Two years ago today was my first day of work at St. Stoic. I was not yet ordained--that anniversary will come on 6/6/06. (Interesting number, don't you think?)

This is what I did on my first day: Helpful Member called me to say that she would meet me at the church to give me a key, and show me around. I had been in the building before, but only briefly, and only really as a guest/prospective candidate. There was no Lovely Office at that point, just an empty, ugly room with lots of potential. Not even a shelf on which I could lay a Bible, or a chair in which I could sit and read one.

So on that day I left behind my box-filled house (we had moved in about 4 days prior) and drove over to meet Helpful Member and to get my keys. As soon as I got out of the car she said, "Feel like a hospital visit?" The 96 year old church matriarch had gone into the hospital in the night. I didn't even know where the hospital was! I rode in her car and we went to the hospital. I went to see the Matriarch, and introduced myself. It was a short visit, as she was tired. We went back to the church, and Helpful Member and I sat down on folding chairs in the hallway and she went over the church member list with me, explaining who was related to whom while I copied copious notes in the margins. (I still refer to that paper once in awhile.)

Then she took me to the post office, showed me where the PO box was, introduced me to the Post Master, took me to the bakery and introduced me to the baker, and then dropped me off back at church after she gave me the list of the shut-ins that needed to get a visit.

It was morning, it was evening, the first day.

Nobody specially marked this day with me. I celebrated by having lunch with a potential new friend who happens to be married to our new Executive Presbyter. She is a minister herself, working at home right now raising their 3 month old daughter. She graduated from Semi-Famous Theological Skool, nine years before I did. We spent lunch playing Six Degrees of Seperation. Then I took her back to St.Stoic and showed her around the place. The workmen are there, tearing off the old roof and buiding the new one. My office is beautiful. There are no traces of the old ugly barren room left, except the fact that I have some stained ceiling tiles from the leaking roof this spring. I think of them as my reminder of how far we've come together.

Later this afternoon some women were at church collating the brand new Deacon's cookbook. One of the women is someone who I have tried and tried to get close to. She for some reason unbeknownst to me really does not like me. I mean truly. I'm not beng overly sensitive here. If I walk up to her and others while she is in conversation with them, she will suddenly turn on her heels and leave the group without an explanation. She did it again today.

Like that stained celing tile in my office is a reminder of how far we've come, this member is my weekly reminder that God has a lot more for me to do here.

Two years down, who knows how many more to go. Thanks be to God