwards baseball cap and shades made him look like a juvenile delinquent. Irrepressible Nephew said his father says the same thing; he also did a thumbs up.

Yesterday Ministry of moving large muscles and banging things, also known as making coffee. Adhoc Adult Ed theme somehow related to #Ferguson MO events. RantWoman could not hear and closed do to bang more unobtrusively. Suspect some interesting discussion missed. Sigh. RantWoman offered thoughts particularly on tragedy and the Twitterverse later mixed in with Woolman.

A committee meeting that left RantWoman unsettled and grumpy. Grumpiness resolved when RantWoman found some more Be True to Your Light messages. Oh crap!
Poked head into worship for a few minutes at the end: The kids were there. There was a long message. There was some kid fidgeting but the room felt very gathered.
--The doorway was hot. The room was gathered in spite of a message that went on much longer than the 30 seconds RantWoman hears recommended. RantWoman decided God needed her more finishing the coffee prep and sitting by an open window.
--RantWoman heard reviews that mentioned popcorn but also that did not mention predictable themes from the news: #Ferguson #suicide Robin Williams, war disease and ecological stress everywhere. So what the heck DID they talk about? RantWoman is interested in the word "popcorn," her own sense of gathered worship, and a grumble RantWoman has heard before and will listen further for from a Friend who felt nourished by worship even though she also mentioned popcorn.
RantWoman is still going around asking people "SO, what did YOU make of closing worship at Annual Session?" This is turning out to be WAY more diverse and diverting than chatter about the TV show of the week.

The Association of Bad Friends group on Facebook.
--A little alarming recently to discover how many other people there are who find the idea of feeding hallucinogens to alligators deeply amusing.
--Not sure how to deal with firearms posts being a little to Bad Friend even for the Association of Bad Friends.
   --We in the West, we take our Second Amendment seriously. Look, a few years ago Missoula Friends did the Cows with Guns song for community night.
   --That photo of the wolf with a rifle that showed up the same week wildlife managemetn folks in northeastern WA shot the alpha female of a pack getting reestablished there.
   --Digression to wonderful Wolf Howl of God post in blog roll.
http://walkingthesea.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-wolf-howl-of-god.html
  --And the different kinds of ammo in the gumball machine? Where ELSE would one like to lock up one's ammo?
 --Oh dear, and did anyone mention guns and drug gangsters and ....?

Woolman reading group:
--Attendance was down because of conflict with a work party and other events sigh.
--Essay written by a Jesuit so very organized and clearly numbered points. Rich discussion. RantWoman did not say everything on her mind about the cross and crucifixion of the ego. RantWoman could get really fast to the phrase misogynist crap. Hold that and more nuanced theological terms for the thought in the Light. RantWoman thinks if we are to labor with that of God in everyone, keeping ego healthy has a lot to recommend it. But it's also possible RantWoman just needs different language for the same concept.
--Somehow the subject of physics and what a couple physicists did for their careers. RantWoman fessed up: one of her recent spiritual diversions was a Youtube video about "Don't eat the particle accelerator."
   --Hold in the conversation those "other" one is in dialogue with: the Indians at Wyalusing in Wooklman's journal, the voices of liberation theology, the conversations of Twitter, essays from nadine Gordimer about her relationships to different thoughts in trends among Africans.
--RantWoman sort of HOPES that being herself in Woolman group MIGHT plant some "don't tkake it personally" seeds about RantWoman communications quirks. Hold that thought in the light.