Monday Musing - Pastor Jody

Sometimes a single Facebook post can't cover everything you want to say. In fact, a lot of times it can't. Unless you want to go on and on and at some point because it is a Facebook post as opposed to linking to someplace else, a reader probably tunes out. So, I have more to say than I said in a Facebook post I made yesterday about Pastor Jody and here it is - linked somewhere else that makes more sense for me to ramble on and on (and on).

There are others at PUMC who have had more time and interaction with Pastor Jody than I did. Some have had less. But this is just my story.

Pastor Jody & I on 6/2/2023

I first officially met Pastor Jody in June, 2019 at a Lay Servant Committee breakfast during Annual Conference. I knew he was being appointed to PUMC and that our church in Wappingers had started the process to approach PUMC about merging with them. I didn't say anything to him about the merger, mostly because I was still quite shy about things. And because it was my first Lay Servant Committee meeting ever.

I encountered Pastor Jody a few times after that at merger committee meetings. Then at Ash Wednesday service in February 2020, just a few weeks before our churches were to merge.

Then COVID hit and everything went haywire. The merger was postponed. But Pastor Jody kept being him and created a great online worship experience.

Still not really knowing him well, during the first couple weeks of COVID I reached out by email and asked a "BIG ASK." When COVID was happening, Anastasia was having a birthday and while she kind of understood why she couldn't have a big celebration, I know it bummed her out because she couldn't see her friends or anything - not only because people weren't getting together but because no place was open to get together at. So I asked if Pastor Jody would send her a birthday message. What I got was a great birthday video that showed his personality, whether you knew him for a day or 3 years. I was beyond grateful for that.

I'm not going to rehash everything at this point. But in July 2020 we were able to finally complete the merger process. And I think I probably gave Pastor Jody an example of the crazy type of person I was when he asked me before the first part of the service if I happened to have a Sharpie. Which, of course, I did. (And, by the way, I still make sure I always have a Sharpie somewhere on me when I'm doing church things because, hey, you never know!)

Pastor Jody taught me so much over the last three years. I learned how to be a better preacher and a better leader. I learned to be more comfortable with preaching to a camera. Because there were a few times early on when it was literally preaching to a camera with a music person or two behind me and a tech person or two in front of me. That was not really a forte of mine. But I got better at it. I also had to become more comfortable preaching and speaking to a large group of people because, well, PUMC was a much larger congregation than Wappingers was. 

I became a much more confident person, mostly, because of his leadership and example. And he became someone I could talk to about things that I struggled with. I learned that I wasn't always so crazy with my personal tendency to relate my sermons to pop culture - because he did too from time to time. 

There were moments in my leadership where I questioned myself. And I was able to talk things out with Pastor Jody. He is someone who I felt comfortable being myself with, even when that meant I was an emotional disaster area, knowing he wouldn't judge me for that but instead would provide prayer and guidance which always helped.

Pastors in the Methodist church are with us for however long they are appointed to be with us. And it is always a sad time when one leaves, especially when they make such a mark on your life. Kind of like how you get used to one Doctor on Doctor Who and then they regenerate into another person. (Which Pastor Jody would appreciate the similarity.) But I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on this particular pastor who helped me during a very hard time of merger and who made such an impact on my life.

I know going forward what God has in store for Pastor Jody and his family will be nothing short of being immensely blessed. And I know going forward what God has in store for myself and for PUMC will also be immensely blessed.

Though it was short, and I wished it would have been a little longer, I thank God for the time I have had learning all I have from Pastor Jody and his family. And I could not have asked for a better pastor to help us through a merger, to help me be a more confident and comfortable preacher and leader, and most especially to be an even stronger Child of God.

Thank you Pastor Jody.