Reflections on returning home
This week marks the one year anniversary of this blog. In this year, I've had almost 8,000 total number of visits, since I installed the site meter, which was probably a month or so after I started writing here. In July 2006, for the first time, I had over 1,000 visitors and over 2,000 page views. Now, I know that includes how often I look at my blog, but still - this is pretty impressive to me.
Over the last year, I've met in person more than 30 other Quaker bloggers and read hundreds of related websites, mostly blogs, including Emerging Church sites, Jewish, Buddhist and Anabaptist sites. I have written more than before my blog, but not as much as I had hoped. I expanded my Quaker horizons in several directions. This is still a relatively low tech, feminist, Green, Conservative-leaning blog about Quakerism and motherhood with the occasional pie recipe.
I have a lot of stuff still to write about my experiences at Pacific Yearly Meeting's 59th annual sessions and the following weekend in the Los Angeles region. But mixed into my thinking this week is my mental preparation to attend my 20th high school reunion on Saturday back in the small town I still consider my hometown. This is bringing up another layer of reflection on what am I doing here? What have I accomplished? I'm practicing the answer to the question, "So what are you doing now?" My best answer so far is, "I'm a homemaker, a writer and a Quaker minister." Hold me in the Light.
Over the last year, I've met in person more than 30 other Quaker bloggers and read hundreds of related websites, mostly blogs, including Emerging Church sites, Jewish, Buddhist and Anabaptist sites. I have written more than before my blog, but not as much as I had hoped. I expanded my Quaker horizons in several directions. This is still a relatively low tech, feminist, Green, Conservative-leaning blog about Quakerism and motherhood with the occasional pie recipe.
I have a lot of stuff still to write about my experiences at Pacific Yearly Meeting's 59th annual sessions and the following weekend in the Los Angeles region. But mixed into my thinking this week is my mental preparation to attend my 20th high school reunion on Saturday back in the small town I still consider my hometown. This is bringing up another layer of reflection on what am I doing here? What have I accomplished? I'm practicing the answer to the question, "So what are you doing now?" My best answer so far is, "I'm a homemaker, a writer and a Quaker minister." Hold me in the Light.
Labels: myjourney
posted by Robin M. at 8:17 PM
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5 Comments:
Glad you and your family are home safe and sound... and maybe a bit rested by now, too.
As for this particular post, you write: "So what are you doing now?" My best answer so far is, "I'm a homemaker, a writer and a Quaker minister."
I recently was told by a Friend that ministers and elders do not self-identify, at least not among unprogrammed Friends. Or if Friends do self-identify--"I'm a minister; I'm an elder of the meeting"--then I should be verrrrry cautious...
I find that there is something to that. After all, historically it is the meeting that records the minister and the elder. It is the meeting that discerns and records gifts of the Spirit and then becomes responsible for holding such recorded Friends accountable for right us of those gifts.
On the other hand, trying to explain to non-Quaker classmates just what it is that you are doing among Friends will be hard enough!
But in the end, why worry about what to call it, just as long as you are being faithful...?
For me, in response to a similar question, "So, what do you do? Do you work?" I answer, "I do a lot within the Quaker community," and then add the list of current and recent activities.
Well, let us know how you answer that question when you are faced with it at your reunion. Sometimes we gain clearness when outsiders ask us to say something more about who we are or what we do.
Blessings,
Liz, The Good Raised Up
Ah Liz, hitting the nail on the head as usual. I am frankly trying to evaluate how well I'm doing at any of those three jobs.
Homemaker: this was an attempt to broaden the job description from just saying I'm a mother, for me it includes wifing and housework and hospitality.
Writer: Does having a blog make me a writer? However, I just found out that I will soon have an article published in a major Quaker print publication - this helps me feel validated that I am really a writer. :-)
Minister: On the one hand, aren't we all called to be ministers in one way or another? On the other hand, I'm not a paid pastor and my monthly and yearly meeting have no clear process for recording ministers. But trying to explain that I am on the Ministry and Oversight committee of my monthly meeting and clerk of a quarterly meeting committee and leading religious education programs for adults and children is way more complicated than most people will want to listen to.
So what's a girl to do?
Robin
I liked this post and I do feel like we are all ministers and at the same time wished PacYM had a better way of naming our gifts. It is clear to me that there are lots of us that would be labeled minister if we had a process to label this. It is fine for us to label our ministry and maybe it is the first step for Pacific Yearly Meeting.
peace
rebecca
ps we will miss you on Saturday. are the guys coming or are they traveling with you?
Rebecca, I think my guys will see you on Saturday.
After reading through your blog, I enjoy your perspective and the glimpses of your journey that you have shared. I am still learning this whole blog thing, so I think I botched posting your comment, but hank you, I will add a link to your blog from mine as I figure out this html stuff a bit better.
Gil George
qpastor.blogspot.com
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