Sunday, June 22, 2008
balancing one and many
It’s been a really hard week. Personal stuff in my life. Personal stuff in people’s lives.
I work part-time for the church. I juggle preaching, creating mission spaces on the margins, managing a fairly complicated process in a 96 year old church, leading a team (all who are also part-time and all who are also juggling lives).
“Delegate” they cry, but you can’t really delegate a crisis.
So the margins get shaved. Less time for me. Less time for family. Less time for a sermon. It was a week in which Sunday morning got the minimum. I would simply preach.
Suddenly it is Sunday. I look at people as they arrive. I face the consequences of my week and of my decisions. Do these people deserve my minimum? So many faces, so much complexity. How to word a child dedication amid child crisis? How to speak of joy amid pain? When all I have brought is my minimal offering.
Today, I have no idea how to be pastoral, how to balance the one and the many, how to speak with the clarity that the week demands.
)
Sounds like a demanding week and sounds like you’re being a bit tough on yourself and perhaps underestimating the grace of your congregation. I don’t know what the ‘child crisis’ is you speak of but I know for me when I lost my son I was grateful for every stumbling attempt at compassion – what was less helpful was those who avoided me not because they didnt care but because they worried about getting it wrong. So I’d say – you were there on Sunday and you gave of yourself despite having little left and that is enough. Hope you’ve had some time for family and re-charging today, Jack
Comment by Jack — June 23, 2008 @ 6:05 pm
thanks for the transparency, steve
there are no super-heroes, no magic wands
minimal offering is plenty
prayers all around you & yours
Comment by bob carlton — June 24, 2008 @ 6:13 am
Having a hard week too. Don’t wanna overspiritualize, but seems like ministry puts us in the firing line personally, familywise and there we have to deal with the crap of others. Praying 4 ya. decided we need a group of 7 praying every day for us. Gonna ask them tomorrow. Do you have people specifically praying 4 you?
Comment by Negrito — June 25, 2008 @ 11:46 pm
“it’s my blog so i’ll be tough if i want to, tough if it want to”…. 🙂
and yes, i blog honestly as a way of asking for prayer, plus have been emailing folk in the last week
steve
Comment by steve — June 26, 2008 @ 9:15 am