In August 2020, Laura and I logged 5,000 miles while traveling to Northern California. The road trip included many wonderful sights, memorable National Parks with vistas and landmarks, and a much needed pandemic visit with our son and his fiancé. This experience was like being on a bridge crossing over (through) a great time of disorientation.
I’ve always enjoyed bridges! I even studied bridge design in my undergraduate engineering studies. But the vocation of bridge-building has taken on a different form or practice during most of my life. Building relational bridges with and among people is what the Lord’s call led me to do.
As I begin this second year of appointment as your Senior Pastor, I envision several opportunities for bridge-building with and among you. Crossing over that previously-mentioned pandemic-disorientation is still something we are doing together. Finding a new way as a congregation remaining United Methodist while adapting to a continuous shifting secular landscape seems to be another bridge-building work for all of us. And thirdly, we enter a season of bridge-building in 2024 as Manchaca UMC celebrates its 150th year of ministry and mission in this community.
Expect a three point sermon soon as these bridge-building efforts gain clarity in my mind utilizing our conversations, your ideas, and God’s dreams for us in this season. Please know this: the journey on the bridge may take longer than any of us can imagine. It’s not a quick and easy solution to any problem. These bridges are our relationships with each other and with the people we are called to engage.
May the Lord bless our journey.
Pastor Paul
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