16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. —Colossians 3:16-17
Today, June 1, I quietly mark the accomplishment of thirty-five years of ordained ministry. It is amazing to me as I look back upon the many ministry settings where I have been privileged to serve, and the significant number of people whose lives I have touched. I have been the pastor or on the staff of thirteen churches in four mainline denominations. I cannot begin to count the total baptisms and confirmations, weddings and, yes, funerals at which I have officiated. And being in ministry has brought me to homeless shelters and county jails, to college campuses and public school classrooms, to nursing homes and hospices and hospitals, all places where I have been challenged to express the gospel in words and actions that could be readily understood, even by those without any previous experience of Christianity or attending a church.
Indeed, my role as pastor has opened doors that have brought me to encounters with presidents and prisoners, street thugs and business leaders. I have held the hands of the dying and the grieving, prayed with the impoverished, the desperate and the abused, and plotted transformation and renewal with people of passion and privilege.
And the past five years have given me some unique opportunities in Boone, Iowa, where I am currently called to minister: among a group of people who love their community and have a tremendous loyalty to the men and women who have grown up beside them as their friends and neighbors.
But at Central Christian, as in other local church settings through the years, it has been clear that the ministry is not a privilege belonging to a few privileged pastors but a responsibility belonging to all the people who consider themselves to be living members of Christ’s living body, the Church!
If we follow Christ, we are one of Christ’s disciples. We may ask ourselves: what is my responsibility within the body of Christ? Who has God called me to care for, to empower or to support? With whom am I called to witness to my faith and live out what I believe?
Each of us has an amazing life story to tell about our own journey of faithful living and serving. I invite us -- through our writing, posting, tweeting, status updates, or most especially, through our face-to-face encounters with one another -- to share those stories and learn from one another what God is calling us to do and to be!
I look forward to greeting you at the church door or in places where we share ministry together!
Grace and Peace!
"Pastor Paul"
