At Church We Talk About Dead Things..

There's so much going on in my brain right now... I just had to write it down.
There's so much changing and I've never felt like I'm learning this much at one time....even in a Bible class.
You can learn ABOUT ministry, but it's different than actually DOING it.

I've been at my internship for a few weeks now and...it's different. It's definitely not what I expected, but it isn't LESS than I expected either. It's perfect. I know God is teaching me a lot about ministry, the "church", people, and what my role may one day be within the church. I'm learning how a church operates. Everything from the office work, playing music for the youth, learning how prayer chains operate, to doing the small things that everyone else thinks they're too good to do.

Today I learned how hospital visits should go. It's interesting because I've never "learned" about this stuff before, and I haven't been in too many hospitals to visit people to tell you the truth. They freak me out and I'm certain I would get lost trying to navigate myself around. The gowns...the food....the sick people. No wonder God works miracles in those places. Otherwise, they'd just be hopeless.

Tonight I specifically learned 3 reasons for privacy.
1. Discussion of private information.
-The patient may find it uncomfortable for you to know certain things about them...
2. Change in hospital attire.
-I was told that there is NO way of getting up on that table without an invasion of privacy.... literally.
3. They always ask, "Do you need to use the restroom?"
-Once again....there's NO way to successfully get off the table without another invasion of privacy.

I learned there's no such thing as clergy parking which pretty much ruined my day because I already have a Clergy sign hanging on my mirror. Oh well.... *sighs with great disappointment

There's just sooo many little things I never thought of!! For example, wasting half a tank of gas trying to find the nearest spot when you can just pick the first parking lot you see and get there way faster even if the spot is the furthest from the building. Oh, and one should always carry an umbrella. For rain protection and "crazies" protection... "because 2am is when the crazies come out".

Never ask permission to pray. Just do it.
Realize that you're not there for a visit, you're there to bring their health issue to Jesus.
Be conversational, big prayers mean nothing.

I just feel so enlightened. It's like opening up another part of my brain that I've never used before.
"Pastoral counseling is spelled C.A.R.E." - You can't make this stuff up. It's just too good.

So...my internship. I get to follow the pastor around on Wednesdays and Sundays. I get there an hour and a half early to just talk about how a church functions, hear crazy stories that have happened, and to learn many other things. I will be doing hospital visits, in home sick call visits, and potentially some funerals and weddings!!! How exciting, yet scary is that. Last Sunday I was asked to say the opening prayer before morning service.. I was nervous, but the Holy Spirit led. Tonight I talked in youth and had no idea what I was saying.

You know the Holy Spirit is guiding you when you walk off stage and forget everything you just said, but you know that the audience was listening intently. Or maybe it's just because I told crazy true stories and threw in some drug dealer relative or told them the reason I even started going to church was because of a boy I liked.

Hum....it pays to just be yourself. The church sees that, and hopefully they accept it. If not, you move on.
I feel like I'm accepted....because the kids call me "squared" because there's already a leader named Sarah. haha. Sarah squared...."squared"....get it?

I'm starting to get to know some people from the church. There are these former missionaries to Colombia and we talk in Spanish! The music leader couple wants to take me out to dinner tomorrow night! I'm signed up to be on the prayer chain and to take the next available class. (I had no idea you needed a class for a prayer chain. lol)

Next week's agenda: learning about people in psych wards. I just can't wait!!!

Oh, and tonight was the worship leader's last night playing for the youth.  At the end of the night he handed me his folder with chord sheets in it. I feel so privileged, yet challenged to do my best. I will stand before God one day and will be evaluated on how well I led them into the presence of God. It's my job to teach them how to worship....the reason for worship...and why God desires our worship. I'm so very excited. I get to play guitar....and who knows, maybe even start giving lessons. I want God to build this up, I just hope to lay the bare foundation and let Him take over from there.

So...about the church.
It's in the middle of nowhere.
It's tiny.
They play traditional music...which I'm learning to appreciate. You never appreciate such good worship at Bible College until you realize when you're lacking in worship. However, the worship here isn't lacking, that's where my theology is wrong...the music is just different. It's about 60 years old. It's completely different. I'm starting to understand it. I'm starting to learn the song structures...words...rhythms... it's all starting to make sense. I feel the Holy Spirit moving in these rich song themes and stories within the songs.. The plan is to learn some updated hymns to sort of transition the church into some more contemporary worship..

We're transitioning from a small to medium size church...and may start having a traditional and contemporary service. I really hope this happens and more young people start coming to the church! I hope the youth grows! I just have such vision for where this could go...where God could lead...

This is all a huge step out of my comfort zone.
I feel so inadequate because I barely know anything about the church.
I feel too immature to be a part of something so big and serious.
I know these next 2 and a half months will be insane. Crazy busy. Awesome. Intimidating. Scary. Overwhelming...and fun.

AND....while all of this is taking place. I'm managing 2 online classes. Working a full-time, 8-4:30 job. Learning to adapt to having 2 roommates. Learning to be in the "real world"...although I feel like I've already been there awhile.

I feel like life is finally coming together, and I'm happy with that. It isn't perfect, and it definitely isn't glamorous, but I feel like I have a home, a career, a mighty God, and I'm learning to love myself and others in the process, while learning very practical things about life.

Praise God for all of this. Without Him I'd be dead.