Yesterday I went golfing for the first time in my entire life. I never thought I would become one of those guys with the knickers and the tweed vest, but....here I am!
Actually, it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the outing. I was asked by two parishioners to go with them to Village Greens Golf Course in Port Orchard. "No pressure...we just play for fun," they said. And they were true to their word.
We three duffers ambled through the golf course, swinging and putting and making excuses for our whiffs and clunkers. Every shot that was halfway in the right direction got high praise all around. How much more fun can it get?
Village Greens is the poor man's golf course. With short fairways and a simple layout, it's not much of a challenge for a competitive golfer. But for a beginner like me...perfect. I used a set of loaner clubs, and my friends gave me tips on how to swing and which club to use.
The payoff for me was not only a pleasant day with friends, but a chance to get to know my parishioners better. There's nothing like a casual stroll up the fairway to share what's going on in your life. Golfing with parishioners is a kind of pastoral care (Did I actually say that?). Just part of the daily work of a clergyman.
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