Overheard: Knowledge

Abe was watching a PBS science show.

"Interesting. I don't know whether to be grateful for new information or disappointed that I don't know everything."

Potent Weapon

You know, I don't complain a lot. When I do, I wish I could it make it an art form—like Rox, for example, who has established a glorious, rolicking rant style that anyone would envy. But my sort of whine will have to do.

I'm driving a loaner car while my own car is being worked on. It's a basic sedan with good sound, nice enough except for one thing: the odor. Oh Em Gee.

Some scientist somewhere has invented the most potent scent in the entire history of the world and convinced deodorant manufacturers to include it in their products. The odor is so obnoxious that it leaves its essence wherever it passes. That's almost normal, but it's also normal for scent to fade away. This stuff lingers for HOURS. And today I learned it can stay for DAYS.

Apparently the service guy who brought around my loaner car was wearing something containing this vile substance. He was in the car for only a few minutes, yet the car reeked of this unnamable sickly sweet stench. It is thick and just wrong, wrong, wrong. I opened the windows and sunroof and hoped for the best, but I continued to detect the heavy scent even hours later. It seemed to diminish last night, but apparently that's only because so much air was moving through the car.

This morning I jumped in to head downtown and GAH. It was back, almost full force. I'm guessing somehow it is embedded in the leather. Ever see that episode of Seinfeld when Jerry couldn't get the valet's body odor cleaned out of his car? This is the chemical version of the same thing. All I can say is, that service guy better not be driving MY car back when it's ready.

This pungent artificial scent is apparently supposed to be pleasant. The only other time a smell repulsed me this much was when a skunk let loose a few feet away. I'm not kidding. This stuff has the potential to be a serious weapon. Am I the only one to feel this way?

Update: Day three. Still there, but fading.

New iPhone!

It took for.ev.er for someone to offer the iPhone besides AT&T, but I knew I'd make the jump as soon as it happened. Sprint coverage was okay—except where I work, live and vacation. And they don't have the iPhone. Verizon's coverage has proved to be excellent, as expected since the husband has used it for years. Yeah, phone calls interrupt the Internet, but I'm used to that already.

I have the new white iPhone 4, and I love it! Can't keep my hands off it. I made the time-wasting mistake of downloading Scrabble. (I knew better than to even look at Angry Birds.) I'm learning all kinds of new tricks, including a screen shot. Here's my home screen. Look familiar?

The dotter and I have had FaceTime phone calls. Very cool. I can be such a geek at times. Good times.

A New Era Of Equality

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has just ratified Ordination Amendment 10-A, which allows churches to ordain gay clergy, elders, and deacons if they so choose. The ruling becomes effective July 10. This is a great day in our denomination, joining the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America in God's overwhelming grace. Justice has been done today.

Update: My commentary on this momentous occasion is posted on Bilerico.

Anniversary

This month is heavy with meaningful anniversaries.

May 1 was the third anniversary of my blog. I hardly realized it had arrived.

May 10 is the anniversary of my brother's death. It is also the date I sat down with our Adult Ed. pastor four years ago and asked him to begin the conversation in our church to welcome the LGBT community.

May 14 is the date three years ago when I sat with our senior pastor and said that it was time to be intentional in our welcome, and thus began my own journey in helping my church become open and affirming.

May 18 was my brother's birthday. He would have been 49 in 1996.

Today, May 10 will add another bead to its rosary. Today five presbyteries will vote whether to allow churches and presbyteries to ordain gay clergy if they so choose. Only one more vote is needed to reach the simple majority of 87, and one of the presbyteries voting has a history of always voting to approve the amendment. When the Twin Cities Presbytery of Minnesota votes today, the Presbyterian Church (USA) will pass Amendment 10-A.

There will be some fallout, and I plan to write about that. But the decision has been long coming—it is long overdue—and we will rejoice for this step of progress. It is not enough, but it is more. Let us take a moment to be thankful when it comes and gird ourselves for the continuing journey.

OneSecond

I have finished three months' training to be a leader of a small group at my church. These groups form around a common theme, anything from gardening to golf to grandparents. And now: LGBT advocacy. I have put out an invitation—and will continue to do so—to anyone who wants to offer a grace-filled welcome at our church. We are known to be generally welcoming, but we want to reach out specifically to this group kept on the fringes. Because we are a small group and not representative of the entire church, we have this freedom while the church continues to progress in its journey toward affirmation.

I want for us to have a public profile, so I came up with a name and created a logo. (Our church name is Second Pres.)

Our focus will be mission/outreach, but what that will look like will be determined by group members. I can't wait to get rolling!