Thursday, December 15, 2011

Recovery time

As you recover from whatever ails you in the hospital, one has numerous occasions to think. Since I'm already more in the thinking that doing camp, this set me into stages of thinking delirium. In other words, I thought a lot. A lot.

I thought often of how much I love being a pastor, of how much I missed preaching, of how preaching affects me, of how much I miss being the visiting person than the one being visited but how much being visited lifted me each and ever time someone came in.

Reading the Holy Word this morning, I came across this little description of what Paul saw to be the role of ministers under his care...

"Appoint leaders in every town according to my instructions. As you select them, ask, "Is this man well-thought-of? Is he committed to his wife? Are his children believers? Do they respect him and stay out of trouble?" It's important that a church leader, responsible for the affairs in God's house, be looked up to—not pushy, not short-tempered, not a drunk, not a bully, not money-hungry. He must welcome people, be helpful, wise, fair, reverent, have a good grip on himself, and have a good grip on the Message, knowing how to use the truth to either spur people on in knowledge or stop them in their tracks if they oppose it."

I looked inside immediate. Well-thought of? That's for others to decide, of course. Committed to his wife? Not as much as I should be for Mary saved me from the dreaded pneumonia for a second time in just a year. She helps save me daily, though, and I love her as deep as rain falling in the Grand Canyon. Looked up to? The office of pastor is worthy of being looked up to almost immediately. I try to not let people down (though getting sick and missing time really bummed me out, again). Not pushy, short-tempered, not a drunk, bully, money-hungry, welcoming, helpful, wise, fair, reverent, good grip on myself and the Gospel? All I believe I try to be.

Are my children believers? Though they aren't much for attending, I think with my head as well as my heart that they are believers. And I know they love me. Truthfully it it worth being in the dreaded hospital bed simply to be visited with love by your children. Each of my three have grown into wonderful adults and I thank God for them.

Summed into teachable themes, Paul said that those who he wanted to be in charge of his "churches" were not perfect people but men who were committed -- committed to the Lord, to the Message, to family. Committed? You betcha.

I love loving, not being loved. I love teaching as well as being taught. And if three or four days in the hospital are what it takes to again be humbled and to be taught, so be it.

Paul concludes with this sentence: They must pay attention to the reliable message as it has been taught to them so they can encourage people with healthy instruction and refute those who speak against it.

Time in the hospital bed is time well spent if it is not only in recovery but in growth.

1 comment:

Chris Fryou said...

Excellent! You are loved Billy Turner ....whether you like it or not. I think it has something to do with GRACE.