We welcomed a repair man to our parsonage this morning to fix some water/heating issues. Had great conversations. As a foster child, he lived with Mormon, Pentecostal and Baptist families. He now dates a Buddhist woman. He couldn’t get over the fact that the United Methodist Church allowed female pastors.
He asked what the UMC was all about. I shared that we’re welcoming, open to all, we seek the middle ground on many tough issues and it’s important that our faith makes a real difference. He said it sounds like we’re all about the book of James (which is cool since that’s the book we started studying last night at Denny’s).
He read the Bible 7 times through in prison. They only let him read the Bible, the Koran and the C Encyclopedia!
And I got a heads up that if I visit several of the Alaska villages he used to live in that I should bring fruit for the elders and children. They would love me for it.
What started as a frustrating distraction from my agenda turned into a sacred moment of connection and conversation. Thankful.
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