This is a time of major transitions for many of our clergy families. Some will say their goodbyes to congregations and neighbors this Sunday. A few are already on the road to their new homes. I know that new clergy families are headed north right now for their big Alaskan adventure. And some of our clergy will be leaving beloved congregations in Alaska to serve new ones in our great state.
How well do you handle transitions in your life? This is another way of asking how well do we deal with change. I think there is a difference between the big changes of life and the little ones. For me it is often the little ones that prove to be the most difficult.
For example, and this is a confession, I am too dependent on the electronic devices that keep me connected with the world. Just now, while writing this, an email arrived and I felt compelled to read it. I've always wanted to be available to people but I think there is a spiritual dimension to this habit. What am I ignoring because I am paying so much attention to my communication machines?
Next week Kim and I will spend 5 weeks traveling around the western US. We will witness the ordinations of David and Julie Elmore, Jenny Smith; spend time in Yakima with family; tour the San Juan Islands with my brother; do some writing at Dale Kelley's and Joan Flower's home in Port Ludlow; visit our daughter, Lauren, and her husband, Rob, in Idaho; attend Western Jurisdictional Conference to be part of the decision to assign bishops; and travel up the Pacific Coast highway.
The question for me as I face this little transition is: can I separate from my beloved technology to create space for God to fill it with something wonderful and beautiful?
I'll keep you posted on my progress.
On the other hand I probably shouldn't!
Grace and peace,
Dave
