The Highs Of My Week:
1) Going out to lunch with my wife on Friday. Actually, she took me out, and we had Olive Garden. I love it when she pays, and I always thank her for that! But, you know I struggle everytime I am there...my struggle is in deciding if I should order something new. I order the same thing everytime - seafood pasta with an extra Italian sausage (my friend and I started this tradition), along with the Belini tea! SO GOOD! My wife commented how much easier and more carefree it is not having the little man with as he tends to be incredibly impatient at any and ALL restaurants! So, it was nice to have a rare moment with just my wife having some good food.
2) Meeting with a subversive group of pastors who are forward thinking, who are tired of weird obscure traditions that are stumbling blocks for God to actually work in the church, and who are just ready for authentic, transparent ways of leading and serving the church. This is definitely something that I wanted in my previous freakish call, but everyone was more interested in taking care of themselves, than in actually trying to be communal, and dare I say, working on their inner-core of spiritual awareness of why they do what they do. I love this group of men who are so ready for something new, and are doing some awesome things in their respective churches. Next month, we have a big name speaker coming to St. John's in Oregon and councils, and pastors are invited to come and learn about how to be Spirit-Led Leaders, because as we are finding out with ourselves and with others, not tuning into how to receive and live within the Holy Spirit can kill not only churches, but it can kill the pastor too. I am excited about the potential and friendships that I am connecting with in this group.
3) Delivering my wife's lunch to the High School that she teaches at, and TWICE, someone assuming I was a student!!! I loved it! Overhearing one of my wife's English students ask, "Is that a new student?" as I walked into her classroom made my day! It made me miss high school for about a second or two. But then again, I was happy to only have visited!
4) Challenging myself to preach on the New Testament text that I have preached the most on. Every wedding I have done, I always preach on the "Wedding at Cana" gospel from John. Well, this week in the lectionary, this text came up. It really challenged me to say something different that I hadn't before, because frankly I was way too comfortable with this text before this week. But, last night and this morning's worship services heard me preach and the sermon was well received...I had one woman come up to me and say to me that she had heard this text a thousand times, and I was the first pastor that made her totally think about this in a new way! You know, that makes it all worth it...not that it points to me, but that the Holy Spirit is the real author here...I simply write how I am inspired and I definitely know it's God who gives me thought and flow as to what I am going to say. I definitely love that part of what I do.
Some Lows Of My Week:
1) Just dealing with the inability of some people to actually know that they continue to hurt and frustrate my wife and I. I find it appalling and rude that when feelings or emotions are not considered and are not even on honored, then I have a major problem with it (see previous posts). The funny thing in all this is that, there are some people from that place that actuallyt believe that I trust them, and that I might want to be in relationship with them. I don't think so (again, see previous post). But, out of this crap, I have some great friends who are in a more viable position than I am to actually voice their disgust about how this church goes about doing things. And for them and their voice, I am honored.
2) Seeing my wife deal with some shock and sadness over the tragic death of one of her students. A mother, her 15 year old son, and 17 year old daughter were murdered this week south of town in their home. Big news around here. I have been around tragedy, and know what that awful grief feels like and looks like. But, for my wife, who sees it rarely and knowing that this death was horrible, compounds the feelings of loss and anger. Her side of it all is remembering that 15 year old smile and laugh, and working his butt off to pass her class. No to mention, that she remembers his innocence and energy. Unfortunately, the local police have no idea who did it, or why. Meaningless deaths for such young people and a mother who was working two jobs to just make it, pisses me off and breaks my heart, and I know it does alot more than that for my wife who knew this family. God be with the families...
More later...
1) Going out to lunch with my wife on Friday. Actually, she took me out, and we had Olive Garden. I love it when she pays, and I always thank her for that! But, you know I struggle everytime I am there...my struggle is in deciding if I should order something new. I order the same thing everytime - seafood pasta with an extra Italian sausage (my friend and I started this tradition), along with the Belini tea! SO GOOD! My wife commented how much easier and more carefree it is not having the little man with as he tends to be incredibly impatient at any and ALL restaurants! So, it was nice to have a rare moment with just my wife having some good food.
2) Meeting with a subversive group of pastors who are forward thinking, who are tired of weird obscure traditions that are stumbling blocks for God to actually work in the church, and who are just ready for authentic, transparent ways of leading and serving the church. This is definitely something that I wanted in my previous freakish call, but everyone was more interested in taking care of themselves, than in actually trying to be communal, and dare I say, working on their inner-core of spiritual awareness of why they do what they do. I love this group of men who are so ready for something new, and are doing some awesome things in their respective churches. Next month, we have a big name speaker coming to St. John's in Oregon and councils, and pastors are invited to come and learn about how to be Spirit-Led Leaders, because as we are finding out with ourselves and with others, not tuning into how to receive and live within the Holy Spirit can kill not only churches, but it can kill the pastor too. I am excited about the potential and friendships that I am connecting with in this group.
3) Delivering my wife's lunch to the High School that she teaches at, and TWICE, someone assuming I was a student!!! I loved it! Overhearing one of my wife's English students ask, "Is that a new student?" as I walked into her classroom made my day! It made me miss high school for about a second or two. But then again, I was happy to only have visited!
4) Challenging myself to preach on the New Testament text that I have preached the most on. Every wedding I have done, I always preach on the "Wedding at Cana" gospel from John. Well, this week in the lectionary, this text came up. It really challenged me to say something different that I hadn't before, because frankly I was way too comfortable with this text before this week. But, last night and this morning's worship services heard me preach and the sermon was well received...I had one woman come up to me and say to me that she had heard this text a thousand times, and I was the first pastor that made her totally think about this in a new way! You know, that makes it all worth it...not that it points to me, but that the Holy Spirit is the real author here...I simply write how I am inspired and I definitely know it's God who gives me thought and flow as to what I am going to say. I definitely love that part of what I do.
Some Lows Of My Week:
1) Just dealing with the inability of some people to actually know that they continue to hurt and frustrate my wife and I. I find it appalling and rude that when feelings or emotions are not considered and are not even on honored, then I have a major problem with it (see previous posts). The funny thing in all this is that, there are some people from that place that actuallyt believe that I trust them, and that I might want to be in relationship with them. I don't think so (again, see previous post). But, out of this crap, I have some great friends who are in a more viable position than I am to actually voice their disgust about how this church goes about doing things. And for them and their voice, I am honored.
2) Seeing my wife deal with some shock and sadness over the tragic death of one of her students. A mother, her 15 year old son, and 17 year old daughter were murdered this week south of town in their home. Big news around here. I have been around tragedy, and know what that awful grief feels like and looks like. But, for my wife, who sees it rarely and knowing that this death was horrible, compounds the feelings of loss and anger. Her side of it all is remembering that 15 year old smile and laugh, and working his butt off to pass her class. No to mention, that she remembers his innocence and energy. Unfortunately, the local police have no idea who did it, or why. Meaningless deaths for such young people and a mother who was working two jobs to just make it, pisses me off and breaks my heart, and I know it does alot more than that for my wife who knew this family. God be with the families...
More later...
2 comments:
My heart goes out to your wife. What a senseless loss...
And I am SOOOOOOO jealous that you got a date with your wife, sans kid. Oh! to dine without grimey ketchup fingers sliding down my arm........
You a high school student??? - that is a freaky thought!!!
Can I guess who you are refering to as to the person who can voice their opinion at "that place"?
I thank you for letting me do that and for rising above the "petty" comments and stupid people!!!
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