MOVING!!!

Moving: a word that strikes fear into the hearts of many an established home dweller. The idea of sorting, pitching, keeping, cleaning, wrapping and taping one's worldly belongings into cardboard boxes and entrusting them to strangers, is enough to make even the most decisive soul tremble with indecision and fear. That aside, there are also the tasks of mail to be forwarded, addresses to be changed, new people to meet, established relationships to bid adieu and new terrain to be discovered. It is almost too much.

What I have just described is the life of one called to pastoral ministry within the itinerant system known as the United Methodist Church. At the decision of the Bishop, pastors and their families pack up and move to a new assigned place of service. After years of loving, nurturing, chastising, empowering, cheering and equipping the women, children and men of our present congregational ministries we bid our good byes and pass the responsibilities of the congregation's spiritual care into the hands of the new incoming pastor. Then we take our boxes and leave only to begin the process all over again at the next appointment.

Many people ask why anyone would want to live such a life? What would entice us into this life of upheaval and uncertainty? The answer is simple, call. It is God's calling us to ministry that keeps us going. It is our call to service and vocation that fills our hearts with a passion for souls, even on the days in which we would rather be anywhere else doing anything else. It is call that keeps us faithful when, for the life of us, we cannot remember why we are even doing this.

On Saturday evening June 12, I knelt before the whole of the church in my Conference and was affirmed, once again, in my call to ministry. Just moments before I took the vows that those seeking provisional membership have taken before me, to live a life of sacrifice and service while continuing to grow more fully into my call to ministry. Am I up to the task? Following Christ, I am.
Now back to the packing.

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven - Ecc. 3:1

The summer has given me time to rest and recharge. Even though I took a summer class, there was also time to see family and do some things just for fun. Of course there was pastor stuff to do. A little of this and a little of that.

But now the summer draws to a close as the seasons tend to do and I gather together the supplies and mental fortitude needed to begin yet another semester of school. It is time.

Time to learn, to grow and to be stretched.

I Hate Writing

I hate writing. There I've said it out loud. The reason I started this blog thing is that I figured that it might help me to...like...writing. Well I must say that that particular reason has been a major fail. However, I will say that it has helped me to hone my skills at placing random thoughts on paper in a more cohesive and almost intelligible way. For that I am grateful.

This then leads us to the whole matter of finding subject matter worthy of blog posting. It is not now or ever will be my intention to bore people with my rambling thoughts, although I seem to be doing a pretty good job of it right now. This can be, for me, an even harder task than the actual writing. What is blog worthy subject matter?

That I guess depends on the reader. For some any mundane information brings a glow of satisfaction. For others only the juiciest gossip or dirt. Still others prefer intellectual pursuits. Me, I'm just trying to fill space here today.

So, what are my words of wisdom this fine Wednesday morning? Hear they are. Do something different, something that will push you to explore, learn and develop the person you are or wish to become. If you hate writing like a do try your hand at blogging. It's not graded and if someone doesn't like it they can easily click to another blog. If you need to practice some healthy disciplines, find what you need to do and then do it sensibly. Whatever you discern to be a healthy challenge.

Well what are you still doing reading this??? Get going. Find your passion. Live life, love much, do something.

Just Bein' a Pastor

Now that all the hoopla of a seminary schedule combined with a pastor's schedule has relented, I took some time for vacation. It was nothing fancy, in fact my hubs and I stayed at home and did day trips. However I must say that it was very restful. No itinerary, no packing, and no extended travel to add stress to my time off. It was a wonderful transition into the next few weeks of just being the pastor.

I am always amazed at the process of adjustment that occurs on this journey. One goes from feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities of pastoring, to juggling those same responsibilities along with a full school schedule...and when a semester ends it seems that the original situation of pastoring is not that overwhelming after all. Isn't that part of the theory of relativity??? Anyway for the next few weeks I will be visiting shut-ins and not so shut-ins. I will take time to map out lectionary readings, hymns and sermon titles and line up meetings in preparation for the fall charge conference season. Each year I get a little more organized.

I need to remember that all of life is process and not just about destinations. So with that I will head out to visit God's people, do some office work and enjoy the sights and sounds of summer. God's blessings and peace to you all.