Well, here we are...in a new space soon to become place, at least for me. This new space not defined merely or simply geographically but spiritually, emotionally, pastorally and even familially. Kacey, my wife, was ordained Sunday June 3rd after 8 long years of preparation for a call that had been deep seeded in her for years! Thank God! She has been ordained to serve Lutheran Campus Ministry full time as pastor. For me, I transition into some new roles, one of the biggest, as primary parent. This last week was pure gift to be with our children Derek and Grace! Here's my dear Grace poolside, what a beauty, huh?! I know, I've heard it before, she looks a lot like her mother, that's where all the beauty comes from! Amazingly enough I was also able, as newly installed domestic manager, to clean the house, to the surprise of some I'm sure, I am able to do these things.
The other transition, professionally, is being demoted, in some way, to learn what it means to pastor on the streets, in and through culture, living, being, breathing and tasting life and church in fresh ways. And so I find myself in Seattle with Karen Ward at COTA for twelve days. After a great lunch with my dear friend and colleague Laurie I headed off to the Abbey to set up my space. The openness and willingness to engage in the Spirit's work in and through others at the Freeont abbey is something I anticipate as a cross culture experience...many things will be new and many will not. On the way we realize, I suppose, differences but even more and profoundly so, similarities.
Keep me in your thoughts and prayers as this journey begins. We're never really alone, that's the promise. If we can actually believe that life can be lived so much more fully and non-anxiously. Peace friends.
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Godspeed on the journey...this is one of the most exciting things that I've ever been "near" in my many years in the church. I look forward to your updates and news as well as the resourses you provide. Being in an age restricted community , we don't get too much excitement. Tho, John Kautz does keep us on our toes!!Spending much of my "church work" time at Grace, with homeless, I see so much of the least,lost and lonely of God's peoples. Yet I find them beyond stimulating and they give us so much hope. They are "emerging" but who knows where...(they don't).....yet they renew my faith every Monday morning. Tom Welch (Lord of Life Sun City West)
yippeee, dave! hey, i'll be in seattle myself, starting on the 20th. wanna have coffee together?
thanks for your words tom. good to know, keep me in your thoughts and prayers. there's much to be a part of and involved in through this effort. many times quite overwhelming and scary and lonely, but certainly exciting, stimulating and engaging.
tamie, give me a call on my cell and we'll see what we can do about getting together for coffee? as it turns out there's a couple of cofffee shops here in seattle that are not that star&*$(# brand!!! if you can make there's a guy from england coming on tuesday night to do a workshop on the emerging church. love to have you come but it sounds like you'll only be here on the 20th. i'm going to portland early monday morning for with this guy ian mobsby is his name. we're going there to trinity cathedral for his workshop monday evening, having lunch with the head priest of the place. who knows what else. i also might bump into marcus borg's wife who is also a member at this place...we'll see. crazy trip and crazy times. it's definitely a different kind of learning experience contextually. this kind of learning just takes a lot of initiative from the primary learner, it's a good thing i like to ask questions and that i'm not afraid to talk to total strangers.
yeah, it's a good thing about you talking to strangers. i've often said so.
okay, i'll call you. i'm so disoriented, man, that i haven't known what day of the week it is in about 3 weeks. i am not joking or exaggerating. anyway...i probably won't make it back to seattle until thursday. but i'll call ya. i found this sweet bookstore one time that would be fun to show you, but on second thought you would probably get lost in the theology section and never emerge again.
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