Perspective comes in unexpected places.
I've been told by more than one person in the last few weeks that we're very odd for approaching my wait for a new Call by going on the road. I'm beginning to resign myself to the fact that, in nearly every facet of our lives, we approach and look at things from some angle slightly off from mainstream. I'm all right with that, but it's disconcerting at times. I'm not sure whether to spend more time trying to get others to see things the way we see them, or force ourselves to approach things more predictably. I'm not sure that either option is all that realistic.
During my time in St. Louis for Seminary, I discovered an unusual little place. A very old Lutheran church building that had fallen into decay and disuse was being renovated and hopefully revitalized. The sanctuary had been gutted, the roof redone, the floor replaced. A preschool had been built to help generate revenue during the renovations. The sanctuary became the home of a different sort of church - a church as well as a coffee house. The church is located on the eastern edge of St. Louis University, and stands between the affluence of the campus and the poverty of the neighborhood across the street. It's a difficult place to do ministry - an LCMS church on the edge of a Catholic university and an inner-city neighborhood.
This is The Crave. I volunteered as a barista there for a month or so while Gena & the kids were out of town. Budgetarily they run a tight ship, and so I volunteered to help out for free for a few shifts. I learned a little about how to make coffee drinks - most of which I've forgotten. But it was an interesting place to hang out in. At that point, they had no pastor, and the worship element of the church was handled by a consortium of interested seminary profs and students. I was there for their first worship service, and it was a crowded and excited group of mostly Sem-related people.
A colleague of mine was called to be Pastor there after serving his vicarage there. He's a warm, earnest man with a Masters in Counseling under his belt before attending Sem and receiving ordination. He's pretty much the only colleague of mine from Seminary serving in the St. Louis area that I know vaguely well enough to try and see. And since this is the start of Holy Week, I figured an extra church service wouldn't hurt anything either. Besides, I wanted to see what he was doing with the place, so I stopped in for worship tonight.
After the service, we chatted for a few minutes. We weren't close friends in Sem or anything, but we had several classes together. He told me how within the last year it was decided that it was still very much a mission congregation. In other words, they couldn't afford him. His solution is one that St. Paul found very helpful - he does other work to support his ability to do ministry at The Crave. He does counseling a few hours a week. He works at another congregation a few hours a week. And he devotes the rest of his time to The Crave.
It hasn't been easy, but it's a work in progress. I could sense the struggle in him because of the fragmented nature of his time and attention. He seems to be holding up well, but it isn't likely a situation that's going to change any time soon, and that can be wearing.
Ministry is changing. There's value in that as ministers model the faith and trust and resilience that we are fond of exhorting our congregations to. As I wait for what God leads us to next, it's good to remember that even the best of situations aren't static, aren't predictable. There isn't necessarily the perfect Call. There may be only the privilege of attempting to learn humility and joy in the simple things, the imperfect things, and the struggles.
An important thing to remember, whether on the road or in the momentary security of a vocational calling.
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