The Long Haul

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When Jesus sends his disciples out to do ministry he advises them to stay where they are welcomed (and to shake off the dust and move on where they are not.) He also advises them:
"Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”"From Luke Ch. 10


Since I arrived in Port Aransas in 2012, I've mostly "stayed in the same house" aside from a few short term lodgings the year after the hurricane. More than that literal stability of my dwelling place, I have found such deep meaning in the stability of living in one place and with one church for ten year, and anticipate it will only become a richer experience the longer I am here. 

On a recent Sunday, I got to baptize a third generation member of Trinity by the Sea. I have also had the privilege to baptize babies of couples whose marriages I officiated. There is also that somber reality that I bury people I have spend a good deal of time with as we serve in ministry together. That too is a privilege, and is a holy experience to be involved in such powerful moments of life and rites of passage with families. 

It also comes with challenges, like any long term relationship. Those who know me best also know me to be as human as anyone and that I will disappoint them along our journey. I'm glad to be part of a religious tradition that emphasizes grace and forgiveness. 

I have spent most of my ordained ministry in one place, and as we get this new year underway, I want to thank you for welcoming me in to this wonderful community. This island and this church have been a place where I have experienced the Kingdom of God coming near. This long term ministry is not something I necessarily planned on when I was in seminary imagining what ordained ministry would be like, but it is something for which I am grateful and that I cherish. 

Being here a while also makes me aware of being part of a longer ministry trajectory. I wasn't here at the start of Trinity by the Sea in 1958, and someday someone else will have the honor of serving Christ through this church. I'm here now, and I love being in this church and community for the long haul. 

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