A long distance call from Franklin.

"They're singing now, what does that mean?"  Nicole and I were wondering that same thing as we waited in the hallway outside of the sanctuary of First Baptist Church of Franklin yesterday.  About ten minutes earlier the church had begun a business meeting to vote upon my candidacy; a simple yes/no vote (in which 70% was needed) to determine if the search committee's recommendation would be adopted by the congregation as a whole.  How long would it take?  We had no idea, these things can be over quickly or they can go on for a long time if there is much debate before the vote.
And now they were singing; the song was "Joy to the World", but that didn't really tell us anything; afterall, it's only three weeks until Christmas.  A few moments later the search committee chairperson came out into the hall to tell us that the vote was over; the church was officially calling me (and because of our marriage bond, my wife Nicole) to become their next pastor.
After dealing with searches and looking at job postings for the past couple of years, the news was a relief.  For the first time, I will be able to focus full-time on ministry.  No longer will other interests compete for my time and energy.  I was asked on Saturday what a bi-vocational pastor was (as that is what I've been the past five years); my answer was that a bi-vocational pastor is someone whose life is divided.  The time/energy required of the M-F job are always at war with the job God has called you to.  At last, I can move past that tug of war.
There will be exciting new ministry opportunities, a new town and new people to get to know, and a chance for Nicole to decide what she wants to do instead of what she has to do.  There will also be some tears as we say goodbye to the only home we've lived in as man and wife, to the town that I grew up in, to friends I've hung out with since I was a kid, and to family that I've always lived close to.  There will also be an end to my ministry at Palo; a church that has allowed me to be their minister for five years where I've added experience to the knowledge I've had before, and built some friendships that will last far beyond the present.  For that opportunity, they will always have a piece of me, as will this my hometown, family, and friends.