There was a minor crisis at work today, involving me being sick and there being a shortage of crew chiefs. The ops solution to the crisis was to borrow a crew chief from another squadron and go test the darn plane. I thought it was a good plan, provided we could actually get someone, which we did.
Neither of the QA's wanted another squadron's crew chief touching our aircraft. One of them--I am being 100% serious--said to me, "That's like glory points. 'They go down there, and can't even support themselves!' No one is going to say that about us!"
And I was thinking, as long as the plane is testing, who cares?
Whatever.
I was sick again this morning, which meant I got to come home early. I took some drugs and a nap, and woke up at 5:00 feeling a hundred times better and just in time to get dressed and go to Vespers. Which was freaking fantastic. I walked in, and there was a soprano singing Handel. I thought it was a recording, but as I was walking to my seat, I saw that there was a live woman singing up in the chancel. She was really, really good. She was a guest vocalist who came along with the guest speaker for tonight, and she just happened to be able to sing the organist's selection for tonight's prelude. It was awesome. I love music. Especially when it's really good live music that I wasn't expecting.
Also, I was sitting next to the Director of Music, Dr. Stan Wicks. I vastly enjoyed listening to him sing, no choirs, not much formality, just as a member of the congregation. He has a very good, and very educated, voice.
After the service, there's dinner in the fellowship hall. I didn't go, because a) I couldn't have eaten anything with my sore throat anyway, and b) I didn't have six bucks. Now, I'm sure that I could have eaten on an IOU, or a visitor's first-time welcome, or someone else's six bucks, but again, see (a). So I was just walking around the campus, finding out where things are, when a gentleman--who turned out to be Tom, the business manager--stopped me and asked if he could help me find anything. I told him I was just trying to familiarize myself with the place, as I was new, which led to the inevitable discussion of how I ended up at First Church. And that discussion led to a really nice conversation that lasted a good few minutes. It was cool.
Then at seven it was time for the guest speaker, a gentleman named Adam Hamilton, who started the Church of the Resurrection in Kansas (or Kansas City, I'm not sure). It's a big church, and he's written eight books. I didn't know any of this until tonight. But I bet he's pretty well known in church-ish circles.
His talk coincided with the release of his eighth book, Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White. So he talked about the value of finding the middle ground between the two opposite sides of--well, pretty much anything. From church, and faith, and theology, to political parties and social issues. He made a lot of sense. I thought it was a tiny bit over the top when, near the end, he said that it was the United Methodist Church that had the message that people needed. Just a tiny bit.
But he made a point that today's young generations--you know, X and Y and all that--want what following Jesus has to offer: a deep and meaningful relationship with Someone greater than ourselves, and a chance to make a difference in the world. The evangelical and the social Gospel at the same time. Heart and mind.
I think he's right. And what a difference we could make.
So I bought two of his books after the talk, and ended up in another good conversation with one of the younger regulars--maybe a member, I don't know--named Ryan. And now I feel like I'm more connected at First Church in a week and a half than in a year at Existence.
And I got to talk with Molly the preacher (That's what I have to call her when I'm talking to Shannon, to distinguish her from the other Molly--and Mali--that I know. It flows well, I think.) for more than two sentences tonight. Which I've been looking forward to, because anyone whom I have described as "enthusiastic (joyful?) to the point of barely being able to contain it" is someone that I would like to get to know.
Anyway, that was my day. And tomorrow, provided that I feel decent, I get to go shoot the big gun. Which is always a good time.
little changes
14 years ago
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