One Week Out

 

Blowing Rock Town Hall awash in flowers

It’s been a week since I returned home. I miss the cool air, the view of mountains, my morning walks, fast Internet, and my alone time. I miss the flowers! What does it say about a community when it wraps itself in flowers as Blowing Rock does?

I made a change today: I resigned from the finance team at Elderberry. For having such a small budget (less than every church I’ve served), the finances here are ridiculously complicated and therefore opaque. In Pastor Cheryl’s world, this is a big red flag, but no one here cares what color flags I see. Pastor Cheryl has no authority here and no experience that impresses anyone. The treasurer told me if being on the finance team did not bring me joy, I should step aside – so I will.  I would never put up with that in a church! But hey, there's no church here. 

I’m still thinking about the rest of my volunteering at Elderberry; perhaps I will let most of that go, too. I have a volunteer job waiting for me at Duke Regional Hospital if I will just take the Zoom training. I finished the required on-line active shooter training while I was in Blowing Rock!

My first two Sundays back at Massey’s Chapel were love fests. Attendance is good, and people are happy and mostly maskless. The lay-led adult Sunday school took a break during July (just like the pastor) and now is revving to go again. There is tai chi on Thursdays, regular “getting to know you better” lunches, and the monthly prayer shawl ministry. In two weeks, I will teach a bible study on Genesis.

My decision not to let myself be bothered by glitches and problems with the church livestream is going well. I’m already setting up committee meetings in anticipation of a late October charge conference.

It is August, and the goldenrod – harbinger of late summer and fall – is blooming. Can the cool days and colorful leaves of autumn be far away?

Meanwhile, thank you, God, for flowers.