It was really great to spend Sunday napping after church. Last week was the last week of camp and I didn't have to drive to Rochester. Truly a bittersweet time-two strong feelings: good to be done but regretting the loss. Thrown together like that relationships form with incredible speed. Oh well, I count that as an experience and a good one. I needed the time away and it was good to sink into some spiritual practices.
Since I've been home I've discovered Spotify, which puts Pandora to shame. I got to mow yesterday with our new riding mower and I'm getting to spend time with Fran and Ross. This is making for some enjoyable times, but there have been some disturbing things.
I had been leading a contemporary/emergent service at Niles and the question of continuing that service was presented to the Worship Committee. I didn't attend that meeting because I don't feel like I have standing to speak as a non-member of the church and a pastor member of a different presbytery. In any event, Fran informed me that there was quite a bit of debate about who would do the service and when it was to happen. Also, it seems that the committee chair has the intention of advertising for my replacement as soon as I get the service a little more self-sufficient. All of this is really disturbing to me and I'm not sure how to react. I don't guess there are Biblical precedents for this sort of thing.
So, what do I do? I really love leading worship, but I feel hampered by the thought that I am being replaced as soon as they can find someone. I think that is doing a dis-service to the congregation or that community of worship. I also don't want to emotionally invest myself in this and then have to leave, which is too painfully similar to what happened at Bethlehem. It seems to me that I cannot continue leading that service knowing that I will be replaced as soon as they can find someone. I hate this position, but it seems like the best in the long run for both me and the worshiping community.
No comments:
Post a Comment