Summer has come and passed, the innocent can never last, wake me up when September ends.   -Green Day, 2005

Fall is a great time of year for me.  I like the cooler weather, the promise of the holiday season to come, the changing of the leaves from green to yellow, orange and red.  I love football season, living with open windows so that fresh air and fall scents enter my home.  After the long lazy days of summer, I am reenergized by the shorter days and declining temperatures.  I get a feeling as fall begins that I don't get at any other time of year-- a feeling of new beginnings and fresh starts.  Maybe its from all my years in the public schools, with their August to May calendars; but to me, fall has always represented a freshness and a lightening of spirit.   

This fall, however, is not going to be a fresh, new time for many people.  The news over the past few days regarding the economy just seems to get worse and worse.  Banks are closing or are being bought out and reorganized. No one wants to lend money, no one wants to hire workers, no one wants to buy anything they don't need.  There's an uncertainty in the air, a nervousness that is proclaimed by the TV pundits and trickles down to the lives of ordinary people.

I admit to being a little nervous myself-- and I'm not a worrier by nature.  But it is somewhat unnerving to see these financial institutions that seemed so secure 6 months ago having so much trouble.   But at the same time, I'm not really worried-- partly because it's not in my nature to do so, but partly because I know that there are more important things in life than how much money I have or how much money I owe.  And, I've been around long enough to know that these things are in large part cyclical-- our economy goes through these things from time to time, and we always come out the other side.  We might not have as much wealth as we had before, but life does go on, and the daily tasks of living will continue no matter what happens with the economy. 

I also know that there is something more to believe in than markets.  I have faith that there is a spiritual element to the world, I have faith that there is a God who loves me and wants what is best for the world, and I rely on that faith to keep me in my non-worrying ways.  These are the times when it is really helpful to have faith in something besides myself, something besides money and wealth, something besides political clout or power.  I have the comfort of knowing that I make a difference in the lives of at least 3 other people in the world-- my family-- and that what I do as a minister makes a difference in the life of my congregation.  

If you are afraid in these tough times, if you are struggling to find meaning, or support, or comfort in the difficulties of life, reach out to God.  Reach out to your local church. Reach out to me.  At times like these we all need all of these things, and they are there for the asking.

It's been awhile since I wrote in this blog.  I've been giving some thought to how I can be more faithful to this discipline, and yet not make myself crazy. What usually works for me is to schedule a time to do something and then put it on my calendar where I will be reminded over and over again! 

So, I am going to begin with what I am calling "Tuesday Musings".  I find that Mondays I am still recovering from Sunday, and catching up on family stuff; and by Wednesday I'm fully into planning for Sunday.  So if I set aside some time on Tuesdays, I should have the mental energy and the time to put my full attention to writing here!

On the news this morning I heard a story about the Lifeway Bookstores, which is an entity of the Southern Baptist conference. Apparently, one of the magazines that is carried by Lifeway had a story in it about female pastors, with a pciture of 4 female pastors on the front of it.  Lifeway, being a SBC organization, pulled the magazine from the shelves (it is still avaliable, only behind the counter.) 

As a Christian who is a female pastor myself, I am pretty offended by this action.  Granted, they have the right to do what they please; it is thier business.  However, I also have the right to be offended.  True, traditional church teachings have kept women out of pulpits, Sunday School classes, and off of church boards for centuries.  But to me, it is a very narrow interpretation of a few lines of scripture that have informed those teachings. 

So, thanks to all of you out there who have supported me in my ministry and support women in ministry in general.  Thanks be to God for you!