Back in the Office

Last week was wonderfully crazy.

Immediately after preaching & getting the Home-bound Communion servers all set I threw off my robe and headed home. Less than an hour after saying my goodbyes here at Boulevard I was heading down I-71 South on my way to Louisville, Kentucky for Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary's Festival of Theology and Reunion. Every year for the past 3 years I join some of my very best friends from all over the nation for 3 days of lecture, fellowship & hitting some of our favorite Louisville restaurants. Like every year we stay at the same hotel and often have surprisingly deep and theological conversations while sitting in the hot-tub or hanging out in one of our rooms. This year's festival theme was the Global Church and the Belhar Confession & conversations ranged from the merits of interfaith dialog, famous people named William, and the theology of Howard Thurman. When we pulled up the stakes and parted ways on Wednesday we all had a great time & were sad it was over.

Since getting back things have been very productive yet sad news keeps rolling in. Friday & Saturday the Christian Education Committee had our annual end of the year planning retreat. We shared a wonderful meal together and then planned out the 2010-2011 "Academic" year for Boulevard's Rotation Sunday School as well as the Adult Education program. When we departed our retreat on Saturday late afternoon we had a theme and direction for the year ahead. Yet the excitement was short lived as word spread that in just a short 24 hours two of our beloved members had died.

Such is the seasons of life. Rest gives way to production. Happiness gives way to sadness. But they work the other way too. Production gives way to rest and sadness gives way to happiness. Life is full of seasons.