A crazy, crazy week...it has reminded me of that passage from Ezra where the people are rebuilding the temple, and at its dedication some shout for joy as they think of the future and others weep in despair as they remember the former destruction. The best of times, the worst of times....This week began with our district conference; followed by what was supposed to be 3 days off for me (ha!) which dissolved away with a major problem needing some resolution, four pprc meetings in two nights (three on one night), 2 charge reconfigurations, one very angry former pastor, two very gracious pastors who are helping out; my running out of meds (nearly); an absolutely beautiful conversation about "the important things" with one of my pastors (a part of which was to share what rs (Bishop Robert Schnase of course) had sent via email as words of encouragement for both me and the pastor...he sent it from Mozambique where the Council of Bishops is meeting this week; and finally today I was able to clean at home...and oh, by the way, I am leading a workshop at the Wesley Studies conference Friday on...guess what...and I have actually been feeling a bit worn out with all things emerging this week...that is not good considering all the "things" I'm leading in the next few months that have that word "emerging" in the title. I think I have just been overstressed ... One of the small beautiful moments happened this week at Lexington UMC just after the district conference. I am so proud of the lay folks at that church who have found a way to begin to be in ministry with the applepickers, mainly migrant Mexican workers, who inhabit the orchards of Lafayette Country from August until picking season is over...which is now. Two of the most active laity there with this new ministry are Matt and Don, two very nice men who have really been on the periphery at Lexington, but whose hearts have been grasped in terms of this. They gave a report at district conference, not the most eloquent in terms of words or organization of all the reports given, but none more straight from the heart. After the conference, Annie Laredo, the woman who is leading some of the teaching amongst the workers, out in the orchard, asked me to speak to Sarah, an older woman whom I had met the week before. Sarah speaks no English, but she had come to the conference, bringing with her a sack of ripe apples. She remembered me, and standing in Fellowship Hall, reached in her bag and gave me not one, but TWO apples, smiling, and I took them, smiling back. A small and simple exchange...I have the two apples in my car. I can't bring myself to eat them yet...I just like being reminded of the beginnings of a ministry that is from the heart, and that is about building relationships, and letting the love (and apple juice) flow...
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The bad, the good and the apples
A crazy, crazy week...it has reminded me of that passage from Ezra where the people are rebuilding the temple, and at its dedication some shout for joy as they think of the future and others weep in despair as they remember the former destruction. The best of times, the worst of times....This week began with our district conference; followed by what was supposed to be 3 days off for me (ha!) which dissolved away with a major problem needing some resolution, four pprc meetings in two nights (three on one night), 2 charge reconfigurations, one very angry former pastor, two very gracious pastors who are helping out; my running out of meds (nearly); an absolutely beautiful conversation about "the important things" with one of my pastors (a part of which was to share what rs (Bishop Robert Schnase of course) had sent via email as words of encouragement for both me and the pastor...he sent it from Mozambique where the Council of Bishops is meeting this week; and finally today I was able to clean at home...and oh, by the way, I am leading a workshop at the Wesley Studies conference Friday on...guess what...and I have actually been feeling a bit worn out with all things emerging this week...that is not good considering all the "things" I'm leading in the next few months that have that word "emerging" in the title. I think I have just been overstressed ... One of the small beautiful moments happened this week at Lexington UMC just after the district conference. I am so proud of the lay folks at that church who have found a way to begin to be in ministry with the applepickers, mainly migrant Mexican workers, who inhabit the orchards of Lafayette Country from August until picking season is over...which is now. Two of the most active laity there with this new ministry are Matt and Don, two very nice men who have really been on the periphery at Lexington, but whose hearts have been grasped in terms of this. They gave a report at district conference, not the most eloquent in terms of words or organization of all the reports given, but none more straight from the heart. After the conference, Annie Laredo, the woman who is leading some of the teaching amongst the workers, out in the orchard, asked me to speak to Sarah, an older woman whom I had met the week before. Sarah speaks no English, but she had come to the conference, bringing with her a sack of ripe apples. She remembered me, and standing in Fellowship Hall, reached in her bag and gave me not one, but TWO apples, smiling, and I took them, smiling back. A small and simple exchange...I have the two apples in my car. I can't bring myself to eat them yet...I just like being reminded of the beginnings of a ministry that is from the heart, and that is about building relationships, and letting the love (and apple juice) flow...
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A long time ago, when I thought I was going to be a MD, I went to college in Atchison, KS. On the way there from KC, there's an orchard in Weston. The apples in the story remind me of the fresh apple butter and apple cider. They don't taste the same here in Texas.
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