PREACHING LIFE

a beautiful life...this is what i have. the past few weeks have been surreal to say the least. i have been the head pastor of an entire church...people have already left (i am a GIRL you know...), people have already joined....there have been board meetings, ministry jam sessions, i have administered sacraments and visited in hospitals...i have pissed off some and blessed others. and as i drive the hour to to work (house is still closing), all i can think of how this is my first choice for a life. there is no place i would rather be than in the living room of elderly parishioners showing me pictures and telling me tales of submarines in the pacific during ww2. i would not spend my aftertoon doing anything other than playing with shredded paper and a 20 month old...never would i desire anything more than to be the one who gets to pray during the hard times and the one who gets the call when everything is o.k. i am overwhelmed with gratitude...

SHEEP BITE

i got my first sheep bite today (it is part of being a shepherd)...and, of course, it was regarding something trivial - ouch. JESUS GIVE ME YOUR LOVE!!!!

ORDINATION

As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity in Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called -one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all. -Ephesians 4:1-6

6 years ago (well, 21 if you begin where i was called at the age of 8) i began the journey of ministry and the pursuit of ordination. these years have been filled with beauty, hardship, stress, study, joy & service...and ordination boards...and meetings...and filling out application after application...and scrutiny....and background checks...

but last night - with great joy - i knelt in front of the annual district assembly and the general superintendent along with the elders of the district laid hands on me and declared that - as God had called me - they were affirming and supporting that call and giving me the position of ordained elder where i am free to preach the Gospel of Peace, administer the sacraments to God's people and prayerfully lead on the narrow Way.

when the hands were laid on me last night it was such an intense feeling...by body was shaking violently, tears were falling freely from my eyes...every face that i've ever served communion to, imposed ashes on, cried with, laughed with, ridden on rollercoasters with, preached to, prayed for were parading in my mind...but all i could really focus on was Christ. it is He who beckons me into service...it is He who i serve...and i am humbled that i get to be used in His service.

so now i am an official reverend...i pray that my life glorifies the One who formed me, the One who watches me, the One who has drawn me to Himself and calls me Beloved.

CHURCH WEBSITE

i have been busy working on stuff for church - we now have a website...i hope to be putting more stuff on it soon (ministry stuff, video of sermons, pictures, etc.).

www.mountvernonnaz.org

check it out.

HE IS RISEN!

just like He said...

happy Easter...i pray yours has been as blessed as mine has.

walk in the Love of the Risen One.

HIZOUSE

UPDATE: THERE HAS BEEN CRAZINESS IN THE CLOSING...defunct water heater, fouled windows, leaky plumbing and unyielding seller...so PRAY FOR US- WE NEED A HOUSE. i know the Son of Man did not have a place to lay His head, but He didn't live in the pacific northwest! you know...rain and all that...

we have this beautiful little house in burlington (barring any unforseen craziness in closing)...now we will live and work and love in the skagit valley. we are so excited.

today is Good Friday - THANK HIM.

peace to all...

NEW HOUSE, GREAT QUOTES, AND THE CASCADES

first, exciting news: we have placed on offer on another house...a cute little thang with a garden, fruit trees, a front door with a tree carved into it, and territorial views - i am so excited to live in such a beautiful place. more later.

yesterday was my second full day at church - it continues to be a blessing...at times overwhelming to think of all the work that needs to be done...here are a couple "fun" quotes from my short tenure there...

"if God can speak through an ass, then who are we to say who can preach?"

"i don't care if you're 12, God sent you to us."

the beautiful thing about these quotes is that they are evidence of God changing peoples hearts. both of the men who spoke these things just weeks ago were dead set against female pastors and - without a debate, without a fight - God showed them His plan. it reminded me that i never have to take up my own defenses...God is my defender...I never have to prove my validity...just be faithful.

with that - here is a beautiful nugget from dueteronomy - But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him. -Duet. 1:29

NEW TO ME

yesterday was my first day at "work." i went to the life care convalescent center for a Bible study with those folks (they are precious and i cannot wait to get to know them more), i got my keys (my key chain finally feels the right weight again with all the classroom, office, kitchen keys on it), i cleaned out my office (dog hair...in a head pastor's office?), i learned where the supplies are kept, i kept forgetting that i had my own bathroom in my office and trekked down the hall...i can hardly believe this is my life. i am SO happy. i already have people pledging their support and others swearing they will leave...welcome to the church. i cannot imagine doing what i am doing so i am just going to have to live it out and see how it feels...the beauty and the underbelly....the joys and sorrows...all the while praying, Lord Christ, be glorified in me...

prayer request: please pray that we find a house...we've already made an offer on one and lost out on it.

YEEEHAWWW!

good good good news - God is GOOD. oh yeah...and the Mount Vernon church board has unanimously decided to invite me as their head pastor...yeah, there's that - FREAKING EXCITING - bit of news. the congregational vote will be the 25th with perhaps my first sunday as a real live head pastor palm sunday. wow. i am overwhelmed.

HOPE

there are days that i am tempted to assume the worst...assume the worst possible outcome, assume failure, assume that the opposite of what i want to happen will inevitably happen. thankfully, my husband has noticed this and speaks truth into my life - tells me it is NOT cool to torment myself in this way...that it is o.k. to hope, that it is o.k. to assume the best until i know otherwise. i have been praying about this a lot today...walked and walked and prayed...faced my face toward the sun and prayed....stared at the immensity of the cascades and prayed and HOPED to believe...i feel like the man in mark - "Lord I believe, help my disbelief."

this is my prayer today - in the face of all that is unkown - for HOPE...Lord, i believe...help my disbelief....Lord, i hope...help my hopelessness...