this is no longer my blog

Okay, so the title for this entry really has nothing to do with the actual content of the entry, other than it's about today (sunday). I usually have a list of bloopers or blunders that I commited, although I don't really have any today. During our 10:30 contemporary service I was the preacher so I got to distribute communion, and while I was doing this, I just had the weirdest feeling of being at peace and also a sense of awe... because I was participating in something so much bigger than myself. These people came up, and regardless of what they have done or where they have been I spoke the same words to each of them: "Body of Christ, given for you!" It felt pretty cool.
Oh, and after each service the pastor and I (in typical pastor fashion) stand at the entry way to the sanctuary and shake parishioners' hands as they exit. Well, one woman looks at me and says "That may be the best sermon I've heard in a while!" I was floored. I nearly pooped my pants. So I said "Thanks..." and then she says to Supervising, who was standing next to me, "He's going to make a great pastor!" People are amazing. Have I told you how much I love people? And it's so cool because just when you think you know someone, or have them pegged as a certain type of person, they do something that totally surprises you. I love people.
And this evening we had a special new members session, where the whole church council was invited to meet and welcome the new members. As a full time ministry staff member, I sit in on church council, and I was supposed to be there. Well, the only new members this time are a family of five: mom and dad, daughter who's a senior in high school, and two sons - one an eighth grader and the other is in fourth or fifth grade. Well, the eighth grade son is in my confirmation class, and several weeks ago on Rally Sunday I witnessed the two brothers giving each other a hard time to I walked up to them and said "'John' is your brother giving you a hard time?" ("John" is the eighth grader, and as you can tell it's not his real name) His brother tried to convince me that "John" was being a typical mean older brother, so I said "I don't know... I've met "John" and I don't think he's mean." But he kept trying to convince me, so I said if he could prove to me that "John" was a mean older brother then I'd take his side. Well, now whenever the little brother sees me he says "There's that pastor who's on my brother's side!" So tonight at the new members reception, we had to go around and give a little introduction and say our names, what we did, sort of background stuff... so it got to me and I said "My name is Pastor Intern Mark, and I've been here... What's the day today? The 24th? I've been here two months and one day. I'm originally from Nebraska... yadda yadda yadda..." Well, it goes around the circle, and it get to the younger brother and he introduces himself, says he's in Scouts and football, and he likes everyone around the table except the guy who used to be from Nebraska. Well, everybody thinks that's hilarious, so we all laughed. Someone asks why that is, so I tell them it's because I don't think that "john" is a mean older brother. Supervising says "it's something that's been going on for a while" (I had told him about it earlier) and the younger brother says "Yeah, two months and one day" and everyone just cracked up at that... So after that was over I ate some pretzels and a couple little cupcake thingies with rolo candies inside, and drank some coffee and then went to the sanctuary where they had the red sox/cardinals game on (which, last time I checked had the red sox ahead... Go Boston!)... and then i came home.
So really, that's the excitement in my day that I feel like writing about right now.
I'm tired and I get to sleep in tomorrow because it's my day off... You do NOT know how excited that makes me feel. And this Tuesday is not a Lutheran Men in MIssion breakfast Tuesday, so I don't have to get up at a God forsaken hour in the morning (truthfully, I do not believe any hour of the day to be God forsaken... but it's a figure of speech, and not to be taken literally). Yay for sleeping!!