"I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some, I do this for the sake of the gospel ..." 1 Corinthians 9:22-23aThis is one of the more memorable photos of me. It was taken a year or so ago at one of the wild and crazy parties our church was throwing for the community. As wild and crazy as a bunch of church people can get without totally destroying our image as a spiritual community. I first saw this photo when one of the teenagers of the church posted it to my FaceBook page. (Trust me, it elicited all kinds of comments from friends all around the country.)
As a pastor I have done a lot of things and taken on a lot of roles that normally I would not have gone near. I have slept on a city street to benefit a city homeless shelter and to draw attention to the plight of these people. Normally I have enough trouble simply sleeping a hard mattress in an air-conditioned motel room. I have endured a dunk tank on behalf of youth ministry. (You need to know I am a poor swimmer and the sudden drop from the trap seat greatly aggravated a tender back). As a pastor I have come to famly dinners for parishioners I barely know just because they wanted their family to have a religious presence to keep the peace. I have cooked dinner for crowds of people even though I hate to cook. I have politely read from the King James in country churches even though it has not been my translation of choice for at least five decades. The list goes on.
Yet I do it gladly (in most cases) for one simple reason. It is a way to say that people matter to God and I want to introduc them a Christ who loves them in spite of their sin, The witness of the Gospel is the most essential thing I do, and I dare not place boundaries or barriers out of personal preference, pride, or convenience.
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