During the past ten days of my newly established full time status as an Elder in the Indiana Conference, we've received two snow storms totaling 18 inches of snow, a polar vortex with 100 year record low temps, canceled worship, and four days of canceled school. Interesting that all this coincided with my change in ministry/work status. Hmm.
I am trying not to take this personal. But it is an odd 'welcome back'.
Or is it even a welcome back? I am not so sure.
When I returned to ministry after my maternity leave and my sabbatical, coming back each of those times felt like a return to something. I was away in both instances. In this situation there was nothing that I left in order to return. Ministry at our ever growing and expanding congregation has shifted and shaped itself so much that I've been giving of time, talent and energy at a full time capacity for much of the past eighteen months or longer. Also, I never left. I've been at this since my daughter was three months old.
Rather, I have begun to think of my 'return' to full time status as a series of "additions". Additional responsibilities have been added to my job description. Additional compensation has been added to the budget line item which I represent within the structure of our congregation. Additional ministry hopefully will take place with enriched investment from all of us together.
In other words what I am about now is a fuller version of what I have been doing with the appropriate compensation and status that goes with it. In a way our wacky weather is also an addition! Serving as an additional challenge and metaphor for how none of us is truly in charge of anything.
Nothing personal, just Indiana weather.
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