Gone...and Back

It is Sunday evening, and here we are, reading emails and trying to relax before beginning a new week. I arrived home this afternoon, having been away at the Rotary "President Elect Training Seminar" (PETS). The largest and oldest Rotary training seminar, with over 485 President-Elects, and a total attending of over 700! They encompassed 9 Rotary Districts from WA, OR, ID, CA (northern), BC, Yukon Territory (don't know that abbreviation!), and Russia east of the Ural Mountains.

It was an incredibly inspiring time as I prepare to be our local Rotary club's president on July 1. But the principles we covered also apply to the church, as they are just good administrative details that we all need to be reminded of. I roomed with an Irish-Canadian, who grew up in a Presbyterian parsonage in Ireland, his father a life-time Presbyterian pastor who just passed away two weeks ago. Since I also grew up in the parsonage, a Pastor's son, we had a lot to talk about, and I have a new friend! In fact, a lot of new friends from across the Northwest.

But...having to be gone over a weekend leaves my pulpit vacant, so my son, Kevin, was scheduled to fill the pulpit. However, he came down with a severe case of the flu, so what do you do in a smaller church. You "drop back 10 and punt," as they say. Two of the men in the church shared the pulpit, Marion, who helps Kevin with music, led the worship, and my wife, Connie, led the overall service. Sure there were hiccups and bumps, but they all did very well, and they survived in good form...and really, I did not worry a minute about them.

Sometimes we just do what we have to do, and keep going. We have been doing that now for almost 23 years as a church, and we are still here. We don't quit, and when things get tough, or the Pastor is gone, we step up to the plate and see how far we can hit the ball. They did good, and we will talk about it, laugh about it, and continue to grow in grace. Isn't that what it's all about? I think so...and I am glad to be back. Really, I missed being with them this morning!