Another “Thank You”

Lanelle and I once again say, “Thank You for your kindness to us.” The Lord has greatly blessed us by letting us be with you for these nine months. You are a wonderful church! You are wonderful people! Josh is greatly blessed by being able to be your pastor.

How to Support Your New Pastor
This Sunday, I will preach on the topic, “How to Support Your New Pastor.” I am going to give you a preview of the message in case you won’t be at the service. You may need to have it in print for future review.

First, Pray for Him. Pray every day. Pray twice on Saturday. In your Saturday prayers, pray that he will preach with Spirit-prompted unction and that you will come hungry for such a sermon.

Sometimes, people complain, “I’m just not being fed.” Usually, they are meaning that the pastor’s sermons are inadequate. I know that it takes two elements to make a good meal: good food and a good appetite. As a preacher, I know that I do not always serve up a gourmet sermon. I also know that some people come to church with a spiritually soul stomach. Come hungry. Pinto beans and cornbread are delicious if you’re hungry enough.

Second, Encourage Him I could never say that being a pastor is any more difficult or stressful than any other vocation. I can say that pastoring is stressful. I will mention two reasons out of several. One is that pastoring is people-intensive. Any vocation that is heavily people-centered is more stressful, for the needs of people are endless. Also, some people are unkind. Sheep bite. Another reason is that a pastor focuses on eternal issues – sin and salvation, heaven and hell. These are heavy and constant.

Third, Be Realistic in Your Expectations. Josh is not the Messiah, Jesus is. He is a human being just like you. He will make mistakes, just like you. He will forget names, just like you. At some point, he will make a statement he wishes he had not made, just like you.

When he does something with which you disagree, don’t mention it to anyone (spouse, friend, Sunday School class) before you mention it to him and before you mention it to him, read Matthew 18:15. Then read Matthew 7:1-5. Pray for enough humility to consider that you might be wrong.

I pastored three churches for 24 years. In each church, I had two or three members who thought that their spiritual gift was to keep the pastor humble. There is no such spiritual gift listed in the Bible.

Pastors get too much praise when things go well and too much blame when they don’t.

Church is a team exercise. The EHBC team will determine the effectiveness and success of Josh’s ministry. Go Team!!!

He Who Laffs Lasts
Some funnies from James Sharpe:
Never slap a man who’s chewing tobacco.
There are two theories to arguing with a woman….neither works.
Never miss a good chance to shut up.
If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.
The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket.
Lettin’ the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier’n puttin’ it back in.

Dale

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FOCUSED

One of the casualties of aging to which I find myself a victim is the dimming of the eyes.  Ecclesiastes 12 counsels the young person to remember God, their Creator, in their youth before the aging process takes over and various faculties, as listed in verses 1-7, are diminished.

Clear eyesight when we are young may be something we take for granted. However, as we age the realization that our vision is not as sharp as it once was takes hold. “Readers” become standard fare for all intricate tasks. Our once keen laser sharp focus is now blurry and in need of help to restore its youthfulness. That restoration is found through glasses or some sort of rejuvenating surgery. Especially in the early stages of this degenerative eye problem we may be able to fake it and get by, but eventually we must relent and do something to correct the problem.

There is a parallel between physical and spiritual vision. “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” was written in the early 20th century. The hymn writer, Helen Lemmel, was strongly influenced by the artist and later little-known missionary, Lilias Trotter. Miss Trotter started off as an aspiring artist but early on felt a call from God to reach the lost. She began her ministry by rescuing prostitutes from the streets of London. Later she went to Africa, without missionary funding, and served for over forty years. While there she penned a poem that would greatly influence the writing of the hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”  The poem was entitled “Focused: A Story and Song.” 

The poem centers around focusing one’s attentions fully and completely upon God. She writes that Satan knows that if a person uses all their powers of concentration on being led by God’s Spirit, they will have a great intensity and impact upon those to whom they are called to minister. Lilias Trotter, writing in a more formal use of the English language than we are accustomed, shares some timeless insights which could very easily have been written today but with a different accent. She writes: “Never has it been so easy to live in half a dozen good harmless worlds at once—art, music, social science, games, motoring, the following of some profession, and so on. And between them we run the risk of drifting about, the ‘good’ hiding the ‘best’ even more effectually than it could be hidden downright frivolity with its smothered heartache at its own emptiness.”

The “good” hiding the “best” leads us to emptiness.  Could this be true of us today especially as American Christians? Have we sought the “good” while missing the “best”? The chorus of the hymn, which we will be singing in worship this Sunday, says it best.

                Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,                                                                                                                                        And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Keith Pate

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