True story. When I was a newly minted Episcopal priest, not yet 30 and serving as a solo pastor of a congregation, I did as many things wrong as right.

I had been trained in a very theologically progressive Episcopal seminary and had been a political activist throughout my youth and young adult years. In contrast, that first congregation I served was somewhat politically conservative as well as theologically traditional. A goodly number of the stalwart membership worked at or had a family member working at Naval Avionics, a research-and-development center. In fact, one of the much-loved lay leaders in the congregation had been intimately involved in the development of the Polaris missile system.

So, not an obvious match.

However, they were a loving bunch, and both willing and patient enough to teach me if I would learn.........

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