Saturday Gratitudes

 --Nadia Bolz-Weber has written a wonderful letter expressing how wonderful our outgoing bishop, Mark Hansen, has been for the Lutheran church.  Go here to read it.

--She's the guest this week on the NPR show On Being.  If you missed it or if you don't want to wait or if you'd rather read the transcript, go here.

--She's got a book that will be released this coming week.  I will buy it.

--N.T. Wright also has a new book on the Psalms.  Oh, what the heck.  I'll buy it too.

--Yes, I know, I made a resolution that I wouldn't buy new books.  But I have a bit of room on the shelves.  And I already know that I like these writers.

--I'm happy that I can still afford to buy a book here or there.  I keep thinking that at some point, I'll need to adopt an austerity budget, what with our new mortgage and the repairs that a historic house may need.  But I'm not at that point yet.

--Last night I woke up to a strange noise, which I later determined was the sound of the electricity going out.  My first thought was that my historic house had given up on the electrical system.  I wondered where I'd be able to find an electrician on the week-end.

--Then I realized how dark it was.  I looked out the window.  No streetlights.  I realized that it wasn't my problem alone and that the electric company would fix it.  I went back to bed and dozed off.

--There's a metaphor here, or maybe it's a life lesson about my tendency to leap to worst case scenarios which rarely turn out to be the case.

--But I don't let my anxiety get in the way of joy, or at least I try not to.  I will go to the beach with friends.  I will enjoy great books.  I will rejoice in the simple pleasures, like a walk to the beach with my husband to share a pizza and a beer--a great supper!

--My friend who was part of the Rosh Hashanah beach excursion called last night.  Her daughter wants to go to the beach again today, and they invited me.  Fun!

--I wouldn't know this friend, had we not both ended up at the same church.  I'm grateful for my local church.

--I'm also grateful for the larger church.  Tomorrow we celebrate 25 years of the ELCA--another joy.  We'll do some service projects:  God's work, our hands.

--Yes, there's much gratitude to be found on this Saturday in September.