Where Do We Begin?

Ten years ago this coming July, I stood before Community United Methodist Church in Quincy, CA as the newly appointed pastor.  It was a day of new beginnings for myself and my new congregation.  Nearly two months before that, I graduated with my M.Div. from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, took a road trip back to CA with my roommate from my last two years, and spent the next month settling back into life in CA, organizing boxes that had been stored above my bedroom closet at my parents house since I moved back in in 2010, and prepared to take the reins as a new pastor.  During the Annual Conference Session in Burlingame that June, I received my local pastor's license from Bishop Warner Brown Jr. and my appointment was fixed.  It was the start of something new, something exciting, and if I am being fully honest with myself, something a little scary too.  Nevertheless, that first Sunday, my sermon was titled, "Where Do We Begin?" and that was the key question to set the tone for the next years ahead.  

Ten years later, I find myself sitting at my computer desk, sipping a slow cup of coffee, and asking the same question as I embark on this new writing project and reflecting on life these past ten years.  These last ten years have been eye opening, as when I first started parish ministry, there were so many things that happened in life I never thought would happen.  I never thought I would meet someone special, fall in love, and get married.  I never thought we would experience a global crisis on the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic.  I never thought that being my true, authentic self would cost me in some ways, yet would end up being a blessing in disguise in the long-run.  

Plus I never thought I would ever be a substitute teacher and enjoy it, then do several month-long assignments.  As of right now, I am preparing for a long-term assignment teaching eighth grade English while still studying for the state subject matter exam (CSET) for social sciences while contemplating whether to also take the CSETs for English Language Arts which would expand the job opportunities when I ultimately hope to receive my preliminary credential in 2028.  Likewise, we have experienced a lot of upheaval around us too, although my hope is to be a stable influence in the lives of the people I encounter.  

So, where do we begin?  Like Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey (which is a blockbuster movie about to debut in theaters too!), Homer begins The Odyssey in the middle, using the literary convention of medias res and working from the middle, then forward.  One of the ways I tend to write is also similar to the author, Virginia Woolfe, who writes in a stream-of-consciousness style while offering social commentaries such as in Mrs. Dalloway.  Or, the great American southern author, William Faulkner in many of his writings tends to do similar, offering flashbacks.  Another writer I have really enjoyed and has already been influential is the humorist David Sedaris (Amy Sedaris's brother).  So, those may be some stylistic ways you may expect to see on this blogging journey, although not to worry, some things will be left unsaid and some names and identities may be changed as well.  Likewise, I will not be able to write about specific things in the classroom or parishes I served out of respect for my past congregants, students, their families, and the schools and churches, although I will definitely share some of the things my students have taught me since beginning the journey of substitute teaching in February 2024 and things I learned from parish ministry over seven years.  I look forward to sharing these thoughts and insights and this journey of Pastor Andrew from the Parish to Mr. Davis in the classroom over the coming weeks, months, and perhaps years.  Please feel free to offer comments, suggestions, even pose questions I could use to frame future postings/chapters.  And even share your own stories too.  I hope this will be a fulfilling journey we all take together as we begin something new.