A personal sea change is coming.

Even though it has been a week since I last posted, today's offering will not directly be religously oriented. Instead, it will be personal news.

Last Wednesday morning, May 14, Vicki and I flew to Salt Lake City. Our mission was simple - to take the next step in the intricate dance between minister and church, that is to preach at the First Congregational Church and await the vote of the congregation on whether or not to call me as their new minister.

I had been communicating with the Ministerial Search Committee for a few months. Both the Committee and I were trying to figure out whether I would be a good match for the church and whether the church would be a good match for me. This whole process can be filled with roadblocks and potholes. Luckily for me, the committee did a good job at working with me to navigate the road.

Frankly, such a weekend can be an intimidating process - for both sides. Pretty much on the basis of one sermon, though there is more information than that shared, the church decides whether to trust the judgment of the committee. On the basis of one weekend visit with the people, the ministerial candidate decides whether to believe that the search committee is a good representation of the church.

In my case, it was easy. The response of the church to us was overwhelmingly positive. Our response to the people we met was the same. So, there will be a complete change in our lives. We will be moving to SLC in June, and I will begin serving the First Congregational Church as their 14th minister.