Wednesday, December 18, 2019

A lonely place

It has been almost 2 years since I have blogged or written anything down. Today I realized I need to return to sharing thoughts. No matter what I do or say someone will like it and someone will hate it, that is the world we live in. 

I have now been a pastor of a small country church for 3 1/2 years and it has been the loneliest job I have ever experienced. Moving to Africa and being one of the few white people around and not speaking was easier than this role God called me to. In the three previous churches I worked in I was a part of a staff, a team, a family. We met together, shared together, and made decisions together. In a small country setting it is you and when it fails it is you same as when it succeeds. No matter what you decide someone will not like it and tell you about it, yet forgot to thank you when they appreciate something. 

Yet when I study the New Testament this is not the model of church one guy doing "all" the work and making all the decisions. Now don't get me wrong we have elders and board members but it still falls on my shoulders and the people complain to me and not the others. We have become a consumer based society and church. I came in today to get filled up and you didn't meet my needs. I didn't like _________ you fill in the blank. Then people leave, stop coming, or throw tantrums until they get their way. Again this is not biblical. In fact Christ let those people walk away.

We should come to church full because we spent our week walking with God. We come together to encourage, sharpen, and share what we are learning. Of course we have bad weeks and at times we may come leaking, but the pastor job alone is not to fill us. He will assist in the fill up, but it is up to us as we spend time with our Father as well.

We are the body and we each have gifts and across the American church we need to act like a body that cares and loves each other. We need to be willing to serve others no matter who they are. We need to rely on the Spirit and obey what it tells us. We need to use our gifts and share our struggles. 

Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:9 
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
We are the priesthood now! Each of us who claim to be Christians. Our bodies are the temple and we transform into one body/temple which is Christ. So we all have a role in this journey. None of us get to sit back and let others do the work, we are called to do the work that God prepared for us ahead of time (Eph 2:10)
By doing the things we are commanded it is no longer a lonely place to serve but one of joy and hardships. It will still be hard and have its ups and downs but sharing and doing life together takes away the loneliness and isolation. The enemy works hard to isolate us it is time to obey Gods command and fill each other as we are also filled. 
To show the world a different life and way to life. To bring hope, peace, joy, and love to those around us. To give them a glimpse of heaven here on earth and a taste of what is yet to come in Christ return. 
That is why I choose to write today. I am tried of being lonely and the bad guy. I want to share what I learn to help encourage others who may be in a lonely place as well. That we are not alone at all in fact we are in this together.