So in our church we have a lay clergy. That means our local leadership is not paid, but rather, we spread around the workload, and everyone has a part. I have had many parts (callings) in the church through the years, from teaching Sunday School, to going to camp with teenage girls, to leading the women's organization, to directing the music for the children.
But my time in Utah has been completely different, as in....weird. When we first arrived in our ward here, Shulamith and I were called to be primary teachers for Seth's class. We did that for just over a year. Then I was briefly (3 months) the secretary in the relief society presidency, until that presidency was released. Then I was called to teach gospel essentials, an adult Sunday School class designed for new members or those learning about our religion.
That was over five years ago. And here I still am, teaching that same class. Which is weird. Even bishops are typically released after five years. The worst part of this is the manual. It never, ever, changes. It is exactly the same, year after year after year. Other church manuals are updated regularly, but not this one. So I have taught the same set of 47 lessons five times, and just last month, I started back at Lesson #1 for the sixth.
If this sounds painstakingly repetitive, rest assured, it is. I've joked that the only way to get released is to move out of the ward or die, and I sure hope it's the former. Except sometimes I fear I'm not joking.
But there is one upside, and that's what I'd like to talk about today. By far the coolest people in the ward attend my class. Not one of them meets the qualifications I noted above: new member or someone investigating our church, because we don't really have any people like that in our ward. So these guys, these faithful few, come week after week, year after year, anyway. One of them has been in the class the entire five years I've taught it. And he keeps coming back! In addition to him, we have four stalwart couples who attend regularly. Occasionally, one or another of them called to a different 2nd-hour responsibility and is gone for awhile, but (since other people actually get released from their callings without moving or dying), he or she always come back. Then there are a few others who randomly drop in here and there, which makes a solid class of between eight and twelve people most weeks.
I can't tell you how thankful I am for these dedicated folks. Their insight never ceases to amaze me. The manual covers only the most basic principles of doctrine, yet these thoughtful, intelligent, spiritually-gifted individuals are somehow able to dig deep and extend these lessons to generate meaningful, interesting discussions.
So last Sunday, we were back to the lesson on "The Creation." As I watched these people sculpt their Play-Doh into beautiful new "creations," I thought how blessed I am to know them. They are my friends. And though I really do need to be released, sooner rather than later, and I pray I won't need to move or die for that to happen, until it does, I will try to be patient. I will also be grateful.
I purposely did not name these class members because some folks don't like to be mentioned, especially in a blog as pubic as this one. But you know who you are. So thank you. So very much. You are truly the coolest kids in the ward. Thanks for hangin' out with me.
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