I take nothing seriously and, at the same time, take everything far too seriously. I like to think of this as “balance.” Others occasionally think of this as “psychosis.” I see no reason why it can’t be both. I try to walk a very shaky, twisty path that borders “talking to Jesus like he’s an imaginary friend who lives just in my own head,” and “interpreting every little thing that happens around me as some kind of secret message or holy puzzle.” It’s tough to not fall to one side or the other. Sometimes the best guardrails are other people on the same walk.
As an elder, I spend a lot of time listening, a lot of time puzzling, more time talking than I would like, less time making inappropriate jokes than I’d prefer, and more time texting people for their schedules than you would believe.
Our church is an unvarnished collection of battle-scarred humans who, despite our best efforts and shifting fixations, are too haunted by the Holy Spirit to ever fully let go of Christ or each other. Each of us is terrible at faking much of anything, and finds some odd comfort in being surrounded by others who are equally as bad at it. Currently, I think that God is busily stirring up a “divine discontent” within us that won’t be resolved until we acknowledge and address our need for more time in prayer and worship together. I think the heart of The Anchor is trying to grow, and the only way to make more space is to spend more time together.