Yesterday I went back to the place where I had been minister up until 16 years ago. (I started there 21 years ago as a rookie straight out of college) It was a time of mixed emotions. The building looked the same but it was the people I went to see. There were several gaps where people who had played a key part during my time there were no longer around. (I like the phrase - "Promoted to glory") Sixteen years can turn a working man into a retired man or a young man into middle age and women also become more mature! They were very kind and said I hadn't changed at all! (Which of course isn't true)
We had many conversations which began with do you remember when... and it was good to remember.
It did my ego good to hear that they looked back to my days there with affection because the church was often full and we regularly had to put extra chairs in the aisles. Someone suggested that this was because I went to the prayer group every week. I hadn't really thought about that before - but every Tuesday morning I would set aside time to go and do nothing but pray and chat and have coffee and biscuits in Carole's sitting room. Since my time there the prayer group has continued but the ministers who have succeeded me have never attended the prayer group.
Those were difficult years for us as we coped as a family with the pressures of manse life, peoples often unrealistic expectations and the demands of a very young family. That little prayer meeting was an oasis for me in the week where I could be with God in the presence of trusted people where I was not afraid to show I was human and fallible too! So what I had done as a selfish "for me" exercise had been seen to benefit the church in positive ways. If only every church had a small group like that with its own "Carole" - a firm foundation who despite her own problems encouraged others and was steadfast in her faithfulness. Never underestimate the power of prayer!
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