Calling

Linking Verbs and My Pastoral Work

My Tuesdays start at Dark Thirty AM. That's right, it's the Martin Luther thing. German Reformer knee-mail. Remember when Luther said that he if has a milk run of a day he gets up extra early and prays for four hours? For me, it's the pray hard stuff getting ready for Classical Conversations tutoring. Four hours of Pepto Bismol, some pacing, a few cups of coffee, and then back to more pages of samples of Simple Sentences, Verb Linking with a Predicate Noun. Then a little more Pepto Bismol.

On Tuesday afternoons, I am privileged with four classically bodied students and their parents to express more of my calling as a pastor. Recently, [that's an -ly word sentence starter!] I've been born again as an Orthodox Presbyterian Minister. Let's get a brief word of some exegesis.

Back in August, after being asked to tutor four students in English Grammar and Writing, God met me. I was doing just fine on my own Damascus Road, thank you very much. He struck me down with Subject Nouns, Intransitive Verbs and Direct Objects.

"Sumpter, Sumpter, Pick up thy Subject and Predicate, and learn to write and speak My message well."

"Who are You, Word?"

"Go, I will show thee glorious gems of parts of speech."

I got up off the ground, was baptized with some training, and so, now, every Tuesday afternoon, I delight in Grammar and Writing for about two hours with tutoring. If only Mr. Heyworth and Mr. Harrison of Mears Junior High could see the fruit of their seed-sowing! Indeed, God is good.

I am learning to pastor God's World: stories of fancy and fun, and stories of history and Gospel. I am getting more and more sanctified with my earthy and earthly work with words. I remain confident that He who began a good word for me will carry it along, Quid et Quo and all, to the very end. My students are my helping verbs.

Tuesdays are the days I love to hate. It's the pastoral calling-like thing. "Sumpter, go, I am with you!"

It's the Lord's earth with all being His: words, complete sentences, pencils, diagramming, stories, Ancient History-Based Writing and Question Confirmation.

Jesus is God, and He is King. Compound Declarative, Subject-Verb Linking-Predicate Noun.

"Therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say."

Gulp.

G. Mark Sumpter