Presby-Musings

This past June I graduated from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry degree after spending three years of reading, writing, sweating , researching, more sweating and even more writing before finishing my dissertation/project.  So why am I back at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary this week taking another class? Well, it's not because I enjoy freezing my tuckus off in 16 degree weather.  And it's not because of the Primanti Brothers sandwiches--although they do stand for a pretty good argument . I am, in fact, taking a weeklong seminar with the goal of obtaining an Executive Certificate in Religious Fundraising from the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, which is part of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University . In English:  I am learning how to develop generosity in church congregations, and to develop my own leadership skills when it comes to stewardship/giving/fundraising in faith communities. As part of this ...

I am living in a hotel room this week. The wallpaper in my hotel room is textured, and patterned to look sort of like bamboo or rattan or something. It was hung circa 1989, along with the colorful parrot portraits that preside over the two full sized beds in the room.  Said beds are festooned with perhaps the most garish bedspread I have ever seen in my life. Check that.  I've seen worse.  I'm pretty sure Elvis had one more garish in the Jungle Room at Graceland---I saw a photo once. The television in the room was state of the art----never.  It's one step lower than the sort of set that I had when I was a kid that had a dial on it to change the channel to one of the three channels (if you didn't count the UHF channels) that were on television. And I am listening to Taylor Swift . How did I get here?  When did I begin to settle for this sort of thing?  I am terrified of what this room would look like if I pulled out a portable black light and ...