For surely, I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

 

It feels like failure. It was intended to be an extended interim ministry, but from the very first day there was opposition and obstructionism. At every turn attempts at change or suggestions were met with the statement, “wait until the new pastor comes.” We were told that the church wanted someone to provide pastoral care, but in six months not one person called for support. It feels like failure.

This is not to say there were not wonderful, loving, committed persons in the congregation. We were often prayed for and treated to great hospitality. Sadly, though, ministry was rejected. When the announcement was made that a pastoral candidate had been selected, we discerned that our season was finished, and it was time to go home. We were immediately attacked and accused of “dumping on” the church. It feels like failure.

The last day. We were honored in worship, treated to a gracious reception, and a generous gift. On that day folks thoughtfully shared that our ministry had been meaningful to them and, while they are anxious for a new pastor, they were disappointed to see us leave. It was a good day.

The next day. This is a day for reflection and assessment. What’s next? What is God’s plan and purpose? Is this a ministry that we should consider repeating?

There are positive learnings from this experience. We were loved and deeply appreciated, by a majority of people. The sad reality is that a handful of unhappy people were given rein to control the narrative and thus thwart ministry.

I believe God is the God of plan and purpose. I don’t believe God is the God of disorder and disappointment. Therefore, I wait (not my strong suit), pray, and look for God’s direction. What I perceive as failure is part of God’s plan and purpose. I’m learning to live into that reality.

Perhaps you are facing a sense of failure. Living into God’s will and purpose for your life is not failure. It is faith in the One who designed and controls the processes and experiences of our lives. Remember to whom Jeremiah’s letter was written. It was written to people who had been conquered and taken into captivity by a foreign power. In that place of desolation God instructed the captives to establish homes and families, to continue the domestic life that had been disrupted, even as they were not free. God does not abandon God’s people. There is always the next day.