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
This Sunday, March 3,
I will step up into the pulpit to begin my service as the Intentional Interim
Minister of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Quincy, Illinois. I will strive with all my
energy and faithfulness to become the congregation's "pastor" for this season of our lives, as
well. I will invite folks to share in five
developmental areas of focus for this period that is sometimes referred to as
an “in-between time.” We will speak
often about these five focal points: coming
to terms with history, discovering a new identity, managing leadership shifts,
strengthening denominational and ecumenical connections and becoming
committed to a new future.
I have been blessed
to live out thirty-eight 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 fifteen
churches in four mainline denominations in the Northeast and the Midwest. First Christian will be the sixteenth! 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 people 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 in every setting, I have discovered
people who love their community and have a tremendous loyalty to the men and women,
youth and children who have grown up beside them as their friends and
neighbors.
But in spite of my
joy of service in ministry, I am clear that Christian ministry is not a privilege
belonging to a few “set-apart” pastors. Rather, it is a responsibility belonging to all
the people who consider themselves to be members of Christ’s living body, the
Church!
If we follow Christ,
we are one of Christ’s disciples. Ask yourself
today: 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 eagerly anticipate coming to know where
your joy lies.
I look forward to
greeting you at the church door or in places where we share ministry together!
Grace and Peace!
"Pastor
Paul"
