Diocesan Council goal-setting happened tonight and continues tomorrow. I made me reservation early for one of the beds in the diocesan apartment - it's my home away from home here in Marquette. I'd heard that Joyce and Linda, two ECW women would be staying here, as well. I'd sort of hoped some other option might come up (say, Ginny would come to goal-setting and we could go to her house), but no.
I came upstairs a bit after goal setting, feeling tired from a day of meetings (some of them quite intense) and discovered four women, spread out over the conference table. They were surrounded by bags, fabric, projects, stash. And sewing machines.
"Do you sew?" one of them asked me.
"Uh. No. But I knit," I replied.
"And you've got it with you, I saw you knitting in the meeting, pull up a chair." This wasn't really what Lucia would call a polite request. Soon, I had a chair, my knitting, and a glass of red wine in my hand, while these women worked on beautiful fabric creations that made me want to sew.
We talked of life in the UP, my ordination, husbands, partners, church, fabric techniques, and church politics. Oh, and football. It was sacramental. When I think of how close I came to simply smiling and going into my room and shutting the door, I shudder. Miracles hide in all sorts of disguises.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Ah-ha! Sewing circle, knitting circle, sacred time. My first mission trip to the DR involved Kay and myself sitting in the open air dining pavilion sewing mattress covers for the camp bunks. We were the neighborhood draw - women came from up and down the street to check out what we were doing. And, they came to check out who we were. In the process of receiving the local stamp of approval the American women and the Dominican women talked about family, babies, cooking, the many things women around the world speak of as parts of their lives. Female things, feminine things, and yes... feminist things. God bless our femininity!
Sarah was telling me how certain men we know just don't get how women can be in communion while they're working on a project. This from a man who thinks men can be in communion while watching football and talking to the television.
I despair for the species....
Similar story: Recently what could have been a routine lunch turned into a hilarious event. Alone in the non-smoking room we laughed and talked and hours passed feeling like minutes as we recounted events of the morning, made fun of ourselves and each other.
Communion over food.
...and yes guys do it too! :)
Post a Comment