The last couple of days have been crazy busy for us. Our congregation has been experimenting with changing small parts of our worship this fall. We are seeking a more “blended” style of worship that respects tradition, honors those who have a long history in the church, but also has something for newcomers and is inviting of children and their parents. Like other congregations, we are finding that this is a huge juggling act. Some people like parts of what we are doing and don’t like other parts. There is no common agreement in such a diverse congregation. Because of this, I have been putting in a lot more effort and thought each time I plan worship. This Sunday is especially important and the service is complex: communion, children present for the entire service, our first service with both the choir and the new music group, all saints recognition, and more. I always want worship to be just right, but for this service I really want things to “shine.”

And it is newsletter week.

And we are in the midst of our fall stewardship drive.

And there was a special event for children at the church last night.

And the capital funds drive needs attention right now to keep it on schedule.

And so on and so forth.

Throughout the afternoon, however, when I looked up from my work out the window of the church, i could see a very small crew of Woodchucks working very hard. There weren’t many volunteers for the project, but they kept loading trailer after trailer. It was impressive how much they got done.

It was obvious whenever I lifted my eyes that I wasn’t the only one working hard for the church yesterday. I wasn’t the only one who was putting in long hours. I wasn’t the only one who is passionate about the ministry of the church.

There are some parts of the ministry that can feel a little lonely. Since we aren’t primarily motivated by recognition or reward, we often need to work in the background. Worship on Sunday, if it works right, will make a lot of other people look really good. The Woodchuck deliveries this fall help build a network of relationships between our congregation and other congregations. It isn’t only about firewood. It is about fostering deep and lasting relationships.

But making all of those things happen requires a lot of work. My dad used to comment, “You have no idea how much work is required to make this look effortless!” Some days just slogging through the chores and doing the work is pretty tiring and it can be a bit lonely.

I wanted to go out and just say “thank you” to those hard workers, who were investing so much time and energy working with such a small crew, but I was juggling the newsletter, which goes out on paper, by e-mail, and is posted to our web site. It has to be converted for computers, smart phones and tablet readers. It has to be checked for errors (though we never catch them all) and omissions (and we always forget something!). I needed to discipline myself to staying at my desk with my nose to the grindstone just to get everything done.

It was only after getting home after a long and tiring day that the obvious came to me. Those faithful Woodchucks don’t need me to say thank you. They don’t work for recognition. But they would appreciate it if I could put in a little time to work side by side with them. And that I can do. This morning I can do it. Even if I can’t give an extra day, I can give an hour or so.

Faithful workers in the church aren’t really alone.

The office where I work has been the work place of five standing ministers and at least thee interim ministers. Before the current building was constructed, 21 pastors served this congregation working out of a variety of offices. The place where I do my work could never be completely lonely. It is filled with the memory of the faithful service of so many others. In my office pastors have strained to find the right words for sermons and the right hymns for worship. In that office, pastors have counseled those who were grieving and those who were intending to marry. In that office, lives have been shared and faith has been nurtured. If the walls could speak they would give witness to the faithfulness that has been acted out in that place.

Even late at night when I walk around the building locking doors and checking windows I am never alone in the building.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for thou art with me.”

Loneliness may just be the state of mind that occurs when one forgets that God never leaves us alone. It might be a description of what it means to forget that even when we aren’t consciously praying, God is always listening. God is always working alongside us whether the task be Gospel preaching or firewood hauling.

Here is the thing. It is not so much the past ministers who are with me when I work as it is those who are yet to come. I really have never had to prove myself to those faithful servants of old. What I do need to do is to make my contribution in such a way that when I leave the office, it will be a warm, loving and supportive place for the ministries that are to follow. I’ve figured out how to balance the budget and keep up with at least part of the work. What I need to do now is to figure out how to create a place for ministry for years to come.

It is good work. It is meaningful work. And when I think it is lonely work, I just need to remember all of the others who are invested in what we do.

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