It’s a psalm kind of day.

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
….let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread your protection over them,
….that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
For you bless the godly, O Lord;
….you surround them with your shield of love. Psalm 5:11-12 (NLT)

Luke 10:21-24 (<<click to read the passage)

Twenty-five years ago, I was hired to fill the newly created position of Pastor to Families with Children in the church we had been attending for the previous five years. After several years in Christian retail, I was working in a warehouse as a forklift operator and Karen, after teaching music in a Columbus-based Christian elementary school, was now a stay-at-home mom caring for our 3-year-old son.

I had spent 3 years in full-time ministry before my stint in Christian retail and we were active in areas of ministry in that in-between time in a local church in Columbus and then the church in Mt. Vernon after we relocated to the home in which we now live.

Karen and I had been leading Children’s Church in a volunteer capacity but when the opportunity to come on staff full-time was extended to me, I jumped at the opportunity. The Lord’s hand was in it all and I must tell you that I fondly look back on that time as one of the best times in my life! I loved the kids. I loved ministering to them. We did some wonderfully impacting things in my time there. It was a privilege to serve with such great servant leaders, including a senior pastor who loved and lead by great, God-filled example.

It was a wonderful transition in my life, but more transition was ahead of me.

At the time, I was encouraged to pursue ordination as a minister in the Church of the Nazarene – the church in which I was raised and also the church I had faithfully served for many years. The Church of the Nazarene has tracks of study for ordination. If you felt the Lord was leading you to lead a church as a preaching pastor, that is the chief shepherd of the flock, you would pursue ordination as an elder. If you felt the Lord was leading you to work in other areas of ministry – say in the areas of music, youth, or children – you pursued ordination as a deacon.

The problem was technically I should have followed the deacon track but as I pursued my course of study, it became clear that God had other plans. I felt called to preach, my congregation was just shorter and younger than those with whom most preachers worked!

I still truly believe that ministering to children is foundational. And even though my transition from children to adults was a bit rocky, God knew what He was doing. My senior pastor was faithful to God’s leading and though it threw my life into a bit of a tailspin, his admonitions and even his pushing me out of the nest, as it were, all resulted in God’s will being done.

I have been the preaching pastor – and the only pastor – at the churches I serve for 18 years now. The height and age of my congregations have changed but one thing that has not changed? We all need to understand God’s will for our lives. We need to understand God’s word and we need to know how to live it out. We are all God’s children and unless we come to Him in childlike faith, progress in that relationship will be difficult at best.

Lord Jesus, may I continue to learn from You. Continue to inspire me to bring the lofty ideas of Your kingdom down to earth, that Your children may hear and be challenged to grow in You and to be inspired by You, as well, in their daily walk. For that is truly what You did while living amongst us. Amen.

May 25th, 2020, Mon, 8:40 pm