Wednesday, October 23, 2013

“Community Office Hours”

Moment of Confession: Ever since my sabbatical, I have felt like I have my feet in two worlds:
  • In one world, the world outside the walls of the church, I find an existence that is immense, beautiful, challenging and filled with both wonder and darkness. For me, my sabbatical reminded me of my own journey of faith, and that rich, yet troubling time in which I wrestled with my own sense of meaning and purpose for six or eight years.
  • In the other world, as a pastor in The UMC, I have my feet firmly within the world of the church.  In this world I see many people striving to live faithfully, engaging their own journey to the best of their ability and striving to be the person God created them to be, and to do that which God has "called" them to do.  I also experience an institution with inertia and a certain way of being that sometimes feels isolated from the rest of the world.

          I wonder sometimes what it would be like to have those two worlds collide into one world.  Is that possible?  Desirable?  I have to find ways to be faithful to the ways I have experienced true life and grown as a follower of Jesus, while also allowing people to go on their own journey of wonder and exploration. 

          Another moment of confession: Since my sabbatical, I have become slightly claustrophobic sitting in my office at the church.  I cannot stay in my office, and there is a renewed commitment to build and nurture connections in our community.  As a way of striving to make connections across these two worlds, or at the very least to be authentic to my own sense of self and call at this time, I will be having "office hours" somewhere out in our community, most likely in different area coffee shops or other gathering spots.  Generally it will be in the middle of the day on Fridays, and I will be available if you want to stop by and chat.  I will also be utilizing that time to connect with others in our community, as well as work on my sermon plans, etc.

          My plan is to send out the information on times and location on Twitter (@GreggSealey and/or @Covenant_UMC) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/covenantmethodist) each Friday morning.  If you don't have a social media account, you are welcome to call the church office at 509-466-1768 and our secretary can let you know where I will be "setting up shop."  For anyone who isn't available on Fridays, I would love to find a different time to visit.  You can call the church or email me and we can make other arrangments. 

          We can always tell other church folks about the importance of increasing our capacity to connect with the people beyond our church walls, especially those who aren't connected with a life of faith, but it is completely different to model it.  I am grateful for any opportunities to deepen connections and relationships.

Blessings to you on your Journey!
 Gregg