ADVICE FOR THE NEWLY ORDAINED

Advice for the Newly Ordained.

Love the members of your congregation. You won’t like some of them. Thank them regularly and often for what they do. People yearn to be thanked and acknowledged.

Write them emails and/or notes when they do something important or just thoughtful.

Make sure the liturgy is graceful, sacred and fun.

When you preach, do not do Bible Study in the pulpit. Get a major point from scripture. Illustrate it, make it concrete and apply it to the listener’s life. Tell stories. Say things about yourself. Listen to and critique other preachers. That is an excellent way to improve your own preaching. Read a book about preaching. Better yet, write one.

People love to be asked to help. Ask them.

Learn to enjoy asking for money. People don’t give if they are not asked.

Avoid unnecessary meetings.

When leading, be prepared and keep them brief.

Do ONE thing in and for the Diocese. Don’t let it suck you dry.

Do not let your spiritual life wreck your social consciousness.

Pray the way you can, not the way you can’t

Your number one priority is your family.

RWC

CLIMATE CHANGE

A Serious Christian – Climate Change

To love one’s neighbors, means to allow them to breathe.

Compassion means to assure clean water.

Healing means to assure people do not get sick.

The President apparently believes the world is not a global community but “an arena where nations, nongovernments actors and businesses engage and compete for advantage.”

Christians decry injustice and greed. We support equality, reverence and strive  for goodness. We seek community and cooperation.