I tour the church a week or so before I officially started as the pastor at St. Paul’s UMC. The former pastor who was retiring took me through all of the rooms and we stopped here in the Sanctuary for a bit. I came back on my first day in the office officially and just stood in front. I thought about the people who would come to worship. I thought about myself back in front of a community as a consistent spiritual leader for this particular place after five years of absence from that role. I prayed for each person as they would walk in, take their spots and look up. What would they see? What would I see?

That was almost two months ago. I have preached in the pulpit (well, near the pulpit as per my style) five Sundays. Because I am halftime, I am away one Sunday a month. So I was away one Sunday and we worshiped with four other churches in the park one Sunday. Each Sunday that I step out in front of the 30 or so people that gather on Sunday morning I feel more connected to this place. I can see what we might be doing together and slowly my little hints of style or changes will start to happen. I have been building trust and they have been letting me know what is important or what I might be able to change here or there.

Each Sunday there have been a couple of visitors of people who know me from some other life…a high school friend came last week, a college friend another week, a friend from Corvallis days and one from Rose City days. It is a joy to see each person walk through the doors and we reunite and I get to introduce them to this place as I am learning to know it and the people.

Tadej and Ana sometimes sit in the front row and then I get to see my son smile at me like crazy each time I stand up and sometimes interrupts what I have to say for his own commentary.

All of this to say, I am really truly enjoying this role again and I didn’ tknow if I would. Everyone around me who knows me asks with caution…well, how is it? And I have to say I am having a great time and it feels just right. The still small voice keeps telling me I am in the right place right now.

Also, if you want to see me preach we do have a youtube channel to check out. Let me know if you need the link!