I was having breakfast yesterday with a trusted friend, who knows much about our denomination. He said, “I wish that our system gave pastors a couple of weeks between appointments, to prepare themselves mentally for their new appointment.” Alas, that is not The Methodist Way.
My world, however, feels similar to what he described. True, I am showing up at my current church most days. My phone has stopped ringing, and the tasks ahead of me in this place are minimal. I won’t pack my office until the week before I leave, and so I am in an interim period. I have found that this time has been a time of special blessing. I’ve been reading some books that I hope will make me a better pastor. I’ve been studying up on my new congregation and working to finish up a few more things in my current congregation. There has been some added time for reflection, prayer, and celebration. The rate of goodbyes is accelerating daily, as I encounter more “last” things here. This time of closure feels precious.
Stepping into a new place the very next Sunday after I step of my current place may seem rushed to some. For me, I expect that it will feel like a continuation of the ministry which I’ve been in for the past 26 years. And getting to experience a lot of “hellos” on the heels of many “goodbyes” sounds like a good and healing way to live in God’s world.
