Where to Start?
There is something joyous and intimidating about returning to work after the summer holidays. In ministry I always find this time exciting and overwhelming. It is the time of year when the schedule for the coming church year starts to build - you know when Christmas starts to break through the summer scenes, meetings upon meetings for the coming year, worship planning, diary filling (including adding in the school holidays!), wondering how on earth to include CPD or Study Leave and…I could go on. It is like standing at the top of a cliff and wondering if you will fall off or abseil down both of which are terrifying to me. I have worked on 2 out of 3 fears that I can face head on - rollercoasters, marathon (still a work in progress) and abseiling. Still not sure about that last one.
Anyway, I digress. As someone pondering leadership in the Church, especially how it is in the 21st Century it strikes me that we are in the same boat as many other institutions and employment situations. And that saddens me. We dress up our responsibilities in religious jargon and hide behind ‘biblical’ stances. It saddens me because we are called to be different but we aren’t. If you haven’t read Walter Brueggeman on the Sabbath please do. We are called to embrace rest as a gift from God. Unlike the idols of the day or the Kings and Pharaohs who are similar to many employers nowadays expecting more than their pound of flesh, God instituted a day of rest for all - animals, the poorly paid and the wealthy. And we certainly espouse it as a good way to live but even God’s people can’t find the time to take Sabbath.
What worries me most moving forward is the reliance on goodwill and conformity. Some seem to think we should just do as we are told and walk over the cliff edge, trusting Jesus to catch us. Others are keen for us to take a leap of faith - just make sure the run up is long enough, that you have the requisite training and the risk assessments are done! Others are looking for a more controlled descent - perhaps even enjoying the view on the way down. We will all end up in the promised land just some of us might have more scars than others…
As I ponder my responsibilities as a minister I know that how I live my life speaks volumes. And I refuse to lose my sanity in what lies ahead. Jesus faced the joys and tribulations by taking time to pray, to retreat, spending time with family and friends, attending weddings and more. Whatever the future holds for ministry, for ministers, for congregations, for me, I want to be like Jesus. Yes, don’t we all? Yet how easy we lose sight of him in the demands of ministry (or family, or employment, or…). The pressure will be on to perform, to conform, and fall into place. Some of it will be well meant, some of it will be manipulation, and some of it will be wrong. Whilst we continue to measure by secular values we will be overworked and under appreciated - like many other professions I could mention.
And with these thoughts reverberating in my head I went into my quiet time with God.
My key words for starting this ‘new year, new session’ are
Patience - ‘I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope…For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is greater power to redeem.’ Psalm 130:5&7
Growth - I am still a work in progress and that is ok - Philippians 1:1-11. (Study leave is happening!)
Mission/Purpose- Make his deeds known among the peoples, see that they remember his name is exalted.
Trust - God wants me to loosen my grip! (Control issues!)
These were the words that came to me as I prayed through a variety of prayer apps. What these will look like in the coming weeks well that’s the exciting part…
But if I am willing to engage with God first and his Church second, then just maybe I’ll abseil down the cliff face. For sure I won’t be a lemming falling off and I ain’t designed to take a run and jump off. Maybe if I get the trust part sorted, you never know.
However, you navigate this coming time as we head into the next church year in this season of transition and change, know that God goes with you. As you reflect on your life, remember you minister too in your homes, workplaces, communities, churches…so post your summer (holiday) what does your upcoming year look like? What words has God got for you? Whether you are teetering on the edge, falling or taking a controlled descent God is more than able hold you and centre you. For no matter what we do, how we behave, whether we trust the Holy One or wander off we are held in love.
Here’s to ministry in 2022/2023 - with God all things are possible! With man they are impossible!
Now where is the diary app…
Back next week! Or find us at Moncreiff Parish Church, East Kilbride on Facebook, Youtube and Web.
God bless you
Love Sarah
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