From the Pastor's Pen

Dear friends,

My husband said something funny to me at lunch today.  Some of you know that Mike is serving as the Transitional pastor of one of the Presbyterian churches in Battle Creek.  He is thoroughly enjoying his work, and it seems the people in the church are very much enjoying him.  He was commenting, however, on how very different he is from their previous pastor.  “I’m extroverted and gregarious,” Mike said. “Their previous pastor was introverted and introspective.”  “I’m focused on connecting with people.”  “He was the consummate administrator.”  Then Mike added, “If you combined the two of us, you’d have the perfect pastor!”  I laughed.

Isn’t it true that we are never everybody’s cup of tea.  Whether you are a pastor or a school teacher or a banker or a business man/woman, a volunteer, or a mom or dad, son or daughter….  It seems someone appreciates some of your personality qualities, gifts and skills, while someone else wishes you were a little different in one aspect or another.  But the truth is we are who we are, gifted and skilled as God created us to be.  Paul put it this way:  “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”  (I Cor 12: 7)

How boring if we were all the same, and boring if we were all “perfect!”  As it is God has made us all unique with different abilities, different gifts, different opinions so we could help each other and learn from each other and work together.  The added bonus is that we get to develop a gracious spirit along the way!

Peace,

Pr. Sally