A Fond Farewell

Today was my last day at Mount Harmony-Lower Marlboro UMC as the Minister of Discipleship. After worship the congregation offered me a little farewell party.  There were many kind words and hugs, and a few tears.  The youth group plans to have their own separate farewell celebration this evening, and I expect some tears there as well.  It is a bittersweet farewell.  This congregation has been a great gift to me over the past nearly two years.  They have allowed me to minister to them and to the youth with great grace and kindness.

Yet, at the same time, much of my time there was spent on youth ministry and (adult) Christian Education.  Very little of my time was actually spent on my true calling of social justice.  True, I tried to work themes of social justice into sermons and lessons every now and then, but it was not a ministry fully dedicated to social justice by any means.  Thus, it is time to move on.

I will spend the next few months trying to really figure out what God has planned for me next.  I have a few hypotheses, but I have learned that my hunches do not always match God's hints.  I will spend much time in prayer searching for discernment.  But, I will also need to spend much time "pounding the pavement" so to speak looking for a new full or part-time opportunity to serve God and the community of Calvert County in a way that truly matches my gifts, my talents and my calling.

Please pray for me during this time of transition.