I am exhausted from a whirlwind weekend with a search committee. I flew out very early Saturday morning on a plane crowded with people returning from Spring Break. I flew back last night on a delayed flight that allowed me to have a whole row to myself, but unable to sleep due to turbulence. So, I left before the kids were up, and returned after the kids were asleep- missing 2 days of their young lives.
I got a tour of the area, and the facility. It is a fairly new facility and looks very nice. They have plenty of land, so there is room for growth.
The search committee was nicer. There was plenty of good-natured ribbing to go around. While “interrogating” me, I was not wearing something as embarassing as PJs. Rather they “grilled” me over long delicious meals together. I struggled to answer one question as Deep Purple’s Highway Star played in the background. And one of the committee members struggled to pay attention to my answer too. Lest you think it was pure pleasure, there were some tough questions. Unfortunately for them, when I get tired I ramble. Hopefully I didn’t do too much of that.
In between the 2 discussions, we participated in a worship service where I was able to preach. It was a bit out of all our comfort zones in terms of style, but the host church was very friendly and they are reaching those who’ve been damaged by other churches. I did a revised version of my recent sermon on the Tale of the 2 Sons (Luke 15:11-32).
It was a preliminary meeting, so CavWife & kids stayed behind in FL. If they want to extend a call, at the very least the 2 of us would travel. But that is getting ahead of ourselves. Now both parties seek discernment: Am I the right person for them? Is that the situation for me? I’ve got strengths and weaknesses; they’ve got strengths and challenges. Now we ask that God would work in us to will and work according to His purposes (Philippians 2).
Now …. I need some rest.