Pastor Ministry
Bruce Nettleton - Senior Minister
pastor@richmondfumc.org
There’s this thing that happens to me every year when I take vacation. We get all excited about the trip, make all the plans, book all the reservations. We pull together the special items we need for the trip. Things like sun-block and beach towels. We make sure the car is up to date on oil change and tires.
At work, I schedule somebody to watch the store while I’m gone. I book a preacher for a Sunday or two. Then I start trying to clear the decks for while I’m gone. Get things done ahead of time, like orders of worship and bulletin announcements. I run through the calendar and make sure I’ve notified people involved in all of the boards and agencies I serve on that I won’t be present at their meetings.
We need somebody to watch the dog while we’re away, which means finding somebody kind and gullible enough to agree to the task, as well as stocking up on dog food and treats and hunting up the veterinary records. (One year the dog was actually pregnant, unbeknownst, and delivered a litter of puppies while we were gone.) We usually need to hunt down the spare house key for the hapless dog-sitter and makesure it still turns in the lock.
We also have to stop the mail at the post office, make sure that any bills that come due while we’re gone are paid, and alert the neighbors to our absence in case they see someone suspicious lurking around the premises.
Finally, I gather up emergency contact information and leave it with the office in case something comes up while I’m gone that I need to know about.
There’s this thing that happens to me every year when I take vacation. We get all excited about the trip, make all the plans, book all the reservations. We pull together the special items we need for the trip. Things like sun-block and beach towels. We make sure the car is up to date on oil change and tires.
At work, I schedule somebody to watch the store while I’m gone. I book a preacher for a Sunday or two. Then I start trying to clear the decks for while I’m gone. Get things done ahead of time, like orders of worship and bulletin announcements. I run through the calendar and make sure I’ve notified people involved in all of the boards and agencies I serve on that I won’t be present at their meetings.
We need somebody to watch the dog while we’re away, which means finding somebody kind and gullible enough to agree to the task, as well as stocking up on dog food and treats and hunting up the veterinary records. (One year the dog was actually pregnant, unbeknownst, and delivered a litter of puppies while we were gone.) We usually need to hunt down the spare house key for the hapless dog-sitter and make sure it still turns in the lock.
We also have to stop the mail at the post office, make sure that any bills that come due while we’re gone are paid, and alert the neighbors to our absence in case they see someone suspicious lurking around the premises.
Finally, I gather up emergency contact information and leave it with the office in case something comes up while I’m gone that I need to know about.
Traditionally, the last of these tasks is completed somewhere between fifteen minutes and a half hour AFTER our scheduled departure time. We pile the kids into the car and start driving. Anywhere from four to twenty hours later, we arrive at our destination, dog-tired and in a really bad mood.
Let the fun begin.
The point of this little tirade (apart from getting a few things off my chest) is that I often arrive at the long anticipated moment too weary to really enjoy it. Sometimes it takes me a couple of days of my vacation just to recover from getting there.
January always sort of feels that way to me, too. The New Year holiday is nearly universal across all cultures and religions. The recognition of a fresh start, a clean sheet of paper, a brand new basketful of hope and promise, is worthy of celebration. Instead, I find myself knee-deep in pine needles and wrapping paper in desperate need of a nap.
Underneath the Christmas induced coma, there’s a part of me that’s really excited about discovering together what 2012 at Richmond First United Methodist will see. What adventures will we live out together? What miracles will we seek and claim? How many lives will we make a little better in response to what God has done for us?
I really can’t wait to get started!
Right after my nap.