Parenting as Pulpit Supply, Adjunct Instructing, Conference Speaking, Facebook Posting

I've come to the conclusion that I really enjoy preaching, having done it again last Sunday.

Enjoy on my terms, anyway: as intermittent pulpit supply.

Which basically means giving a sermon when I have an insight that I want to share (and the pastor could use a break) without having to worry about doing it week in, week out, all year long.  It's like the role of an adjunct professor, which I also really enjoy.  I have a topic that I like, in which I have some competency; I can share some material on it for a few weeks, then walk away.  Same deal when you are a conference speaker, like I was last year and will be again in June.  It's like Facebook posting writ large, kind of a drive-by approach to communicating, where you don't have to be particularly committed to it, but let inspiration move you and then drop that insight on whatever people happen to be there.

It doesn't matter much if they like what you shared or not, in that you don't have to go back again to that same audience on any regular schedule; you can wait until the next inspiration and then see if that one resonates better than the last.  If not... you crawl back into your cave and wait until the next inspiration comes along.  It's fun and relatively painless.  :)

I think I would have done a better job at fathering had that been what the kids had most needed: random inspired parental musings.  Unfortunately for them, good fathering involved messy daily interactions with the little urchins, not my strongest skill.  I think that's why I like empty nesting so well: adult children are well suited to being the recipients of the drive-by wisdom I dispense.  They may or may not value this particular nugget, but maybe the next one will hit the mark.  Whatever their reaction this time, I'm optimistic that in the long run they'll surely appreciate something I said.

Same for Facebook, Preaching, Seminar Speaking or Adjunct Instruction.  Keep cranking out inspired thoughts and you'll surely help somebody.

Eventually.

Probably.

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Oh.  Did I mention Blog Posting?