During my 20's and 30's, I had a couple job interviews at churches, and these interviews didn't sit right with me. In each, there was a moment where they asked me something like: "So, what do you plan to do to make our church grow?"
I looked at them blankly. I shuffled. I'm sure I blinked a few times. The question seemed preposterous. I lived in Texas and later, Colorado. These interviews were in … well, a long way from there. And those weekends were the first time I'd ever stepped across the threshold of their fair city. I stumbled about, and eventually gave an answer about needing to learn the people and the place before I could say anything that wouldn't be just me making stuff up. Of course, I never got the job.
I'm older now, a tad wiser. I don't suspect I'll ever find myself in such an interview with such a church again. However, there's plenty of places where pastors gather round the ecclesiastical water cooler and toss back and forth this same sort of drivel.
In the future, I think I'll simply quote Mark 4, shrug my shoulders and say, "Heck if I know."
Then Jesus said, "God's kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!
Winn, my good friend Jad Taylor preached just this past sunday at Clemson United Methodist on the same passage. This passage is really inspiring because it lets even the highest of pastors not forget that it is not done through us but through the Lord. Hope you are doing well and God be with you, Miska, Seth and Wyatt.
Peets
good word, Peets. Good to hear from you.
That verse has been such a relief to me recently. Thanks for this post!
they’ve been words to my parched soul as well.