Seminary Visit

I was so blessed to have friends in town this week taking turns preaching at our neighboring church, Forest Park Christian. Bob flew in from Oregon and Paula flew in from Colorado. They came to preach so that their minister, Bill, could be off recovering from chemotherapy treatments for lung cancer. Bill, Bob, Paula and I all graduated together at the same time from Phillips Theological Seminary in December of 2012. We would also often sit together for lunch and debate things that we had learned in class that day. Hank J. sometimes joined us and used to tease us that we were the “cool kids” in the lunch room. (Which was so NOT true but fun to laugh about.) As we learned together, raised families at the same time and navigated what it means to be called into ministry we became bonded in a way that is very rare. We decided to keep meeting together as a clergy support group as each of us took jobs and were scattered across the country. Zoom became our meeting place each week as we read scripture, prayed over each other, complained about our churches or people and walked through life together as pastors of Christian churches. We have held each other in community through the death of parents, attempted suicide of a child, unjust imprisonment and so many other worries. I cannot imagine how I would have made it these last thirteen years without them in my life.

On Wednesday, we spent some time at the seminary working and researching and just being together. We ran into my favorite professor from my time there, Rev. Dr. Joe Bessler and he gifted and autographed his latest book for each of us. We walked the halls and the labyrinth. We met with the Alum director and we remembered our time together when we were each just beginning to step into our call from God into ministry. A lot has changed. We have changed. But that time in our lives was a blessing that carried us into our churches and our successes. Bill was able to meet us for about an hour where we carried on as we always do and then we laid hands on him and prayed over him. Friends like these are a gift and as we carry this burden of uncertainty around the one that we love, our hope and prayer is that the chemo is working and the cancer is shrinking and that he will be restored. I ask you to pray for his family, his health and his congregation as they wait in fear and hope for what is next for their father and pastor.

Sincerely,