Low Sunday becomes High Sunday

I've never liked the name given to the Sunday after Easter, though I get where the name came from.  True to form, our Sunday attendance for the Eucharist was down - significantly from Easter and from our ASA.  I must have been heard saying more than a few times throughout the day, "If people really got Easter, wouldn't they be in church today too?"

Besides being the Sunday after Easter, it was also the beginning of a week long celebration in Meigs County for National Day of Prayer (NDP).  We gathered in front of the county courthouse for the sounding of the shofar, 10 minutes of prayer and the singing of "Amazing Grace."

Talking with Brenda, the minister with primary responsibility for organizing NDP, she said, "My heart is breaking.  Attendance has never been this low for this event."  FYI, it was a beautiful day so low attendance wasn't because of the weather unless people had decided they had better things to do.

So we talked, both of our hearts breaking for what appeared to be a lack of zeal on the part of God's children on this important day of praise and worship.

Our hearts were also breaking because of my pending departure from Pomeroy.  We have enjoyed working in God's vineyard together and we will miss each other when I move.  She then said, "Pete (her husband) and I have decided that we will move to whatever place you move to and start a church next to yours."  She didn't say this to indicate that she would be opening a competing church, but to say we would love to continue to do ministry with you.  The sentiment of her statement was true, even though I don't expect them to move!

Then the bombshell, the breaking forth of God's amazing grace.  Her church has a holy habit of contributing to mission beyond the local community.  She told me that they were going to consider me their extended mission and that from the time my time at Grace is complete to the time I accept my next call, their church will send me $100/month!  My protest was quickly silenced and the miracle of God's blessing washed over me as tears formed in my eyes.  Then I had an equally profound realization - my ministry in this place has made an impact!  During my time between calls, I will continue to be about ministry and I will hold Restoration Fellowship in my prayers for supporting me in that work.

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O Lord, lead me and the church I shall next serve in a holy walk of search and discernment until our paths shall cross and we are overcome with the joint realization that we have just been overcome with your goodness and mercy towards us!

A Post Resurrection Account

From the look of things, I haven't used this blog in quite awhile!  It's now Tuesday in Easter Week and I'm beginning to prepare for my first real search since ordination. My time as the bishop's appointed priest-in-charge at Grace, Pomeroy, Ohio will soon be coming to an end.  So I'm thinking it's time to resurrect the blog!

I had hoped to stay at Grace for a few more years to see if some of my dreams could come to fruition, but unfortunately money talks and so does the perceived lack of it.  The mission council feels that it is unwise to continue spending down our investments in order to continue to compensate me at a half-time position.  

I hope to write about my search process and perhaps that will assist parishes that will come here to read or listen to some of my sermons.

Speaking of which, here is a link to my Easter Sermon preached just two days ago.  

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwnLlaCynx0lSTRWOVBxT1JqMHM/edit

Just copy and paste the link into your web browser.Then download the wav. file to listen. I'm still trying to find an easier way to do this!

Well here's my first blog entry in a while.  Let's see where this leads.