Ahhh, That Was Good!

I just got off the phone with Archie.  He is the lead pastor at my former church.  Over the years he was a teammate in ministry and an informal mentor.  There is much about ministry and life that I have gained from him.  Today when I called him on the phone, I called as a friend.  We talked about ministry, about personal aches and pains, and even about ministry aches and pains.

After the phone call, I pushed back from my desk and reflected on the contented warm feeling I had.  It was the feeling you get after eating just enough at a great meal.  Not too much because then you become uncomfortable.  There is something great about having just enough.  It makes you push away from the table a bit, take in a big lung full of air, pat your belly, and exhale while saying "Ahhh, that was good!"

I like conversations like that where afterwards I say, "Ahhh, that was good!"  Mostly that is with good friends.  Many times I have them after an honest talk with God.    My problem is that I let guilt get in the way of the "ahhh".  My guilt arises when I think of how long it has been since I have been fully honest with God.  Or when I think how I am failing in so many other areas of my life.  And the "ahhh" begins to slip from my grasp.

The thought that brings it back is that my God loves to talk to me.  I don't understand it because I don't find my ability for conversation all that thrilling sometimes.  Actually, there are times where I think that I am just boring!  But my God loves to hear me call him up anyways and just say hi.  He answers before the phone rings!  And, he doesn't start yelling at me because it has been so long since our last conversation.  My God hears my voice and it is like no time has even passed since our last talk.

Then when I hang up, I am sure that he sits back and reflects that one of his children called.  A child that he cherishes and loves.  He smiles at the idea that we had an honest moment together and that I still like to hear his voice.  And I can just hear him exhale, pat his belly, and say, "Ahhh, that was good!"

The Same, Just Different!

It has been fun lately to clear out my email address book lately.  (I call it updating because it has a better sound than deleting.)  And, it is not that I am deleting them out of my life but I no longer need their personal numbers anymore at the touch of my fingers.  If I need them I can always contact Lois or Angel or Archie because they have everyone's numbers in the entire world!

So, yesterday I ran across the email to an older couple from Williamsburg Canada where I did my internship 2 years ago.  They were an awesome couple that I seemed to connect well with.  So I sent them an email.  They wrote back about the exciting things happening at their church with new staff members and the pastor who was on sabbatical at the time and came back with renewed energy.  That was great news to me because I had a great time with the congregation that summer.

I remember that the church style was very far from what I was comfortable.  There's was quite traditional with the organ and hymn book setting the tone for the worship service.  (I will write some day on having an organ in worship.)  Many people wore suit and ties in this "country" church.  Most came to Canada from the Netherlands in the 1950's after the war.  There was a structure for the service that was strategically placed with good theology behind it.  They began Sunday morning with 3 songs as a "warm up" before the worship service officially began.  It began when I as the pastor was ushered into the sanctuary by an elder during the third song.  This style was not comfortable for me.

Today, I serve in a church is more urban that located in an old car dealership between a bar and a car wash.  I felt over dressed last Sunday when I wore khaki's and a button down shirt.  There is a wide variety of people from socioeconomic statuses and ethnicities.  There is a worship team that leads the praise songs with loud guitars and keyboards.  The drummer and bass player were not able to play last Sunday but that would have been cool too.

The biggest thing that I notice is that the people of both churches love God, want to hear words of life from  him, and seek to live lives that glorify him.  They are the same in focus yet different in style.  The reason I had such a great time in Williamsburg was the people I met and their honest hearts for God.  Style is style but the hearts of the people are what makes or breaks it for me.

So far I love the hearts of those that I have met at Celebration.  I have seen how God has worked in their lives and look forward to seeing him move in the months to come.  I love the fact that God works his will in the various settings and different styles of his people.  Walking through life with God is so cool!

Like I Thought

How many things actually live up to the promotion or behave as advertised?  When my kids get their Christmas presents, will they be thrilled as the commercial said that they would? (That is if we actually give them presents besides coal, but that is another story.)  I do not like to be disappointed by a product that does not live up to my expectations but sometimes am.  No matter how much I research and shop and attempt to evaluate all of the variables, I still am let down by a under performing item.  Let's hope that my shopping for a smart phone today does not lead me to this possibility.

Yesterday at my church, Sunday, the people lived up to expectations and were just as I thought they would be.  As the worship time concluded and people began leaving the room, there were few that immediately left the building.  One couple that left early told me beforehand that the wife had to get to work before noon.  Almost everyone else stayed to have coffee and cookies and converse with each other.  It was as if they even LIKED the other people that they worshiped with that morning.  The entry way at church was filled with an increased volume level with people laughing, joking, talking, and even crying with each other.  It was this way for more than 45 minutes after the close of the worship service.

Of the many things that drew me to Celebration, the people were a huge part of it.  I am used to being around fun, loving, genuine people that actually care for each other.  When I was interviewing at other churches I wondered and even was anxious to find a church that would be like that.  During my interview in Muskegon I found the kind of people that I was looking for.  However, I did wonder whether this was only a facade for the interview.  Sunday morning removed any doubt.

It is a wonderful thing to have things be just as I thought they would be, when people are authentic.  Are the people perfect?  I hope not!  I have not found a perfect church yet and am guaranteed to never find one simply because of who I am.  But I am drawn to the people!  A person may come to church for the pastor but they stay for the people.  I am glad that the people at Celebration are just like I thought!