Lean Years and God's Grace

I am so very glad I am at this place in life rather than starting life and ministry with a young family. Everything seems very expensive and young families seem to be in deep educational and living debt. I wonder how young families make it, especially in small towns or rural areas where secondary or spousal jobs are so very hard to find.

I have to remind myself I have been there. My wife, Nancy, and I got married between our freshman and sophomore years in college. Yeah, probably not the smartest thing, but we were in love. We were not pregnant. There were some, shall I say, family issues which seemed to have forced our decision. We were both committed to completing our college education. Thanks be to God and to some very caring people, we both were able to  graduate on time with very little educational debt. I am still amazed that we did it and how we did it.

By God’s grace we were off to Louisville Presbyterian Seminary. I was blessed to be able to begin a field education assignment, with a small stipend and an apartment, immediately upon college graduation and before seminary classes began. It was a position I was able to stay in for two years. Once again, we were blessed with Nancy getting a teaching position in Louisville to begin in the fall. Thanks to Nancy getting her PHT (putting hubby through), my field work, me driving a school bus for two years, and a benevolent Dean of Students, I graduated from seminary with no financial debt. Please do not misunderstand me. I am not bragging, but basking in awestruck wonder at God’s providential grace.

After seminary life began to get real. We had left the womb of college and seminary. We arrived at my first call with an infant son. I think the terms of my first call were in the neighborhood of $9,000. Yes, gasoline was about 40 cent/gallon, but milk was about $1.15/gallon. Nancy was not working. Reality could no longer be avoided.

As the years went on bills began to accumulate. We had a second child, a daughter. There was a time when we kept transferring credit card debt from one card to another just to keep from defaulting. Even though Nancy had a teaching job at various stages in my second, third and fourth calls we were barely keeping our heads above water. During those times we did not feel we could save any money. We cashed out the small retirement accounts Nancy earned from her teaching with each move to a new call. Thankfully, each call included a manse. However, we discovered each move had hidden costs to us in the neighborhood of a couple thousand dollars.

I wish we would have had the opportunity to have taken one of the Board of Pensions financial fitness workshops and would have had the courage to follow their advice. In our younger days we gave no thought to such things as long term care insurance. Now, the sticker shock of its cost is stunning, if we can even get it. To have purchased LTC when we were in our thirties would have been so much more affordable. To have put a small amount into a retirement saving account would have added up to a nice supplement to pension and social security income.

Yes, I worry about young couples just starting in ministry with massive educational debt. I worry as I see churches selling their manse, especially in small towns and rural areas. If a house can be found to purchase, the question is will it be possible to sell it after a few years? I worry as I see fewer and fewer positions available for first call pastors. Associate positions are being eliminated and fewer congregations can afford a full-time pastor.

I pray God’s providence will be poured out in abundance on those just entering ministry. Even though we went through lean years, it was by God’s grace we have reached this point in life. Thanks be to God!

We Have A Prince

Well, well, Kate had a boy. It seems the media has been obsessed with the Royal pregnancy. There are so many news organizations gather outside the hospital one wonders if there are any left to cover other stories, not only in the Commonwealth but any place else in the world. Not that long ago, I can remember Brits questioning the value of maintaining the monarchy. I found a 2012 blog on the cost of the monarchy. http://relentlesslife.wordpress.com/2012/04/15/the-true-cost-of-the-royal-family-explained/  At today’s conversion rate (1:1.54), the cost is in the neighborhood of $61.5 million USD. It works out to about 70 pence per Brit per year.

The blog goes on to compare the economic cost/benefit of the monarchy. It seems King George III got into a bit of financial embarrassment. The rental from his lands did not produce enough to pay his bills. He made a deal with Parliament. Parliament would receive the income from his lands in return for a fixed annual income and the absorption of his debts. Since then every royal family has had the same deal. The blog states, The cost to maintain the royal family today is £40 million pounds per year as we mentioned before. But the revenue paid to the UK from the Royal lands is 200 million. So £200 million in revenue subtract £40 million in salary costs equals £160 million pounds in profit. That’s right: The Great Britain earns 160 million pounds in profit, every year from the Royal Family. That is a very good cost/benefit ratio. The blog goes on to point out the income to the Commonwealth does not count the amount paid by tourists.

One reporter pointed out the birth of the new Prince insures the continuity of the monarchy into the 22^nd Century. No wonder folks in England are excited. The continuation of the monarchy means keeping taxes down and Yanks traversing the Pond to boost the economy. Another website reports (http://www.today.com/news/11-interesting-facts-about-duchess-kates-royal-baby-6C10703523), Economists say the royal baby will inject £240 million ($380 million) into the U.K. economy. That figure is based on people buying food and drinks for celebrations at home and in restaurants or pubs, as well as purchases and exports of souvenirs and memorabilia, toys, books and media, according to the Centre for Retail Research.

I remember, as a kid, watching the adventures of Bonnie Prince Charles on the Mickey Mouse Club. I thought it cool that he and I are about the same age. Sadly, over the years, the only thing we have in common is we have both lost about the same amount of hair from our heads.

There was no international press corps congregated outside the birth place of another Prince over 2,000 years ago. There was no town crier proclaiming the birth, only a host of angels had that role. Once people saw themselves as vassals of a sovereign god, the birth of the Prince revealed a new status for humanity as siblings of the Prince of Peace.

As a pastor, I soon learned that Advent and Christmas are not the times to challenge the cultural prostitution of the annual celebration of the birth of our true Prince. Having a few merchants in the congregation is was not in good taste to ask, “What is a merchant’s favorite hymn on Christmas Eve? Answer: What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

I was glad to see the Vacation Church School at the Sligo Presbyterian Church celebrating Christmas in July. Perhaps, separated from the usual seasonal trappings the joyous news, Mary Give Birth to a Prince, could truly be heard. Maybe it was more about the amazing gift we have received in Jesus than the number and expense of the temporal gifts we are given ostensibly from the Fat Man from the North.

Congratulations to Kate and William on the birth of the Prince of Cambridge. Thanks be to God for the birth of Jesus, Prince of Peace, Lord and Savior!

Washing Windows # 2

What was I saying about liking to wash windows? After a successful completion of the windows on Tuesday, I decided to do the windows in the living room/dining room. The inside windows were easily done in the same procedure as on Tuesday. The outside of the windows are another story, literally.

Counting from the ground level these windows are on the second story of our house. The garage entrance is directly below these windows. In the past I would haul our aluminum extension ladder (why didn’t I buy a fiber glass one?) around from its storage at the other end of the house. Setting up that ladder is tricky so as not to have it crash through one of the window panels I was to wash. The window is an angled five section bay window. Each panel is 2 feet wide and a little over 4 feet in length.

This year, Nancy bought me an extension pole with a sponge and squeegee on the head. I pulled off the protective plastic from the pole and the head. Sigh, the head was not constructed properly and the sponge was not tightly held in place. About 15 minutes of work with pliers, trying to re-crimp the teeth into place to hold the sponge, proved futile. Okay, I have another but smaller head to screw onto the extension pole. Drats! The thread on the pole is larger than the inside thread on the head. Okay, a couple of threads would be enough to hold the head onto the pole, but don’t force it and ruin both.

Now outside and extend the pole to full length. Drats, again! The pole is about 18’ too short. Okay, I have another short pole. I will just fasten it to the long pole and we’re in business. Where is my roll of duct tape? Several wraps and the two poles are attached. However, it is too flimsy and now I cannot apply the proper pressure on the squeegee. Drag out a rickety 6’ wooden step ladder. That gets me high enough, but I cannot get the right angle either to wash the windows nor squeegee them clean.

There is only one solution left. Yep, drag out the extension ladder and wrestle it around. The windows are finally done and look a lot better.

Sometimes what appear to be easy solutions do not work; use a lot of valuable time; and leave us frustrated. What worked yesterday may not work today. There are times when doing things the “hard way” is the only way. How many times do we experience this in ministry? Context is everything. Last year’s budget, bulletin, vacation bible school curriculum, elder training or website just doesn’t work this year. Neither we nor those we serve are the same this year as last year. Pulling out a sermon we used in seminary or in a previous parish for the same lectionary text seems so much easier than working through the arduous task of writing a new sermon. Re-running last year’s budget does not take into consideration the changing context of the congregation.

I could have finished the windows in much less time and gotten out of the heat a lot sooner if I had just gone through the harder work of dragging and wrestling that extension ladder.

Washing Windows

I am now two months since leaving my position as general presbyter of Kiskiminetas Presbytery. The first two weeks were earned vacation. The rest of the time has been in retirement. When asked about how retirement is going, I have responded, “Every day is Saturday.” It has been a truly laid back time. I think I have only worn my wrist watch a couple of times. (I know younger generations ask, “What is a wrist watch?” but I am an early boomer and a watch seems to have come with my left arm.) There have only been a few times when I have worn long pants and dress shoes. Most of my time has been in shorts and sandals.

Even before retirement, I have had a fairly long punch list of things which need attention around the house. With everyday being Saturday it has been tempting to chill reading on my iPad and an obligatory afternoon siesta. Half way through the traditional “summer time,” I am now realizing that if I do not get with it, few items on my punch list will get done. Last week, I told my wife, Nancy, I needed to start doing one thing each day. It does not matter if it is a grand project or just pulling a few weeds in the garden.

Today, I decided to get serious about doing something. So, I decided to wash the windows in the room we spend most of our time in. It has windows and a sliding glass door on three sides of the room which allow us to look out upon our sequestered back yard. Even though we live in a housing development it feels like we are in our own tree and bush sanctuary away from the world. I do not mind washing windows. In fact, with the proper equipment, I like washing windows. When I posted on Facebook I had completed the job, I had several invitations to go wash the windows of friends. One friend, commenting on my liking to wash windows responded, “There's a start, there's a finish, and it looks better when you're done. Lots to commend there.” Indeed, that is it!

One can literally see what has been done. In many instances, as a pastor and as a general presbyter, there were so many things needing attention; the proclivity to procrastinate was always tempting; and there was seldom as start, a finish, and things looked better when you were done. I cannot begin to count the number of “to do lists” which gathered dust on my desk. That is true although I tend toward intentionality and feel relief when things are done. Maybe that was one of the reasons I enjoyed analytic spreadsheets, which drove others bonkers.

I am sure I am not the only one in ministry afflicted by the diseases of feeling overwhelmed by the number of things calling for my attention, of being tempted to procrastinate, and of not being able to see a clear end. I could have benefited by having a coach helping me develop clear goals, assist me in defining measurable outcomes, identifying a deeper meaning behind the mundane, and clarifying signs of success. It would have been of enormous advantage, especially in the early years of trying to grow into the ministry.

So what have I learned? Everything does not have to be done at one time. One clear task at a time accomplishes a lot, so do something. It is okay to enjoy to sense of success. The path to success lies with us. We can be our own worst enemies. We easily fall into bad habits just as a golfer, ball player, ice skater or tennis player can. That is where a coach comes in. The coach helps us look at things as they are, set goals for future action and holds us accountable for the changes we want to make in our self and our ministry. I have been there. Now, I am coaching others in life and ministry. This is what God has been preparing me to do at this point in my life.