I started preaching when I was 14 or 15. It is safe to say that it is a rare Sunday that I have not been in a pulpit somewhere for the better part of 37 years. This past Sunday I went to church. By that I mean I attended a church service. I didn't have any responsibilities other than to worship and to be spiritually fed. Actually, that's not really correct - I greeted people at the front door as they arrived for church. I didn't even go into the worship center until fully 10 minutes after the service had been underway. As I stood in the back of the church I looked around at the most beautiful sight a senior Pastor could ever hope to see in a church to which he has committed 27 years of his life.
In this post, I would like to describe what I saw, and offer a small interpretation of its significance: On the platform was a very, very talented group of musicians - worshippers really - who were leading the congregation in a time of most beautiful worship. Part of that group was made up of my three sons and one grandson. To my left a beautiful and very serious 9 year old girl was manning a video camera taping the service. Her work was being supervised by an 18 year son of one of our elders. Up to my right the 14 year old son of one of my best friends was expertly operating our projection system that displays the lyrics to our songs and photos of our missionaries when we pray for them.
As I stood there looking toward the front two wonderful ladies were partnering in interpreting the service in ASL for our sizable Deaf congregation. One of them was my wife who has been the champion of our Deaf ministry from the beginning - over ten years. The other is Hannah, our daughter-in-law, the vivacious girl who first won our son's heart and then ours. From the downstairs kitchen the aromas of a delicious meal wafted up the steps as it has every Sunday for over twenty years as our Mercy Ministries folks prepared their weekly meal for the homeless and needy of our community. Every Sunday they prepare for and serve anywhere from 75 to 125 persons a much needed hot meal and the touch of the Master's gentle hand. At the same time one our young ladies was setting a very pleasing looking table with silver trays of cookies and decanters of coffee for our fellowship hour to come later.
One of our young men came to the pulpit and welcomed our visitors and apprised our congregation of the important events they needed to be aware of and another man came offer our weekly prayers for one of our mission families. I hasten to mention that the family for which he prayed is an Agape family; Don and Betty Best. Don is one of our prized elders on permanent assignment in Santarem, Brazil. We have another former elder and his wife serving in Vietnam, and yet another overseeing mission projects all over the world from Central America to Southeast Asia.
Then of course, time for the sermon came and as the people prepared to hear the Word of God I walked to the front of the church, sat down and opened my Bible while my oldest son, Bryan, preached the second of a two part series - "Seeking the Kingdom of God." It was good teaching; well researched, covered in prayer, delivered in a thoughtful and imaginative manner - and we were all challenged. When he was finished, he challenged us to seek the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God in every area of life where we have influence. Then he walked to the back of the church and pronounced the benediction and released the congregation to a time of fellowship before going home.
The people of God were ministered to effectively and efficiently. With commitment to the tasks and compassion for and sensitivity to the needs of the body, this team worked together to serve the Lord and His people. What blessed me as I watched all of this was that the week before when I was ministering in another state, the ministry proceeded with the same passion and efficiency.
It occurred to me as a matter of fact, that I just might be the most "dispensable" member of the team and it further reminded me that what I do is successful only because of the under girding efficiency of those with whom I labor. I have always believed, and believe now, that the goal of every pastor should be to equip the saints for the work of the ministry to such a degree that he becomes a "luxury" to the church, but not a necessity. If circumstances should change, and change they might given the dark clouds that loom on the horizon of our nation, and the church is unable to continue with the same unrestricted freedom we have enjoyed for many years- are our people prepared to continue without us? If they are not so prepared; if they NEED us, then we have failed in the most important task of all.
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