...But first, a little fun

The wilderness isn't all one big angst fest. It's also about having a little fun and wandering to places that please you! No one can be on a wilderness journey in New Orleans and NOT go downtown!

I arrived here to the Lowernine house on Saturday Jan. 25. Since they work from Mon-Fri, I had all Sunday to go sightseeing and play tourist. But first, Darren, my team leader, wanted me to go with him to the local donut shop for a nice full breakfast. So we went down to Geralds.

• 

The one thing I've come to discover about Darren is that in his world, there are no strangers. And maybe it's because we're in the south, too, but everywhere I go with him, he is yelling hello to whomever is there and schmoozing with everyone. Well after getting up early for that adventure, I headed down to spend the day in the French Quarter.

Since it was Sunday morning, I decided it would be fitting to begin the day at the St. Louis Cathedral across from Jackson Square. I figured the new pope wouldn't be offended if I pretended to be Catholic and received communion. Since it was a large church with many resources, it was no surprise that the music and the whole presentation was top notch. I knew all the songs- Loaves Abound, Child of the Light, I received the Living God. I also found entertaining, to listen to one of the priests who sounded exactly like my intern supervisor Paul Jann who was from Queens-(said with love, Paul, if you're reading this!) "Awlmoighty Gowd, Fawthuh of oweh Lawd Jesus Christ...."

Then it was off to go exploring the variety of shops and art galleries that abound. It was the first time I'd been a tourist by myself for an extended period so that was an interesting experience as well. Half the fun was choosing places to eat. Even the po-boy sandwiches were $12.00 at moderate places so I quickly blew the budget for the week but I enjoyed every bite! Lunch was at the Market Restaurant which featured a live jazz band. Becca told me I had to go to Cafe du Monde to get a beignet so I squeezed in a mid afternoon snack and did just that. I really didn't want or need the minimum of 3 that you have to order- I just wanted one,  but i figured, I'm in New Orleans, just do it. And that probably if I just had one, some homeless person would hustle me for the other 2. I was not disappointed.

There is a certain wisdom that comes with age and I decided that I was not comfortable exploring Bourbon Street by myself. So after a block or 2 of that craziness, I went back to the blocks to the south. I found Cafe Soule for dinner where I enjoyed a lovely shrimp crepe and fries that reminded me of the ones at the Jolly Pumpkin in Ann Arbor. Now I'm starting to sound like Mary Alice Powell who writes a column in the Toledo Blade about her travels, which I actually find to be rather boring. Well let me wrap this up before you click out of here.

But first, 2 other things of note. I have to look up what kind of liqueur St. Germain is, because in Cafe Soule's drink special,  they put it in champagne with an orange twist. Sensational!

And last, I promise, is to mention the great assortment of random live musicians that dot the streets in the French Quarter. My favorite, however, was not a jazz group but a unique banjo and mandolin duo called "13 Strings and a 2 Dollar Bill". I thought they actually sounded like the street musicians that dotted the streets in Asheville NC when I visited there a few years ago. After one of their songs I asked them where they were from.... Asheville NC! (They're on YouTube)

On the next blog post, you'll see more of what we've been working on this week. It's been a slow start since there was no escaping the polar vortex this week even at the edge of the gulf coast! Until next time!

Jeanne

Getting out of my comfort zone- Volunteering in the Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans

For those who may not be familiar, I have begun a wilderness journey of sorts. Call it a mid life crisis for late bloomers, call it the consequences of following my heart and soul, but nevertheless, I will not be slinking quietly into my retirement years any time soon to join the rocking chair lineup at Cracker Barrel!

Before I tell you what I'm doing now, you should probably know where I've been.

I spent the last few years of my life trying to lead a church in its mission to make disciples. I suppose I underestimated the power of inertia in doing so. Anyway, long story short, providing options turned into power struggles which turned into dividing lines and a split church. Which...(music playing now) turned into a lovely, hearts afire new contemporary church with the doors open so wide there were blurred lines (in a positive way) between the church and the coffee shop. What's not to like? The wilderness people found a promised land. Or so they thought.

In seminary they used to tell us to "bloom where you're planted". However, what we didn't know was that this meant only if you were planted by the regional or national church. Grassroots doesn't work in our current system. After being excited about our new church start, we once again underestimated inertia. This time from local congregations and businesses who didn't exactly lay out the welcome mat at first. And woe be to those pastors and people who don't do things the company (synod) way.

I will spare you the details, but the people of "SonFire by the River", even though they have a home base and an innovative and attractive ministry, are not quite out of the wilderness because of corporate issues they thought they left behind at the mother ship. My continued leadership was turning into a liability, not for the congregation, but for the headquarters which makes the decisions about which ministries get to bloom and which do not. So in early December, I made the agonizing choice to leave this congregation so that they could move forward, and in so doing I left part of my heart and soul behind.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Where am I now?

Spiritually and emotionally I've been in the wilderness. I have left behind nearly everything that was near and dear to me, so I've been coping with loss and grief. I jumped from the frying pan into the fire,  having my heart broken twice in the last 2 years by both the local and the regional church for doing what I thought the church was supposed to be doing. So now, with battle scars not entirely healed, I'm trying to determine what shape my calling will be going forward.

Physically, in the meantime, I am spending 3 weeks in New Orleans assisting with rebuilding homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina 8 years ago, with an organization called "Lowernine". (Www.lowernine.org) And that's what this blog will focus on for the next few weeks. I've had a lot of interesting impressions from this experience that I'm looking forward to sharing with anyone interested in following this. It saves me from emailing the same things to a lot of people. In the posts to come, I'll have some pictures and stories to share. So stay tuned.

I suppose I've been in the wilderness for a lot longer than a couple months, perhaps in some respects it's been a couple years. For the Israelites, it took them a generation to find their way home. I guess that's what everyone's life journey is about, especially during uncertain times, when everything you've known is no longer in your grasp. The wilderness takes you on previously untrodden paths, as the heart once again searches for home.