"It was time of the Preacher when the story began!"
Sounds like a line from a Willie Nelson Song. However, my story is not about the love for a women but about "love for fellow man"
I happen to run into a customer of mine and ate lunch whith he and his wife last week. This customer seems unique to me because he is retired at about age 65 from his full time job, but seems that he will never retire from the ministry.
You see he was a telephone company employee for over 30 years and to my knowledge through most of that time was a lay "part time" preacher/pastor. He has now retired from the telephone company at normal retirement age but has now turned it into "full time pastor." He lives in a small community, oddly enough, about 40 miles from the Church that he is pastoring for the second time around.
His ministries have always been to small churches around the area and in the past 10 years has been at three different churches. The unique thing is that they say you can be a good pastor or a good preacher but it is hard to be both.
Well, I have never hearn him preach, and I have never been to his church but I have seen him pastor. Anytime I have ever been around him, regardless of where you are at, you see his concern for people.
During this particular luncheon, a group of young people from the area where he lives came into the restaurant. I don't believe that one of the young people passed this man that they didn't in a gleeful way acknowledge him, with many of the young ladies giving him a hug. The ones that didn't speak to him first were spoken to by him. They all seemed to love his presence and attention. Why - because he was concerned about them and was interested in their lives.
Remember, this is a 65 year old man! I am sorry - a 65 year old pastor.
But this was not only a comradre with the kids. Parents began to file in and I saw the same thing with the parents. Everyone of them acknowledged him in a grateful, loving way.
By the way, did I say that his wife mentioned to him three or four times that they had a time restraint. She had to get home because there were three sickly families that she was taking supper to that night. In the mean time some people came by from his church family. Boy did they get the royal treatment. Nothing fake, just genuine care and concern.
By the way........
Did I tell you that I have been a member of a church that has about 1200 attending on Sunday morning. Did I mention to you that my pastor hardly remembers my name. Did I tell you that my pastor has no idea who my kids are. Did I tell you that my pastor preaches three times on Sunday morning and doesn't preach at all on Sunday evening.
Don't get me wrong. I knew this was the way it would be when I joined. I had been a member of small churches all my life where the pastors were similar to the one I mentioned earlier. I had been a member of a small church most of my life where my attendance was important and everytime the doors were opened, my family was there. A small church where if I didn't show up and do my part....it was obvious something was missing. I joined the "big Church" because I thought I wanted to be lost in the crowd!
Now the only real connection I have is my Sunday School Class - it seems to actually be "my Church" they are the only ones that know when I am AWOL on Sunday.
Did I say that I miss my "small Church?"
"It was the time of the Preacher when the story began."
Sounds like a line from a Willie Nelson Song. However, my story is not about the love for a women but about "love for fellow man"
I happen to run into a customer of mine and ate lunch whith he and his wife last week. This customer seems unique to me because he is retired at about age 65 from his full time job, but seems that he will never retire from the ministry.
You see he was a telephone company employee for over 30 years and to my knowledge through most of that time was a lay "part time" preacher/pastor. He has now retired from the telephone company at normal retirement age but has now turned it into "full time pastor." He lives in a small community, oddly enough, about 40 miles from the Church that he is pastoring for the second time around.
His ministries have always been to small churches around the area and in the past 10 years has been at three different churches. The unique thing is that they say you can be a good pastor or a good preacher but it is hard to be both.
Well, I have never hearn him preach, and I have never been to his church but I have seen him pastor. Anytime I have ever been around him, regardless of where you are at, you see his concern for people.
During this particular luncheon, a group of young people from the area where he lives came into the restaurant. I don't believe that one of the young people passed this man that they didn't in a gleeful way acknowledge him, with many of the young ladies giving him a hug. The ones that didn't speak to him first were spoken to by him. They all seemed to love his presence and attention. Why - because he was concerned about them and was interested in their lives.
Remember, this is a 65 year old man! I am sorry - a 65 year old pastor.
But this was not only a comradre with the kids. Parents began to file in and I saw the same thing with the parents. Everyone of them acknowledged him in a grateful, loving way.
By the way, did I say that his wife mentioned to him three or four times that they had a time restraint. She had to get home because there were three sickly families that she was taking supper to that night. In the mean time some people came by from his church family. Boy did they get the royal treatment. Nothing fake, just genuine care and concern.
By the way........
Did I tell you that I have been a member of a church that has about 1200 attending on Sunday morning. Did I mention to you that my pastor hardly remembers my name. Did I tell you that my pastor has no idea who my kids are. Did I tell you that my pastor preaches three times on Sunday morning and doesn't preach at all on Sunday evening.
Don't get me wrong. I knew this was the way it would be when I joined. I had been a member of small churches all my life where the pastors were similar to the one I mentioned earlier. I had been a member of a small church most of my life where my attendance was important and everytime the doors were opened, my family was there. A small church where if I didn't show up and do my part....it was obvious something was missing. I joined the "big Church" because I thought I wanted to be lost in the crowd!
Now the only real connection I have is my Sunday School Class - it seems to actually be "my Church" they are the only ones that know when I am AWOL on Sunday.
Did I say that I miss my "small Church?"
"It was the time of the Preacher when the story began."
1 comment:
What ya get out is typically proportional to what ya put in. Seriously though, we see the same thing in the large church we attend. Sunday School becomes more important because small-group connection is critical to hold new folks. The key is that each small group basically needs a pastor -- someone to fill the role of shepherd for the small group. That's where the self-examination comes in. Is that the role you need to fill???
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