The "M" Word - Prologue

Back in February of this year, I went back to my college alma mater, Auburn University, to attend a Wesley Foundation alumni retreat. I almost always enjoy my visits to Auburn, and reconnecting with friends can be a reviving experience. The theme of this retreat was somewhat unusual, however, in that participants broke up into small groups to discuss a series of questions posed by the facilitator - who collected the notes from our discussions but never presented them back to the participants at large. Basically, as I recall, the pastor leading the retreat was working on a personal quest and used us as a data source. I left the retreat somewhat disappointed, because of the lack of "conclusion." It was like reading Part I of a play, and never getting to Part II.

Since February, I have been going over and over the questions in my mind. In the nearly 16 years since I left college, 20 if you count my time spent at Wesley, I have experienced some amazing highs and devastating lows in ministry. These questions hit at an interesting time - a time in which I had to step back from active leadership in my church. The reasons are many. The questions are these:

1. What is your ministry?
2. Where are you right now?
3. Is it where you expected to be?
4. Is it better/worse/different than before?

Of course, there was a little more to it than that. The questions were asked in the context of the campus ministry experience and how it may differ from the local church experience. But the topic takes on an additional meaning for me, especially as I quickly approach the age of 40. Processing the experiences of the last 20 years of ministry and Christian service and leadership is something that is essential for me to do in order to move forward in a healthy manner. And while it is not my intent to psychoanalyze everything on the pages of this blog, I do think it worthwhile to use this forum to explore these questions. And while my answers and anecdotes will indeed be personal, I trust that the Lord will use it as He sees fit.

More to come.