Our Summer So Far

Jess: Ted, my supervisor at the hospital, has pointed out to me at least once or twice that being pregant is a great metaphor for the work we're doing at CPE, but I've been thinking that it could be taken further as a metaphor for ministry--or at least MY pregnancy is a good metaphor for MY ministry.
 
A reflection on pregnancy as a metaphor for ministry:

All your life, you have been waiting for the right time to come along. You have been patiently--and sometimes impatiently--awaiting the moment when you discover something new. What will the new purpose in life be? What will it feel like? What is God calling you to do?
 
Then it happens. You've been feeling pretty normal, and it's hard to imagine that something has changed. But it has. There is new life blossoming within you, and there is no stopping it now. So far nothing seems to have changed. You don't look or feel any different than you did yesterday. But everything is different. Suddenly your whole worldview shifts. Will anything ever be the same?
 
For awhile, you don't tell anyone what has happened to you. How could you tell? Some people seem to notice that you're different. You carry yourself a little differently. You have some mysterious "glow" about you. Every once in awhile, you look like all that is inside is about to come back out. But no one really says anything, and you keep the secret. You speak of it only with one other person, in hushed, excited tones. What does this mean? What will we do? What does God want from us? 
 
Then the time comes to tell others. "I've found out what God wants from me, and I'm going to do it." Most are so excited, they can hardly keep their emotions in check. They always knew this was where you were heading; they were just waiting for you to discover it, too. Some are a little confused: "What about your other plans? What about your job? Your life will never be the same--are you sure this is what you want?" But there's no stopping you. No threats of not making or having enough money, security, normalcy can change your mind. This is the real thing.
 
Eventually, the newness of the thing wears off--for everyone but you. Sometimes, you are so excited you think you will burst. Other times, you realize the weight of this new thing (somtimes literally). What if you're not cut out for this? What if you've misinterpreted what God is saying? What if you're not prepared and it is a huge disaster? Most of the time, the excitement wins out, but there are definitely moments of fear. Fear about what the future holds. Fear about something going wrong. Fear about whether you really can do this or not. 
 
For awhile, you settle into a routine. It's a different one from before, but a routine nonetheless. Sometimes you even forget that your life is drastically different. Then you feel the tiniest flutter, reminding you of the change that will keep on growing. One day, the flutters will turn into jabs...then pain. There will definitely be pain, but when the pain is over, there is new life. And the new life does not mean the work is done. In fact, when that new life comes, the work has just begun. There is so much to do, to learn, to carry with you. This is a change that lasts a lifetime. 


Wes: So, Jess' part of the blog post is all thought-provoking and deep and stuff. Mine? Not so much. I just thought I'd fill all you good people in on what this summer has held for me so far. You see, this is my last actual "summer", my last year to enjoy this as a vacation from school, before I finish up school, have a baby, and will be working full-time in some form or fashion (two jobs, one job, three job... who knows?). So, I've been trying to make the most of it. 


My first week of summer was chalk full of church fun. The Annual Conference of the Greater New Jersey Conference was a wonderful time of fellowship, worship, and celebration. I got to watch on as my wonderful friend and ministry partner, Erica Munoz, was ordained as an elder in full connection. I was intrigued by the new church start that the bishop is pushing for--a Cyber Space UMC--and all of the possibilities that something like this could have. I laughed with and was challenged by Bishop Mike Lowry, our keynote speaker and my old pastor from University UMC in San Antonio, and enjoyed the chance to hear him preach again. It was a blessing to get to spend time with these people, and even though it makes me just that much more of a nerd, I thoroughly enjoyed even the business procedures that week. 


After Annual Conference, I had one and half days with Jess before I boarded a plane to Texas for a church camp. My buddy Shane, the youth pastor at First UMC in McAllen, TX, invited me down to be his prayer partner for a camp that he was speaking at. It was a fun and relaxing time, and I am very, very thankful that Shane flew me down for it. Our conversations were such a blessing, and I cherished our time together as we grew closer to each other through prayer, worship, and fellowship--especially during our trips to Sonic for Happy Hour--HALF-PRICED RT 44 DIET DR. PEPPER WITH VANILLA AND EZ ICE! 


After spending a week away from my beloved--the week that happened to be Jess' first week of CPE--I came home for exactly 3 days. I engaged in my Sunday duties, hung out with Jess, and had an all-around good time before jumping on another plane, leaving Jess again, and heading back to Texas for the wedding of one of my good friends, Marcus Biggot. While I was down there, I took my dad and grandpa out to a Roundrock Express game for some fun watching baseball. I had such a great time with them, Tomas, Korey, and Katherine. After a couple days with them, I headed to Kerrville for the wedding itself. The ceremony was beautiful, and the reception was a lot of fun. It was great to be able to see so many beloved friends and old classmates. 


Since I got home from that, I've been doing as much work for the churches as possible and enjoying as much time relaxing as possible. It is a wonderful, wonderful summer, and I love it. 


How is your summer going? Let us know!


Until next time, you stay classy, World Wide Web!




-jess and wes