A drizzly and dark morning here in Hingham. Sitting in a little coffee shop, sipping a latte, checking emails and throwing up a brief posting here ahead of the last part of my clergy conference being held at a Catholic monastery just outside of town.
I’ve just waltzed through the headlines and see that North Carolina passed a nasty little bit of legislation enshrining hatred for homosexual persons and restrictions on their basic civil rights in their constitution. As a rotten cherry on top of this confection I see how noted liberal Dick Lugar was defeated in Indiana’s primary. Presumably this now puts what had been a safe Republican seat into play. But, I have to admit watching the Republican party slip more deeply into the sewer seems very sad…
For them. For all of us…
Possibly related I have mixed feelings about having this conference in a Catholic institution. I know other districts have decided they will not use Catholic facilities so long as they treat women and gay people the way they do. Which, I guess, means forever. On the other hand the brothers here are sweet and generous and run a very nice inn and as our hosts pick no bones about what they have to know we stand for, which while some of it is the same, much very much is not, particularly as it touches upon human sexuality, which is in direct opposition.
I guess the human heart is divided, and perhaps it will always be so…
As to this event, mostly, I have to admit I’m not renewed by my interlude with the colleagues.
Retreat is of course a term with too much elasticity to have much useful meaning. A Zen retreat is a hard thing, physically demanding and psychically painful. And this is what I usually think when I think the word retreat. Some people I know think it means some time on the beach with a good book. I believe most Unitarian Universalists think of it as relaxation, perhaps with a spiritual wash, on that beach but the book is by Thich Nhat Hanh or Pema Chodron.
And I have to admit I’m up for that R&R, spiritual or otherwise.
However, this clergy chapter meeting is program driven and culminate in a business meeting.
I liked the program leaders, A lot. But I felt I left a pile of work behind me which I very soon will have to turn my hand to now grown a bit, to come here, and then to be given a bit too much work to do that has the major distinction of having little obvious utility. I would have liked the spiritual R&R common to our shared imagination. It would have been nice to be sung to, had uplifting poetry read to me, perhaps illustrative and humorous stories read for no better reason than they are wonderful, larded with a lot of hanging out with people who share the work I do. All of which happened, but not enough, no where near enough.
And now, soon, to the chapter’s business meeting.
I hope it will be brief.
And then, rested or not, back to the fray…
For which, I have to admit, tired or not, I’m grateful.
Good stuff, work.
Work that is meaningful.
That on occasion is even helpful to others.
And perhaps this pause and that noticing is enough to make this worth while…
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