THE SPIRIT OF THE THING - 30 FOR 30

On June 28th I will celebrate my 30th anniversary of ordination, or more simply, 30 years as a pastor. Whether God’s Church or the Holy Spirit will also celebrate, I cannot say.

Reflecting upon the first half of my ministry, I’ve come up with 30 things the Lord has taught me over these 30 years. In no particular order…

1. It’s not about you.  When I first read that opening line to Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life, I wondered how he stole my stuff! This is the main truth of growing up: the world does not revolve around you. The Bible portrays the glory of God, not Steve. The more I grow up, the more powerful this truth is.
2. Know grace.  God’s undeserved love for us because of Jesus Christ. You can’t buy it. You can’t live without it.
3. Be a God-pleaser.  I’ve always had an outsized desire to be liked, to be praised. That means I’ve got the mindset of a performer, which is good until it isn’t. God has to continually remind me that I play for an audience of One.
4. God is love.  He loves. He loves to love. He loves to love those He loves. He loves me, even when I don’t. He is love.
5. Paul was wrong.  When he claimed to Timothy that he was the worst of sinners, he hadn’t met me yet.
6. Most times there’s only one frog.  Or two. This is from a parable about a man who was kept up at night by the unbearably loud croaking of all the frogs by the pond outside his window. What he thought were thousands of frogs were really only two. This was first shared with me years ago by a great church friend who knew I thought I had a thousand frogs.
7. After the Word, music is the greatest gift. Luther’s line about the gifts God gives to His Church resonates with me. I believe every worship service should be defined by great preaching and great music. My favorite hymn is still “For All the Saints,” though “Unbounded Grace” and “Love Was When” may have to join my Mount Rushmore alongside “Crown Him with Many Crowns.” My favorite spiritual song is “You Are My All in All,” but “There’s Joy in the House of the Lord” is coming up fast. Anyone else care to chime in on this?
8. I’m doing what God created me to do. I’m really not qualified for anything else. There is no higher office in the Kingdom of Grace. I’m at the top of my profession.
9. Boundaries are great. But I suck at them. Not good. 
10. We are always one generation away. From extinction: the Church, that is. Kids are confused and afraid, much like we were. Our ministry must focus on the most vulnerable, always. Most adults have at least a little foundation. Our kids are still trying to build theirs, and the devil keeps stealing their tools.
11. Don’t be Sgt. Hulka.  In Stripes, when he climbs the rope up to the tower platform, Sgt. Hulka looks down on the troops and says, “Any of you (lesser people) want to climb up here and knock me off?” He and the platform then get hit by a stray mortar. Don’t be Sgt. Hulka.
12. Adult Christians will not always act adult or Christian. One look in the mirror should prove that.
13. The two Foundational Facts of all human enlightenment: 1) There is a God. 2) You are not Him.
14. I believe God has a hidden means of grace for babies. This runs a bit counter-clockwise, as the word sacrament entails a mystery revealed. But I believe God, in His infinite love for His precious children, provides a dose of saving grace to those He creates who never see the light of day, or only for a short time. I believe this is what David is hinting at in 2 Samuel 12:23, even though he doesn’t spell it out. Not a doctrine; an intuition.
15. Christians are dying to live. Most people are living to die, wandering through life with no meaning or purpose. In Christ, the old me dies with Him on the cross, so that the new me lives with Him daily. We die to live. That’s sanctification.
16. Don’t schedule against the Packers. 
17. God does not need your good works, but your neighbor does. Originally Luther, not me. But he’s spot on.
    
18. The Holy Spirit accomplished the Reformation. Philip and I sat around and drank beer. Also Luther.
    
19. Where death is, sin was. Death came into the world through sin, and the wages of sin is death. The only way to conquer death is to conquer sin. Enter Jesus.
    
20. The worst sinner ever was … Jesus. Despite my debate with Paul, He who knew no sin became sin for us. Jesus became sin. He took upon Himself every sin of every sinner of all time. For six hours on a Friday, on a hill outside of Jerusalem, He became the worst sinner because He became all the sinners.
    
21. I got nothing. Nothing I can add to the Cross. Nothing I can contribute to the transaction of salvation. Nothing I can give to God that’s worth a damn thing. Not my heart – just a rusty tin can on a garbage heap. Not a prayer, since dead people can’t talk. Not a decision to accept, as I just don’t have that power. It’s all grace, or none at all. All Jesus, no me.
    
22. I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Not run. Not fly. It’s a walk, usually slow and difficult. Fortunately, I have company.
    
23. If you’re the lead car, check your mirrors. Make sure they’re still behind you, and don’t push the gas so much you lose them.
    
24. Never steal on an 0-2 count. 
25. I’m not just a salesman; I’m a customer as well. As much as I love to share forgiveness, life and salvation in Christ, I must never lose sight of the fact that I need those things too.
26. The Law is always louder than the Gospel. It’s easier and more fun to preach the fire and brimstone of the Law, but the sweet whisper of the Gospel has more staying power. I am a works-based organism dealing with a grace-based God.
    
27. Sometimes you lose.  Not everyone will listen. Not everyone will respond. Not everyone will get it. I have to accept that nobody goes undefeated. Except in Pickleball.
    
28. Being a pastor’s wife or kid is a whole different ballgame. He doesn’t have a set schedule. He only gets one day off a week, and it’s not the weekend. He has meetings and ministries that keep him from being at all the games and performances. He can never be their pastor, so their soul care has to come from somewhere else. They have to listen to him bark or brag, and then somehow remind him who the real Boss is. He cannot be who he is or do what he does without them. They are the stars, the heroes that rarely get noticed or mentioned. They are the presence of Christ in his life.
    
29. The Bible never says Jesus had scars. The nail marks thing was Thomas’ idea, and John does not state that the risen Jesus had them. But the text makes a rather solid implication. The point is this: don’t try to make God say something He doesn’t say, and don’t deny the truth when it comes from God Himself. Jesus was neither a Republican nor a Socialist, so don’t drag Him into your political agendas. Everyone on the side of truth listens to Jesus, even if they don’t like what He says. The Word always wins.
    
30. Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?”  The greatest question in all human experience, awaiting the most crucial answer of any final exam ever given. When He introduces Himself to me in His Word, when I get to know Him and realize how well He knows me – and loves me anyway – then I know the answer.

 
Which brings me back to #1.