Thursday, June 4, 2015

What's Up, Buttercup?

Lovely ladies I'm privileged to call friends!

 This past month has been a whirlwind for me with finishing up school, graduating, moving, meetings with presbytery folks, finding a place to live, and ACCEPTING A CALL. 

Yup, that's right. 

Starting in July, I will be the Associate Pastor of Youth and Young Adults at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Snellville, GA (about 30 miles east of Atlanta).

Westminster Presbyterian Church
 I am super excited to be called to this church and get back in the work I love to do. This call process has been such a learning experience - it's a bit like riding a roller coaster at times - there's periods of blissful ignorance as you just cruise along, with no clue what's around the corner, periods of intense motion - both in terms of workload and in terms of emotions - there's really sharp turns that make you a bit queasy, and then there's the end - where you feel elation and a bit of trepidation of what happens when you step out of the car. 

I have degrees!
That's where I am stepping off one roller coaster ride, getting ready to step on to a different one.  I am elated to be joining this church. I have enjoyed working with this APNC from day one - the questions, the conversations- the dreaming and the "real talk".  But too, I find myself a wee bit nervous about it all.  I've been preparing for this call for the past four years (ok, ok, some would probably say much longer...).  And it's here!  I'm excited! They're excited! We're all excited!

And then that nervousness creeps in.  Starting any new job can be a tad scary, and I don't think those of us called to church jobs are immune to that. 

I love the CTS Faculty.

A minister I admire recently preached her last sermon at her church (my home church), and it was entitled, "Tossed and Scorched". The text was from Acts 2, the story of the first day of Pentecost.  It was a reflection of sorts on her ten years with our church as well as reflection on the first church. Her sermon really resonated with me.  There I was, sitting in the pew - thinking about how I was about to just start this job with title "pastor" in it and kind of feeling scared and anxious about the "what ifs":
  What if they don't like me? What if I make a mistake? What if I don't preach a sermon they like? What if I make a total fool out of myself in front of the youth? 

And then, Stacy's sermon reaches out to me and settles those nerves. She reminded us of that first Sunday of the church and what the fire and wind did:

"That brilliant fire and powerful wind transformed everything, and my friends, it still does. That's the point - the point of its tossing and burning among us - to refine us - to make of us the people God can use to build a kingdom and change the world. So when the Spirit leads our church, or when the Spirit leads our lives, we should expect a little heat - a little turbulence - because it's in the tossing that we learn to trust a God bigger than our imagining and it's in the fire of God's love that divine plans - plans bigger than our own - are given birth."

Just like with any new beginning, there's going to be a few bumps. I know I will make mistakes - I'm human.  I'll most likely make a fool out of myself in front of the youth, and it will probably revolve around my astounding knowledge of Disney music or need to tie dye ridiculous amounts of things. And the youth will most likely laugh, shake their heads, and continue to see me as Katy Walters, their new pastor. I'm gonna get tossed and scorched a bit - just like I was at Columbia - at my first church jobs years ago, and even farther back! That's part of the process - it's a good thing. It provides for reflection and hopefully, some learning to take place. 

Aunt Katy with all the nephews and nieces!

So, I'm getting ready to say goodbye to Texas for awhile.  I'm going to (finally) change my driver's license over to the Peach state, as well as the tags on my car. I've got a great apartment and during the month of June, will be getting it set up. I've got a few weeks out at Camp Calvin in the works, and of course, some time at place called Montreat, and then, I'll start working!


The fam in ATL.
I'm so overwhelmingly grateful for all those who have walked alongside me in my time at CTS and especially these past few weeks - thanks for your pep talks and prayers and sweet notes. There have been many times in the past couple of weeks I've just felt overwhelmed and I've had friends answer phone calls, friends who cook an amazing dinner, friends who walk with me to get fro-yo, family members who give me words of encouragement, watch a mindless movie with me or just let me lounge by their pool.  There have been an abundance of hugs of congratulations and so much joy that has been shared.  

I'm excited. 
And nervous. 

For now, I'm going to enjoy these last few days in Texas - soaking up sunshine and probably eating more Tex-Mex than anyone ever should. 

Praise be to God. 



If you would like to hear the Rev. Dr. Stacy Ikard's sermon in full, you can listen here



1 comment:

  1. I know you well and I know the church you are going to very well...you are going to be a blessing to the church and the community.....Know that I am praying with you as you move on to this next chapter.

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