Monday, August 28, 2006
Time to Think
From time to time, it's important to stop what you are doing to do an audit of your life and work. Are you focusing on the right things? What are the underlying assumptions of your current activities? What are your motives? And so on ... That belief has led me to do a personal "philosophy of ministry" review exercise in the last half of 2006.
Last week, I canoed into Killarney Provincial Park with my son-in-law, Max Hamil, to find a place of quiet reflection for a couple of days (looks like I found it, doesn't it?). During the day, we canoed and hiked within this pristine wilderness place. In the quiet, I was able to think deeply about the last 30 years of ministry as well as bounce some thoughts off Max at the other end of the canoe. Early in the mornings, I sat with a cup of coffee by the lake at our campsite on Lake George to jot down my conclusions in a little scratch pad -- my main ministry themes, favourite sayings in working with others, and key stories/lessons from experience.
As a bonus, I came away with a renewed love for our planet and its fragile eco-systems as well as my daughter's husband, the high school geography teacher, who was my travel companion and guide! I saw some amazing scenery -- the northern starry sky untouched by city light, miles of wilderness from the heights of the Canadian Shield. The wildlife was great -- a black bear (200 yards away), a beaver (within 100 feet of my morning coffee spot) plus a loon (only 8 feet away on Lake Killarney). Cooking on a camp stove and sitting by the campfire were very grounding experiences for a guy dealing with computers and the internet all the time.
This week, I'm consolidating my notes on the scratch pad toward the writing of a personal philosophy of ministry. Then I'll have a few close people -- friends, family, colleagues -- provide some "360" feedback before finalizing something that may help me with the next chapter of serving Christ.
I'm glad that I took the time to think! GG
