Passing The Torch; What’s Next?

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2023 Blog #31

July 31, 2023

Passing The Torch; What’s Next?

For five or six years now our congregation, in conjunction with the UCC congregation in the nearby town of Cresskill, has been doing a lunch program for day laborers in our town. This originally was funded by a Lilly grant but now depends on donations from the congregations as well as outside donations. Our rhythm has always been that we make lunches on Wednesday and distribute them on Thursdays. My Spanish is far from fluent but it is better than the other volunteers, so our distribution was dependent on me, and one other volunteer from the Cresskill congregation. This changed in January, and again last week.

In January, our procedure changed as Ivan Gil came to our congregation with the mission of beginning a Spanish-speaking congregation, nested within our congregation. He joined me in distributing these lunches and our interactions with the day-laborers deepened because of his Spanish fluency. Increasingly, I found myself holding the boxes of lunches as he did the talking.

This past week I received a “demotion” from box carrier to “chauffeur.” Two of the young men from the fledgling Spanish-speaking worshiping group joined Ivan and I in the distribution. Now three people were able to interact and invite these laborers to join this small group of worshipers. One of these young men held the box of lunches. My job was simply to drive around and offer encouragement. I wonder how long this trio will want me to be part of this group. Clearly they will be able to do without me when the new volunteers are familiar with the routine. In terms of this project, I may become obsolete.

So, should I feel hurt that I can be replaced? Should my ego be wounded by these three taking over a task that I have been such a part of for so many years? Or should this be a celebration that a new generation of leaders is rising up with language skills that I do not possess?  I prefer this “passing of the torch” to be a celebration of new, young, leadership.

When the day comes when I am not needed on this project I know that God will give me some other job to do. What will it be? I do not have a clue but I know that God will not keep me idol for long. With the surrendering of this mission, I am quite confident that God has another mission in mind for me. At the right time, God will tell me.

The book of the Bible, Ecclesiastes, tells us that “for everything there is a season.” When one season ends, another begins. We do God and our neighbors, a dis-service if we try to hang onto tasks and projects after we are no longer functional. Sometimes it is best to let go and start new adventures as God directs us.

Do we trust God to give us something new to do? If so, we can easily let go of what we are doing. If we have no such trust in God, then letting go is difficult to do. Our egos will tell us to hold on long after it is good for us to let go.

Do you trust God? If so, be willing to “pass the torch” at the right time and pick up a new torch, also at the right time. If we trust God and are resilient, we will do great things to bless our community and honor God.