Pastoring a church can be a very surreal experience. You feel normal to yourself but like you come from another planet to many people you associate with.
It feels as though society in general, which was drifting away from it’s connections to orthodox Christian faith is now in freefall. The see saw has well and truly passed half way.
This isn’t just an Everyman phenomena, this applies to churched and church people as well. One cannot assume that because someone occupies a pew that they are on the adventure. One local pastor said to me recently, “It’d be nice if I had a Christian in my congregation”. What?
If you want a passionate snapshot of what a modern day Apostle Paul might be and think like, read Simon Guillebaud’s book (ISBN-13 978-1-85424-760-5 UK). He gives an idea of what a Christian life switched on to Jesus and his adventure might look like. He is a compelling not a condemning author. He is passionate and is no armchair theorist.
When I think about how long I will live and how long I will be dead; when I think about this life as a preparation for the next, how do I want to invest whatever I have left?
Cool book. Scary too. What would it be like to be in free fall sold-out to Jesus like Simon G? the other night saw Bono from U2 in concert. I think I got a taste. Whether Bono is sold out to Jesus I am not sure but he is certainly sold out to helping rid the world of AIDS, poverty and other evils. He strolls around the stage – and a huge circular walkway that sticks out into the crowd like he knows exactly where he is going and why and that isn´t about pleasing us. He is a prophet – it struck me as he sang with SUCH passion – writhed and scowled and pointed and challenged the mob – popping veins and poking fingers and wrenching himself around….and always niggling away with “what time is it ?¨” the core question of the night. Time to stand up? To shout? To be real? To give it your all? Is it time?
Great comment, Sally. Costs too much I think to be a Simon G. He lives here in town and a lot of the younger crowd is really pumped about him and his sold-out-ness. Hope they can hang on to that. Marriage and family without an Acts 2:42-47 community surrounding you is pretty impossible, though. Stay on Fire. Build that community so you can make it.