Tonight, I'm meeting with the committee that is supposed to be my support in the life of the church. They are supposed to be the group of people that is able to process with me what is happening in our ministry together in this community. However, after their direction of my recent review and the fallout afterward, I feel less than safe with them. I got triangulated and I let it happen. I got stuck between trying to have a better relationship with my colleague and trying to respond to the committee's desire to fix it, rather than just listen. I really needed them to listen. I don't want an answer. I want to be heard, perhaps not even understood but just heard.
However, that's not what happened. I was yelled at by a church member yesterday because I made a mistake. I've allowed the phrase "early in my ministry" to be used against me. I let it happen again yesterday. I got swallowed by this.
And so, this morning I woke up and opened the employment listings. I scanned the document and found nothing that really jumped out at me. I'm having that gnawing question about whether or not I should be in parish ministry at all. (Yes, I said it. It scares me, but I said it.) I thought I had calmed myself down enough to finally come into the office and halfway to work, I started crying. I rushed into the building to hide in the bathroom crying. This is a bad sign. It's not only that I know my cycle is about to begin and I'm all hopped up on hormones. It's just not a good sign when you don't want to go to work. And so, I feel awful.
Totally awful -- especially when I get an email from my collague telling me that he decided to do something on Sunday's worship after all. It didn't matter that he asked me and I said I didn't think it was time. He talked to a church member and she said she would do the crafty work to make this Children's Sermon happen. So, he called me grumpy and he's right. I'm very grumpy today.
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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.
8 comments:
((((pastor peters))))
days like this SUCK.
i remember. and i'm sending you love and strength.
I know these days well. They are awful, awful, awful. You are in my prayers.
So, so sorry (((Pastor Peters))).
Thinking of you, praying for you, breathing with you.
So much love being sent your way!
You got an EMAIL FROM YOUR COLLEAGUE? Sounds as though HE can't TALK and the committee can't LISTEN?
Not convinced that going elsewhere is the answer. One person at a time you have THE GIFT to teach others to TALK and to LISTEN.
Celebrate the small victories with the ones listening.
Sandy Feet
i know that experience too well as well. praying for you
ugh. ugh. sending lots of love your way. this sucks. and yet god is in it.
I do hope that you hang in there! I'm a new minister aswell, and there are many forces that knock the good sideways! Prayers and blessings from Bradford, England.
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