We had a record high yesterday, and are headed for another one today. I do not do well with heat. Fortunately, the church is air conditioned. I'm grateful. Last week I was opening my office windows. This week I'm enjoying the air conditioning.
I'm dealing with heat in another sense, too. After almost 8 months, some of the issues and conflict are beginning to come out in this congregation. There is nothing that alarms me, just the beginning of challenges and grumblings. We've had a lot of change over the past 8 months, and change is hard for people. There are some challenging people in this congregation, and there are people who don't want to be around the challenging people.
Several things I have noticed that seem to be part of the culture here:
1. If someone doesn't like someone on a committee, they quit the committee. There is a reluctance to address the issues, and an eagerness to avoid them.
2. Music (as in many congregations) is a conflict point where the stress comes out.
3. It's hard for people to see the big picture. They focus on one thing, and their happiness depends on them getting their way on that one thing.
I'm grateful I had extra time for prayer on Monday. It has helped me deal with some of the challenges of this week. These are the issues I was called hear to address, and with God's help, we'll get through them.
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