Minister at the End of the First Month

Last Sunday was the fourth Sunday of my part-time minister position (a SAM, Synod Appointed Minister position).  It's been an interesting time to start, since each Sunday has been different.  The first Sunday was regular, the second was out in the picnic shelter on the church grounds, the third was a Sunday when 2/3 of the congregation was away on vacation including the pianist/organist, and last Sunday we were back to normal again.

I am still happy to be there, and they still seem happy to have me there.  I had been a bit worried about the drive, but so far it hasn't been onerous.  I feel that the congregation deserves to have a minister who lives closer, but that decision is theirs to make more than mine to make.

Let me make a few notes about what I've learned in my first month where I've been preaching and presiding as a person paid to do it, not a volunteer:

--I need to take a highlighter with me and highlight my parts in the bulletin.  I thought it would be intuitive, but this past Sunday, I missed some cues.

--I need to start working on my sermon earlier in the week.  I want to see if that will help me sleep better on Saturday night into Sunday morning.  Or will I not sleep well because Sunday is a big work day?

--These lectionary texts have been hard ones to preach for the grown up sermon.  The children's sermon has been easier because I focus on the easy parts--God loves you like a sparrow!  But for the adults?  What does it mean when Jesus says he comes to divide families?

--I am only preaching on the Gospel text.  I understand why some pastors might prefer to preach on Romans (just kidding--I don't), but there's so much in the Gospel text.  I also worry a bit about taking the Old Testament text out of context.

--Four double spaced pages is about long enough for a sermon, even though it didn't seem to be much more than 5 minutes for preaching class.  I thought I might need to have more, but I can feel attention spans start to wander by the top of page 4.

--The congregation seems open to changes.  We moved a podium for the sparsely attended week so that I could preach closer to the congregation, and we kept it in place this past Sunday.  People seemed to like it.  We also talked about rethinking communion distribution, since the altar space is so cramped.

--I am enjoying the work, even though I know it might be easier for me because I'm temporary.  People might be more polite because I'm a guest.  In fact, in many ways, this assignment feels a bit like being an exchange student, if the exchange student went home every week.  The host family (the church) is kind and wanting me to see their best selves.  

--Of course, maybe these folks are like this all the time.  I am not likely to be the kind of minister who demands a controversial something that none of them want to do, whether I'm part-time or in charge of a parish as a full-time/post-seminary pastor.  I am far more likely to suggest gently, week after week, that we move to something that God calls us to do.  I want the congregation to discern that movement, not just me.