Boundaries Training and the Chance to See Amy-Jill Levine

Two weeks ago, I was part-way through the Southeastern Synod's Convocation.  Yesterday, I went to a different one, the one hosted by the South Carolina Synod.  I won't be able to make a fair comparison--today I can't attend because I need to attend a different synodical event:  boundaries training for all of region 9 of the ELCA (this region of the Lutheran church extends as far north as Virginia, as far west as Tennessee and Mississippi, and as far south as Florida).  It's required for all rostered clergy, so I'm attending because of my SAM position preaching at Faith Lutheran in Bristol, Tennessee and as part of my internship hours.

I think it will consist mainly of sitting at my desk and watching the Zoom session that has been prepared.  I really hope that we're not divided into small groups.  The event lasts from 9-4 with an hour for lunch.  I am happy when I look at my life and realize how little of it now involves sitting at a desk for hours.  Once upon a time, if I only had to sit at a desk from 9 to 4, I'd feel that I had a light day of desk sitting.  At times in my last administrator job, it wasn't uncommon to be at my desk for 9 hours.  I could have left for lunch, but it wasn't a going out to lunch culture.  I tried to get up to walk around a bit throughout the day, to do more than just going to the bathroom, but the setting wasn't conducive--no outdoors walking, and a rather small building.

I have been at the SC Synod Convocation because their featured speaker is Amy-Jill Levine  (gasp!).  After going to yesterday's presentation, I will just say that she is more wonderful in person than she is on the page.  I may say more on that after I see tomorrow's presentation.

I am sad to miss today's presentation by her, but I don't want to risk my attendance at the boundaries training.  I did have a chance to ask Dr. Levine if one of the display books would cover what she would talk about today, and she said it would.  So, I've got a friend taking good notes, and I've ordered the book:   The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently.  I'm looking forward to reading it.  Her book, Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi, has been revelatory.

It has occurred to me that I might have saved money by just buying a book or two.  I did have to pay a fee to attend the Convocation, and I'd have gotten more for my money if I was free to attend more events.  I couldn't go to the worship service last night because I was in class, and I can't go to the daytime events today because of the training.  But I am happy to have had a chance to see Dr. Levine live.  She has a remarkable presence, both fiercely smart and fiercely funny.

Much of what she presented wasn't brand new to me.  I'm happy that my seminary has done a good job of reminding us that Jesus was Jewish.  I try to be alert for any way that my sermons might be anti-Jewish.  I stay away from the worst stereotypes of Pharisees and the religious leaders of Jesus' day.  But of course, for many of my parishioners, the damage is already done; they may have had decades of sermons that faulted the Jews for the crucifixion of Jesus.

At some point, I may look back on this week as a week about boundaries of all kinds.  But it's too early to know that now.  Let me get ready for the day ahead, this day at my desk.

Synod Convocation: A Retrospective Overview

It is a foggy morning in these mountains of North Carolina.  It's been quite a week, mostly good stuff, very tiring.  We are close to having the flooring done in the lower part of the house, which is the part that matters most to me.  After that, bathroom remodels!  But in the meantime, the new dryer has stopped working, and hopefully, it's an easy fix, the electric connections jiggled loose during flooring install.  

I have been out of the house most of the week while the flooring has been happening.  The Southeastern Synod has been having its annual Convocation at Lutheridge.  Although they are called different things in different synods, Convocation is a combination of retreat and continuing ed and professional development time for rostered leaders in a Synod.  I've participated in most of it.  There was food and fellowship after the evening worship, and each night, I skipped that time.  By evening, I was exhausted.  I even skipped the last evening worship because I was just so tired.

Convocation for the larger group started with an opening worship service at 1:30 on Tuesday.  But I needed to be there a day earlier; all first call pastors, interim pastors, and conference deans had meetings and trainings. 

Our days started at 7:30, with morning worship, and my day started earlier, as I tried to stay minimally caught up with all the classes that I teach.  We had a keynote address each morning, and each day we had a selection of workshops.  One afternoon we had free time, and I helped with the crafting opportunities.  We had evening worship, followed by fellowship time.  We had leisurely meals which led to further opportunities to get to know each other.

I am part of the Synod both because I am a SAM at Faith Bristol and because I have an internship with the Synod during the 2023-24 school year.  It was great to get to know my fellow Synod members in a closer way and to be part of the team that pulled it together.