Yay!

I retired from the church I’d served for over 35 years in June, 2017. In the early fall Laura and I moved into an in-law apartment up in the Lehigh Valley, near Allentown, Pennsylvania. Since then I’ve worked as a cashier at Target, a driver for a nursing home, and, since March of 2019, as a driver for a retirement community.

I had taken the day off as a personal day yesterday, and drove down to my current employer and gave my two weeks notice that I was leaving. My supervisor and boss were both very gracious and wished me well. Then I headed back toward home and stopped at Calvary Bible Fellowship in Coopersburg, PA. On August 24 I will begin working with their staff in a part-time capacity.

I am very excited. Hence the “Yay!”

When I left my church in 2017 I needed a break. You guys know that ministry is hard. The old joke about pastors working only one day a week is laughable. But God used the three jobs I’ve held over the last nearly three years to clear my mind and whet my appetite for ministry again. I found more and more that, as I was writing this blog each week, I was referring to “us” and “we” because I still felt a part of the pastoral fraternity.

My responsibilities will involve pastoral care, counseling, helping with some education-related projects, and doing some teaching and preaching as needed. They have a great staff, one of America’s premier preachers (Dave, if you’re reading this, I hope this earns brownie points – ha ha), and a congregation I am sure I will grow to love. Being able to minister to God’s people is an enormous privilege.

I do plan to continue For Younger Pastors. I have a couple of posts rolling around in my think-tank, and will continue with the Monday “Tools of the Trade” and Friday’s “Five From the Files.”

I have some friends who have walked with me through these lsat few years when I often felt exiled. You know who you are. I love you.

Have a great day, folks! It’s good to be back.