Final Weeks

Okay, I admit it. I fell prey to the rumor. It thought they were right. But no, in fact, things don't slow down in your last weeks in an appointment. Well, let me footnote that by saying that things could certainly be busier, but I've had seldom a down moment. So slower, perhaps...lots of time on my hands? Definitely not.

This week, meetings, women's study and a funeral fill my time, and in between those is the bulletins (now done through my last Sunday and the following week's guest preacher), the pastoral care, the e-mails and the paperwork.

I've made it a point, though, to take time to do some reading, and just finished "Mad Church Disease" yesterday by Anne Jackson. It's a great book (and an easy read) about burnout in the church--whether paid ministry staff, volunteer leaders, or the people who care about them. I definitely recommend this. Whether or not you're currently feeling burned out, Jackson gives some great advice to get healthy and stay that way.

I wanted to share the best story to come out of Annual Conference--well, from those of us buried in the worship room at least. Jenny Smith had brought along a lay woman from her church to help, someone who could work on things even if the rest of us needed to be in session. Deidre was a great person to have--always looking to help, incredibly upbeat, just a great presence. And Deidre had never been to conference before, so as far as she knew, all the fun was in the worship room! Well, most of it is...

So early on, as we're setting up, and there's people coming and going, Deidre was taping down some of the piece on the altar decorations. We'd done bits and pieces as we set up, since we realized the stage was so bouncy that even walking across the stage things shook. As she was focused on this, she noticed a man on stage getting his bearing of where things was. As she continued what she was doing, the man came up and asked her what she was doing, and why. She said she was taping things down so that bishop wouldn't knock things over. The man replied, "I hear he does things like that." And he went on about his business then wandered off. Snap to a bit later, as the procession for opening worship was entering. Who does she happen to see? That same man. Wearing a robe and stole, and carrying the bishop's staff.

Yes, indeed, the man she had spoke with earlier was Bishop Schol.

:-) I just think that's a great story! Always makes me smile.

It does remind me though, of what a shock it will be to go from a place where people know me (today I was in a doctor's office with my cousin who needed stitches and a woman from the UCC church in my town recognized me and we started talking) to a place where many do not. There's both a humility and an isolation in being somewhere people don't know me. For example, spending a college semester in Athens, Greece was one of the best things I think I could ever have done. It forced me to appreciate other cultures more, to be moe humble about my own cultural assumptions, and helped expose me to many new things. New places are like that. But I also remember who terrifying it was to arrive in a town where I didn't speak the native language, and was quite obviously not one of "them". (Freckled skin and reddish hair is not native to Greece...)

I remember too how much I prayed then. I knew I couldn't change the place (even if I wanted too, which would have made it pretty boring) but I prayed and prayed for God to help me adjust. And in accepting the differences, finding ways to be myself there (like finding that cute little Anglican church I attended), I began to feel at home.

I know the same will be true at Calvary. Settling in is more about adjusting to their culture (while staying true to myself and God's call on my life) than it is about changing them to suit me. And anyone whose made that adjustment knows how scary and exhausting it is.

For me, though, I know God has been with me in so many new things, and even out of fear and anxiety, has brought forth great growth and amazing experiences. I'm counting on God to do the same now, as I make this transition.

And really, anywhere that doesn't require a passport to reach (and even many that do) won't be all that foreign. Different. Perhaps greatly so. But all will be well.