Hey - whoever may be out there. livejournal is not working well for me - I'm moving over to blogger. check me out at

http://ktjhawk.blogspot.com/

It's more fun, more versatile and more me.

So, the chair of St. Da Kine's call committee called last night. They would like to do a phone interview and we have scheduled it for the evening of July 2. I'm of a couple minds about this - I'm happy to talk to them, but so much communication happens non-verbally, the phone can be so artificial, especially for a first meeting. When I talk on the phone to people I know it's a different thing - but to have this kind of a conversation where all I am is a voice coming out of a conference phone concerns me. Oh well, we'll see what happens.

Packing continues...kind of. I've hit that point where it is easier to step over things than it is to pack them. I did just get the OK to use the empty apartment next to mine as a kind of staging area for the next 10 days or so - a place where I can put things temporarily until they are ready for their move into the relocube or their trip to salvation army. I think this will help - at the very least psychologically it will help the chaos feel less...well, chaotic.

Last night I had a conversation with the chair of St. Da Kine's call committee. A lovely woman, who would ask a question and then talk for another minute giving every possible qualification and/or answer - you know at least one of these people, I'm sure. She seems excited to get the process moving and have me talking to the committee as soon as possible. My first available weekend is July 6-8, so they may want to do a phone call before then. I should know sometime in the next week what they want to do. In the meantime she is going to pull together some things to send me - worship bulletins, newsletters, etc. I'm looking forward to getting some more information about what is going on there, as I haven't been able to access their website.

In other news...I'm packing. I have WAY too many books - why does one person need this many books? I just keep putting books in boxes and then there are always more...it's like I'm in some type of strange, never-ending cycle in a ring of hell. I think I am closing in on the end - I hope so, otherwise I'm just going to move out and let someone else deal with it while I live in a tent, and only use library books.

The bishop called this evening. He's on his way to meet with congregation previously mentioned...hmmm, a name...let's call it "St. Da Kine." (if you're in Hawaii, that makes sense - for the mainlanders, it translates roughly to "St. What's-his/her-name") So, he's meeting with St. Da Kine's call committee tonight - taking them my name, and the name of one other person. This is the congregation with the new "praise" service - and apparently it is giving them hope for growth, rather than the pattern of decline they have been experiencing for the past several years. So - hopefully I'll be hearing from them soon about going down there to meet them and talk to them.

In other good news, the synod staff is meeting on Friday to talk mobility! The interim guy will be there and he should be contacting me soon after that meeting, as I'm in the top 10 people the bishop wants him to focus on, at least at the beginning of his work. I told the bishop that I was trying to be persistent without being annoying - he laughed and said persistence is good and that I hadn't been annoying (at least yet...I think there's room here for me to grow!).

I feel so relieved! Even a bit hopeful...so I hope it's not premature and St. Da Kine will want to at least talk with me - why not? I'm cool.

So....the sound of silence from Southern California is deafening. I called the bishop on Friday (he was out, but had someone send me the congregational profile at the end of the day). Monday, I called again (he was out, left a message with his secretary) and also emailed. Tomorrow, if there is still nothing, I'll try again. Maybe Thursday is a better day.

I'm wondering, though. When does this cross the line from persistent to annoying? I certainly don't want to go quietly into the night, hanging out for them to get a hold of me...but I also don't want to be so annoying that they get sick and tired of me. It's a balance I'm wondering how to strike and am not finding an easy answer. People have been asking me when I would want to start talking with other synods - if I ever get to talk to my own again, I'd like to talk with him about that as well. If there is nothing on the horizon, I'd like to start talking to others now - because even if a congregation gets my name this week, I'm still likely looking at a several month process. Sigh.

I hope to have something to share here soon - other than feelings of frustration and discouragement, that is.

OK, so there isn't much news. I talked to the bishop on Sunday - we had a good talk about a church in Orange Co. The church went through some crisis times in the not-too-distant past and has dropped from worshiping 350 15 years ago to around 50 now. They have been "adopted" by another congregation in the synod that has provided leadership, money and bodies for a praise service (eek) - although they maintain their "traditional" service as well. There are some concerns on my part, as praise services are not necessarily my thing, but more than that I worry about my ability to work with the pastor of the adopting congregation, as he is much more conservative than I am and I wouldn't want that to get in the way of doing ministry.

The bishop was going to look over the paperwork of the other congregations in mobility and we're to talk at the end of the week. Hopefully there will be some options available. I'm now wondering if I may not try to stay in the Bay Area for July - perhaps in the dorm - and make a little more money as well as be available for interviewing (hopefully!)

Well, my options for a call are back at zero. I had a phone call from a call committee member in TCWTNTMML and they have extended a call to someone. Without even talking to them I had serious concerns, so I'm not upset about it, except that now I have no options on the table, which is a hard place to be. I'm hoping to talk to the bishop soon - and to connect with the interim mobility person in the synod office.

I'm not foundering with nothing to do, at least. I have the thesis to occupy my time and energy, as well as four jobs at the seminary to balance, so I should have little time to obsess about my lack of opportunities...at least for a month or so.

I'm headed back to CA today. I have had a wonderfully relaxing time in Hawaii. I stayed long enough to spend time with friends and to visit favorite places on O'ahu. I return to Berkeley feeling relaxed, refreshed and ready to get back to work (a little itchy where the sunburn on my back is peeling).

As advertised I called the bishop today...and since he was out of the office, I settled for leaving a message. He's supposed to be back in the office tomorrow, so hopefully I'll hear from him. I briefly touched base with the bishop's asst. who is in charge of mobility stuff, but she had to take another call. My flight boards in 40 minutes, so we'll see if she gets back to me before then.

So - nothing new to report...except Jeff thinks I should come back to Hawaii and work with him at my internship site - they only have to do some amazing growth in people and budget in the next two months so they could pay me - I think it's a good goal for them!

Today, I was poking around in a Hawaiiana store at Ward Center before I met some friends for dinner. My phone rang and I wandered outside the store to answer it. It was the chair of the call committee from the church in the "City by the Hills" - they have decided that I am not a good match for them and vice versa. He asked me to keep in touch and let them know where I end up and told me that they would continue to keep me in prayer.

I agree that this congregation is not a good match. That being said, I shed a few tears about the phone call - even though I wasn't excited about this congregation for me, I do feel rejected and also concerned about what now. There isn't really anything else on the horizon right now (TCWTNTMML still hasn't called) and I'm wondering what I'll be doing in a month...and where I'll be doing it. I have an offer of an apartment and a cocker spaniel companion in Hawaii for much of July, if I want it. I have a friend who is traveling for four weeks and while he has made arrangements to board his dog at the vets, would love to have me stay with the dog...I'm thinking about it.

I plan to call the bishop on Tuesday to talk about the situation in TCWTNTMML and now to tell him the the church in the city by the hills has released me from their process. I'll let you know what he says.

Well, I'm on vacation. I flew to Hawaii this morning. BART was running late due to power and maintenance issues so I cut the timing a lot closer than I care to, but I made the plane and had a smooth flight. I am staying with some friends from internship - they graciously have opened their home to me for the whole 10 nights I'm here and are fine with me coming and going as I please. What a gift! After a fabulous lunch of "leftovers" that were more tasty and better presented than first time meals that I cook, Carl went back to work and I took a walk for about an hour and a half. It shouldn't surprise you that Honolulu is hot...and I was OK while walking, but whenever I stopped I noticed how warm I was. I'm now back in the air conditioned condo on the 35th floor with a killer view, enjoying some quiet time. I deliberately walked for a while to keep myself moving and to stretch my legs after a 5 hour flight. Also, I need to be more active - so this was a nod to that goal.

So - the call process. I got a card in the mail from the call committee from City by the Hills a couple of days ago. It was a lovely, "thank God for you" card with a typed letter from a call committee member. When I told my story I talked about my mom's cancer and death and this person recounted their own experiences with cancer and illness in her family. It was quite lovely and a wonderful thought - I would have been completely bowled over had the letter not begun "Dear Karen"...oy.

Both Thursday and Friday I talked to the synod staff person in charge of call stuff. She seemed surprised that I hadn't heard from the church in the City with the Name that Makes me Laugh (CWTNTMML) - this being vague thing can be fun. Apparently their call committee took a month off - nice if someone would have called. According to KP I should be getting a phone call from them sometime next week. They aren't keen on interviewing me - first call and all - so the synod is making them talk to me before they can see any more profiles. That ought to be a joy!

I think it's going to take a couple of days to sink into this vacation thing. Tomorrow all day I'm at LCH - for church in the AM and the installation in the afternoon, followed by a reception. I am so excited about seeing people! I don't know how many know I'm here, so it'll be fun to see people's reactions.