I have been a new church start pastor now for 6 days. Oddly I think I was better at it before I officially began. I’m going to say that moving and sorting out our house are important reasons why I have not been out making connections much this week. The only exception was on fourth of July when many of my neighbors and I bonded as we watched the fireworks at Oaks Park and then dodged the local rockets on the way home. But that was more of a “Jeez can you believe how close that was!” sort of engagement rather than any sort of connection that would allow for recognition in day light hours not involving patriotic peril.
This of course is normal. It’s not like I was expecting we’d move here and day 2 the new community would be up and running. This is a time of patience, we’ve lit the fuse and now we’re waiting. We’re watching to see if this firework takes off, if it creates a beautiful display that attracts people to come see, or if it’s a dud and only sputters. We won’t know for a while.
I see glimmers that lead me to believe that God is going to put on quite the show here, one that takes a long time not like last year’s fireworks debacle in San Diego where all the fireworks went off at once! We’re supposed to see bright light after gorgeous colors, after surprising boom. The first sparkle for me involves our goal to raise $13,000 by June 30, 2014. Thus far we have pledges (including ours) for over $5,000. Day 6 and we only have $8,000 to go. If I was any good at math I’d make some silly projection here, but I think this is just us getting off to a good opening. Thank you to all of you who have pledged and given thus far!
The next crackle of light comes from some people I know who work for churches that they love, but who are struggling to tend their own spirits. We’re starting a dinner group in August for these folks who I am calling Revugees. These are people who work so hard trying to embody light for others that they need a space to rekindle, a refuge.
I hear the crack of something big when I visit again with my neighbor about his spiritual life or when a friend from Eugene tells me she’s been encouraging her Portland friends to talk to me about this new community. God is breaking in to new places and that portends something holy.
The final twinkling is from people we have known for a long time who now live in Portland who are interested in what we’re doing. We’re starting tomorrow morning with breakfast to gather and celebrate and who knows where we will go from there?
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| Amen! |
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