“Iowa?” Did you say, “Iowa?”

274

I never had any intentions of ever moving back to Iowa.  I didn’t leave in a huff or full of offense.  I didn’t stomp my feet and cry, “I’LL NEVER SHOW MY FACE AROUND THIS DUMP AGAIN!” (Shaking my fist.)  I just didn’t seriously think about coming back.

I liked the South.  I liked Tennessee.  I liked terrain and mountains and forests and such.  I liked being attached to a big metropolitan area.  None of that stuff seemed to be in Iowa.

I knew I couldn’t work 2000-2001 like I did 1999-2000.  I was exhausted and “more broker” for it.  I began looking around for “ministry” jobs, especially “Worship Pastor” positions.  I looked primarily in the South, but also other places as well (not Iowa, but other places.)

I still believed I was to be “in the ministry.”  Worship Leading seemed to be my most natural and pervading gift, so I looked.  We were new to the internet at out home, so I got on and “webcrawlered” potential places.

In the midst of all that, I had a talk with my mom on the phone.  She mentioned that my brother, Todd, had been attending a new church in Knoxville, Iowa, our home town.  I was encouraged by that because Todd had had a bad experience with a church out of High School (a pastor he was close to got “run out of town” by some of the folk in his congregation.)  Todd is an extremely loyal individual, so he ditched the whole “church” thing.  Anyway, my mom told me about this church Todd was interested in. So I decided to be nosy and do some background checking.

I called my friend, Sam (see Blog entry 489) The last I knew he was a director of surgery for some hospital.  I talked to him about the church in Knoxville.  He had heard of it and knew some of the folks that went there.  He thought It was fine.  Then I had this conversation with him:

            ME: So, how’s it going with all the whiney surgeons?

            SAM: I’m not doing that anymore.

            ME: Really?

SAM: Really.  I’m working for this really cool prison ministry at the Newton Correctional Facility.

ME: Hummm. (then I say sarcastically) Got a position for me?

SAM: ………..why do you say that?

ME: Well.  I am looking for a ministry job…and….wait, why do you ask?

SAM: I think we’re going to be looking for a new Program Manager.

ME: …………

I had that feeling of hope/dread.

To Iowa?

chris