This week's Friday Five asks the RevGalBlogPals to imagine their ideal future meetup. While I suspect I would have to participate in such an affair in spirit but not in body, here are my thoughts:
What would the meeting be like? (Continuing Ed? Retreat? Outside Speakers? Interest Groups? Workshops? Hot Stone Massages? Pedicures? Glorified Slumber Party?)
Yes.
When in 2008 might you be able to attend? January? Shortly after Easter? Summer? Fall? Some other time?
When I'm much richer and much less busy. (For some reason those two things don't seem to mesh, do they.)
Where would your dream meeting location be? (Urban Hotel? Rural Retreat Center? New England Camp? Southwestern Fantasy Hotel? Far away from civilization? Nearby Outlets or Really Great Thrift Stores?)
While I know that the Upper Midwest isn't represented all that strongly in the group, a really great retreat center is The Kettunen Center in Tustin, Michigan. It has all the rustic charm of a camp, with many wonderful and actually surprising amenities, including room options that rival that of many area motels. For RevGals desiring some sort of big-city distraction, the Traverse City area -- major upscale shopping and eating opportunities, as well as beautiful lakeshore scenery -- is a little over an hour away.
On the other hand...you could all come to Outer Podunk and camp out in the city park. Dining amenities include the lake perch fish fry down at the local golf course; a flashing-neon 50's-repro diner in the next town, run by collectors of 50's-60's memorabilia, serving great burgers and shakes; and excellent Buffalo wings with bleu cheese dressing from a tavern down the street. If you're a vegan you're pretty much out of luck in rural Michigan, but we could whip you up a bowl of hummus or somethin' at Cold Comfort Cottage. (Which, sadly, only sleeps maybe three -- four counting the La-Z-Boy and five-and-a-half if I'd ever clean out the scary middle bedroom. Camping on premises would require multiple immersion baths in DEET -- probably not a strong selling point.)
Who would make a great keynote speaker? (That's if #1 leads us in that direction.)
I could be partisan and suggest Kelly Fryer -- someone who has been and should again be free to engage in pastoral ministry in the ELCA. For those of us who feel a need to mindfully form our spirituality in ways that better hold us up through the day and through the week, Margaret Guenther -- one of my favorite authors -- might be an interesting choice.
Did I leave out something you want to suggest?
No karaoke. Please.
8 comments:
echoes on the no karaoke- (shudder) ah but it is good to dream :-)
Karaoke could be an affinity group --hosted in a venue out of hearing range of everything else.
Hey how's FT?
FT is overjoyed to be driving again, after three weeks of chauffeur service by yours truly, who hates city driving. (FT does not appreciate my Right-Hand Turn philosophy, which simply affirms the cosmic principle that you can get anywhere by making right-hand turns...spiraling from place to place in a leisurely, no-stress manner, instead of gritting your teeth in the left-hand lane.) But she is still very tired, and we've found that scheduling more than one major line item on the daily to-do list is a bad idea, physically and fatigue-wise.
LC, do you know of any retreat centers in the Minneapolis area? Someone suggested piggybacking on next year's Festival of Homiletics, and that's where it's being held. So I am curious.
There is a website called, I think, Find the Divine where you can search retreat centers by state...may be a good starting point. I'll ask around too.
LOL. NO Karaoke for me, either!
:)
d
Personally, I think you should invite me to DO karaoke. I have been known to perform a stunningly awful "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." :)
- Kelly Fryer
(Now also found at http://www.ReclaimingTheFWord.typepad.com)
dear LutheranChik,
My brother Philip and I just got a book out on Luther's Spirituality (Paulist Press, 2007). It has items at the beginning in which Luther gives advice about how to overcome depression.
I first just glanced at your blogging, but I've become a regular reader. I usually put my sermons into my blog. I'd love to put in my thoughts the way you do. Thank you so much for sharing your life!
lovejoypeace,
peter
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