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The Okayest Pastor's Day 1/5/25

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 conflicts and 2) go through the senior/settled minister. You don't go around or avoid the minister with these types of things. There's a reason the the minister is the minister.

I introduced folks to Star Words - picking a word that can be used to set your intentions for the year or a focus word for your prayers/reflection time. I think people played along fairly well. We shall see if it helps anyone.

Worship went well. Trained two new deacons so they can help with communion. I thought my sermon was okay as we talked about Epiphany and the church's use of the metaphor of light and darkness - not always used for good. Then it was time to take down the decorations for Advent and Christmas. Thankfully, members from the Board of Worship had come in on Saturday to set out boxes in the general area of things that needed to come down so that helped the process. The potluck afterwards was good. It just makes for a long day for your ministers. 

After a nap, it was time for the community Blue Christmas service that was postponed due to snow in December. A lovely quiet and calming Taizé style worship. It was nice that I could just sit and be and not really have to perform. Following I get dessert and beverages with two other clergy people. Lord why do people feel like they can get away with things during the Christmas holiday? 

Overall a good day of worship and church work but this pastor is tired. Jesus may be born again but the clergy are dead tired again.

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