Sprouts, October 22, 2013

WESTERN DISTRICT CONFERENCE

SPROUTS

October 22, 2013

A weekly communication for:

WDC Churches and Pastors

WDC Executive Board, Commission, Committee and Task Force members

Any content may be used in bulletins and newsletters and forwarded to congregational leaders and members.

WDC Sprouts is also available at:  www.mennowdc.org (Publications)

IN THIS ISSUE:

*Flawed and All the Better for it

*Announcements

Flawed and All the Better for it

by Olivia Bartel, Camp Mennoscah Director

When I was growing up, we would visit Grandma Schmidt for holidays, during the summer, and whenever else we could manage it.  I loved visiting Grandma.  I loved Grandma and Grandpa, I loved the farm, I loved the quilt in my room, and I loved the fact that if Grandma had baked there would often be a small bowl or reused whipped topping container on the kitchen table filled with culls.

Culls are those baked goodies that are flawed.  They are peppernuts that are a bit too dark or cookies that smooshed into each other or zwieback whose heads fell off.  They taste perfectly fine but don’t meet 4-H or even “company” standards, whatever that means to you.

Culls are the unplanned, yet tasty, surprises, though I suppose that from a baking point of view, culls are the failures.  I never go into my baking forays thinking, “okay, this will be my pan of culls.”  Rather, my goal has always been to have everything go perfectly.  I know better than to think this.  I can’t remember a time when something went the way I originally planned it.

We’re working on new bathhouses at Camp Mennoscah—a completely new one to the north of the girls’ cabins and a replacement bathhouse for the boys’ cabins.  Plans and time lines and goals are constantly changing as committees talk about these great additions to our camp grounds.

It’s very clear to me that the end results will not exactly match the original bathhouse plans, though they may be quite similar.  I’m mostly okay with this.  I’m guessing there will be some “well, I liked the other way better” or “hmm…not exactly what we were looking for.”  But we’ll also get “look at this great aspect that we wouldn’t have had” and “whoa—that would have been a disaster to have it done it the way it was originally planned.”

It’s not the best analogy, but these changes are a bit like culls, perhaps.  Few people I know start baking wishing for culls and fewer still look for building or renovation plans to change.  There will often be some regret that it didn’t go the way it was planned and possibly some things that won’t be the way we wanted.  Someone, however, like maybe a grandchild, will find those culls or new plans much better than the originals.  Maybe it won’t be what we planned, but maybe we’ll be all the better for it.
WDC Announcements

1.  Don’t miss this event! Tell your friends! Bring a carload!  Tickets are still available for Friday (Oct. 25) evening’s 7:00 pm premier performance of “A Peek into the Church’s Journey with Sexuality” at Bethel College.  On stage will be Humorist and Philosopher Ted Swartz of Ted and Co. Theaterworks, joined by Keith Graber Miller, professor of Bible, Religion and Philosophy at Goshen College. Call Bethel College at 316-283-2500 for $10 tickets.  All seats reserved.

2.  For those who have registered, WDC’s Reference Council, “The Church and Homosexuality:  A Conversation That Can Hold Us Together” will be held on Saturday, Oct. 25 from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm at Faith Mennonite Church.  Full information:  www.mennowdc.org or call 316-283-6300.