I'm amazed at how much time can pass between posts. As I mentioned in my last entry, life tends to get in the way. But, as I also shared, that can be a good thing.

It wasn't long after my spring semester ended that I found myself facing CPE--otherwise known as Clinical Pastoral Education. This unit, which I took as a summer intensive unit, is something required by my denomination as I seek ordination as an elder in the United Methodist Church. I knew that I would learn things about myself and ministry and found that I was constantly being asked to stretch, grow, reflect, and evaluate every aspect of my ministry and service to others. It took a lot of energy to complete and, while I'm so fortunate to have completed the program, I'm also glad to a have a little time to breathe.

What made the summer even more interesting was the reality of having been appointed by the bishop to pastor a church on July 1. So, in the middle of CPE madness, I found myself leading a new faith community, trying to figure out where everything was at, meeting all the new members of my church family, preparing messages, conducting meetings, and walking with those who were ill and those who were mourning the loss of their loved ones.

While I wouldn't recommend trying to do both at the same time, I found that the Lord blessed that time just the same. The things that I was learning about myself and my ministry were things that I was able to call upon immediately. I was being equipped for the journey and that journey was now!

I have a moment of respite now before the fall semester gets underway. How grateful I am for the programs, the people, and the places that help to shape me as one to be used by God to serve others.  Great is His name and greatly to be praised!

Wow...that's embarrassing...but also good

I can't believe that it's been this long since I've posted to this blog.  It's not that I haven't wanted to wax poetic.  It's more like I didn't have a great deal of time to do so.

My last semester was a doosy.  I'm still not quite sure what overtook me but working on a plethora of papers certainly added to the fray. As soon as I finished the semester, I jumped right into holiday sermon preparations, CPE applications and various other proposals and projects.  

I promised that I would take some time for myself and, well, here I am a few days away from the start of the new semester and it just hasn't happened. Part of that came as a result of the multitude of snow days (some of them understandable) that our girls had off from school.  Part of that also came as a result of the demise and passing of one our cherished family pets.  And, part of that came from the regular onslaught of appointments and studies that I've engaged in.

All to say that life does not stop when you are in seminary.  It's a test of the will, of one's character and one's endurance.  And, yet, the Bible always seems to have something to say about our human condition and God's ability to reach out and embrace us and journey with us.  We find this in Paul's exhortation in Romans 5:2-5 where he noted that "we...boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us."

I am so grateful for the privilege of suffering for the cause of Christ.  Even if it means that my public utterings on this blog don't occur as often as I'd like. My absence means that life is being lived...and that's a good thing!