Pastor’s Desk for
November 2005
Greetings,
Somewhere between working for a living, preparing a sermon for Sunday, taking a moment to enjoy a meal or two each day, and sleep, I must now grab the time to write this Pastor’s Desk letter. (You ladies are probably saying, now he’s getting a feel for what it’s like being a mom… well, maybe.)
Last week I was called upon to perform my very first memorial service. It was like no other service I had ever prepared for. I contemplated what I would say with the realization that there’s only one chance to get it right. In the end, I believe that I served the family and friends of the deceased adequately enough. But somehow it seemed that I should have done more.
Spending time with the family, I was amazed at how much I didn’t know about this person whom I considered a friend. The recognition that came out of all my preparation was how little each of us really gets to know about the other. It seems that, for the most part, our relationships are far too shallow. Certainly we lack the luxury of long hours spent together in revealing conversation. I suppose many of us likely feel that others wouldn’t be interested in our past accomplishments. Or perhaps we would rather not speak of such things because it sounds too much like bragging.
Let us consider, for a moment, Paul’s letter to the Philippians where he flashes his credentials to make a point (PHP 3:4-7). I suppose all of us have some part of our lives where, from a purely human perspective, we would have reason to boast of our accomplishments. Perhaps we are too humble to consider anything we’ve ever done to be of any importance. (Perhaps… but not likely.) But if you pay careful attention to what Paul is saying here, he is talking about how “qualified” he is (from a human perspective) and yet how meaningless it all is “…compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…” (v 8).
If Paul hadn’t shared in this way, not only would we not know Paul as well as we do, but we also wouldn’t know Jesus as well either, because there are aspects of Christ revealed in Paul’s words about how he views his past accomplishments in light of the present revelation of God in Christ.
So, consider sharing with others what Jesus has done in your life, what great adventures he has taken you on, what great wisdom he has led you to. While you’re at it, perhaps you can also share some moments where you fell far short and might have given up the fight if it weren’t for the grace of our Lord (and perhaps the encouragement of our friends). Your sharing could be just the boost that someone needs to get through the rough spots they find themselves in.
As I have said many times, one of the best ways to get to know Jesus is to get to know his brothers and sisters. After all, we are called to be a unified family, close knit – like the parts of a body – working together for the good of the whole.
May God bless you richly during this season of thanksgiving.
Pastor Thom
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