On minutes of appreciation

The last month or so has been pretty intense for us, I have been called to leave the placement I have served in for over five years and we have accepted. The change of placement is not an easy time, particularly in small communities like ours. The tasks of letting go of the old and picking up the new are hard enough without the simple practical requirements of packing and cleaning a house.

Last weekend was our Presbytery, our regional meeting. I have been a member of this Presbytery for over a decade, grew into ministry under their care, have been entrusted with their youth camp many times and have served in their leadership group. Thus the weekend was full of discussions about leaving and our reasons for doing so.

One of the traditions in the Uniting Church is that ministers leaving a Presbytery are presented with a minute of appreciation, a formal statement thanking them for their service within their congregations and within the region. It is a beautiful gift to hear your own eulogy, or even a part of it. It has been wonderful for me to hear the appreciation of those I have served and served with. Like many ministers I have high expectations of myself and am more likely to see where I would rather be than how far I have come, so receiving statements like these is quite a blessing. You can be assured that these statements will be kept to be an encouragement for me when times get hard.

The key statement came from a neighbour and friend who reflected on my work with the youth camp, after a paragraph thanking me for my wise and intelligent insight:

"Fergs, as David is fondly known by all who attend CQ Rendezvous, is a big kid at heart. The youth task group has been inspired and mentored by a child of God who though he is big in stature still comes to God with the heart of a child. Fergs willingly sits at the feet of Jesus with a teachable soul and is passionate in his work to guide people of all ages in their relationship with God."

What a wonderful compliment and reminder this is. Thanks, Suzy!

In this I am reminded of the task of ministry that Brueggemann reminds us of: we are a prophetic religion in that we go up the mountain and down again. We seek to encounter God not for our own sake, but the sake of the world. Our authority in ministry does not come with theological degrees or personal charisma, it comes from our willingness to submit to the will of Christ. I pray that my heart may continue to be open to God and that this characteristic will only grow in the future. It is my belief that wisdom arises from experience and it is only when we retain a teachable spirit that we may grow in wisdom (or even retain it).

But even this reflection misses the ultimate compliment. There can be no greater compliment than to be called a child of God. I still need to pinch myself sometimes that God is willing to work through my life. In our articulation of call, we seek God's will rather than ours and it is this that draws me forward. I have been so privileged to share in people's lives and experiences beyond myself, and for that I can only thank God and give God the glory.