Church ------ing

I've been giving a lot of thought to my vocation in last few weeks. Three classes in particular are guiding this process. 
1) Greek - I have realized that I do not want to be a greek expert....
2) Preaching - Before this year I pictured myself filling the role of Preacher in a congregation somewhere but I am beginning to re-envision my future. Not that I am excluding the idea of preaching but I am open to different roles.
3) Education Ministry - one of the focuses of this class is the question: What does it mean to be a missional church? David Wray described his visits to several congregations to give a presentation to elders. Often their response is something like: "You are scaring us to death." The job of re-imagining church and developing a contextual practical theology is indeed a scary job, especially in a quickly changing world.  I found myself scared along with those elders but at the same time I felt the excitement of a challenge worth giving your life too. 

I have thought more lately about being involved in church planting after I graduate. I don't really like the term church planting. Not that this is a bad metaphor, it is very suiting in many ways but to me it connotes something that we do, as if we create church. When I think about the work of creating a community of faith I think in terms of something like "church sculpting" or "church gathering." I picture the minister as an artist, painfully searching for the masterpiece hidden in the rough stone. I picture a roll of yarn strewn all over a messy room that the minister carefully rolls into something meaningful and useful. Just some thoughts from a young theologian. I am beginning the long journey of discerning a theology that honors the living God.