Hi all,
(Welcome to all who were following my blog at Google and WORDPRESS–I have now moved locations)
So it has been a long day, but the good news is that baby Joseph will be arriving into our world on June 3rd, Thursday morning (prayers are needed).
Growing up, I always thought that pastors, priests, and people working in ministry always have it together, but when I became older I realized that we are all human. After my experience of being an Assistant Pastor of Youth & Congregational Care, this fact has become even more of a reality.
I remember recently when I was attending Fuller Theological Seminary, and doing my internship as part time Youth Director at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Fullerton, California, there were times where I felt burnt out and had nothing left to give. Even though I was a seminarian and a person working in ministry, I had moments when I struggled to feel the presence of God. Out of those experiences though, I learned that God is faithful, and will never leave us, nor forsake us, and that was the hope that I held on to in order to keep me going. To this day as a full-time Assistant Pastor, I can claim that purpose to be true and just from the meditation on the passage from Ephesians 4:11-13:
“The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of full stature of Christ.”
There were times when I felt pretty drained, and I desired and thirsted after God’s righteousness, so that I might be filled.
What can we learn from those desert experiences? One thing I learned is to thank God that he is in control. I thank God that He leads the ministry at our United Methodist Churches, not the Pastors or the church staff, and not I. It’s awesome that God uses humans, despite their weaknesses, to work in other humans’ lives (i.e. David in the Old Testament, and Peter the Disciple). Yes, for us to be vulnerable and real in front of people is a risk, but it can also transform us by the grace of God.
At one point when I risked being vulnerable in front of my students, what really encouraged my heart was what one student said during my stint at Emmanuel one night, “You encouraged me and helped me when I was down, so I want to encourage you and let you know that you will get through this.” How awesome was it for me to be on the receiving end from my student rather than on the giving end?!?! It was so incredible that it soothed my troubled heart. I saw God’s compassion working through one of my youth and speaking to me at the place I was in at the moment.
Yes, God has appointed some to be priests, some to be teachers, and so on, but we all represent the body of Christ, and we live in a community where we love one another and build each other up. By sharing my personal experience, I want to encourage you by saying that God is always there for us. . .just look closer.
He is waiting with open arms. Just look around you. . .look closely into the eyes of your friends, your family, or your United Methodist church community, and there you will not only find God, but you will see God.
Slam dunks are supposed to be a sure and easy 2 points for a team—-unless a dunk is botched or missed (believe it or not, it happens more often than you think). Just remember that none of us are perfect, we are all human, and mistakes are made. What looks easy isn’t always the case, but this is for sure—you have so many brothers and sisters in Christ to help you along the way—just look around.
Much love, grace, and peace,
Peter Joseph
P.S. Soon and very soon baby Joseph will be here
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