random thoughts on life and religion

Well, this week marks my last here in Oklahoma and at PBC. (Technically speaking, my interim pastorate ended a few weeks ago, but I am preaching this Sunday.) As of next Thursday, I will no longer be living in Oklahoma and will-finally-become an Oregonian.

This whole experience has been amazing. I never really thought I’d find myself in this position, even temporarily. I know that these last several months have taught me a ton about ministry–I’ve learned so much about what goes into the pastorate. I’ve learned a lot about what to do in ministry, as well as some of what not to do. I’ve been challenged, I’ve been stretched, I’ve been terrified at times, but above all I’ve been taught just how much all of us need to rely on God for our strength.

Will the things I learned here translate into my new ministry? I hope so. Certainly, the church plant in Portland will look vastly different from the church here in Oklahoma. Many of the things done here in Midwest America would never fly in the Northwest, and vice-versa. The mindsets of the people there will be very different from those here. At the same time, the God that we serve here is the same God that we will serve there. I know that God led us here for a reason, and I know that the things learned here will be invaluable there, as well.

I’ll always look fondly back at my time in Oklahoma, the time when I had the privilege of serving as an interim pastor. Now, as Laura and I look forward, I can only smile and ask, “What’s next, God?”