Freight Train, Freight Train

A week ago, the member of the Church's Staff Parish Board told me, when I purposed an end date for a troubled relationship with the congregation, that the Board didn't want to simply push me out of the parish, and I should continue to serve and search. Yesterday, that same person returned to inform me that the pressure was ratcheted up, and I'm to be gone by the end of June. As is my modus operendi, I stayed calm and reasoned on the exterior, while trembling with fear and anger inside. That representative is attempting to set up a meeting tomorrow night to talk over and finalize arrangements for our departure faster than contractually required.

Fortunately, the landlady called yesterday and we told her; she took it far better than we had expected, stating that we had been good renters, and suggesting she won't hold us to the two month written notice because it is easier to find renters in summer than in winter. We still have a repair we will get done next week, and will have the carpet cleaned before we leave, even though it probably should be ripped up and replaced before the place is rented again.

Churches have long be known for their two faces, one compassionate and long-suffering, the other more flinty and abrupt. We knew this was coming, and have been trying to work around it, both with proposals for new ministry opportunities here, and in seeking a new location in which to do ministry. The former has met with stiff resistance at nearly every turn here, and the latter has simply not resulted in anything we felt confident about trying.

So now we attempt to exercise that trust that God is in control, our needs will be met, and there is something better yet to come. It is hard, there is no denying that; but can it be as hard of Jesus knowing his most trusted friends were involved in betraying, abandoning, denying and hiding from his trial? My life will go on, I will provide for my wife, in one way or another, and the sun will still come up tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll try to find a way to make lemonade out of this basket of lemons I've just been handed.

Peace!