Thursday, May 25, 2006

Anatomy of a God Thing

You will recall, a couple of posts ago, my whiny online handwringing over my vocational impasse: Who am I and why am I here? You'll also recall that today is the day I was to finally put my mother's ashes to rest in a family plot.

We did that this morning -- a dark, drizzly morning. I met my pastor at the cemetery. (The gravediggers were there too, snoozing in their pickup truck off at one end of the place.) It was actually more conversation than liturgy; my pastor asked me how I was doing, which spun into an extended and wildly rambling conversation about a lot of things, there in the mist. And then we got out the liturgy for the Burial of the Dead, and said that, and it was over. (And, as if on cue, the gravediggers' truck slowly proceeded up the drive. We thanked them for being there, which seemed to take them aback; big, rough guys getting all bashful and gee-shucks.)

I invited my pastor back to my house for coffee, and we talked some more -- about my life and his, about our church, about ministry in general. He told me that he was interested in adding a spiritual practices component to the training he helps give the young counselors at one of our synod summer camps and asked me if I'd like to be in on that process. Then he talked about an idea he had for lending out our congregation's lay ministers to other area congregations, to assist them in creative ways; would I be interested in that as well?

I think for me vocation is going to be less about seeing a clear path laid before me, stretching into the horizon, and more about simply being nudged around the next corner: Turn here. Now turn here. Now turn here.

4 comments:

LoieJ said...

After attending a session for lay people at one of the ELCA's seminaries and listening to a number of the participants, I came to the thought that pastors go where they are called and the lay ministers bloom where they are planted.

Anonymous said...

Don't think ~God always stretches out the path we are to take in front of us! Often its a question of pushing doors you think are right and finding them locked tight! Then having to push a door you weren't too keen on and finding it goes wide open with "Welcome" on the mat!!

Oh well, God works in mysterious ways!

Just follow the nudges, LC!!!

Kathryn said...

Sounds like some good conversations...just carry on being open to them, and see what turns up, I'd say.
(writing that reminds me of the wonderful priest with whom I did my placement during training, whose personal and parish philosophy was "Try to love God and love other people and see what happens"....and he had a simply wonderful ride with God!)And be kind to yourself en route, yes? xx

Sally said...

sounds like good stuff is opening up before you... sounds also like it is just the right stuff for you, may you be blessed and flourish