Having Fun Yet?

Hello Emmanuel,

Are you having fun yet?

Of all people, pastors should know how much work goes into being the church.  Attending meetings, planning, practicing, studying, evaluating, conflict management, returning phone calls, counseling, sermon prep, writing emails… on and on.  It is easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day tasks of being the church.  Not just pastors, but other church leaders can get caught too.  Not only do other leaders have church tasks to get done, but they also have their regular Monday through Friday jobs, family schedule to manage, etc; 

So the question is a valid one:  Are you having fun?

Last week I made an intentional effort to smell some of the roses that are going on at Emmanuel.  What are the qualities of the church that we can look at and smile about?  What are we having fun with?  God isn’t a fuddy duddy (You think creating the platypus wasn’t fun?).  Why should we not have fun?

2 new Small Groups got started last week; 7 people have joined the church already in 2015; the choir is attempting an Easter cantata; I’m changing my sermon delivery for the 1^st time in 13 years; a brand new copier is sitting in the office; Confirmands are making their banners……

I try to not take myself too seriously, maybe to a fault.  I know that some perceive me as the ‘holy man’ of the church that has the role of blessing others and discouraging unholy behaviors when they occur.  Maybe some need to have that person available to them.  I don’t know if I’m that or not.  Maybe I am at some sort of informal level.  However, I do know that Jesus had to have some sort of laugh….had to have fun at some point during his days.  I know, I know, Scripture makes no mention of it.  Scripture makes no mention of a lot of things we believe were true about Jesus.  I need to believe that Jesus wasn’t a fuddy duddy either (after all, wouldn’t you think walking on water and scaring the you-know-what out of the disciples wasn’t at least a little bit fun(ny)?

So are you having fun?  What isn’t fun about chocolate Easter Eggs or watching hundreds of kids trip over each other to gather 10,000 plastic eggs?  What isn’t fun about legos (coming real soon) or singing catchy songs or movie nights or euchre tourneys or……

Easter is coming.  Life is good.  Don’t forget to stop and see it from time to time.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe