Kindling the flame

Ministry, like many other professions, is full of distractions that take us away from the essentials. Being in a new place, largely unknown and away from many of those important but nonetheless distracting tasks is allowing me to rediscover ministry in all its fulness. And the confidence that comes from a wide and varied experience means that that fulness is not daunting but a welcome challenge. The journey has taught me that ministry is about one encounter at a time, forging each relationship and then discerning whether that should be kindled or allowed to die. Rediscovering the diversity and sometimes fleeting nature of ministry serves to focus the importance of each encounter - a moment to savour fully before being drawn onto something else. And then processing all this becomes a vital task but one that can be enjoyed at a more leisurely pace. Perhaps the most important discovery is the knowledge that there are others who can nurture and protect the delicate flames as well as kindling new ones. Each encounter is what it is and shall be what it shall be.