The New Adventure

Well, I've started a new job, and if it works out, my ministry may turn to being there for other pastors. I'm training as a photo tech with the possibility of becoming the team lead at a brand new Walgreen's store in Evergreen, Colorado. I've had a week of training and seem to be coming along nicely. I've made some mistakes, asked some questions more than once, but I am learning what I need to know. The biggest thing over the next week and a half is to get 17 computer modules completed per my new manager's wishes. I've worked the opening shift and the closing shift. I've processed film - it's all automated, taken orders, run the register and helped get the shelves lined with sale tags and kept up their appearance.

The thing I think I like most is the ability to walk away from the job at night and know that I'm not likely to get called for an emergency, not needing to go to a meeting where someone will light in to me for a difference of opinion instead of dealing with the facts. I'm here, I serve our customers and my fellow employees, I do my job, then I get to go home to my wife, and not need to boil over for a hour to become even close to being able to sleep. I can play computer games with my daughter for the sheer enjoyment of the games without NEEDING to bash "booglies" to slow down and get rid of frustrations.

You know, now that I think of it, shouldn't the church also be able to let their pastor go home that way? Why do we seem to feel a need to dump all our frustration and anger on the one person who is supposed to be there to help us? Why do we feel the need to argue with the one who has the training to help guide the changes we might need to make? Where in those beloved scriptures does it say the pastor is the whipping member of the church? I know Jesus spoke of the first being the last, but I'm not sure he was referring to the pastor being the crapper of the church. I truly think the Savior was saying we ALL need to come down off our high horses, get used to the idea that we are CALLED to MINISTRY and SERVICE, roll up our sleeves and ALL strive to do the work of the Christ in our world - not pay someone a salary and require them to forget their own life in order to fulfill the dreams and wants of everyone else.

Some of my anger has come to the fore, but that's alright because Jesus wasn't slow to tell the disciples or the listening crowds where they were failing and how to get it right - though I'm not sure he had much more success than pastors do in that regard. Perhaps the time has come for pastors to reassert the prophetic role once again, and call a few spades by their rightfully earned names. May the quite humble folk of the church need to find their voices and tell some of those big-money-loudmouths to sit down and shut up, or take their money and find another place to bully folk into being an extension of their desire to be pampered - because there is ministry to be done here, and only action people are desired. Wow! That's quite a dream, but it just might be the dream necessary for Christianity to reassert its rightful place in the world, to make the whole voice of Christianity heard instead of one hate-filled strand.

Anyway, the new job is pretty nice for a change, and I've given you a bit to chew on!

Peace!