pray for me

This weekend is the Penn Central Conference (UCC) Annual Meeting. The first year that I attended, it was because my dad had me in tow. I had just declared my intention to go to seminary the following fall, and so he thought that one of the ways to initiate me into ministry was to take me along. I remember not liking it (sorry, colleagues reading this!), but of course I loved being with him (well, to be honest, that would be for the most part. He had a tendency to abandon me to go chat with people he knew...a habit that I understand better now that I'm in ministry, but a pattern that I still hope not to repeat quite so intensely with my own children.)

My dad holding my son Jack, who is now 5, on the morning of his baptism.

I have very archetypal understandings of my dad in the pastoral role...definitely in some ways unhealthfully conflated with the very person of God. That's something to explore in a future post when it's not at a time where I'm supposed to be getting in the shower and getting dressed to leave for this conference!

Suffice it to say for now, please just keep me in prayer today and tomorrow. This is a conference I am supposed to attend with my dad. And he won't be there.

I know my colleagues and friends will be more than supportive, and will carry me through the next 36 hours, but I still dread it and I know it will be hard. Prayers will make it infinitely more doable, I'm sure. Thank you...