living in transition...

    I still am terrible at blogging, but hope to do better. I have some things to say. Anyway, 2024 has been full of surprises so far. 
    During Holy Week, a sudden round of phone calls and zoom and in-person meetings culminated in the news that I would be ending my time at Central UMC, and moving into the position of Senior Minister at Asbury First UMC in Rochester. We announced the news on April 14, with the projected end date of June 16. Two weeks of that time was lost to General Conference, which had its share of blessedly surprising outcomes (exclusive language OUT, queer folk in, and inclusion once again a priority! 52 years in the making!). Once back from that, it was packing, and endings, and getting ready for a giant church culture shift. Or so I thought.
    I expected...oh, I don't know, something super-fancy and super-formal. But the Asbury First folks are lovely, warm, and welcoming, and while there are some "fancy" aspects--see my post about my office on Facebook-- it is a lovely place to be, the staff is incredible, worship is rich, and we're already beginning to have some fun together.  
     There is lots of work to do, some transitional pieces to work out, and I still have to get my own systems organized. But it's a joyous journey so far.