Oh Brother

I will be on vacation Sept 26-Oct 2.  You can call Muriel Cunningham with any church issues 513-284-3169.  Otherwise, I am always available to set up any appointment if you need to talk about anything.  You can call me at 513-463-7378 or email me at pastorjoe@emmanuel-umc.com.

Hello Church,

I am taking a little time off to travel to the great city of Pittsburgh.  I have been there a couple of times before.  Aside from the confusing maze of bridges, I find it a nice place.  I'm looking forward to it for some unique reasons.....

First, the schedule lined up so that I can see the Reds and the Bengals in the same weekend.  The Reds finish their season against the Pirates.  The Bengals finish their hopes against the Steelers.  Yes, I know... not a great baseball team and not an average football team... which leads me to another unique reason....

I will be with my brother.

We have a history, John and I.  We have traveled to the likes of San Diego, L.A., St. Louis, D.C., New York and other places.  There are stories to be told that you will never read in this blog.  Suffice it to say that I am his brother and not his pastor.  The lack of label changes expectations a bit.  Regardless, if I ever acted like a pastor in front of him he would either laugh at me or chastise me or both.   He won't hit me.  I'm the older.  He knows better.

While specific stories won't be shared here, there is an interesting dynamic between him and I that I have with no one else.  When it is time for vacation, it is only time for vacation.  We channel the inner I-have-no-job-for-a-week mentality and live as though we don't care.  Truth is, we care a lot (maybe too much).  His IT job has many similarities to mine.... people coming to him with concerns and problems and issues.  He faces pressures in the corporate world while I face pressures in the non-profit world.  However, we can pretend for short bursts of time that we just don't care.... which usually ends in a story that we laugh about for years later.

We should remind ourselves that we are human from time to time.  We are not superhuman.  The weight of our responsibilities can take its toll.  Mental and physical and spiritual health can be affected if we forget that all of our labels and tasks and jobs and obligations do not define us.  We are defined by who God created us to be.  Period.

John knows me like very few people do.  To be reminded that I can be normal helps me when I am with other normal people who come to their pastor for counsel.  I feel like I can relate with you instead of looking down at you like some supernatural... ummm... Divine Being?

So remember that you are normal and that God is not.  And yet God relates to you because He came to this world to be normal.... so that He could relate with you instead of only looking down at you.

And pray for John and I.... we are going to be in Pittsburgh.... with Steeler fans... wearing orange and black....  hopefully this story will have a good ending.... or at least a funny one.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe