January 24, 2006
sage advice
One of the great things that happens when I post on my blog about That Church and related situations is that I get a lot of advice. Most of it is good, helpful and thoughtful.
A friend and Lutheran pastor sent this to me earlier today:
calls swing on whimsical things so stay excited, but try to have a level of detachment about the results to protect yourselves emotionally.Travis, the Theobilly, sent these suggestions:first calls can last six months, six years, or sixty years so if you get it enjoy it, enjoy the people, share your gifts and let the Lord take care of the rest.
don't buy into the "big job" crap. theo epstien is 31 and managing a billion dollar team. gardner taylor was 26 when he traveled north to pastor the church in brooklyn. young guys doing "big jobs" without any experience. you don't speak from your experience, you speak from your ability to discern life as formed by the biblical tradition (my understanding anyway)He also suggested that I swear a little and order a beer or something of that ilk at the interview dinner. The beer is not an option, but everyone swore a little at dinner. Heh. I like Travis. He's a direct kind of guy. And his reference to Timothy is well taken.
you can breathe, read, cry and laugh, you've been hurt, loved, forgiven, pissed off, in need of a hug, and need to be in communion with a gathered people - what more experience do you need?oh yeah, one other thing - make sure you ask for an tax deferred annuity from MMBB. This way as long as you live in the parsonage you can accure some form of equity for a house payment, usually 3% of cash salary.
Amy, another good friend, suggested I not pick my nose in front of the committee. She is a wise woman.
The Ref+ and his Lovely Wife suggested a haircut. I dunno why. I trimmed my beard.
Finally, Micah sent this quote a while back when we were discussing my thesis. I think that the saint may actually be onto something. Ain't I generous? To be honest, I don't usually think in terms of what The Enemy might be up to, but here I can step in line. Distractions, even seemingly beneficial ones, can keep us from the work God has appointed for us. Careful discernment and prayer can be helpful, so too the occasional kick in the pants.
The enemy often tries to make us attempt and start many projects so that we will be overwhelmed with too many tasks, and therefore achieve nothing and leave everything unfinished. Sometimes he even suggests the wish to undertake some excellent work that he foresees we will never accomplish. This is to distract us from the prosecution of some less excellent work that we would have easily completed. He does not care how many plans and beginnings we make, provided nothing is finished. - St. Francis de Sales.Thank you all for your advice, humor and kindness. This alone has made the entire process a success for me. Posted by tripp at January 24, 2006 12:30 PM