Interviews

Well, a miracle has occurred or for those of you who don't believe in miracles hell has finally frozen over......just teasing for all my theologically correct friends.

I passed my ordination interviews. This has been one of the longest goals that I have ever strived for; longer then my time in the military, longer than undergrad, longer than grad school and even longer than my doctorate.

I know that God was with me through the entire process even when I felt the most abandoned. There were times that I wanted to give up but I am stubborn and felt that this was what God wanted for my life.

Now it feels as if this is not the end of the journey but the beginning of a new one.

Road Bump on the Journey

After almost four years of working on my doctorate, the doctoral committee said that I have to totally rewrite the research chapter. This would not have been unexpected a year ago when I first submitted that chapter, but obviously someone let it fall through the cracks and they didn't look at until now. Keep in mind that I submitted the entire manuscript last November for review. So now they are saying they see no way for me to graduate in May but perhaps I will have all the rework finished in time for the August graduation. It is the school's policy that this chapter is the first one that a student has to turn in, so they have had it for well over a year and now they decide that organizing the chapter using the Wesleyan Quadrilateral didn't work for them. (guttural scream inserted here)

This is kind of funny because I just posted my review of "Shattered Dreams" and I'm aware that this is not really a shattered dream but it was a disappointment. I thought that I had almost finished this chapter of my life and was looking forward to having it behind me. My advice for people who are thinking about getting a D.Min. degree, think long and hard on it because I am not sure that it was worth all of the pain and aggravation that it has caused me.

Shattered Dreams from the Perspective of Naomi

Dr. Larry Crabb is a well-known psychologist, conference and seminary speaker, Bible teacher, popular author and founder/director of New Way Ministries. In his book “Shattered Dreams: God’s Unexpected Path to Joy”, he writes about our shattered dreams as being “ordained opportunities for the Spirit first to awaken and then satisfy our highest dream” (5).


Crabb uses the story of Naomi from the Book of Ruth in the Bible as the guide for his book. He begins by telling the devastating loss that Naomi faced in a foreign land with the loss of her husband and both of her sons. The story of Naomi is woven throughout the entire book in an interesting and touching way. This woman lost everything that she thought was important and yet God was able to use her story and her life for a deeper purpose. Crabb says that “a profound encounter with pain brings us to make a choice. Either we change or we sink into bitterness, despair, or hedonism” (84). By using the illustration of Naomi, he teaches us the way to become closer to God through the grief of a shattered dream.

“Life is not an opportunity for things to go well so we can feel good. Life is an opportunity for us to be forgiven for requiring God to make us feel good and for turning from Him when he doesn’t.” (140) Crabb is trying to turn us from cheap grace and get in tune with the true grace that comes from a deeper relationship with God.

This is not a book that you will probably pick up and read in one sitting. It requires time for some of the concepts to sink in. It would make an excellent book for a small group to study together, especially since it comes with an eight week workbook.

I received this book for free from Waterbrok Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

http://www.bloggingforbooks/

A Lesson in Patience

The wonderful snow storm of last week (can you hear the sarcasm in my voice?) caused my Ordination Interview to be postponed until this coming Thursday. I was so psyched up for Wednesday, but I really haven't been as impatient as I expected. I know that this snowstorm was not sent to test me but it has been a lesson in patience for me. Patience is not one of my strong suits as you might have inferred from my sarcastic tone, but it is probably necessary for my growth as a human being. :p

I'm still waiting for my dissertation to be returned from the doctoral committee. That should be enough patience practice for one person to endure in a month, right?

I did finish a book that I am reviewing, "Shattered Dreams" by Larry Crabb. I will post it here later this week after I actually write the review.

So this week hasn't been totally wasted. I spent a lot of time with my daughter as we were locked in the house. This coming week with 68 degree temperatures will probably be even better for our relationship. Being locked in a house with a hormonal teenage girl is not the most relaxing thing in the world. Luckily, she spend most of the time asleep.

Hi-Jacked

I had to take a class away from a couple that was so fundamentalist that they were driving the young parents, whom they were teaching, away from the class in droves. If fact, the class was pretty much defunct because no one was coming and the woman said, "They just aren't committed." Hmmm, I wonder why? The problem is that no one ever complains or bothers to let the staff or clergy know until it is too late.

Therefore, I have taken the class over effective immediately and will teach it until it is up and running again and we have some competent leaders for the class. The former class leaders have decided to visit the fundamentalist church down the road (this was before I took the class over). I guess it was there last act to try and find like-minded people to sway to their way of thinking.

My Senior Pastor is very upset that they have left ($$), while I think "good riddance". They were like a poisonous dart and it was spreading. I am glad that they are going somewhere else and I hope that they are happy in their new church.

I wonder if we are so conditioned to hold onto people so our numbers aren't affected that we don't see the benefits of letting people leave the church.

Heresy

Today's staff meeting was "FUN". A big brouhaha over Sunday's Children's message. The layperson that did children's message must not have read the scripture and I'm not sure he read the Bible either. He did an entire message over an Angel named Fred telling God what was on the agenda for the day for creating stuff. And after God would create a blade of grass, or a bug, or a tree, and even a person--they would reach into the Well of Souls and put a soul in the blade of grass, or bug, or tree, or person. It was kind of roulette wheel of souls. I couldn't decide if it was a weird mixture of Hinduism or pantheism/paganism. I can honestly say that I'm very glad not to be the Senior Pastor this week. What is a little sad is that the entire service revolved around the Beatitudes, which would have made a beautiful children's message.

On another note, Ryss was accepted into a Marine Biology Summer Course for Duke University in Florida. The bad news is that the financial aid wasn't enough (the scholarship was for 2/3rds), so we will probably have to decline. I really feel bad and a little like a failure. I know that money isn't who I am but it still hurts when you can't provide such a wonderful educational opportunity for your child.

Max Lucado

I am reading the new Max Lucado book "Out Live Your Life" and I'm considering doing a bible study over it, also. I know that he isn't a Methodist but I really like his books especially for teaching. It is about the power of a single person to make a difference in the world. Love the concept and the book is filled with good examples.

On another topic, we had the informational meeting last night for the "Strong Women" program. I'm trying to get my elderly ladies to start working on building muscle mass. The benefits to strength training for women (and men) is enormous and I think it will be a good program for the church. With that said, the women who came last night made me want to pull my hair out. The county agent trying to explain the program had to say the same thing over and over and over, simply because ladies would be talking in little groups and miss the explanation. Not very pastoral of me but I wanted to yell "Sit down and shut up"......my common sense kicked in and I just kept smiling on the outside and screaming on the inside. The meeting should have taken 30 minutes but ended up lasting 1 1/2 hours. I made it home without saying or doing anything. And people don't believe in miracles :)

Twilight Zone

I am in that weird place between staying and going. Trinity has eliminated my position as of next Annual Conference, so I will be leaving here but I don't know where I will be appointed next. I am getting used to the idea of leaving but it does make staff meetings interesting. We will be planning the calendar and I will be helping and it will hit me.....I won't be here then.

I have already started delegating and setting plans into motion so that my pastoral care responsibilities will not flounder after my departure. I know that is important but as I turn more of these jobs over to laity there is less and less for me to do. I don't want to set up new programs without knowing what the possible goals/ambitions of the next senior pastor might entail.

I should be relishing the fact that I have less to do but it is coming at a point when my doctoral studies are ending and I have finished all my paperwork for ordination. I go before the BOM for my interviews on February 9th. It makes me feel lazy not to have a crushing burden of duties clamoring for my attention.

Resting

I took a couple of days off to do absolutely nothing. Ryss has been delivered to Texas for Thanksgiving with the family and all I have done today is hard physical labor. Except for the extremely sore muscles that I foresee in the near future, it has been a good day. Worked out at the gym and bagged twenty-three bags of leaves from the front yard. I did run to the wireless place for some software so I can use my child's new laptop computer with my wireless modem. I promise to let her use her new computer......once in a while.

I talked to the director of the D.Min. Program yesterday and she said my dissertation is making the rounds of committee members. Hope they are all in a holiday frame of mind and go easy on me. I really don't want to have to spend months on the revisions. I really don't want to spend any time on the revisions actually. I'm tired of school work period.

I have finished all of my ordination/doctrinal questions. In fact, I have finished everything except for the interviews. Another thing to be praying about besides the uncertainty about where my next appointment will be, I pray that we will stay in this county until Ryss finishes High School. She is in a magnet school so as long as we stay within the county we will be okay.

Since I am on-call (even though I took vacation days), I couldn't go with Ryss but I am hopeful that some of my church members will bring me left-overs. Keep your fingers crossed :)

Done, Done and Finished

Well, the draft of my dissertation has been officially submitted. I wonder how long I will have to wait for the multitude of revisions to begin?

But that hasn't been on my mind as much as the Church Council Meeting which officially stated that due to budgetary concerns my position at Trinity will not be renewed after Annual Conference. The people are heart-sick and frankly I am too. I really wanted to stay put for a couple more years until Ryss finished High School. I am praying that I will be placed within the county. Luckily, she is in a Magnet Program and so as long as we remain in the county she is eligible to attend school there.

After she finishes high school, I will be foot-loose and fancy-free. Itinerancy will not be nearly as heart-wrenching but for now we are sad. So say a prayer for us.....

It won't hurt to say one that the revisions on my dissertation are manageable, too.