The weeklong pastor's training event was about halfway through its course and the pastor coordinating the event was enjoying her break with a leisurely stroll across the grounds. But what began as a beautiful leisurely spring day soon turned somewhat anxious when she returned to her room and found a message taped to her door, "Call the bishop's assistant as soon as possible." She spent part of the afternoon playing phone tag between class sessions. "Whatever could it be?" she pondered.

The week was flowing smoothly and the participants seemed pleased with the whole event. All had been well with her congregation when she had left the previous Sunday. She could not think of a single reason the assistant to the bishop would be urgently trying to reach her. She reviewed the previous weeks in …