Tonight while enjoying a cup of coffee with a dear friend I felt a great burden of prayer come over me. This happens occasionally, where God overwhelms me with great compassion for a friend or loved one. Often, I don't know the reason I have been called to pray. It just happens and my response is to be obedient and pray. Tonight the call wasn't a call to pray for the friend I was with, but for my boss. My friend was sharing with me some tough decisions and conversations she had to have with my boss this week, regarding her ministry at the church. She is a very gifted person who is working to find the best place to minister within her giftings. That can be a difficult thing to figure out when you are good at a lot of things. I know that my boss would want her ministering in the areas that fit her best, and he of course encouraged her in that as he does for everyone on staff or volunteer. It may put a wrench in what he is doing or how he is leading, but he isn't about what is convenient for him. He is about what is best for God's kingdom. As she was sharing I suddenly had a flashback to this past week in the office.
Let me back up for a moment. I've never been naive enough to think for one moment that the job of a pastor is just on Sunday. Obviously shepherding a flock is an all week job. Granted some weeks are easier than others, but it is full time, especially in a growing church. This week was no exception. I am a staff pastor at our church. The office building is small. Being in such a small building you usually can't miss what is going on, even if you want to. Our senior pastor had quite a week. I started it out Sunday after a very long day of wonderful, but exhausting ministry. In the last two weeks we had thirteen baptisms. We just celebrated our one year anniversary of having two Sunday morning worship services. It was a busy day. At the end of the day I kind of gave him a hard time about something he said, that I didn't like. That happens quite a bit when you are a pastor, people not always liking what you say. However, I'm generally not the one lodging the complaints. I tend to camp more on the receiving side, but I didn't this time. You know you have a good boss when you can openly share something that hurts you or you don't like and he doesn't get defensive. He walked in Monday morning and talked with me to work it out. I truly appreciate that about him. He didn't placate me. He truly wanted to make the situation better. That alone made things better. Aside from me and my grumblings, his week has been crazy. I'm not really sure how many hours he has put in. Ministry isn't really ever a 9-5 job. I know some of the hours this week have been a sacrifice of personal and family time. I am always amazed no matter how many people he sees in a day he greets each one as if they were the first. I've never known anyone who so selflessly builds into the lives of others as he does. There were at least four of those meetings this week, that I knew of. I know for a fact he walked into and skillfully dealt with some sticky situations in the last few days. As wonderful as church is it can be sticky sometimes. He didn't avoid the messes. He walked right into them and addressed each one thoughtfully and carefully, with the love of Christ. In the midst of all of this I see him doing his best to be the husband he needs to be to his wife and love Ashley, who is so patient and giving herself, as she helps him and encourages him in his ministry, even when at times it is a sacrifice for her. As my friend I've never once heard her complain about the sacrifices she and their children make as he does what God has called him to do. As a father he is invested fully in the lives of his four children, attending parent teacher conferences, and every play, concert, or recital. He's right there front and center with Ashley. He somehow by the grace of God fits it all in. It just seemed this week he went from person to person, situation to situation, meeting to meeting without break, ministering to the best of his ability in God's strength. It had to be God's strength. That is the only way I can explain it. We've seen his heart for God at North Park and how he works tirelessly sharing God's love.
But...the overwhelming call to prayer was undeniable tonight as I reflected on this week. I came home from having coffee and set out immediately to praying as God so clearly burdened me to do. I have always prayed for him, Ashley, and the kids, as we always should pray for our pastors, but now it seems as the church is growing and the responsibilities are growing that our prayer needs to be growing as well. Our church is blessed with a wonderful pastor and family. He and they need our ongoing encouragement and prayer support. You see....his job isn't just on Sunday. It's everyday.
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