Wednesday, 25th October, 2000: In which Mia is Born, and I am pinned by one of my elders

Well, the biggest change in the last ten days has been the birth of Mia on the 17th. This has really taken up all my attention. At the same time, it has also further disconnected me from my work in the parish (as if I am not disconnected enough).

Last night, at bible study, one of my elders asked me if I saw an article in the “Herald Sun” on Sunday 15th. I said “No”, and wondered what was coming next, because the author of this article, Evonne Barry, had interviewed me at Pastor’s Conference. Her article was to be on clergy stress, and several of the brethren volunteered for interview. I probably said too much to her, but this is what she wrote about half way through her article:

“A minister from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs said he was considering changing denominations. The stress of covering three congregations had brought his commitment into question. “Now I worry less about being so conscientious about my work,” the minister said. “I do what I have to do. It’s just about self-preservation.”

Dick reckons that as he read it, it could have described me. He especially asked himself “How many of these things actually applies to our pastor”. I told him not to ask those questions too broadly. I managed to sidestep the question of whether I had been interviewed. I don’t think it will be so easy if [one of my other elders] decides to eyeball me on it.

But this Sunday is Reformation Sunday. What am I going to say? I have thought of doing a dialectic “The Reformation on Trial” sermon, but in the end, I think I will just do something pretty personal, saying where I am coming from (answering the accusation that I am “too Catholic”) without saying where I am going to. I will have to be careful though.

3 comments:

eulogos said...

If I were your wife I would be upset that you didn't say more about the birth.

As a Catholic ( a long ago convert) I am hanging breathlessly on your conversion story.

But as the mother of 9, 6 born at home, I was hoping to hear something about the birth..apparently a water birth?

PS I became a Catholic in 1972, after becoming a Christian and being baptized Episcopalian in 1971. My husband (we married in a Unitarian church in 1970) was an unbeliever and not baptized until about 3 years ago, when he was, quite spontaneously after his father's funeral, baptized in the Episcopal church. Now he attends a conservative, and very evangelical Anglican parish. I attend a Byzantine Catholic Church. Usually we both attend both parishes, but we don't receive communion in each other's churches.
Susan Peterson

Susan Peterson

Schütz said...

Yes, Susan, I myself am surprised and disappointed (upon rereading the entry more than six years after the event) that I did not write more about this important occasion in the life of our family.

I can only think that a) I didn't journal much at this time because I was so involved in the practical matters of the new baby, and b) the journal was really for sorting out the facts about the challenge of the Catholic Church in my life, not a diary about all that happened to me.

Nevertheless, I think it does show that I was a little disconnected from family life at the time.

You are right about eh home water birth. I guess you have seen my entry on the other blog at http://cumecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/05/freebirthing-my-recommendation-go-with.html

Schütz said...

P.S. Feel free to email me at my blog email (cumecclesia@yahoo.com.au) so that I can contact you personally. I am keen to learn more of your experiences. It sounds as if your journey has also been quite extraordinary!