OK, couldn’t hold back!
I am now officially engaged to be married to Cynthia Bellamy! Now, if I say much more you won’t have any questions or comments for me. Nevertheless, a slight further detail – wedding set for Kindersley, Saskatchewan on July 13th.
Yesterday two incidents reminded me of change.
I have newly come into a responsibility working with our museum here in town. As such, I contacted the chair of the museum board. The idea was to just sit and hear what was expected and where we were headed as a board.
The willingness was there and the time was available. The discussion was profitable but there was within the chatting a sense of the past hindering the future. Where there were disappointments with such things as volunteers and financing, there was a desire for better but a realism that could hold them back. That mourning of the past and excitement for the future was very real.
The second group was planning a youth event related in part to drug and alcohol. This event has run for the last three years. Not a long history. A whole new scenario was put before us. Requiring a new way of thinking. Last year’s schedule was to be completely thrown out. A new schedule required more flexibility. At first those who had been a part in the previous few years could see only the turn in the road and not the destination. After much talk, the old was affirmed. The great thing was that the new achieved the same purpose, just in a different way. After 1 1/2 hours of discussion the group was ready to set aside the old and try something new.
Old and new need not conflict. Each can be a fulfilment of the purpose for the life of the institution or event. Paths may exhibit gravel at one point and asphalt at another – the real question is whether they continue in the same direction!
So, yesterday a Facebook and text message arrived in front of me. A friend asked if I would like to show up at a prayer time this morning at 6:00. At the church.
Well, I was going to be at the church anyways, so what is a few hours earlier. Of course, when winter light doesn’t appear until 8:30 . . .
At the same time, I have been working (said in the positive sense) on understanding and applying prayer in my life. In October I spent a week of personal retreat – one day especially devoted to prayer and fasting. I also picked up, at that time, a startlingly green notebook (which I can’t lose) to use to journal prayer requests. And I started to pray for “the fives”. Each month I pray specifically for those in leadership in ministry (I started with five – and renew the list each month – right now the list is over 15 and growing).
So, the idea of prayer was not out of my mind – in fact, quite there. On Sunday, our Associate Pastor asked for people to show up for prayer the next day at 6:00 in the morning. Six people showed. And they decided to also pray on Thursday at 6:00. I think there is a movement about to happen here!
The format was simple. Assign a prayer request to each person. Not a lot of explanation, just pray! Then, the whole group prayed out loud together until things died down (and they just do!). Then go around the circle and assign new requests. Today we prayed for church leadership, other churches in town, for our community, for the rural municipality around Kindersley, for missionaries, for those sitting in the circle. In 40 minutes we covered a large amount of prayer points.
God loves to hear from us. And in turn we will hear from God. I wonder what the coming days and months will hold?
I have volunteered recently to work with a group of people. This group follows after a personal interest of mine – preservation of history.
One of my graduate degrees focused on archival work. The opportunity was given to me to be employed while taking my schooling. All I had to do (and did) was itemize the group of papers that had arrived in the provincial archives. Following that, my next place of employment allowed me to help gather and work with the archives of the institution and denomination. After several years, I was also given the opportunity to serve as president of the provincial archival society.
For almost two decades I have quietly laid aside the active part of this passion for history. Of course, anyone who listens to my sermons or probes my understandings will run across “story”, which is most often related to understanding and applying history.
Now, I am back into the fray of history.
This time the entrance back seems to be more related to administration than research and study. The museum was looking for board members.
Serving on a board is different than researching. The first thing that I have done is visit with the manager of the museum, and contact the chair of the board to get some sense of this particular board. And last night I read the last three years of minutes.
I am surprised by the opportunities, and yet inclined to think that more could be done. Having served on boards for years, I realize the culture of the board needs to head outward and not in a maintenance mode. I’m interested to see where this board will go. An adventure, to say the least (or the most!).