As I have begun my ministry here at Esperanza, I find myself trying to find the proper metaphor for how do describe the process of entering into a new space.
While no metaphor is perfect, to me, I think of the process of entering into a new place in ministry as similar to entering a body of water. There are a lot of different ways to do it, but there is no way to enter into a body of water without causing ripples to happen. As my son (in a very practical sense) reminds me regularly during pool season, a cannonball has a completely different effect on the pool in comparison to a calm, step-by-step wade.
All the same, depending on the body of water, as a person enters the water there are different types of resistance. Are there waves that push a person back from making progress? Are there steps to ease the process of entry so that a person doesn’t suddenly find themselves in over their head?
Hopefully, my entry into Esperanza seems more like wading calmly into a peaceful pool. For what it’s worth, I have been blessed with a very gracious welcome by many of you so far. But even if the waters of Esperanza are calm, and I wade gently in, I’m still going to be making some ripples. Things won’t be exactly as they were before, because the status quo that is the water I’m wading into will be displaced, at least a little bit. At the same time, the further I go into the water, the more I will be affected by the water I’m entering into. Sometimes the water dictates, ever so slightly, where my feet will tread on the floor of the pool.
I invite you, then, to remember, that with any new entry into a community, there will be ripples. I hope the ripples that come from my entry into this community will continue to be met with the grace I have encountered so far. Know that I am looking forward to wading into deeper waters with you all soon, trusting that as we learn to work together more fully, the ripples of grace found in God will be made ever more apparent — and bring with them comfort and purpose for the seasons ahead.
Pastor Chris