I finally was able to make it to the Ryan’s lunch meeting and I was so encouraged, not only by the soul food that included fried okra and collards, but by the encouragement and fellowship of fellow ministers.

We forget as we foray the unknown everyday that there are others doing the same. There are others who are counseling and ministering to families who have just lost a loved ones. There are others who are struck with writer’s block when a sermon really needs to be written. And there are others who are looking and searching for a church home when they have had to move from one they loved dearly.

We are not alone in our love of buttered yeast rolls and our need to be ministered to as much as we minister. 

Each week, I try to take some time to reflect. I sit down at my kitchen table, look through the window to my peaceful, wooded backyard and immediately feel connected to the earthy, creative, serene, and expansive nature of God in creation. When the weather is warm, I move out to my front porch and breathe in the mountain air and give thanks for the sights and sounds all around me. It is quiet and it is peaceful and I am acutely aware of God in the moment. I love Western North Carolina.

Later in the afternoon, it will be a much different scene – my sons, just home from a day a school, will be eating snacks, watching television, laughing one moment, fighting the next. Soon, I will prepare dinner and continue the ordinary, sacred tasks that make up my day. Each scene in my story- along with others that include church, baseball practice, naps, and work – carries its own sacred meaning and plays a role in the continuing story of God in the world.

I recognize that my story as sacred story connects to a larger story that includes a myriad of people in many places, each searching for meaning in their lives. I am grateful to so many for recording their experiences of insight and passing down their faith to me. As an introvert, I lean toward being alone rather than in groups. I crave community, but I sometimes rest in my individualism. I would often times rather do something myself rather than deal with the messiness of collaboration. However, I am aware of my need to be a part of a story that both values my part in it and welcomes the stories of others that will inspire and challenge me.

When I came to Asheville, I was already involved in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) because of my deep appreciation of its dedication to historic ways of being Baptist that include a commitment to the Bible, church autonomy, soul freedom, and religious freedom for all. Once I was here in the mountains, I learned about a group of clergy and laity comprised of western NC churches who came together for worship, education, service, and fellowship. They were learning how we can celebrate our faith and practice together, as churches and individuals, by gathering together, sharing our gifts, and learning from one another. My involvement in the Western North Carolina Baptist Fellowship (WNCBF) connected me to fellow believers where I heard the encouraging stories of faithful people committed to loving God and their neighbors in our region. I have been and continue to be blessed and challenged by their witness.

Each moment, each person, each community has the potential to make a difference. If I can see my experience as both unique and part of a unity, I become more deeply connected to God and others. As a Christian, I find identity, mystery, challenge, and joy as I read how the characters of scripture play their part in the sacred drama of God’s presence in their lives. For me, it is all about connecting my experiences to the love of God revealed in so many interesting and diverse ways, through many unique people, from biblical times to this very moment. We are stronger together than we ever are alone. Consider connecting with the WNCBF and share your story with us.

There’s something about gathering together and being able to see others who are actively engaged in day to day ministry that refreshes and lightens the load of ministry. Our hope is that these connections and conversations continue until we can see each face to face again!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas holiday, and a Happy New Year to come! Hard to believe 2013! WOW….

Have a blessed 2013!