I am honored to sit there

I am honored to sit with the 10 other people who come to the Middlesex Area Cluster Ministry Council meetings (3 from each of the 3 churches and the Cluster Administrator).

They are incredibly and totally committed to their job. They treat each other with great dignity and caring. They listen intensely to each other. They are not afraid to act. And there is a level of good humor and laughter like none I have seen at 'church council meetings'.

Tonight I watched in wonder as they struggled with difficult decisions and subtle disagreements with that respect, commitment, dignity and great good humor. What more could you ask from a group of people entrusted with caring for and guiding three remarkable churches that have been in relationship for over 30 years.

I mostly watched because they were discussing the process of finding my replacement at some point in the not too distant future. They wrestled with the reality that what they were told at one point was possible was deemed as 'not possible' in the last meeting with someone from the Diocesan offices.

They were working on a letter to express their concerns about that meeting and they did so in the way I've described at least twice above.

I was honored to be in their presence tonight--I always am.

God has blessed them and me for being with them.

I hope they know that as well.