Sunday 23rd April, 2000 – Easter Day

It is with relief that I completed the Easter services at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Knox today. Last Wednesday, I came close to packing it all in. Running three struggling urban parishes covering most of outer south-eastern metropolitan Melbourne on a part-time salary (I also work as a librarian and as an Aged Care chaplain), and caring for my family—Cathy (my second wife), Madeline (our 19 month old daughter), and another babe on the way (due in October)—had finally begun to take its toll. I felt unable to face the stress of the Easter services. I rang my President and told him I couldn’t do it any more. There and then he granted me three weeks leave—one week’s holiday and two week’s sick leave. I grabbed it like a life-line. It got me through the last four days. Now we are headed down to Philip Island where Cathy’s family have a beach house. I am going to spend almost all the three weeks there. Cathy and Maddy are with me now, and will stay with me until next Sunday. Then I will have several days here on my own. Then they will come and join me again for the final week. I intend to use this time to get in touch with my sense of vocation to the ministry once more.