Bishop's Wife--Part 3

[_consiglieri]

I had an interesting conversation with the bishop’s wife last Sunday during the second hour at church. You may recall she is having some questions about the church, particularly regarding its patriarchal system.

I had just finished reading “Book of Mormon Girl” and took my copy to church to give to her as I felt a lot of what Joanna had to say would resonate with her.

I caught her after the chapel had pretty much emptied out after sacrament meeting and gave her the book.

She immediately started talking to me about how difficult things are for her right now; how she keeps having issues with the church; and how the thing that is bothering her the most is how many “traditions” she sees that have become incorporated into church practice. The example she gave me seemed pretty innocuous (that of the bishop having to take the sacrament first before it is passed), but it was obviously significant to her, and I do not know what else may be in her mind in addition to that example.

I told her she was going through the hero’s journey (yes, I just listened to the podcast—both of them!) about the hero’s journey. She said she was not sure she wanted to leave her comfortable way of viewing things. I told her she already had, which was why things were so difficult for her right now; that she had left the Shire and was in the forest going through her series of trials.

She agreed she felt like she was definitely in the forest.

I told her that I can’t get her out of the forest, and that she shouldn’t want to get out of the forest, because the forest was the place she was supposed to be right now. But I assured her she was on the right track and eventually she would emerge from the forest in a much better place and be a much better person for the passage.

At this point, she got agitated and asked, “But what if I’m going the wrong way?”

I was somewhat surprised at the words that came out of my mouth in response: “As long as you are being true to your inner self, you cannot possibly be going the wrong way.”

I once again assured her that she was doing the right thing, and then the words to a song from Pippin popped into my mind, which I quoted (rather than sang) to her:

You look frenzied.
You look frazzled.
Peaked as any alp.
Flushed and rushed
And razzle-dazzled,
Dry your lip, damp your scalp.

Now I can see you’re in a rut,
In . . . . . . disarray,
And I’m not one to butt in,
But in fact, I must say,
“If you take it easy, trust a while,
Don’t’ look blue, don’t look back.
You’ll pull through in just a while,
‘Cause you’re on the right track.”


She said she felt much better after our chat.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri



P.S. I saw her again on New Year’s Eve and she told me she was eating up the book and it was really speaking to her.

[_RockSlider]

damn wolves, at the bishop's wife's throat.

Where did I miss parts 1-2??

oh and this song comes to my mind (two of several verses)

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

[_Philidel]

You're a good man, consiglieri. Thank you for sharing that.

[_TrashcanMan79]

She immediately started talking to me about how difficult things are for her right now; how she keeps having issues with the church; and how the thing that is bothering her the most is how many “traditions” she sees that have become incorporated into church practice. The example she gave me seemed pretty innocuous (that of the bishop having to take the sacrament first before it is passed), but it was obviously significant to her, and I do not know what else may be in her mind in addition to that example.

I am so with her on this. I was a deacon when my ward introduced this "tradition," and even then I thought it was total BS. It's irked me ever since.

[_zeezrom]

Is the goal Rivendale or mt Doom?

[_consiglieri]

Is the goal Rivendale or mt Doom?

According to my limited understanding of the hero's journey, zeez, the ultimate destination is to return to the Shire, only to be a very different Hobbit from the one that left; a Hobbit that now is capable of living in both worlds instead of just the one.

This last bit didn't work out so well for Frodo, though.

We set out to save the Shire, Sam, and we did save it. But not for me.


All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_consiglieri]

I am so with her on this. I was a deacon when my ward introduced this "tradition," and even then I thought it was total b***s***. It's irked me ever since.

This helps me see that the bishop's wife is not alone in her frustration with this practice. Maybe it is more wide-spread than I had imagined. If it comes up, I will tell her she is not alone in thinking this is total b*** s***.

Thanks!

--Consiglieri

[_zeezrom]

Is the goal Rivendale or mt Doom?

According to my limited understanding of the hero's journey, zeez, the ultimate destination is to return to the Shire, only to be a very different Hobbit from the one that left; a Hobbit that now is capable of living in both worlds instead of just the one.

This last bit didn't work out so well for Frodo, though.

We set out to save the Shire, Sam, and we did save it. But not for me.


All the Best!

--Consiglieri

hopefully she doesn't fall in love with Rivendale.

[_Tim the Enchanter]

It must be said:

Rivendell.

[_SteelHead]

With props to the Enchanter for keeping us firmly grounded in "reality" ;)

Tim, I say to you:
Ecky-ecky-ecky-ecky-pikang-zoom-boing-mumble-mumble.