10/25/17
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
The work of a pastor or evangelist is exhausting. It really is. You are constantly on call, you are telling people things they don’t want to hear but which are more important to them than they can imagine. You may take a day off now and then, but it’s unclear what it means to have a day off. After all, you are always thinking about the needs, the troubles, the dangers of your people. You are constantly confronted by your own inadequacy and sinfulness.
Am I complaining? Not at all. I’m actually paraphrasing the message of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13, our epistle reading for this week. It’s a hard life. I freely admit it, and my family would agree even faster than I would. But there’s a great reward involved. At the end of the passage Paul speaks of the thanksgiving he has. The cause? The Thessalonians received the Word of God as a message from God, not as Paul’s opinion. And the Word of God is good news to all who believe.
Through God’s Word we are given the faith to believe that Jesus can release us from bondage to sin. It’s through God’s Word that we receive eternal life. It’s God’s Word which tells us about the hope of resurrection. It’s God’s Word which tells us our best efforts, which always fall short, are simply what God uses to love and serve our neighbors. This is a divine message indeed.
October is often marked as “pastor appreciation month.” Would you like to show your pastor some appreciation? Hear and receive the message of the Gospel gladly. Tell your pastor that you want to learn more of God’s Word. Visit with your pastor and ask for guidance in spiritual things. Show your pastor that you do really believe he is God’s messenger for your good. Put him to work with the very rewarding part of his job, hearing that the Gospel is workin in your life.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.
The work of a pastor or evangelist is exhausting. It really is. You are constantly on call, you are telling people things they don’t want to hear but which are more important to them than they can imagine. You may take a day off now and then, but it’s unclear what it means to have a day off. After all, you are always thinking about the needs, the troubles, the dangers of your people. You are constantly confronted by your own inadequacy and sinfulness.
Am I complaining? Not at all. I’m actually paraphrasing the message of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13, our epistle reading for this week. It’s a hard life. I freely admit it, and my family would agree even faster than I would. But there’s a great reward involved. At the end of the passage Paul speaks of the thanksgiving he has. The cause? The Thessalonians received the Word of God as a message from God, not as Paul’s opinion. And the Word of God is good news to all who believe.
Through God’s Word we are given the faith to believe that Jesus can release us from bondage to sin. It’s through God’s Word that we receive eternal life. It’s God’s Word which tells us about the hope of resurrection. It’s God’s Word which tells us our best efforts, which always fall short, are simply what God uses to love and serve our neighbors. This is a divine message indeed.
October is often marked as “pastor appreciation month.” Would you like to show your pastor some appreciation? Hear and receive the message of the Gospel gladly. Tell your pastor that you want to learn more of God’s Word. Visit with your pastor and ask for guidance in spiritual things. Show your pastor that you do really believe he is God’s messenger for your good. Put him to work with the very rewarding part of his job, hearing that the Gospel is workin in your life.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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