August, 2014
I am entering into my third week as Senior Minister of First Christian Church in Olathe. I am sure that my mother is smiling down from heaven upon me --- she never did get the knack of the name of the denomination: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She proudly told all of her fellow Catholics that I was being ordained into the "First Christian Church" some 11 years ago. She had been raised in the First Christian Church, and so that's what they all were to her. So Mom -- I've finally arrived, after serving other Christian churches that weren't "First".
These first weeks have been a whirlwind of faces that have no names and names that have no faces. I'm slowly but surely matching them up. I have been very welcomed, and folks are kind enough to keep introducing themselves to me. But starting at a new church, leaving behind the certainty of knowing each and every name and face and, more importantly, each connection and quirk, is both exciting and draining. It's not as simple as getting Betty or John's name right. It's more about knowing that she has a sick husband or he is a recent widower or that there's been a feud between the church's version of the Hatfields and McCoys for nigh on to 30 years. Who is a Long Time Member (and how long is long?) and who is relatively new?
In worship I find myself checking the order of worship over and over -- not that it is so radically different than what I'm used to, but making sure that I'm going to be in the right place at the right time. The power went out in the church during the first hymn this Sunday, and my first thought was would I be able to wing my message without any notes. Fortunately, the lights (and ac!) came back within a couple of verses.
December 31, 2014
I find that I started this and did not post it. I'm making that resolution (again!) to try and develop this blog, so I'm going to post it 4 months later. I recognize more people at my church now; slowly but surely I'm learning the connections and the traditions. We've made some changes, and we've got more to make, but we are slowly becoming inextricably connected, the way pastors and congregation do.
I'm still the "New" pastor, but as we learn more and more about one another I will become one among the many faces hanging on the wall in the History room.
I am entering into my third week as Senior Minister of First Christian Church in Olathe. I am sure that my mother is smiling down from heaven upon me --- she never did get the knack of the name of the denomination: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She proudly told all of her fellow Catholics that I was being ordained into the "First Christian Church" some 11 years ago. She had been raised in the First Christian Church, and so that's what they all were to her. So Mom -- I've finally arrived, after serving other Christian churches that weren't "First".
These first weeks have been a whirlwind of faces that have no names and names that have no faces. I'm slowly but surely matching them up. I have been very welcomed, and folks are kind enough to keep introducing themselves to me. But starting at a new church, leaving behind the certainty of knowing each and every name and face and, more importantly, each connection and quirk, is both exciting and draining. It's not as simple as getting Betty or John's name right. It's more about knowing that she has a sick husband or he is a recent widower or that there's been a feud between the church's version of the Hatfields and McCoys for nigh on to 30 years. Who is a Long Time Member (and how long is long?) and who is relatively new?
In worship I find myself checking the order of worship over and over -- not that it is so radically different than what I'm used to, but making sure that I'm going to be in the right place at the right time. The power went out in the church during the first hymn this Sunday, and my first thought was would I be able to wing my message without any notes. Fortunately, the lights (and ac!) came back within a couple of verses.
December 31, 2014
I find that I started this and did not post it. I'm making that resolution (again!) to try and develop this blog, so I'm going to post it 4 months later. I recognize more people at my church now; slowly but surely I'm learning the connections and the traditions. We've made some changes, and we've got more to make, but we are slowly becoming inextricably connected, the way pastors and congregation do.
I'm still the "New" pastor, but as we learn more and more about one another I will become one among the many faces hanging on the wall in the History room.
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