Inequality Wins

I am so frustrated at the decision the California supreme court handed down. On the one hand, the 18,000 couples who were married in that brief period of time between the last court decision and election day are still married. That's good. I just keep seeing joy on the faces of Linda and Lucina when I pronounced that they were married after over 20 years together and multiplying that 18,000 times.

On the other hand, the court decided to uphold injustice and inequality for some. This is so wrong. I am angry and determined to continue to fight for equal rights (and rites) for all Americans.

There are some ministers who have decided to protest this decision by refusing to sign marriage licenses. They will continue to celebrate the service of Christian Matrimony for all who come - gay or straight - but will advise all brides and grooms that they must have the license signed by an official of the county in which they are being married until such time as all persons may be legally married. After much prayerful consideration, I have decided to do the same.

It is important to me that I keep praying for everyone involved, that God's love might invade every heart.

Drawing a Blank

How strange it was this morning to look at my calendar and realize it had nothing on it. No appointments, no meetings, no planned phone calls. Nothing. There are no items on my To-Do list that are overdue, or that I need to catch up with. No one is using the church hall, so it's quiet in my office. Even the construction workers remodeling our education wing didn't show up today.

I can do anything I want to! I can study in preparation for Sunday's sermon, or write the prayers for the afternoon service. I can curl up on the couch in my office and read something from that stack of books waiting for my attention on The Pastor's Bookshelf (posted below). I can call people I really want to talk to but never seem to have time to call. I can blog or twitter or update the church website. I can write some "thinking of you" cards. My day is a tabula rasa, with so many possibilities.

So why did I spend over an hour drawing a blank? I just couldn't decide what to do first. I couldn't decide whether to do what is "most important" or what would bring joy to my heart. Then it came to me that while I really would like to do something that brings joy to my heart I always feel that I am not being "productive" unless I do something that is more easily quantifiable. You know, the kind of thing that sounds like "work" when people ask what I did today.

The fact that I writing this means I have opted for doing the joy-bringing creative things that I usually put off until all the other things are accomplished. Maybe later I'll do something "constructive" but for now I'll spend some time feeding my soul with study, contemplation and writing.