New Things

secretsAll of my journals are packed up right now so I can’t tell you the exact day I finally decided what I was hearing was God’s call on my life to be ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament…but I would start looking in my journals, if they were here, in September 2008, when I was the Interim Director of Congregational Care at Vienna. Before that I knew I loved Jesus, scripture, and teaching the word of God. Before that quiet morning doing a devotion out of Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest, PASTOR seemed way out there for me.

Yesterday at the Northern Alabama Presbytery meeting they voted to confirm my call to be the pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Decatur, AL.

The excitement has me up at 4:30 am. (Not a normal thing for me!)

The image that kept coming to mind is my visit to the Venice, FL rookery on Friday morning.

siblings

babyblueheron

If you zoom you can just see the baby’s eye!

There were several nests of tiny, tiny baby birds. I guess that is the image I have for this new relationship with this church. It is exciting and fresh and full of hope. The relationship and what we will do together is still TBD, but it has actually finally begun. We will need to grow together. We will need to learn to do new things together. We will need to intentionally build with the Spirit what God has for us.

DSC_2250

Building a Nest

I am so thankful.

I am so excited.

I am so honored.

I am so humbled.

For those interested in the details, the National Capital Presbytery will be ordaining me at Vienna Presbyterian on April 15, 2018, at 2:00 pm and the Northern Alabama Presbytery will be installing me at Westminster on May 6, 2018 at 4:00 pm. If you can come to either, I would love to celebrate this new old thing with you!

Shoot me an email if you can come to the reception afterwards!

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord. 

Happy are those who make
the Lord their trust,
who do not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after false gods.
You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts towards us;
none can compare with you.
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
they would be more than can be counted. (Ps 40:1-5, NRSV)

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25 thoughts on “New Things”

  6. Shannon congratulations! What awesome news after just moving to Alabama. Looking forward to meeting up with you and John!

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  8. Thanking God for the path He’s led you on to serve, Shannon! What a blessing you will be to WPC and they, to you. Exciting!! Commute from home, incl. anticipated traffic there? 😉

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  10. So exciting to be able to journey part of this road with the Jordans. I am eager to see where God takes you and Westminster PC. Hugs until then,

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