Reflections of a Running Reverend

One of the things we enjoy in our new house is the front balcony on the second floor. From there we watch the rain or the snow fall, wait for the northern lights, admire the views and observe what's going on in the neighborhood. Our older son loves how he can wave and say "hi" to friends who are passing by. For those who have started following this blog, last week I said that I was not posting but was spending time in the balcony. "Going up to the balcony" has been used as a metaphor for stepping back to assess an issue or a situation from an "unengaged" position. It means taking time to reflect, think and process before acting or reacting to the issue or situation at hand. Because most of the time, our emotions get the better of us and cloud our judgement. Many times, we act and react poorly because we were impulsive. It's like giving yourself a timeout. When you're in a heated discussion that's going nowhere at a meeting, it may be ...

AK Professional Church Workers' retreat at Birchwood Camp October is supposedly (at least according to social media) Pastor Appreciation month. So, let me take this time to say: I appreciate all my colleagues in the Alaska United Methodist Conference and I celebrate the wonderful variety of gifts and graces that they offer! Last week, we got together for our annual Professional Church Workers' retreat at Birchwood Camp. Our schedule this year was a departure from the "learning retreats" we've had in previous years. It was a time to share, reflect, hang out, play, rest and simply be. There were inputs from a Spiritual Director and a couple of our colleagues but these, too, were geared towards community building and spiritual reflection. Many said it was renewing, refreshing, what a retreat should be. One of the things I really appreciated about the retreat were the offline sharing of stories. Conversations were not programmed. They just happened organically...