There were several friends from across the CGGC present to celebrate with the church and Tom and Debbie on this special day. A lot of Tom and Debbie’s extended family made the trip from across the Midwest to join the fun as well. The congregation at Silver Creek did a wonderful job of expressing their appreciation for the past 20 years and celebrating their pastor’s service to Jesus and His church. I even got to reconnect with some old friends that I haven’t seen for a long time.
My second story was from my Camp Maranatha days. Tom was the counselor of my cabin during my final year as a camper. I know this will come as a surprise, but I could be a bit ornery in my younger days (I’m glad I’ve outgrown all of that now). For some reason unclear to me now, I and my fellow cabin-mates decided to move Tom’s bed outside one evening and then disguised the awkwardly open space with four strategically placed chairs and a bed sheet to cover our crime. Again, for reasons that are unclear now some thirty years later, we also decide to sneak out of the cabin while our counselor Tom had stepped out for a moment. I’m certain we probably intended to do some type of all-night prayer meeting under the stars.
Tom caught us as we were sneaking away from the cabin and order us back to our beds. Tom stood in the doorway lecturing us about being the senior boys and needing to set a better example, and so on and so forth; the whole time somewhat distracted by the four chairs and sheet in the middle of the room where his bed had been. Tom had a patient love for us that resembled the patient love our heavenly Father has for us. We were certainly squirrelly and mischievous and even out-right rebellious at times that week, but Tom kept patiently loving us and investing into our lives and I’ve never forgotten the influence he’s had on my life and ministry.
Pastors get a bad rap these days. We live in a society that no longer appreciates or respects their role or their work and contribution to the community. In Christian circles we’re rediscovering the critical importance of Ephesians 4:11-13: “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” For far too long, the church has tried to function without the full gift expression of apostles, prophets, and evangelists alongside pastors (shepherds) and teachers. While it’s vitally important that we rediscover the gifting and work of apostles, prophets and evangelists to fully engage in the kingdom of God, I fear that this is often talked about in ways that discredits or underappreciates the work of shepherds and teachers. We need all the gift-mix to allow the body of Christ to thrive. We need more apostles, prophets and evangelists, but we still need pastors and teachers too.
Is there anyone pointing at my life and saying “Lance pointed me to Jesus and made a difference in my life?” Is there anyone pointing at your life and saying “you pointed me to Jesus and made a difference in my life?” My friend Tom has pointed a lot of people to Jesus and made a difference in their lives, I’m one of those people. I want to be that type of person too.
May we all step up and live our lives with the goal of pointing people to Jesus.
Christ’s Peace,
Lance