Happy 250th Birthday to The United States of America on this July 4th. Having friends over for a BBQ last night brought back memories of my family's big Fourth of July party we hosted for many years until it ran its course, people died, people moved away, etc.. It was always a fun time, a good mix of people, and a lot of work and preparation. For a long time, July 4 felt like our summertime Christmas, the big holiday we look forward to, wait for, and prepare, then feel a slight letdown when it is over. However, the older I get, the more I am starting to despise July 4. Over the years, illegal fireworks get worse and worse depite law enforcement saying they will have zero tolerance, will levy heavy fines, and such. Yet, the neighborhood still sounds like a war zone every year, making our poor cat nervous (as well as his parents, as I found a few mortar shells in the back yard when mowing after July 4 last year, a fire just waiting to happen). I could also speak about the political climate and social climate that has led me to a sense of cynicism about the USA, yet I still continue trying to be a good citizen, pay my taxes, vote, serve jury duty when summoned, write to my elected officials. Plus studying for the next CSET has definitely had me looking closer at The US Constitution. But, here I digress.
As it is one month until returning to the daily grind of the school year from yesterday, it was also ten years since leading my first worship service at Community UMC in Quincy, despite not having formally moved into the house I would call home for the next five years. In my first sermon to the community gathered, it really did feel like the first day of school, nervous and excited at the same time. On the first day of school, it is one of those things where I will ask, am I going to find where things are, will I like my teacher, my classmates, will the coursework be easy or challenging? Ministry would feel like that, as the beginning is a time of wonder for both pastor and congregation, and the same questions applying. All in all, it was a very good beginning from that day onward and would be a learning curve for the next few years.
I really could not have asked for a better place to serve in my first appointment. I always loved the mountains and it was among the places on the places I would love to serve. A lover of the outdoors, Quincy was a hub for the great outdoors, with a number of trails and lakes within an hour's drive. Bucks Lake was a little over 30 minutes from my home, while Lake Almanor, Antelope Lake, Lake Davis, and Frenchman Lake were all within an hour's drive. Plus living in the mountains saw wildlife visiting the yard. After I got the rest of my stuff from my parents house and got moved in, I was putting together my library/reading room and when I opened the back door to let some air in the house, saw a huge deer, which I would see many in my five years. My next door neighbor, who was also the county supervisor at the time told me the deer come to eat the apples that fell to the ground, as we had several apple trees around both properties. When I would walk to the office most days, or to Community Supper on Wednesdays, crossing paths with wildlife was not uncommon. Thankfully, I didn't cross paths with any bears, mountain lions, or bobcats while walking, although did see bears here and there and would admire them from a distance. Never did see the mountain lion, though.
Because I did not have satellite or cable set up on my TV, I used my reading room a lot and did a lot of reading, although pastors were expected to do a lot of reading too. One particular book, Leaving Church by The Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor caught my attention and was one of those books that I had a hard time putting down. I read some of Rev. Taylor's other writings and found it very relatable, although did not know that my story would become very similar to hers in Leaving Church, stepping away from parish ministry to pursue teaching, although she would teach college world religions at Piedmont College in Georgia. Even while pastoring, I still had the desire for teaching and was able to fulfill teaching through sermons, small groups, membership classes, and teaching around leadership and structure of the UMC during my five years in Quincy. From my years of studying the humanities and history in college and university, as well as my studies in seminary, I always had a thing for world religions, while also making connections to art, literature, music, history, and the like, which I often would talk about in sermons and general conversation.
Sometimes, it feels like there are things that foreshadow things that we do not know will happen. Yet, when things do happen, it is being in one of those, "I've been there, but can't name where" moments. I think reading Leaving Church played a role in my decision to step away from appointed ministry to pursue education, as I have read it multiple times and would gain various nuggets of wisdom each time. At the same time, I know my story is not any more unique than other similar stories. There are things that happen that we do not always see coming, except that is part of the inspiration and the mystery of how life works. It is one thing to crave certainty and yearn for certainty, especially when you are neurodivergent like I am, as routine and knowing is comforting. On the other hand, it is important to embrace mystery too, as mystery can end up leading to something different, something special, even when going into the great unknown.
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