Do I need to worry?

This morning there was a large number of police patrolling through our parking lot. At one point, they even drove up the driveway to the rectory. By the time they had made pass number 10 through our parking lot, the parish admin and I went out to ask what was going on, but they didn't even slow down. They just drove out of the parking lot leaving us standing there wondering if we shouldn't probably go back inside and lock the doors! Hmmm?!?

Hallelujah! Part 2 - GOE Re-Write's Done

Well, they are done! I hope and pray that they are acceptable! Whew! :-)

GOE Re-Writes

Yes, I am one of those poor souls who have to re-write some of their GOE answers for their Commission on Ministry. I have to re-write my Scripture and Church History answers. They are due on Monday so I get to spend this weekend finishing them up. Well, at least they will then be done! Hallelujah! (oops, I should wait to celebrate until I am done with them!)

Learning the Ropes

As the new "Associate Rector for Family and Young Adult Ministries" (read that: Youth Pastor), I am struggling to figure out just how to do my job. Everyone seems to smile a lot at me, waiting with baited breath for me to do something spectacular, but I seem merely to be really busy just learning everyone's name. Starting youth ministry in the summer means that the youth don't meet very often and most of what I do is hypothetical planning for the start of the program year. The parents seem encouraged by my ideas so far, but appear to be waiting for something in particular (of which, I know not what). The youth themselves are pleasant and nice (and incredibly intelligent, scarily so!), but seem a little wary of the "new guy." They are very much like caged wild animals, pacing slowly, trying to decide just how much lethal force they need to use to defend themselves against any stupid ideas I may have about what youth ministry should be. I didn't realize that starting ministry was going to be quite so.....uneasy...tentative...unsure. Hmmmm, why can't God just call me to do stuff that I am already really good at??? Growth is tough! Lord, send me strength!

Hallelujah!

As of Saturday June 7th, I am now an ordained Deacon in the Episcopal Church! Yeah! It was a wonderful service, albeit, very hot. The day was hot and muggy and the A/C in the Cathedral was more than a little overwhelmed. Though this lead to soggy clothing and vestments, spirits were not dampened. My face is still sore from smiling! While I tried to slow the day down as much as possible and enjoy every moment, it went by much too fast. I was composed during most of the service, but right after the consecration, I looked over at my fellow ordinands, most of them close friends, and almost wept from the emotions sweeping over me. We have all been on this journey for so long, praying together, studying together, and sometimes crying together, and to reach this moment together was wonderful! Now, back to work.

Preaching Camp

After driving half-way across the nation, I am now at preaching camp (more officiously known as "The National Preaching Conference sponsored by The Episcopal Preaching Foundation (or Preaching Excellence Program '08)". It has been an interesting time so far, with lots of really good preaching from some excellent guest speakers. We have also broken into preaching groups and given our own sermons (the first of two, so far). In these preaching groups I have heard some incredible sermons. I heard four radically different sermons on the parable of the Sower, all of which were nothing like what I would have preached. I have heard a range of styles and comfort levels. I really have learned a great deal so far and am looking forward to the last two day, though I have to admit to being very tired.
We were given the task of coming here with a sermon on a parable ready to be preached (which we did yesterday). Now, we have to create a sermon for tomorrow, incorporation what we learned thus far. AAAHHHH! The pressure!
My backside is tired of sitting. I am tired of stuffy airless rooms. I am tired of sleeping on a dorm mattress (as thick as two matzos!)But I really love the people that I have met and the lessons I have learned. This experience will definately go down as a postive one!
Though I have to admit a really strong desire to lace into my next sermon the phrase, "This one day at preaching camp...." :-)

Graduation

Well, graduation has come and gone and I am now officially a holder of a Masters Degree. That all sounds quite pretentious, but feels very anti-climactic. The end of the semester, finishing school work, fulfilling diocesan requirements, and finding a job, all combined to make time just fly by. Graduation really came much sooner than I was ready to deal with. I feel like I am still trying to process all the emotions that I had before, during, and after the event. I am still grieving the seemingly sudden loss of close friends. I am trying to fully comprehend what it is that I went through over the last three years. I am doing all that while trying to learn a new job, with new people and new problems. I'm sure that someday very soon I will have processed all this and really feel like I have graduated, but right now it all feel very surreal, like a dream.