My 30th birthday, which happens to be today, is prompting a bit of self-reflection.
It seems incredible that I've been in ministry in the same place for over 5 years now. That's since I was 24. That's, like, 1/6 of my life. (That's so many years of my youth!!)
The reflection all started at the workshop on the new pensions system, I suppose--as I contemplated my 35 more years 'til retirement. Sure, it's more than a lifetime that's left, but it's also a significant chunk of life I've now lived as a pastor.
Which makes me ask myself: have I done the pastoral and prophetic things that I hoped to? Have I figured out how to be the person I feel called to be?
It's so easy to feel caught in the day-to-day; submitting sermon titles and confirming what scripture I'll preach on, sifting through email messages, filling out forms that attempt to document my ministry, noticing anniversaries of events in the lives of my congregation members. And it's easy to notice that we haven't arrived and God's kin-dom yet. (Though I'm still building for the revolution...)
How do I measure my life as a pastor?
(I feel a song from Rent coming on.)
Perhaps tomorrow I'll pretend to be "cleaning" my desk (a task that no one would try to disuade me from), and look through that pile of nice notes and cards that folks have shared with me through my years. It is so good to take time to remember some of the steps along the way--times when my role as pastor intersected with others in a way that was life-giving. What a gift it's been to be a part of God inspiring wondrous things in the lives of real people...
A friend asked recently about what the joys in pastoral life are. (A sobering reminder of how much quicker I tend to be at sharing hardships...) It seems funny to begin to share them. In part, I think, because I know they're not my own. And they'd probably make me sound pretty smug and pompous. I mean, the times when I've been at my best, I know it's that wily holy Spirit working through me...and it feels awfully funny to take anything resembling credit for that.
But it has been good--wonderful, even--to feel myself put in a place where I could be something like midwife for the Spirit's work. And an honor to be trusted by the church to do that (at 24, no less!). And to see the church grow in their trust of me, as I grow in my trust of the community.
I'm not sure where all this going, but I think it's becoming excitement about what the next years will bring.
Thank God for these first 30 years!
(No disrespect to Tim McGraw intended.)
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7 comments:
I think you are very wise to be introspective about your career at any time. I think it is what allows you to grow as a person in your vocation. Keep on doing it. You can only grow.
Welcome to revgalblogpals.
I think you can be introspective at any age or time in one's career and life. Congrats on staying 5 years in one place.
being midwife to the wily Holy Spirit, now that's a joy worth sharing! Thanks.
and beautifully shared, thanks again.
It was worth the wait to read your reflections! Happy Birthday, Molly!
It was worth the wait to read your reflections! Happy Birthday, Molly!
I'm very grateful you were at first church at exactly the time I needed the Holy Spirit to work through you for me. :)
Happy Birthday Molly!
Also... I am introspective about my career pretty much constantly... as are a lot of others. I don't know if 30 is too young... but I'm really hoping 27 isn't, however. :)
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