When
I got to my first call the pastors at my new church invited me to dinner, and
to hang out and visit. They made tacos,
and, trust me, they weren’t the kind of tacos we normally experience. Right then I got my first exposure to
California food. Both pastors traded
off; one popped in for a drink and a taco, and then went off to do a service.
The other stopped in for a drink and a taco; then went off to a meeting while
the first pastor returned in a few minutes.
That should have been Mindy’s and my first clue of how things were going
to be in a church of that size. During
the summer, weddings, funerals and church services were many. This seemed to be the pace of my ministry for
five years. One of the things I love
about Mt. Calvary is having the time to truly get to know people, spend time
talking to them, and learning their stories.
This week has become one of those weeks that remind me of the beginning
of my ministry with two funerals along with my regular schedule, but it is
blended with the beauty of knowing the stories.
I
was prompted last Tuesday to call Ethel, and, sure enough, God had a reason. I just woke up that morning feeling like I
hadn’t seen her lately. I tried to call
her all morning long, knowing that typically I am able to reach her right
away. Then I discovered that she was in
a new rehab center, and her phone was not working. I made time to head over there, only to
discover that she was just about to start a rehab session. I asked for a couple minutes with her, and I
held Ethel’s hands and prayed with her. The
first thing out of her mouth was, “Your hands are so warm.” I can barely remember the words I prayed, but
truly felt that at that moment I had become the vessel of Jesus. So often I am humbled when Jesus uses me
because I know I need His grace just as much as the next guy. I noticed Ethel’s daughter, Lois, was
struggling, and so I asked to pray with her for a minute. Even though the visit was very short it was
amazing to watch God work. I came home
and told Mindy I thought Ethel would probably pass soon, not knowing, of course,
what would develop quickly in the next couple of days.
I
had watched Jason Skaggs’ slow decline as the cancer in his body took over. I had met and seen Jason so many times--lively
and loving his family. This time I was
headed over to his home to baptize him. This was a moment his family had been praying
about for years. As I entered his hospital-bed-equipped
room, Jason was quiet, which was typical, but he was even more quiet than
usual. I questioned him about his desire
to be baptized, and his answers confirmed that he was ready for this day. I baptized him, and watched the water run down
his head which was now bald from the treatments. It was an overwhelming experience as I
realized that I got to be the pastor who baptized him. I
prayed with him, and then before I left I got a chance to talk to Ron, his
father-in- law. We recapped this joyous
moment, even though we were also surrounded by the ensuing sadness of his
impending death.
This
week and weekend I, along with the Mt. Calvary family, will spend time with
these families, as we mourn and celebrate. This is what extraordinary servanthood is all
about--looking for opportunities to share the hope we have in Christ. The sadness will develop into sweetness as we
reflect upon what God has done in the lives of these people. This weekend we conclude all of that by
studying Paul’s instructions to the Romans about handling moments like these. We face death and sin all day long, but nothing
can separate us from the love of Christ. We face death in multiple ways this week and
weekend, but we rejoice in the knowledge that Christ has conquered all of this
for us. We will talk about that more
this weekend.
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