Wednesday, February 28, 2007
A children's story I'll never forget.
A lot of people say they get more out of the children's lesson than they do out of the sermon. As a pastor, I struggle with that, but I will never forget one that I heard or at least something that happened in one a long time ago.
My first pastor when I became a Christian was a man named Bill Waugh. I came to his church with a girl after not having set foot in a church in about seven years. Bill was so totally different from my view of pastors (in a great way) that he really helped change my view of the church. He was thirtyish, (I was 22) clearly lived in the real world and showed me a Jesus that loves me and a Bible that makes sense. Bill didn't tell that famous children's story almost 20 years ago, but you need to know this to understand the rest.
One of the women (I don't remember which one) came down to the front of the church to tell the story. The children came and sat on the floor in front of her and listened. I don't remember what the point of her story was but she began to hold up pictures of people and asked the kids to identify them. Some were famous, they got most of them right, but lastly she held up a picture of Bill and one of the kids, raised his hand and identified the picture as God. Everybody laughed because it was cute, but that has stuck with me ever since. Why, because Bill and every pastor and for that matter every Christian represents God in everything we say and do. Every time I step into my pulpit I need to remember that. Bill did it with me. Bill didn't stand up there all high and mighty and try to act like he was God, he was open and authentic and real and he entered my life humbly and helped me see God.
In 2 Corinthians 5 Paul talks about how God entrusts us with the ministry of reconciliation, that He reconciled us to Himself through Christ and tells us to take that message to the world around us as if God were making his appeal through us. Paul calls us God's ambassadors, How do you represent God?
Â
(0) comments
A lot of people say they get more out of the children's lesson than they do out of the sermon. As a pastor, I struggle with that, but I will never forget one that I heard or at least something that happened in one a long time ago.
My first pastor when I became a Christian was a man named Bill Waugh. I came to his church with a girl after not having set foot in a church in about seven years. Bill was so totally different from my view of pastors (in a great way) that he really helped change my view of the church. He was thirtyish, (I was 22) clearly lived in the real world and showed me a Jesus that loves me and a Bible that makes sense. Bill didn't tell that famous children's story almost 20 years ago, but you need to know this to understand the rest.
One of the women (I don't remember which one) came down to the front of the church to tell the story. The children came and sat on the floor in front of her and listened. I don't remember what the point of her story was but she began to hold up pictures of people and asked the kids to identify them. Some were famous, they got most of them right, but lastly she held up a picture of Bill and one of the kids, raised his hand and identified the picture as God. Everybody laughed because it was cute, but that has stuck with me ever since. Why, because Bill and every pastor and for that matter every Christian represents God in everything we say and do. Every time I step into my pulpit I need to remember that. Bill did it with me. Bill didn't stand up there all high and mighty and try to act like he was God, he was open and authentic and real and he entered my life humbly and helped me see God.
In 2 Corinthians 5 Paul talks about how God entrusts us with the ministry of reconciliation, that He reconciled us to Himself through Christ and tells us to take that message to the world around us as if God were making his appeal through us. Paul calls us God's ambassadors, How do you represent God?
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
“The church is not here to meet our needs. We are the church here to meet the needs of the world.”
- Erwin McManus
Â
(0) comments
- Erwin McManus
