Pastor David

Since leaving Youth ministry a little over a year ago, I am much more frequently referred to as “Pastor David.” And at the risk of sounding ungrateful for the recognition of my particular role in the church, it still sounds a little funny to me when people refer to me that way. I really can’t pinpoint why it sounds odd… It just does.

Maybe it makes me think I’m getting old… Or maybe it’s because when I visit with people outside the church who find out what I do with my life, natural conversation tends to cease and an incredibly awkward sense of uneasiness seems to set in. You can almost see the wheels inside their head turning… “Oh my gosh, he’s a pastor. Have I said anything unholy. Should I start throwing in some ‘thee’s’ and ‘thou’s’ into the conversation?”

I don’t know what it is, but there are times when just “David” seems just fine with me…

But… 

There are some times that it really warms my heart… Times where it floors me to again recognize the awesome responsibility and honor that is mine to serve the community in this particular way. Times that make me well up with emotion and say again, “Thank you God for allowing me to be a part of what you are doing.” 

and those times have one thing in common… 

It’s when a child calls me “Pastor David.” 

It happened yesterday when I left the home of one of our members who is stuck at home after breaking his ankle. We had a nice visit. I brought him a 12 pack of Coca Cola, and he got the chance to vent some of the frustration that I know I would have if I was stuck at home and unable to get the work done that I knew was waiting for me at the office. When I left to go finish out the rest of the work I had for the day, his twin daughters came out to tell me goodbye… In unison they shouted, “Bye Pastor David.” 

It’s hard to imagine what the church would be like without the sights, sounds, and yes, sometimes smells, of our kids. They bring passion, curiosity, creativity, and joy to the life of the community. They remind us of the innocence of our beginnings and in their young faces it is somehow easier for us to see the truth of Genesis 1:27… that we are created in the image of God… 

…And when they tell us their stories… When there eyes light up at what might seem to be the smallest detail… when their voices seem to anticipate our engagement with their retelling of the most mundane details of their day… we get a picture of the wonder and joy each of us should have in response to the gift of simply living. The church has a great responsibility to give to our kids our most prized possession… our faith in God… and in the process, our kids bless us with their energy and desire to share their lives with us… 

That’s why I love to hear them say, “Pastor David.” Because It is a much needed reminder that I have a sacred responsibility to “equip the saints” and a desperate need to preserve in my own life the curiosity and joy that is so evident in their lives.