There have been some times when being ordained for ministry has gotten in the way of doing and being like other folks. There have been interrupted vacations, middle of the night crises, and special worship services that have competed for family time. Being a pastor is not a job done according to a time clock, but one that requires a willingness to go when needed. It is not always easy. Sometimes things have to be given up which are hard to let go.
After a time of seasoning, most pastors who stay the course, realize that the ministry provides an invitation to share the joys and sorrows of people's lives in a way not afforded to everyone. Tonight as Christmas day had turned into darkness, I was privileged to be with a couple in the hospital. We gathered to share communion together, but it occurred to me within the moment that I should offer baptismal reaffirmation to the man who had spent too many long days in a hospital bed even as his wife had done the same thing in a recliner that only promised sleep. There have been other such occasions over recent years. Each one is treasured as a gift. Tonight was no different.
Tonight as the water remembering baptism did its holy work, I saw coming from the edge of his eye a trail of water that spoke of a heart being touched by the Spirit. What a joy and privilege it was to be standing there at the intersection of human need and God's grace! It will be a moment which will linger in this spirit of mine as long as breath and memory remain in this body God has gifted to me. Would I trade the unscheduled life of a pastor for a nine to five job in the marketplace? Not a chance!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment