The Divine Crash

This picture got posted on my Facebook timeline (I guess it isn’t a feed/wall anymore, but that is another post). I think it shows a true identity crisis of pastors.  A United Methodist Pastor has a master’s degree, years of training and experience and yet friends still believe we only work 1 hour per week and the reality is we do more paperwork than anything else.

I love being a pastor, and I love being a Methodist pastor but sometimes what people believe we do and what we actually do are two very different things.

Which I guess leaves me (and perhaps you) to live in this dichotomy or prove it wrong.  We can become swamped under paperwork and not actually get any ministry done.  Or we can decide that paperwork is not the most important part of ministry and that people are and we can get out there and work our tails off in ways that don’t feel like work because we are interacting with people, bringing the divine into the dirty and allowing people to think we aren’t working when in reality being with people who need grace is the best work we can be doing.

Or maybe I am seeing this wrong but if our statistical reports are the most important parts of our calling then we have missed the gospel somewhere.

Hello! I feel bad I haven’t been blogging as much as I used to or would like to. My apologies but here is this weeks sermon. Something went wrong with my recorder and there is no audio this week.  So enjoy what I do have, my notes.

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Dear Jesus, for all those bloggers who are slackers and not posting as often as they used to, be with them. Fill them with ideas and creativity so that they have many thing to blog about.

Yesterday, my 3 year old son had a play date at a local fast food place. It is winter here and this place has an indoor play area.  While there another little boy, not part of the play date, wouldn’t let my son on one of the slides and called him a “big baby.”  My son started crying.  I wasn’t at the play date but when I got home from the office that evening my son was still visibly shaken up.  After my wife told me what happened I had a couple options.

1. Play the stereotypical dad and tell him to grow up/get over it/move on.
2. Play the aloof father and ignore that anything is wrong. “He’ll get over it on his own.”
3. Just hold on to him. Hug him and remind him that he is precious to me and even more precious to God.

I went with number three.

I got down to his level, wrapped my arms around him and let him cry a little longer and then I reminded him that I loved him.

Is this the right option? The best option? I don’t know but I can’t imagine it would be worse than the other options.

When I read the Bible I don’t see a God who says “Get over it” I see a God who sees our little and insignificant hurts and still wraps His heavenly arms around us and reminds us we are precious in His sight.

Recently things at the church have been going really well.  We are beginning to see some major growth.  Our numbers have been up, outreach is increasing, and offering is up. All signs point towards momentum and disciple making.  Which means the goal now is to keep the momentum going.  Honestly, I have no idea how to do that and I have no idea how it got started.  All I have been doing is blaming Jesus for all of this.  And I think that is about all I can do.  I am not gifted enough to lead all these people on my own and I am not talented enough to have a fool-proof method of running a church so really all I can do is ride the wave and see where Jesus takes me.  If you have any ideas leave a comment and let me know.

Today we started a new sermon series. We are going to begin a crawl through the book of Hebrews and see what this ancient sermon says for us nearly 2000 years later.  Feel free to read the notes, listen to the audio, and subscribe on iTunes.  Enjoy!  (more…)

Dear Jesus, as you know we methodists are approaching appointment season.  For all those pastors who are now terrified of their phone ringing, remind them you control everything.  For all those pastors who can’t wait for the phone to ring, remind them their current congregation are your beloved children.  Be with all who are making appointment decisions and remind them you love them and control all the decisions. – Amen

WOW! What a Sunday. I really felt like God was moving in this service.  It was hard sermon.  I was nervous because I wasn’t sure how it would be received but I gave it to God and we got something amazing out of it.  Feel free to leave a comment and listen to the audio at the bottom or on iTunes.

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

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