The Last One for '22

It has been a little more than fourteen years ago that I wrote the first JourneyNotes.  Back then I was pastoring the Richmond Hill United Methodist Church with two more years until retirement would bring me to the farm.   When I wrote four or five posts a month, it seemed like a good writing month and most of the blogs posted were written as I stood deep in the long shadow of the institutional church.  At that point years ago I could not imagine that everything about my ministry except for the writing part would either be taken away, or dropped along the wayside as something no longer a part of the calling from years ago. 

In recent days I have come to the conclusion that this writing ministry is a manna ministry.  I am sure there are some who write daily stuff who work months, or maybe even a year ahead, but never have I been able to get more than a week ahead.  Most of the time it is an every day event.  Even as the manna came once a day and not to be saved for the next day so has this ministry of writing evolved.  The inspiration, (though some may think I should use another word and I would certainly dare not argue the point on some days), seems to show up as I show up to write.  Or, as is also the case I find myself aware that something is ruminating (to use a cow term learned as I watched the cows in the pasture chewing their cud) in my spirit and sitting down opens the faucet of expression.    

Regardless of how it happens, this manna ministry as I am learning to call it seems to be something which is as much a part of my calling as was preaching in the past.  My congregation no longer listens to me  (though some never did), but instead my congregation reads what I write.  I know some of them by name, but so many are simply folks who are led by the Spirit to glance my way and find a word which may or may not be helpful in their spiritual journey.  I pray that it is always something which encourages those who read to step on a little further in the road of faith with the same sense of gratitude for God's blessings that I do as I write.