The World's Okayest Pastor

It's the first Sunday in 2025 - it's also a Packer's home game so that means people who would normally open the church won't be here. So more work for me on Sunday. So I get to church at 7:45am to unlock the building, turn on lights, set up the PowerPoint, make sure the heat is warming up the place. And since it's Epiphany Sunday that means turning on tree and garland lights too.  One member's anxiety is untreated and so high that they arrive before 8:30 with their dish for the potluck and to question polity about them being the minister for Friday's funeral because they got ordained in the Universal Life Church. I can't believe the interim told the lay licensed ministers to go there to get "ordained." If I sat on a COM (Committee on Ministry) and that was shared, I'd have serious questions about motives. Again I reminded people that all worship services on church property need to 1) go through the church office to make sure there are no co...

 It's Saturday - my day off. Well lets be real it's supposed to be a day off but I rarely don't do something church related.  As I was slowly getting myself together for the day - a rarity lately that I slept past 7:30, I was messing with the dog and taking my vitamins when my phone starts to buzz with text alerts. Apparently part of my Worship Board wanted to go through boxes before we put Christmas away tomorrow and they don't have a key to their storage unit. I'm on it. I get it I live across the street but also ugh! So I take some stuff over to the church so I don't forget/have to do it on Sunday morning and unlock the storage room. Then it's questions about my opinions on this or that. If you've ever met me and seen the places I've lived then you know I'm not really a decorator. It's never been my thing and I don't really feel like I should acquire the skill. So I help loading up garbage and recycling bins with stuff that is just ran...

 Today started with attempting a visit of a member with Covid 19 in the hospital. The daughter wants everyone to go visit her because she's lonely. Ma'am she's in isolation because she has a contagious virus. We will call, send cards and flowers, but I will not be encouraging everyone to go visit and spread anymore germs around. So I went and masked up. Poor member was sleeping very soundly so I left my card with a small note, said a silent prayer and left. I refuse to wake someone in the hospital. It's just bad practice. Then I printed bulletins. Copiers are weird but vital. I appreciate that this one will fold the bulletin for me. However I can't get it to fold the large print bulletins. Go figure. It's been weird not doing a bulletin every week myself. It's amazing what a good secretary and an updated piece of equipment can do for you. Then there was the funeral. A former lay licensed minister was contacted by a former member to do a son's funeral. Ne...

Today started off well. It's the day after New Years so the office has been closed for two days. My secretary is taking the last of their vacation for 2024. Things are calm. There's not much happening in the life of the church. I spent the morning proof reading the bulletin and getting it ready so I can print it tomorrow.  The afternoon rolls around and my meeting for the afternoon goes well. But then a member decides to speak about a topic that does not belong in or near the committee that just wrapped. The member's comments spiral into complaints about me, complete with making personal digs at me, twice that I can clearly recall.  I'm not surprised by this behavior because it's a continuation of bad behavior that's been going on for years. I've called this member and their spouse to task for their actions and words. I get that wounded people wound other people but that is also not an excuse to refuse to have a meeting to discuss how to make amends and move...