Sabbatical (kind of)

“Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.”
Albert Camus

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I am taking a month off from preaching

just pecking around the corners of the congregation

a few visits here and there

and thinking

about what it means to be the church

what is "core"

 what is at the heart

in short.....

what makes a congregation something one wants to be a part of

its certainly not perfection!

because the church is a place where people always behave

and always love each other

always agree

never seen such a place

and if I were part of it?

there would go the perfection!

it had better not be the minister

ok

a decent sermon is nice

and not being shamed is good

it is nice if

the leader is not pushy

or arrogant

and shows some semblance of mental health

but the minister should not be the reason
we participate
that is just silly

it feels as if what the church is really

called to be 

is a circle of friends

people who walk with each other

down the road of life

the blind leading the blind

the crippled helping each other limp down the road of life

and at times

people with strength

helping those who need a little help

walking alongside

alongside

I will miss the little outpost of the kingdom

this month

(yes, I am going to stay away)

and they, I hope will miss me

 and I hope they will miss me

not because of my brilliant (cough) sermons

or my energy (what energy)

but simply because they will miss

their friend