Happy New Year!

Renewed and refreshed by the best Christmas ever, I am ready to tackle the New Year and whatever it may bring. The greatest blessing from my years as a pastor is the people I’ve been privileged to serve, and the holiday correspondence that continues with many of them serves as an annual reminder of how fortunate I am. Even though I tried to be cognizant of the countless numbers who experienced no hope or joy or love during the season, I eventually could not help but be totally immersed in the hope, joy and love of family and friends. I think it a worthy resolution for the coming year to seek out ways to spread that feeling to as many as I am able. With that in mind, I am mulling over whether or not to continue with the retrospective of my experiences with The United Methodist Church. If I can find a way to do so in a positive spirit then it will be consistent with my goal. This will prove to be a challenge, however, because my memories are of an increasingly negative relationship to the church and its hierarchy. I’ll take it one lunch-hour rumination at a time and see where it leads me.