February 5th, 2010 | 
Author: I was in the middle of my children’s sermon. I was speaking about how Jesus was revealed to the shepherds through the presence of an angel and the wise men through a star. All of a sudden one of the kids, five-year-old Ethan stated, “I’m a wise man.”
I remembered that he had played one of the wise men for our Christmas program, so I responded, “Yes, you were one of the wise men weren’t you.”
“I am a wise man,” Ethan corrected me.
The Christmas program was over and all the costumes placed back in the attic until next year, but one thing hadn’t been stored away – Ethan’s identity as a wise man.
I came across this true story told by Max DePree, it really speaks to rural and small town pastors as we sometimes struggle with the numbers game.
He writes: “My brother-in-law came off an Iowa farm and went to seminary when he was around 35. He pastored white Protestant churches until he moved to Bushwick, New York, where he pastored a black church for many years. Then he retired and moved to Grand Rapids where he bought a church building in the heart of the black community.
“The primary thrust of the church is the after-school program for the children of the neighborhood. Over 100 children show up. He recruits many people to teach sewing, accounting, remedial reading – whatever is needed. Then in the summer, he leads a day-long, six-week course concluding with graduation exercises. He’s doing all this – even the janitorial work – though he’s now in his 70s.
It’s hard in ministry to balance “my” work, and God’s work. It is hard to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing, how much and with how much effort, and when I’m supposed to stop, get down on my knees and pray the issue to God and leave it there.
Then something happened in church a while back that gave me some insight.
We were preparing for Holy Communion. I was at the altar ready to say the words of institution. I began: “In the night in which he was betrayed our Lord took bread …” At that point I was preparing to break the bread when I said the next line, when I noticed a slight problem, I had picked up the tray with the wine!
I stopped, looked at what I had in my hand and said, “And so why I’m holding the wine right now, I don’t know.” Everyone burst out laughing while I turned around to get the bread. When I turned back to them I said, “Jesus just does this better than I do.”
We all agreed.
“Jesus just does it better than I do.” That comment has stuck with me. And from it I am learning to get on my knees faster than I used to do. I am learning to trust the power of prayer more than my intellect or muscle or hard work. That doesn’t mean I’m still not working hard – it just means, I know who does it better and so I start there … and things are going better.
God bless, Dan
I’d like to piggy back on my last blog and if you haven’t read the comment from Marty on that blog, please do, its filled with passion and he shares a real life experience of loving. His comment sparked an event that took place about twelve years ago now.
It was Saturday morning and at about 7:30 a.m. the phone rang. It was from someone from the Argyle EMS crew. They told me that they had responded to a 911 call from a couple in the parish and I needed to get up to the house, the husband had died during the night.
I came across a great quote as I was reading Brennan Manning’s book “Souvenirs of Solitude” (Manning wrote the book while still a priest in the Catholic church). I think it really speaks to rural/small town pastors and actually the vast majority of pastors and people working for God.
How do you measure growth in your church? I’ve wrestled with that for a couple of decades now and I’m still aren’t sure what the answer is. I thought I knew, but now I’m pretty sure I don’t. Hence I’m blogging my dilemma in hopes that out there someone does have the answer.
I learned early in my ministry that the increased size of the membership roles didn’t really measure growth. It measured names, but not attendance, involvement, or spiritual development. In fact when I did believe “new members” was the best way to measure growth and focused on that, I found that I not only got new members, but also a very impressive absent membership list a few years later.
There is so much frustration in ministry at times, so I am so happy to share this with you. As I mentioned last week, our church is beginning the “Pray 10 in 2010.” I presented it to the congregation in the newsletter and in a temple talk this past Sunday and then passed out the sign up sheet (and the letter I put in my last blog).
I also made a second challenge to the church. I told them that I was hoping that fifty people from the parish (I pastor a two point parish) would sign up for this. I said, “But I’ve been praying about it and I want to change that to fifty people per congregation or a total of 100 people!
This past Sunday 93 people signed up!
Here is the “Praying 10 in 2010″ that we are beginning on January 19th at our church. January 19th is 30 days to Ash Wednesday. This would certainly work for a Lenten activity or any time of the year.
Since September, I have been wrestling with 2010. It is a challenging time for the church as employment and financial pains striking the community is also striking the congregation. I have talked to a number of pastors who are in similar situations and I have been hearing things like, “Not losing ground is a win in these conditions,” and “We plan on hunkering down and surviving this time and once its over, we’re going to get going again.” I understand these feelings and have even found solace in saying them.
My prayers for 2010 these past months have really led me into the abyss – “Should I be here any longer” and “Nothing is happening and I don’t know if I can be productive anymore at this parish.” It has been a painful process.
But through the struggle I found at the end of November and start of December that I started coming out of the dark abyss (clearly not by my own power, but by God’s) and found myself being filled with a new sense of the presence of God.
I want to wish you all a happy New Year.
This web site is about eight months old now. It has been designed to be a place where rural pastors/parishioners can gather and find encouragement and idea’s for their church. My hope is that this can gather some steam in 2010, and more of you will share thoughts, concerns, joys, ideas, stories, etc.
So, I ask from all of you, please share. That is what I’d like to see in this new year.
Likewise, I ask you, are there things you would like to see on this web site? Let me know so that we can develop this into a very interactive sight.
God bless you all. Dan