March 11 - Chasing Will-o’-the-wisps

Most innovations in ministry are uphill battles, but serving Bustelo Cappuccino was actually a snap. Want to taste it? Visit: http://cafebustelo.com/.

By Magdalena I. García

I have a weakness for words, so it was easy for my friend and ministry colleague J. to get me hooked on Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day. Now, every morning, when I open my inbox, I have a new word to chew on: my etymological daily bread, if you will. Today’s entry was “will-o’-the-wisp” and it means:
1 : a light that appears at night over marshy ground
2 : a misleading or elusive goal or hope

Now, there is a word I can use! For example, next time I have to fill out a registration form, a credit application, or a marketing survey that asks about my occupation, I can enter: “chasing will-o’-the-wisps” (and please interpret with definition number two above). After all, on most days, that’s exactly what I seem to do as a minister and pastor. Yes, a lot of my work is about chasing “elusive goals and hopes!” Here is a sampling:

+ Trying to get members to make church participation a priority, instead of one more thing on the list of optional activities: a will-o’-the-wisp.
+ Trying to get a 100-year-old church to think outside the box, instead of perpetuating mission strategies from decades ago: a will-o’-the-wisp.
+ Trying to get my presbytery to make urban ministry a priority, instead of closing down churches in multicultural contexts: a will-o’-the-wisp.
+Trying to get my denomination to welcome all God’s children, instead of commissioning more studies on human sexuality: a will-o’-the-wisp.
+ Trying to get espresso served at coffee hour: well, I actually had better luck with this one; we’ve served instant cappuccino thanks to the generous donations of my uncle M., who is a Bustelo Coffee representative, so we’re getting close!

Regardless, I can genuinely claim “chasing will-o’-the-wisps” as my occupation. And, as illustrated above, I can explain it to the Internal Revenue Service on the 1040 long form. Besides, considering that most folks don’t really want to talk to a pastor—unless they are in need of a favor or in serious trouble—this will at least make for a good conversation starter. Try it and let me know how it goes.