Bruce Reyes-Chow

One more example of what I schmuck I am

I am a schmuck [Definition].

Sometimes, I get to a place where I think I have left schmuckiness behind for a life of wisdom and peace, but no, I soon am reminded that above all I am a schmuck. 

This afternoon I had the pleasure of having lunch with a colleague who has been in our Presbytery for five years.  We have not had much interaction - if at all - until about six months ago when we discovered that we were both on Facebook.

What a good person.  We learned a little about each other. Talked about the uniquely different congregations that we serve, mused about possible partnerships and just hung out a bit.  Good stuff.

I am a schmuck because it took 5 years for us to connect.  This was not for any particular reason.  We just never really connected.

Dorks.

Better late then never, I suppose.

Now I wonder who else out there I am missing out on knowing.

Holding non-presby readers hostage

We'll, they done lost their minds ;-)

This evening the Presbytery of San Francisco endorsed me to stand - we say "stand" because we are not really "running" . . . stop laughing - for Moderator of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA).  With this post I will try as much as possible to NOT blog about the moderator stuff because i know for many of you think I have simple lost my mind and/or you just don't care.

I hear ya.

So in exchange for not blogging about Presbyterian moderator stuff I would ask the following from my Presbyterian and non-Presbyterian readers:

• Subscribe to my moderator blog if you want to stay in the loop;
• Add some blog bling to your blog or website to help a brutha out;
• Write an endorsement on your blog;
• Create a video endorsement and upload to YouTube with"Reyes-Chow" as one of your tags;
• Join the Facebook Group and/or add the Facebook Fan Page to your FB profile;
• Pray pray pray pray and pray some more;
• And if you are in the mood, send me a Schrute Buck ;-)

This in a very exciting time for me, my family, the church I serve as well as many friends and strangers who have offered notes/words of encouragement.  Thank you.

17 years ago today

Hard to believe that 17 years ago today these two crazy kids tied the knot!  December 1, 1990 also happened to be a Saturday AND Robin was living with her Grandmother in the very same apartment that we just moved back into this summer.  My how things do come around. 

and now look at 'em
Love ya hon!

What I learn from my friends

Over the past few weeks I have been made aware of so many wonderful folks in my life that I count as friends.  As I have interacted with people in some very different contexts and from different times in my own journey, I have been wondering about the nature friendship.

• How many close friends should one have?
• How many friends of mine would I consider close?
• What does friendship mean?
• If you only have room for 100 friends ;-) where am I on the list?  AM I on the list?
• What flaws/quirks do you overlook?
• When do you speak the truth in love?
• When/how do friendships begin/end?
• How does social networking strengthen or develop friendships?
• And are friends really friends forever if the Lord's the Lord of them?"*  

One of the most important aspects of friendship for me is how I grow by interacting with people I trust.  There are plenty of things that I have in common with my friends, but I find that the thing that separates friends from people "I just put up with" because my momma raised me right, is that I am enriched by the quirks and particularities that might otherwise be obstacles to developing a closer relationship if they were not friends.  In other words, where some might see them as, "_______" those very same traits help me to further understand the wondrous complexity of God.

What I learn from my friends:

• To my friends who are a painfully honest and consider filters optional (AKA Prickly Pears) . . . thank you for reminding me that sometimes we are supposed to be painfully honest and filters sometimes are just needless justifiers for fake behavior.
• To my friends who hold back and observe ALL THE FREAKING TIME . . . thank you for reminding me that sometimes rushing out, being in front and leading some "pack" of whatever isn't always the goal.
• To my friends that can be annoyingly hopeful and pleasant . . . thank you for reminding me that sometimes life can be hopeful and pleasant and we need to claim it more often.
• To my friends who live like politics don't matter . . . thank you for reminding me that no amount of strategizing and political maneuvering will replace the movement of the Holy Spirit.
• To my friends who could give a rat's behind about any of my accomplishments real or made-up . . . thank you for reminding me that my worth is not in my Doing, but in my BEing.
• To my friends that often seem like they just don't like people  . . . thank you for reminding me that people sometimes are meany McMeanies and must be treated as such.
• To my friends who like that nature stuff, are not plugged into the matrix and/or voluntarily go on silent meditation retreats  . . . thank you for reminding me of the diverse ways people connect with God, and for not making me go with you ;-)
• To those who also consider me a friend, thank you!

*Cue video to the cheesiest Christian song EVER . . .