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Sudden Changes and Surprises
I wrote an entry just a few days ago about the unexpected surprises I find when I take a simple walk in the yard. Little did I know to what extent that analogy could be applied. Since yesterday, my heart and mind have been flip-flopped. I was crying yesterday, today I rejoice. Here's a quote from that entry:
"Sometimes things happen to you and around you when you seemingly do nothing to make them happen. When we can step away, we may retrace our steps to discover why we are where we are, and what we did to get there. There's a cause for every effect, and an effect for every cause.
...even in one's own backyard, things take place seemingly beyond our awareness. We forget our input that begins the process when we first planted a seed, or transplanted a bulb. We forget the life that already existed before we even set foot on the piece of land we come to call the homeplace."
I didn't specifically apply it then in the spiritual sense, but it could well have been.
Something happened Saturday that precipitated a change in the greater realm of my life, but in a real sense, the initial events that set the Change machine into motion began happening beyond my awareness, longer ago than yesterday.
The sadness Saturday was caused by the news that our pastor was going to be taken from us, and reassigned to another church.
The pastors in our church organization have what is called an itinerant position... that is, they are only guaranteed to be with our church for one year at a time, and every year thereafter their placement within the UMC is dependent upon their wanting to stay in that assignment, the congregation wanting them to stay in that assignment, and the greater need of another church. Every year, it comes up for review, like an evaluation. That's the way I understand it.
In this case, another church is in greater need of the skills and talents of our pastor than we are. He had only been with us for two years, and we just found out yesterday that another church is suddenly without a minister, but our pastor will be able to hold them together and build that church back up again. Pastors are sent where they are needed the most.
We know he can do it. He's been a fine pastor in our church, and we love him dearly. There wasn't a dry eye in the church this morning when the rest of the congregation learned of the news.
Sadness, disappointment, even some anger at the system itself that allows this to happen. Not everyone appreciates this organizational process, but it is what it is. I'm not going to rant about it. Just explaining the situation.
The congregation is not the only ones to feel the mixed emotions at such an announcement. The pastor and his wife are often left with a heart that is torn. On the one hand, I imagine, the pastor is grievous about leaving a home and family that he has come to love. On the other hand, there is the excitement of truly following the Lord's call, and going where he is called to go, knowing that where he goes, he will do something more, he will be using his skills and talents to their fullest.
One of our church leaders, Sunday morning, sensing that the anger felt by some may cause them to leave, spoke to us all about the need to understand that we were grieving, and so was another church who would be losing their minister because he would be coming to our church to replace the one that was taken from us. With tears in her eyes, she reminded us that our pastor is not our church. Our church will continue on no matter who is the pastor. We don't come to worship the pastor, we come to worship the Lord. She said we had to let him go.
Yesterday afternoon, after the initial shock had worn off, and we dried our eyes, and made some sense of the entire sudden change of events that is affecting the entire congregation, a small group of members met with the new minister and his wife. It is a formality in which we try to make the new pastor comfortable, and he tries to help us get to know him in an hour or so, to break the ice.
What a surprise for us! There was no ice to break after all. We listened to him speak about his faith walk, about his past experiences as aminister and educator/administrator, and about his wife and her work (EC teacher).
Those of us who heard his words at this first meeting felt an assurance that this was going to be a good move. This man is being called to our church, in the same way our pastor is being called to another. I could see the love for the Lord on his face, in his eyes, in the way he and his wife spoke in support of one another. I could tell by the responses and comments of those faithful leaders around me that they were feeling what I was feeling: he is going to be a great minister in our church. We are going to do great things together because he is very close to God. He will be a leader for us.
I know others won't warm up quite as quickly as I did, but I'm feeling positive that they will come to like him. A lot faster than they imagine they would.
So what began as sad news yesterday has become happy news for all of us involved: for the church who will recieve our pastor, and for us. I don't know where all this juggling ends, and I wouldn't want to be in the position to shift and transfer pastors from one church to another. But I will say, the people who have been in that position in the past have generally matched us up very well. We are asked to trust the people who do this, and we do, sometimes with a little less enthusiasm than at other times.
This year of change is turning into a much greater change than I had anticipated, with surprises like the ones I've found in the yard. Things are happening that I did not set into motion, yet they are affecting me and others in a grand way. There is more to this remarkable story that I haven't told.
It will unfold soon.
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me? I hate change! praying it all goes well!
becky -
I try to remember that with change comes growth ... sometimes remembering that is the only thing that get me thought the situation.
I grew up in that "system" as a PK. To tell you the truth, it sucks 'cause you know the politics within the church. Some people get so bent that they didn't get the choir robes and communion glasses they want, they set to get rid of ya.
Lori -
Dearest Bea,
I am so happy for you!
lots of love,natalie -
We had a similar situation in our church as well. We were all heartbroken to lose our beloved minister when he chose to retire after ten years with us. We had an interim minister for two years that was not a fine match for our church, but we held on to each other in our faith that we would be blessed with someone, and we were. We now have a wonderful new minister who is helping us to heal and to see a bright future. I have faith that yours will too. Take care and God Bless, Michelle
7/3/06 9:22 PM
http://journals.aol.com/bhbne