A Poster for ProcrastinatorsVestry met last night, primarily to consider the Financial Forecast for the year of the Lord 2008. In the (very) long run, it was approved for presentation to the congregation in two weeks at the AGM. This is all good.
There are wonderful people on our Vestry...intelligent and shrewd and careful and imaginative and courteous and incisive and dedicated. And there are the others. Fortunately, in the minority. They have absorbed a few scraps and phrases of Holy Chat, and broadcast them as justification for their unmediated and unexamined un-, sub-, and semi-conscious impulses to power, self-aggrandizement and harm-to-others. Last night I decided to let them wear themselves out. Two and three-quarter hours.
Nevertheless they passed the Financial Forecast. It's a budget, folks -- but about 15 years ago, Most Holy and Undivided was visited (or visitated) by one of the current "I Can Fix Your Parish" gurus that infest the church at the moment, and from his visit one of the Great Truths absorbed and retained was that the term "budget" is too negative, or unwelcoming, or something. Along with prayer-books...
This morning's paper has a story about a recent experiment with rats -- mothers and young -- in which it was ascertained that young rats who were licked LESS by their mothers suffered higher levels of stress than those who were licked MORE. It was also implied that "low licker" mothers had themselves not been licked sufficiently in their youth. I think, on this evidence, I have some "low-licked" parishioners...but I don't think I can make this insight the central metaphor of my Annual Report, alas.
I have to say -- that the RevGals are a powerful consolation and encouragement and I thank God for y'all, daily.
12 comments:
Maybe not a good idea for an annual report, but an interesting item to consider. I wonder if it preaches? Though the images of rats licking each other gives me the willies, so might not be best to try it.
and if I try to talk about "low licker" some of them are going to hear that as "corn licker" -- and I'm not going to live long enough to correct their misapprehensions...sigh.
Thank you for the lickers! It really have me a good chuckle.
have? gave, I meant gave!
I think that my levels of stress would DRAMATICALLY increase the more I was licked by a rat, but maybe that's just me.
As I laugh too hard to type straight,once again, I am grateful for the likes of you, CR!
That graphic ... hahahahaha!
And I'm with Chorus, I can't imagine my stress level if I'd been licked by a rat, even with the best of intentions.
Rats are pretty smart, aren't they? :)
Welcome to RevGals!
Smart rats!
You are, too--good luck with the annual report. I can hardly wait to see what "procrastination" image will be in the frame!
I generally think that in God's sight we are all like little blind Chihuahuas, yapping in God's general direction, never pointing quite straight, and expecting to be rewarded for this behavior. But low-licked rats is a good metaphor, too.
Also, "If the good Lord turned water into wine, what's wrong with us convertin' the corn we grow?" - from Richardson and Berney's play, "Dark of the Moon."
I am laughing, both about the "low licker" rats and about the procrastination motivational poster.
Maybe the point is that some folks need some remedial licking. In such cases, however, it's notably difficult to be the tongue in the body of Christ.
Don't know which troubles me more: being licked by a rat, or licking a rat. But somehow it seems a good metaphor for ministry sometimes. It's never the lovely creatures who come for licking, or stroking, or whatever gesture of affection they need, it's always the ratty-looking ones. And sometimes we're the ratty-looking ones ourselves, seeking affection(despite all that CPE is supposed to do to get our neediness under control). Thank goodness God is always willing to give that affection.
Still wouldn't use the rat-licking story for the annual report, though...
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