Category: Ministry

Posted in Ministry

The spider and the acolyte

Posted on by William Douthwaite

communion spider.jpg“Our Father, Who art in heaven…”

“Pastor…Pastor…PASTOR!”

The (not so) whispered voice came from behind me as we began the Lord’s Prayer, just before the Words of Institution in worship a few weeks ago. I glanced behind me, and it was that Sunday’s acolyte.

“…hallowed be Thy name…”

“Pastor, there’s a spider!”

“…thy kingdom come, Thy will be done…”

I glanced back again and said, “Kill it!”

“…on earth as it is in heaven.”

“PASTOR, there’s a spider on the communion trays!”

“What?” I whispered.

“There’s a spider, right there.” He pointed to a 1/2 inch spider crawling up the side of the stack of individual cup trays.

“Give us this day out daily bread…”

I reached over, smooshed it with my finger, and flicked it across the chancel where it wouldn’t bother me any more.

“That’s your job,” I whispered.

“…as we forgive those who trespass against us…”

This true little episode is just one of the reasons why it can be difficult to keep your focus while officiating. It also highlights an important yet unwritten duty of an acolyte: dealing with arachnids. And it gives you a little window into the many unseen and unheard parts of a typical Sunday morning worship service.

 

 

Posted in Ministry

On Jesus’ prayer list

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I came across this sentence as I was paging through one of my journals from last year: “We’re on Jesus’ prayer list.”

The thought came from Luke 22:32, where Jesus tells Peter, “I have prayed for you.” It also connects with Romans 8:34, where Paul tells us that Jesus is interceding for us at the right hand of God. I keep a list of things I’m praying for in the back of my journal, and we’ve got prayer lists at church, but I don’t often stop to consider Jesus’ prayer list. I should. I’m on it.

On the one hand, this is very reassuring. My Lord is praying for me! He must care a lot about me. On the other hand, it concerns me. Jesus prayed for Peter because Peter was about to be “sifted” by Satan. Yikes. I hope that’s not on the schedule this week. Paul mentions it in the context of persecution. Really? I had other plans.

The context of Jesus’ words is about Peter’s failure, restoration and ministry to others. Well, I know from experience that I am going to stumble, by God’s grace I’ll get back up, and I’ll end up learning some lessons that will help me help someone else. Life’s never easy, so I appreciate being on his (and your) prayer list.

y1ty2

 

Posted in Ministry

Relevant

Posted on by William Douthwaite

relevantWhen I got to the office early this morning, I saw the red light lit on my phone. I had a voice mail.

I couldn’t understand it at first. After several listens, I could make out the introduction, “This is Corinne, from Relevant Church.”

Relevant Church. I had never heard of that church in our area. Interesting name. A presumptive name. An implication: other churches aren’t relevant. Like mine, for instance.

Am I being a bit too defensive? Perhaps. What would define a “relevant” church? Is my church relevant? Or out of date? Like your father’s Buick, maybe.

What would characterize a “relevant church?”

A church that speaks to the issues we face in our time? A church that addresses the concerns that we have right now? A church that speaks the language we use everyday?

How about a church that preaches the Word, in season and out? Or church that proclaims the gospel, timeless good news for people in darkness who need some light? Or one that points to a Savior who doesn’t come to condemn but to save?

Is an eternal God, who never changes, “relevant?” Is the gospel ever “irrelevant?”

 

Posted in Grace, Ministry

Not that bad?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

After worship, a member of the congregation said to me, “I couldn’t say the confession today. I don’t do any of those things. I’d be lying.”

Yes, that got my attention. I wasn’t sure what to say at that moment, don’t remember what I did say but know I wisely said little. I did go back to see what we had corporately confessed at the beginning of the service.

The confession that day was taken from the rite of individual confession and absolution. We said things like

“I have lived as if God did not matter and if I mattered most…my Lord’s name I have not honored as I should…my love for others has failed…there are those whom I have hurt…my thoughts and desires have been soiled with sin.” (Lutheran Service Book, p. 292)

Those words pretty much summed up my life that week. I read those words and think, “Guilty as charged.” But not this person. He sounded just like the wealthy young man who assured Jesus that he had kept all the commandments. Afterwards, I realized I could have told him to sell his possessions, give to the poor and follow Jesus, but that probably wouldn’t have gone over well.

So what was really going on here? Have I been preaching too much gospel and not enough law? Did he really not get it? Or were his failings in other areas than these that we mentioned?

I don’t know. It just caught me off guard. I’ve only ever had one other person object to the words of confession, insisting that they were not “a poor, miserable sinner.” They just didn’t think they were that bad. An average sinner, maybe. But not miserable.

crucifixion-of-jesus-christWe can all use a little more Christ and him crucified. The horrific reality of Jesus’ suffering and death usually makes me marvel, “I’m that bad? I’m that loved? It’s all taken care of? Really?” Then the absolution really hits home when God says, “Yes!”

 

 

Posted in Life, Ministry

There’s a corpse sitting here.

Posted on by William Douthwaite

corpseI got the call about 11 am. Her sister had walked into the house and discovered her father, seated in his chair, without his oxygen tube, TV blaring, dead. He had struggled with health issues for years, but none of us expected this. In fact, I had just given him a ride home from the hospital a few days before, and he was doing better each day.

It took me about an hour and a half to get home, cleaned up and over to the house. He was still sitting there in the chair as I talked with his daughter and a hospice nurse finished up some paperwork. In some ways, it felt just like the times I went to visit, except he was unusually quiet. He usually did most of the talking. More than once I thought to myself, “You know, there’s a corpse sitting here!” But He looked peaceful, so I waited with his daughter until the staff from the funeral home arrived.

We sat and talked about family, the in-and-out of the hospital routine of the past year, his many friends in the neighborhood and the only thing he really ever wanted to do: go fishing.

Actually, I’ve been in similar situations before. A number of times I’ve stayed with a family member until the staff from a funeral home arrived to take the body of a parent or spouse away. Just part of the job, I guess. It never really bothered me. Though the body was there, the soul had gone to be with the Lord, and that is a very reassuring thing to know.

 

 

 

 

Posted in Grace, Ministry

A simple greeting

Posted on by William Douthwaite

handshakeAfter the first of the year, a lot of our seasonal worshipers arrive in town, making the first few Sundays of Epiphany a reunion of sorts.

One particular gentleman, usually with his wife, was sitting alone. She was either sick that week or couldn’t attend for some other reason. A few minutes before the worship service began I went over and said, “Hi, great to see you back!” Just a simple greeting and handshake.

The following week he was back, this time with his wife. After worship he came over and said to me, “Thank you for coming over to say, ‘Hi’ last week. I really needed that.” I must have looked puzzled, so he continued, “I don’t like to sit alone and it just meant a lot that you came over. Thanks.”

From this I’ve learned to never underestimate the power of a simple greeting. I also learned a long time ago that there is great blessing in remembering someone’s name when they return the next week or the next year.

Posted in Ministry

We ate all the candy

Posted on by William Douthwaite

gold nuggetsA couple of weeks ago I got together some craft supplies for the Sunday School classes. One project called for some gold foil-wrapped chocolates, part of the Epiphany lesson about the magi who bought their gifts to worship the king of Jews.

I couldn’t find an Hanukkah gelt, but Hershey’s nuggets looked just like little gold bars. Perfect! I got a bag, split them up, and left them in the classrooms two weeks before they would be needed.

I neglected to warn the teachers that these were craft supplies, not merely treats. One teacher came up to me and confessed, “I just looked at my lesson for this Sunday and now I know why there was candy in my room! Unfortunately, we ate it all.” Just hours later a text came from the other teacher: “Umm…got any more candy? We ate it all last week!”

I laughed right out loud. I would have done the same thing!

Posted in Ministry

It’s recommendation time again

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Screen Shot 2016-01-19 at 1.38.07 PMIt’s that time of the year again: recommendation time. As some of our high school students apply for college admission and scholarships, I often get the request, “Pastor, I need a recommendation.”

This has turned out to be one of my favorite things to do for our high school members. In my most recent batch, I’ve known the students for many years, have taught them, traveled with them, served with them, and verbally sparred with them. In so many ways I have grown up with them and they with me. The process of writing a letter to an admissions department or scholarship committee is a time for me to reflect upon their accomplishments and potential, and celebrate God’s faithfulness in their lives.

No, I didn’t actually send the letter pictured here. But I sure wanted to. Why can’t we just cut to the chase?

Posted in Life, Ministry

A hard question

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“So, how’s the church doing?”confused

That’s a hard question to answer. Maybe the hardest.

That question comes up often at this time of the year, because many of our seasonal visitors are here to escape the harsh winters of the north in the pleasant climate of Florida. Their question is sincere, they care about the church where they worship while away from home and they are part of our church family. Continue reading “A hard question” →