As many (most?) of y'all know by now, I'm a father-to-be...Carrie and I are expecting our first child in mid-to-late October (assuming the hamster--that's what we're calling it--is neither too early or too late).
We are very excited, naturally, but have also wanted to address some usual pregnancy FAQs:
We don't know the hamster's gender yet. We'll find out at some point before the birth, but it also wasn't something we felt we needed (or needed to define) right from the get-go. We are reasonably confident that the colors blue and pink will survive to define arbitrary gender roles another day.
We do have names picked out, but not sponsorship deals, so let me know if you want to hook us up. I'm all for spreading the wealth and will definitely teach the hamster all about liberation theology, so you can consider it taking down the master's house with the master's tools.
I'm excited of course, but I'm also slightly terrified because a) this isn't remotely the same as anything I've done before, and b) I think the curve for PK's (pastor's kids) can be tough enough already without a wackadoodle lefty Christian existentialist dad to screw them up. So encouragement will always be welcomed.
The other big announcement for this week is that I have accepted the position of Interim Director of Family Ministries at First Presbyterian Church here in Vancouver, Washington, and I officially begin in mid-August. This is deliberately an interim position as FPC moves from their current staffing situation to one with another full-time ordained PC-USA pastor, and I'm happy to be the interim while they undergo that search for their settled associate pastor. I first met their senior pastor on Twitter (never say social media never did anything for us besides doggo photos and cat memes!), and I'm excited to get to work with Josh for this short while while FPC begins this next part of their vision for being church.
For me, this is a welcome return to regular parish ministry after a couple of months off and, more recently several weeks of providing interim sabbatical coverage for First Christian Church up in Olympia. The couple of months of funemployment was, as it turns out, very much necessary for me to focus on defending and revising my doctoral thesis, as well as proofreading
Oregon Trail Theology.
However, getting to preach at Olympia has gotten that itch for more regular ministry going again, and I'm looking forward to being a part of a parish staff again.
Speaking of OTT, it is my hope that I will be able to manage both parish ministry and my fledgling writing career. My position at FPC will not be full-time, which will hopefully allow me the time and space to both adjust to fatherhood and give book #2 (which is already in the works!) the time and care it needs to come to fruition. And as I am able, I fully intend to continue doing guest speaking and preaching, and officiating weddings (see links under "Engagement" for details if interested).
Finally--in OTT related developments--if you've been waiting for the book to go on sale, now is the time! You can preorder it direct from my publisher
here, and when you enter the code CPIGC18 at checkout, you'll get 25% off your entire order--not just OTT. Today is also Prime Day, and you can preorder OTT at Amazon
here.
As ever, it is a blessing to get to write for you. Thank you for letting me and my preaching and teaching into your life.