With two Calls in hands, as indicated below, the West Point Circuit of the LCMS (that is, the 13 LCMS congregations in my immediate area) met last night to consider the partnership agreements with the two congregations. The West Point Circuit are the local folks who saw and responded to the need on the Omaha Reservation -- and the official, formal Tribal invitation from the Omaha people -- to provide a worker (that is, me) to help them in ministry.
I did not go. Frankly, I was a little stressed out after all these meetings leading up to the arrangements. I honestly like both congregations very much, and the decision is much more difficult than the casual reader might infer from my words.
Regardless, circuit meetings being what they are, the matter was tabled until next month. The circuit counselor called to inform me of this. Frustration levels are elevated all around, I'm quite convinced.
What this means is that my life is pretty much in a holding pattern for the next two months, though a busy holding pattern. Ash Wednesday is tomorrow, which means at least one additional worship service each week for me to lead and preach at through Easter (April 20th).
It also may well mean I need to attend an additional 4 (unplanned, mind you!) meetings this month, in order to help everybody get all their ducks in a row with regard to the churchly process for establishing such a partnership between a mission station and a congregation.
Truly, it's rarely been done before, if ever in my church body. We're breaking ground here, in a significant sense.
But what that means in "real life" is none of us really knows what we're doing, because it hasn't been done *this way* before. And in the meantime, I work and wait...
... and the more things stay the same.
