Good AND Scary

Hello Emmanuel,

I was welcomed back with open arms yesterday.  I was relieved that I didn’t forget how to preach and genuinely glad to see the people of Emmanuel again.  As I think about the weeks ahead, however, I feel I need to give fair warning.  A pastor coming back from sabbatical can be both really good and really scary for the church.

First, the really good……

I am reinforced by the fact that Emmanuel is a well-organized, vision-driven church.  What this means is that when the pastor disappears for 6 weeks, the leaders of Emmanuel are not suddenly lost with what to do next.  Emmanuel can continue to go about the business of being the church because they have a focus on what God wants them to do, and not necessarily relying on the every word and action of one person… mainly the pastor.  This, in fact, was the case at Emmanuel.  It’s a good thing.

However, I must also be honest and recognize there still needs to be a person at the helm.  Over time, a church can go astray from the vision.  This is human nature in any church and, for that matter, any organization.  I was told it is sort of like a person guiding the rudder of a big ship, helping make small adjustments here and there to help keep the ship going in the right direction.

Second, the scary……

I went on sabbatical mostly to rest, but also to learn.  And I did learn.  Emmanuel is a healthy church, but not without its challenges.  For better or worse, the pastor is also one to put forth those challenges and encourage the church to make changes for the better.  These challenges can be easy or difficult or sometimes even painful.  And it is the role of the pastor to take first steps to help make them happen.  This means that sometimes difficult decisions need to be made. 

God isn’t done with us.  Being content with how we are doing simply isn’t a good idea.  I intend to keep pushing Emmanuel.  While many people feel great about what we are doing for God, I spend just as much time thinking about what we can do for God but haven’t yet. 

For example, we helped 210 children with school supplies yesterday at our Back To School Bash.  This is awesome!  We also gave away 59 backpacks!  This is also awesome.  We should celebrate this and give thanks to God.  The other half of my mind (and spirit) is wondering what we are going to do next year when 280 children show up.  Much like the issues around worship services, Small Groups, the Easter Egg hunt, Breakfast with Santa and so on…….  As we are able to bless more and more people, more and more people will want to be blessed.  The potential is essentially endless.  That is the nature of Grace.

What God is able to help us do is so much more than what we’ve already done.  So be ready to be challenged.  I will be here to help you through it.  In the end, it will be a lot of fun.  And our spirits will burst with joy and fulfillment.

God is Good,

Pastor Joe