weekly report week 4

Church of the Resurrection, Intern’s Weekly Report

May 23, 2006 – May 30, 2006

1 Peter 4:12-13, 16 12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 16However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

Brutal. Just brutal. How crushing pastoral ministry can be.

This week alone has taught me what a burden visiting with parishioners can truly be.

On Tuesday I had a pastoral visit with my friend James, an expert in running day camps. We met at Casey’s and he provided me with tremendous insight into managing parents in a camp situation, something I had never even considered. He also volunteered his time during the camp, and provided me a list of 25 “rainy day” games he had personally compiled for the city of Toronto. There were tortilla chips and a spinach-asparagus dip involved in this meeting. Brutal.

Wednesday was terrible. I met with Deborah and her four children, each of whom is struggling with a case of terminal adorability, at the science center. Deborah and I shared a conversation contrasting and comparing the Rez to previous religious experiences Deborah has had, and I was forced to engage with her children over games and activities that taught us about genetics, the human body, and geology. Her third youngest, Zion, was particularly onerous as he simply could not get enough of being sneezed on by the “sneeze machine”; and the baby, Emmaus, was an utter terror as he insisted on cuddling and being hugged every few minutes.

Wednesday night was worse. I met with Janice, a new parishioner, over a massive plate of sushi and seafood soup. We talked about her experiences as a Christian, an unfortunate incident with a Jewish boss, her search for Christian friends and the place of God and the church in her life. Then we strolled down Bloor Street together before I headed east to meet with the group from church to talk about the DaVinci Code over pizza and bruschetta. I was forced by circumstance to buy an adorable purse that we found at a street vendor, and Janice and I splurged on several packages of incense. Ministry can be a terribly burdensome thing some days.

Monday was a new low as I met with Jill. We met to discuss our common situation as Christian women who were actively dating; struggling to figure out how God fit into that equation. To my deep distress, I was forced to sit out in the sunshine on the restaurant patio and sip icy cold diet coke and eating an enormous fajita as we chatted. I am still floored by the sacrifices I make for the Church:

I don’t like fajitas.