Greetings friends!
I read a post on Facebook just now that said when you mean to say "Thank you" don't say "Sorry." For instance, instead of saying "Sorry I'm so lazy I haven't posted on the blog in close to 20 days" I should try "Thank you for your patience." This of course assumes that you are still patiently following along with my exploits.
What have we missed you ask? Easter happened. Four services in a row on the same Sunday, preaching at 2 and leading worship/liturgy the others. The early service went, well, like an early service. I was preaching a very high-energy sermon with not nearly enough caffeine coursing my veins to do the job, so it felt a little bit flat. But when 9:45 rolled around, I released the beast, and I felt it. It was one of the most fun sermons I've preached in a long long time. Then I came home and celebrated the day of Resurrection as only a pastor can:
From there it's just been a whirlwind of projects. Thursday night we're launching into our first Doubt Night, which is something I've been dreaming about for a couple of years now. I'm really really excited, and I hope you'll come! (7:00 at the Railyard in Bridgeville). I just met with some of the folks we're partnering with, and these are some rad people! I really really can't wait, and I hope you'll be there!
(Also, while I'm thinking about it, people have asked me what I would do if the Penguins/Caps series starts Thursday Night, as it turns out it will. Just another reason to dislike Alex Ovechkin who very much looks like the goon from Happy Gilmore. Anyway, in addition to faith questions, I will be fielding any and all hockey related inquiries.)
I'm also working on a bunch of stuff in the media department at Westminster. We've got some really great video projects in the pipeline, including a video blog I'm starting to work on answering a few questions some folks posed on Facebook. It's one of the weirdest things in the world being alone in a studio talking to a camera, but I think there's some really good stuff in there. So I'm working on getting past my own goofy face, and making these videos come to life. It's a good job I have!
There have been a few conversations the last few days that have impacted where I think I want to go with the blog for a little while now. On Friday, I met with my Spiritual Director, and noted that in busy seasons it gets harder for me to connect with God. Sort of like when you tried to get on the internet back in the day, but kept getting a busy signal. And this season I'm in right now is particularly busy. There's a lot happening, lots that pulls me out of the office, lots that keeps my feet moving. She suggested that rather than fighting the busyness, I try to find God in the busyness itself. I so loved how that sounded, even if I'm not exactly sure how best to live it out. But then at the same time we've been having some conversations around Westminster about what it looks like when the Kingdom of God draws near. It happens all the time, but we don't often talk about it, at least not in those terms.
So for as busy as I am, and for as much discipline as it takes, I wonder if I could force myself to sit down with you all each day, and try to find God in the busyness together? I wonder if the blog could become some kind of traveler's log, pointing out the places in my life where I've seen the Kingdom breaking through. In this very moment, I am sitting outside under a covered porch, drinking some coffee, eating a scone, listening to a babbling brook, and waiting out the rain while I travel by bicycle. I don't know, that just seems to ooze the Kingdom. I've only been here about 20 minutes, and I'll probably have to mount the bike here in a minute to get to the next meeting. But in this moment, I am extremely grateful for this little space that's been carved out in the middle of a very VERY busy day.
So if you're not as in to a J-centered J-blog, I'm sorry. Or maybe I should say thanks for reading anyway.