STEDY, August 15, 2018

Her name was Dr. Stone and she taught various literature classes at my high school. She had long hair that all the moms would whisper she should cut, she drank espresso and drove a Volvo sedan with plates that read “Anput”. Her husband, a doctor with a different last name had “Anubis” on his. As a major ancient Egypt nerd I thought that was the coolest thing ever. She taught the classes I loved, classes on the intersection of art history, theater, music and literature. Her most famous was “Comedy, Wit and Satire” which began with the Far Side and ended with Kafka. My sisters and I were enamored with her, she was brilliant, funny and sophisticated. She taught us words and phrases so obscure most people didn’t know we were swearing. I remember using some on my mother who just stared at me with her mouth open, trying to decide if she should scold or applaud.

Dr. Stone was one of many beloved teachers who uncovered an abyss I never knew was there. Whether it was learning about more ancient kingdoms or tiny valves that keeps blood flowing in the right direction those teachers created those moments where you got to learn something so cool and you get lost in the fun of new information.
These are the great moments in school and, lets be honest, they don’t happen every day. In between those lessons that blow and expand your mind, there is a lot of other emotions that can fill and highjack a school day. This is a time of year when a lot of those emotions are strong as students return to school or start at a new one. Some students look forward to seeing friends, wearing new clothes and getting back to a routine. Others are filled with dread knowing coming months bring exams, homework and projects. Others are haunted by the number of anxieties school can bring about: separation, performance or social. While it is often in the classroom where we are exposed to beautiful new material, school is more than just learning facts, its learning how to navigate bullies and the basics of society. It’s a place where you are constantly graded, judged and compared and not only in academics but in who your friends are, your physical abilities, and appearance.

In high school when I felt like I was being scrutinized by every passerby I would watch how gracefully Dr. Stone navigated a school where she was loved but in many ways didn’t belong. I would watch her drive away in her Volvo, the name of her favorite Egyptian god perplexing those in her wake. Her education had given her access to all the generations of the world, and that knowledge gave her confidence. My education, some of which came from her, provided similarly but also expanded my amazement and love for God. By finding God in my learning, by seeing God interwoven in every fact I learned, I was able to reach for God in those school moments where I felt I was going to drown in anxiety. In coming weeks we will be looking at the wonderful ways God is present for us when we are scared, fearful, when we are being judged and feel like we are coming up short. We will be learning techniques to stay calm, to feel centered and receive confidence in who God created us to be.

~ Upcoming Events ~

Orange You Glad It’s Saturday at the Huntington Gardens!
Saturday, August 18
8:30 am – 10:30 am
Huntington Gardens

Harvest food, fight hunger, build community!
We will be collecting beautiful fresh oranges to donate to local hunger-relief agencies. Join the Volunteer Harvest Team to help us pick as much fruit as possible from trees and pack it into boxes to be donated. Volunteers should be comfortable picking and carrying boxes of fruit.
This opportunity is open to volunteers 5 years old and older, though children under 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information please contact Heather as soon as possible.

Sunday, August 19
Team 3 Acolyting