So my calendar has never been fuller in my entire life. I am on a plane to Omaha today. Tonight I’m presenting a workshop in Lincoln. Tomorrow morning I’m teaching a “Sunday” school class, and then I’m driving back to Omaha to do a workshop at my dear friend Scott Jones’s church. After that is done, I have to drive back to Lincoln because I’m doing an all-day workshop on Saturday for the Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ, as well as the Disciples of Christ. On Saturday afternoon, I’m preaching for the First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln, and then I’m speaking at a gay pride event. On Sunday morning, I am preaching for three of First-Plymouth’s services before catching a plane back to Atlanta. That amazing church has two more services, but I have to get home because I am teaching an online preaching class for Chicago Theological Seminary. I also am taking and facilitating a doctor of ministry class at Hartford Seminary, and I need to write two papers and read a 952-page book before the following Sunday. Oh yeah, I have a growing church that I am the pastor of, and we have services on Sunday and I teach a class called Wine & Word on Wednesday night.

All of that is to say: PRAY FOR ME! And FORGIVE me if I’m out of touch for a bit. And to say … I love my life. I love what I do. The people of the Virginia-Highland Church are AMAZING. They come to church Sunday after Sunday and listen to sermons that challenge them to the very core of their beings. We would be a much larger church if we would do self-help, feel-good, superficial-spirituality, but we don’t. We struggle with challenging social and theological issues and keep coming back for more. I also love teaching future pastors of real churches, and I’m not ready to abandon the churches that are struggling to be faithful to who God has called them to be.

Sleep is so overrated, which is good because I’m not going to get much during the next few months. So, I’d like to ask you to join me by investing in the renewal of the church:

• Give a little more. Liberating Word could use just a little funding. We haven’t asked for financial support in five years.
• Volunteer for your local congregation.
• Pray for your pastor.
• Pray for me please. Writing this daily devotion is hard, but I just can’t give up staying connected to you because I think, together, you and I can change the world.

Don’t feel sorry for me. I’m doing what I want. By December, this frantic season will be over and I’ll be able to return to normal, but please pray that the investment will make a difference for you and for me.

Blessings,

Rev. Michael Piazza