Hallowe'en and Reformation Day greetings to all!
The past few months I have been away from my Vox blog, as I did not have secure internet access, having taken up residence in a one bedroom apartment, while our new house was built.
We moved in yesterday, so today I woke up on my 59th birthday, on Hallowe'en, in a new home, the first we have ever known.
You see, for 36 years, while I was a fulltime pastor (I retired July 1, 2009), we lived in church-owned parsonages. With one exception, all our parsonages were fine, meeting conference standards, mostly. Only one place would come close to the movie line, "What a dump!" Fortunately our stay at that one was relatively brief.
We live in a two bedroom custom rancher with a double garage, large kitchen, dining room, and living room with a fireplace, an attic over the garage, two full bathrooms, and in the rear of the house, a sun room looking out on a tranquil pond (the neighbor's pond).
Canada geese come to the pond, but by now they have migrated away. Still, turtles inhabit the waters, regularly surfacing on logs and rocks to sun themselves (Well, wouldn't you do that, too?).
Am I fully retired?
No way.
I still pastor, but instead of two churches full time, I have two country churches which are very part time, about 1/5th of a United Methodist pastor's salary in our conference. Basically I just drive to these two churches on Sunday morning to hold their services, then return and am available to them during the week, if they really need me. I make my parish office here in my new home in Hanover, Pennsylvania.
Oh, and I have three other part time jobs, too.
You probably know that I like to walk, a lot.
So I work part time serving two walking routes for a once-a-week paper called The Merchandiser, delivering to about 400 homes right around where we now live.
And my last but not least part time job is as a Leader in Weight Watchers International.
I have a regular meeting I lead in Hanover, every Friday morning at 10 at the WW traditional storefront location. And I have been accepting substitute Leader or Receptionist invitations to the area, places like Thomasville, Chambersburg, Mechanicsburg, York, and Carlisle.
Even with five jobs, part time, I do not work more than 30 hours per week, which suits me just fine.
My dear wife, Chris, has also found part time (25-30 hours per week) employment as a medical receptionist at a nearby counseling service. This is the same kind of work she did 2003-2008 in southern Maryland.
We are both life-long Marylanders (although she was born and spent her first year in Maine). Our decision to relocate to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to the borough of Hanover, was not a hard one, as we had already become familiar with the area while I was pastor in the Manchester, Maryland area, which is just about 15 miles south of here.
Darryl
My numbers have been improving all day, as we finish packing for our move tomorrow.
No walks, just working around the house, I have:
15,147 steps, 6.8 miles, 540 calories burned (so far, today).
Cumulative since Jan. 14th:
1,636,606 steps
772.9 miles!
I should reach 1,000 miles by August 1st.
I should reach Two Million Steps by as early as July 23rd, I'm probable-guessing.
The next few weeks I am not employed full time anywhere, so I expect to have more time to walk, especially with nice summer weather, in Hanover, PA., our new hometown!
This morning is bright and sunny. I felt like going for a walk, so I did.
I walked to Dutch Corner restaurant, about a mile, and had a breakfast of an egg, two blueberry buckwheat pancakes, water, and three mugs of Pfefferkorn's coffee.
Oh, I am so satisfied. And, I got two miles of walking in on this beautiful Sunday morning.
This is my first Sunday "off" since I am "retired." Actually, it's just a vacation Sunday, but still it's nice to have "nothing to do" today, except pack, pack, and pack for our move on Tuesday!
We are going to church in Hanover, PA., then return to our "new" apt to have our first home-cooked meal there, chicken quesadillas. Can you spell delicious? I know they will be!
Then this evening at 7 we are meeting a member of Bixlers who has invited us to Ben & Scooter's for an ice cream treat! Won't that be fun?
Well, I must be off to a bit of packing and then church, lunch, and back here for more packing!
“My Dad Is a Preacher Man”
by Nicholas C. Zoller
My dad is a preacher man
Spreadin’ the Gospel across this land
He knows the Lord
Oh, he’s got a plan
He’s a preacher man
There he is, in the pulpit
Preachin’ the Word for the people to hear
He gives the sense and the meaning
He’s talkin’ ‘bout a God who inspires our fear
Will they listen to his message?
Will they put it into practice in their lives?
Jesus is calling them to follow
Will they turn from sin and never die?
My dad is a preacher man
Spreadin’ the Gospel across this land
He knows the Lord
Oh, he’s got a plan
He’s a preacher man
There he is, at the altar
Blessing the cup and the bread
He lifts his hands up to Heaven
Recalling the words that Jesus said
Then the people, they come forward
With open hearts and open hands
They seek healing and forgiveness
Every woman and every man
My dad is a preacher man
Spreadin’ the Gospel across this land
He knows the Lord
Oh, he’s got a plan
He’s a preacher man
There he is, at the bedside
Talking to a widow who lives alone
She talks about her son and daughter
They want to put her in a nursing home
Dad listens with compassion
He wants to heal her, make her whole
He gives her words of comfort
‘Cause he knows the Shepherd of her soul
My dad is a preacher man
Spreadin’ the Gospel across this land
He knows the Lord
Oh, he’s got a plan
He’s a preacher man
There he is, in the car now
Just where is he going today?
Is he going to a meeting?
Or to see a man who needs him to pray?
Is he going to the hospital
To see a new baby with her mom and dad?
Is he going to a graveyard
To comfort people who are feeling sad?
My dad is a preacher man
Spreadin’ the Gospel across this land
He knows the Lord
Oh, he’s got a plan
He’s a preacher man
There he is, at the table
Leading his family in saying grace
He thanks God for the food there
He shows them how to live out their faith
He tells his wife he’ll always love her
She’s the most beautiful woman he knows
They raise their sons to love their Jesus
Their love for each other just grows and grows
My dad is a preacher man
Spreadin’ the Gospel across this land
He knows the Lord
Oh, he’s got a plan
He’s a preacher man
Here are some photos from the retirement dinner and program held on Sunday afternoon at Bixlers church:
Benjamin, our youngest son, put together a slide show from pix my wife Chris picked out and it was enjoyed by all.
Nicholas, our oldest son, sang an original song he wrote, "My Dad Is A Preacher Man," to the delight of all.
Nova Guynn, on behald of Bixlers Busy Bees group presented a handmade quilt signed by many members of Bixlers.
My wife Chris and I enjoyed this retirement dinner and program.
Thank you, Bixlers and Millers churches!
Darryl
Here's a couple of video slide shows of my life and ministry.
Our youngest son put these together for us.
Just click on the links below and it will load and play.
Enjoy!
Darryl
https://jshare.johnshopkins.edu/bzoller1/public_html/Mom%20and%20Dad.wmv
https://jshare.johnshopkins.edu/bzoller1/public_html/Bixler%27s-Miller%27s.wmv
What is happening in my life lately?
Well, a lot.
On Tuesday, May 19, my wife Chris and I attended the annual retirement banquet for pastors at the Riderwood Village in Silver Spring.
Here's a picture my wife took of me with the bishop, two guides, and my district superintendent. I am being congratulated upon my retirement from the active ministry. It looks like my eyes are shut and I don't know why!
My wife Chris will continue to look for work in her field as a Medical Receptionist.
We will move from Manchester, MD., to Hanover, PA., on Tuesday, June 16th. We are putting most of our things in storage and taking only what we need for summer living with us to the temporary apartment.
So the next few weeks will be busy as we pack for our move!
On July 1, I will retire from the active ministry after 36 years of honorable full time service.
Only, there's another chapter opening in my ministry career.
On July 1, I will begin to serve, in retirement, part time, two small rural country churches in rural northern Baltimore County, an easy drive from our new home in Hanover, PA.
Here's church number one, which has a 9 AM Sunday service:
Protocols, you know.
This old church was built in 1814, before my time, before any of us, for sure!
I am assured that no charter members are living.
Just think, this lovely rural church has been standing here, in the open farm country, for 195 years!
Wow, that's a long time.
And, it's the original building, built to last.
What a legacy of service and witness it has had all these years!
An officer of this church says don't drink too many fluids before coming to this church.
You see, there is no modern bathroom.
Well, there is a "privy," and that's okay with me, if I need it.
Now here's church number two, built years later, in 1871 (what were they waiting for?).
It has a 10:30 AM Sunday service:
Look at the beautiful red azaleas blooming out front.
The sanctuary inside is quite beautiful with unique features.
There's a large parking lot at both churches.
This one, number two, has a large building attached to it in back for Sunday School, meetings, and a Pastor's Study.
And did I tell you, this one has a working, modern bathroom, in fact it has three of them.
I thought you might be wondering about that.
I am glad that these two churches have become available to serve, part time.
I am honored to take them under my pastoral wing, which can still flap a bit.
It will be a privilege to serve these two fine churches in "retirement."
We don't know know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future.
Rev. Darryl C. Zoller, who is about to retire ... kinda, sorta, maybe.
Here's a photo our builder took of the two of us on the lot we reserved just yesterday for your new home which will be built this summer in the borough of Hanover, PA.
It's on the new Blossom Drive in the development called The Cottages at Cherry Tree. These are "quad" townhomes. We will have the end of quad home on the right hand side. So there will be extra space between us and the next quad to our right. We will have a gas range and gas heat, but an electric air conditioning system. The builder's policy is to upgrade one notch from typical home standards, for instance, extra insulation, thicker walls, etc. Our home will be all on one level, no basement, but we will have an ample attic over the double garage.
The completion date of our new home is October 20. So for this summer and early fall, we will be renting a one-bedroom apartment somewhere near our new home, as it is built. We will take pictures of the construction as it is done.
We're 58 years old and never owned a home. For 35 years we've lived in church-owned parsonages. So we are really on an adventure!
My brother and I went to Opening Day of the new baseball season.
The Orioles played their arch rival, the New York Yankees.
We beat the Yankees real good.
Before the game started, the players and coaches were introduced.
They were each announced to the fans and ran out on a special orange runway.
Here's a picture I took of one of them.
