Dear Friends,
    Last night at our Consistory meeting we laughed. Several times. Deeply. It was the laughter of pleasure and joy, not of ridicule or derision. It was the laughter of people who have that great sign of Christian maturity that Howard Hageman, my pastor, teacher and mentor, used to challenge us to: “Take what you do seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously!”
    I know a lot of pastors and most of them have never understood me when I have spoken of enjoying Consistory meetings. It is considered professionally cool to view Consistory as an unpleasant burden, to be stoically endured, in so many Churches, but I have rarely been seen as professionally cool :) Oh, there are moments that I would rather not experience: almost any conversation regarding budgets or coffee hours will cause my soul to groan! But all of that is worth to be able to feel the deep satisfaction that comes to me as I watch God’s spirit dancing in the eyes of someone with a new proposal; or the wonder that fills me as I watch people grasp that we are doing God’s work in the world; or the sense of awe as I see the inevitable compassion, support and intimacy that grows as men and women, who barely knew each other, come to care, understand and love one another as sisters and brothers.
    I am grateful for the women and men whom God has called to guide the life of our Congregation this year, and I hope that you realize just how well they are responding to that call!

Shalom,
Jack

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