If you were to tell a story about your ministry (in its current or a past setting) and choose an ending, what would happen?
I was recently told a story (of which I don't have all the details) about a colleague in ministry that was serving as a solo pastor in Rural America. Some members of the church called a meeting behind her back. Sigh. This is sad enough, but the reason that they called this meeting was to discuss the fact that she listened to too much secular music. They thought that this should change. She didn't leave, but if she did. This would have been it.
I'm looking for stories like this one. I'm wondering about those moments when you almost threw in the towel because of something that happened during your ministry. Did you want to leave the church? Did it force you into thinking about leaving the ministry altogether? Do you have some strange fantasy about eating, praying and loving all over the world? If you were to tell a story, how would it all end?
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Rant, pray, bless, draw, lament and praise with me in the wonders and mysteries of trying to be who God has called me to be.
3 comments:
i can't name a particular moment necessarily that might have pushed me over the edge, though that moment when a distinguished elder wanted to have a meeting of the session without me, to talk about me, on freakin' Good Friday... that was close. i did have a fantasy that I indulged pretty regularly though through my last two years of parish ministry- i'd fantasize about working in a mac store. i've never worked retail in my life, but this... seemed like heaven to me. product i believe in, can leave my work at work, can play with cool products... ah...
The day the guy told me people with my beliefs should feel free to be Buddhists...or Unitarians. Yeah, that's the one.
The day a distinguished elder came into my office and told me, er, asked me "did you know you like some people and you don't like others?" and then went on to laugh at me when I told him that I can be shy, which I supposed could come off as dislike. And I proceeded to cry in front of him in my own freaking office.
Yeah, that was awesome.
The ending of this story either involved his sudden departure from my church or my call into some other brilliant career where I can say (at least in my head) "F off" to people and not find my career damaged and where I won't be pettily attacked. I have no idea what that would be.
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