Life Here and There

Pastors live toward Sunday. Most people celebrate hitting the door on Friday afternoon, but for Pastors, the work is only coming to a climax amidst the busy weekends of our lives. On Sunday night, we decompress and on Monday morning, we’re at it again (only the smart ones take Mondays off). No matter how great the sermon seemed to you and everyone else, you start over on Monday.

Add to this cycle the unexpected interruptions, the personal issues, crises, and all of the other administrative duties of overseeing a staff and church family. Telemarketers pick your busiest weeks to share with you an opportunity to reach out that you just can’t afford not to hear. But from one Sunday to the next, you get 168 hours. That’s it. Every time. God is consistent.

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My last blog post was quite serious, from the heart. Lest anyone think I’ve lost my sense of humor, I just had to pass along this totally awesome video. The only thing spiritual I can say is, wow, God certainly gifts us all uniquely. Watch, and pass along…

I define myself with clear priorities. I am first and foremost a follower and disciple of Jesus Christ, a born again child of God. I’m also a husband to an awesome wife, and a Dad to a wonderful daughter. Then I’m a Pastor to a great church. Sometimes I’m also a web and graphic designer. I love all of these realms of life and appreciate the people I’ve come to know in each.

As a Pastor, and I’m sure other church leaders will identify with what I’m about to write, I can say that there is tremendous pressure that few people realize. I don’t talk about it much but felt the need to clear my heart this morning. I hope you’ll appreciate the transparency here.

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The other day I had to call the telephone company to get them to repair our line at church. The call I made was quite an ordeal. I never actually spoke to a human being. Instead, my voice was interpreted by a computer who routed me through a very elaborate schema of menus until I was finally able to schedule a service call to take place on a particular day precisely between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Here’s the thing… I had to make the call. It was necessary that I do so or we’d never have our phone service again because nobody at the company would ever know. It’s the only method of getting the repair scheduled.

Communicating with God is quite different. He’s real and personal. He’s not only ready to answer, He’s actually on the line all the time listening. Furthermore, He already knows our needs before we express them.

There is one similarity between God and the phone company though… a call is still required.

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We live in times of exponential change. The only constant is change itself, as they say. Watch this video for just a glimpse of what I mean…

So how should the church respond? I have some seemingly conflicted views on this, but I think they’re well worth taking to heart.

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Last night we had a very special dedication time for our Storehouse food distribution ministry. Everything has been done with excellence. We’re well prepared and ready to go. Tomorrow the doors will open and we’ll be feeding the hungry and providing groceries to families in need.

As part of our church family’s time together, I shared some general thoughts about feeding and serving from God’s Word. They’re random, but I wanted to post them here…

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I figured somebody out there needs a Monday morning “belly laugh.” Well, this is one of my favorite sources. I laugh every time! Kudos to Citi for one of the best commercials ever!

Today was exciting in that we received an enormous amount of food at a great price for Bethel’s new Storehouse Ministry which will be launching Tuesday as our way of feeding hungry people in northwest Arkansas. We’re still in need of food and volunteers, and probably will be for a long time to come, but we’re getting closer.

I’ve been moved by the spirit of cooperation and teamwork going into this venture. It’s a blessing to me to be a part of a church with such a great spirit. We’re currently talking about being on a Search & Rescue mission with God, and this is part of it. Feeding people helps, but our greater vision is to feed the soul, to introduce people to a relationship with Jesus Christ, and to see lives changed forever.

Pray for us. Donate food if you’re close by and don’t already give elsewhere. Volunteer if you’re a part of our church family. Can’t wait till Tuesday!

I said a couple of days ago, and in our midweek Bible study, that one of the hardest things I deal with is not being able to help or repair broken situations. It’s not in me, but it is in the power of God to do so. Nonetheless, there are times I face a question I just can’t answer for one who is suffering, and this one is common, “My spouse doesn’t love me.”

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Justin Williams and I attended the local leadership conference today, which is hosted by the ministry of John Maxwell’s ministry. While there, some interesting and downright controversial things happened, all culminating in this provocative interview…