An emotional roller-coaster...

My mentor in ministry, Ray Swartzback, used to say that everyday in the local church was a whole lotta of "emotional roller coaster" as you move from administration to personal crisis, teaching, study and advocacy alongside your own personal life.  Today was certainly one of those days:

+ I started the day with a  few hours of study and writing re: a professional assessment of what we have accomplished in ministry in the past five years for my Council.  (More on this soon...)

+ I wrote two letters to the wider parish re: up-coming events - this weekend's "peace-making through jazz" worship with guests from Turkey and our annual CROP Walk to Fight World Hunger - and then worked with other lay leaders to secure lay liturgists for Sunday's worship.

+ At 2 pm I had a planning conversation with a congregation-based community organizer re: next steps towards forming a local sponsoring committee - and followed up with a few pastoral phone calls to people in need. I spent some administrative planning time with my church secretary, too.

+ At 3:30 pm visited with a lay leader who had been facing some complicated professional challenges; the report was that "letting go so that God could direct the action" actually helped!  So we then shared the joys and complications of being middle-aged people who ache to love and support our adult children in these complex times.

After a late afternoon conversation with my sexton, I headed home for an early evening nap and then it was back to church for our first PSTD and Vets conversation - two and half hours intense hours challenge, prayer and exploration for those of us on the civilian side - that will continue for the next three weeks. At the end of this month, we will discern how the Spirit of God is calling us to welcome our wounded warriors home in ways that build bridges, deepen respect and engage our congregation in peace-making beyond the current ideological barriers.  It is estimated that over 400,000 soldiers will return home to the US from Afghanistan and Iraq with some form of PSTD.

I ate supper late tonight watching the Vice-Presidential debate with my honey - GO BIDEN - before walking the new pup and heading to bed.  I give thanks to God for this great job - and calling - and ministry. Onward to playing two jazz workshops in regional schools tomorrow and then welcoming our friends from Turkey in a community-wide reception.  Brother Ray was right:  this gig IS an emotional roller coaster.  Thanks be to God!