Ordination is now through, all I have to look forward to is the ordination service itself, yet I have managed to fill my time that was spent studying in such a way that it is only now that I am getting back to writing. It seems things always have a way of coming up and in order to communicate whether writing or speaking you must be intentional otherwise you end up taking it for granted and never being heard. The past few months have been the most challenging for me personally learning what it means to be a pastor. From handling personal attacks to facing my own failures my heart has truly been check to see if I have what is necessary to be a minister. Such trials are good, thought they are not much fun to go through. Isn’t it James that pretty much starts off, “consider pure joy my brother when you face various trials.” What strange words, yet having experienced trials recently I am thankful to know that they served a purpose.
Our house is much more quite since the summer has ended. Jakari and his two sisters have moved to another neighborhood. Both Karin and I lament every time we drive pass their old building. The good news is that Angelek became a Christian through attending VBS this summer. I was blessed to share Christ with Jakari’s cousin Greg and he made a first time profession of faith as well. It is clear that God has his hand upon their family, and I pray for them often.
I asked on friend, “Do you know why pastors tell the same stories over and over again?” It’s not just that they have bad memories. I believe it was St. Jude that is the patron saint of lost causes, you see pastor live out serving lost causes. Paul said if the gospel isn’t true of all should be pitied. Most work, effort, sweat, and blood of a pastor is put into a lost cause. Those moments where the fruit of our labor is recognized may only be twenty percent of our work, and we live on that twenty percent. So we tell the story over and over again. This reminds us that in God’s work there are no lost causes, he surprises us by joy revealing to us glories of heaven unseen by others. Once you have seen it and tasted it, the rest of the labor is bearable. Being apart of the work of the Gospel is addicting. Each day that I am a pastor I am more ruin to do anything else in this world. We of all should be pitied, but the joke is that it is true.
Our house is much more quite since the summer has ended. Jakari and his two sisters have moved to another neighborhood. Both Karin and I lament every time we drive pass their old building. The good news is that Angelek became a Christian through attending VBS this summer. I was blessed to share Christ with Jakari’s cousin Greg and he made a first time profession of faith as well. It is clear that God has his hand upon their family, and I pray for them often.
I asked on friend, “Do you know why pastors tell the same stories over and over again?” It’s not just that they have bad memories. I believe it was St. Jude that is the patron saint of lost causes, you see pastor live out serving lost causes. Paul said if the gospel isn’t true of all should be pitied. Most work, effort, sweat, and blood of a pastor is put into a lost cause. Those moments where the fruit of our labor is recognized may only be twenty percent of our work, and we live on that twenty percent. So we tell the story over and over again. This reminds us that in God’s work there are no lost causes, he surprises us by joy revealing to us glories of heaven unseen by others. Once you have seen it and tasted it, the rest of the labor is bearable. Being apart of the work of the Gospel is addicting. Each day that I am a pastor I am more ruin to do anything else in this world. We of all should be pitied, but the joke is that it is true.
posted by michaelstevensrev at 4:08 PM
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