So Much Has Happened ...

so little has changed.

Geesh! It's been about six weeks since I last posted anything here. Part of that time I was out of town. Part of it - well, my computer and I have been engaged in battle. I'm still not certain who won.

In any case, a six-week saga.

First up, I attended our denomination's biennial meeting on behalf of a national committee I served on for seven years. The denomination has undertaken the task of rewriting a portion of our Book of Order, which provides the polity our denomination operates under. It has been a major work and much that is good has been done.

The committee I served on had some concerns that particular issues related to diversity and inclusiveness had not been adequately addressed, however. I was invited to do some work for the committee which required me to attend our main meeting and basically do some politicking. New territory for me. We didn't get everything we wanted (who does?), but we accomplished most of the really important things. 'Twas good!

That was followed by a quick whirlwind trip for an interview in Michigan. Wonderful congregation doing really good stuff. Not call. That's ok. It's good to check these things out. "Call" is such a difficult thing to discern sometimes. Face to face is the only way to do it. I wish them all the best in their search for a new pastor.

Once home, I got clipped by a nasty stomach virus. Must have picked up something on one of those flights I took. YUCK! And I've preached at a couple of local churches. And I've continued to search for a new church to serve, while trying to find some way to earn buckos in the meantime. And I've done local committee work, while trying to sell my house. Plus, I was felled by what turned out to be a slow-dying modem keeping me from making contact with the rest of the universe, while battling my computer which decided that I needed to reinstall the hard drive ... twice!

And I'm still basically back where I was before all these important, busy things happened.

Still job-hunting. Still trying to sell my house. Still living in faith.

This morning's epistle lesson was a good one for me today. Hebrews 11:1-16. "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for; the conviction of things unseen." Then there's the reminder that Abraham and Sarah did some serious wandering in faith. They weren't sure where they were headed. They just went the direction God pointed.

Feels pretty familiar at the moment.

Then, when everything seemed really lost and hopeless, the ancient and barren Abraham and Sarah had their lives filled with "laughter" - Isaac.

I needed that message.

Doesn't stop me from feeling impatient. Abraham and Sarah wandered through impatience as well. Maybe something has been accomplished afterall. I'm sure it'll be easier to see in the rearview mirror.

In the meantime, I'll continue to live by faith and not by sight, and rest in the assurance of things hoped for; the conviction of things unseen.