2012 – Resolution Day!

My first resolution, in this brand new 2012 year, is to… reconnect with my blog. I was thinking I posted my last message a couple of weeks ago. What, it was three months ago??? Where did Fall 2011 go?

In any case, 2012 is indeed here, and here I am, facing the immense perplexity of a future that can take so many different shapes. On November 2, the committee in preparation for ministry certified me “ready to receive a call”. That means that I went through all the steps to be a pastor, from the theological degree (both from the Institut Protestant de Theologie of Paris, France and Dubuque seminary – an eclectic pairing) to the internships in a church,  (Puyallup First Pres last year) then in a hospital chaplaincy this summer. There was also the psychological evaluation – where I found out I was an extravert – me, an emblematic introvert! And of course I had to pass those ordination exams.

So I am “certified ready”. But the ordination can only take place when I receive a call, either from a church or from a hospital if I become a chaplain. I feel pulled in both directions, which is eventually a good thing: opportunities in the Tacoma area are not that many, so I should get ready for both.

On the pastor side, I will go through the interim pastor training, a weeklong education. In the Presbyterian denomination, an interim pastor always steps in between pastors. The churches in our area have all ministers right now, but they will need an interim pastor one day or another.

And on the chaplain side, I applied for a residency (a yearlong paid internship) that would allow me to complete my training. This residency would start next September. An interview is scheduled in a week.

So here it is. I can’t help wondering if the doors in both directions might actually close before me, while our church situation stays precarious, and our denomination tears itself apart. More than ever, this is the time to keep in mind that we are in God’s hand. God will make the calls and lead in new directions…

To be followed… Meanwile, Happy New Year!