Being Fashion Forward

I remember seeing guys in college that wore the t-shirt with a long sleeve-t underneath. While I wasn't opposed to it, I just didn't get overly excited about it nor did I really think it looked like me. It wasn't anything I was interested in. 13 years later, I have come around and find it being a staple of my wardrobe. I rarely wear sweatshirts, and a majority of each week during the fall/winter, find myself doing the layered look with either a t-shirt or a polo. Yesterday I met with a Pastor, so I went with the polo look, just to dress up a little bit for him.

Anyway, 13 years after I first noticed it, I came around. Most of my clothes are purchased by my wife after she gets frustrated enough with me that she just buys me something so i don't look like a complete slob. Every once in a while a package from Old Navy will come with a pair of jeans or two. or she will have gone to JC Penny's or the depot to pick up a shirt for me. What's kind of funny is that when she does pick me out something, I end up being really picky. Yes. Me. The guy that doesn't like to dress up is picky about the clothes he wears. Anyway, nobody would ever accuse me of being fashion forward. It ends up causing some tension in our marriage. After a pair of khakis has been sitting in my closet still in the package for a few months, my wife will ask me why I didnt' even try them on. Or if a shirt still has the tags after a year or so sitting in my closet she will just take it to my father-in-law. Or she will just get mad that I will not go shopping for myself, yet when she picks out something, I will leave it to sit in the closet for a while before even trying it on.

For the record, I do blame my mom. As a kid I was forced to sit at market. What is market? Market is room after room of women's clothing and accessories that stores go into to pick out clothes in some city. As a kid, having to sit for days watching her pick out pants, earrings, dresses, etc. will really screw up a kid. Such began my despising shopping.

Back to the fashion thing. I'm not opposed to having nice clothes or dressing up. I am, however opposed to doing something b/c somebody told me to or to be on the cutting edge of something.

If you are still reading this, congrats, you win a cookie.

Ok - so here's the point. This past week I spent time in Anaheim at the ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza. While the name "Extravaganza" doesn't bother me, when i say the name to others, it sounds weird. it makes it sound as if there are dancing elephants or something. Anyway, much of what was talked about was pushing the envelope and really taking a hard look at the "cutting edge" of where ministry is heading. For the most part, I don't like being told what to do. I will even admit when I am told by my senior pastor a certain song he wants to have sung or something he wants me to do and I don't agree, I really don't like it. (I haven't told him that, so please don't let him know). I will even reluctantly admit in previous years hearing speakers, rolling my eyes and thinking they are absolutely wrong. After all, I am Adrian Walter and know pretty much everything there is to know about ministry.

In fact, the speaker at each of the main sessions spoke all about the lack of use of social media and technology in ministry. I wrote something about it a while ago. He seemed to go beyond just having a nice website, but rather using it to really form faith. I will be honest, I was entranced. In fact, unlike some years I was never even tempted to skip a main session. I wanted to hear more. I wasn't doing anything he was talking about, and in fact had somebody just sent me a proposal about less class time and more web time, I would of thought it idiotic. Instead, I find myself trying to figure out how I can start to incorporate what he was talking about to what we do at FLC.

Now, living in a small town in NEIA, it takes a while for fashion to get here. Everything starts on the coasts, then slowly makes it's way here. It's kind of like ministry. however, because of the web, everything seems to be getting here much more quickly that it used to. We have the opportunity to be fashion forward when it comes to faith formation and passing on the faith, and that makes me excited.

A few quick notes...

• I've been tempted to blog about our new pastor we having coming, but I am afraid she will force me to drink tea if I do, so I will refrain from mentioning her.
• Speaking of our new pastor, she drinks a lot of tea. I'm not sure how I feel about that. If you believe what she writes, she essentially carries a tea pot around with her at all times. I always thought it would be cool to drink Earl Grey (sp?) but then I found it tastes really bad.
• Twins are going to be terrible. I will not be taking any bets that they will be in the running for their division.
• I'm way excited about the new Star Trek movie coming out.

 I still love this song...