Changes
One of my fellow bloggers recently commented on the sense of quiet at this blog lately. Posts have been few and far between and at least in my opinion, less reflective. Yet even though there have been less of my own reflections being written here, it does not mean they have been absent, far from it!
Last Thursday our new bishop asked me to accept the responsibility of serving as pastor at St. Thomas. Since learning of my new role at the parish there have been a flood of emotions and thoughts, many of which would not be appropriate to share in a public forum such as this. Now that this news has been shared with our parishioners, and I have had time to digest the news, I can share a few thoughts about the changes both in my own life and the life of the parish.
It will be difficult to lose our current pastor, Fr David. He is one of my oldest and closest friends. It was an unexpected gift to have been able to be assigned to the same parish with him. The good news for me is that we were friends before serving together at St. Thomas and will continue to be so when he has left for his new assignment. The good news for the parish is that he does not leave people behind. This will be the second time that I have followed him in an assignment, so I speak from experience in knowing he will not soon become a stranger.
This will be my first experience of being a pastor. It is both exciting and makes me nervous. Through my previous assignments in parishes as well as in our office of youth ministry and high school I have had the opportunity to develop the skills that are necessary for the job, but I know too that some things can only be learned through experience. Fr. David’s advice for being a good pastor is to love the people you serve and to allow them to love you. This is good advice that I have already begun putting into practice in my current role as associate pastor. I have also been preparing myself mentally by making my way through my fellow blogger Molly’s book, Close To Home. It’s just a hunch, but it would seem to me that being a successful Christian parent and being successful as the spiritual father of a parish community are closely connected vocations.
Last night I ran into several parishioners who had received their letter from Fr. David a day early. They were all encouraging, saying, “we know you will do well”. I am thankful for their support and confidence and yet I am hoping for more than personal success. I know that wecan do well by allowiing the Kingdom of God to continue to grow stronger in this community. My hope is we will continue to call forth one another’s gifts in service of the Gospel and on the days we fall, help one another to get up and try again.
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