Yesterday was more than the last
Sunday of 2015; it was the end of an era.
A friend of mine entered retirement and left the local pulpit
ministry. Art had served this
congregation for almost 30 years. I’m
not sure how old Art is or when he entered the ministry, but his early sermons
were written on a scroll with a quill pen.
When you first meet Art, you get the impression that he is a pastor
through and through. That conviction remains,
but as you get to know him better you become convinced that he is working on
his inner curmudgeon. And when you get past
the gruffness, which is the way he plays, you realize he is a tendered hearted
man who loves the Lord, His church, and people.
In addition to being a preacher,
he has served in numerous ministry groups and civic organizations beyond the
local church. His faithfulness in his
little town is a tribute to his patience, humility, and long-suffering
nature. Art is one of the ministers who has
survived a coup by disgruntled church members, and while he was hurt, he never
lost his hope.
Besides all that, Art is a loving
husband and proud dad of several kids. His
son wrote a song about a young married couple making their way through life and
the minefield of marriage. In a lot of
ways that song could apply to life in ministry.
So, I want to say thank you to Art for your service and example. And ask you, my readers, to listen to this
song, and taking it out of context, try to apply it to the life of
ministry.
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