Church Council Meetings

Our Church Council Meeting just concluded and everyone has gone home, except me. I remain here in my office to ponder the afterglow, to pick up the last vestiges of church 'business', to tend to remaining items of ministry . . . and to thank God for the good people of the Church Council.

Now, I know what some of you ministers are thinking - and I am fairly certain most lay folks believe it, too, but I haven't gone looney, nor am I seeking some sort of pat on the back: I am absolutely, incredibly grateful to God for the folks with whom I am blessed to share ministry in this place and time. They are, every one of them, a gift of a very loving God.

In fairness, there are times that God's 'gifts' to ministry in the church are sometimes gag gifts or mystery gifts, but always they are gifts . . . and don't Church Council's sometimes think of their pastor(s) in the same way?! Yet, this particular group of folk have quickly gelled, have found God's Spirit in each other, and celebrate God's expression of faithfulness which is 'in' the other. This Council, not unlike Council's before them or Council's which will come after them, this Council is a unique blending of those very same folks Jesus called to follow Him in ministry and all of the saints throughout the history of the Church: They are God's gift. They are who they are and God is using them in particular ways for God's will to be accomplished, for the Kingdom to be made manifest, for Christ's love to be shared with others.

Yes, I am certain that there are some folks who serve on Church Council's who believe themselves to be God's gift to humanity, but that is a far different expression of 'gift' than I am intending here. These particular folks are living articulations of the word, 'blessed', as Jesus used that word (sometimes translated, 'happy') in the Sermon on the Mount: They are humbly filled with joy because God is with them in their living. The Greek word is 'Makapioi' (using English letters for Greek letters) or 'makarioi', an expression of a sense of happiness in understanding that the very presence of God is with a person in whatever portion of life they are journeying. With these folks, such truth emerges in the way they regard each other, their sacred trust as leaders in the church, and, most importantly, who they are as disciples of Christ.

I am blessed to be their Pastor, for they are far better examples of Christ's Presence among us than any Sunday sermon I could ever hope to preach. They 'get it' . . . and they 'live it'.

My prayer for you this night, in the presence of the God who births us all to be a light unto the nations, is that you be a blessing to others. Rather than wonder why other people aren't a blessing to you, concern yourself with so living in faith that, when you walk out of the room, the Pastor who remains after the meeting will be thanking God for having shared even a few moments with you. If we all so live, 'makrioi', blessed will be our world . . . and night will become as day - for the glory of the Lord will shine throughout the land.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don