I'm going to tell you about the different "hats" of yesterday. Arrived at the church office at 8:30. I put on my Workplace Support Hat (WPS hat) and rang my boss there to report on events in the firm she and I are supporting...made a time to catch up and discuss. Put on my church janitor (CJ hat) hat and put away the chairs a gardening group had left out in the hall, to replace them with tables and chairs for the women's tea. Then church minister's hat (C.M. hat) to receive a phone call from elders' chairman to discuss the purchase of a big screen TV for the church. Checked my emails and settled to do a little reading and note taking for Sunday's service. I rang a man who wanted to be a guest at our Christmas day dinner and confirmed that and was about to go out when an elder came to discuss the purchase of the big TV and we had tape measure out and talked location, transport etc. Put on WPS hat and visited the brewery wandering around there talking to guys and the interim manager. Rushed back to the church, put on C.M. hat, checked phone messages and responded to a couple. While eating lunch I met with the organist to discuss music for Sunday, then put on my Habitat for Humanity (H4H) hat and husband hat to discuss catering requirements for an evening Habitat for Humanity meeting I was running. After delivering my wife to the hospital to do her "Friend of the Emergency Dept" duties I put on my WPS hat and reported to my boss and over coffee discussed our common project and another chaplaincy issue. Rushed back to the church with my WPS hat on and made two phone calls to set up appointments for next week. I then started to put on my H4H hat to prepare for the evening, but was interrupted by a phone call from a man wanting to come with his family to help on Christmas day. C.M hat was put on to discuss with him, then prepare a letter, and information leaflet to post out to him, then back to H4H hat to prepare a power point for the evening meeting. Interrupted by an H4H friend who calls each week for a cuppa and a chat, I am never sure whether I am helping him or he helps me. What hat to wear?... H4H? Friend? Church minister? H4H hat back on to prepare the powerpoint, interrupted by a lady wanting the kerosene heater filled and turned on for the womans tea. C.J hat on, dealt to the heater, fixed up the upstairs hall for the AA group who use it and back to H4H hat and power point... At 6p.m. I pick up my wife, fill the van with petrol and come back to the H4H powerpoint while my wife gets a MacDonalds burger and chips for our tea. At 7:30 with H4H hat firmly on I go around to the presy support conference room, set up and run the promotional evening for prospective families wanting to apply for the next Habitat house. Home around 10 p.m. to do some CM hat reading... Who am I? Chaplain? Janitor? Habitat director? Minister? ... nah... just JC's helper. It's funny people talk about being "called" to the ministry and "called" to a particular church. If I described my "calling" it would be to be just one of JC's helpers to the city. Its a calling to people and to a community, rather than a religious institution. The institution is the base from which I bounce. Today started with a phone call at 6:50 a.m. from a man wanting to come to the christmas dinner. I will wear my CM hat, my CJ, my H4H hat twice, my WPS hat twice,(Ambulance and Firestations) my Night Shelter hat as it is my turn to carry the phone for the weekend, and my day will end sometime after 10p.m. when I get home from our Drop-in Centre.
Being JC's helper is never dull. I hope you have a good Friday.
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