It is mid-April and Iowa's weather can't decide what season we're in. Last week had several days with temps in the upper 70's and low 80's. It felt great to get outside in the sun and feel the warmth on my face again. Today, it seems like summer has past with winter returned. It was predicted to be a mix of rain and snow with temps ranging from 34°-42°. Of course, today is the day I also went out to preach.
Several congregations in my area are without pastors and are utilizing pulpit supply, like me. However, so far at least, I have only been asked for two nearby churches this year. Today, I traveled to eastern Iowa near the town of Iowa City. It's a new community for me to visit and the congregation is also new, a Chinese church.
I received my license to exhort, or substitute preach, in late 2017. Since then, I have had the opportunity to serve with a number of different congregations. The farthest I have traveled to preach was in October 2018 when I went to a pastor friend's church near Louisville, KY. That venture took several months to plan and also included a visit to the Ark Encounter. Today's activities didn't take that long to decide, but did take thought.
Whenever I agree to help a congregation, I consult with my parents first. Since they need to do the extra work of getting me dressed up more than usual and driving to an unfamiliar location, I want them to have opportunity to say yes or no. In today's scenario, it meant driving over 90 miles one way before getting to the facility to setup what I need. Thankfully, the English version of service didn't start until late morning and allowed us travel time.
I'm very thankful for opportunities to get to serve different congregations and preach God's Word. I am also thankful for willing parents to help me with these ventures, but I still wish I didn't need to make their Sunday busier than regular. It is part of the quad life that is sometimes hard, but it is a blessing when everything works.
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