the z, y, x's of life "p" pastoral

these 26 entries z-a are meant as a tandem collection of short essays, interspersed throughout my blog.  instead of the abc's of life, i'm writing backwards for two reasons.  t.s. eliot said that to make an end is to make a beginning, which i find true.  that, and my grandfather could say the alphabet backwards faster than i could say it forwards.  now that's some wit.  

have you ever wondered why you have a penchant for something only to find out that your ancestors possessed that same skill or interest?  my friends, for example, are skilled with clay and so were their relatives.  i was quick to sign up for a basic butchery skills class to get a closer connection with where my food comes from, only to find out my great-grandfather was the town butcher, and countless examples like that.  some of it's just in our dna.

a lot of my dna is pastor, teacher, farmer.  i've been the first two and now i joke that it's time to be a farmer.  perhaps loving the soil and tending regular gardens will suffice.

in regard to pastoring, i loved hearing a recent story about my other great-grandfather.  i knew he had been a pastor, but i didn't know how that came about.  turns out he, like me, knew what it was to be hurt by the organizational church, just in different ways.  in his case, he was kicked out by his own brother over a theological difference that split their denomination.

he and my great-grandmother left that town and built a farm in the country to raise children, chickens, and copious amounts of flowers.  he decided to tend the land instead of people and not go back to the four church walls.  but people started coming to him for spiritual advice and asking if he would perform their weddings.  there was no church in that town at the time, so people came to the farm asking him (he was a gentle, quiet sort) to start a church and be their pastor.  he refused on several occasions.

after being bombarded with requests of this nature, he finally gave in, but on one condition:  that it be a non-denominational church for the entire community and that everyone would be welcome:  no exceptions!  the community church he so reluctantly started is still thriving today.  

i love this story because even though he ran from it, hurt and dejected, his calling found him.  and it gives credence to both definitions of the word "pastoral" in terms of tending not only people but also land and animals, like a herdsman or shepherd.   

sometimes i think that perhaps this love for creatures and creation should at least be considered in pastoral role qualification, not just seminary or theological degrees.  (when people profess to know and love a being bigger than themselves but don't love or respect nature, it makes me wonder. conversely, if they care about even the smallest of animals or plants, their love often speaks spiritual volumes.)

like my great-grandfather, i have healed and reframed my experiences with the church through spending time outside.  it is my hope to always be pastoral in both senses of the word and, even though i didn't get to meet him, to make my great-grandfather proud. 

what is something you gravitate to that runs in your family?  what stories have been passed down that help to shed light on some of your talents or interests?  in what ways might your relatives, still living or not, provide inspiration for your journey?