A Season Of Silence

"To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under the sun.
A time to be born and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
a time to kill and a time to heal ...
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance ...
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to lose and a time to seek;
a time to rend and a time to sew;
a time to keep silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace."
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

If you're a part of the Clearview Community Church family you will likely already have heard that I am having to take an extended break from preaching and singing. I have small callouses on my vocal chords which have limited my singing range for a while and are now affecting my speaking voice. So, the prescription is vocal rest and vocal therapy. So this is a time for me to stop talking!

I appreciate all of the wisecracks and the offers of duct tape, etc... I also appreciate all of the concern. However, I would like to say that it's not all that bad. I can talk, I'm just not supposed to. I have heard horror stories of pastors who have permanently and completely lost their voice. We're certainly not in that ballpark, thankfully.

The plan is for me to take a break from all of those tasks which would put a strain on my voice for the next few months. That includes singing, preaching and counseling. If results aren't seen by May, we'll take a look at laser surgery as a worst case scenario. I'm very thankful for a supportive board and capable staff who will allow the work of the church to carry on uninterrupted.

So, what will I be doing with myself?
The way I look at it, God is not surprised by this and, therefore, there's something I can do to be productive during this time. The reality is that this time gives me a great opportunity to focus on a lot of things which have been neglected for a while. We have been experiencing a wonderful time of growth here at the church and now I can look at what I can do to prepare us for even bigger things ahead. I'm planning on developing strategies to help to take us to the next level. I'll be able to take the time to participate in some helpful conferences. I'm working on a loooong "to do" list. I might actually get my desk cleaned. I'll do a lot more writing. : )

What I would ask you to do is this: look for ways to support the ongoing work of the church. Each of you is important to the success of this church and without you, we are all diminished. If you have suggestions for areas of improvement, outreach ideas or future sermon series, I'd love to hear from you. Perhaps you'd like me to deal with a specific issue in my blog. Let me know. You can e-mail me privately, or use this forum or Facebook me. I will do my best to be in touch at least once a week.

I love what I do and am looking forward to continuing as the pastor of CCC for as long as I'm useful. If I can help you in any way please let me know. Talk to you soon!