A few weeks ago I was talking with my Spiritual Director, Carol during one of our monthly appointments. I was telling her about how I was really surprised by the response among members of the church I serve, Magyar United Church of Christ, to the opportunity to visit and support our homebound members. Six people came to our first “Called to Care” meeting to get some training in best practices when visiting. THEY loved the idea of being able to provide a ministry of visitation. I had no idea that the response would be so positive, and yet if I had offered the possibility a few years ago it would not have happened. (Oh, wait…. I did make the offer maybe four years ago. And the congregation stared at me blankly unable to understand why I was trying to pass one of “the pastor’s jobs” off to them.)

But now that I’ve been at the church for some time, things are decidedly different. For six years now I’ve been encouraging those potential ministers to discover their gifts and their interests and to use them in serving others. And, do you know what? I think the message has been getting through. Because recently after some of the  CTC ministers came to me to report on their first visit without me there, they were so excited. And each reported feeling such gratitude for being able to provide the gift of presence to the folks visited.

I am so often surprised by the way things work out as I minister at Magyar United Church of Christ in ELyria, Ohio. And what I realize is that it isn’t so much that things are happening ‘accidentally’ as the title of this blog suggests; but that sometimes I have one expectation in mind, when the Spirit has quite another. And when I see the Spirit moving in us and around us at the church, as I give more and more permissions to those wanting to try their hand at doing some sort of ministry, it takes my breath away. I often think to myself, “Oh yeah. Of course, that’s how it worked.” And almost every time it is very, very good.