Not To Be Disturbed (I already am)

Who plays center?

Ever have a day when there were so many little tasks on the to-do list that you felt almost paralyzed by the sheer number of them? Which one to do first? What should follow? Which should be put low on the priority scale?
I find that in those situations the best approach is to start with a nap. So what if you just finished breakfast? A nap has powerful potential for putting things in perspective.

I got my sermon done, a full 24 hours before my self-imposed deadline (noon Friday). In fairness, I have help preaching it this week. I'm only doing the first half; my special friends are helping me with the second part. I'm eager to share what we have planned and wish some of our regulars weren't going to miss it, 'cause it's going to be cool. (grin)

I also spent time this morning on mp3 files of previous messages, editing them with Audacity, a free audio editing program Jeff told me about. (preposition) Surprisingly powerful program for shareware. Why am I editing mp3's of messages? Stay tuned!

I was supposed to meet with Matt and Esme at lunch but that's been postponed until tomorrow because all the information isn't in. What info? Stay tuned!

I played nine holes on the executive course with Fred this afternoon. He was much more talkative this time, probably because he felt more comfortable with me. He doesn't hear so well so sometimes our conversations are a bit disconnected, but he's a nice guy. Turns out he's 79, not 76 as I thought. (I think I was upside down when he told me his age last time.) Hits a pretty good ball for that age, but he says he used to play to a 10 handicap, which is pretty decent, at least by my standards.
Eight of the nine holes on the front side have bunkers, and I was in the sand on seven of those holes. Anybody else seeing a trend?
The reason for my anxiety is Sunday's round. Once again I'm playing the blue course at The Wigwam, this time with Todd, Matt and one of our guests for Sunday morning's service. I am definitely the weak link in this foursome and it is my nature to worry about holding the others back, thereby embarrassing myself. Of course the greater the anxiety the more the likelihood that I'll choke on the first tee and descend from there into a downward spiral of increasing tension and decreasing results. I've been to the driving range frequently over the last couple of weeks trying to work on what we generously call my swing (think Charles Barkley) and while I think it's helped, any progress I've made will probably all disappear sometime during lunch between church and that first tee.

Some kerfuffle about Pres. Obama's appearance on Jay Leno scheduled for tonight. Should he be appearing on late night TV when the economy is in the toilet? Meh. Doesn't bother me from that angle. A better question might be, does it demean the office? Is it consistent with the dignity of the office of the President of the United States to appear on a show committed to silliness and celebrity worship? (Note: I enjoy silliness as much as the next guy; that's not the point.) I appreciate a populus President. We've had enough of pompous politicians lately. But once you've been down to the rec room it's hard to reclaim the parlor. And I think I want a President who commands the highest respect, who is "other" than me, for whom I must stand when he enters the room.

Which is exactly why I'm very uncomfortable with the familiarity that characterizes some contemporary worship. We seem to have swung away from the (sometimes exessive) emphasis on the transcendence of God to an overemphasis on his immanence.

I need some shirts - something between a T-shirt and a formal button down. I looked last time I was a Costco (hey, I'm Scottish) and they had Hawaiian shirts. Is there a threshold for wearing those? Like, do you have to be a certain age, or a certain build, or ...? I don't want my kids to feel like they should find a hole to hide in when they see their old man dressed like that??

'cause I'm not so good at this whole fashion thing. My style could best be described as pragmatic. The expression "gold ring in a pig's snout" seems apropos here; I don't see the sense in wasting a lot of time or money trying to override God's clear intent. And the older I get the more realistic I get. That, and cheap. But a faux pas should be avoided for the sake of those we care about, whether it's the golf course or the wardrobe.

I think I need another nap. The pressure is getting to me.