Changes

Today's blog is a looking ahead to what is to come as Tim and I move out of the office of pastor at FMC and into the pews.

Change is rarely easy and never avoidable. Today, I sit in front of my computer in a church office that is mostly empty. There are no pictures on the walls, the filing cabinets are empty, and most of the books are in boxes. Tim and I shared the pastoral ministry at FMC for 15 years. We love this church, its people, and the challenges of preaching, teaching, visiting, and reaching out into the larger church and our communities. It is not easy for us to leave this role and it will not be easy for people to allow us to be something other than pastors-especially while the role remains vacant in our church.

I am glad for the timing, that we and the church can do some adjusting over summer while our "normal" routines are already disrupted.

Change is not always good, it is not always bad. This change, for me, is definitely a mixture of the two. It is bitter and sweet. I choose, however, to put my energy into the positive and look to where God is calling us next. I told someone last week that my default is to smile. So here is my list for looking ahead:

1. I look forward to being a "pastoring person" without the limitations, expectations, and remuneration of a formal job description. There is freedom in this. Perhaps I will be more available for neighbours-and instead of "preaching to the choir" I can bring good news to those who don't have a whole church supporting them.

2. Tim has, since February, been working as the area church minister for Mennonite Church Alberta. The position is invigorating and he seems to be the right person at the right time for changing national and provincial structures. I've been called into a part-time position with the Mennonite Central Committee in Edmonton, beginning in September and am excited to take that on. 

3. I look forward to being able to put more focus and energy into writing for the Canadian Mennonite Magazine as well as some personal writing projects.

4.We have been blessed and encouraged by receiving calls into new work and ministry so quickly. 

5. My part-time positions are quite flexible, allowing me to be the 'home anchor' while Tim travels for his work. This allows us to keep things stable and supportive so our teenagers can still participate in their church and communities. We will also continue to be in the pews as members of FMC, however, will greatly limit our involvement and availability so that we do not interfere with new leadership.

6. I pray with hope that the church will move on well, addressing its lingering issues and doing the hard work of change that I believe it (every person in the pews) is ready to do. For myself, I commit to using any lingering grumpiness I have as a spur to learning and encouraging positive change for myself and the church I love.

Finally, I look forward to continuing to blog about the lectionary passages and issues of faith and life. The administration of this blog will undergo some change. Stay in touch for information about how to continue to access the "Lectionary Reflectionary"