Update

The past few weeks have been interesting, to say the least.  Ministry is continuing to go well although some changes are coming.  The new direct billing scheme that our conference adopted to take effect on 1/1/2011 will add approximately $12,000 to the cost of having a full time pastor – a cost that our congregation cannot afford.  So, at our charge conference on September 27^th, we informed the DS that we wanted to be pro-active in the process of changing from a full-time local pastor to whatever form of pastoral leadership that we can have with one caveat.  This congregation celebrates communion every Sunday (in the morning on the first Sunday of the month and weekly at the Sunday evening service) plus we offer communion on the distribution days at the food pantry (1^st and 3^rd Friday of each month) and this pattern will not change.  The DS welcomed our thoughts and offered some potential solutions.  We will take a closer look at options in December when I meet with the DS for consultation and then our PPR will become involved in the process.  To say that I’m not concerned would be a lie.  But I have to have faith that God did not call me to the ministry just to abandon me now.

The food pantry ministry at the church continues to grow.  This congregation with an average worship attendance in the 40’s is currently serving over 1300 men, women and children each month and the numbers continue to grow.  This is a ministry where the hand of God is evident.  Last year at this time, we had almost no money in the bank and now we are preparing to enter into the winter months with a bank account that is overflowing and shelves that are well stocked.  The only problem that we are having at this point is that it is becoming difficult to have enough banana boxes on hand for packing the 260 boxes we need to have on hand for each distribution.

On the personal side, we have just returned from a week of vacation in Destin.  A friend offered us her condo on the Gulf and we gladly accepted.  A week of eating fresh seafood and enjoying the sand and the surf ensued.  Caught up on some reading (none of it having to do with theology or church) and generally relaxed.  We were sorry to see our time away end.

Lastly, on Wednesday, I will mark a half-century on this earth.  Big River Grill is calling my name and I’m looking forward to eating from the Oktoberfest menu and enjoying a pint or two of the Oktoberfest brew.

Until next time, whenever that will be.

20 Years Ago

20 years ago, on June 24, 1989, Charlene and I were married.  Counting the 12 years that we knew each other before the wedding, I’ve known my wife for 32 years – and she loves me anyway.

Looking forward to many more.

I’m back?

Keith Taylor, commenting on my last post, asked if I was back.

The blogging break continues.   I am alive (obviously) and doing well.  Ministry is going well.  We are up 40% in our food pantry ministry over last year – currently serving over 1300 people per month.  I am overwhelmed by the issue of rural poverty and homelessness as I see it in our area.  Finances for the pantry are in good shape, but we need more volunteers – but what’s new about that?  

Annual Conference starts Sunday.  I’m a teller (note to self: try not to volunteer to be a teller in a year that we’re voting on 32 constitutional amendments).  I’ll spend July at Emory for Course of Study.  In the meantime, I have all of the other things to do that I need to do.

Am I back?  I never went away.  Blogging is at the bottom of the priority list.  Perhaps posting will pick back up in the fall.  We’ll see.

On Leadership

“We are at a time when we need statesmen – men and women who take

leadership seriously and will do what is right – even if it means that

they will not be re-elected for doing so.  Instead, we have a bunch of

jokers who couldn’t lead themselves out the emergency exit if the

building was on fire.”

 

From an email to my state representative – following his reply to an earlier email which I believed was accusing me of being rude.  He later clarified that I wasn’t and apologized for the misunderstanding.  I stand by what I said though.

So Long… For Now

Well, here we are, one month shy of the 4th anniversary of this blog.  And, at least for the time being, I’m calling it quits.  What started as a means of discussing my journey through candidacy and toward ordained ministry has become a burden… especially since the end result of this journey has changed.  Additionally, I just have not been inspired to write anything that I believe anyone else would be interested in reading.

I have enjoyed participating in the discussions within the Methoblogosphere.  I’ve met some good people online,  some of them in person.  But, I’m needing to head in another direction and I’m really not sure how (or even if) the blog can fit in.

To all who have been my readers, thanks.  It’s been fun.  To Jonathon, John and others who encouraged me and helped me find a voice in this medium, thanks.

So, for now, I say good bye.  May God’s blessings continue to be yours.

Wayne, aka TN Rambler.

Hazing, pure and simple

As usual, I am a little late to the party.  But I could not let this post by Will Duell get by without comment.  And commenting is happening in several places on the Methoblogging network.  Please read the post and then stop back by for my thoughts.

What Will and others have described is hazing, pure and simple. Hazing has been outlawed on our college campuses and it is high time that it should be outlawed in our denomination as well.

Speaking solely as a 50 year-old local pastor in the course of study, I am about to abandon all thought of pursuing ordination. Why? Finances for one. With a daughter entering college in 3 years, the thought of pursuing an M.Div. and assuming that debt with little chance of recouping the investment would be foolish at best. For another, what I hear of the process is really unattractive to me and, frankly, I don’t tolerate crap as well now as I might have 20 years ago.

As a licensed local pastor, I am serving where I have been called. As long as I can continue to bring the word of God to this community and provide the sacraments of baptism and eucharist to the charge to which I am appointed, then what difference does it make that I am not an elder in full connection? Granted, I have to be interviewed annually and deemed worthy of continuation by the district committee on ordained ministry, but the tradeoff of burdening my family with a tremendous load of debt so that I can wear a stole, vote for general conference delegates and have the security of guaranteed appointment would be the very definition of insanity.

John Meunier proposes that we take a systematic look at the process in order to get hard data on the process from all of our conferences.  By having the data instead of just anecdotal evidence of abuse of power, perhaps we can move toward a system that serves the purposes of the church and the Kingdom without resorting to power plays and abuse.

Strange Search Terms

I’ve had folks stumble across my blog with some pretty strange search terms.  For a while the most unusual term was “gefilte fish” – go figure.  But this one from today takes the cake, “6 sermons a drunk preacher preached”

Oh well…

Comment Moderation

In the 3 1/2 years that this blog has been in existence, I have pretty much allowed the folks who comment to have free reign as long as the comments were relevant to the post.  Regrettably, that policy ends now.

Effective immediately, all comments on this blog will have to be approved by me before they appear on the blog.  I don’t really have the time for this kind of crap but the only other choice that I have would be to close comments completely and I refuse to be driven into that type of situation.

Comments that are relevant to the post in question will be welcomed if they are respectful of other positions.  However, sarcastic and snarky comments will not be approved and will never see the light of day.  If you want to rant, get your own blog.

Update:  I have relaxed the comment moderation policy after receiving an apology from the person in question.

Happy New Year

Well, the planned work for the day is ended and I am preparing to embark on the “honey-do” list that is awaiting me at home. Our usual plan to have a few friends over for dinner on New Year’s Eve has become a quiet evening at home for our family. We’ll watch some movies and welcome the year together… if we stay up that late.

As I look back, 2008 has been a year mixed with joy and sadness.  

• I said goodbye to one appointment and said hello to another.  
• I became involved in a ministry through my new church that has changed my life and challenged my assumptions about poverty and hunger.
• I’ve been overwhelmed by the acceptance and encouragement in this new appointment.
• I’ve said goodbye to friends and parishoners as they have joined that great cloud of witnesses.

The Lord has been good to us in this year and we are thankful for that.  Our daughter has entered a performing arts magnet school and is doing quite well.

As 2008 comes to a close, there is a sense of anticipation of what the new year will bring.  Whatever happens, I know we’ll make it through because God is with us.  My prayer is that we will grow in our relationship with God through Christ and that we can share this relationship with others.

May you all have a blessed new year.

Advent 4

It is hard to believe that we are already finished with the 4th Sunday in Advent.  Our time at Sand Mountain UMC has been good.  All of the parties are finished.  The choir cantata was this morning so I didn’t have to preach – but I did sing.

Tonight we held our Longest Night/Blue Christmas service.  If you have never heard of these services, they are designed to help folks know that it is ok to grieve during the holidays and the service provides a safe place to work through those emotions.  This service has become a favorite of mine and I have offered it every year.  There were 14 in attendance and we shared a special time together.  The Holy Spirit was present in a very special way.

We will celebrate Holy Communion on Christmas Eve at 6:00 p.m.  As my wife said to me today, we won’t be worshipping together as a family because I’ll be working while they are in the pew.  So, our worship together as a family will take place at 11:00 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church.  I can’t wait.