Bummed

[Pinky Shortcakes]

Thanks everyone. Update: I didn't end up sending the email. It was OK, and my husband said it sounded good. But I still thought it sounded whiny. I mean, there was just no way to say what I felt without sounding hurt (because I was). So, something tells me not to send it. I might mention it next time I see him, if God leads me that way. I love you all!
I love that quote, Finito. Gotta remember that one!

[Periwinkle]

Everyone has supported you so well on this forum. Good job everyone.
Please don't lose what God has given you to clown. Maybe just not your time yet at church. Keep doing what your doing in the clowning world. Practice your routine what you might do at church. Keep a smile on your face.
If you feel this strongly, you probably should talk to him. He won't know unless you talk to him privately, or even with hubby there.
There could be a very good reason you may not even know yet.

I'm thinking in time your pastor will probably not have time in the future to clown. He will probably be busy with other church business and other people, and you will be able to step up to the plate.

Keep reading your bible to help you get through the hurt, I know what you mean when junk happens at my church. No church or pastor is perfect and neither are we. We are all human.

I would not e-mail him anything personal, you don't know who reads it.
But we are here to serve God. Don;t forget going to the nursing homes and cheering up some of those folks. What about some of the shut inns at your church. You could start doing visits with some of the church members. But remember, I wouldn't speak of the situation about your minister. Just let it go, and when God leads you to speak to him, do it in a Godly matter.
"A day without laughter, is a day wasted"

[Pinky Shortcakes]

Thank you for your sweet, thoughtful note. I can tell you have a Godly heart, and I will take your advice. I know that God will open a door for me with clowning; I trust Him to do so. He's shown me in little ways that this is what He wants me to do.
Blessings,
Pinky

[noname]

Pinky,

Look at it this way, it is not a shut door or time to pack it in, but to move on and find something else. Sometimes God takes us to the point we need to go to get us prepared for the greater work ahead. Get ready, I am sure it will be coming soon!

God bless

[Pinky Shortcakes]

Thanks so much. I actually felt tested Tues night; maybe I failed, I don't know. I went to a party where the senior pastor was (not the minister who "clowned", he was the assoc pastor) and the conversation turned to my clowning. The pastor wasn't part of the conversation...but everyone was asking me why I didn't clown at our church. I was honest and said the idea hadn't been met with a warm reception. I didn't say anything bad about the assoc pastor, just that I wish he returned emails

[Dancin' Dot]

Pinky- It's sad when ministers of the Lord have to be this way. Pray that you can be used to serve God at Nursing Homes, Assisted Living facilities or hospitals. Sometimes, I want to use my talents in the church but God leads me to take a few steps back and wait for his timing. You are a class act and that is a gift. Happy Clowning. Sunny

[Pickles]

Pinky,

I don't think you should rule out clowning in your church yet either. Remember, you still don't know what the deal is with the associate pastor. Who knows...maybe he's just a flake and spaced off responding to your initial e-mail.

When we're trying something totally new, we are often lacking in confidence and in great need of encouragement. So it's easy to take something like this personally and interpret it as a rejection. But you don't know if that's the case.

I think you should hang in there and there may still be a future for Pinky in clown ministry at her own church.

[Twis-T]

Hey Pinky:
My daughter (JuJu) and I (Twis-T) go to a church where my brother is the minister and he does not agree with us being gospel clowns. We just go to other churches and events like VBS. My daughter was asked to do a routine at a church in Mo. (we live in Arkansas) when we go to our family renioun this year. We also have some of the SS (Sunday School) teachers from the Church that sponsers the Christian School she goes to for dates to visit their classes.
I have been to a church where I was a member for 5 years and when I did skits for neighboring SS classes the minister would not let me go to services because I did not have time to go home and clean off the clown make-up. He said I would be disrespecting God and sending a wrong message to the other members if I attended as a clown.
Don't hang up your clown shoes yet. We pass out balloons and tracts no matter where we are. Our favorite activity is to go to a fast food place and make balloon animals and flowers and pass them out with tracts to the people and workers there.
Just pray over it a other doors will open up for you. We'll be praying for you.
Twis-T and JuJu

[Pinky Shortcakes]

Thanks so much, Twis-T. I think it's just wonderful that you haven't let other people's opinions stop you from doing the Lord's work in your own special way. The tracts idea is a good one. Can I ask you where you get them? I was raised Baptist (I'm a Methodist now), and I remember reading those tracts in Sunday school. I thought they were neat. God bless you and what you do.

[Pinky Shortcakes]

There's an update to all this: the associate Pastor (the one who rejected me) came up to me after church the sunday after the party (see above). Someone at the party must have said something to him about my feellings. He said, "I guess you saw my picture in the newsletter (as a clown)". I said, "yes, I did". He said, "they made me do it" (meaning the staff, I guess). He just kept shaking his head saying "they made me do it" and smiling. I have no idea what that meant. I said, "you should have called me, I would have loved to have helped out". And he said, "yes, I should have". Anyway, I just made him promise me that the next time an opportunity like that came up that he would call me.