Surprise, Surprise, Surprise! (you go, Gomer)

It was a typically grey wintry day in Lincoln, Nebraska, where we were spending vacation time with Mary’s family. Mary and I had been deliberating what changes were about to be imposed upon our young family if I remained in the local pastor’s program. Quite innocently she wondered what opportunities might be open in the Nebraska Conference, and confident that inter-conference moves are difficult even for ordained elders I saw no harm in inquiring. As I sat in the lobby of conference headquarters who should walk by but Warren Swartz? Warren, now a district superintendent, had been the senior pastor of St. Mark’s UMC where I had done a student internship while attending Nebraska Wesleyan, and he also knew Dad as an Iliff School of Theology alum. To dispel any notion that this was anything less than fate, the cabinet was in session for the purpose of lining up appointments for the next session of annual conference and Warren surprised me by saying that Nebraska would be happy to have me back in their ranks. Somewhat stunned I returned to give Mary's family the news that it might not be so difficult to visit us in the future.