Time Away

Next Sunday (not this coming Sunday, 10/27, but next Sunday, 11/3 {and yes, I always get confused when the sign says, Next Left or Next Right -- does that mean the next one coming up, or the next one after This One??}) is the Sunday that our bishop visits the congregation.  That means that next week (or this coming week {see, it's confusing}) I don't need to write a sermon.

This is good for two reasons:

1) The office could stand a good cleaning/organizing/de-cluttering.  The week before the bishop comes seems like the perfect time to do that.  After all, nothing says clean like company.

2) The Monday through Wednesday immediately after the bishop visits, I will be attending a continuing ed conference up in the Portland area.  It's actually west of Portland in the beautiful Columbia Gorge, but, considering the distance I'm traveling, it's the Portland area.  The theme of this gathering is entitled, "Freedom, Creativity, and Accountability in the Missionary Church."

It goes on to say:

Paul's letters acclaim freedom in Christ and that a new creation is everything.  At the same time leaders, interdependent with other members of the body, seek to be of one mind and often give up the exercise of some rights in consideration of others.  How do contemporary leaders negotiate the truth of freedom and the reality of corporate life together?  How can this dynamic of freedom and accountability be a creative tension the life of today's leaders?  What can we learn from one another's experience with this complex life in the church?

I received an e-mail inviting me to lead a Bible study around this.  I have 30 minutes, can choose whatever scripture and format I prefer, and am to "BE CREATIVE."

Crap.