Where to Begin

It's been a while since I've blogged. Has anyone missed me. It's been a difficult winter and I have a lot of issues - primarily heavy duty professional issues to think about. I've been thinking about my future as a pastor and my future job as the situation at my current church continues to struggle with its future. I'm also sick of winter. I have no energy in the winter.

Meanwhile I think this week was a fascinating week. There are so many things I could write about so I think I will start with Monday.

On Monday I was invited to participate an Interfaith Relations Clergy Institute sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Bureau of the American Jewish Committee. It was held at Union Station and featured a dialog between Father McManus and Rabbi Rudin on “The Parting of the Ways: The First to the Twenty-first Centuries and What New Scholarship Teaches Us” about Jewish Christian relations. I’m grateful for the invitation and learned much from both scholars that will be helpful in my preaching and teaching.

After the dialog, the exhibit “A Blessing to One Another: Pope John Paul II and the Jewish People” was open to us to view. It is a free exhibit sponsored by Avila University. I want to go back to see this exhibit again before it leaves Kansas City on March 27, 2009. It is in the Arthur Stilwell Room of Union Station and the exhibit is FREE. It is worth your time to see this moving exhibit.

On Wednesday I went to the Dave Ramsey Clergy Lunch. The Lunch was good and the presentation was for clergy on how we can support the Dave Ramsey LIVE event coming to Kansas City on May 2nd at Kemper Arena. If people buy tickets through their churches, they can save 30% off the $40.00 price for a ticket to the live event. If you are interested in a discounted ticket to this event, please let me know and I’ll see what I can do to get you one. In these economic times, economic education is important.

On Thursday I went to the funeral of a member of my congregation. This particular member had developed a close relationship with one of the Elders at the church and the Elder did the funeral. He did a wonderful job. I was glad that I could empower him to do so by providing the materials he needed to put together a good solid service that met the wishes of the family. What it also showed me, in reflection, that I am not irreplaceable. It is also symptomatic of my congregation and the larger church that it is dying. My congregation has lost two members so far this year. A roll of 55 has now gone down to 53. 53 people really cannot support a full time clergy person. I often grasp for things to do to keep me busy and keep my folks engaged – many of whom are elderly and infirm – it takes a lot of energy to just live life when you have difficulty moving. I often think that I have difficult job. It is difficult to watch a congregation die. It is difficult to walk with a congregation when it does die. In a culture that gets focused on doing, being is hard work and takes a lot of energy. I sometimes think being takes more energy than doing. So I see my primary task right now to BE with these folks as they grieve and as they It is difficult for me because I like to be doing something and I realize the end is probably coming soon for this congregation and I don’t have my next new thing lined up.

In terms of my next new thing - I am not sure what that will be. Discernment is hard work and the economic woes of our present time does not give one a sense of security or hope. In times like these it is difficult to remain faithful to what one believes God has called one to do. It is difficult to remain non-anxious in times like these, yet if I believe what I say I believe, this is exactly what I need to do.

After the funeral I went to Business Affairs committee of the Presbytery. Friday I tried to take as a day off, but had a medical test (routine) and end up in the office for about an hour to proof-read the bulletin. Saturday was spent – not enjoying the outdoors and 70 degrees and sunny weather – but a Presbytery Meeting. I’ll write more about that in my next entry.